35While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
37He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!". 42Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:34-43)
For most people facing pain and possible death dramatically changes their lives. For some, dreams are shattered, relationships broken, and despair consumes their hearts. For others, new dreams are found, relationships strengthened, and hope takes over their hearts. A grieving and pleading father fell at the feet of Jesus. Jarius’ 12-year-old daughter had just died. Why bother Jesus now? Jesus tells the father not to be afraid . . . to just believe. With compassion, Jesus takes the dead girl by the hand and restores her to life. We must place our faith in the person of Jesus, the source of all hope and His promise of everlasting life. God knows best.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Seek nothing but God's will.
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
(Jeremiah 29:12-13)
Each day we stand at the crossroads and we have a choice to make. Will I serve God and do things his way, or will I go on in my self-willed ways? Are you going to do things your way or God's way? Get beyond the selfishness and self-will. Let the Lord set the course as you follow him.
When we get selfishness and self-will out of the way; when we want NOTHING but God's will, when we seek him with our whole heart. Then we will find him, then we will call upon him and he will answer.
If we prepare ourselves to carry out God's plans, if we seek him with our whole heart, nothing can stop those plans from being realized. God has given each of us free will, and we must will to obey his word if we want to see his plans come to fruition in our life. The choice is ours.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
(Jeremiah 29:12-13)
Each day we stand at the crossroads and we have a choice to make. Will I serve God and do things his way, or will I go on in my self-willed ways? Are you going to do things your way or God's way? Get beyond the selfishness and self-will. Let the Lord set the course as you follow him.
When we get selfishness and self-will out of the way; when we want NOTHING but God's will, when we seek him with our whole heart. Then we will find him, then we will call upon him and he will answer.
If we prepare ourselves to carry out God's plans, if we seek him with our whole heart, nothing can stop those plans from being realized. God has given each of us free will, and we must will to obey his word if we want to see his plans come to fruition in our life. The choice is ours.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
My enemy is my neighbor.
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The Parable of the Good Samaritan differs from most other parables in that it is so simple and concrete that a child can understand its basic point. However, it is also an insightful and memorable exposition of practical moral principles. That so many religious and secular people understand it shows the effectiveness of its simplicity and depth. Unlike other parables, each figure in the story does not necessarily represent a spiritual equivalent. The whole narrative describes working compassion as contrasted to selfishness, of hate compared with love.
In the parable's introduction, Jesus uses a technical term regularly used by the scribes or lawyers when consulting one another about a matter of the law: "What is your reading of it?" The lawyer gives the only right answer—the necessity of loving God and his neighbor. He then asks the question—"Who is my neighbor?" that prompts Jesus into giving His parable. The lawyer believes that no Gentile is his neighbor, although it seems he suspects they really are. This parable makes clear who is our neighbor and how we should respond to his needs.
Let me say this so all of us understand. Everyone is our neighbor. Those people who we hate, they are our neighbors. Those people who hate us, they are our neighbors. Those people we are afraid of, they are our neighbors. Those people who treat us badly, they are our neighbors. Even if society tells us that a group of people are our enemies, they are our neighbors, too.
What does that mean? Jesus did not hold one group to be better than another group. Jesus wants us all to get along with one another. Jesus wants us to stop fighting and start loving. Are you ready to do that? Think about it.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The Parable of the Good Samaritan differs from most other parables in that it is so simple and concrete that a child can understand its basic point. However, it is also an insightful and memorable exposition of practical moral principles. That so many religious and secular people understand it shows the effectiveness of its simplicity and depth. Unlike other parables, each figure in the story does not necessarily represent a spiritual equivalent. The whole narrative describes working compassion as contrasted to selfishness, of hate compared with love.
In the parable's introduction, Jesus uses a technical term regularly used by the scribes or lawyers when consulting one another about a matter of the law: "What is your reading of it?" The lawyer gives the only right answer—the necessity of loving God and his neighbor. He then asks the question—"Who is my neighbor?" that prompts Jesus into giving His parable. The lawyer believes that no Gentile is his neighbor, although it seems he suspects they really are. This parable makes clear who is our neighbor and how we should respond to his needs.
Let me say this so all of us understand. Everyone is our neighbor. Those people who we hate, they are our neighbors. Those people who hate us, they are our neighbors. Those people we are afraid of, they are our neighbors. Those people who treat us badly, they are our neighbors. Even if society tells us that a group of people are our enemies, they are our neighbors, too.
What does that mean? Jesus did not hold one group to be better than another group. Jesus wants us all to get along with one another. Jesus wants us to stop fighting and start loving. Are you ready to do that? Think about it.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Holy Spirit dwells within us.
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
What does the Holy Spirit do for us? The Holy Spirit takes us from sin to righteousness by freeing us from sin and death, enabling us to fulfill God's law, and changing our nature that we become new inside and out.
The Holy Spirit is the agent of our salvation. He delivers us out of the dominion of sin, unlocks the chains of transgression, and makes the way of freedom. The Holy Spirit frees us not only from the consequence of our sin, but also from its power so that we need not succumb to it.
A Christian does not fulfill the law by producing external behavior based on a code of ethics. Holiness, righteousness, and obedience are not external; they are internal. They are the product of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within the believer's heart. When a person becomes a believer, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in him, and begins to produce a life of holiness. If a Christian is disobedient, he is fighting against himself and thwarting the Spirit of God. Being a disobedient Christian is like holding your breath--it's easier to do what the Spirit of God generates. The disobedient Christian is actually fighting against the new nature within him.
God not only redeemed us transactionally by imparting Christ's righteousness to us, and forensically by judicially declaring us righteous, but also planted His Spirit within us to produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. That results in actions pleasing to God. Because Christ has given us His Spirit, we can fulfill God's law.
If the Spirit dwells in you, then you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Being in the Spirit is not a matter of professing Christ, looking holy, or attending church, but of being indwelt by the Spirit. The Greek word translated "dwell" (oikeo) indicates that the Spirit makes His home in you. As Christians we have been transformed by the Holy Spirit to become new creations in Christ. We know that we belong to God and furthermore we would not want to belong to anyone else.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
What does the Holy Spirit do for us? The Holy Spirit takes us from sin to righteousness by freeing us from sin and death, enabling us to fulfill God's law, and changing our nature that we become new inside and out.
The Holy Spirit is the agent of our salvation. He delivers us out of the dominion of sin, unlocks the chains of transgression, and makes the way of freedom. The Holy Spirit frees us not only from the consequence of our sin, but also from its power so that we need not succumb to it.
A Christian does not fulfill the law by producing external behavior based on a code of ethics. Holiness, righteousness, and obedience are not external; they are internal. They are the product of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within the believer's heart. When a person becomes a believer, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in him, and begins to produce a life of holiness. If a Christian is disobedient, he is fighting against himself and thwarting the Spirit of God. Being a disobedient Christian is like holding your breath--it's easier to do what the Spirit of God generates. The disobedient Christian is actually fighting against the new nature within him.
God not only redeemed us transactionally by imparting Christ's righteousness to us, and forensically by judicially declaring us righteous, but also planted His Spirit within us to produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. That results in actions pleasing to God. Because Christ has given us His Spirit, we can fulfill God's law.
If the Spirit dwells in you, then you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Being in the Spirit is not a matter of professing Christ, looking holy, or attending church, but of being indwelt by the Spirit. The Greek word translated "dwell" (oikeo) indicates that the Spirit makes His home in you. As Christians we have been transformed by the Holy Spirit to become new creations in Christ. We know that we belong to God and furthermore we would not want to belong to anyone else.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Kingdom of Heaven is like . . . .
18Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches."
20Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Luke 13:18-21)
What does Jesus say the Kingdom of God is like? "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." This is how God is at work in the world!? Strange. A tiny tiny seed is planted then it grows into a tree big enough for birds to nest. It is a gardening image, you get the little seeds in May, spread them out, maybe water them, and do some weeding, but something amazing happens that, even those with a Masters in Biology still find amazing. The little dried seed becomes life, and life fosters new life in new seed, and participates in a larger ecological reality through relationship with others. Birds, bugs, worms, and of course people like us who eat the fruit and stuff of the plants.
