The Cost Of Intimacy

 I was reading through Daniel this morning. It's always a great time in Daniel. Many people look at his life in amazement and consider key moments like the lion's den for life lessons. But the lion's den was only the fruit of something more incredible.

I am always amazed at his visions and how he moved about and interacted in these key spiritual moments. His visions/dreams were astounding and much was shown to him. His fame was because he was a dream interpreter, but it was the Lord who explained to him the dreams. But this too is only a fruit of something even more incredible.

There are people who wish they had the same ability to interpret dreams and receive such incredible visions. There are others who wish they could have the strength of faith that Daniel demonstrated. People wish for it but are not willing to pay the price.

"Pay the price" isn't really the best way to say this but there is a cost involved with having the intimacy with Yahweh that Daniel had. The cost is time. Friendship requires an investment of time. Daniel spent a lot of time with Yahweh in prayer and this relationship created sensitivity toward Yahweh.

Daniel's experiences were the fruit of his intimacy and intimacy developed with the time he spent "hanging out" with Yahweh. If we want intimacy, sensitivity, openness with Father it will require one of the greatest sacrifices in this age : time.

This is our great challenge because our society has been very good at developing distractions. There are many "minute robbers" throughout the day. Little things of little value that eat up our time so we have the sense of being busy, convincing ourselves us that we do not have time for Father's priorities. These priorities are simple to understand : love him and love each other. It is hard to love the things we do not value enough to give priority to.

I'm talking to the man in the mirror here. It is so easy to give priority to the distractions without knowing we are doing it. If we kept track of a day in our life and figured out where we were using our time, we may discover that what we value does not match up with what Father values. It may match in our thinking but not in our actions and it requires actions to move into the intimacy we desire.

If we really desire the awareness of the "oneness" that Jesus spoke about, we would start with a simple change of blocking out more time to "hang out" with Dad. Start there and see what it leads to.

Christianity Is Not Cheap

We live in a world where the great message is that you can be and do whatever you want. Gone are the absolutes; the absolute good and the absolute evil. Now is a time of acceptance, tolerance, accommodating, respect, and broad-mindedness. We are an open society that says, "As long as it isn't hurting anyone you can do whatever you want". And it is in this environment that people create a god after their own image.

If that's what you want then go ahead but don't call yourself Christian while doing it. Christianity is not a "do what you want" religion. It is not a feel good system. It is not a something that has been developed and proclaimed based on people's opinions. It is not cheap; not by a long shot.

Christianity was birthed in the blood of our Saviour who gave his all so that we could be offered it all. It has continued in the blood of those who gave their all in return, who were not afraid of death and who refused to compromise on the truth. They sought nothing for themselves in this world because they had already received everything through Jesus Christ.

Christianity is not shaped and molded by popular thinking. It is not impacted by society. It continues on the foundation of the Bible, the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures that are the only revelation Yahweh has given of himself. It doesn't matter if you hold a different opinion. You are free to have your opinion but if it goes against the revelation of God then it is not Christian but remains your opinion.

As a follower of Jesus, centered on a relationship with him, we stand on the Word of God. If not, we stand on nothing, just a thought or opinion, which doesn't amount to much. Keep in mind that as a follower of Jesus our reality is summed up in this statement:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. This life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself to me." (Galatians 2:20)

If we don't start with this then we are trying to follow principles without a relationship with the giver of those principles. It doesn't matter how good you are in following those principles, if you can't testify that your life exists only in Jesus, then there is no eternal value in what you do. Salvation does not come from what you do but from relationship with Jesus. What we do comes from this relationship but the relationship starts when we accept that Jesus died for us so our rebellion against Yahweh could be forgiven and now offers us life through him, in relationship.

Christianity is different from all other offerings out there and it costs everything. It is not cheap. It does not allow you to do what you want. It involves your death and a new life through Jesus. This is Christianity. Anything else is false and has no eternal value at all.

What To Do With The Broken Relationships In Our Lives

There is nothing more important in your life than relationships. At times we may lose sight of that fact as we become overwhelmed with school, work, illnesses, stresses, finances, sin but it remains a solid truth. You can have all the money in the world, all the toys, all the knowledge; you could have all the spiritual gifts and a great ability to communicate with people, but without love you have nothing and you are nothing. In the end the only thing that counts are the people you love and those you tried to love. Mother, father, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, wife, children, friends; but the most important of all is Jesus. Without his love you are completely lost.

Relationships require some special ingredients to work in our throw-away society. Too often we are prepared to throw away relationships that don't seem to be working, that somehow got broken. But we know from Jesus' perspective that relationships are worth pursuing at all cost and that with the special ingredients he supplies everything can be repaired. The ingredients are simple.

