Good works flow from good moral character. Where do we get that character? From our heavenly Father through His Son!

As we begin chapter 2 of the book, “Secrets of the Vine,” by Bruce Wilkinson, we find the disciples with Jesus in a vineyard. In John 15, Jesus said,

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 

⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

We know that God the Father is the Vinedresser and that Jesus is the Vine that connects us to the ground. We are branches of the Vine. We also know that as branches, our job is to keep a healthy attachment to the Vine in order for the Vine to produce fruit in us. What kind of fruit? According to Bruce Wilkinson, “fruit” and “good works” are used nearly interchangeably*, and he gives as an example Titus 3:14, “Let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” Our goal as Christ followers is to grow (it’s a process) to be like Him in character, which translates into deeds. Our best witness is a godly life. Let’s allow Him to grow godly fruit in us. This daily interaction between Him and us is called, “abiding.” We’ll discuss what it means to abide tomorrow. We will also discuss two passages that tell us about God’s character.

Abba, one of Your characteristics is Your patience. I wish patience meant that I feel patient. Instead, the time to show patience is when I DON’T feel patient. That’s when I need you in a big way! And that’s when You give grace in my time of need. Thank You for caring, for sharing, and for walking with me always. You sure love Your children, don’t You? And we are glad! Amen.

*Page 20

I just had a wonderful experience. I would like to share it with you…

Before I do, let’s review what we have learned so far about being free in Christ:

1. Our chains of bondage to sin have been broken!
2. We have been given access to the throne of God!
3. We can talk to God anytime!
4. We are free to choose right!
5. We can serve others with no expectations!
6. We can now live life without worry!
7. We are free to pursue righteousness and godliness!

Today, we discover that We are free to participate in the divine nature! Our text is 2 Peter 1:3-4,

³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence [goodness]. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence [goodness], he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Now, for my experience: #2 says that we have been given access to the throne of God because we are seated with Him in heavenly places even while living here on earth (see 3-30-24). The idea of being two places at once is confusing, so I determined last night during a concert that I would focus on being at the throne of God even while I was playing percussion with Robin at a Singing Churchwomen concert in Skiatook, OK. Using the concept of turning in my mind to Him in prayer, I saw with my mind’s eye “my concept” of the throne of God and the vast area in front of it. Remembering that Jesus is seated next to Him and we (all Christians) are seated next to Him (somehow), I did my best to envision that the nearly 400 of us who were participating in the concert were in the area in front of the throne. All of heaven paid rapt attention while we sang and played, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” and joined in with us as we sang and played, “Behold Our God.”

I observed several things about the experience:

1. It surprised me that everyone seemed to know the words to the songs we were singing;
2. I was dismayed that I couldn’t keep the “vision” going throughout the entire concert;
3. The joy was overwhelming at times. I’m sure some of it was because I was “with the Father” in Spirit, but most of it was coming from the throne itself. The entire room seemed filled with it!
4. We who were worshiping in the physical were joining those who are already around the throne. There was no separation between the living and those who have passed over into the eternal! This point was particularly poignant because one of our ladies had lost a son to cancer just last week.

Here is the thought process behind the experience:

• I turned in my mind to myself, where I was, what I was doing, and what I desired to do;
• I then turned in my mind to the Lord in prayer and asked Him for help;
• I then turned in my mind to the throne room of God (my attempt to envision it, anyway) as we played. It was amazing!

Experiencing the divine nature of God doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s a matter of turning in our minds to God and His ways. He desires greatly an intimate and continuous relationship with us. WE are the ones who pop in and out of our awareness of His presence. Practicing the presence of God is one of the disciplines of the Christian life as we work on it everyday. We get to experience Him in the process! When we turn to Him in prayer, thanksgiving, or praise, let’s envision in our minds actually being in His presence at His throne. We really are already there!

Abba, I desire to continue practicing envisioning myself in Your presence. I look forward to your Spirit teaching me how to make this more and more possible in my daily life. I pray that all of Your children will desire to learn do so, too, so we all may enjoy the love, joy and peace that flow from You. Amen.

“Flee from sexual immorality.” Why? Good question! Let’s look:

Yesterday, we looked at 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 to help us understand that a relationship with Jesus is closer–and better–than our closest friend, even a spouse. His constant companionship is the mainstay for Christianity. It is what the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit is all about.

Today, we will look at the second half of the passage,

¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit [or, in the Spirit].

¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. ¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20

• Verse 18 gives us a command, and, like all biblical commands, it is given to protect us. The reason given must be viewed from the previous section. Sins that are committed outside the “body” (“the two shall become one*“) are considered personal sins. Sexual sins affect the spouse directly and a future spouse indirectly. That which is considered “one body” cannot be separated in order to sin sexually; it still affects the spouse.
• Verse 19 is a foundational verse that tells us four things about ourselves and our relationship with God:
  • Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. GOD LIVES IN US!
  • The Holy Spirit is in us!
  • We have received God’s Spirit from God Himself. It sounds like double-talk, but it’s true: We have God and His Spirit, who is also the Spirit of Jesus Christ, living in us!
  • We are not our own. Verse 20 goes on to say that we were bought with a price. The price was Christ’s life. We now belong to Christ. Willingly!**
• The rest of verse 20 tells us to honor God with our bodies. In a culture that was all about sexual freedom and expression, Paul called the Corinthians to be counter-cultural and abstain from sexual sin. Sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it? Whether it is physical sexual sin or mental sexual sin, not much has changed in two thousand years.

Let’s come back to our opening statement about Jesus knowing us better than our spouse–and still loving us! Our sins have been forgiven; We have invited the Holy Spirit to live in us; from now on, we train in righteousness and holiness. We learn to be godly. Our spiritual growth is very pleasing to God, and we enjoy His pleasure in the form of love, joy, and peace, as well as the pleasure of His presence in our lives. Let’s rejoice today in the love and compassion God has for us!

Abba, we do rejoice in Your love and compassion. It blows my mind that You want to live in us and fellowship with us. May we take seriously Your command to flee from sexual immorality and live in the forgiveness You offer to all who come to You in repentance. Amen.

*“The two shall become one flesh” describes the union of a man and a woman in sexual relations and is found in Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:8, and Ephesians 5:31.

**See Exodus 21:1-6 for a beautiful example of servanthood.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, love one another.” — Jesus (John 13:34)

The lesson in our Sunday’s Cool (Sunday School) class yesterday morning was over how we can trust the Bible to be true. It is God’s revelation to mankind about who He is and how much He loves us. We can depend upon the Bible to give us accurate information about God through Jesus Christ, who is the complete revelation of God to mankind. However, there are a few things to keep in mind as we study the Scriptures.

1. The facts of the Gospel, the Essentials (Christ’s incarnation as a man, His voluntary death on the cross, His burial for three days, His resurrection and ascension back to glory), are solid and we need never doubt them. Many of the other doctrinal points are subject to interpretation and must be held loosely. No one holds the market on exact interpretation.
2. The early church did not have Bibles, nor did they have any of the New Testament Gospels and letters for 20+ years after the ascension of Jesus Christ. They had the OT prophecies and the testimonies of the apostles and disciples (Jesus had 11 apostles after Judas left, but He had many followers for His entire ministry, many of them women). It was basically word of mouth.
3. The leadership of the Holy Spirit was huge back then, and it can be huge now if we lean on Him rather than our knowledge. Many get hung up on getting everything right and they wind up neglecting weightier matters. Let’s look at John 17 and what Jesus thought was important as He prayed to His Father.

³ Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 
To know Him and to be known by Him is how Jesus defined eternal life.

⁶ “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
Jesus revealed the Father to His apostles and disciples.

¹¹ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 
Here begins the overarching theme of Jesus’ greatest desire for His people: That we be one as He and the Father are one.

¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 
Once again, we can believe what Jesus told us about the Father, about living godly lives, and about eternity.

 ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
We have the glory of Jesus in us, the Holy Spirit, who makes us one with Him and with each other. Jesus’ goal for His Church is for us to come to complete unity. The only way I know for that to happen is if we all hold tightly to the Essentials and hold loosely to everything else. What is gained by our unity? “Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” We are the proof that Jesus is really the Son of God and that He and the Father love the world.

As we make much of God’s Word, may we keep in mind that it is the Spirit who guides us into all truth and helps us make sense of what we read. Let us also keep in mind that UNITY is a top priority for all who bear the name of Christ. May we love one another as Christ loves us.

Abba, loving You requires that we love each other. It’s the one identifying factor of all Your disciples. Help us to set aside our differences and come together over the Essentials. May we love as You did, Jesus: Completely, radically, and ultimately. Amen.

The presence of Christ in our lives drives out destructive thoughts and actions. We learn to be like Him as He teaches us.

Well, I thought we were done with phronema, but I learned something else about it. Phronema is about union, union with Christ. For clarification, let’s look at 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Jesus is God the Son; the Spirit is God the Holy Spirit. They are two Persons of the Trinity, the third being God the Father. When we speak of one, we are referring to all of them in an indirect manner. When we say that we are united with Christ, we are speaking of being united with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Our union with Him orients our behavior to be like Him. In fact, it is His Presence in our lives that is the dynamo for having the want-to to want to. The power of the Holy Spirit is what energizes us to work at being holy even as He is holy. Through Him and His work in us, we are being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ!

Consider these eternal goals:

1. Live in His plan– Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2. Live in His peace– Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
3. Live in His love– 1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
4. Live in His joy– John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
5. Live in His hope– Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
6. Live in His grace– 2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
7. Live in His presence– Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Our union with Christ is our phronema. Let’s forget about everything else and focus on these eternal goals.

Abba, if we focus on these eternal goals concerning Your plan, peace, love, joy, hope, grace, and presence in our lives, we will not have the time nor the desire to consider those things that draw our attention away from You and what You are doing in us and in this world. Being in union with you eclipses anything this world has to offer. Fill us with Your Spirit, Lord, so that there is no room for sin and self, worldly desires and corrupted passions, but rather love, joy, peace, hope and grace. Amen.

What’s so special about Christmas? Part 6

The “fuse” is the array of events leading up to the “explosion,” which is the Incarnation: Immanuel, “God with us.” The first strand of the fuse is the Communication Strand (see 12-3). The second strand was the Colonization Strand (see 12-4), which also covered the Domination Strand. Today, we look at

The Transportation Strand¹

The “Pax Romana” (Roman Peace) “provided the perfect setting for the teaching and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The relative tranquility resulted in a surprising development that would assist those who wanted to spread Jesus’s message.”¹ The Romans wanted to move their armies around quickly, so they built an elaborate system of “paved roads” all over the Empire. Let’s take a quick survey of the history of transportation:

• 5,000 BC – wheels in ancient Sumaria
• 3,000 BC – 2-wheel carts
• 2,500 BC – 4-wheel carts
• 2,000 BC – spoke-wheeled chariots
• 500 BC – Royal Road built by Persians
• 400 BC – Inferior Greek road system
• 312 BC – Romans begin building the Appian Way (a cobble-stone walkway)
• 116 BC – Romans build supporting roads
• 100 BC – Romans build bridges and tunnels

On this map, we can see the cities Paul visited. Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth are all along the Appian Way. Because of the Transportation Fuse, the Gospel was shared all across the Roman Empire. We also know that Paul traveled by horseback and ship, but mostly he and his companions walked. What dedication they had! May we have the same devotion to sharing the Gospel as they!

Abba, even as advanced as they were for their day, we are so far advanced in transportation that there really is no comparison. Yet, we busy our lives with “stuff” and never get around to having spiritual conversations with people. May we change our priorities to match the priorities of Paul and his companions and take advantage of the technology of our day to share our story with others about how we came to follow Christ Jesus. It’s our story; no one can take it from us; we share it freely and gladly. Amen.

¹from Person of Interest by J. Warner Wallace page 16-18

It’s Sunday. Most of us are going to church today. How do we prepare?

Today, we finish up our discussion of four Worship Blockers shared by Ray Jones.* The first was Lack of Humility, the second was Lack of Contrition, the third was Lack of Passion, and the last one is Lack of Forgiveness.

Unforgiveness is the inability to let a wrong go and to desire recompense, even revenge for a wrong done. There are some wrongs that require boundaries to be set, but the offense is something that is not meant for us to hang onto. What happens is that we continue to be hurt by the memory when, most likely, the perpetrator has either forgotten the offense or is enjoying our misery. But, reconciliation takes two people. We must be willing to be the one to reach out with an olive branch, so to speak. Jesus said,

²³ So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

The first question we must ask is, “Have I done something to offend my brother?” The second question is, “Am I holding any resentment toward my brother for an offense?” This exercise in forgiveness is a major discipline that we must learn in order to understand Christ’s forgiveness on the cross. Then, if reconciliation cannot be made because of the attitude of the offender, then we are released from trying, but not from praying. We are to continue to lift up that person until we have peace when we think of him or her. God is looking for those who are willing to forgive the debt, just as He forgave our debt of sin. He knows how ugly it can get in our hearts; we are to go to Him for mercy so He can give us grace (Hebrews 4:16).

Today, if you are fighting unforgiveness in your life, ask the Lord Jesus to give you first the desire and then the strength to cancel that debt, pray for that person, and if feasible, seek reconciliation. Then, come and offer the gift of your life on the altar. He will, indeed, be honored.

Abba, it’s not easy to be the one to step out and offer forgiveness and cancel the debt. We know it’s the right thing to do, but also the practical thing to do. We want to remove anything that can keep us from giving You our whole hearts and worshiping You with everything we have. You make up the difference when others have hurt us. May we allow ourselves to be filled all the more with You. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

*Ray Jones spoke at the Singing Churchmen Retreat this past September.

*NCN12 Opinions, doctrines, dogmas, but only one Christ: Jesus, the only begotten Son of God.

Good morning. Many Christians, and new Christians in particular, may struggle to understand what is absolute truth, what is believed, what is inferred, and what is assumed concerning the Christian faith. For today’s post, I have dipped back into 6-10-22 for information concerning Concentric Circles of Theology. We start with Christ and move outward in our understanding of all things spiritual and their relation to the physical world.

Our relationship is with Jesus. Our salvation is wrapped up in Jesus. He is our focus and our goal. He is our all. That being said, there are certain things we believe about Jesus. Foundational to the Christian faith are these points:

1. The Incarnation– God came down and dwelt among us in the flesh as Jesus Christ.
2. The Life– Jesus lived in perfect union with God the Father through God the Spirit as God the Son.
3. The Passion– Jesus willingly laid down His life for all mankind.
4. The Resurrection– God the Father raised God the Son from the dead through God the Spirit.
5. The Ascension– Jesus ascended in front of witnesses into the heavens, returning to His throne, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. We know this last part through Stephen’s testimony in Acts 7:55 (although Jesus was standing when Stephen saw Him, we presume that He was standing in front of His seat beside the Father).

(The Return could be added here, but since it hasn’t happened yet, the facts are still “up in the air.”)

Based upon the five foundational points made above, we now have what is referred to as dogma, which is “a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle.” All else is interpretation based upon the writings of early Christian writers, specifically Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, the writer of Hebrews, James and Peter. In our faith in Jesus, let us hold closely to dogma. 

