Who have you been talking with?

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. (Psalm 8:1)

It has been a while since I have spoken about the various names of God in scripture, but this psalm opens with two different names used for God - LORD and Lord. Sometimes it is easy to miss the subtle differences because we just 'read over' them. When we stop for a moment to consider what is being said by the use of the various names of God, we can begin to see the true meaning of the passage. LORD is God's 'covenant name' used in the Hebrew language. We might think of this as the 'Old Testament' name referencing his entering into 'covenant' with the Israelite nation. Another term for LORD is Yahweh or Jehovah. The meaning: I am who I am, or I am that I am. God is, has been, will always be the God of the universe - there is no other who compares with him, no other worthy of worship and honor.

Yahweh (LORD) references God's creative power. Thinking upon that for a moment, isn't it good to know that the one who creates all, has the power to bring forth something out of nothing, is the one we can enter into relationship with? That is the meaning of a 'covenant' - it is an agreement between individuals that cannot be broken, but there are 'conditions' to every covenant. On God's side, he shows himself faithful and powerful - on our side, we obey his commands and live according to his will. Lord references God's sovereignty, or as we might best understand it - master. When our psalmist opens with LORD - he is revealing the power of God, but when he uses the term 'our Lord', he is referencing God's position as 'master' or 'ruler' over his people.

The first term speaks of his right to rule. The latter speaks of a depth of relationship that results in one being willing to submit to his leadership in their lives. As creator, he is worthy of respect and honor. As master, his worthy of willing obedience and trust. God is not a 'force' - he is not an angry judge or a stern rule giver. He is the one we are to admire and honor. Our psalm is really saying there is absolutely no one else in this entire world 'worthy' of the same honor - no one else we should look up to as we do him. We give him the honor due his name - LORD, the creator of all; and Lord, our master and King. One expresses our awareness of his position, the other shows our heart in seeking the one who loves us so much. Just sayin!

Sin means judgment

I have read through scripture a number of times but have always struggled a bit with how God could 'get angry' and still be a merciful and kind God. My guess is that I am not alone in this quandary. What I have deduced is that God gets 'angry' when people sin - sin gets his anger stirred up. He is slow to anger, but that doesn't mean his patience can be taken for granted. God is the judge of human character - not us. We would like to sit in judgment on occasion, but we are not qualified to judge simply because we have this sin nature at work within each of us. 

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Whenever we think we are above the judgment of God, we are in a very troubling place. We may want to take revenge when we have been wronged, but God's concern will always be with the one who has done the wrong. Scripture reminds us that God is on the side of the innocent - he will judge the one who brings harm to them. Does that mean they will burn in the lake of fire? Not necessarily! It means he will bring enough 'discomfort' into their lives that they will be driven to make a decision to either repent of their sins or face that ultimate judgment.

The principle is that of harvesting whatever it is we sow. When we sow all manner of derision and discontent in this world, we can be assured that God's patience with us will someday come to an end. He will begin to bring 'judgment' into our lives. That means we may not always come out of things 'smelling rosy'. There may be consequences we did not intend when we set out on our sinful path. It isn't that God causes the consequences as much as it is that he doesn't stand in the way of them. Always keep in mind that God's intent is that no man should be separated from him - he provided grace for all who would seek it.

When we are engaged in wrongdoing, we can expect consequences. When we are seeking forgiveness for our wrongdoing, we can expect grace. God's plan is the latter - that we would seek his forgiveness and be restored to right relationship with him. All God asks is for us to take a close look at our own actions - if they don't align with his principles, we should repent. If they do, we should press in a little closer for sin's pull is always just around the corner. God doesn't like to judge, but he isn't going to allow sin to have the upper hand in our lives. Just sayin!

Driven by guilt

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. (Psalm 51:1-4)

How is it that we don't always make a beeline to God when we sin? There are excuses uttered - thinking we can somehow justify our offense as though it were impossible for us to have resisted the temptation. We find ourselves turning this way or that, in hopes of not encountering God over the issue, but find ourselves feeling the guilt 'prick' at us like thorns on a rosebush. I don't think we intended to give into the temptation, and we don't really think the excuses or 'running' will keep us away from dealing with the sin, but we respond this way for some inexplicable reason. Guilt is that 'pin prick' in our conscience that should cause us to run TOWARD restoration, not AWAY from it!

David never said he was sinless - in fact, he recognized his sin and that also made him realize his need for confession, repentance, and restoration. Confession is the admission of guilt - repentance is the action one takes to turn away from the actions of sin. Put together, we find ourselves in a place where restoration can actually happen. David showed us that when we 'do wrong', we need to be quick to admit it. That admission may be to God alone, or it could be we need to go to another to admit our 'wrongdoing' to them (because they were affected by our wrongdoing). There is something quite humbling in admitting we were wrong, isn't there? Could it be that repentance actually begins when we put down our pride and humble ourselves enough to seek forgiveness?

There are times when our sin involves us and God - others haven't been involved. We find ourselves taking actions - thinking about things in a way that we shouldn't - all without involving another in those actions or thoughts. Be humble enough to admit your sinfulness the first time you feel the 'pinprick' of guilt and you will save yourself a whole lot of 'guilt-ridden anxiety' over the matter at hand! There are no greater words we can utter than "have mercy on me". There is no better place to find healing for our sin-sick hearts and minds than at the feet of Jesus. Guilt might drive us there, but grace helps us get up again and move beyond the guilt. Just sayin!

A position of power

I come to you for protection, O Lord my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me! If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me. (Psalm 7:1-2)

We began to look at the power of a truly 'defensible position' yesterday - the best of all being 'in Christ'. As we examine the need for a defensible position, we might find there are a number of reasons we would cry out to God for a place of refuge. Perhaps one of the reasons we seek a refuge is because of the slander and gossip of others around us. We might not realize the damage of gossip and the destruction to the reputation whenever someone sets out to slander and individual. We could be on either side of that coin - the one being gossiped about, or the one engaging in the gossip. The first needs a defensible position - a place of protection and refuge; the latter needs a 'come to Jesus' meeting!

David was not without his share of both. In fact, he had people who would falsely accuse him of many things, some right from within his own family. It is hard to stand strong in the midst of those types of 'wordy attacks', isn't it? It is even harder when those 'attacking' with their words and insults don't know the whole truth of the matter. Imagine what it might have been like to be a king back in those days. There would be some who would immediately see the benefit of this 'chosen king' to be the ruler of the land, but then there would be others who would never be content to allow him to rule. In other words, they would compete with him for a position of power. 

Most of the damage done by gossips and slanderers is meant to 'depose' the one they are targeting from some 'position of power'. It might be as simple as not being the employee the boss seems to 'like best', or not being the 'favored child' in the family. It could be that the gossip starts out 'innocently', but before long, the intent can turn uglier, especially when the person doing the gossiping is actually targeting the 'position of power' for themselves. God tells us our position is 'in Christ' - indeed a position of power. No wonder Satan chooses to attack us so much! He has always wanted that position and just like a spoiled child, he sets out to do whatever it takes to attempt to 'depose' us from that position.

It stands to reason that he would use words to attack us. Why do I make that supposition? The old adage, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," really isn't true, is it? Words can cut deep. They can scar - leaving deeply felt pain for a long, long time. Maybe that is why God asks us to 'manage' our words well - to allow the Holy Spirit to 'filter' those words, applying his touch of grace to them. Satan uses lies because he knows truth won't topple us. God uses truth because he knows it is the only thing that keeps us free! We might not escape the attacks of gossips and slanderers, but we do always have a refuge that we can run to where we will find truth and grace in abundance. Just sayin!