It starts with love. Not the Hallmark love but the trench warfare love. The love that says, no matter the cost, you will protect your buddy's life, the guy who is fighting beside you. You might not like some parts of his character but in the fight you have come to appreciate each other, despite the differences, and you would give your life to protect and defend him as he would for you. Love is a decision and from this applied decision other things begin to spring up.

Relationships grow strong where their is a decided reaction of forgiveness. No matter what your friends, or even your enemies, do to offend you, that relationship is so important to you that forgiveness covers over anything that offends. Love also demands vulnerability, a willingness to be hurt, trusting that Jesus repairs the heart. This means you take actions of trust even if the other person's idea of love may not be perfect. You decide to trust and live with the consequences. Wow, does this ever fly in the face of what is being taught today. Love is a risk but the rewards are so great that it does not matter.

Where am I getting this from? Watching Jesus. It is what he did for us. We were his enemies and he threw himself into our arms. He loved us from the start and because of that love he chose to forgive us even though we did not merit it. There are a lot of broken relationships in your life that do not merit your forgiveness, but they have enough value that they are worth the price of forgiving.

When Jesus allowed himself to be nailed to the cross there were no guarantees that anyone would respond to his sacrifice. He hoped, he trusted, he longed for us to respond, and many have. But many more have not. Most of the world has rejected his love, his forgiveness, his grace. Imagine the hurt he feels from this after all he did. But he considered relationship with us to be worth the risk of the sacrifice. Some of the broken relationships in your life will not be repaired despite your step of trust and vulnerability. There are those who have allowed their hearts to grow cold toward you, but don't let the brokenness remain due to your lack of effort and love. No one can accuse Jesus of not doing enough because he did it all.

There is a verse in Lamentations that we use a lot because it gives each day a sense of new hope. In context this it what it says:

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!” (3:22-24)

It speaks of the great love of Yahweh for his people. Those people are us. In the fulfillment of his promise he sent Jesus to represent his love and forgiveness. It is because of his mercies that we are not consumed. His compassion for us never fails, even though we often fail in the relationship. He renews this relationship every morning as we open our eyes. His faithfulness to his promises, to us, is beyond words. We say it time and again: Jesus is our everything; he is our portion; our promise; our hope. And in this relationship of love he told us, "love as I have loved you".

How can we accept such incredible love, demonstrating to us how real relationship works, and then not love people in our lives in the same manner? It doesn't matter who broke the relationship, it only matters how we respond to the brokenness. You aren't responsible for how they react to you and if it is rejection then it is rejection, but you never give up. You never walk away. You love even if they become your enemy. There is a cost to love without there always being a benefit. That is the nature of Jesus' love. Relationships are all that matter and Jesus' relationship with us is the foundation in our life from which we build all other relationships. Doesn't matter if you like it; it is fact. Now are you mature enough to act on that fact?

Revive Us O Lord!

A lot of people like the idea of Jesus. They like the thought of someone loving them unconditionally. They like the thought that someone loved them enough to suffer and die for them. They like the thought of Jesus being with them, of him promising never to leave them alone. There are a lot of great promises that come with following Jesus.

Those of us who are in Jesus also like the thought of spiritual revival. We like the thought of "dry bones" having new life breathed into them, taking on new flesh. We like the thought of filled churches and lively meetings. We like the thought of the fire of the Holy Spirit flowing across our nations. We like the thought, but these two things have something in common that we really don't like: Work.

I don't mean work in the sense that we have to do a lot of good works to have salvation or a lot of door knocking or phone calls to make for revival. Those two activities have nothing to do with anything, even though we might think they do. You might think you want to follow Jesus but when you realize the transformation that will take place and the things that will change, and the things the Spirit will convict you of - unless your response is a love response- you won't go the distance.

You might like the thought of revival but when you realize the transformation that will take place, the house cleaning that will happen, the changes the Spirit will bring about, the amount of time in prayer and Bible study, the hit to your reputation - unless it is a heart response - you won't go the distance. Revival involves repentance and repentance is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the letting go of everything that is contrary to the character of Jesus. Most of us say we want revival with our lips but we fear it with our hearts because we are comfortable and we don`t want to become uncomfortable.

The greatest revival that took place in the Scriptures was under the leadership of king Josiah, and it started with the reading of the holy Scriptures. It brought to an end people doing what they thought best. It ended all other opinions. It revealed the truth to the people and it scared them. The truth of Scripture scares people, it wakes them up, it confronts them with the evil of our heart compared to the holiness of our God. There will be no revival if we keep avoiding the truth of the Word.

