"Ask Jesus whatever you want and you will get it." Kinda cheapens our faith, doesn't it? Reducing Jesus to a glorified Santa Claus distracts us from what really matters. In all Scripture we need to keep in mind that Father is busy preparing us for eternity. He will deny us things that he knows will damage us and he will take us through things he knows will increase us. We don't always have to like it but we should understand it is for our benefit. So when we push the idea that Jesus is here to give us whatever our selfishness desires we undermine true faith.
So let's consider what Jesus did tell us:
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." (John 15:7)
It is so easy to take one verse out of context of the rest of the gospel. We need to remember this came from Jesus who also told a rich man to go sell everything he had, give it to the poor and then come follow him. This is the Jesus who possessed nothing. Poverty is not the purpose here but putting earthly treasures in their proper place is. So what can we take from this verse?
First, it is centered in relationship: "Remain in me". The focus is not our comfort, our desires, our wants, but our relationship in Jesus. This is the Jesus who taught that he is the vine, we are the branches and Father is the gardener who does the pruning. We only have life through Jesus so we desire what he desires and his priorities become ours. We have a Kingdom focus and not a democracy focus. What the King commands is what happens.
His commands, direction, instruction and teaching become the sustenance, the bread, that we consume every day. His words guide us, increase us and direct us: And my words remain in you. We do not live for our own purpose any more so we would never think of asking for something to lavish on ourselves. Our purpose and desire is obedience to Jesus' commands, not because we are afraid but because our love for him provokes us to obedience:
"If you love me, keep my commands." (John 14:15)
It is in this context that Jesus tells us "ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you", because our focus is not on us but on Jesus. He is our desire so we are going to ask for the things that will assist us in serving him and in obeying his commands.
I believe one hundred percent that Father provides for our needs. I can testify to many miracles in which my family was provided for, simply because we prayed. But I cannot teach or support any teaching that twists God's Word to say that he wants us all rich, healthy and spoiled. But Jesus did tell us that Father will meet our needs without us needing to worry about it but we are to focus on the things of the Kingdom.
I have been through some rough times and I am sure I will go through more. Each time I have come to know Jesus more intimately, grown spiritually, have never missed a meal, remained housed and had clothes on my back and the same holds true for all my children. Ask, trust and go all the way with Jesus because he is the only one looking out for your eternity but make sure you know the Word in context of the Word.
Showing posts with label John 15. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John 15. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Do You Feel Jesus Isn't Using You?
We don't have a leg to stand on. Seriously. Christians can't afford to act all high and mighty because Father knows where each of us has come from. He knows what we were. He knows what he has saved us from. He knew us before the transformation started taking place. He also knows something else we tend to forget: He knows he is the one doing the work of transformation, not us.
As the Lord continues to do incredible things through us we have a tendency to forget we aren't the ones doing it. It's fantastic what he is doing, the way he is changing us, the way he is working through us, but every day we need to remember this is about Jesus. On our own we can't do a thing. In fact, that is exactly what Jesus told us:
" ... without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
Humility for us should be as natural as breathing. Not false humility but the genuine thing as we realize we are simply the vessel for Yahweh's glory. But what a privilege to be that vessel. Humility is an import part of our relationship with Jesus because without it we forget who is actually doing the work.
Jesus gave an illustration using a dinner invitation. He said that people usually look for a position at the table that best reflects their position in life, but this can lead to embarrassment. If you esteem yourself higher than you actually are, the host could embarrass you by asking you you to move to a lower position to make room for someone of greater importance. He said it would be better to assume a lower position and allow the host to honour you by moving you to a higher one. So don't make assumptions about your importance in the Kingdom, allow Father to decide such things.
