March 4 - Give to the Poor

Luke 12:32-34

The world is full of people with fears.

Some of us fear pain. So we collect means of safety and security.

Some of us fear insignificance. So we collect opportunities for meaningful contribution to the world.

Some of us fear worthlessness.  So we collect achievements and accolades.

Any threat to our collections is, in essence, a threat to our existence.

These things we collect are not evil in and of themselves. And yet, everything on earth fades, rusts, and decays. There is nothing on earth we can collect that will give everlasting security, meaning, or worth to us, and when we count on them to do so, we will do anything possible to hold on to them—often at the expense of other souls dearly loved by God.

How beautiful these words from Jesus as he reassures us not to be afraid, “for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom”! Where God rules and reigns, there is meaning, there is peace, there is justice, there is flourishing, and there is wholeness.

In God’s kingdom we are safe, we are ascribed worth & meaning, and we are loved. This means that we are free to give away our little collections without giving way to our fears, because every fear is stilled in God’s presence, and our greater inheritance of a kingdom of goodness, justice, peace, and wholeness was secured by the blood of the cross.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Jesus Knew...

Luke 9:43-45


While today’s reading is only a few verses I found two significant things about Jesus in these words.

First, Jesus knew who he was. In verse 44 Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man. My study bible notes say that this term was used 81 times in the Gospels (I know, that seems like a lot!) and never by anyone other than Jesus. Like so many things that Jesus said, this ties back to the Old Testament and was probably a familiar term to Jewish audiences. Daniel 7:13-14 states the following: 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed”.

Second, Jesus knew what his purpose was. Verse 44 is the second mention of his coming death in the book of Luke. The first is found in Luke 9:22 and provides a more detailed description of Jesus’ purpose: 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Similar passages can be found in other Gospel writings.

It is incredible to think about the fact that Jesus knew exactly who he was, that he was one with “authority, glory, and sovereign power” and yet he was willing to “be delivered into the hands of men and suffer many things”.

In Luke 9:23, the verse immediately following his prophecy of his own death and resurrection, Jesus says “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”. That does not seem like much to ask when you consider who Jesus was (and is) and what he did for us.

Dear Jesus, thank you for who you are and what you did for us on the cross. Thank you for your obedience and love for the Father and help us to “take up our cross” today and by the power of the Holy Spirit show that same obedience and love. Amen.

Do As the Roman Does

Luke 7:1-10

What a powerful story of faith this is. This is the first account so far in the book of Luke where Jesus has dealt with a Gentile. And that, in part, is what makes this story so amazing.

The man was a Roman officer, a centurion. He'd heard of Jesus' amazing miracles and because of his love for his servant, sent for Jesus. This man, who did not believe in God, believed that Jesus could command healing. And on top of that, he believed Jesus could do it without even being present. As a Roman centurion, he understood authority and saw that Jesus had it. And, he realized that Jesus' authority was much greater than his own. This faith amazed Jesus. People, his own disciples included, saw him heal and still didn't believe he was the Son of God. But this man had such faith in Jesus' healing power and authority and he wasn't even a Jew. And Jesus did a miraculous work of healing, like he so often did and still does today.

This story makes me think about faith and its power, about our belief in the authority of Jesus as the Lord of all creation. How often do I doubt God's authority in my life? How often do I think I need to do things on my own, or make a decision out of my own interests because I lack the faith to trust that God is holding me?

When I look at this story more closely, I find an interesting insight. The centurion's faith in Jesus' healing power comes out of desperation, and that desperation comes out of love. His love and care for his servant causes his need for healing; his hopeless situation drives him to have faith in the only option left to him: a miracle from the one they're calling "the Son of God." And he has no choice but to have faith.

I know that in my life, I tend to have stronger faith when I am desperate and hopeless. When I feel the need for Jesus is when I give my life up to his power and authority. It's when things are fine and dandy that I struggle to have that powerful faith that submits to Jesus' authority, because I feel like I'm doing just fine on my own. Maybe you're the opposite, and your faith is strong in good times and you fail to cry out to God when times are tough. Whatever your faith looks like, we all struggle at times to recognize the complete authority of Christ. But when we do recognize it, the pressure comes off of us to always know what to do, to be perfect, to make the right decision. When we put our full faith in the power of Jesus, no matter the circumstance, he will always guide us through.