What does Jesus say the Kingdom of God is like? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. Yeast is placed amid all the flour. Hidden away amid the business of life, hidden perhaps by oppression whether in the home or outside, hopes crushed, plans gone astray, "the best intentions of mice and men", lives apparently wasted or over. Hidden amid oppressive and unjust systems at work or in government. Then God acts in secret, the yeast bubbling and warming and quietly expanding throughout the flour, changing it, converting it, until what is left is a table full of puffy, soft, and taste dough, ready to be bread shared with friends and others. An old reality is replaced by a new reality. The Kingdom of God is our new reality if we are open to its grace and blessings. God will change us into the best that we can be, despite our old reality.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
20Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Luke 13:18-21)
What does Jesus say the Kingdom of God is like? "It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." This is how God is at work in the world!? Strange. A tiny tiny seed is planted then it grows into a tree big enough for birds to nest. It is a gardening image, you get the little seeds in May, spread them out, maybe water them, and do some weeding, but something amazing happens that, even those with a Masters in Biology still find amazing. The little dried seed becomes life, and life fosters new life in new seed, and participates in a larger ecological reality through relationship with others. Birds, bugs, worms, and of course people like us who eat the fruit and stuff of the plants.
What does Jesus say the Kingdom of God is like? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough. Yeast is placed amid all the flour. Hidden away amid the business of life, hidden perhaps by oppression whether in the home or outside, hopes crushed, plans gone astray, "the best intentions of mice and men", lives apparently wasted or over. Hidden amid oppressive and unjust systems at work or in government. Then God acts in secret, the yeast bubbling and warming and quietly expanding throughout the flour, changing it, converting it, until what is left is a table full of puffy, soft, and taste dough, ready to be bread shared with friends and others. An old reality is replaced by a new reality. The Kingdom of God is our new reality if we are open to its grace and blessings. God will change us into the best that we can be, despite our old reality.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Always be patient.
7Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:7-11)
These followers of Jesus Christ were being taken advantage of and abused. They were being tempted to become bitter, disgruntled, explosive with impatience and rebellious. James doesn't encourage them to be outraged, crying, "To the barricades! To the picket lines! Destroy the system!" Nothing he says will make them give up in despair. He has been telling them how they should live throughout his entire letter, but now he underlines the fact that they should always be patient.
God has a time for everything he brings into our lives. We are ignorant of his schedule but we are not unaware of his sovereignty, nor of our duty. Resentment gets focused on why God delays or why he permits pain to hit us. He does not make us privy to his reasons for not taking away our sufferings, but he gives every one of his people grace to cope with them, and he tells us "be patient." Every day we receive the providence of God. Nothing can rob us of that. Everything comes at the right time.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:7-11)
These followers of Jesus Christ were being taken advantage of and abused. They were being tempted to become bitter, disgruntled, explosive with impatience and rebellious. James doesn't encourage them to be outraged, crying, "To the barricades! To the picket lines! Destroy the system!" Nothing he says will make them give up in despair. He has been telling them how they should live throughout his entire letter, but now he underlines the fact that they should always be patient.
God has a time for everything he brings into our lives. We are ignorant of his schedule but we are not unaware of his sovereignty, nor of our duty. Resentment gets focused on why God delays or why he permits pain to hit us. He does not make us privy to his reasons for not taking away our sufferings, but he gives every one of his people grace to cope with them, and he tells us "be patient." Every day we receive the providence of God. Nothing can rob us of that. Everything comes at the right time.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Jesus loves the sinner.
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:9-14)
If you think that looking down on others was exclusively a First Century phenomenon, think again. This parable speaks loud and clear to Twenty-First Century churches.
Churches are filled with people who are scrupulous in their observance of a rigid menu of moral standards. In each of our Christian denominations there are sincere, God-fearing people who are careful to obey God as they understand his laws.
A problem arises, however, when we are "confident in our own righteousness" or "trust in" our own righteousness to save us and justify us before God. When we move from righteous living -- which is right -- to trusting in that righteous living to give us a standing before God, then we commit a fatal error. In that case it becomes self-righteousness.
But when we begin to take pride in our own righteous behavior, it's very easy to look down on those who don't behave this way as morally inferior to us. Then we have to ask ourselves, are we living this way because we think that it pleases God, or are we living this way because it makes us look good in the eyes of others.
Can you imagine the impact Jesus' parable had on the Pharisees present? They must have been livid with anger. How about the crowd? They were amazed, wondering, pondering. But the prostitutes and tax collectors, thieves and adulterers in the audience may have been weeping, for Jesus had declared that it was possible for them to be loved by God, to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be justified before God. There was hope for them yet. Jesus had given them hope.
Is Jesus trying to undermine piety and obedience? By no means! But this parable attacks with a vengeance any pride and sense of superiority that our piety and obedience may foster. Jesus is laying the groundwork for the kind of people whom God accepts. We have to remember that Jesus loved the sinners then, and he loves them now. We have only to humble ourselves and admit that we are in need of his saving love and we will be saved.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:9-14)
If you think that looking down on others was exclusively a First Century phenomenon, think again. This parable speaks loud and clear to Twenty-First Century churches.
Churches are filled with people who are scrupulous in their observance of a rigid menu of moral standards. In each of our Christian denominations there are sincere, God-fearing people who are careful to obey God as they understand his laws.
A problem arises, however, when we are "confident in our own righteousness" or "trust in" our own righteousness to save us and justify us before God. When we move from righteous living -- which is right -- to trusting in that righteous living to give us a standing before God, then we commit a fatal error. In that case it becomes self-righteousness.
But when we begin to take pride in our own righteous behavior, it's very easy to look down on those who don't behave this way as morally inferior to us. Then we have to ask ourselves, are we living this way because we think that it pleases God, or are we living this way because it makes us look good in the eyes of others.
Can you imagine the impact Jesus' parable had on the Pharisees present? They must have been livid with anger. How about the crowd? They were amazed, wondering, pondering. But the prostitutes and tax collectors, thieves and adulterers in the audience may have been weeping, for Jesus had declared that it was possible for them to be loved by God, to be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be justified before God. There was hope for them yet. Jesus had given them hope.
Is Jesus trying to undermine piety and obedience? By no means! But this parable attacks with a vengeance any pride and sense of superiority that our piety and obedience may foster. Jesus is laying the groundwork for the kind of people whom God accepts. We have to remember that Jesus loved the sinners then, and he loves them now. We have only to humble ourselves and admit that we are in need of his saving love and we will be saved.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The cross is a sign of love and forgiveness.
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14)
Jesus is the manifestation of God’s great love for us. When Jesus walked the earth he told people about God’s love and how we must love God. The first and most important commandment is: love God. So, who is God?
God is the Creator. He has made mankind. He is the supreme parent of humanity. As a parent, God is extremely caring about his creation. He knows us better than we do. We are like children to this God and he takes us very serious. He loves us deeply, more than a human mother loves her child!
God is love. God in his love is a caring God who does what helps us most: he establishes justice and forgiveness for us. This is carried out by the cross of Jesus, by his death on the hill of Calvary. He dies the death of someone who has done unimaginable evil. He dies the death of a murderer, of someone who has plagued other people, who is severely guilty. It was Gods choice to do this type of sign. In his death Jesus summarizes and focuses all punishment, all justice, and all hatred of the world.
But the cross is more. It is the sign of forgiveness. Jesus dies there, such that everyone who believes in him shall be free of guilt. That is what God’s love does for every one of us. We can be fully free in the presence of a holy and just God. We do not need to fear old guilt. We do not need to fear the waste of our life. We do not need to fear all the bad things we did, nor all the things we failed to do. We can approach God without any fear, without any barrier, without any obstacle: in Jesus!
Jesus is the absolute condensate of God’s love. As God he came to live among humans. He left behind all his powers. He wanted to be with the people. It is a really powerful story. God was living in the middle of humans, just because of love. He lived there for thirty years! Then he started to talk to them and tried to get into contact as the one he really was: the son of God, the living creator in the middle of them. We might not believe such strange things if we did not have the words of Jesus passed on by his disciples and the evangelists. These words, his actions and behavior tell us who he really is. Here we see God’s love coming to us to bring us back to him today! How can we not be awed? How can we not be grateful? How can we not recognize this great love?
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14)
Jesus is the manifestation of God’s great love for us. When Jesus walked the earth he told people about God’s love and how we must love God. The first and most important commandment is: love God. So, who is God?
God is the Creator. He has made mankind. He is the supreme parent of humanity. As a parent, God is extremely caring about his creation. He knows us better than we do. We are like children to this God and he takes us very serious. He loves us deeply, more than a human mother loves her child!