How we live out our faith in daily life, ministry, and church can differ from group to group and sometimes person to person. The next circle is doctrine, which is how we choose to interpret certain aspects of the Bible. Here are a few:

1. Our worldview of the age of the earth (thousands or billions of years).
2. How we live out our relationship with Christ.
3. When and how we share the Gospel with our neighbors and family.
4. How we collectively worship Christ.

These are big topics, and many Christians feel strongly about them one way or another. But, God is patient–He is the Essence of patience–and works with all of us at our own pace of understanding. Our core beliefs about Jesus, our dogma, are absolute; all else is “under construction” by the Holy Spirit. Let’s rest in the security of Christ’s Lordship.

The last circle is “opinion.” It’s exactly that, opinion, which can change many times in a persons’ life and is not worth breaking fellowship over. The songs we sing, political preferences, and choice of Bible translations fall into this category.

Abba, I wish that we could all take a step or two back, holding tightly to the truth about Christ, and hold loosely to everything else–or, at least, be willing to talk about them without getting upset or heated about different interpretations. I follow the Baptist Faith and Message, yet I am open to hearing how other denominations interpret the Scriptures. We have much to learn from our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are part of the family of God just as we are. Help us strive for unity in Your body, Lord Jesus. Amen.

*NCN12 stands for New Christian Note #12

Ever felt that God owes you something: a favor, good health, a better life? Think again!

We, as Christians, are in a love relationship with God and Jesus and the Spirit. Our communication is contingent upon our daily staying faced toward Jesus in an attitude of awe of belonging to Him and of grateful servitude. Whenever we become assuming or presumptive in our expectations of what we think Jesus “should” do or be in our lives or in the world, we are in danger of quenching the Spirit. We squeeze off the flow of communion between ourselves and the Lord. Looking away from Christ and looking at what we want Jesus to do for us is like what happened to Peter when he started looking at the wind and waves of the sea,

³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:30

He did, by the way.

Jesus put it this way to the church at Ephesus,

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2:4-5

Jesus reveals what is corrupting their relationship with Him and tells them to remember how they started. Then, He tells them what to do to fix things. He tells them to “turn around and think differently” (the definition of “repent”), and to do the things they did at first. What are these things? I believe that they can be summed up in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, specifically 4:22-24,

²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Put off…be made new…put on.

We’ll look at those tomorrow. For today, let’s let go of any expectations we may have of Jesus and allow Him to be God, King of the universe. All we need to do is “trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy [contented, joy-filled, peaceful, and gracious] in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Abba, to think that the God of the universe would want to spend time with me–more than that, make His home in me! WOW!!! May I never become indifferent to the awesomeness of You living in my heart. You owe me nothing; I owe You everything! “I worship You, Almighty God; there is none like You.” Amen.

“We’ve a story to tell to the nations that shall turn their hearts to the right, a story of truth and mercy…of peace and light.”*

Matthew 28:19-20 tells us that every corner of the world will be reached with the Gospel, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” But, does that mean Christianity will reach every person in every corner of the world? Jesus Himself said that it wouldn’t,

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

We preach to the majority, but we look to the minority, those who are willing to allow the Spirit of God to replace their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh (living hearts), for hope and passion. It has always been so. Does God choose those to whom He extends salvation? No! Christ Himself said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38). We also have this invitation from Revelation 22:17, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. Our choice is our own.

Why do more people not come to Christ? Pride, fear, the deceptions of the devil, arrogance, procrastination, apathy, and even loyalty to one’s parents, ancestors, nationality, heritage, or life’s work are some of the reasons. Our job is to pray for them that the Spirit of God would break through their deception and stubbornness. If we are nudged by the Spirit, we speak; if we are asked by a person, we answer, but we always are to show the love of Christ through our actions.

Today, I charge you to walk in step with the Spirit paying close attention to His nudges. You will find that He is working with us to complete His ultimate Plan: to fill the world with the fragrance of Christ.

Abba, may we speak plainly about Your love and grace, Your justice and mercy. We realize that we are not responsible for people’s conversions; what we are responsible for is being reliable witnesses for You. Give us brave hearts, LORD. Amen.

*“We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations” – Hymn

Drawing parallels from the Old Testament to the New Testament makes His Word come alive!

Let’s look at the similarity between Paul and Jeremiah in their calling to the Lord’s work. Let’s look at Jeremiah’s first:

⁴ The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
⁹ Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:5-10

Points to remember:

1. God set him apart in his mother’s womb.
2. God put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth.
3. He was appointed over nations and kingdoms.

Now, let’s look at Saul/Paul’s calling from his own testimony to King Agrippa in Acts 26:16-18,

¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. ¹⁷ I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

From Galatians 1:15-16,

¹⁵ But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.

Points to remember:

1. Jesus set Paul apart from his mother’s womb, just like Jeremiah.
2. Jesus “put His words in Paul’s mouth” to be a witness and testify, just like Jeremiah.
3. He was appointed to go to stand before kings and rulers, just like Jeremiah.

My point is this: Paul may call us out of the Old Covenant law concerning how to be right with God, he makes much about the New Covenant fulfilling the Old Covenant and that we receive our perspective of the New from the Old. WE NEED BOTH!

The more we know of one helps us to know more of the other.

Abba, help us to discipline ourselves to read both the Old and the New Testaments so that we can grasp the height, depth, width and breadth of Your love for us. “Open our eyes that we may discover wonderful truths in Your Word” (Psalm 119:18 adapted). Amen.

When we walk with the awareness of our Savior’s presence, death is no big deal; we simply step from our side to His side.

I watched my dad do it. He walked with Jesus as long as I knew him. When he and Mom came to live with Robin and me, we got to see their faith up front and personal. They loved Jesus while on this earth!

When they had been with us 5 years, 3 1/2 months, Dad had a stroke. It paralyzed his entire left side including the muscles that swallow. His speech was slurred, but his mind was fine. Dad always had a quick wit, and he kept his sense of humor the entire time he was in the hospital and hospice. When he failed his swallow test for the third time, they told him he would need a permanent feeding tube put in. He refused. For the next five days, Dad showed us how to die with dignity and courage. The nurses would come in and ask him how he was doing. His answer? He would point up with his good arm and say, “I’m ready to go!”

Dad lived long enough to see pictures of his newly born great-grandson and then drifted off to sleep. He breathed his last that Saturday morning–which was unique in this way: Aunt Barbara, Uncle David, Mom, Robin and I were with him that morning. Dad’s breathing got slower and slower until there were quite a few seconds between each breath. He took a breath and exhaled…we counted to 30. Aunt Barbara said, “I think he’s gone” and leaned over to hear if he was possibly breathing shallowly. Dad snorted! Aunt Barbara jumped back and cried out, “Andy!” just like she had a hundred times when Dad was being ornery. It was truly his last breath. With his dying breath, Dad had scared Aunt Barbara one last time! So, instead of crying as Dad passed into eternity and into the arms of Jesus, we were laughing.

How could we be doing such a thing? Because we knew that he was instantly transported into the presence of His Savior. We can take great comfort in a passage from 2 Corinthians 5,

⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we live by faith, not by sight. ⁸ We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home [present] with the Lord. ⁹ So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

The psalmist said in Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” We can trust what the Bible tells us about death. Jesus conquered it for us. We no longer have to worry about what’s on the other side. To this, we say, “Hallelujah!”

Abba, thank You for heroes like Andy Anderson. He showed the way for Mom, who followed him to Your throne less than two months later. I miss them, and You know I grieve not being able to see them, but we all worship around Your throne together–like right now as I praise You! Mom and Dad, I miss you, but I’ll see you soon. Amen.

Mary’s grief over the death of Lazarus was great. It touched Jesus deeply. His response? Anger–but not at Mary.

We have been looking at the account of Lazarus, Martha and Mary in John 11. Today, as we look at Mary’s dialogue with Jesus, we find true love and compassion.