Reflect:
1. What are the ebb and flow patterns of faith in your life? Does your faith grow stronger in times of desperation or do you rely more on yourself or others during those times?
2. How can you give your life up to the power and authority of Jesus on a daily basis? Pray and ask God for this.

Freedom in Christ

Luke 13:10-17


Freedom. Freedom in Jesus and the life he shares with us. Freedom in God's healing work. Freedom in a world of shackles.

I love that this passage speaks of freedom. It tells us of the freedom found in Jesus amidst a world of rules, regulations, and restrictions. In our society, built by humans, not by God, there are expectations and commandments, things decreed to be right and wrong, good and evil. Some of them align with God's heart, but some of them are vastly different. It can be so hard to go against the grain, to do something of God's will that is not of the world's when we know we will be judged, ridiculed, or even penalized by a world who does not understand the heart of the Father.

In this passage, Jesus felt the freedom to do what he knew aligned with God's heart--heal a woman who was crippled by an evil spirit. That healing, even though it went against society's rules and regulations, was an action that glorified God, not one that went against his will. So let me ask you a question. Where do you prescribe to the world's will instead of God's?

When we speak the confession in Sunday morning worship, we say that we have sinned against God "by what we have done and by what we have left undone." What if Jesus hadn't healed that woman because he was afraid of what the synagogue leaders would think of him or do to him? I think of all the things I could have done in my life to glorify God, all the opportunities God placed in front of me to follow his lead that I didn't take because I was afraid of worldly consequences. Sinning by what I have left undone.

But in Jesus we see the freedom to shake off that fear. In Jesus we have the freedom to step out in God's will and live life as he calls us. And isn't it so freeing to know that we don't have to live according to the rules and restrictions created by a contradicting, imperfect, sinful society? We get to follow the heart of a steady, perfect, ever-loving God who knows exactly what we need and provides it for us.

Reflect:
Where do you follow the world's will instead of God's? Why?
Reflect on the ways that the world binds you yet God frees you. Thank God for this freedom, and pray for continual release from the grip of our broken world.

Why the Shepherds?

Luke 2:8–15

I wonder, why the shepherds?  Why were the shepherds the audience for God’s heavenly birth announcement?  Why were they the first recorded visitors of the baby Jesus?  Shepherds occupied one of the lowest rungs on the ladder of Jewish society when Jesus was born.  Most were not well educated, not well spoken, and in many cases, not well spoken of.  


Why not the priests, or scholars, or even the leading businessmen of Jerusalem?  These people would have been almost everything that the shepherds were not.  Wouldn’t they have been a more fitting audience for the angel’s message?  Wouldn’t they have been more appropriate visitors of the new born king?  Why the shepherds?


I wonder if God wanted to make a special invitation to a group of people leading simple lives and capable of a simple faith.  People who took time to witness the beauty and majesty of His creation every day (and night!).  People who weren’t consumed by a sports team or the latest news delivered by the latest technology from the capital city of Jerusalem.  People who weren’t blinded by so called “success”.  I wonder if that is at least partly why God made a special announcement to the shepherds.   

As we celebrate Christmas it seems good to wonder, why the shepherds?  It seems good to think about their lives and make some comparisons to our own.  It seems good to examine our faith and think about the One we celebrate on Christmas day – and every day.

Dear God, thank you for extending a special invitation to each of us to know and be known by your Son.  Thank you for loving us just like the shepherds, as we are and where we are.  Thank you for Christmas. Thank you for the shepherds.  Thank you for Jesus!

The Power of the Normal Life

By Thomas Denegre

Matthew 6:9-14

I was talking to a Latino gang leader named Carlos during a Kairos Prison Ministry weekend event at a State of Ohio Correctional Facility. By looking at his face I can tell he was in a state of wonder and puzzlement.  God will do that to a sinner who is searching for the truth.

He explained to me how he spent most of his young life in a variety of prisons. Not long-ago Carlos was released from prison and paid a visit to his girlfriend.  They got into an argument and she called the police.  When they arrived, they found a concealed gun on him.  Back to prison he went.    Now he was spending a long Kairos weekend tasting God with the most powerful men in the prison; the Kairos team. So we had this conversation

“What is going on?” Carlos asked. “I’ve never been treated like this in my life. I’m being treated so well.  What’s the deal?”