In Luke 18 Jesus gave an illustration of a Pharisee and a tax collector. They were both at the temple to pray. The Pharisee presented his self-righteousness to Yahweh, stating how pleased he was that he was not like other men , especially sinners. The tax collector took another approach in prayer, confessing himself a sinner and asking Yahweh for mercy. Jesus ended it by stating:
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:14)
Listen, we have to recognize there is no good thing inside of us except Jesus Christ. We have nothing of any worth. Yahweh does not need our talents, money, or possession, but he has amazingly decided to include us in his work. He has transformed the old wine skin and made it new so we could receive his glory and be a vessel of his glory. That is incredible. It is not because we are special, righteous, perfect or wonderful. We were lost sinners, enemies of Yahweh, when Jesus died for us. He holds out the same opportunity to everyone in the world. The only difference between us and them is that we chose to accept it. But he still loves them as much as us, but we are saved because we made a decision to believe.
If the Spirit is using you mightily it is because you are humble enough to step out of the way to let him do his thing. If he isn't using you mightily you may want to look to see if your ego is getting in the way. At the end of the day it isn't what you have accomplished for Jesus but instead it will be about your obedience to his instructions and your willingness to be used as an instrument. Humility is vital in our close walk with Jesus.
As the Lord continues to do incredible things through us we have a tendency to forget we aren't the ones doing it. It's fantastic what he is doing, the way he is changing us, the way he is working through us, but every day we need to remember this is about Jesus. On our own we can't do a thing. In fact, that is exactly what Jesus told us:
" ... without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
Humility for us should be as natural as breathing. Not false humility but the genuine thing as we realize we are simply the vessel for Yahweh's glory. But what a privilege to be that vessel. Humility is an import part of our relationship with Jesus because without it we forget who is actually doing the work.
Jesus gave an illustration using a dinner invitation. He said that people usually look for a position at the table that best reflects their position in life, but this can lead to embarrassment. If you esteem yourself higher than you actually are, the host could embarrass you by asking you you to move to a lower position to make room for someone of greater importance. He said it would be better to assume a lower position and allow the host to honour you by moving you to a higher one. So don't make assumptions about your importance in the Kingdom, allow Father to decide such things.
In Luke 18 Jesus gave an illustration of a Pharisee and a tax collector. They were both at the temple to pray. The Pharisee presented his self-righteousness to Yahweh, stating how pleased he was that he was not like other men , especially sinners. The tax collector took another approach in prayer, confessing himself a sinner and asking Yahweh for mercy. Jesus ended it by stating:
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:14)
Listen, we have to recognize there is no good thing inside of us except Jesus Christ. We have nothing of any worth. Yahweh does not need our talents, money, or possession, but he has amazingly decided to include us in his work. He has transformed the old wine skin and made it new so we could receive his glory and be a vessel of his glory. That is incredible. It is not because we are special, righteous, perfect or wonderful. We were lost sinners, enemies of Yahweh, when Jesus died for us. He holds out the same opportunity to everyone in the world. The only difference between us and them is that we chose to accept it. But he still loves them as much as us, but we are saved because we made a decision to believe.
If the Spirit is using you mightily it is because you are humble enough to step out of the way to let him do his thing. If he isn't using you mightily you may want to look to see if your ego is getting in the way. At the end of the day it isn't what you have accomplished for Jesus but instead it will be about your obedience to his instructions and your willingness to be used as an instrument. Humility is vital in our close walk with Jesus.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Why The Promise "Ask and Receive" Is Not Working For Us
It is amazing what the Spirit teaches us when we meditate on God's Word instead of just reading it. Most of us just read and, although we gain a lot of knowledge in our reading, mere facts, we miss the spiritual knowledge. Most of us do not take the time to plumb the depths of verses or passages. If we do anything at all we just read.
Meditating is not a difficult thing. You don't need to enroll in Bible College or have a ton of commentaries hanging around the house. You simply approach the verse or passage in prayer and take it apart. You can write what is on your heart in your own words concerning the verse. Write it out several times, giving the emphasis to a different key word each time. Read it out loud. Read various translations. Do a word search on the main topic words. Ask the Spirit to explain it to you. Make lots of notes.