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:28-32

Mary said the same thing to Jesus that Martha did about Jesus having been able to keep their brother from dying, but she didn’t express the same hope that Martha did (see verse 21-22). Evidently, she was so caught up in grief that all she could do was cry. Their friends were mourning also, and Jesus was moved. We will read the next three verses from the Amplified Bible:

³³ When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who had come with her also sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit [to the point of anger at the sorrow caused by death] and was troubled, ³⁴ and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus wept.

We are seeing a precursor to the cross in the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus was angry at the consequence of death that mankind had endured. NO MORE! The whole reason Jesus came was to break the power of death, the consequence of sin. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us as much,

¹⁴ Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

But it’s more than that. Sin holds mankind in bondage. We can’t break free on our own. We are sick; we are blind; we are dead to the presence of God. Jesus came to take away the curse of death. He now lives to free any and all who will turn to Him for freedom. He seeks to live in and walk beside all who will trust Him for The Way. The resurrection of Lazarus was a microcosm of what was coming: The Cross.

Abba, thank You for Jesus coming to die for me. The love You showed through Him is beyond my comprehension. Thank You for winning me back. I am redeemed!!! Amen.

The way we interpret facts is determined by our starting point, especially concerning creation. Science is finally catching up to the Bible!

⁵ Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! Revelation 10:5-6

Must a person believe in a young earth in order to be a Christian? No. Christianity is based upon these dogmas (a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true):

• God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, three-in-one
• Jesus is God the Son
• Jesus died in our place to rescue us from the consequence of sin, which is death
• Jesus rose from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of the Father
• Jesus will return one day

At the same time, I do believe that there is much evidence pointing to a young earth and a literal six-day creation. One of the those evidences is today’s topic from, “10 Best Evidences From Science That Confirm a Young Earth,” Answers in Genesis:

#5 Rapidly Decaying Magnetic Field

The earth is surrounded by a magnetic field that protects living things from solar radiation. Without it, life could not exist. That’s why scientists were surprised to discover that the field is quickly wearing down. At the current rate, the field and thus the earth could be no older than 20,000 years old. Several measurements confirm this decay. Since measuring began in 1845, the total energy stored in the earth’s magnetic field has been decaying at a rate of 5% per century. Archaeological measurements show that the field was 40% stronger in AD 1000. Recent records of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field, the most accurate ever taken, show a net energy loss of 1.4% in just three decades (1970-2000). This means that the field’s energy has halved every 1,465 years or so.

Creationists have proposed that the earth’s magnetic field is caused by a freely-decaying electric current in the earth’s core. This means that the electric current naturally loses energy, or “decays,” as it flows through the metallic core. Though it differs from the most commonly accepted conventional model, it is consistent with our knowledge of what we know about the conductive properties of liquid iron; this freely decaying current would have started when the earth’s outer core was formed. However, if the core were more than 20,000 years old, then the starting energy would have made the earth too hot to be covered by water, as Genesis 1:2 reveals.

Reliable, accurate, published geological field data have emphatically confirmed the young-earth model: a freely-decaying electric current in the outer core is generating the magnetic field. Although this field reversed direction several times during the flood cataclysm when the outer core was stirred, the field has rapidly and continuously lost total energy ever since creation. It all points to an earth and magnetic field only about 6,000 years old.

Old-earth scientists project back into earth’s time pole reversals dating back 50,000 years to 780,000 years (see Earth’s Waning Magnet), but they don’t account for the world-wide flood and its devastating effects it had on our magnetic field. What does this mean for our future? Christians look forward to Jesus returning to earth physically and uniting His home with our home. When that happens, we need not worry about magnetic fields–or anything else, for that matter!

As we worship today, let’s praise our Creator for His infinite wisdom and knowledge, His creativity and His sustaining power.

Abba, You are the Intelligent Designer. You designed our universe and then spoke it into existence. That it looks old makes perfect sense: You created rock, which has all the qualities of an old rock. You used the same technique when You changed water into aged wine. You are truly amazing, Abba. Keep revealing to us Your hidden surprises about Your universe. Amen.

Throughout history, even non-Christians who liked Jesus and non-Christians who didn’t like Jesus talked about Him.

⁴¹ Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. Luke 4:41

We continue to study the Fallout of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension. Not only did Christians talk and write about Him prolifically, even people who twisted the truth or even denied it were party to proving the authenticity of Jesus. From, “Person of Interest,” by J. Warner Wallace,

Why aren’t the noncanonical accounts (the writings from non-Christians who liked Jesus) considered equally authoritative? Were they eliminated solely because they disagreed theologically with Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John? No. More than any other reason, they are disqualified as eyewitness accounts because of their late arrival outside of the region of Jesus’s life and ministry. True eyewitness accounts are written early and within the region, as were the four gospel accounts we have in the New Testament. Page 107

These details about Jesus and his followers come not from the church fathers but from the authors of heretical texts. Even if you destroyed every page of Christian Scripture and the writings of Christians who liked Jesus, you would still know a lot about him from these non-Christians who liked him. But the noncanonical authors weren’t the only non-Christians to talk about Jesus. There were others who interacted with Christians in antiquity, and unlike the noncanonical writers, they didn’t like Jesus at all. Page 107

From just this group of hostile non-Christians who disliked Jesus, a robust profile of Jesus can be reconstructed. Even though these historical figures typically slandered him, they based their attacks on a set of common claims. These foundational details related to Jesus (and his followers) can be heard from the voices of those who opposed him. Page 109

What are those foundational details?

• The LIFE of Jesus
• The MINISTRY of Jesus
• The TRIAL of Jesus
• The CRUCIFIXION of Jesus
• The RESURRECTION of Jesus
• The RETURN of Jesus
• The TITLES of Jesus
• The FOLLOWERS of Jesus

At a time when Christians were pursued, pillaged, and persecuted, we might not expect much information related to Jesus and his followers to survive. Instead, we can reconstruct every major claim of the New Testament without reading a single gospel or letter of Scripture, even though many of these non-Christian authors did their best to co-opt and twist the story of Jesus or were mockingly hostile toward the claims of Christianity.
There are more non-Christian voices in this extrabiblical collection (ninety-two historical figures) than Christian ones (just fifty-one), and regardless of their social stature, ethnicity, motivation, or region, the common description of Jesus (at their core) remained the same. At their foundation, they reiterated the claims of the New Testament authors long before these claims became popular or Christianity became the religion of the empire. Page 110

It all points to this: We can trust the New Testament about who Jesus is, why He came, and what He said and did. And, we can trust the Old Testament because it told us ahead of time about Jesus, the Messiah. Tomorrow, we will look at some more evidence.

Abba, as we worship You today, may we all thank You for providing so much evidence for us. There should be no doubt in our minds that Jesus is who He said He is, that He did what He said He’d do, and that He will do what He told us He will do. We can trust Your Word, and that’s Good News. Amen.

Jesus gives life to this life. Without His Spirit in our lives, we are the walking dead.

²⁴ I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” John 8:24

As Jesus wraps up his conversation in John 8 with the Pharisees (they try to stone Him), He hits them with this statement about who He is:

⁴⁹ “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. ⁵¹ Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”

Jesus is pointing to His Father, who is God, and then claims the ability to give life, which He has claimed before. John told us in chapter one that “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (1:4). Jesus said in 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” He will tell us again in His conversation with Martha in 11:25-26, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die.” Jesus makes it all about receiving Him and His life. If we were to teach that people go from dying to living through Jesus immediately, I believe we would see a lot more people come to Him for life.

If we want to live the best life we can live, is it according to God or according to us? We don’t know what tomorrow holds, much less the distant future; how can we know what the best life is? Trusting Jesus means that we trust Him to know what is best for us and how we can make the most impact for His gospel. Following Him means that we will live the best life possible for us. Let’s trust Him today with the rest of our lives.