A defensible position

The seventh Psalm starts out with the words, "I come to you for protection, O Lord my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!" We know that David spent a great deal of time either running from Saul and his warriors or fighting one battle after another to maintain his kingdom - and some of those battles were from within his own family. There is probably something quite 'practical' in these words because a warrior needed protection on occasion - just to get away from it all and to recover from the fight. An area of 'strong defense' was a godsend to a warrior. For David, he might have needed a 'physically defensible position' from which he could take refuge. It is also quite possible he may have needed a 'spiritually defensible position' where he could be renewed and refreshed 'in the battle'. 

We need both on occasion - a physical place that brings us a sense of safety and a spiritual place where our emotional and spiritual health is renewed. One without the other is really not all that great. Maybe that is why we have these examples in scripture, showing us that it is never wrong to need a 'place of retreat' along with the time to actually 'heal within the retreat'. One thing we may not realize about a place of refuge is that the warrior usually sought one not so much to hide and recover, but one that gave him an excellent 'defensible' position. That meant battle could be done from that place, but he had the advantage of those attempting to bring and attack against it. In other words, it wasn't a walled-off canyon, but a high vantage point that made it hard for the enemy to attack with him unaware of the enemy's approach.

Most of the time, we 'retreat' and think it means we just let our guard down. A place of refuge didn't mean the warrior no longer needed to keep guard over his life. It meant he was in a position to 'fight a good fight' - one he was likely to win because of the 'position' he enjoyed. When our defensible position is 'in Christ', we are both 'renewed' for the battle, and able to utilize the best of 'strategies' to overcome the enemy's attack. Without this 'defensible position', we are sitting ducks! Why would we choose to 'fight' alone? Psalm 3:5-6 reminds us, "I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side." The key to victory is found in finding that 'defensible place' in life. There is no better 'option' than to be 'in Christ'! Just sayin!

The baddest, meanest dudes

What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. (Proverbs 6:12-15)

Have you been around those who 'plot evil' as though it were a hobby? They go through life treating others as though they were 'pawns' in their game of life and live as though they were 'above the rules'. I try to get out of their way whenever I encounter them because I am aware their end will not be good at all! These kinds of people like to be on the receiving end of all that they desire, but whenever they receive something they didn't want, watch out. There will be some form of backlash!

"I don't believe a champion is the biggest, baddest, meanest dude in the world. I think the champion is like a warrior; it's like the head knight or lead samurai: humble men of integrity, respect, and honor that treat people kindly." (Jon Jones, American Athlete) The baddest dude we may have met will never be able to stand up to the God we serve. He may think he has made his way in this life by walking on others, demanding his own way, 'telling his own story', but there is only one person who know the end of that 'bad dude's' life - God. 

When we encounter these types of individuals, we might be tempted to 'talk some sense' into them, but if you have ever tried to combat their wickedness with kind words or deeds, you know there is no amount of talk or 'nice actions' that will change their ways. It will take an act of God to change them - not our words, reasoning, or pleas to change. Why? Their hearts are actually tainted by their desires - there heart is hard, bent on doing evil, and completely depraved. The only one who can change a heart is God - through the work of grace and the power of Christ's blood.

What can we do when we encounter the hard of heart, wicked to the core individual? We can pray for their change of heart, but when we stay close enough to them to be an example of God's love and grace, we had better be prepared for the trouble they will continually stir up. They thrive in that form of chaos, so if we are going to be around them, we need to prepare for the chaos. That means we put on the full armor of God and then we stand. The bully in them will attempt to knock us down, but when we are standing in the power of God, even their 'baddest' attack won't send us packing. Just sayin!

Does it count for much?

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)

How many times do you hear someone brag about what they have accomplished and wonder why they find it necessary to boast so much about such a small thing? Truth be told, I have been amongst the braggarts on occasion! Not a pretty sight. Boasting is really for the purpose of calling attention to oneself. As a young person, I thought unless people were always paying attention to you, they didn't like you. My bragging actually drove them away, not closer! Now, it goes without saying, if I catch the big fish on that next fishing outing, I am holding it high, but I don't do it to 'call attention' to my 'angling expertise'. I am just jazzed to have snagged one! Sometimes we 'call attention' to our accomplishments in quite an innocent fashion, while at others, it is to get some kind of praise from someone else. 

When people commend themselves - is it possible some may actually 'commend themselves' because they don't hear any praise from any other source? Someone raised in that kind of environment, constantly badgered or put down by another, may actually 'hunger' for some form of recognition or praise. Maybe we can understand some form of bragging when that is the case, but even when no one else around you recognizes your extreme worth or values your input in this world, God does! Nothing we do ever escapes his notice, and I will tell you this for certain - a 'pat on the back' from God is ten times more rewarding than one from some stranger on this earth. God's recognition goes beyond the praises of the moment, or even the high five of success. It ministers to our spirit and nourishes our soul.

Mom used to remind me it was not my responsibility to 'tell others how good I am', but to live in such a way that the goodness is evident. Maybe that is what Paul is reminding us of this morning - live in a way that requires no amount of 'bragging' in order for the evidence of God's work within to be noticed. In another passage, we are reminded it is good to hear God's, "Well done, my good and faithful servant", when we cross over from this life into the next. I imagine we will all find such delight in those words of praise - much, much more than those accolades we receive on this earth. Just sayin!

To journal or not to journal

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:25)

I am not a 'journal person' - I don't keep a diary of the daily events and happenings in life. In fact, I tried it for a couple of months to see if I could keep track of what I was doing and other stuff like the things that were happening in my ministry. It got to the place I was repeating myself, so I quit. As much as I thought this 'diary' thing was a 'big deal' for believers to 'keep track' of God's blessings, it wasn't all that 'big of a deal'. It was shortly after that failed attempt at keeping a diary that I realized God wanted me to simply spend time with him, writing down the stuff he told me in those times, beginning to really digest the scriptures for myself. When I began to record what God was sharing from his Word and my time pondering it, I found that much less cumbersome. In fact, I actually saw 'lessons' being recorded - sometimes in a rather 'repetitive' manner. Why the repeat? I didn't quite learn everything the first time I pondered the lesson!

We don't always have a 'new insight' every time we ponder a particular passage, but it is very possible God will reopen those words to you as he has before, maybe adding just a little more insight now that you didn't consider before. I think this is what John meant when he said 'all the books that could be written' would not contain all that Jesus does or shows us in our lifetime. I have gone back through some of those journals on occasion, only to find that the 'lesson' from several years back was kind of rudimentary or even 'shallow'. That is when the growth in my life begins to be apparent to me. Maybe there is something to be said for keeping a journal, but not so much for the 'today I did this or that' kind of stuff. Maybe the journal we should keep is the one that helps us to realize God is at work helping us to become stronger, capable of standing in the face of trials, and less susceptible to similar temptations.

About six months ago I did a thing where I looked into those journals and then after perusing them a bit, I actually destroyed them. Why? It was 'old stuff' now. I actually saw evidence of growth today that wasn't there then. I didn't see the need to keep the 'old stuff' around any longer - I had moved on. Maybe there will come a time when you look back, knowing you dealt with some pretty important stuff with God, and come to a similar revelation - you have moved on, grown up, dug in a little deeper, and are now standing stronger than ever before. Do you need the reminder that life is never supposed to be 'stagnant' or 'fixed'? Maybe that is what the journals actually showed us - we have been experiencing God's incremental growth without even realizing it. Just sayin!