A verse I was meditating on yesterday is found in John 15:
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (v. 7)
The first thing to note is that there is a promise here. The promise is that we can ask for what we wish and it will be given to us. That is a fantastic promise and one that many Christians lean on but few see fulfilled. But this is a promise. Does that make Jesus a liar? Well, I know he is not a liar so what else does this verse say that we may have missed and caused us to misunderstand the promise? Are there any conditions to it? Reading the entire verse I can see there are two conditions related to each other.
If you abide in me.
Abide means to remain, to dwell, to continue with, but it is also an attitude or relationship. It strikes me that to rest in Jesus, to live in him requires that we are loyal to him, obedient. steadfast. It means not being distracted by shiny things, not allowing anything to disturb us like fear or worry. It is a position of trust and dependency. It means not giving ourselves to anyone or anything else. We belong exclusively to Jesus if we are living in him, or abiding. It means no longer living for ourselves because we have become one with him. We want what he wants, our will is submitted to his.
It conveys a oneness with Jesus. If I let my spirit express itself concerning this relationship I hear and feel such words as, dying to my flesh, pleasures, passions, lusts, appetites. My heart felt cry is "I need a new heart." "Transform me Lord!" "Change me!" Then I read:
And my words abide in you.
Again, abide means to remain, to dwell, to continue with. So his Word takes up residence in us, becoming part of us, taking over, shaping, molding, transforming. We begin to live by this Word. It only makes sense as Jesus rebuked the devil with a common Scripture:
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Luke 4:4)
Jesus had also just taught his disciples:
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. (John 14:21)
We are to be controlled and directed by the Word, governed and set right by it. It is not something we carry around with us in a book. It is not a set of laws. It is a living thing within us that brings life. Yahweh promised to write it on our hearts and we are to bury it there like a seed. The Holy Spirit uses it to encourage, comfort, correct and empower us.
My spirit fills we with words that again describe this oneness with Jesus: owned, possessed, governed, controlled, desiring, seeking, longing, hoping, pursuing, surrendering, casting out, giving, dying. The realization that the direction I am moving in is wrong. I pray, "Your ways O Lord. Your paths. Your truth. I run to you!"
The promise that we would receive what we ask for is obviously based on an incredibly intimate relationship, one of dependence and submission. In such a relationship we would never find ourselves as James described those who lacked from not asking, asking with wrong motivations and asking with doubt. Such a loyal and intimate relationship with Jesus would never allow us to be found in such condition.
From our own selfish perspective we consider this promise of asking and receiving to be about us, for our own gain. However, these two conditions describe such a selfless and intimate relationship with Jesus that asking anything outside of his will seems impossible. Some would say that Father loves to pour blessings out on his children but that comes from a selfish perspective. We have to stop and consider Father's perspective, motivation and the purpose of Jesus.
Jesus did not come showering gifts upon everyone. He came with some really great news and a demonstration of Yahweh's power. He was bent on one purpose, to save the lost. He trained disciples to carry on this mission while he returned to the Father to send us the Spirit. After he opened the doors of forgiveness and eternity via the cross and empty tomb, he gave us the commission to continue on with the great mission of making disciples. For two thousand years men and women who have taken this mission seriously have sacrificed everything for it, including their lives. Yet here we are, two thousand years in, thinking that this promise of ask and receive has to do with mansions and cars. Are we kidding?
The conditions of this promise is an incredibly intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, where we have his commands, his words and are walking in obedience to them. Whatever we need, wish, ask for will be given to us, but keep it in the context of these conditions. If we have such an intimate relationship with Jesus then his priorities will be ours, as will his will and his will is the Father's and the Father's will is that everyone would be saved. Ask whatever you need or wish to fulfill the will of Father and it is yours. It has never been about us, it is about the lost and Jesus' mission to save them. Is this what we are living for?
That is where meditating on the Word gets you, a whole lot deeper than just reading.
Meditating is not a difficult thing. You don't need to enroll in Bible College or have a ton of commentaries hanging around the house. You simply approach the verse or passage in prayer and take it apart. You can write what is on your heart in your own words concerning the verse. Write it out several times, giving the emphasis to a different key word each time. Read it out loud. Read various translations. Do a word search on the main topic words. Ask the Spirit to explain it to you. Make lots of notes.