Abba, following You daily means connecting with the past and the future; we connect with the past by joining the battle of those who have gone before us, and we join the future by making disciples that will carry on the advancement of the Gospel. As I become one of those who have gone on before, I pray that my life has brought You glory. “The seed of the Gospel is watered by the blood of the martyrs.” My life is Yours, Lord. Amen.

When we read God’s Word, He speaks to us. Are you ready for God to talk to you? Pick up His Word and read it!

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25

Part 2

We have been looking at four questions I wrote at the end of chapter two of, “A Grand Illusion,” by David Young about what radical progressives believe–or don’t believe.

Why do we need to recognize Jesus as Lord?
Why do we need a Savior?
How can the Bible be “living and breathing?”
What is holiness?

We are on the third question,

How can the Bible be “living and breathing?”

The phrase, “living and breathing,” comes from the NIV version of 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God has always spoken. To have it written down shouldn’t be a big surprise to anyone. The difference is the impact of the words of God and the words of man. When a ruler gives a decree, it is carried out in his kingdom. The same goes with God. What’s the difference? The magnitude of the kingdom and the power of the words.

• Man’s words are static; their power is in their meaning.
• God’s words are dynamic and have the power to create and transform.
• Men live and die; we read their words, but we cannot know them after they die.
• God is eternal; we read His words and He reveals their meaning to us.

Here is a verse that we would do well to memorize,

¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

When we say that “The Word of God is living and active,” we mean that the Spirit of God reveals our thoughts and intents, our attitudes and our loves to us. The NIV actually says, “it penetrates,” but the Greek does not have “it,” which changes the meaning just enough to give the impression that the Word of God is separate from God Himself. It is not. Let’s look back on creation,

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

The Hebrew word for God is “Elohim,” which is plural. All three of the Trinity were involved in creation. God the Father was the Master Owner, God the Son was the Master Architect, and God the Spirit was the Master Contractor and Builder. We know from John 1:1-3 that Jesus is the Word of God. Anytime God (Elohim) spoke, it was God the Son who was speaking. When we read the words of God now, it is God the Spirit speaking. Jesus told us as much in John 14:26,

²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

He goes on to say in 16:12-15,

¹² “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

So, is the Word of God living and breathing? Yes, as surely as the Holy Spirit lives and breathes in our lives. Let’s read it, study it, memorize it, ponder it, and share it.

Abba, thank You for giving us a written version of Your will and way. May we trust Your Spirit to reveal to us what You want us to know today according to where we are in our journey with You. Speak to our hearts, Lord Jesus, speak that our souls will hear. Amen.

Free will is a big deal. It’s what makes us like God.

¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:19-20

When God (Elohim)* created mankind, it was in their image. Mankind was given free will.

Then God [Elohim] said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” Genesis 1:26.

Our free will gives us the ability to choose who we worship. Will it be God or something else? We might be tempted to say, “ourselves,” but when we serve ourselves, we wind up serving Satan, for he is the “god” of pleasure. Knowing that Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10a), we now know why God calls us to follow Him. He gives life in abundance (John 10:10b).

The concept of free will and God’s refusal to breach ours is revealed in Jeremiah . Let’s look at several passages from both the Septuagint (LXX) and the Masoretic (MAS) texts:

LXX- 7:3 Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your practices, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.”

MAS- 7:3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.

The Lord was telling the people of Judah to repent, and that if they did, He would make it so they could stay in the land of Israel rather than get carted off to Babylon. We know that they didn’t repent, and Jeremiah gives us the reasons why they didn’t:

LXX- 5:23 But this people has an inattentive and disobedient heart. They turned aside and departed [from social justice].

MAS- 5:23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away [from social justice].

LXX- 6:10 To whom shall I speak and testify? Will it be heard? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and they cannot hear. Behold, the word of the Lord was an insult to them, and they do not wish to hear it.

MAS- 6:10 To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

LXX- 6:28 They all are inattentive and walk perversely. They are bronze and iron, and all have corrupted themselves.

MAS- 6:28 They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.

LXX- 7:18 “Do they provoke Me to wrath?” says the Lord. “Do they not provoke themselves to the shame of their own faces?”

MAS- 7:19 “But am I the one they are provoking?” declares the Lord. “Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?”

Both versions have the same CIT (central idea of the text), but each says it a little differently. The conclusion we draw is that the Israelites brought their destruction upon themselves. Tomorrow, we will look at two of the reasons for their demise.

Abba, keep stretching and growing us. I know this study may seem tedious, but it has opened my eyes to seeing Your Word on a larger scale. May I never take for granted all that Your Word has endured. I want life, Your life, Lord Jesus. You are the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6), therefore, I will study Your Word, for You are the Word (John 1:14), and “Your Word is Truth” (John 17:17). Amen.

Becoming like Jesus is harder than it looks. We have our sin nature to overcome. Thankfully, we have the Spirit in us!

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Yesterday, we looked at the different soils in which the seed of the Word of God is planted in our lives. Today, we will look at what happens daily in Christians’ lives.

²⁰ In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. ²¹ Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21

Daily, we make the choice to be clean vessels for His use or to stay dirty vessels that He still uses, but not for what we would like.

Jesus described salvation as a turning away from sin and turning to the light (John 3:20-21). John further described our daily lives as walking in the light (1 John 1:8). Sanctification is a fancy word for becoming like Jesus. There is a purification process that needs to happen to us. King David compared it to purifying silver and gold (Psalm 12:6). Another way of saying it is that we present ourselves to God,

“But in the same way we gave ourselves as slaves to anything of this world, we must constantly, repeatedly give ourselves to God and righteousness. It is not a once-and-for-all decision; it is a daily one. An hourly one, even. You have to present yourself constantly to God, for your sanctification is a lifelong process.”*

This process of sanctification is one that the Holy Spirit takes great joy in walking us through. To us, it is hard, painful, and altogether unpleasant, but to Him, it is majesty and beauty being created–or, rather, revealed in us. We are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Concerning being clean vessels versus dirty ones, the idea is to stay clean. Since we know that sin destroys everything it touches, we want to wash ourselves in the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26) and to present ourselves to our Lord ready-to-use, so to speak. Our goal, as we walk with Jesus, is to look just like Him. He tells us to “be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).” How do we do that? Through the process of sanctification, which the Spirit is already doing in our lives right now! All we need to do is walk in step with the Spirit,

²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

Abba, help us to walk in step with You. The process of sanctification is long, and drawn-out (it takes our entire lives). We look forward to the day we get to step into Your presence whole, complete, blameless and perfected. Until then, we are trusting You for every step. Keep us focused on You, Lord. Amen.

*”Bearing Fruit” page 58

The Rich Man and Lazarus: True story or parable? You make the call!

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23-24

After looking it up on the internet, I’m still undecided about the question. Let’s read the story and look at both sides.

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

A True Story-
From Gotquestions.org–

• The story is never called a parable.
• The beggar was actually named.
• “Third, this particular story does not seem to fit the definition of a parable, which is a presentation of a spiritual truth using an earthly illustration. The story of the rich man and Lazarus presents spiritual truth directly, with no earthly metaphor. The setting for most of the story is the afterlife, as opposed to the parables, which unfold in earthly contexts.”

A Parable-

• It is in the midst of other parables.
• It begins just like two other parables: Luke 15:11 and 16:1.
• “Lazarus” might have been used as an icon. It means, “God will help.” “Eleazar” is its Hebrew counterpart. “Lazarus” is the Greek version.
• Since we have no particulars on the afterlife, we have no way of knowing if Jesus was being literal or simply making the point that many would not believe in Him even after He rose from the dead (v.31).