The second step of this king was to make a covenant with Yahweh, in front of the entire nation, to keep his commandments. The worship of Yahweh had not stopped but the relationship had. This was a renewal of holiness, of relationship, of obedience of action. And all the people joined with their king.

Then this king, who sought Yahweh with all his heart, started cleaning house. He purged and cleansed the temple. He renewed the priests and tore down every idol, every high place, desecrating them so they could never be used again. He purged the land of anything that offended Yahweh and re-dedicated the land and the people to be wholly Yahweh`s.

Then the king brought back the worship celebrations and the festivals of remembrance, giving praise and thanksgiving for all the things Yahweh had ever done for his people. At the same time he got rid of the spirituality that took people in the wrong direction, mediums and spiritists. He got rid of the national places of false worship but also cleansed the land of all household gods and idols. He called the whole nation to repentance. And Scriptures say this of king Josiah:

Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. (2 Kings 23:25)

One man`s spiritual revival changed the atmosphere of an entire nation but consider the work that was involved. Don`t think for a moment that when you turn back to Jesus with all your heart that all the pieces will simply fall right back into place. There is a lot of house cleaning that takes place after, as the Lord moves in to take what you have freely offered. The great thing is, if you have truly turned to the Lord with all your heart, you have done it in love, and you are only too glad to do the house cleaning, just like Josiah.

As our nations turn their backs on Jesus, as churches do what they think is best, as the Holy Scriptures lay gathering dust, it is going to take men and women who desire Jesus with all their heart, who are not afraid of revival, who are willing to do some house cleaning, who will renew their covenant, who will walk in holiness, to keep the Light of Jesus burning bright in the falling darkness. Are you afraid of a little work?

Absolute Truth Exists, It Is Not A Fairy Tale

Whatever you want to do and whatever you want to think, you can find an app for that. You can find anything you want on the Internet, to back up anything you want to believe. So many of us think that the Internet is a great source for trusted knowledge on all sorts of things, but it isn't. It is a great source of opinions, thoughts and ideas, but it doesn't mean that any of it is true.

As Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked the rhetorical question, "What is truth?" Pilate had experienced many different cultures and knew well the inner workings of his own government. He was a man who had become cynical of all things so it was difficult for him to see Truth even though he stood right in front of him. It is the same way for many of us who have become overwhelmed by the choices of opinion that are available to us every day. The thing is, there are not many choices but an actual absolute truth that exists.

Absolute truth flies in the face of what our society has decided to embrace. There is no right or wrong any more. We adjust to accommodate every form of belief and practice and we are getting to the point of outlawing the ability to speak against certain beliefs. It is no longer a matter of tolerance; we now have to actually agree. Careful Christians, the last days are upon us.

In instructing Timothy to stay faithful to the correct teaching from the Word, Paul warned him:

The time is coming when people won’t listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Welcome to the end. These days are upon us. They have been for a long time but now we live in an age when technology is speeding up the process. People can easily access what their itchy ears want to hear. People can believe what they want, they have that freedom, but it doesn't change the truth. Let me remind you, we are speaking of the Church here and not the world. It is beginning in the Church that to present the truth is going to cost the presenter. Paul charged Timothy:

But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job well. (v. 5)

To present the truth in our world today is going to cost more than at any other time. Truths of God's Word are on the verge of being outlawed. You can speak anything else you want but don't present the truth. When you do, watch the barrage of attacks you get because it is no longer enough to tolerate, you must actually agree with sin (not that we were ever permitted to tolerate it). But Paul said we must be willing to suffer to bring the truth. It is hard work and not an easy thing but we have the responsibility to teach it and live it.

Are you willing to lose it all, even your life, to bring the good news to those who are condemned by choice?

The Weight Of The Cross

Pilate has questioned him. Herod has dismissed him. The crowd has rejected him. The soldiers have beaten him. Now he carries the cross.

Perhaps at the darkest moments of our lives we have imagined such cruelty on our worse enemies, but on the innocent?

Jesus never got involved in politics. He didn't seem to care who held power in Israel. He didn't try to become king. In fact, he avoided it, leaving when he thought the crowd was going to force it on him. He didn't fault the Pharisees for trying to keep the traditions from being diluted by the powerful Greek culture. His problem with them was only that they allowed such traditions to take priority over people's relationship with God.

Jesus was an innocent. A man feared by the powerful because of his innocence and purity. And here he walked, beaten, almost to death, exhausted, no strength left, forced to carry this cruel instrument of death. He was a dead man walking.