A verse I was meditating on yesterday is found in John 15:
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (v. 7)
The first thing to note is that there is a promise here. The promise is that we can ask for what we wish and it will be given to us. That is a fantastic promise and one that many Christians lean on but few see fulfilled. But this is a promise. Does that make Jesus a liar? Well, I know he is not a liar so what else does this verse say that we may have missed and caused us to misunderstand the promise? Are there any conditions to it? Reading the entire verse I can see there are two conditions related to each other.
If you abide in me.
Abide means to remain, to dwell, to continue with, but it is also an attitude or relationship. It strikes me that to rest in Jesus, to live in him requires that we are loyal to him, obedient. steadfast. It means not being distracted by shiny things, not allowing anything to disturb us like fear or worry. It is a position of trust and dependency. It means not giving ourselves to anyone or anything else. We belong exclusively to Jesus if we are living in him, or abiding. It means no longer living for ourselves because we have become one with him. We want what he wants, our will is submitted to his.
It conveys a oneness with Jesus. If I let my spirit express itself concerning this relationship I hear and feel such words as, dying to my flesh, pleasures, passions, lusts, appetites. My heart felt cry is "I need a new heart." "Transform me Lord!" "Change me!" Then I read:
And my words abide in you.
Again, abide means to remain, to dwell, to continue with. So his Word takes up residence in us, becoming part of us, taking over, shaping, molding, transforming. We begin to live by this Word. It only makes sense as Jesus rebuked the devil with a common Scripture:
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Luke 4:4)
Jesus had also just taught his disciples:
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. (John 14:21)
We are to be controlled and directed by the Word, governed and set right by it. It is not something we carry around with us in a book. It is not a set of laws. It is a living thing within us that brings life. Yahweh promised to write it on our hearts and we are to bury it there like a seed. The Holy Spirit uses it to encourage, comfort, correct and empower us.
My spirit fills we with words that again describe this oneness with Jesus: owned, possessed, governed, controlled, desiring, seeking, longing, hoping, pursuing, surrendering, casting out, giving, dying. The realization that the direction I am moving in is wrong. I pray, "Your ways O Lord. Your paths. Your truth. I run to you!"
The promise that we would receive what we ask for is obviously based on an incredibly intimate relationship, one of dependence and submission. In such a relationship we would never find ourselves as James described those who lacked from not asking, asking with wrong motivations and asking with doubt. Such a loyal and intimate relationship with Jesus would never allow us to be found in such condition.
From our own selfish perspective we consider this promise of asking and receiving to be about us, for our own gain. However, these two conditions describe such a selfless and intimate relationship with Jesus that asking anything outside of his will seems impossible. Some would say that Father loves to pour blessings out on his children but that comes from a selfish perspective. We have to stop and consider Father's perspective, motivation and the purpose of Jesus.
Jesus did not come showering gifts upon everyone. He came with some really great news and a demonstration of Yahweh's power. He was bent on one purpose, to save the lost. He trained disciples to carry on this mission while he returned to the Father to send us the Spirit. After he opened the doors of forgiveness and eternity via the cross and empty tomb, he gave us the commission to continue on with the great mission of making disciples. For two thousand years men and women who have taken this mission seriously have sacrificed everything for it, including their lives. Yet here we are, two thousand years in, thinking that this promise of ask and receive has to do with mansions and cars. Are we kidding?
The conditions of this promise is an incredibly intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, where we have his commands, his words and are walking in obedience to them. Whatever we need, wish, ask for will be given to us, but keep it in the context of these conditions. If we have such an intimate relationship with Jesus then his priorities will be ours, as will his will and his will is the Father's and the Father's will is that everyone would be saved. Ask whatever you need or wish to fulfill the will of Father and it is yours. It has never been about us, it is about the lost and Jesus' mission to save them. Is this what we are living for?