God is love. God in his love is a caring God who does what helps us most: he establishes justice and forgiveness for us. This is carried out by the cross of Jesus, by his death on the hill of Calvary. He dies the death of someone who has done unimaginable evil. He dies the death of a murderer, of someone who has plagued other people, who is severely guilty. It was Gods choice to do this type of sign. In his death Jesus summarizes and focuses all punishment, all justice, and all hatred of the world.
But the cross is more. It is the sign of forgiveness. Jesus dies there, such that everyone who believes in him shall be free of guilt. That is what God’s love does for every one of us. We can be fully free in the presence of a holy and just God. We do not need to fear old guilt. We do not need to fear the waste of our life. We do not need to fear all the bad things we did, nor all the things we failed to do. We can approach God without any fear, without any barrier, without any obstacle: in Jesus!
Jesus is the absolute condensate of God’s love. As God he came to live among humans. He left behind all his powers. He wanted to be with the people. It is a really powerful story. God was living in the middle of humans, just because of love. He lived there for thirty years! Then he started to talk to them and tried to get into contact as the one he really was: the son of God, the living creator in the middle of them. We might not believe such strange things if we did not have the words of Jesus passed on by his disciples and the evangelists. These words, his actions and behavior tell us who he really is. Here we see God’s love coming to us to bring us back to him today! How can we not be awed? How can we not be grateful? How can we not recognize this great love?
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Friday, October 22, 2010
First seek the Kingdom of God.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)
What will I eat? How will I pay the bills? How will I have a happy marriage? How will I have a successful career? Everyone seems to be preoccupied with these kinds of concerns, but Jesus calmed his disciples by giving them a higher purpose. He told them not to worry about their needs in this world, but to instead seek God's kingdom, having the promise that their heavenly Father would then also meet all those needs.
The first step in understanding what it means to seek the kingdom of God is to determine what Jesus meant by "his kingdom." This is because Jesus used the word translated as kingdom in a way that is very different from the typical usage of kingdom in English as the land or people ruled by a king.
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the "kingdom of God" is usually God's active rule over his creation, especially in saving his people from their sins and the consequences of those sins. (Matthew often uses "kingdom of heaven" instead of "kingdom of God," but the two terms are synonymous (Matt 13:31a = Mark 4:30 = Luke 13:18), so "kingdom of heaven" does not refer to heaven as a place, but to God's reign as King, reflecting the Jewish avoidance of direct reference to God.) The kingdom of God is not only God's rule over his obedient subjects, but includes his victory over their spiritual enemies through Jesus, beginning in the present age (Matt 12:28; Luke 1:68-75; 11:20). The kingdom of God has been concisely defined as God's "acting in his sovereign power to deliver man from the destructive powers that enthrall him". The kingdom of God was inaugurated in the person of Jesus in this present age, before its consummation begins the age to come. God asserted His rule in history by defeating Satan and death through the work of Jesus, even though God will not complete his display of authority until Jesus returns in judgment, when he will start the new world order. To seek the kingdom of God is to actively receive the eternal life that Jesus brought. Seeking salvation does not end at the time of conversion, but continues throughout the life of each disciple of Jesus.
A proper understanding of what it means to seek the kingdom of God has profound implications for those who put it in practice by confidently seeking God's will and eternal life:
•With faith in God's promises to forgive them and freely give them the kingdom, they regularly pray that they will have more and more of God's will, rather than being led astray from the path of eternal life by Satan and the cares of this life.
•Their focus on God's promises frees them from anxiety and restless toil for earthly things since they realize that he will provide them with everything they need and will compensate them with eternal life for whatever lesser things they sacrifice for the sake of his will
•Their putting the things of this world in proper perspective leads them to generously give their resources, including their money, time, and energy, to express love for others.
•Having forsaken the values of this age, they do their righteous deeds to please God, not to receive respect or approval from humanity. Therefore, they strive for God's will in both thoughts and deeds.
In short, the disciples of Jesus remember that in the age to come, God will exalt those who humble themselves now, as he has raised his Son after his humiliating death. If we seek God’s Kingdom first, God will take care of the rest.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)
What will I eat? How will I pay the bills? How will I have a happy marriage? How will I have a successful career? Everyone seems to be preoccupied with these kinds of concerns, but Jesus calmed his disciples by giving them a higher purpose. He told them not to worry about their needs in this world, but to instead seek God's kingdom, having the promise that their heavenly Father would then also meet all those needs.
The first step in understanding what it means to seek the kingdom of God is to determine what Jesus meant by "his kingdom." This is because Jesus used the word translated as kingdom in a way that is very different from the typical usage of kingdom in English as the land or people ruled by a king.
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the "kingdom of God" is usually God's active rule over his creation, especially in saving his people from their sins and the consequences of those sins. (Matthew often uses "kingdom of heaven" instead of "kingdom of God," but the two terms are synonymous (Matt 13:31a = Mark 4:30 = Luke 13:18), so "kingdom of heaven" does not refer to heaven as a place, but to God's reign as King, reflecting the Jewish avoidance of direct reference to God.) The kingdom of God is not only God's rule over his obedient subjects, but includes his victory over their spiritual enemies through Jesus, beginning in the present age (Matt 12:28; Luke 1:68-75; 11:20). The kingdom of God has been concisely defined as God's "acting in his sovereign power to deliver man from the destructive powers that enthrall him". The kingdom of God was inaugurated in the person of Jesus in this present age, before its consummation begins the age to come. God asserted His rule in history by defeating Satan and death through the work of Jesus, even though God will not complete his display of authority until Jesus returns in judgment, when he will start the new world order. To seek the kingdom of God is to actively receive the eternal life that Jesus brought. Seeking salvation does not end at the time of conversion, but continues throughout the life of each disciple of Jesus.
A proper understanding of what it means to seek the kingdom of God has profound implications for those who put it in practice by confidently seeking God's will and eternal life:
•With faith in God's promises to forgive them and freely give them the kingdom, they regularly pray that they will have more and more of God's will, rather than being led astray from the path of eternal life by Satan and the cares of this life.
•Their focus on God's promises frees them from anxiety and restless toil for earthly things since they realize that he will provide them with everything they need and will compensate them with eternal life for whatever lesser things they sacrifice for the sake of his will
•Their putting the things of this world in proper perspective leads them to generously give their resources, including their money, time, and energy, to express love for others.
•Having forsaken the values of this age, they do their righteous deeds to please God, not to receive respect or approval from humanity. Therefore, they strive for God's will in both thoughts and deeds.
In short, the disciples of Jesus remember that in the age to come, God will exalt those who humble themselves now, as he has raised his Son after his humiliating death. If we seek God’s Kingdom first, God will take care of the rest.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Love and Compassion.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Eph. 4:31-32)
"Love, Love, Love! All the world needs is love." So goes the familiar line. But in today's society, the meaning of the word love has become so distorted that the Christian meaning has been diminished. Some view love as a feeling, but it is more than that. It is a decision followed by action. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." and "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35).
Someone once said the difference between sympathy and compassion is that the one who sympathizes, sees and feels, but does nothing. The one who has compassion, sees, feels and then does something about the need. The word sympathy is used very few times in the Bible, but the word compassion and its forms are used extensively. Jesus always had compassion on the crowd and the people He came in contact with. He did something about their needs. And so we as His followers, must bear also bear our cross and follow Him. Be like Jesus!
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
"Love, Love, Love! All the world needs is love." So goes the familiar line. But in today's society, the meaning of the word love has become so distorted that the Christian meaning has been diminished. Some view love as a feeling, but it is more than that. It is a decision followed by action. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." and "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35).
Someone once said the difference between sympathy and compassion is that the one who sympathizes, sees and feels, but does nothing. The one who has compassion, sees, feels and then does something about the need. The word sympathy is used very few times in the Bible, but the word compassion and its forms are used extensively. Jesus always had compassion on the crowd and the people He came in contact with. He did something about their needs. And so we as His followers, must bear also bear our cross and follow Him. Be like Jesus!
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Do people see Jesus when they look at you?
1Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. (Luke 12:1-3)
We must live without any real secrets, because all of them are eventually going to become public -- now, later, or when Jesus' comes. Who we truly are, in the core of our beings, will be on full display when we stand before the Lord. We won't be hiding behind a public persona while hiding a rotten reality or a sinful habit. Let's pray that what people see is a lot more like Jesus each new day than it was the day before.