There is a compelling evidence in Matthew 13:34 that makes me lean toward the passage being a parable,

³⁴ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.

At the same time, Matthew may have been referring to the parables that he related in his Gospel. Again, we don’t know for sure. On either side you fall, we can find these truths in the story:

1. Wealth can turn a person away from true devotion to God. Because of the mention of purple, the entire story may have been pointed to the leadership, specifically the high priest.
2. There are blessings and consequences beyond the grave about how we live–and for Whom– on this earth.
3. Jesus was prophesying that many of the leadership of Israel would not believe in Him even after He rose from the dead.

The Rich Man and Lazarus: True story or parable? You make the call!

Abba, I was surprised when Robin pointed out that the rich man’s attitude had not changed even in his torment. He was still ordering people around! If this story is about the current leadership of that day, which several of the other parables were, then they were dead-set against Jesus. No wonder within 40 years the entire sacrificial system was destroyed. It’s interesting to me that they were afraid of losing their privileged status with Rome (John 11:48), yet it was the Romans who annihilated Jerusalem and the temple! Lord, may we always put our trust in You. You are the One who helps us. Amen.

The human body with its Intelligent Design is amazing. We continue today “looking” at the eye.

21 For our ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all our paths.
He also guides us on them (Psalm 73:24).

Yesterday, we covered the cornea, the iris, the pupil, the lens, and the liquid. Today, we will cover the muscles, the self-cleaning system.

The muscles:

The eye muscles are the busiest muscles in the body! Besides the muscles that control the inside of the eye, there are “three pairs of muscles attached to the outside of the eye. These muscles rotate the eyeball so we can look in different directions without moving our heads. Basically, one pair of muscles works like reins on a horse to aim the eye left and right. A second pair of muscles, attached to the top and bottom of the eyeball, aims the eye up and down. Finally, a third set of muscles rotates the eye like a doorknob. The purpose of these last two muscles is to keep our vision level when we tilt the head from side to side, so we don’t get dizzy (the Lord thinks of everything!).”
“Just think of it. Everywhere we turn our gaze, twelve separate muscles (six on each eye) move in perfect coordination for us to see the object we’re looking at. If our eyes are even slightly misaligned, we see double. This remarkable coordination is like a marksman so accurate with a pair of pistols that he can make only one bullet hole every time he fires both guns!”
From “A Pocket Guide to the Human Body” page 28-29

The self-cleaning washers in our eyes keep them lubricated and clean. Our tears also eliminate bacteria and other harmful products. “Deep under the upper eyelid, toward the side of the head, each eye has a special reservoir of eye-washing fluid called the lachrymal glands. These glands secrete a watery tear fluid that has just the right acid level (pH) and osmotic (concentration) properties. The fluid also contains special oils to reduce evaporation. It also gives our cornea a smooth surface for optimum vision.”
“If you look very closely at your eye, you will notice a small opening on the margin of your upper and lower eyelids near the nose. These holes, called puncta, are attached to pumps that remove the tear fluid as it flows across the eye and drains it into the nose. This continuously flushes our eyes of debris and keeps our cornea from drying out.”

Humans are the only creatures God created that can cry emotional tears. But, God catches our tears and stores them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). It shows how much He cares for us. We can trust Him. He doesn’t promise to end our tears on this side of life, but He does promise to walk us through to His side of life.

Tomorrow, we finish our tour of the eye by studying the retina, and the optic nerve.

Abba, thank You for seeing my tears and for keeping them. They are precious to You; that makes me very happy. I know You cried, too (John 11:35). I am comforted by the thought that You understand our condition (Hebrews 4:15-16). I know that I can approach You for mercy and grace when I need it–which is all the time! Keep them coming, Lord. Amen.

“You keep using that word; I do not think it means what you think it means.” – Inigo Montoya

30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”

People refer to the Word of God being all-sufficient, inspired, inerrant, and infallible. What do these words mean?

All-sufficient– The Reformation was built upon two pillars: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) and Sola Fide (faith alone). Scripture must stand above all else, such as intellect, reason, logic and even the Church, for it is the Scripture that gives the foundation for the Church. As for faith, Scripture gives us the foundation for a salvation based upon the finished work of Christ on the cross. The Word of God is all-sufficient to meet our every need.

Inspired– The Holy Spirit is the inspiration for the writing of Scripture and for the understanding of Scripture. The Spirit interacts with humanity to perceive the heart of God, to believe the message of God, and to receive the salvation of God. Every writer was inspired by the Spirit and every listener/reader is inspired by the Spirit in understanding.

Inerrant– The Word of God is without error. Everything God said and says is absolutely right and correct. There is no shadow of turning with God (James 1:17); we can trust Him to be the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Infallible– “absolutely trustworthy or sure; unfailing in effectiveness or operation; certain.” We can trust that what God says is absolutely trustworthy. His Word will never cease to be effective or to quit working. We can be certain of it.

The question for the day is: What IS the Word of God? Trusting Scripture, let’s look:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:1-2, 14, 17

² but in these last days he [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:2-3

Jesus is the Word of God. Whatever He tells us, we can trust with our lives–even our eternity! Tomorrow, we will discuss the mission of the Word of God in our world.

Abba, I praise You for Your all-sufficient Word, Jesus Christ. In Him, we have complete trust for our salvation, our future, and our day-to-day living. May the Spirit of Christ guide us–which is like saying, “may the sun come up in the morning.” Teach us to lean on Him and not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). Amen.

How to have peace in your heart:

29:17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.

Peace comes when we are at one with God. It’s what atonement was all about. “Atonement” can be pronounced, “At-one-ment.” Christ was bringing us back together with the Father relationally. If we will let Him, He gives us His peace,

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

I particularly like the word, “thankful.” It’s a lot like “grateful.” Both words describe what I feel inside when I turn my mind toward Jesus. His sheer presence washes away any doubts and fears on which I have been dwelling. The apostle Paul tells us in the previous verses how God feels about us and how to receive His peace,

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

In other letters, Paul uses the term, “put off/put on” instead of “clothe.” Either way, the idea is to set our minds on doing these things and being this way. In many ways, it’s the re-training of the mind. The Holy Spirit will grow compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience in our lives. He will teach us how to forgive, but also how to keep healthy boundaries in place, and what it looks like to put on love. He is the One who brings us peace, our at-one-ment.

My prayer for you this morning is:

Let the [peace and this] message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

Abba, Your peace means everything to me. My at-one-ment with You is all that matters. I trust You for everything in my life, so whatever You say works for me. May I work on my at-one-ment with others now–Spirit, help! Amen.

As Christians, our greatest need is to be aware of how much we need Jesus everyday.

3:1 My child, do not forget [Me or] my teaching, but keep [Me and] My commands in your heart,

God the Father has given us the gift of Choice. He wants us to choose to join Him in a personal relationship with the Trinity through the Son. But, there is a spiritual truth that we need to understand. That truth is:

He wants us. We need Him.

We were not designed to work independently from God the Holy Spirit. Since the day Adam and Eve left the Garden, God the Father has been in pursuit of us (Luke 15:3-7). His pursuit became intense with God the Son’s incarnation, life and ministry, death and resurrection, and the sending of God the Spirit to infuse and empower our lives with the Trinity*. The Gospel is now reaching to the ends of the earth as He continues His search for every lost sheep!

Our constant dependence upon the in-dwelling Spirit (and Trinity) is foundational for Christians. Without Jesus as our Shepherd, we do not have life because Jesus is life (John 11:25-26 and 14:6). We must be willing to follow His lead:

1. At home,
2. At work,
3. In relationships (friends, spouses, family),
4. When with others,
5. And when alone (this one’s called having integrity).