A Thomas Moment

“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29) You believe - not because you were compelled to believe - but because you hungered enough to know the truth and be set free by it. Do we believe because we see, or is it because we have heard? Are we the type of people who demand a sign and then another just to confirm what we have heard is true? It never ceases to amaze me that God knows the weakness of our spirit and the questioning of our mind. Here is the most amazing truth - he meets us right where we are. 

Thomas happened to be absent the night Jesus appeared to the disciples following the resurrection. When we was told about his appearance, he had a hard time accepting their 'testimony' of what they saw. In fact, he told them he needed the ultimate proof - being able to touch his pierced hands and side. Eight days later, gathered together in a locked room, Jesus gives him the opportunity. In those eight days, I wonder what Thomas was thinking about. Could it have been that he was pondering all the miracles he had seen while Jesus was present with them? Could he have been going over how each 'sign' prophesied had been somehow fulfilled? We don't know what was going through his mind, but we are given a glimps into what was transpiring in his heart.

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. (vs. 27-28) Don't be faithless any longer - believe. We are given a little insight into the heart of Thomas - he wasn't fully a believer, in spite of having seen and heard first-hand. No wonder Jesus told him those who believe without the advantage of having seen the miracles, signs and wonders are truly a blessed bunch of people! Peter denied him three times before his crucifixion - yet Jesus knew his heart and restored him to right relationship. Thomas didn't really 'get it' - yet Jesus specifically made a way for him to come to assured faith.

We may think there is no hope for some who have heard time and time again or seen the many astounding things God has done around them and even in their own lives, and still don't come to faith in Jesus. Nothing could be further from the truth - for where God reveals himself there is always the potential of grace doing its work. Let God be on display for those who will see. Let his Word be on your lips for those who will hear. If they don't believe because they see or hear the first time, keep on. You never know when their 'Thomas moment' may come! Just sayin!

What I have written...

So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.” (John 19:16-22)

No matter how hard Pilate tried to release Jesus from the bonds his accusers had placed him in, they objected vehemently, completely determined that Jesus would die that day before the sun went down. Pilate had listened to Jesus' testimony, heard him tell him he was "born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” He found no fault in him, yet his accusers continued to demand his crucifixion, actually going so far as to accuse Pilate of being disloyal to Caesar if he refused to condemn Jesus to death. Isn't it amazing the lengths some will go to in an attempt to stifle the truth? Truth might not be popular to some, but it remains truth nonetheless. Try as we might, we cannot silence truth.

Pilate went to far as to ensure the sign above Jesus' head included the title "King of the Jews", even after the demands to change it to something more 'subtle' like he 'claimed to be' the King of the Jews. Here was what the Pharisees and religious leaders would have considered to be a 'heathen' ruler, giving honor to the one they had come to despise so greatly. Why do you suppose Pilate would not alter his declaration? Could it be that he actually believed Jesus to be the Son of God, come to redeem his people? Or do you suppose he merely did not want to condemn an innocent man, sort of like washing his hands of his guilt when he posted the sign? Either way, he did not ever declare Jesus to be guilty of a crime - he merely fulfilled the wishes of the pressing and demanding crowd.

In Hebrew, Latin, and Greek - assuring that all within the city could clearly see just who hung on the cross that day. Why would Pilate care that everyone knew? I go back to the question of belief. Did he perhaps believe in more than the 'innocence' of Jesus? Could it be when Jesus said, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world,” that he actually realized this was more than a man standing before him? We weren't there that day, but I imagine the quandary he felt was made even worse when Jesus spoke nothing but truth and refused to 'justify' his claims or 'fight for his rights'. 

What I have written, I have written. Profound words indicating they would not be changed - truth would be told for all to see. When Pilate encountered truth, he would not allow truth to be altered. We don't know all the reasons behind his actions, but we know he was moved by what he saw in Jesus, and he would not allow his testimony to be altered. How about us? Are we willing to stand by the testimony of Jesus in our own lives? Does what we reveal about Jesus point clearly to the truth? If not, maybe it is about time we consider our testimony a little closer and allow the truth resident within to shine just a bit brighter. Just sayin!

Our mission

I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. (John 17:14-19)

Be assured the hatred flung upon believers is not 'ill-placed' - they are just showing their rejection of Christ and his provided way into right relationship with his Father. Jesus could have taken all who believed out of this world with him when he ascended into heaven, but their work was only beginning. Although they no longer conformed to the ways and customs of the world, they were 'left behind' to carry forth this message of hope and restoration. Instead of taking us out of the world, Christ asks us to spread hope - knowing that his Father will keep each of us safe under his watchful care.

How is it we become ambassadors of Christ's message to this world? The most important thing after saying 'yes' to Jesus is that we allow his Word to 'get inside of us' so it begins the work of making us holy. We receive all we need for right relationship with God when we say 'yes' to Jesus, but then there is this transformational process of laying down the ways of this world and taking up the holiness provided to us in God's grace. This 'exchange' process is actually something that the world observes, making the 'preaching' of the message of hope really more about how we live out our salvation in our daily lives.

Jesus' sacrifice might have saved from the fires of hell, but the more we embrace that truth, the more we find ourselves desiring less of this world's ways and more holiness, right-living, and peace to be part of it. That might seem strange - being 'delivered from' but still 'living in' this world - but there are a good many around each of us who have yet to experience the power of truth in their own lives. We 'live in' because we are to be messengers of this truth - ambassadors of truth. The Word of God is powerful - it transforms us because of that power. When Jesus left this earth, he left behind his Word. Why? So many more could receive truth and enter into his peace. 

We might think we are ill-equipped for our mission, but Jesus did one thing that day so long ago that some of us miss. He asked his Father to give us everything we would need to 'live in' this world without becoming 'like' this world. Truth keeps us 'fit' for the Kingdom of God. The more truth gets into our lives, the more 'transformed' our lives become. Our actions begin to reflect grace. Our attitude reflects peace. Our hope is eternal and not temporal. Our insight is not opinion, but it is reality (truth). Our mission - share truth with those who have not seen the power of truth yet. Just sayin!

Will you be disturbed?

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Boy, we sure understand the 'trials and sorrows' part, don't we? Look around you just about anywhere and you will see wildfires taking down whole towns, people going berserk over who knows what, and one 'bad news day' after another. This world knows very little peace - it knows of warfare, misgivings, poorly behaving people, and threats beyond measure, but very little of the nightly news tells us of the great peace mankind is experiencing.

Peace is a person - when we meet that person, we truly understand peace. The person? Christ himself. The way to him? Ask him to reveal himself to you and in you. There are all kinds of ways mankind goes about attempting to find some form of peace in this world, but just as Jesus told his disciples that day, peace is not an 'earthly' thing. It is a divine thing! Once we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we finally realize there is no true peace apart from him. We can walk through all kinds of ugliness and hardship on this earth, but still be in 'perfect peace'. How? By leaning into the person of peace.

Jesus reminds us he overcomes everything that attempts to disturb 'perfect peace'. Artificial peace is the best the world can offer. All the trials and sorrows of this world don't stand a chance where Christ's Spirit dwells. When we come to Christ, guess what? His Spirit dwells within us! That ensures 'perfect peace' is 'resident' within us no matter where we go or what we face. If you have ever had one attack after another, you soon realize all Satan is up to with those attacks is a feeble attempt to disturb Christ's indwelling Spirit. Remember that peace is not the absence of chaos - it is the condition of facing chaos with confident determination the battle has already been done on the matter!

Jesus wanted his disciples to realize what was about to happen as the end of his earthly ministry was nearing. As he described the impending 'changes' to his physical presence with them, he assures them his presence would always be there, but the 'form' of that presence was soon to change. It would not be physical any longer - it would be the indwelling of the Spirit of God. Do you think he wants us to face chaos, trial, or sorrow with any less 'knowledge'? Absolutely not! In fact, he wants us to stand assured, being confident of his presence, and then 'soldier on' - even when the fires roar and the accusers bellow. Just sayin!