Peace ad love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
We must live without any real secrets, because all of them are eventually going to become public -- now, later, or when Jesus' comes. Who we truly are, in the core of our beings, will be on full display when we stand before the Lord. We won't be hiding behind a public persona while hiding a rotten reality or a sinful habit. Let's pray that what people see is a lot more like Jesus each new day than it was the day before.
Peace ad love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Monday, October 18, 2010
Nothing can separate us from God's love.
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:38-39)
Be convinced. If you belong to Christ, you are not kept saved by your character or performance, but by his character and performance. Nothing can separate God from his children because nothing can change God’s character. Nothing in this life and nothing in death can separate a believer from God's love. The two things we fear most, dying and living, are not threats to our eternal life. Whether we live or die, we are in His love. Jesus won't ever let us go. We have security that is a matter of life and death.
But Paul did not stop there. He went on to say that nothing in our present experience, nor anything to come, can separate us from God's love in Christ. That encourages me tremendously. Nothing in all of time, present or future, can separate me from God's love. Wow! He accepts me like I am and will never desert me. He loves me and will never stop loving me.
Just like we can't cease being the children of our earthly parents once we are born, so too we can't cease being children of God. We can no more be unborn spiritually than we can go back and be unborn physically. When we trust in Christ for salvation, by His grace at that very moment we become members of God's forever family.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
(Romans 8:38-39)
Be convinced. If you belong to Christ, you are not kept saved by your character or performance, but by his character and performance. Nothing can separate God from his children because nothing can change God’s character. Nothing in this life and nothing in death can separate a believer from God's love. The two things we fear most, dying and living, are not threats to our eternal life. Whether we live or die, we are in His love. Jesus won't ever let us go. We have security that is a matter of life and death.
But Paul did not stop there. He went on to say that nothing in our present experience, nor anything to come, can separate us from God's love in Christ. That encourages me tremendously. Nothing in all of time, present or future, can separate me from God's love. Wow! He accepts me like I am and will never desert me. He loves me and will never stop loving me.
Just like we can't cease being the children of our earthly parents once we are born, so too we can't cease being children of God. We can no more be unborn spiritually than we can go back and be unborn physically. When we trust in Christ for salvation, by His grace at that very moment we become members of God's forever family.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Mercy and compassion for all.
16At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen (2 Timothy 4:16-18)
I have often wondered what this situation must have been like for the aging Paul. He was being taken before the magistrates for preaching the gospel of Christ, and he was all alone. He sees it as a desertion of those who had supported him and been alongside him throughout his ministry. Everyone has had times of fear, situations where we did not speak up or stand up for Christ as we know we should have done. I wonder if Paul’s regular companions – Luke, Tychicus, and others fell into that trap and did not stand beside Paul in the bold defense of the gospel? But in spite of that fact we see in Paul an attitude of mercy and compassion toward them. It seems that he knows the weakness that can beset us all, and is eager for the loving and mutual relationships they have shared to continue in spite of their failure to faithfully stand beside him. His attitude reminds me of that of Jesus, as He hung on the cross. It was probably the example of Jesus that inspired Paul to forgive those who deserted him, just as Jesus did for his own apostles.
Sometimes, we need to act with forgiveness even though our closest friends and family desert us in our hour of need. With Jesus and with Paul as our examples, we see what it truly means to love. Loving those who love us back and stand by us, is easy. The difficult task is to practice love in the face of abandonment. With Jesus help, we can do it. Not only that, Jesus will stand by us and see us through our times of trial. So we have really never been abandoned.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
I have often wondered what this situation must have been like for the aging Paul. He was being taken before the magistrates for preaching the gospel of Christ, and he was all alone. He sees it as a desertion of those who had supported him and been alongside him throughout his ministry. Everyone has had times of fear, situations where we did not speak up or stand up for Christ as we know we should have done. I wonder if Paul’s regular companions – Luke, Tychicus, and others fell into that trap and did not stand beside Paul in the bold defense of the gospel? But in spite of that fact we see in Paul an attitude of mercy and compassion toward them. It seems that he knows the weakness that can beset us all, and is eager for the loving and mutual relationships they have shared to continue in spite of their failure to faithfully stand beside him. His attitude reminds me of that of Jesus, as He hung on the cross. It was probably the example of Jesus that inspired Paul to forgive those who deserted him, just as Jesus did for his own apostles.
Sometimes, we need to act with forgiveness even though our closest friends and family desert us in our hour of need. With Jesus and with Paul as our examples, we see what it truly means to love. Loving those who love us back and stand by us, is easy. The difficult task is to practice love in the face of abandonment. With Jesus help, we can do it. Not only that, Jesus will stand by us and see us through our times of trial. So we have really never been abandoned.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
May the eyes of your heart be enlightened.
15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I 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. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
(Ephesians 1:15-23)
“The eyes of the heart” is a strange expression, isn't it? Eyes are the instrument by which we perceive things. The mind also has eyes. If you listen to truth in any area, the eyes of your mind are grasping ideas. But the apostle tells us here that not only does the mind have eyes, but the heart as well. The heart needs to see things, needs to grasp truth and understand it. And the heart is always used in Scripture as the seat of our emotions.
That burning of the heart represents the heart's eyes being opened. It is the inflaming of the heart, so that it comes alive and is deeply moved. It is this burning of the heart that the apostle desires for these Christians. When the heart begins to burn with truth, when it takes root in you and you simply must respond to it, that is when you know with certainty that God is real, that the hope of your calling is genuine, that the power of His presence is available, and that the riches of His ministry through you is manifest to others as well.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
(Ephesians 1:15-23)
“The eyes of the heart” is a strange expression, isn't it? Eyes are the instrument by which we perceive things. The mind also has eyes. If you listen to truth in any area, the eyes of your mind are grasping ideas. But the apostle tells us here that not only does the mind have eyes, but the heart as well. The heart needs to see things, needs to grasp truth and understand it. And the heart is always used in Scripture as the seat of our emotions.
That burning of the heart represents the heart's eyes being opened. It is the inflaming of the heart, so that it comes alive and is deeply moved. It is this burning of the heart that the apostle desires for these Christians. When the heart begins to burn with truth, when it takes root in you and you simply must respond to it, that is when you know with certainty that God is real, that the hope of your calling is genuine, that the power of His presence is available, and that the riches of His ministry through you is manifest to others as well.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Friday, October 15, 2010
Jesus is the King of relationships.
1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."
3He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
9Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
11He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. (Matthew 12:1-14)
Jesus can do whatever He wants, on any day He wants. Jesus is not just Lord of the Sabbath but He is the LORD OF LORDS. He doesn’t have to go through an ENCLAVE to elect Him to that office. His authority comes, not from man, but from God. Philippians 2:9-11 says "... God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the Name above all other names, that at the Name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father."
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! It’s written in the ANCIENT TEXTS. It is obvious that He has authority to rule and reign over every aspect of my life. I don’t obey a set of coded laws. I obey a living person who has all authority. Not a Lord who compels me to obey but One who invites me to COME UNDER HIS AUTHORITY so my life will have meaning and purpose and a hope for the future. Not a king of RITUAL, but a King of RELATIONSHIP. Not a Priest who is RELIGIOUS, but One who is PERSONAL. Not a Temple where we GO to Church, but we ARE the Church, THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
God bless you as you search for your own meaning of life and reach out to Jesus like the man with a deformed hand. All of a sudden things are no longer twisted and distorted and misshapen. The clues are plain to see and you will see Him for who He is and worship Him with all your heart and mind and soul.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
3He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. 8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
9Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"
11He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. (Matthew 12:1-14)
Jesus can do whatever He wants, on any day He wants. Jesus is not just Lord of the Sabbath but He is the LORD OF LORDS. He doesn’t have to go through an ENCLAVE to elect Him to that office. His authority comes, not from man, but from God. Philippians 2:9-11 says "... God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the Name above all other names, that at the Name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father."