“This is called normal,” I explained.  “All your life you lived in fear and violence thinking it was normal.  Yet this is the normal life and it’s called the Kingdom of God.  It’s why we do it.  It’s why we’re here. Do you want know more about normal Carlos?”

“Yes, I do,” exclaimed Carlos.

“Do you know the Our Father’s prayer?”

“Vaguely,  I remember my mother use to pray it over me when I was little.”

“Mind, if I give you the expanded version,” I asked. He nodded his head and I proceeded with the expanded version.

As you know it starts with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” We have a magnificent and awesome Dad.  Everything seen and unseen has been made by Him. Before you were born every day of your life was ordained in his book as written in Psalm 139:16. Like the father of the prodigal son, our Dad has been watching you with a keen eye. He dreamed of you before you were born.   He’s less concerned about your sin than about you.  He’s waiting for you to cross the line into his kingdom.  Because when you do, he’s going to smother you with hugs and kisses. Instead of life filled with death and destruction, he’s waiting to give you an abundant life. (John 10:10)  You’re his dearest child and he created the universe so we can have a home to live in.  His greatness and love deserve our awe, respect, and love in return.

The next part says, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  So, what is the kingdom?  It’s his spiritual Kingdom coming into our lives on earth.  Just as water permeates a sponge, so does God’s spirit permeate our spirit. We are one in his glory. (John 17:22) The normal comes alive.  By living in life union with Jesus and having his words living powerfully within you (John 15:7) then his streams of love, joy, mercy, kindness, friendship, and long-suffering enter into your life.  No longer will you be imposing your will on others which results in fights and divisions, but like gravity, you’ll enter a mass of power called God’s love that will heal all your heart wounds and put you into a peace the world will never understand. This is the kingdom of God we bring to this world.

The prayer goes on to say, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Let me tell you about the bread.  Jesus is called the bread of life for he’s is the great I am. (John 6:33) When I receive the consecrated bread, I know Jesus is feeding me with his spirit.  As you know, living in the world can drain the life out of you.  But Jesus has a plan. His daily bread refreshes us.  Jesus will say to you, “If you are in despair, I’m your encourager. If you are hungry for truth, I am your food. If you are weak, I am your strength. I am the way, the truth, and the life.  I am your life.  I am your love. I am your joy and peace.  I am your patience and long suffering in all things.  I am your battery charger of life.  I am your streams of love, tenderness, kindness, and mercy.  I am the great I am.  I am your source of life and let me charge you up.  Taste and eat me for I will refresh you!” Indeed, he does!

The next line in the prayer says, “And forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Or, in other words, Jesus is saying, “I care more about you than what you have done.”  Do not let the poison of retaliation, hatred, and unforgiveness produce bitterness and self-destruction. Through experience I know that by living in life union with Jesus I can see you as Jesus does.  I can see the goodness and gold in you. Through repentance of your sins, and belief in Jesus as your savior, Jesus is ready to make you perfect and complete.  Through your humility and open heart, Jesus will craft you into your original design as mentioned in Psalm 139:16 and be made into His image.  Forgiveness is everything because it stops all the violence and destruction.  It allows a person to draw in the peace that heals the heart. Don’t we all want mercy? God will not give you what you deserve, but what you need. That’s why he’s such a great dad. He’s waiting for you to cross the border into his kingdom so he can bless you.

Lastly, the prayer says, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Jesus knew that in this fallen world we will still face temptations and tribulations.  We are still flesh, and sometimes the old desires coming creeping up to tempt us.  But mark my words.  And it’s all about words.  Let God’s word always be in your mind and heart, because when events come your way, so will his word come to save you. 

“So, this is the normal life Carlos. It’s called the Kingdom of God.   Do you want it?” I asked Carlos.  He took it and became a new saint.

Like the father of the prodigal son, Jesus is always scanning the border to spot his child who wants to return home, waiting to make a mad dash to his child so he can smother him with kisses and to welcome him home. Jesus is always more concerned about the person than the sin.  Shouldn’t we?

Sermon on the Mount. Will you be found guilty?

By Thomas Denegre

The district attorney is charging you with masquerading as a Christian.  Will there be enough evidence in your life to defend yourself that you are living the life Jesus mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount? (Matthew 5:1-12)

The district attorney presents his charges against you. He rattles them off.