Living FOR, not just with

You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:16-17)

Choice - to select from a number of possibilities - usually because you know something about what it is you are choosing. I choose one of a couple of brands of toilet tissue because I know the quality of those brands. I sometimes see other choices that may cost a little less, but I don't choose them because I have no clue as to their quality. I choose one brand of dish detergent because I have observed what it does when I make a sudsy water to wash my pots and pans. We make all kinds of choices each and every day, some of them pretty much a matter of 'routine' in our lives. There are choices we make consciously and others we make subconsciously, something we might not even realize we are doing. How is it we choose to serve Christ today? Is it a conscious or subconscious decision? Is it purposeful or by rote? If we truly love him as he has loved us, I daresay a relationship that is 'rote' or 'routine' is not really a relationship at all!

Paul put it this way in his letter to the Philippian church: "To me, living means living FOR Christ...but if I live, I can do more and more fruitful work for Christ." (1:21) Christ's command to his disciples those many years ago still stands today. We are to be 'grafted into' his family, taking care of one another, loving one another as he first loved us. A relationship is established in his 'choosing' us, but it is our responsibility to keep the relationship fresh and vital by actually engaging with him each and every day - consciously. When you first start a relationship, you make very conscious decisions to get to know each other, what the other person likes, how they relate to you when they are happy, tired, sad, or hungry. You are learning 'about' them, but does that learning ever truly end? Not if you want it to be a vital and lasting relationship!

Jesus asks us to learn who he really is - yes, learn about him, but we must also learn things we can only know by spending time WITH him. We can know a whole lot 'about' Jesus and totally miss out on the joy of actually getting to spend time in his presence. We call that being a 'churchgoer' - one who merely warms the pew with their presence, but totally misses that Christ's presence is right there beside them. When we really want to grow in relationship with Christ, we soon discover we want to see certain fruit develop within our lives. The fruit we might desire is gentleness of spirit, kindness of heart, wisdom to speak words of hope and comfort. We only develop fruit through attachment to the vine. We only remain attached and vital when we take that time at his feet developing the relationship. Just sayin!

In attendance

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. (John 15:1-4)

Our Arizona sun has done a number on our garden this year. What started out so healthy, green, and fruit bearing has now become brittle, yellowed, and the fruit is nowhere to be found. The severe heat of the day, despite covering the plants with shade covers, has made what should have been a very fruitful spring/summer harvest a dud. I have observed something similar in God's kids on occasion. They seem to spring up with all kinds of gusto and good intentions, then when life's heat turns up a bit, they almost wither on the vine. I am not sure what happens to them, but they usually just drift for a while and most eventually 'come back', but you can certainly see that they have been through the 'pruning process'. If we want things to grow as they should, there is always going to be this 'pruning process'. We might find it a bit harsh at times, while we barely notice it happening at others. 

The truly amazing thing is not that God cares enough about us to 'save' us from wild and unhealthy growth, but that he ensures the best possible growth by ensuring we are 'grafted into' his healthy 'stock'. If we remained where some of us were planted originally, we'd just be a bundle of gangly branches with dead leaves and gangly, unyielding branches. When the 'pruning process' begins, we might feel a little 'naked' for a bit, but because of the exposure of things previously hidden under so much 'overgrown deadness', we begin to put forth new growth. New growth always seems to come from the most unlikely places within us. That may frighten some of us because we never imagined growth to be possible from those 'dead' and 'damaged' places. In God's hands, there is always the potential for new life!

The Word of God is life to those who hear it - it is also the very 'shears' that will 'prune and purify' our lives. To neglect the Word of God is to neglect a very necessary 'pruning'! Too many times we think we can get away with a little 'nip' here and there, but what we really need is a good old fashioned 'deep pruning'. We want the pruning process to be over quickly, but God's Word has a way of being there each and every time death is uncovered. When we yield to the Word of God, we are ensuring the 'graft' remains strong and vital. That strong and vital connection with God is what actually ensures not only growth, but fruit. How many of us want an unyielding garden? We want it to flourish, giving its fruit in season, and continually revealing that the gardener has 'been in attendance'. Just sayin!

Do I have to accept truth?

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. (John 14:21)

Before obedience comes acceptance - we have to accept the commandments of God and then apply ourselves to obeying them. Do we have to understand all the commandments of God before we can apply them to our lives? We can acknowledge that there are some we may not fully 'understand' but we are intent on keeping because God tells us to live within their boundaries. We have to welcome his commandments, though. The more we find ways to twist or resist them, the harder it will be for us to draw near to him. Why? The twisting and resisting reveals we are really not intent on developing the relationship!

When we accept the commandments of God, we are really showing that we are willing to undertake the responsibility to live within those commandments. Did you really hear that? The element of responsibility is ours - the following of God's commandments requires us to take responsibility for our actions and to submit them to his leadership. We can SAY we love Jesus all we want, but if our actions show we are taking life's matters into our own hands and repeatedly doing things our own way, we are really not living in a way that reveals our love for him. 

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to those who follow him. This life union with Christ is marked by the indwelling of the Spirit of God. The Spirit's work is to help us know his commandments, but it is also to reveal the purpose of those commandments as we 'walk them out' in our daily lives. Sometimes we think we have to understand the purpose before we can ever embrace the required actions. I don't understand love, but I certainly know the 'feelings' and 'actions' of love. If I waited to understand love fully before I ever undertook the actions of love, I'd be waiting a long, long time!

Purpose comes in doing - we hear the command, listening with the intent of acting, then we take the action. In so doing, we usually come to a place of 'seeing' the purpose associated with the action. The commandments of God are guidelines for living - boundaries established to provide safety and security in our lives. Undertake any actions within those boundaries and you will experience the goodness and graciousness of God. Undertake actions outside of those boundaries and you will likely experience something short of what God intended.

Accept God's guidance - his commandments. Acknowledge your need for these boundaries and live within them. You will soon discover the Holy Spirit begins to expand your understanding for those boundaries. Understanding doesn't always have to precede acceptance. Sometimes accepting something as wise and true is the beginning of walking a path that leads away from harm and toward good. Just sayin!

A troubled heart?

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:1-7)

Trust is a learned thing - if it is violated enough, it can be harder and harder to trust the next time. Jesus gave his disciples absolutely no reason to mistrust him. He was always there, especially when they needed his help. He came in the middle of the storm, quieted the waters, settling their fears. He stood up against those who would resist his 'movement' and guided their steps. So, why would their hearts be troubled now? Perhaps it was the announcement that he was about to leave - making them feel like they were about to be abandoned. The thing they forgot was that he would never abandon them - though not physically present with them, he would send his Holy Spirit to assure them of his presence with them.

Even after all their time with him, they still were unclear as to his real 'purpose' - to redeem the world. They probably didn't quite understand his 'leaving' to make a way for others to 'enter in'. That seemed a little counter-intuitive to them. He came, so why wouldn't he stay? They didn't understand his 'coming' required his 'dying' and his death required his 'resurrection'. That complete cycle had to be finished - not just the coming and hanging around with them part. I am the way - pretty clear there, but they still questioned his meaning. Isn't it just like us to question even the simplest of instructions?

What I would like us to see this morning is not so much this struggle the disciples had that day, but the very real struggle man of us has on a consistent basis. The struggle? Troubled hearts. How is it we find ourselves in the pickle of troubled hearts? The answer is right there in the first verse - we 'allow' or 'let' our hearts to be troubled. We allow impure thoughts to enter into our minds and wonder why our hearts feel a little 'dirty'. We let unkind words to flow from our 'hurt minds' and wonder why we feel like we are all alone in this world. What we allow will continue to bring influence within.