But even in this there was no peace.

Even in this he was taunted, spat on, despised. No rest for the wicked. But he was the opposite of wicked. He was the essence of goodness and love.

Here he was an innocent. A victim of Rome? A victim of the Jews? Hardly! They had no authority over him, except for what his Father gave them.

Yes, Jesus chose the Father's will over his own. This was his Father's doing. This was the way of redemption for all of creation. The only way.

So on he went. To do his Father's will. Because he loved his Father and obedience, even in death, was never a second thought.

How much did you say you love Jesus? Enough to bey him?

Thank you for the cross. May I have as much determination, love and selflessness to carry my own.

What Will This Day Be To You?

The betrayal has happened. The arrest took place. His disciples have all scattered. He stands alone. He has been questioned by the high priest. He has already been beaten. And now Peter has disowned him. He stands alone.

There is still a long day ahead for him. There is still Pilot.There is still Herod. There is still the beatings, the whips, the mocking, the condemnation. And at the end of it there is the cross. There is death.

Every step he takes is one step closer. Every breath he takes is a breath closer.

"Not my will but yours be done."

It was about his Father's will. It was always about his Father's will. He would do anything for his Father, who he loved and trusted. Jesus set the example for us.

He prayed it. He lived it. He walked in it. And now he stands alone. He stands alone to face what we should have and he did it because his Father willed it. He willed it for us, so we would never have to face it.

Will today be just another day for you? A holiday? A day to sleep in? Maybe just another day of work? Nothing special?

This is Crucifixion Day. This is the day that marks the moment the Creator went to bat for the creation. This is the day we mark, the day Jesus gave his all so we could receive God's all. Walk with him through it today.

At this moment Jesus stood alone but he stands alone no longer. Today he sits at the right hand of the Father and we are seated there with him; his Bride; the Church he redeemed by his blood. But it didn't come cheap. It came with the price of the cross. Let it be a day of praise as we rejoice in the goodness of our God.

The Gospel For Which I Suffer

Have you figured out your belief system yet? I get to meet people every day who are without Jesus but who have a belief system. We may call it a philosophy for living or any number of things but it comes down to the belief by which you live your life. If you believe that "what goes around comes around" you will make sure that you are giving out good stuff to receive good stuff. If you believe that purpose is found in how many toys you buy in life, then your life will be up and down according to what you can afford. If you believe that Jesus Christ died so that you could have life then your life is going to be based on serving Jesus.

The problem is that what we believe is not always what we live. I hear that every day as well. I hear people rationalizing why it is okay to steal from the government. But if you believe in "what goes around comes around" then you should expect to suffer the consequences for theft. Funny how people aren't willing to take their believes that far. Unfortunately either are many Christians.

Paul wrote to Timothy :

"This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal." (2 Timothy 2:8-9)

Paul lived by the conviction and calling of the Holy Spirit. He preached what he was taught by the Spirit and he paid the price for it. He was beat, stoned, rejected, arrested and treated like "public enemy number one" by  Israel. But he wasn't surprised. Why would he be? Jesus told him this is exactly what would happen. He told us all. So why do we complain. In fact, why are we surprised? But that really isn't my question today.

Today I am asking why we don't live according to the belief we profess? Why don't we live by the example Jesus set for us? I don't mean the moral living but the Holy Spirit empowered life that Jesus showed us how to live. Yes, a life of grace, mercy and compassion but also a life filled with the power to see things happen. A life that will face whatever the cost in order to fulfill the belief that Jesus is truth.

"Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me."

We say it,we believe it but are we willing to live it beyond the suffering that it can provoke in our life? Christianity goes far beyond a code we live by and demands nothing less than our all, even if that all is the air we breathe. Anything less is not good enough. Jesus is not Gandhi. Jesus is not Buddha. He is not Mohammed. He is not a teacher of some philosophy or religion. Jesus is our life and we cannot deny that which gives us life. We stick with him no matter the cost because the life he has given is eternal. We could never bring ourselves to deny him, ever, for whatever reason.

There is a reason told us that if we are ashamed of him in front of men he will be ashamed of us in front of his Father. If we are ashamed of him it means we don't believe him. If we don't believe him why should we expect anything from him? Why would we expect to receive the promise of eternity with him? Yet, if we do believe him then our life should reflect that fact. Our life should be an example of faith, power and conviction.If our passion for him does not surpass the passion this world has for many things then we have not even begun to understand his love and our relationship with him.

So I ask you, is your belief enough to go all the way, no matter what it may cost? Understand, those are the followers Jesus will honour.