“On the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus said;

Blessed are the poor in spirit, but you say blessed are the achievers.

Blessed are those who mourn, but you say blessed are the self-fulfilled.

Blessed are the meek, but you say blessed are the powerful.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, but you say blessed are the unrestrained.

Blessed are the merciful, but you say blessed are the manipulators.

Blessed are the pure in heart, but you say blessed are the uninhibited.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, but you say blessed are the expedient.

Blessed are you who are persecuted for his sake, but you say blessed are the aggressors.”

Your accuser points his finger at you and states, “Your guilty as charged, aren’t you?”

You’re guilty and you know it.  But before the accuser could finish, your defense attorney stands up to rebut the charges. “Your honor,” said your attorney, “just as God will not judge us until we die, so shouldn’t we?”

The judge thought about it for a moment and said, “Counselor, you have a good point.  We’ll place the defendant on probation and see if there’s any evidence of being a Christian. He has one year! Court dismissed”

You stand up to shake your attorney’s hands and notice the nail imprints on them. He says to you, “Are you ready to be convicted as a Christian? More importantly as a believer, a disciple and a saint? They’re all one in the same.”

“I don’t know if I can do it,” said the defendant.

“I didn’t ask if you can do it. I asked if you are ready?”

“I guess so,” the man whimpered.

“There is no way you can do these things by yourself. It’s impossible to do. What I required man to perform on the Sermon on the Mount can only be done through me. I am the one who transforms you into a Christian; not yourself.   That’s the difference between self-righteous and being righteous, or in the right relationship with me.”

“I want you to trust me! Believe in me.  Know this one thing, before you were born, I dreamed of you and who you were going to become.  I love you.  I loved you so much that I died just for you.  When you read about me in John 15, you’ll understand there is no greater love than a love that sacrifices all and this is demonstrated when a man sacrifices his life for his friend.  You are my friend.  My dearest friend.”

“Just say the word you believe in me and open your heart to me.  Opening your heart is the game changer.  You are called to live in life union with me.  Let my words live powerfully within you and they will transform your mind and heart.  I am always with you; spirit-to-spirit.  Call on me and I will hear you, teach you, encourage you, mourn with you, and love you. Nothing will separate us.”

“It’s imperative you open your heart to me so I can pour my love into you. I will heal the wounds of your heart and empty your gunny sack of grievances.  I will set you free from yourself so you can love me, love yourself, and love others without conditions.”

“I then want you use my love to love me back.  Use my love to love others.  It will be my love that will transform you and impact others.  When you know and taste my love, you will acknowledge your weaknesses and my power.  It will be my power that will nourish and strengthen you to live a life of humility.  You’ll be able to see people as I do while understanding and comforting their suffering.  You will naturally want to follow my will and bless other people with it.  Your heart will be purified while your mind will be laser focused on the word of God.  You will no longer be double minded, but a powerful force in the world with a single-minded focus to do our Father’s will.”

“Before the foundations of this world was created, I came here for one purpose; to bring you back into the family.  It was always the plan for you to live in life union with the Father and myself. I’m here to restore you back to the Kingdom.  Just as my father and I are one and his glory rests in me, so too are you one with us.  His glory will rest in you too. Isn’t that an abundant life?”

“By being in life union with me while my word lives powerfully within you, not only will you be convicted of being a Christian, but you’ll be a light and salt to this world.  Let’s start at the beginning.  Open your heart to me and let my love pour in.”

Loving the unloved

by Thomas Denegre

Unloved is hell.  There is no worse experience than to be unloved.  Orphan babies left untouched in their cribs die within weeks from unloved. Children who are unloved by their parents develop wounds in their hearts that disable them.  Grievances are stored and cataloged bearing a fruit of rage, bitterness, and resentment. Children join criminal gangs just to get a little love. The unloved despise God and see him as the enemy. They see their condition based on a God who is indifferent. God is considered cruel. How are the unloved to be saved? 

This week’s reading gives us a clue to the answer, for it reads;

16 We have come into an intimate experience with God’s love, and we trust in the love he has for us. God is love! Those who are living in love are living in God, and God lives through them. 17 By living in God, love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17

For the past twenty years as a Christian leader in the Kairos prison ministry I have experienced a bridge that takes the unloved into God’s kingdom.  Here’s what I discovered.