Jesus is not asking us to do something that He Himself was not willing to do. In fact, since we know that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), we know that Jesus is the ultimate and eternal Servant-Leader. He wants to serve us today by leading us as our Good Shepherd. Consider these verses:

²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:3-5

In the words of my pastor, who quotes E.V. Hill, “I know I will preach well today if my Helper shows up.” Don’t let the phraseology fool you. He’s not talking about the Spirit literally showing up–He’s already with and in him. He’s referring to him being in sync with the Spirit and allowing the Spirit to take charge. He’s the shepherd being led by the Chief Shepherd. Now, THAT’S a servant-leader!

Abba, I am so glad that You want us as Your friends because we need You as our Shepherd. Lead us, Good Shepherd; we will follow. Amen.

*Supporting verses for the in-dwelling of the Trinity:

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. John 14:23

²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26

¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14

The similarities between Peter’s story and Judas Iscariot’s story are striking. Let’s look…

1 my child, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight…22 the evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast [Jesus will set them free].

Most people know the story of Peter:

• A fisherman
• Married
• Leader
• Hotheaded

Many people know the story of Judas Iscariot:

• Keeper of the moneybag
• Dipped into the moneybag occasionally (John 12:6)
• Rebuked Mary for “wasting” expensive perfume
• Took 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus

So far, there’s not much similarity, but here’s where it changes. They both were told that they would fall to weakness: Peter to fear and Judas to greed. Peter denied Christ; Judas betrayed Christ. Lest we get the idea that they are worse than the other disciples, read Matthew 26:56b, which was prophesied also,

⁵⁶ But this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled [see Matthew 26:31].” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Both Peter and Judas had great remorse for their “falling away.” Peter was reinstated by Jesus (John 21:15-17); Judas hanged himself after throwing the money back into the temple (see Matthew 27:3-5).

Most people think that when Jesus said, “It would be better if he had never been born” (Mark 14:21), and that he was “doomed to destruction (John 17:12), that Judas is burning in hell right now. I wonder if there is another option. Consider:

• Judas died before Jesus did;
• Jesus descended into Hades and led a triumphal train out of hell (1 Peter 4:6, Apostles’ Creed, 2 Corinthians 2:14);
• Judas may have been the last person to enter Hades before Christ got there and freed the captives (Isaiah 61:1), which means that he also may have been the first person out of Hades with Christ!

The lesson here is not so much to champion Judas, but to warn against assumptions. We must always read Scripture through the lens of Jesus: Jesus said, “love your enemies,” “forgive seventy times seven;” did He not extend forgiveness to the very soldiers who crucified Him? It’s worth considering.

Abba, I don’t know where Judas is today, but I know You well enough to know that You practice what You preach. I would like to believe that Judas was right on Your heels on the way out of Hades and to Your throne! Thank You for Your wonderful grace that extends to every human being on the planet, past, present and future. Amen.

Our job is to show people the real Jesus, the One who loves them and can be trusted.

3 For the lips of the adulterous woman [Satan’s deceptions] drip honey, and her [his] speech is smoother than oil…

In the story, With You All the Way” (also entitled, “The Song of the King”), by Max Lucado, the king would play a song on his flute each morning that would guide the young warriors through the dark forest. The problem was that the hopenots (creatures of the forest) would mimic the song with their flutes; their melodies would be close to the king’s, but were not quite the same. Only one of the three warriors made it back to the castle (his secret is for those who read the book).

In this world, we also have hopenots who mimic the King’s true song. Jesus is that True Song, but the hopenots make Him out to be something He’s not. Our job is to show the love and acceptance of Jesus for all people. He will do the convicting of sin in their lives. We are to hurt for them, care for them, and tell them about the love of Jesus and our experiences with Him. We are to be light, His light, to those around us even if they are hostile. I have found that hostile people are usually angry people. Angry people have been hurt; they can’t trust the Jesus they know. We are to show them a different Jesus, One who loves them. Our trust in Him shows that they can trust Him, too.

Realize this: We show Christ the best in trying circumstances. When we say, “Lord, use me for Your glory,” we are releasing Him to allow trying circumstances in our lives. Are we willing? Those circumstances may have happened anyway, but even so, we choose to respond with patience and peace, thus showing everyone watching that they can trust Jesus, too, even in dark times.

Paul was facing hard times ahead (Acts 20:22-23), but here is his attitude, one that we would do well to adopt:

²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; 
my only aim is to finish the race and complete
the task the Lord Jesus has given me—
the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Abba, may I remember my own words when I experience dark days. Right now, things are great; I feel that You are teaching me great lessons. I also know that real faith is tried by fire. I release you in my life to allow whatever circumstances will give me the best opportunities to demonstrate great faith, Your love for me, my trust in You, and Your faithfulness to me. Whoever it is, Lord, that You are trying to reach, may they see the real You in me and want You in them. It is my only aim. Amen.

What are we before we are transformed by Jesus? We are like caterpillars; we have potential, but a big change needs to occur.

21 A person’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders, weighs, and then makes level our paths.

Caterpillars to Butterflies. This beauty is an evolution-defying creation! They truly begin as one creature and transform into a different creation–all in less than two weeks. They are also a classic illustration of us before we believed in Jesus and after we believed Him and took Him at His word. Let’s look at some fun facts about caterpillars and butterflies.

Miraculous Life Cycle

	The Egg: All the information to assemble this creature was in place long before it hatched. Its nectar-eating mother knew just where to deposit the egg. (For many species, the caterpillar survives on only one specific type of plant.)
	Caterpillar: The caterpillar is born with specialized tools to grab food and chow down. It will grow up to three thousand times its original size, so sometimes it needs to shed its outer skeleton. That means laying down a new outfit under the old one—wrinkles and all.
	Pupa (Chrysalis): Eventually the caterpillar molts into a new body plan (a chrysalis). At the end of this stage, one final molt occurs. With the help of MRIs, we can watch how the pieces of the former life are carefully torn apart and rearranged.
	Butterfly: Once the adult body is built, the butterfly will inflate until it splits the old exoskeleton. Then it pumps blood into the wings so they unfurl. After a short wait to let the new exoskeleton harden, the transformed creature takes to the air.

To watch an eight-minute video on the metamorphosis of a butterfly, click here.

The transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly is an exquisite illustration of our life in Christ. We are spiritual caterpillars until Christ comes and transforms us into spiritual butterflies. We are, indeed, new creations! The chrysalis of conviction, repentance, and faith happen at the Holy Spirit’s prompting. When is a caterpillar ready to become a butterfly? When the Holy Spirit deems it is the right time. We are also butterflies who hold out to all “caterpillars” the hope of them becoming butterflies, too, trusting that He will move in their lives and that they will go into their own chrysalis and come out as beautiful butterflies.

But, even this metaphor is still inadequate to describe the process. One could conclude that salvation is a one-time event, but it’s more than that; it’s about our relationship with Jesus. This relationship is for life and lasts a lifetime–in this age and the age to come.

Thank You, Jesus, for transforming us into new creations. We now want to be with You and be like You. Help us to grow, to stretch out our new wings (metaphorically) and fly! Amen.

Fire insurance or a true relationship? That’s what we will discuss today.

1 My child, be attentive to my wisdom [seeing from God’s perspective]; incline your ear to my understanding [paying attention to God’s ways], 2 that you may keep discretion [live holy and righteous lives], and your lips may guard knowledge [speak godly and true statements].