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! It’s written in the ANCIENT TEXTS. It is obvious that He has authority to rule and reign over every aspect of my life. I don’t obey a set of coded laws. I obey a living person who has all authority. Not a Lord who compels me to obey but One who invites me to COME UNDER HIS AUTHORITY so my life will have meaning and purpose and a hope for the future. Not a king of RITUAL, but a King of RELATIONSHIP. Not a Priest who is RELIGIOUS, but One who is PERSONAL. Not a Temple where we GO to Church, but we ARE the Church, THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
God bless you as you search for your own meaning of life and reach out to Jesus like the man with a deformed hand. All of a sudden things are no longer twisted and distorted and misshapen. The clues are plain to see and you will see Him for who He is and worship Him with all your heart and mind and soul.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Jesus is our cornerstone.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:19-24)
Every day is a day the Lord has given us to glorify him. To be grateful for each day regardless of its content is the call and privilege of each child of God. Psalm 118:24 has been used repeatedly to encourage Christians to that end. However, this psalm goes much deeper than a call for daily rejoicing and gladness. What is the “day” that the Lord has made that we are to rejoice and be glad in? We can begin to answer that question in the preceding verses. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:22-23)
The day of gladness and rejoicing is the day that God laid the chief cornerstone; the stone the builders rejected. What, or should we say who, was this stone?
Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-24 in a conversation with the chief priests and Pharisees. He told them a parable about a landowner who leased his vineyard to vinedressers then went into a far country. When the time came for the crop to come in the owner sent his servants to receive some fruit. However, the vinedressers treated them badly. He sent more servants and they were treated in the same manner. Lastly he sent his son whom the vinedressers killed. Jesus’ obvious message to the chief priests and Pharisees was that he was the son, the chief cornerstone, they would one day kill. Even though it was God’s plan, the kingdom would be taken from them and given to more worthy vinedressers.
What is the day we rejoice and be glad in? The day that Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for our sins and became the cornerstone for us! It is the gate of the Lord that the followers of Jesus will enter. It is not because of anything we do that allows us to enter, but by the very grace of God that He gives us when we trust Jesus.
He has become our salvation! It is God's doing. It is a gift we receive from Him. It is not deserved, but the benefit is HUGE! We become sons and daughters of God! We become co-heirs with Christ! We who come in the name of the Lord are blessed! God has given us the light of the world which is Jesus. We give thanks to God because of His loving kindness that will last forever!
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:19-24)
Every day is a day the Lord has given us to glorify him. To be grateful for each day regardless of its content is the call and privilege of each child of God. Psalm 118:24 has been used repeatedly to encourage Christians to that end. However, this psalm goes much deeper than a call for daily rejoicing and gladness. What is the “day” that the Lord has made that we are to rejoice and be glad in? We can begin to answer that question in the preceding verses. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:22-23)
The day of gladness and rejoicing is the day that God laid the chief cornerstone; the stone the builders rejected. What, or should we say who, was this stone?
Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-24 in a conversation with the chief priests and Pharisees. He told them a parable about a landowner who leased his vineyard to vinedressers then went into a far country. When the time came for the crop to come in the owner sent his servants to receive some fruit. However, the vinedressers treated them badly. He sent more servants and they were treated in the same manner. Lastly he sent his son whom the vinedressers killed. Jesus’ obvious message to the chief priests and Pharisees was that he was the son, the chief cornerstone, they would one day kill. Even though it was God’s plan, the kingdom would be taken from them and given to more worthy vinedressers.
What is the day we rejoice and be glad in? The day that Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for our sins and became the cornerstone for us! It is the gate of the Lord that the followers of Jesus will enter. It is not because of anything we do that allows us to enter, but by the very grace of God that He gives us when we trust Jesus.
He has become our salvation! It is God's doing. It is a gift we receive from Him. It is not deserved, but the benefit is HUGE! We become sons and daughters of God! We become co-heirs with Christ! We who come in the name of the Lord are blessed! God has given us the light of the world which is Jesus. We give thanks to God because of His loving kindness that will last forever!
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Ask, Seek, Knock
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:9-12)
God’s giving to us is the foundation for our praying to God. God who gives us all good things also wills that we pray to God for all good things that we ask, seek, and knock. This does not mean that God has to wait on us before acting or that we have to tell God what we need; there are many times in the most important things that God takes the initiative and does for us that which we cannot do for ourselves--remembering us even when we forget him, saving us even when we neglect him, caring for us in ways beyond our realization. Yet it is clearly the will of God that we pray to God for all the good things that God is so ready to give us. It is the will of God that we exercise our faith by asking, seeking, and knocking. “For everyone,” Jesus says, “everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” This is astounding! Prayer is not an empty ritual, prayer is not mindless gibberish, prayer is not the resigned distortion of our spirit to fit the cruel fate of the world; instead, prayer is the joy of coming empty-handed and expectant before God who is eager to give us all good gifts: faith, hope, love, joy, peace, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, gospel, salvation, courage, assurance, reconciliation, community, life eternal.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:9-12)
God’s giving to us is the foundation for our praying to God. God who gives us all good things also wills that we pray to God for all good things that we ask, seek, and knock. This does not mean that God has to wait on us before acting or that we have to tell God what we need; there are many times in the most important things that God takes the initiative and does for us that which we cannot do for ourselves--remembering us even when we forget him, saving us even when we neglect him, caring for us in ways beyond our realization. Yet it is clearly the will of God that we pray to God for all the good things that God is so ready to give us. It is the will of God that we exercise our faith by asking, seeking, and knocking. “For everyone,” Jesus says, “everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” This is astounding! Prayer is not an empty ritual, prayer is not mindless gibberish, prayer is not the resigned distortion of our spirit to fit the cruel fate of the world; instead, prayer is the joy of coming empty-handed and expectant before God who is eager to give us all good gifts: faith, hope, love, joy, peace, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, gospel, salvation, courage, assurance, reconciliation, community, life eternal.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Who do you follow?
37When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.
39Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. (Luke 11:37-41)
Jesus was challenging this Pharisee to come to terms with what he and his associates were doing to themselves as well as to the Jewish people. Yes, there were laws of cleansing, but they were designed to show by an outward symbol the need to have one's heart cleansed of wickedness. The Pharisees were robbing the people through the moneychangers and sellers of sacrificial animals in the temple. They were filled with greed and power plays, jealousy and fighting. But on the outside their hands were clean. The Pharisees were concerned with what a man did; Jesus was concerned with what he was. Jesus had told them earlier, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." (Matthew 15:19-20.)
These foolish men were becoming blinded to the reality that the very God who created their bodies was the same God who created their souls and their hearts and that nothing could be hidden from him. "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
I guess we have to ask ourselves what God sees when he looks at us. Does he see a disciple who by words and deeds spreads the message of love Jesus brought us? Or does God see someone who is bound by the rules no matter who these rules may hurt and no matter who might be turned away from hearing Jesus' message of love. We can only search ourselves for that answer and hope that we are one of the former and not the latter. The choice is up to each one of us to determine who we follow, man's rules or God's love.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
39Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you. (Luke 11:37-41)
Jesus was challenging this Pharisee to come to terms with what he and his associates were doing to themselves as well as to the Jewish people. Yes, there were laws of cleansing, but they were designed to show by an outward symbol the need to have one's heart cleansed of wickedness. The Pharisees were robbing the people through the moneychangers and sellers of sacrificial animals in the temple. They were filled with greed and power plays, jealousy and fighting. But on the outside their hands were clean. The Pharisees were concerned with what a man did; Jesus was concerned with what he was. Jesus had told them earlier, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." (Matthew 15:19-20.)
These foolish men were becoming blinded to the reality that the very God who created their bodies was the same God who created their souls and their hearts and that nothing could be hidden from him. "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
I guess we have to ask ourselves what God sees when he looks at us. Does he see a disciple who by words and deeds spreads the message of love Jesus brought us? Or does God see someone who is bound by the rules no matter who these rules may hurt and no matter who might be turned away from hearing Jesus' message of love. We can only search ourselves for that answer and hope that we are one of the former and not the latter. The choice is up to each one of us to determine who we follow, man's rules or God's love.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Monday, October 11, 2010
Are you following or are you leading?
29As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. 32The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. (Luke 11:29-32)
Jesus had already given the people numerous signs of miraculous healings, but these were not enough for them to believe in him. You may ask yourself, how many more signs did they need?
However, we may do the same thing in our own lives. It is OK to ask Jesus to give us a sign that will help us to discern a path or a decision that we have already made. I have done that many times along my own path. However, when we are clearly given a sign, do we recognize it? Or do we disregard them and look for something else. Sometimes the signs that God gives us are not exactly what we want to see and we ask God for a different sign. It is almost like saying, "I don't like that idea Jesus, try again". When we sincerely ask Jesus for a sign to guide us along our path, we must be willing to accept that sign even though it may not be what we were looking for. We must trust that Jesus will lead us along the path that is best for us and the one that will bring us closer to him.