That is where meditating on the Word gets you, a whole lot deeper than just reading.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Passion Week: The Gift
This is the day of our Lord Jesus' last supper. There is so much crammed into this last week that it is impossible to look at it all in such a short period with this blog. We haven't touched on the teaching from the widow's offering, or Jesus' explanation of the last days, or a number of other important matters. However, just as this last week is crammed so is the last supper in the upper room with the disciples. Only John gives us a detailed account of what Jesus taught at this meal and there is a lot of it so I am going to address it in two parts. Later today I will look at Jesus' actions, what he did, but this morning I want to consider one thing he promised.
Much of the world cannot understand the Church, the followers of Jesus Christ. Why would we believe in a god when there is no undeniable proof. We know we have undeniable proof by the Spirit of Christ in us but the world cannot see what we are talking about because it takes faith to make that first step. They laugh at this but faith is like receiving a new set of eyes that allows us to see colours and depths that we were never able to perceive before. This new set of eyes is called the Holy Spirit and without him we have nothing of God.
During the last supper in that upper room Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the Holy Spirit to his disciples. It was important that they at least have the knowledge of what was about to happen so that when it did happen they would understand. It is like studying the plans and map of a roller coaster. You can have the knowledge of the theory of what it will be like but you don't really understand until you have the experience of riding it. Jesus told his disciples:
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:15-18)
This is the proof we have of Jesus but that proof is for our own assurance and comfort when the world comes against us, because the world cannot accept him. How can the world accept what it cannot see or know? The Spirit is our Comforter, assuring us of the presence and promises of Jesus, but he is so much more:
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:25-27)
The world asks, "How do you know? How can you be sure? Give us proof?" We know because the Spirit teaches us and brings to our mind what it is that Jesus taught and what Jesus did. The only way we can doubt Jesus is if we totally ignore the Holy Spirit who has been sent to empower and equip us for the mission we have in this place.
Jesus left the upper room with his disciples but he continued to teach. At one point he was explaining why the world would hate them and he told them:
“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26-27)
We who are in Christ have all experienced this testimony of the Holy Spirit, that moment when suddenly you knew that Jesus was real and he indeed died for our salvation. The Spirit testifies to the truth of all this directly to sinners' hearts. We add our testimony to this as well so that the person has a choice to believe or to walk away. But for that moment the Spirit lifts the veil and speaks the truth to them. And with this truth comes conviction:
“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." (John 16:5-11)
Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit and without him our conscience is seared and we are left to the depravities of our nature. Man is totally lost without the Creator of heaven and earth. Left to our own we will sink even further into the dark depths of our depraved nature. We are twisted and sick and an enemy of God. But the Holy Spirit has been given so that the light would be held up to reveal the darkness so that we understand the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, the Holy and the common.
Jesus gave one last bit of teaching on the Counselor whom he would be sending to birth the Church:
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.(John 16:12-15)
It is a big deal that he will guide us into all truth, taking from Jesus and making it known to us. He tells us what is yet to come. We are not meant to be blind in this age but we have eyes to perceive and to understand because of the Holy Spirit. We do not have to stumble around in the dark and guess at what is to come because the Holy Spirit is telling us what is to come.
We act as if we are on our own, having to make this up as we go along, as if we have to come up with the plans. We act as if the Holy Spirit is nothing more than God's presence with us, rubber stamping any plans and ideas we come up with. He is our Counselor, our Guide, Jesus' voice and hand in our lives. He directs us and teaches us and gives to us directly from Jesus. There is no need for us to make wrong turns based on our own limitations. We have no limitations when we are dependent on the Spirit. Somehow I think we have forgotten all of this and acknowledge the existence of the Spirit but totally ignore who he is and what he does.