I think this is why scripture reminds us that every thought must be taken captive - not allowing them to take hold in the first place, giving them exactly ZERO access to our minds, actually means we will deal with less 'trouble' internally. The more we focus on what we allow to have access to our minds, especially those thoughts of Christ's goodness and grace we like to ruminate on from time to time until they are 'all-consuming', the more we will find our hearts 'settled' and 'at peace'. Think of him more, allowing his presence to consume you, and you will soon find the 'troubled heart' begins to know less 'trouble' and more 'ease'. Just sayin!

Bonded to one another

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 12:34-35)

Can you imagine if some of the Pharisee leaders had of overheard this conversation between Jesus and his disciples that night? "A new commandment I am giving you" would have sent their heads spinning! They would have debated the credibility of Jesus and then demanded to know who he was to 'give a new commandment' - because only God could give those! Hmmm...only God could give those...maybe Jesus was really showing his disciples that he and his Father were one - that he was 'really' God with a bod. 

The new commandment was not really all that new, but it emphasized a 'new work' Jesus expected from his disciples. They were to 'prove to the world' their faith - through love. In prior times, you 'proved' your faith through 'religious works' such as sacrifices upon the altar, keeping yourself 'ceremonially clean', and following all the rules inherent in the Law of Moses. Jesus is telling them there would be a 'new way' of doing daily life - love being at the core of all they would do. 

Just as I have loved you - nothing is better than having an example of 'how' we are supposed to do something. When I get those little illustrated booklets in some piece of furniture I am supposed to assemble, I am grateful for the illustrations because they help me make sense of the assembly. Jesus gave repeated illustrations of his love while on this earth. He embraced the unlovely, hung out with those society considered to be outcasts, and welcomed the faint of heart. Love does things differently than one might expect, huh?

Love begins at home - isn't that what Jesus meant when he told them to love each other? Begin with those closest to you - laborers in the daily journey we call life. Then allow that love to flow out of that bond with each other - so others begin to experience the love of God in their own lives. We ALL learn best when there is an example. Jesus wasn't telling them to make a show of their love, but to live 'bonded' to each other, solid in their beliefs, and united in their mission. When we live like that, there is no stopping this Jesus Revolution within! Just sayin!

But...what will they think?

There comes a time when we have the perfect time to acknowledge our faith in Jesus, only to become timid and almost 'embarrassed' to do so simply because our 'social group' would think us 'odd' or reject us because of our 'stand'? There are times we think more about our 'social standing' within the group than we do our opportunity to be light and life in a very, very dark world. The leaders believed, yet their 'fear' of the impact on their 'social standing' as 'leaders' actually caused them to keep silent about Jesus. It is a sad day when we care more about what others think about us than we do about drawing closer to Jesus, allowing him to use us in whatever 'social grouping' we have been placed.

Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it.” (John 12:42-47)

To think more about human praise or status than the praise of God is to walk a very slippery slope. We might think our 'status' in Christ will make others uncomfortable, but sometimes we worry more that is a 'bit threatening' to our own social status in the group! Yes, Jesus made people uncomfortable - but that was because they were more concerned with the way they were seen by the masses than they were in drawing closer to him. They didn't want to be identified as sinners in need of a Savior. They didn't want to be 'shy' with their faith, they just didn't really know how to be 'bold' in their beliefs.

The good news is that when Christ died, was raised from the dead, and ascended into heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to reside within his followers. There is no need to be timid or shy with our faith any longer - for the Spirit of God will not only show us how to live 'above' the crowd's opinion of us but will give us the boldness to actually live consistently without fear of human opinion. There is no 'position' on this earth, or social standing that is better than standing 'in Christ'. So how is it we get all caught up in human opinion of us? I think a little thing called pride gets us all messed up in this matter.

We 'like' being accepted and we 'appreciate' being noticed in a positive manner. Whenever the attention turns from us being liked or appreciated to a place of being a threat or someone others take issue with because of our beliefs, we almost want to hide. The line between being 'bold for Christ' and 'not being a light' in this earth is a very fine line. It is quite easy to cross over it when the opinion of the social group we 'admire' becomes the focus instead of keeping Jesus first in our lives. The more influence we give human opinion in our lives, the less bold we become for Christ. 

Salt isn't savory when it is diluted to the point of only giving a 'hint' of that salty taste. Dilute your 'faith' or 'beliefs' too much and you lose your 'savor' in this world. When we are willing to be salt and light, we are making a determination to live above human opinion because the only 'opinion' that matters to us is that of our Lord! Just sayin!

A planted kernel

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. (John 12:24-26)

Unless the kernel dies, there is no harvest. This is a principle farmers know quite well. A principle is a 'rule of action' that basically indicates when one condition is met, the other condition is met, as well. We might think we can bypass some of God's principles as we navigate through life, but you can trust me on this one - I have never observed one person being able to accomplish all that God desires for their life when they spend their time bypassing his principles!

Loss is something many of us almost fear. We might even 'pre-regret' that loss, because we anticipate the loss being so significant that we begin to bemoan that loss even before we experience it. When the thing we lose is replaced with something of even greater value, do we regret losing the original? Not hardly! In fact, we wished we lost it sooner! If the thing we 'lay down' is replaced with something that is flawed, kind of troublesome, and maybe even 'broken down', we might just desire to 'pick up' something that is perfect, new, and without flaw.

Lay down your imperfect life and take up his perfection. This is the principle being taught here - the 'kernel' of our life needs to be laid down - given in service to him. In so doing, we see the impact of that life of service. It is not a principle we understand well, for in this world seldom do we 'give away' something only to find we get something better in return. What do we love more - this world or God's presence? If we are a little too comfortable with the 'imperfection' of this world, we might feel entering into all the God has for us is a bit 'onerous'.

It is like experiencing death - but never forget - death brings life! We cannot experience resurrection life if we never experience death - maybe not a literal death, but a death to the appeal or draw this world's offerings have for us. A kernel in the silo is of little value, but a kernel planted in good soil will produce way more than one more kernel. The pursuit of this world's things and values actually is like keeping the kernel in the silo. Laying down those pursuits and taking up the offered new life of Christ is like being planted - we are about to experience growth beyond measure. Just sayin!

Too comfortable?

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.” Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” (John 11:45-50)

A couple of things really stood out to me after reading the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus came out of the grave, after being dead a good couple of days, wrapped completely in grave clothes (hands and feet bound, face wrapped in a headcloth). There before the crowds stood a 'dead man' alive again, needing their assistance to be free of the shrouds of death that encompassed his body. Even with such a magnificent display of the power and grace of God, only some of the people believed in Jesus. Others were nothing more than worrisome tattletales. How many 'good things' need to happen right in front of us in order for us to believe? How many times are we so caught up in the worries of the day that we don't realize the presence of grace when it is right there in our midst?

As the story moves on, we see a group hurrying to the high council of the church. They were intent on 'telling on Jesus', not so much to convince the elders to take a positive stance toward Jesus, but to shut down his teaching and actions as a 'threat' to their way of life. They were more worried that the Roman government would catch wind of the great miracles, Jesus claiming to be the Son of God, and that the Romans would come into their towns with destructive force in order to 'shut down' Jesus. There is no 'shutting down' Jesus - but they don't know that! They just worry about their own circumstances - how their lives might be disrupted or made a little 'harder' in light of all the good stuff Jesus was doing amongst them. What a silly lot they were - seeing only their own comfort and missing that Jesus wasn't there to overthrow the Roman government, but to be a light and a way back to their Heavenly Father.