So I think that we must be grateful that we have a loving God that is willing to lead us along the right path, however, we must be willing to follow.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Jesus had already given the people numerous signs of miraculous healings, but these were not enough for them to believe in him. You may ask yourself, how many more signs did they need?
However, we may do the same thing in our own lives. It is OK to ask Jesus to give us a sign that will help us to discern a path or a decision that we have already made. I have done that many times along my own path. However, when we are clearly given a sign, do we recognize it? Or do we disregard them and look for something else. Sometimes the signs that God gives us are not exactly what we want to see and we ask God for a different sign. It is almost like saying, "I don't like that idea Jesus, try again". When we sincerely ask Jesus for a sign to guide us along our path, we must be willing to accept that sign even though it may not be what we were looking for. We must trust that Jesus will lead us along the path that is best for us and the one that will bring us closer to him.
So I think that we must be grateful that we have a loving God that is willing to lead us along the right path, however, we must be willing to follow.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Healing starts with faith in Jesus.
1Jesus got into a boat and came back to his own town.
2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw how much trust the men had, he said to the paralyzed man: “I have good news for you my son - your sins have been forgiven”.
3 But some of the experts in the Jewish writings said to each other “This man is speaking against God”.
4 Jesus, however, knew what they were thinking and said “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?
5 Which of these is easier? To say: ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say: ‘Get up and walk’.”
6 But I want you to know that I, the Son of Man, have the right to forgive evil ways here on earth.” He then said to the paralyzed man: “Get up, roll up your mat, and go to your home.”
7-8 And to the amazement of them all, the man got up and went home. The people were awestruck and praised God who had given a man, i.e. Jesus, power to do such things.(Matthew 9:1-8)
In this story the first concern of Jesus is not the healing of the body. His first point is forgiveness. “Your sins are forgiven” says Jesus. That is the key point of his whole mission.
But what is the connection between forgiveness and the healing of the body? Is it just a coincidence that Jesus talks about forgiveness first? When we read the gospel of Matthew and the whole New Testament we will observe that it is a standard pattern of Jesus to address the point of forgiveness first. The reason for this is clear as soon as we move from a narrow view of well-being to a complete view of human nature. We are not just our physical body. We are integrated beings with spirit, soul and body. They are closely connected. The spirit, the soul and the body of a person are addressed by Jesus. His task is to heal the whole person, not just the physical illness!
Now we can start to talk in more detail about the way Jesus heals. In our story it all starts with the trust of the men. It starts with faith! That is a key observation. Healing starts with faith in Jesus. That leads us right into the heart of the New Testament. Its concern is not miracles. It shows a lot of miracles, but that is more a side effect of the power of God. Its main concern is faith.
Faith in God is the key feature of a healthy soul and faith in God is the key step to healing. Faith is always in the center of the Bible, both in the Old and in the New Testament.
The first consequence of faith is forgiveness. That is the message which Jesus tells again and again in the New Testament, with every healing story. “Your sins are forgiven!” The healing of the body in this story happens as a confirmation of the authority of Jesus.
Faith in the New Testament is trust in Jesus. We have faith when we fully realize whom we meet, that in this person Jesus we meet God himself, who wants to heal our relationship with him. That is the healing which God wants for us, to bring us home into his presence.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man lying on a mat. When Jesus saw how much trust the men had, he said to the paralyzed man: “I have good news for you my son - your sins have been forgiven”.
3 But some of the experts in the Jewish writings said to each other “This man is speaking against God”.
4 Jesus, however, knew what they were thinking and said “Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?
5 Which of these is easier? To say: ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say: ‘Get up and walk’.”
6 But I want you to know that I, the Son of Man, have the right to forgive evil ways here on earth.” He then said to the paralyzed man: “Get up, roll up your mat, and go to your home.”
7-8 And to the amazement of them all, the man got up and went home. The people were awestruck and praised God who had given a man, i.e. Jesus, power to do such things.(Matthew 9:1-8)
In this story the first concern of Jesus is not the healing of the body. His first point is forgiveness. “Your sins are forgiven” says Jesus. That is the key point of his whole mission.
But what is the connection between forgiveness and the healing of the body? Is it just a coincidence that Jesus talks about forgiveness first? When we read the gospel of Matthew and the whole New Testament we will observe that it is a standard pattern of Jesus to address the point of forgiveness first. The reason for this is clear as soon as we move from a narrow view of well-being to a complete view of human nature. We are not just our physical body. We are integrated beings with spirit, soul and body. They are closely connected. The spirit, the soul and the body of a person are addressed by Jesus. His task is to heal the whole person, not just the physical illness!
Now we can start to talk in more detail about the way Jesus heals. In our story it all starts with the trust of the men. It starts with faith! That is a key observation. Healing starts with faith in Jesus. That leads us right into the heart of the New Testament. Its concern is not miracles. It shows a lot of miracles, but that is more a side effect of the power of God. Its main concern is faith.
Faith in God is the key feature of a healthy soul and faith in God is the key step to healing. Faith is always in the center of the Bible, both in the Old and in the New Testament.
The first consequence of faith is forgiveness. That is the message which Jesus tells again and again in the New Testament, with every healing story. “Your sins are forgiven!” The healing of the body in this story happens as a confirmation of the authority of Jesus.
Faith in the New Testament is trust in Jesus. We have faith when we fully realize whom we meet, that in this person Jesus we meet God himself, who wants to heal our relationship with him. That is the healing which God wants for us, to bring us home into his presence.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Have a grateful heart.
11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
WHY DIDN'T THEY SAY THANKS?
Obviously, we will never know for sure what these men were thinking. As I have reflected on this story it seems to me there was probably one of three reasons that the nine did not return.
Maybe they were afraid to believe. The evidence was clear but maybe they did not dare to believe it because it was too wonderful to be true. They were being cautious. Maybe they wanted to see if the healing was going to "take". A lot of people appear to get better before they get a lot worse, you know. Maybe they intended to say "Thank you" as a later time. Maybe it just had not sunk in yet.
Maybe they considered the healing to be coincidental. After all, Jesus had not touched them or anything. He just told them to go and see the priest. Maybe it was just a coincidence that they experienced a healing after talking to Jesus. Maybe they were getting better already and that is why Jesus just said "Go to the priest." Maybe they were just "Lucky". Maybe there was nothing to thank but fate . . .whatever that is.
Maybe they felt they had earned the healing. After all, they were the ones who decided to give Jesus a try. They were the ones who cried out. They were the ones who acted in faith by heading to the priest. If they were grateful they were grateful for their own wisdom and resourcefulness. What did God have to do with anything?
How many of God's blessings do you and I fail to thank Him for? How many times have we received but not believed? How many times have we thanked our "lucky stars" rather than the Lord? How many times have we concluded that we have "earned" the good things we have?
You see, when you think about it, we are really not much different from the lepers. We receive blessings on every side and often take them, enjoy them, and never give God thanks for them.
So what must we do?
Make it a point to list your spiritual as well as material blessings in a listing of blessings and keep the list close to you.
Do something tangible to express your thanks. A special gift to a ministry, a few hours of your time in serving Jesus, a note of encouragement to someone God has used in your life, a phone call to a friend who has helped you. Go beyond words of thanks . . . seek to demonstrate your thanks.
Respond to God's offer of salvation. The greatest way to show God how grateful you are is to receive the gift He offers. Stop running from Him, ignoring Him, or giving Him half-hearted obedience. Acknowledge God's great gift of Jesus who died for us and because of us. Receive His gift of forgiveness and love. Then follow Him with a dedication and commitment that shows that you mean what you say when you tell God of your gratitude. Have a grateful heart. Recognize that God has been exceedingly generous.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
WHY DIDN'T THEY SAY THANKS?
Obviously, we will never know for sure what these men were thinking. As I have reflected on this story it seems to me there was probably one of three reasons that the nine did not return.
Maybe they were afraid to believe. The evidence was clear but maybe they did not dare to believe it because it was too wonderful to be true. They were being cautious. Maybe they wanted to see if the healing was going to "take". A lot of people appear to get better before they get a lot worse, you know. Maybe they intended to say "Thank you" as a later time. Maybe it just had not sunk in yet.