To be possessed and guided by the Holy Spirit is not an option. The letters of the apostles who served Jesus by the Holy Spirit testify to this importance but I want to conclude with one simple verse we find in Paul's letter to the Romans:
You, 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. (Romans 8:9)
Can't be stated any plainer. Do you understand that Jesus took precious time in his last moments to teach this to his disciples so that they would understand what was happening when it would happen? This is important; important enough that if we deny the Spirit we deny Jesus. My prayer is that the Church would wake up to what Jesus has made available to us through the Comforter, Counselor, Guide. He is a great gift that Jesus sent to us, a gift that is essential for us to accept and live by the righteousness he brings to us. We were never meant to go it alone so don't try it. Submit to the Spirit. Jesus told us to ask for him and he would send him. First he comes as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. But there is also a baptism when he comes into us in power. It's that power we need. Why not discover the power that has been made available to you to live for his glory?
Much of the world cannot understand the Church, the followers of Jesus Christ. Why would we believe in a god when there is no undeniable proof. We know we have undeniable proof by the Spirit of Christ in us but the world cannot see what we are talking about because it takes faith to make that first step. They laugh at this but faith is like receiving a new set of eyes that allows us to see colours and depths that we were never able to perceive before. This new set of eyes is called the Holy Spirit and without him we have nothing of God.
During the last supper in that upper room Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the Holy Spirit to his disciples. It was important that they at least have the knowledge of what was about to happen so that when it did happen they would understand. It is like studying the plans and map of a roller coaster. You can have the knowledge of the theory of what it will be like but you don't really understand until you have the experience of riding it. Jesus told his disciples:
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:15-18)
This is the proof we have of Jesus but that proof is for our own assurance and comfort when the world comes against us, because the world cannot accept him. How can the world accept what it cannot see or know? The Spirit is our Comforter, assuring us of the presence and promises of Jesus, but he is so much more:
“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:25-27)
The world asks, "How do you know? How can you be sure? Give us proof?" We know because the Spirit teaches us and brings to our mind what it is that Jesus taught and what Jesus did. The only way we can doubt Jesus is if we totally ignore the Holy Spirit who has been sent to empower and equip us for the mission we have in this place.
Jesus left the upper room with his disciples but he continued to teach. At one point he was explaining why the world would hate them and he told them:
“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:26-27)
We who are in Christ have all experienced this testimony of the Holy Spirit, that moment when suddenly you knew that Jesus was real and he indeed died for our salvation. The Spirit testifies to the truth of all this directly to sinners' hearts. We add our testimony to this as well so that the person has a choice to believe or to walk away. But for that moment the Spirit lifts the veil and speaks the truth to them. And with this truth comes conviction:
“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." (John 16:5-11)
Conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit and without him our conscience is seared and we are left to the depravities of our nature. Man is totally lost without the Creator of heaven and earth. Left to our own we will sink even further into the dark depths of our depraved nature. We are twisted and sick and an enemy of God. But the Holy Spirit has been given so that the light would be held up to reveal the darkness so that we understand the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, the Holy and the common.
Jesus gave one last bit of teaching on the Counselor whom he would be sending to birth the Church:
“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.(John 16:12-15)
It is a big deal that he will guide us into all truth, taking from Jesus and making it known to us. He tells us what is yet to come. We are not meant to be blind in this age but we have eyes to perceive and to understand because of the Holy Spirit. We do not have to stumble around in the dark and guess at what is to come because the Holy Spirit is telling us what is to come.
We act as if we are on our own, having to make this up as we go along, as if we have to come up with the plans. We act as if the Holy Spirit is nothing more than God's presence with us, rubber stamping any plans and ideas we come up with. He is our Counselor, our Guide, Jesus' voice and hand in our lives. He directs us and teaches us and gives to us directly from Jesus. There is no need for us to make wrong turns based on our own limitations. We have no limitations when we are dependent on the Spirit. Somehow I think we have forgotten all of this and acknowledge the existence of the Spirit but totally ignore who he is and what he does.