What makes the difference in us seeing and believing versus us seeing and being threatened? I might propose that when our 'comfort' becomes a little 'threatened' by any movement of God toward us, we have become way to comfortable with this world! We might not realize just how 'comfortable' we have become with the things this world offers us until we are faced with the amazing power of God. When his power is displayed, we can run to the world or press in closer to him. The graveclothes had to be removed in order for Lazarus to be free. Will we be the kind who stands and watches, or will we be the ones to unbind them? If we are comfortable with the world, we likely will be repelled by the 'stench' of death, choosing to allow others to do that 'dirty work'. 

Many believed - not all. Some still could not see their way past their 'concerns' and 'dreaded consequences' to embrace him. Let us not be the ones who find ourselves so caught up in our 'concerns' that we miss the opportunity to engage with grace. Just sayin!

A two day delay

The story of Lazarus is one of those 'memorable moments' we see throughout scripture. Jesus' friend, taken by some form of illness, and his sisters beckon Jesus to come to him so he can be healed. Two days pass before Jesus even begins the journey back to Judea to be with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Two days! If I was waiting for my brother's healing, knowing Jesus was 'dilly-dallying' in his response to my request, I might get a little miffed about the delay - especially when the delay ended in my brother's death! How many times do we find ourselves in a place where there is a tremendous need like this one, asking Jesus to come quickly, but realizing there will be a 'delay' in what we hoped to happen? If you heard, "Hey, just chill, I am coming, but just not right now," how would that make you feel? My trust would be tested to the max - how about yours?

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” (John 11:1-7)

We can send all kinds of prayer upward, only to hear the answer that it isn't the right timing yet. When we encounter the 'delay', we can oftentimes begin to grumble and complain about the 'wait'. Imagine the two sisters, one kind of 'trusting' and the other kind of 'wavering'. We might just find ourselves getting a bit too close to 'doubt' when the delay seems to be taking us toward an outcome we never wanted to occur. We don't 'want' to doubt, but there is something in what we perceive to be 'unnecessary delays' that can lead us into a place of 'tested faith'. I don't know the reason for the delay when these sisters made such a deliberate and concise plea for Jesus' help, but we know this was going to be one of those 'teachable moments' for not only the sisters, but his disciples and the crowd of mourners who were on the scene that week!

What teachable moment has God given you when you least wanted it? Most of these moments aren't something we 'prepare' for - they happen when we least expected them and in ways we least expected. Two days may not seem like a long time to get an answer, but when the delay seems to present something we didn't want to have happen, we can get pretty disappointed, huh? Death ensued in those two days - a burial had been arranged and now it appeared to be 'too late' for what they had hoped to see happen. Healing was now 'impossible', but resurrection wasn't! Could it be that Jesus wants to bring a bit of 'new life' to us today? 

Could the delay in our answer be because he is about to bring forth something within us that we never imagined possible? We might want to complain, get angry, or mourn for whatever is lost, but if you read on in this story, you will see that Jesus actually gets to Judea, albeit late by what they expected, and he 'stays outside the city'. He didn't even go to their house! Do you know what happened? Martha went to where he was. Some of us see the delay and stay put. Others will get up, find our way to Jesus, and meet him where he is - how about you? The delay isn't meant to discourage us - it is meant to help us seek Jesus - to get out of our places of comfort and to meet him where he is. Just sayin!

He walks ahead

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” (John 10:1-5)

Those words "he walks ahead of them" really caught my attention this morning. Jesus goes ahead of us in all aspects of life. He sets the pace, keeps us on track, watches for obstacles in our path, and shelters us from things we may not even notice that could do us harm. So many times, I think we get Jesus' position in our lives a bit out of order. It is as though we think we have this all figured out, things are running smoothly, and we just forget his place is out in front of us, not behind us or off to the side. If you have ever tried finding your way in life without him in the right place, you know just how many things 'came up' that you had no idea you would encounter!

Do you know why his position is out ahead of us? It is because he is moving us to a more 'advantageous position'. He knows our lives involve movement and he wants to ensure our movement is toward what he has planned for us. He isn't just 'out there' because he protects us - he is there because he sees what we don't and knows what we are yet to perceive. He is moving us into a more advantageous position - he leads, and we follow. To quote the Mandalorian, "This is the way." If we want more in life, we must be content to follow - for 'more' is not found by accident.

While it is important to remember his sheep recognize his voice, it is also important to realize that knowing his voice comes because we stay close enough to him to actually learn what that voice sounds like. We might spend years making phone calls to a 'pal' we have meet online, getting to know them by what they share in these conversations. Does that mean we will recognize them when they come off a plane at the airport? Not unless they speak to us! When we hear that all too familiar voice, we 'know' it is them. All the people wearing similar colors as our pal said he would wear that day only serve to confuse us, until we hear that voice.

Get to know the voice of Jesus and you will not be led astray by other voices. The one who seeks the more advantageous position in life learns his voice and is watching for his movements so they can stay right there with him out ahead, leading and preparing the way for them. Just sayin!

Step forward in boldness, not blindness

“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. (John 9:30-34)

It is a rather long story, but I will shorten it a bit for us today. A man born blind just 'happened' to be sitting by the roadside as Jesus came by one day. Jesus made mud with a little spit and some dirt, rubbed it on his eyes, told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, and he came back with his total sight restored. He tells the Pharisees and religious leaders, but they are aghast that anyone would do such a thing on the Sabbath. They send for his parents, even though he was a grown man, asking if he was really born blind. There is no doubt he was blind, but now has totally restored eyesight. The miracle was lost on the religious leaders, for all they could see was that the healing was done on a Sabbath day - a day when no work of any kind was to be performed. Aye! What a silly lot we are at times! We get so focused on the stuff that doesn't really matter and miss the 'huge' thing God is doing right in front of us. 

The most amazing part of this story is this man's response to the 'learned leaders' of the day. His response is a challenge to their unbelief - something I wonder if he would have ever tried to do if he wasn't first touched by Jesus. If he were not from God - - - that statement probably ruffled more than one feather. All the leaders can see is that the man is 'unlearned' and a 'sinner', so he is incapable of teaching them anything. It is a sad, sad day when a life touched by God is judged by one's past and not seen for the magnificence it has once filled with grace and love. When we discount the work of God in a person's life, no matter how 'crude' or 'unlearned' that person may be, we are dismissing the power of God's grace. To dismiss grace is a very dangerous thing, indeed!

It warms my heart to know that God can take the 'rawest' of a life and use it for his glory. We don't need to be well-educated, or even super-talented to be used to bring truth and light into this world. We just need to be willing to step forward in boldness to declare the work he has done within us. To some, the work he has begun within doesn't seem to be 'complete', so they fear their message won't matter. This man had his eyesight for a mere matter of minutes before he began to boldly challenge the beliefs of those who were supposed to be the most 'learned' amongst the people. Not with haughty intent or prideful anger, but with sympathy for their lack of vision. One who now had vision challenged those who should have had the most vision. Amazing how God works, huh? Just sayin!

Freedom is never partial

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (John 8:31-36)

Remain faithful to his teachings - then you will know the truth that truly sets you free. We might say freedom is just a bit conditional - it requires faithfulness to the teachings of Christ. Sometimes we trust in all kinds of 'other things' to help us 'live free', but religious pursuit without right relationship with God is just a pursuit without a proper aim. What things are you a slave to today? What beliefs hold you back from really pursuing God as you should? When we begin to explore the answers to those two things, we might just begin to see how 'bound' we really are - like slaves.