Maybe they considered the healing to be coincidental. After all, Jesus had not touched them or anything. He just told them to go and see the priest. Maybe it was just a coincidence that they experienced a healing after talking to Jesus. Maybe they were getting better already and that is why Jesus just said "Go to the priest." Maybe they were just "Lucky". Maybe there was nothing to thank but fate . . .whatever that is.
Maybe they felt they had earned the healing. After all, they were the ones who decided to give Jesus a try. They were the ones who cried out. They were the ones who acted in faith by heading to the priest. If they were grateful they were grateful for their own wisdom and resourcefulness. What did God have to do with anything?
How many of God's blessings do you and I fail to thank Him for? How many times have we received but not believed? How many times have we thanked our "lucky stars" rather than the Lord? How many times have we concluded that we have "earned" the good things we have?
You see, when you think about it, we are really not much different from the lepers. We receive blessings on every side and often take them, enjoy them, and never give God thanks for them.
So what must we do?
Make it a point to list your spiritual as well as material blessings in a listing of blessings and keep the list close to you.
Do something tangible to express your thanks. A special gift to a ministry, a few hours of your time in serving Jesus, a note of encouragement to someone God has used in your life, a phone call to a friend who has helped you. Go beyond words of thanks . . . seek to demonstrate your thanks.
Respond to God's offer of salvation. The greatest way to show God how grateful you are is to receive the gift He offers. Stop running from Him, ignoring Him, or giving Him half-hearted obedience. Acknowledge God's great gift of Jesus who died for us and because of us. Receive His gift of forgiveness and love. Then follow Him with a dedication and commitment that shows that you mean what you say when you tell God of your gratitude. Have a grateful heart. Recognize that God has been exceedingly generous.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Friday, October 8, 2010
Love is given at a cost.
Jesus says: 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
We’re supposed to love each other. That is a nice thought. The sort of thing the Beatles sang about. The kind of thing your grandma would tell you. But it is the standard Jesus sets that makes this so crazy. The little word “as” makes this radical. Because Jesus says we’re supposed to love each other as He has loved us. That’s huge. Jesus is commanding everything from His followers.
So, the question then, is: what does Jesus’ love for us look like? How can we describe it? And what does that mean for how we are to love each other?
“Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” Just about 12 hours after He said that Jesus was having His arms spread wide so they could be nailed to a cross. His back was ripped and torn by a Roman whip and He had a crown of thorns pressed into His head. He was being hung up so that he could slowly, and painfully, suffocate to death. Why did He do it? He did it for us. He did it out of love. He did it to so that we would know that God is available to us. Jesus sacrificed. His love was sacrificial. No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.
So what does that mean for how we love each other? What does this say about what Jesus is commanding of us? I would say it like this: Jesus love is sacrificial… therefore, our love will cost us.
Jesus is calling us to a sacrificial love. It is a costly love. It is a love that gives. Jesus is talking about a commitment to what is best for the other person regardless of the personal cost. It will not be easy, love never is.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
We’re supposed to love each other. That is a nice thought. The sort of thing the Beatles sang about. The kind of thing your grandma would tell you. But it is the standard Jesus sets that makes this so crazy. The little word “as” makes this radical. Because Jesus says we’re supposed to love each other as He has loved us. That’s huge. Jesus is commanding everything from His followers.
So, the question then, is: what does Jesus’ love for us look like? How can we describe it? And what does that mean for how we are to love each other?
“Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” Just about 12 hours after He said that Jesus was having His arms spread wide so they could be nailed to a cross. His back was ripped and torn by a Roman whip and He had a crown of thorns pressed into His head. He was being hung up so that he could slowly, and painfully, suffocate to death. Why did He do it? He did it for us. He did it out of love. He did it to so that we would know that God is available to us. Jesus sacrificed. His love was sacrificial. No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.
So what does that mean for how we love each other? What does this say about what Jesus is commanding of us? I would say it like this: Jesus love is sacrificial… therefore, our love will cost us.
Jesus is calling us to a sacrificial love. It is a costly love. It is a love that gives. Jesus is talking about a commitment to what is best for the other person regardless of the personal cost. It will not be easy, love never is.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Faith will see you through adversity.
32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For in just a very little while,
"He who is coming will come and will not delay.
38But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him." 39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
(Heb 10:32-39)
The situation for Christians, Jew and Gentile, became something quite different as the years rolled on. Persecution of the early Church in Jerusalem came from the Jews themselves and then in Rome beginning with Nero, the Roman empire engaged in a policy of intolerance and social and political discrimination against Christians; largely because Christ was Lord not the emperor; resulting in extreme cases in executions. Many Christians had lost their homes and property and some were imprisoned but now the writer of Hebrews is preparing them for outright persecution and martyrdom.
The faith that these people would need to sustain them through the inevitable adversity that was to come upon them was the same faith that the believers in the Old Testament had. The writer of Hebrews wanted his audience to press on and not fall back because of hardships. The easy thing to do would have been to lapse back into Judaism and fail to enter into the rest and promise of the New Covenant. Therefore, we too should have the faith and patience needed to inherit the kingdom of God and His Christ.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For in just a very little while,
"He who is coming will come and will not delay.
38But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him." 39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
(Heb 10:32-39)
The situation for Christians, Jew and Gentile, became something quite different as the years rolled on. Persecution of the early Church in Jerusalem came from the Jews themselves and then in Rome beginning with Nero, the Roman empire engaged in a policy of intolerance and social and political discrimination against Christians; largely because Christ was Lord not the emperor; resulting in extreme cases in executions. Many Christians had lost their homes and property and some were imprisoned but now the writer of Hebrews is preparing them for outright persecution and martyrdom.
The faith that these people would need to sustain them through the inevitable adversity that was to come upon them was the same faith that the believers in the Old Testament had. The writer of Hebrews wanted his audience to press on and not fall back because of hardships. The easy thing to do would have been to lapse back into Judaism and fail to enter into the rest and promise of the New Covenant. Therefore, we too should have the faith and patience needed to inherit the kingdom of God and His Christ.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
What is sacrifice?
10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
(Hebrews 10:10-14)
Anyone who has had some experience of self-giving love, whether from parents or caregivers, spouses, teachers or friends, can at least begin to imagine what the self-giving love of Jesus is. If we begin with these experiences, the experiences that make us human and give us an inkling of ultimate human fulfillment, we are pointing out to people, without using the word, that Christian sacrifice is already present in their lives. They already know, without anyone having to tell them, that this is the most beautiful thing in their lives, the most beautiful thing that they can hope for. From that awareness, for suffering passes while love remains, they will more easily put into perspective the difficult and painful things that generally accompany self-giving love. They will see that it is the self-giving love and not the suffering that accompanies it that is the essence of the sacrifice of Christ. They will be able to see that it is the self-giving love that they share with others that is the essence of their own sacrifice. Sacrifice will have been unveiled.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
(Hebrews 10:10-14)
Anyone who has had some experience of self-giving love, whether from parents or caregivers, spouses, teachers or friends, can at least begin to imagine what the self-giving love of Jesus is. If we begin with these experiences, the experiences that make us human and give us an inkling of ultimate human fulfillment, we are pointing out to people, without using the word, that Christian sacrifice is already present in their lives. They already know, without anyone having to tell them, that this is the most beautiful thing in their lives, the most beautiful thing that they can hope for. From that awareness, for suffering passes while love remains, they will more easily put into perspective the difficult and painful things that generally accompany self-giving love. They will see that it is the self-giving love and not the suffering that accompanies it that is the essence of the sacrifice of Christ. They will be able to see that it is the self-giving love that they share with others that is the essence of their own sacrifice. Sacrifice will have been unveiled.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Are you a prisoner of the law?
23Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
26You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:23-28)
A blog was brought to my attention today. http://catholicsandheretics.blogspot.com.
It is called "fighting the devil in sin city". You might want to visit this blog. Apparently this blogger has decided to make it his mission to point out all the people who are not strictly following the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
I looked at all of the blogs to date on this website, and there are five.
I looked to see how many times "Jesus'" name is mentioned in the blog. With the exception of the name of a Church, Christ the King, Jesus has no mention in this blog.(I did find "Our Lord" is mentioned once.) (The Holy Spirit is mentioned in one of the writings that is being criticized.) Then I looked to see how many times the word "love" is mentioned. I did not find the word love mentioned in any of the five postings.