To be possessed and guided by the Holy Spirit is not an option. The letters of the apostles who served Jesus by the Holy Spirit testify to this importance but I want to conclude with one simple verse we find in Paul's letter to the Romans:
You, 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. (Romans 8:9)
Can't be stated any plainer. Do you understand that Jesus took precious time in his last moments to teach this to his disciples so that they would understand what was happening when it would happen? This is important; important enough that if we deny the Spirit we deny Jesus. My prayer is that the Church would wake up to what Jesus has made available to us through the Comforter, Counselor, Guide. He is a great gift that Jesus sent to us, a gift that is essential for us to accept and live by the righteousness he brings to us. We were never meant to go it alone so don't try it. Submit to the Spirit. Jesus told us to ask for him and he would send him. First he comes as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. But there is also a baptism when he comes into us in power. It's that power we need. Why not discover the power that has been made available to you to live for his glory?
Monday, December 9, 2013
To Be A Producer Of The Kingdom Of God
Lord, I believe you want to bless me with riches so I am trusting that you are going to help me win the lottery. Lord, I believe you want to bless me with an easy life so I am trusting you are going to make all my problems disappear. Lord, I believe you want to bless me with fame so I am trusting that you are going to overlook the things I have to do to get there.
Sounds ridiculous to me. How about you? Yet so often it is our attitude as we make God into our own personal genie. We seem to have missed the point that the Christian life is about producing, not consuming. Where did we go wrong with what Jesus taught us? How did we get is so twisted? Jesus stated:
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. (John 15:5)
I find this whole passage to be one of the most profound in John's purpose of revealing the incredible relationship Jesus made possible between us, Jesus, the Spirit and the Father. Yes, I could simply say God but I want to make this a little more personal than the title "God" allows.
We have the purpose of remaining in Jesus, allowing him to remain in us and to be producers. The emphasis has to be on all three here because our purpose is to produce but we can't do it unless we remain in Jesus and he in us. But let me also point this out to show just how important it is to produce:
My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples. (John 15:8)
How wrong we are to believe that God's desire is to make us comfortable here. Jesus did not take on the torturous cross so we could be comfortable but instead so that we could spend eternity with our Father. We are here so that our faith would be developed, to mature spiritually, to become producers as mature citizens of the Kingdom. It is the selfishness of our sin nature that pushes us to be consumers, to take from God and consume the seed he has given us instead of sowing it as we are intended to do. But that is only part of the issue.
We would understand our place so much more if we would but remain in Jesus and allow him to remain in us. We can't do anything without him. Sure, we can produce great things according to this world but with no value in the world to come. Jesus told us to "lay up" our treasures in heaven where nothing can touch them. The principle is so simple but we often complicate the application.
We complicate it by never really dying to ourselves. The things of the sinful nature we died to still lick at us, producing selfishness, envy, conceit, unforgiveness, hate, depression. These things and so much more are produced in a life that is not found in Jesus and in which Jesus has no part. So before we can become producers who glorify the Father, we have to possess Jesus and be possessed by him.
This is not a self-will endeavor. It is not accomplished by intellectual pursuit. It cannot be grasped by an unspiritual mind. It cannot be helped by psychology or science. It is born of the conviction of the Holy Spirit who plants a seed in us that we must desire. "Seek my face" God told a disobedient nation, "and you will find me." God gives us the desire for him but we have to act on it. He convicts us but we have to act on it. Jesus has shown us the way "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me" but we have to desire it. In desiring it the Spirit will do all that is necessary for us to die to ourselves with great joy as we are possessed by the only one who truly loves us.
We have to be possessed by Jesus and not our selfish desires in order to fulfill our purpose of being producers. Examine your day; it should be quite easy to tell what you are and if you find you are something you don't want to be, you know what to do to see it changed.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Being Hated Is Not Abnormal
What were your expectations when you accepted Jesus? I guess that depends on what you were being told at the time. It is unfortunate that we are not always forthcoming in our desire to see people accept the salvation Jesus offers. After all, salvation is of far greater worth than anything in this world. Regretfully it means some people have wrong expectations, but that is not Jesus' fault. He made it clear what we should expect:
If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you don’t belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you. Remember how I told you that servants are not greater than their master. So if people mistreat me, they will mistreat you. (John 15:18-20)
Not exactly what we start with when we are presenting Jesus to someone, but it is the truth. It is not God's desire but is the natural result when you have a righteous, holy people living among rebellious nations. The nature of this world is rebellion; rebellion against God and all things connected to God. We read this scripture:
Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)
"Do your best" has also been translated as "as far as it depends on you". Peace requires an agreement between two parties but as long as there is rebellion against God there can be no peace. We try but don't be disappointed when you find people at odds with you. Don't be surprised when people don't want to be your friend and they hate you for unreasonable reasons. It is not so much you as it is the Christ in you that makes their rebellion obvious. They don't want to be reminded that there is a right and wrong in the world, and your life is a reminder.