Truth has a way of setting us free, but we must desire freedom. For a very long time, I struggled with very negative thoughts about myself. I didn't see myself as 'worth much', so I never really thought others could see me any differently. Somewhere in my early twenties, God showed me the truth - that I was lovely in his eyes, and that my 'value' or 'worth' was not anything close to what I had set myself up to believe. In fact, it was much greater than I had told myself repeatedly all those years. The moment I began to trust God to reveal my 'true value', the journey toward really being free happened. 

Some of us latch onto things others have declared to us to be 'truth', but we never 'test the truth' to see if it really matches what God says about the matter. We just go on believing a lie because we don't put forth the effort to discover the truth. Jesus told his followers they had to 'remain faithful' to his teachings. That meant they had to apply themselves to not only hearing them but getting them into their hearts and minds so they could affect the way they lived. Truth should affect choices - it also affects perceptions. What we perceive about ourselves, and others is oftentimes incorrect. We need that 'perception' to be set right.

When we begin to embrace what God says about us, we begin a journey from slavery into freedom. It is not a freedom to do as we please, but to begin to do what pleases him. In so doing, we find ourselves not 'doing' because we are told to do something, but 'doing' because we genuinely know that in 'doing' we find absolute freedom and purpose. The slave 'does' because he is told to, but the free man 'does' because he wants to. Begin to get God's word into your mind and see if it doesn't begin to affect your heart. Once it does, your actions will be transformed. We are set free to live free - not partially, but totally. Just sayin!

A load of guilt

Have you ever been in a spot where someone is trying to find a way to accuse you of something - doing nothing wrong, you are under attack and your reputation is taking one hit after another? Jesus healed the sick - that's not wrong. He fed the hungry - not wrong again. He reached out to the rejected, poor, and those society rejected - still not wrong. Yet, no matter how much 'good' he did, the religious leaders sought to find something - anything - they could 'use against him'. Why? He threatened them by his goodness, gentleness, gracefulness, and his claims to be God's Son. Threatened by truth - isn't that just like us to find something wrong with truth? No matter what, Jesus isn't going to compromise who he is or what he does. We can fight against truth all we want, but the more we fight against it, the harder it will be to resist it! 

As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”  They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.  They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:3-11)

Demand an answer and you will get one - but it may not be the one you really wanted to hear! Imagine the disappointment and sheer embarrassment of standing up to Jesus, trying hard as you might to 'trip him up' with something you think you know better than him - then looking the fool for even trying it! That is what happened to these religious leaders that day - they put themselves out there, fell flat on their face, then had to walk away with their tails between their legs. It always amazes me how God uses truth to dispel fiction, grace to cause shame to flee, and hope to diminish our greatest fears. 

He with no sin - you may throw the first stone. Jesus knew very well that he was the ONLY ONE in the crowd that day without sin - only he could condemn this woman. No one ever considered he'd come back with that answer - so imagine THEIR shame when they had to walk away one by one! They had sought to shame her publicly, shame Jesus publicly, and find reason to imprison or kill him, but they left with nothing more than their own load of guilt to bear. I would imagine Jesus knew how much their 'load' would be as he spoke those words, but I also know that he made a way for each of them to leave that load right there, embrace him, and enter into the fullness of his grace. They just chose not to.

"Where are your accusers?" Many might stand against the truth, but none will be able to destroy it, for Jesus cannot be overtaken by anyone or anything. When we feel accused, shame mounting on every side, there is one place of hope that rises above the threats of our accuser - the feet of Jesus. She knew much sin, but she was about to know more peace and hope than she ever believed possible. "Go and sin no more" are key words - grace always being the starting point for us to live a new life. Grace never gives permission to sin again and again, it bids us to learn to live anew. Just sayin!

Get beneath the surface

"Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” (John 7:24) These words struck me this morning as I was reading the account of Jesus going up to the Feast of Tabernacles and the people hearing his message, amazed at his depth of teaching though he was not a 'scholar' of the Law of Moses. They are in awe of his wisdom and well-grounded instruction, but miss the point that he is the living, breathing Messiah. Jesus assures them his message is not his own but comes from is Father - "Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies." (vs. 17-18) Though speaking the truth, they could only see the things they knew about Jesus - that he was a son of Joseph, a carpenter, born into a village without nobility or honor. They could not see beneath the surface, so they were not making a 'valid' judgment about who Jesus really was.

This is the problem for us at times, isn't it? We see only the surface and never really get beneath the surface - beyond the things we think we know to the things that we could come to know. If we want to really understand the things of God, we have to be willing to 'dig beneath the surface' in order to really get to know him. That might look a little like us having to 'dig beneath the surface' of the front we put out there for everyone to see, as well! What? We get to know more about Jesus by getting beneath the surface of the 'superficial image' WE portray to the world? We get to know more about Jesus when he gets to touch us at more than 'surface level'. Ever wonder why some very solid biblical teaching never really does much to change our character or behavior? It is because we only 'interpret' it on the surface level - we don't allow it to really penetrate into our hearts and minds.

We all go through life making judgments of one sort or another. Some will be rather superficial, like which cut of meat to buy at the supermarket, or which roads we will travel on a journey. Others require just a bit more introspection, such as who we will choose as a soulmate, best friend, or spouse. While some of the judgments we make are okay to be made with very superficial knowledge, such as choosing the gas station on the same side of the road as we are driving on when both sides of the road offer the same price, we cannot always go through life only being 'surface deep' with our actions. At some point, we will need to 'look beneath the surface so we can judge correctly'. Notice, correct judgment is not always 'intuitive' - sometimes it requires a little more effort.

We may go through life seeing things as 'good' that 'tickle our fancy' and other things as 'bad' because they kind of repel us, but are we interpreting things correctly? The adage to not judge a book by its cover comes to mind here. What do you see when you look at yourself? What do others see? It is likely they see what you want them to see, but not always what is truthfully going on inside of your heart, mind, emotions, and struggles of the will. When we allow ourselves to begin to see with Christ's eyes, we begin to make better judgments in life. When we allow ourselves to be seen as Christ sees us, we become examples he can use to draw others to him. Just sayin!

Spirit-words produce life

Jesus sensed that his disciples were having a hard time with this and said, “Does this rattle you completely? What would happen if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he came from? The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making. But some of you are resisting, refusing to have any part in this.” (Jesus knew from the start that some weren’t going to risk themselves with him. He knew also who would betray him.) He went on to say, “This is why I told you earlier that no one is capable of coming to me on his own. You get to me only as a gift from the Father.” (John 6:61-65)

Jesus knows when we are having a hard time taking what he says as truth, so we should not be surprised when he challenges us to come to a place of complete belief. Some of his teachings were kind of hard for those early disciples to swallow, so they resisted placing their trust in him. Whenever we resist his teachings, we can be assured that we are being asked to 'risk' something that we may not want to risk. We may not be fully vested in what he teaches, but if we allow the Word of God to sink in little by little, we find that resistance will soon depart.

Every word Jesus speaks into our lives is a "Spirit-word" - meaning it can and will produce life wherever it takes hold. If you have ever struggled with a habit that was just too powerful to break on your own, then laid it at his feet one day, admitting you have been trying by sheer willpower to 'make it go away', then you likely also encountered some of these "Spirit-words" in those moments. Deliverance comes when life is spoken into the dead places of our heart and when those life words come in, the broken places seem to come together once again.