There are two sides to every bridge.  For me to enter the side of the lost I learned a person doesn’t care what I know, until they know that I care.  If possible, it was important  to understand the person first before being understood.

I noticed a few trademarks of the lost.They live under a banner of pride and self-centeredness. They identify themselves with the wounds of their heart and the heavy load of grievances they carry. It's a false and self-destructive identification.  Being teachable was a problem. They carry deep feelings of anger, rebellion, fear, grief, apathy, guilt, and sometimes humiliation.  By being inwardly focused on their misery, they generally could not see the light touching them.  Sadly, they viewed God as being indifferent, vengeful, condemning, or at worse, despising. Life is viewed as survival; not joyful.

When reaching out to the lost, the biggest failure I made was trying to save them with my own love. I did not have the capacity, nor the ability nor the job description to do it.  Paul expressed this in Romans, “hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Rom. 5:5

 

Clearly it was God’s job to love and to save the lost while nourishing and empowering his saints to carry out the mission. By living in life union with Jesus and having his words living powerfully within me, it was easy to allow God's love to flow through me. By having an intimate relationship with Jesus, I was capable of extending that same relationship to the unloved. More than anything else the unloved want to be loved. When the unloved knew they were genuinely loved, then they refocus their view from themselves to the source of the love.

By relying on the Holy Spirit I’m able to see the lost person as God does. I channel the Holy Spirit by acknowledging the goodness, uniqueness, value, gifts, and love to that person.  I let them know that before the foundations of the earth were made, they were loved.  How precious is that?

To cross the bridge from darkness into light, the unloved person must trust God and believe that he is a God of love and abundant life.. By being affirmed that they are loved, they must take the courage to cross the line from darkness into the the truth. It requires them to open their hearts to God so he can heal their wounds and empty their grievances. 

As saints abiding in God, we have the intimate relationship and love to reach the unloved.  It is through this genuine love that draws the sinner to trust, believe, open their heart, and take the courage to cross the bridge to salvation.

Unfinished Business

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

John 21:15-19

Easter is the annual apex of Christian joy. Gathered with the largest crowds we’ll see this year, we shout, “He is risen!” and “He is risen indeed!” We sing praise before celebrating with feasting and fun for the little ones and then …

We go back to work. Back to the same old routine. Back to our unfinished business.

The story of Peter isn’t that different. Easter came. Jesus rose. Peter rejoiced. And when all the excitement died down, Peter went back to work. Back to his unfinished business.

Peter was a fisherman, but his unfinished business wasn’t fishing. He cast his net racked by guilt. In the hour of trial, when the Lord’s life was on the line, Peter denied knowing Jesus thrice.

Peter wasn’t expecting the Lord to come to his workplace that day. Jesus came anyway. He called to Peter from the shore, and Peter swam to him. Then, on the shore, Jesus and Peter talked about this unfinished business. 

It’s tempting to think Peter was right: that the unfinished business was the shame of his denial, that the Lord had to remove that by giving Peter the opportunity to thrice proclaim his love. But the truth is that guilt was removed by the cross. Those things that weighed Peter down came not from the reality of his standing before his Lord, but from his misperception thereof.

The unfinished business the Lord had in mind wasn’t finished on the shore that day. The true unfinished business was the feeding of the lambs, which symbolized Peter’s role in building up the church, caring for the body of believers, and spreading the good news of God’s grace.

Our unfinished business is much the same. Easter behind us, we must realize that the guilt of our sin is gone and that the Lord has work for us to do. It’s the same work he had for Peter: build up the Lord’s church, care for the body of believers, and spread the good news of God’s grace. 

The Seed of Life

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:44-45

Have you ever thought about what Adam looked like? Envision him.

Now think about the last baby you met. Did he or she look like the parents?

Probably so, at least in a broad sense. Boil it down and we all look the same - nose in the center of the face, two eyes above, a mouth below, legs at our waist and arms at our shoulders. We all act alike too. We eat, we sleep, we sin, we hate, we love.

The reality is universally observable: Produced life is remarkably similar to the producer(s). Fish produce fish, birds produce birds, and humans produce humans. There’s no mistaking one for the other.

So we understand how we are born in a natural sense, but how are people born in a spiritual sense?

Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:5-6) 

This Spirit that gives birth to our spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Therefore, just as we are like our parents (and by derivation Adam) in a physical sense, we are like Jesus Christ in a spiritual sense. Our spiritual lives reflect his character as defined in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And more than that, just as our natural bodies are mortal like Adam’s, our spiritual bodies are immortal like Christ’s!

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

You are alive in a natural sense, but are you born again of the Spirit of Jesus Christ? And has this second birth into immortality changed the way you live your mortal life?

Leaning on the Learning Tree

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:5-8

When I was in school, I didn’t read the same book twice. I learned addition and moved on to multiplication. I learned spelling and moved on to grammar. One thing built upon another, and all was forever absorbed into my sponge-like mind. Though I’ve gone decades without seeing my teachers or reading their books, I can still multiply (even without my smartphone) and i donut right lik thes. 

I wish my battle with sin could be like my education. But it’s not.

The Bible teaches me what is right and good. I understand and agree. I want to live like that. Yet somehow I still sin. I do what I know is wrong even though I want to do what is right. As the Bible says, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” (Romans 7:21-23)

If I then cannot be free of sin by gaining knowledge or setting my will to the purpose, how can I be set free?

The answer lies in relationship with God (very different from knowledge of God). Through regular time reading the Bible, reflecting upon the Scriptures, praying, worshipping, and sharing in the fellowship of Christian community, we can be trained to recognize the voice of the Spirit and obey that voice as the governor of our mind. Without this regular contact, our knowledge of God will bend to our selfish will and sin will govern our lives.

As Jesus puts it, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

The Woes of Middle Management

For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!

Deuteronomy 31:27

Moses chose some harsh words for his farewell address to the Israelites he had been leading for over forty years. Perhaps justifiably so. The Israelites hadn’t stopped complaining since they left Egypt. They were idolaters who built a golden calf to worship while Moses was off receiving the stone tablets of God’s covenant law (Exodus 32). They were rebels constantly attacking Moses’s leadership, even taking up the cause of Korah after God miraculously opened the mouth of the earth to swallow him and his fellow rebels alive (Numbers 16). 

Yes, Moses had his reasons to rebuke the Israelites, but let’s dig deeper into the context, shall we? 

You see, Moses was only middle management. God was in charge, and Moses had just come from the tent of meeting where he and Joshua had been summoned to hear the will of the boss. God, speaking in a pillar of cloud, expressed the same sentiment toward the Israelites that Moses parrotted and then commissioned Joshua as their new leader, for God was about to bring the Israelites into the promised land. By God’s will, Moses would never experience it. He would only view the promised land from a nearby mountain just before his death. Why? Moses was being punished for his own rebellion against God (Numbers 20).

On that day, Moses was both the recipient and proclaimer of God’s righteous judgment. He climbed Mount Nebo and died, never to be heard from again … 

Until the transfiguration! There, again atop a mountain, Moses beheld one whose face shone like the sun, whose clothes were white as light (Matthew 17). Moses never entered the promised land, but he talked with the promised one, the perfect lamb of God, the Messiah who through his death and resurrection would free us all from God’s righteous judgment.

#GivingTuesday

READ: Psalm 77:10-15

Today is Giving Tuesday, a unique phenomenon to the decade in which we live whereby we wrap up the first week of holiday shopping with a day of giving to our favorite non-profits. Since its inception in 2012, Giving Tuesday has grown exponentially, many years almost doubling the estimated total donations year-over-year. 

The numbers don’t lie: Giving is contagious.

In today’s scripture reading, the psalmist reflects on the many things God has given him. I’ve caught the fever, so let me do likewise. 

God has given me mercy by forgiving my sins through the atoning death of Jesus Christ. He has given me new life by raising Christ from the dead. He has given me companionship, wisdom, and guidance through the gift of the Holy Spirit. He has provided for my material needs, surrounded me with the family of believers, and begun restoring all that is broken within me.

Because of his great love for us all, God offers you these same gifts.

How then should we respond?

Let us today give forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Let us tell them about Christ that they may experience new life. Let us love one another, making time for each other, imparting our wisdom to each other, and guiding each other through the difficulties of life. Let us provide for the material needs of our fellow man, accept strangers as family, and lovingly spur one another on toward righteous living. 

Let us freely give as God has given to us.