Apostle Paul didn't beat around the bush when he wrote to Timothy:
Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. (2 Timothy 3:12)
We don't want trouble, we don't look for it and we don't enjoy it when it happens but neither should we be surprised. The important thing is to allow the Spirit to direct you in these times and don't allow your flesh to dictate the day. How you handle trouble may the biggest sermon you ever preach. It may be exactly what people need to see to know that your faith in Jesus is real. The Word says that God uses all things and we need to handle all circumstances in our lives with such a faith.
Always, always, always remember that it isn't about us. If you feel offended you had better examine your heart again because it doesn't sound like your dead enough. Our life is no longer ours so how can we be offended. If someone comes against us they are actually coming against Jesus and I think Jesus can defend his own. We have not been given to defend ourselves but instead to stand our ground. We are given words and abilities to fight for those who are coming against us. Yes, we fight for them because we love those who hate us and we pray for those who persecute us. That is what Jesus told us to do.
Following Jesus requires a lot more than singing worship songs. It requires faithfulness and obedience at all times, in all things. We live for Jesus not for ourselves and we will face whatever we must in his authority. That's why we can keep on singing, keep on dancing, keep on loving and forgiving even as the stones are thrown and the whips come down. We are not of those who grow weary and fall away but in the strength and the joy of our Lord we press on.
If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you don’t belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you. Remember how I told you that servants are not greater than their master. So if people mistreat me, they will mistreat you. (John 15:18-20)
Not exactly what we start with when we are presenting Jesus to someone, but it is the truth. It is not God's desire but is the natural result when you have a righteous, holy people living among rebellious nations. The nature of this world is rebellion; rebellion against God and all things connected to God. We read this scripture:
Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)
"Do your best" has also been translated as "as far as it depends on you". Peace requires an agreement between two parties but as long as there is rebellion against God there can be no peace. We try but don't be disappointed when you find people at odds with you. Don't be surprised when people don't want to be your friend and they hate you for unreasonable reasons. It is not so much you as it is the Christ in you that makes their rebellion obvious. They don't want to be reminded that there is a right and wrong in the world, and your life is a reminder.
Apostle Paul didn't beat around the bush when he wrote to Timothy:
Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. (2 Timothy 3:12)
We don't want trouble, we don't look for it and we don't enjoy it when it happens but neither should we be surprised. The important thing is to allow the Spirit to direct you in these times and don't allow your flesh to dictate the day. How you handle trouble may the biggest sermon you ever preach. It may be exactly what people need to see to know that your faith in Jesus is real. The Word says that God uses all things and we need to handle all circumstances in our lives with such a faith.
Always, always, always remember that it isn't about us. If you feel offended you had better examine your heart again because it doesn't sound like your dead enough. Our life is no longer ours so how can we be offended. If someone comes against us they are actually coming against Jesus and I think Jesus can defend his own. We have not been given to defend ourselves but instead to stand our ground. We are given words and abilities to fight for those who are coming against us. Yes, we fight for them because we love those who hate us and we pray for those who persecute us. That is what Jesus told us to do.
Following Jesus requires a lot more than singing worship songs. It requires faithfulness and obedience at all times, in all things. We live for Jesus not for ourselves and we will face whatever we must in his authority. That's why we can keep on singing, keep on dancing, keep on loving and forgiving even as the stones are thrown and the whips come down. We are not of those who grow weary and fall away but in the strength and the joy of our Lord we press on.
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