Risk yourself and you might just realize the 'risk' wasn't all that hard. Resist repeatedly and you will likely come to realize the burden you were carrying just got ten times harder. The message of life Jesus was bringing was hard for some to lay hold of, either because they could only see him as a carpenter's son from the town of Nazareth or he just didn't 'meet their expectations' of what the Messiah should look or act like. If you know anything about the times in which he walked this earth, you would know they were looking for a 'deliverer' from their Roman overlords. They expected the Messiah to wield a sword, not heal the sick and talk about being the Son of God.

Jesus won't always meet our 'expectations', nor will he always live up to our imaginations, but he will always speak 'Spirit-words' into our lives that bring life where they are embraced. Resisting those words is like pouring vinegar on an open wound. We hear because we listen. We receive because we stop resisting. We change because we did both! Just sayin!

A band of bickering fools

 Is my reality any different from yours? Really now, is my view on life better than yours, or is it just a bit different at times? We get so focused on how people see us, interpreting our actions in light of how they actually view life from their vantage point, don't we? If we are being drawn by God, taught at his feet, we may not always interpret life the same way, but we serve the one who can help us live together in the harmony he brings. When we insist others see or interpret life exactly the same way we do, we create much distress in this world, don't we? If we allow God to be the first thing others see in us, there might just be a greater chance of finding truth together.

Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.’ Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me. (John 6:43-46)

Jesus actually showed us a couple of important things here: 1) We aren't the ones in charge; 2) We won't ever come into relationship with him without God's 'moving' us in that direction; 3) We aren't capable of living 'upright' lives apart from God's help; and 4) We need to stop talking long enough to really listen if we are to learn what God has for us in this life. Let's begin with this concept of us not being in charge. As rough as that one may be for some of us to really swallow, God is the one calling the shots, not us. The sooner we accept that one, the better off we will be! 

God draws us to his table, we don't 'belly up there' on our own. We might think we are seeking some form of 'enlightenment' but God is the one who is giving us the hunger, drawing us closer and closer, until we finally fall to our knees and admit our need of a Savior. Remember - we are NOT in charge - so even the desire to come to him and learn from him is GIVEN to us. As Jesus points out, God does the work of putting us together, helping us to stand upright lives. We aren't going to ever get our lives together on our own, despite our efforts to do so repeatedly.

Learning isn't something that comes through osmosis. It is a process of applying ourselves to the truth that is taught. To learn, we must settle into the process of learning. That process involves putting aside the other stuff that distracts and then using the truth (information) we have been given. I have read numerous articles on how to make the perfect tenon joint, but have I actually gone into the shop, set up the tools, cut the wood, and made one? Nope! I have the knowledge of 'how to' do it, but I haven't actually applied the knowledge. We cannot expect to stand upright in this world if we are given all this truth and then never apply it to our lives.

Jesus reminds us that we are to be taught 'personally' by God. We aren't going to learn truth apart from spending time at the feet of Jesus. We can bicker amongst ourselves as much as we want, thinking we each have a 'special' or 'unique' view of what life should be like, but until we stop bickering, settle down in his presence, and really listen to truth, we will always just be a band of bickering fools. Just sayin!

What can you do?

We all have those moments when Jesus doesn't 'give us what we want', don't we? The people following Jesus this day were intent on him showing them a miraculous sign of some sort. While they didn't stipulate the exact sign, they wanted one as 'grand' as the manna that came down from heaven in the wilderness and they are so bold as to say so. Jesus told them if they wanted to perform 'God's works', then they would believe in him. Their response - show us something 'more grandiose' and 'amazing'. Gotta ask, but what is more amazing than the God of the Universe standing right there in your midst?

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? (John 6:28-29)

If you want us to believe in you, show us what you can do! Heartbreaking words to the ears of our Savior, I am sure, but he is gracious and goes on to tell them that he is the bread of life, even better than the manna that fell from the skies in the wilderness. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” (vs. 35-40)

You have seen, but you have yet to believe. Isn't that a bit like each of us sometimes? We have seen God work in our lives numerous times, but when the evidence is right there before us, we actually miss what he is doing or has done. Seeing isn't always believing, is it? If we come to Jesus with an open heart - even a questioning and seeking heart - he will not reject us. We might not even be all that 'sure' about him, but if we just come, he will do the rest. The truth is we don't need another 'sign' or 'wonder' - we just need to believe he is the one he says he is, that he will do what he promises, and then trust him to welcome us with open arms.

Too many are seeking a 'performance' - God isn't always going to be evident in what he is doing. He asks us to believe - to have a conviction of heart and mind that trusts. Take him at his word - for his actions follow. Just sayin!

Rowing way too long?

If you have heard that old saying, "all in the same boat together", then you know it means we are all in the very same precarious situation. For some, the situation is that you are caught in a rapid of sorts, being tossed out of control, with little to know strength left to fight the 'current' of life's woes. You aren't in that boat alone - there are others there, too. Others are in the boat that seems to be taking way too long to get to where you are all going, growing wearier by the day as you endure the challenge of 'rowing' forever. Some might even feel like they have lost their oars and are adrift, being taken wherever the current and winds would take them. Regardless of who you are, you are not in the boat alone - there are others in similar situations, rowing, fretting, tiring just like you. 

That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination! (John 6:17-21)

Two things we need to see today: 1) Don't get ahead of Jesus, and 2) Be eager to let him in that boat if you do! The truth of the matter is that most of us will get ahead of Jesus on occasion - just being the impatient kind of humans we are. We will see the impending darkness, then set out on our own because we don't want to wait any longer. When we do, we are assured of two things - rowing way harder than we'd like and coming up against bigger waves and winds than we need to! Both of those conditions make me think before I ever get in the boat now, but I didn't always respond that way. In fact, I became a strong 'rower'. I did everything I could to get to the destination under my own power, not even realizing how much better it would be with Jesus in the boat with me.

As fool hearted as it is to get in the boat without Jesus, ahead of his timing, it is equally as fool hearted to resist his 'coming' when we find ourselves in the midst of the churning waters. We get ourselves into some precarious situations, then act like we have everything under control when all is amiss around us. Sometimes things are even amiss within us. To resist his presence is to ensure the storm's continued battering and the tiresome job of rowing way too long and too hard. Be eager to let him in that boat because your 'destination' is closer than you think! Just sayin!

Meager Meal or Leftovers Galore?

Do you think God sometimes asks us stuff to see how we will answer? He already knows our response, but I believe he puts it out there because there is something to be learned by us hearing our response. Five loaves and a few fish - will that feed a crowd of over 5,000 men? Not if we only see the loaves and fish for what they are - we need to see them through God's eyes. We see the limits in our answers, but God sees the immense possibilities when we place the 'answers' into his hands. 

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. (John 6:5-11)

Philip saw the crowd in comparison to what was at THEIR disposal - Jesus saw the offered food in comparison to what was at HIS disposal! We 'know' God will do something, even when the offering is meager in our eyes, but we just don't know 'how' he will do it, so we hesitate a bit. It isn't that we don't believe he can 'multiply' the little we offer, it is that we see the crowd before we see the potential in his words and his touch!

If the crowd represents the overwhelming task that is right in front of us, then the offered loaves and fish represents our abilities and talents. Even the smallest of abilities in his hands can be multiplied beyond what we could ever imagine. When was all said and done that day, twelve entire baskets of food remained. When we put what we have into his hands, he will ALWAYS do more with it than we imagined, but there will be an 'overflow' blessing in everything he touches!

Did it ever stop to occur to you that God desires to increase your faith at the same time as he is manifesting his power? We might think our faith has to be huge in order to see his power on display in our lives, but that meager meal was definitely not 'huge' in comparison to the crowd's hunger. If we want to see God do 'huge' things in and through us, it begins with offering him the very things we have at our disposal and then seeing how he will use them for his glory. Just sayin!