Why, God? Why?

 

READ: Ezekiel 20:8-13, 30-36

As a young man, I had great difficulty reconciling the God who sacrificed his only son for the sins of the world with the God who judged his chosen people through exile, slavery, rape, and execution. I much preferred the former and oft asked of the latter, “Why, God? Why?”

Why did you hand the people you created over to such cruelty and suffering? Would you do the same to me or to the people I love?

I thought he would, and perhaps justifiably so. 1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

I have done evil by breaking God’s commandments, as have my loved ones, as had God’s chosen people. In fact, Romans 3:12 says, “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Do we then deserve to be spared from the evil of others if we ourselves do not do good?

Perhaps, then, we should question not the God who judges, but the God who shows mercy.

Did God not drown the world in the time of Noah? Burn to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah? Has he not reserved the present heavens and earth for destruction by fire? (2 Peter 2:4-6, 3:10-11)

Why, then, should Jesus come into the world that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life? (John 3:16)

Because we’re sorry? Because we repented? Because we’re going to try harder and do better?

No. The Lord says, “But for the sake of my name …” (Ezekiel 20:9)

The name (or reputation) of God. That’s why the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, that’s why they were returned from exile in Babylon, and that’s why Christ died for the sins of the world. Because God’s name is synonymous with love, mercy, and grace.

In Ephesians 2:4-5, Paul puts it like this: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Christ-Centered Suffering

READ: Colossians 1:24-29

Everyone suffers. We fail ourselves and suffer internally. Then come the attacks of the world. We work hard, but our bosses don’t appreciate us. Friends and family return our affection with negligence, betrayal, and animosity. Even God torments us with disease or the premature deaths of people we dearly love.

Yet, bound up by all this suffering, we’re expected to proclaim Christ to the world by embodying the fruits of his Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). How is this even possible?

If we are focused on ourselves, it’s not, but if we, like the apostle Paul, are focused on Christ it’s actually quite easy.

Paul writes his letter to the Colossians from a prison cell where he is awaiting execution. For him, this is a natural consequence of the purpose God gave him: to proclaim the Gospel. His life’s suffering is probably far greater than what you and I have endured, yet he rejoices because he’s focused not on himself, but on Christ, whose mission is being fulfilled in him.

I can be incredibly self-centered at times, which causes me to wallow in sufferings when they come and lose sight of the purpose God gave me, namely to proclaim his love and grace to the world through my words and actions. I pray that soon the words Paul spoke in Acts 20:24 will echo in my heart as well: “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.”

The Church Has Left the Building

READ: Romans 10:17

Many of us struggle with sharing our faith. We don’t want to be seen as pushy; we’re afraid of rejection; and we feel unqualified to answer the tough questions others may challenge us with.

If you have these fears, I hope you can be encouraged by a few of my stories.

During a recent business lunch, I was asked why I became a real estate agent. I explained that I’m a follower of Jesus, sought his guidance, and felt like he was leading me into this career. The transition was difficult, but God blessed it. My title affiliate responded by talking about difficult transitions in her career and began to see how God’s hand was at work in her life too.

Another time I briefly met with a client on a Sunday afternoon. Certain that I had a busy day of selling ahead of me, he was surprised to hear that I was spending the afternoon volunteering at a picnic for incoming international students. He opened up about how he had been burned in the past by abusers of church-run charities. I encouraged him to look past the people who take advantage and consider those who are helped.

Finally, as I was exiting the hospital this month, I was confronted by a young man begging for a ride to his broken down car. Many people, exercising reasonable caution, had refused to help him and he was exhausted from walking. I felt secure enough in the situation to give him a ride, and he was very grateful. He asked who I was visiting at the hospital. I told him it was a friend I knew from Bible study, and he began to discuss his rough upbringing and eventual connection to the Lord. I was the help God wanted to send him that day.

None of these stories climax with the sinner’s prayer, but in each one someone was pointed toward the Lord because I am in an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ, I look for natural opportunities to talk about that relationship, and I listen for a response. That last part is key. Listening is caring. Trade listening for arguing and conflict will come, but trade arguing for caring and the Spirit will come.

I Once Was Lost, but Now Am Found

READ: Ezekiel 34:11-16

I spent seven years as a lost sheep. Separated from the flock of the Lord’s people and from the Good Shepherd himself, I wandered through life alone. I was very self-reliant then. Proud too. I pushed people away, refused help, and tried to make it on my own. I failed miserably.