When Zechariah got his voice back (Luke 1:64), he began to praise God and prophesy much like Mary. After speaking about redemption and salvation (v68-69), about deliverance and mercy (v70-72), about the holy covenant and the oath to Father Abraham (v.73), Zechariah says this:

⁷⁴ To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Would serve Him without fear,
⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
⁷⁶ And you, child, also will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
⁷⁷ To give His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
⁷⁹ To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

• v.74 With fear is how they always served God–up until John. John prepared the way for Yeshua (Jesus); Yeshua (Jesus) showed the way to His loving Father.
• v.75 Christ will make us holy and righteous.
• v.76-77 John will go ahead of the Messiah and prepare the way; he will begin the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins.
• v.78 God now begins to be portrayed as a loving Father who has tender mercy for His children–all of them (Gentiles, too).
• v.79 The light of Christ will shine in our hearts. He will shine on every heart and say, “Do you trust Me? Then, follow Me.” We spend our entire lives learning to trust and follow.

So, how are you doing? Do you want to follow Christ and meet with Him up close and personal? Or, are you comfortable at a distance? A lot of people have their “get out of jail free” cards and they’re fine keeping Christ at arm’s length. But, that’s not what salvation is all about. If we take heaven and hell off the table and just deal with a personal, one-on-one relationship with Jesus for life, would everyone who claims to be a Christian really take Him up on it? Of course, if we have a relationship with Jesus, then hell is averted and heaven is secured. Christ in us IS heaven!

Let’s follow Christ because He has called us. Let’s be obedient because His Spirit urges us to do so. Let’s converse with Him constantly and consistently all day, every day. We don’t have to worry about hell because Christ is in us, nor do we need to worry about heaven because He has promised to take us to be with Him (John 17:24). But, we must not miss the point of the cross/grave/resurrection/ascension, which is “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

Abba, thank You for living in me. The lack of Your presence would surely be hell. May our relationship grow closer and closer together until You and I are completely one–now, THAT’S heaven! I love You. Thank You for loving me. Amen.

Forecasting- presuming to know the outcome before the event takes place. Adam and Eve did, Cain did, etc.

²¹ For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines [weighs and levels] all your paths [more on this verse tomorrow]. [But], the evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins [of their own doing and their own beliefs] hold them fast.

Well, I didn’t get very much further in my 1 John 2 reading. Verses 28 and 29 “spoke” to me. Let’s look at them one at a time,

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 

When I read this passage in the past, I always interpreted its meaning as my need to do something in order to evoke a right response from God or to avoid a negative response from Him. Now, I’ve come to see that it has to do with my own self-imposed shame rather than His “wrath.” If I abide–live my life in His life, enjoying His Presence and intimate fellowship–in Him, then I learn that “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all,” (1 John 1:5) and that “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him” (1 John 4:16). When I ponder these two truths, I realize that any darkness is in me and is my own doing and my own thinking.

God is in the process of expunging me of all darkness (wrong-thinking), including anything that makes me fear Him. “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18). So, my confidence on the day of His coming comes from my walking with Him and understanding that He is our light and our salvation, and our Great Love. Any fear or shame comes from my own mind and thoughts because I simply don’t know Him well enough to shed the deception that began with Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:10).

As for verse 29, it is the outcome of verse 28,

²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Those who abide in the Lord are easy to spot because they reflect the Lord’s character and qualities. Practicing righteousness flows out of their relationship with Jesus Christ and their constant communion with the Spirit. In fact, 3:1 is a confirmation of today’s truth,

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him [but, we DO!].

May we enjoy to the fullest our status as children of the heavenly Father. May we feel free to crawl up onto His lap and lean against Him (Hebrews 4:16). Our fellowship with the Trinity is the purpose of our salvation!

Abba, thank You for Your amazing love! Because of Your great love, we no longer have to worry about darkness, punishment, wrath (whether real or imagined), or anything else that might separate us from You. Keep teaching us, Lord. We want to know You more. Amen.

Heaven is a great selling point for salvation, but it’s the wrong selling point. The love of Jesus is.

23 For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life.

Here’s how salvation should go:

1. Jesus prompts a person to ask questions about spiritual things. There’s an interest.
2. As those questions are answered, the person feels drawn to Jesus.
3. At a given point, that person receives Christ as his Savior and Lord, along with a pledge of obedience.
4. The person begins to walk with Jesus as a new creation in Christ.

Let’s take these four steps apart:

1. Many times, the questions come as accusatory remarks. There may be a lot of hurt behind the question, like, “Why did God kill my father?” We must always assume that the question is real and the person is seeking an answer, something that he can believe. The answer is, “God didn’t kill your father; sin did. Maybe not his personal sin, but sin in general has caused all people to die. The result is evident in our world. God loves your dad, and He grieves with you as you grieve.”
2. As we talk to him about how much Jesus loves him, we stress that Jesus wants a personal, ongoing relationship with him. This relationship begins with him recognizing Jesus as Lord, King of the Universe, and pledging his life to Him. The idea of Jesus being our personal Guide through this world needs to appeal to him.
3. The realization of our inability to make good choices in life because we are subjective (living in it) enables us to trust Jesus for His leadership. The more we trust Him, the more trustworthy He becomes, and the more trustworthy He becomes, the more we trust Him. The person’s willingness for Jesus to transform him from the inside out is big. If a person wants Jesus, he will have to give Him all rights and all controls to his life.
4. A mentor is a great idea for a young follower of Jesus. We can explain the fellowship we share with Christ in everyday life, teaching him what happened when he was adopted into the family, when he was reborn, and how Christ is transforming us into the likeness of Jesus (who is God). We want to be like Him in character. It is this desire that reveals the heart of the person.

If we explain that hell is not having a relationship with Jesus and that heaven is having a relationship with Jesus, the person begins to understand that we are already living in one or the other. The step beyond this life is nothing but a continuation of our everyday life. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this kind of salvation?!

Abba, it is Your desire that all people come to You. You offer so much to us that it’s impossible to grasp it all: the forgiveness of sin, the presence of Jesus, the fellowship with the Spirit, Your guidance through this world, the promise of eternal life with You…and these just scratch the surface! May you continue to lead us into all truth, Lord. We will be diligent searchers for Your truth. Amen.

Yesterday was a matter of the heart concerning pride. Today is a matter of the mind. What do we want to do?

7 Now then, my children, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. 9 Keep to a path far from her [temptation], do not go near the door of her house…

The next verses in our study of 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 are 13-15. Let’s look at verse 13:

¹³ If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 

There will be times when we will be considered out of our minds for following Christ. The decisions we make are based upon the Spirit’s prompting in our lives. We spend time reading the testimonies of the Apostles and other Christians in our New Testament; we discuss what we know with each other, asking the Spirit to guide us into more truth, even all truth; we spend time in conversation with Jesus seeking His face and pledging ourselves to Him for right here, right now. The decisions we make are based upon His kingdom and not this kingdom (world), or our health, wealth, control, fear, etc.

In this case, Paul and the others were in their right spiritual minds for the Galatians. Paul had their needs in mind and what was best for them. This next statement was specifically for them, but is also a universal truth:

¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

The love of the Christ who is in our hearts guides our thoughts and is our highest motivator in our decision making. In following Christ, we first must believe that He is who He says He is and that He did what He said He would do (John 12:23, 32). Paul then states the spiritual fact that in Christ, all died to sin. It’s what the Law did on a limited basis (the Jews died vicariously through the death of their sacrifices). We know that the Father postponed judgment for all sin until the cross (Romans 3:25) and then Jesus took that sin to the grave–then He rose again while leaving sin in that grave! Now, all who choose to walk in His light walk out of their graves and into eternal life with Christ.

If we will remember this truth each day, we will “no longer live for ourselves” but for Christ. We are His; He has a wonderful plan for us. He has shown us the love of the Father. Let’s be about the Father’s business.

Abba, thank You for loving me. Thank You for Jesus conquering sin and the grave and giving me new life. May I be enthusiastic about sharing such good news with others. Amen.