Know Him Better

In the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he declares a promise, reminding them of God's faithfulness:

"When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory."  EPHESIANS 1:13B-14

Then he expresses a prayer:

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, SO THAT you may know him better.  EPHESIANS 1:17

It takes time get to know someone

their thoughts, interests, passions, and heart 

Paul knows this well.  He tells us that after the Lord called him by grace, his response was not to consult any human being, rather, he spent three years getting to know the Lord in Arabia.a  Then he went to Jerusalem and got acquainted with Peter, but not the other apostles.  Paul spent another fourteen years in Syria and Cilicia before going back to Jerusalem.

Paul's life reflects the value of that time spent with the Lord.  Knowing the background, we can hear his urging to spend time with the Lord in such a way that we get to know Him more and more. We hear Paul implore the Lord to give those that spend time with Him, the same spirit of wisdom and revelation that he (Paul) has been given.  

I like to think of the words that the Lord provides in the Bible as his part to get the conversation started.  As I spend time with Him, the Holy Spirit brings more to the conversation as I'm ready to hear.  

There is always more to come!  

My prayer is that as you spend time with the Lord in His Word 

and through His Spirit, you will know him better!

Trees

As I was reading the Gospel of Mark this morning, a curious response caught my attention.
Jesus was traveling with His disciples, and the Scripture reads:

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.  He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”  He looked up and said,

“I see people;
they look like trees
walking around.” 

                                       MARK 8:22-24

The Lord uses the reference of trees several times throughout the Scriptures. 

It could be easy to hurry past and miss the imagery and profound response of this man! 

A large and thriving tree requires a a tremendous root structure.
The part underground is vital to sustaining the visible growth above.  

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams
    of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.  PSALM 1:1-3

In the beginning, God created life and all that would sustain it.  
The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  A river watering the garden flowed from Eden...  GENESIS 2:9-10

The Bible is the story of

LIFE - - DEATH - - LIFE

God created life, not death.  Death came as Adam and Eve believed the lie that they could be like God and demonstrated their independence.  Life, "life that is truly life," is found only in the Lord of Life, Jesus Christ.  

...the living Word

...the bread of life

...the one from whom living water flows 

Our taking in of His Word every day is the water that gives and sustains life.  Without water, life withers quickly.  The nourishment from this water creates life in people, who become agents of life-giving health to those around them.

Jesus says:
“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.  JOHN 5:24

The apostle John writes in the last chapter of the Bible:
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  REVELATION 22:1-2

Mission, Jesus style is to live in delight of the ways of the Lord and to be sources of life to those with whom we come in contact.  Let your roots run deep as you dig into the Word of God daily SO THAT you can be the life-giving source of healing to those around you.  

The leaves of the tree were never intended to just be beautiful,
they were intended for the healing of the nations!

...for the healing of all the people of the world!

Speaking of Witness...

Sharing the Good News of the gospel, Jesus' redeeming work on the cross, with another person should be a joyful experience.  Instead, it seems the anticipation of doing so produces such fear that many people withdraw from the opportunity to introduce another to the most precious gift - - a relationship with the one who created them and life eternal!

As Jesus prayed, he said:
This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  JOHN 17:3

Could there be a way to approach giving witness that is less confrontational than the methods that have been taught, creating a dynamic that isn't so stifling?  

I have come to believe it's as simple as this... 

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.  PSALM 9:1-2

As we speak of the Lord and His faithfulness, some people will respond.  Those that respond and are receptive become your persons of peace.   Pay attention to what a person may need to hear... 

Think of this as a witness wheel...  

NOTICE:  If a person isn't noticing the Lord, speak about the ways in which you notice Jesus and His faithfulness helping them begin to notice.

RELATE:  If a person is noticing, but doesn't know how to relate to the Lord, speak about the ways you interact and relate to Jesus, and help others do this too.

TRUST:  If a person is noticing and relating, yet not trusting the Lord, speak about the ways you trust Jesus and the areas where you are learning to trust Him more, and help other see that He is trustworthy.

SERVE: Speak about the ways you serve out of your love for the Lord.  When a person is noticing, relating, and trusting, help them find ways to serve the Lord. 

Giving witness doesn't have to be intimidating when we accept that our job is not to convince anyone.  We can sow plenty of gospel seeds and nurture the people that respond. 

The Cycle of Faith

In a recent Bible study, the author described the life of a Christian as a cycle of faith, confession and repentance.  I've asked several people recently to share their understanding of repentance.  The predominant response has been "to say you're sorry for something you've done wrong."

Then it hit me!  

Repentance has been reduced to Confession

If I take the author's premise of this Cycle of Faith...

• Faith = believing God
• Confession & Forgiveness = recognizing where our lives don't measure up (our sin) to God's holiness, and acknowledging that to the Lord.  As His Word promises (which we believe in faith), the Lord forgives our sin.  
• Repentance = changing one's mind by allowing the Lord to provide new and right thinking about that sinful state to one that better reflects His holiness.  

When we only receive God's forgiveness and don't allow Him to change our mind, we have short-changed the process.  I have the words of Peter in my mind:

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written:
"Be holy, for I am holy."  1 PETER 1:15-16 

The Lord beckons us to walk in His ways - - not to gain His favor - - but to reflect him to others SO THAT they would also trust in Him. One of the joys of forgiveness is then walking in the ways of the Lord.  Hear these words from David recorded in Psalm 32:

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
                                                                                                        PSALM 32

And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Access to Grace

Tomorrow begins the 40 day journey of Lent,

a season of approaching the 

greatest act of love 

bestowed upon humankind, 

Jesus' atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world.  

Lent is a season of remembering.

If we fail to remember, we can somehow begin to consider ourselves worthy of God's grace.

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.   ROMANS 3:22b-25a

While grace is a free gift of God to those who receive it by faith, it is not free to the giver!

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  ROMANS 5:1-8

Remembering cultivates a deep appreciation of the love God has for me... for you... for humanity...

Remembering prompts me to kindness when hard-heartedness is my natural response.

Remembering generates forgiveness and peace-making with retribution is deserved.

Remembering calls me to live out the holy calling God has upon my life.  

This is Mission, Jesus style!

Remembering helps me appreciate that God's gift of grace wasn't fair, 

it was love!