When my Shepherd found me, I was deeply broken. I had no friends. I had wounded my family through years of rebellion and separation. I was dissatisfied with every worldly treasure. My life felt meaningless, and I had little hope for the future.

“I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,” promises the Lord. (Ezekiel 34:16)

I used to think I was sleek and strong -- I was doomed to destruction. But when I encountered the Good Shepherd, I realized that I was weak and injured and that he wanted to heal me. All he needed was my submission.

The Good Shepherd changed my life. I have friends now. Real friends. Friends that accept me for who I am and genuinely care about me. My relationship with my family is being restored. I am filled with hope and satisfied with the provisions the Good Shepherd makes for me each day.

Sometimes I still wander … drift away on the path of pride or self-reliance or solitude. But the Good Shepherd chases me, catches me, and carries me back home, to the good pasture of life with his people, life in his care. He is true to who he says he is and what he says he will do. As it is written in Proverbs (and quoted in 1 Peter and James), “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Thou Shalt Not Judge … Never, Ever, Ever!

READ: Matthew 7:1-5

1Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

Very popular, very acceptable. I’ll do what I want. You’ll do what you want. Neither of us will dare correct the other or insinuate that one (or both) of us is a sinner. 

2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

So if I ignore everyone else’s sin, then they’ll have to ignore my sin. Or else … the judgment of God! 

3Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Huh? My brother is perfect the way he is. I do not judge him. And what is this plank of which you speak, Jesus?

4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 

What speck? What plank? We’re perfect the way we are. Where are you going with this, Jesus?!

5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

And there’s the issue! We were never called to ignore sin in our own lives or each other’s lives. Quite to the contrary, the Scriptures read: “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received,” (Eph 4:1) and, “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.” (Gal 6:1)

We are called to soberly evaluate our sin, repent, and gently restore our brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you doing this?

It's Not the "OK" Commission

Sometimes I forget about the Great Commission. As if it’s hiding away in Matthew - a passage of power, directive, and promise, just slipped into the book as an afterthought, a little “by the way.” But that’s not true. It’s not the “lousy commission,” or the “maybe commission.” It’s the Great Commission! It’s got oomph!

So maybe I don’t forget so much as avoid it. With His authority, this is what Jesus tells His followers to do. He tells them to travel far, speak boldly, make a difference. That’s a pretty big deal. What if I’m too afraid, don’t know what to say, or feel insignificant? What if I don’t know how? 

Jesus tells the disciples to share of the miracles they saw, the things they learned, the risks they took; the bruises and blisters, cuts and scars they acquired; the long and cold nights, the responsibility, the meltdowns and times of doubt; when they leaned on each other and laid their heads in Jesus’s lap, and when they discussed and laughed with each other and with the Son of God over food and drink, or around a fire. He tells them to speak from where they are, and who they are. He tells them to share an opportunity with those who don’t yet know the wonder of living life with the King. He knows the gravity of this send-off; He knows what’s coming for His followers: ridicule, persecution, exile, death. And yet He still tells them to go. Because it’s not the “meh commission.” It’s great. It’s one of the most important things a follower of God will ever do. It’s no surprise, then when Jesus tells His followers that He’ll be right by their side, no matter what. 

When the One who has all authority, who gave me this responsibility and gift and path to take, says that He's with me until the end of the age, I know I’m covered. And I know, despite the fear and risks, that I want to be a part of something great. 

Matthew 28:16-20

Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Holiness

READ: 1 Peter 1:13-16

BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.

The command seems so lofty. 

Me, holy? No one is righteous, not even one. I confess I am a sinner. I live by grace. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. I am unholy, sold as a slave to sin, but his grace abounds.

Now that sounds a little more like the Christians I know. 

But let us consider what the Bible says about this lofty holiness. 

The prophecy: “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:27)

Christ’s promise: “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Prophecy and promise fulfilled: “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.” (Romans 8:9)

Result: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

Therefore, we are not a defeated people, powerless against our base and sinful desires, but we who have received the Holy Spirit are a redeemed and victorious people fully capable of fulfilling the command to be holy as God is holy.

Yes, we are saved by grace, but saved for a purpose: to replicate his holiness.