Now I ask you, how do we fight the devil without Jesus and love?
I do not usually like to be critical in my blog because I would rather point out the good and pray for the bad. I could not do it this time.
This person is caught up in the law and has not found the message of Jesus. This person is critical of people, programs, and churchs that are attempting to bring Jesus and love to others.
The church is a voice which should be bringing people the good news of Jesus. That message is about God's love for us and how we should love God and one another. If the message is about something else, the point has been missed.
We are all one in Jesus because we are all dearly loved by Jesus. Let's remember that and forget about the rest. The law is about the church, the love is about Jesus.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
26You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:23-28)
A blog was brought to my attention today. http://catholicsandheretics.blogspot.com.
It is called "fighting the devil in sin city". You might want to visit this blog. Apparently this blogger has decided to make it his mission to point out all the people who are not strictly following the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
I looked at all of the blogs to date on this website, and there are five.
I looked to see how many times "Jesus'" name is mentioned in the blog. With the exception of the name of a Church, Christ the King, Jesus has no mention in this blog.(I did find "Our Lord" is mentioned once.) (The Holy Spirit is mentioned in one of the writings that is being criticized.) Then I looked to see how many times the word "love" is mentioned. I did not find the word love mentioned in any of the five postings.
Now I ask you, how do we fight the devil without Jesus and love?
I do not usually like to be critical in my blog because I would rather point out the good and pray for the bad. I could not do it this time.
This person is caught up in the law and has not found the message of Jesus. This person is critical of people, programs, and churchs that are attempting to bring Jesus and love to others.
The church is a voice which should be bringing people the good news of Jesus. That message is about God's love for us and how we should love God and one another. If the message is about something else, the point has been missed.
We are all one in Jesus because we are all dearly loved by Jesus. Let's remember that and forget about the rest. The law is about the church, the love is about Jesus.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Lessons for the kingdom
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12)
Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel that the Kingdom so long awaited is within our grasp. We are all invited to join the kingdom, however Jesus is saying that we must change our hearts and follow his example.
While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
As you ponder each of the beatitudes you might look into your own heart and examine your feelings towards them. Are you trying to follow each one of them? I think you will find that you need a rather humble, almost a childlike attitude towards each one of them if you are to be successful in following them. In fact Jesus mentioned many times about how we needed to become more like children in our attitude and in our thinking towards many of the things in this life. Two verses in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew are good examples.
Matthew 18:3 "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child, will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
We must keep in mind that we are all God’s children.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12)
Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel that the Kingdom so long awaited is within our grasp. We are all invited to join the kingdom, however Jesus is saying that we must change our hearts and follow his example.
While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
As you ponder each of the beatitudes you might look into your own heart and examine your feelings towards them. Are you trying to follow each one of them? I think you will find that you need a rather humble, almost a childlike attitude towards each one of them if you are to be successful in following them. In fact Jesus mentioned many times about how we needed to become more like children in our attitude and in our thinking towards many of the things in this life. Two verses in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew are good examples.
Matthew 18:3 "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:4 "Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child, will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
We must keep in mind that we are all God’s children.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Don't be afraid to take up your cross.
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
This is a challenge by Jesus Christ to all who would be His disciples or true followers. It is no surprise to me that this passage follows one of the most spectacular miracles ever performed by Jesus while here on earth. He had just fed over 5000 individuals with only five loaves of bread and two small fishes. At that particular time Jesus had quite a following, but they were not His disciples. It doesn't take too much to get a crowd! However, there is a big difference between going along with the crowd and becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. So we find Jesus calling the twelve to Himself and presenting them the challenge of discipleship. That same challenge He presents to each of us today.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
This is a challenge by Jesus Christ to all who would be His disciples or true followers. It is no surprise to me that this passage follows one of the most spectacular miracles ever performed by Jesus while here on earth. He had just fed over 5000 individuals with only five loaves of bread and two small fishes. At that particular time Jesus had quite a following, but they were not His disciples. It doesn't take too much to get a crowd! However, there is a big difference between going along with the crowd and becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. So we find Jesus calling the twelve to Himself and presenting them the challenge of discipleship. That same challenge He presents to each of us today.
Peace and love,
Sue
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Kingdom has arrived!
"But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." (Luke 11:20)
By rescuing this man from the horrors of demonic oppression, Jesus said the kingdom had broken in upon that man at that moment. Jesus would go on to perform many other acts of redemption and healing to show that the Kingdom had arrived on earth. Of course, by means of His death on the cross and victorious resurrection He would provide the ultimate means of healing, redemption and restoration for those wishing to become a part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This raises a whole new set of questions for those desiring to follow Jesus. Have we lost the true message of Jesus? If the core motif of Jesus ministry was the kingdom of Heaven, why do we talk about it so little?
If those of us who claim to know Jesus do not have the faintest idea, priority, or exposure to the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven, then are we really following Jesus at all?
Because of what Jesus has done, we are reconciled to God now. Our relationships are mended and restored. We become more like God intended us to be now. We enter into a lifelong process of growing into that aim. The apostle Paul even contended that all of creation, in fact, all things would be healed through the work of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:10 and Romans 8:20-21) We are all citizens of the Kingdom!
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
By rescuing this man from the horrors of demonic oppression, Jesus said the kingdom had broken in upon that man at that moment. Jesus would go on to perform many other acts of redemption and healing to show that the Kingdom had arrived on earth. Of course, by means of His death on the cross and victorious resurrection He would provide the ultimate means of healing, redemption and restoration for those wishing to become a part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This raises a whole new set of questions for those desiring to follow Jesus. Have we lost the true message of Jesus? If the core motif of Jesus ministry was the kingdom of Heaven, why do we talk about it so little?
If those of us who claim to know Jesus do not have the faintest idea, priority, or exposure to the idea of the Kingdom of Heaven, then are we really following Jesus at all?
Because of what Jesus has done, we are reconciled to God now. Our relationships are mended and restored. We become more like God intended us to be now. We enter into a lifelong process of growing into that aim. The apostle Paul even contended that all of creation, in fact, all things would be healed through the work of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:10 and Romans 8:20-21) We are all citizens of the Kingdom!
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
Friday, October 1, 2010
Do we really know Jesus?
8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11)
We cannot come to know Jesus solely through another person's acquaintance with Him. While we may initially learn about Jesus from others, especially the authors of the New Testament, we must come to know Him for ourselves. Like Paul, we must speak in the first person: "that I may know Him"
Jesus does not live back in the centuries, nor amid the clouds of heaven: He is near us, with us, compassing our path and our lying down, and acquainted with all our ways. But we cannot know Him in this mortal life except through the illumination and teaching of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask Him to shed His clear beams on the face of Jesus, so that it shall haunt our day-dreams and our nights.
We should never rest until we know Him as we know our friends, and are able to read without speech the movements of His soul. We should know by a quick intuition what will please and what will hurt His pure and holy nature. We should know where to find Him; should be familiar with His modes of thought and methods of action; should understand and identify ourselves with His goings forth, as, day by day, He goes through the world healing and saving. We must surely know Christ, not as a stranger who turns in to visit for the night, or as the exalted King of men,--there must be the inner knowledge as of those whom He counts His own familiar friends, whom He trusts with His secrets, who eat with Him of His bread (Psalm 41:9).
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
We cannot come to know Jesus solely through another person's acquaintance with Him. While we may initially learn about Jesus from others, especially the authors of the New Testament, we must come to know Him for ourselves. Like Paul, we must speak in the first person: "that I may know Him"
Jesus does not live back in the centuries, nor amid the clouds of heaven: He is near us, with us, compassing our path and our lying down, and acquainted with all our ways. But we cannot know Him in this mortal life except through the illumination and teaching of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask Him to shed His clear beams on the face of Jesus, so that it shall haunt our day-dreams and our nights.
We should never rest until we know Him as we know our friends, and are able to read without speech the movements of His soul. We should know by a quick intuition what will please and what will hurt His pure and holy nature. We should know where to find Him; should be familiar with His modes of thought and methods of action; should understand and identify ourselves with His goings forth, as, day by day, He goes through the world healing and saving. We must surely know Christ, not as a stranger who turns in to visit for the night, or as the exalted King of men,--there must be the inner knowledge as of those whom He counts His own familiar friends, whom He trusts with His secrets, who eat with Him of His bread (Psalm 41:9).
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
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