Man, things are as confusing in the Church as they are in the world. As people attack the Word and decide to ignore some areas and lift up others, it become unbalanced. If you poke holes in your ship you are going to sink. If you say that God's Word is not God's Word or that there are sections we can just ignore then we have to ask ourselves, by what do I base my faith?
The first level of understanding is quite simple. Here it is:
The Father loves the Son and has given him everything. Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever. (John 3:35-36)
So there you have it, if you believe in Jesus you have eternal life. If you don't believe, you continue on the road to your destruction. You don't get eternal life with Jesus. We know this as justification, the thing Jesus did for us that we can't do for ourselves. I think most people accept this fundamental understanding.
Where we have lots of confusion is in the actual relationship, the growing up part, the maturing. what we call sanctification. This is when we are being transformed by the Spirit into the character of Jesus, the character of a child of Yahweh. It is when we start looking like daddy. Without getting into the advanced stuff, there are a few things Jesus told us that should at least point us in the right direction. First:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. (Matthew 22:37-40)
This is simple in principle but the real challenge is to avoid the world's definition of love, to grasp what Jesus meant by love. Hopefully as we grow in intimacy with Jesus we are also growing in our revelation of love. What Jesus is saying here is if we follow these two commands we are fulfilling everything Father desires of us. There are tons of scriptures that act as measuring rods so we can see how we are progressing.
The second basic teaching from Jesus that points us in the right direction for spiritual growth is:
If you love me, you will do as I command. (John 14:15)
A little later on Jesus repeats himself but expands on it:
If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like. (John 14:21)
And this is where the most confusion comes it. We have been called to obedience, not self thought. We have been called to obedience, not self-will. He didn't tell us to do whatever we think is best. Jesus held up the authority of Scripture and said he didn't come to abolish it but to fulfill it. Our responsibility is to learn what Jesus taught and do those things.
When we try to interpret Jesus' words for ourselves or when we search the Scriptures to justify our own thinking and desires, we will always run into trouble. The trouble will always be our flesh, the part of us still anchored in this world. It will always gravitate to selfishness and that is a lot of what we are seeing in the Church today. There is out and out rebellion against the authority of the Scriptures, which means rebellion against Jesus..
Jesus told us he was giving us the Holy Spirit as our teacher, comforter, corrector, the one who brings conviction. In order to walk in obedience we need to learn to hear his voice and be determined to walk with him and not ourselves. We have to not trust our flesh and only trust what the Spirit is teaching because he is training us and transforming us for eternal glory. He does this through the Scripture so we need to know the Scripture. But as long as we want what we want we will never learn to walk in obedience to all of Jesus' instructions.
So, on paper, and in theory, it is simple because Jesus has done all the work and all we need to do is cooperate with the Spirit and grow up. It is our flesh that complicates it and requires us to put in a lot more effort than what we have been doing. However, if you are meditating on the Word day and night, learning to pray in relationship every day, and are developing a rich worship privately and corporately, everything else will fall in place. You will see a great abundance produced through you for the benefit of others because Father is glorified when much fruit is produced through you. It is his desire for you.
Throw off the confusion and walk in obedience with the Spirit, in the truth of the Word, and amazing things are going to happen.
Showing posts with label rejection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rejection. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Passion Week: A Cautionary Tale
It should be no surprise that Jesus spent much of his last few remaining days teaching the most important lessons about the Kingdom as well as warning those who refused to see the truth. These leaders, who were plotting his death, were steeped in their traditions. The society of the Pharisees had taken on the responsibility of promoting and defending the Law and traditions of Israel. They were trying to preserve the Jewish identity in a sea of Greek and Roman culture. Their focus was so great that they had willingly become the enemies of Yahweh as they rejected the Messiah, the Son of God. They could only see him as a threat to their way of life; to their traditions..
Let this be a cautionary tale then to those of us who have been raised in the Church since infancy, that sometimes we do not recognize the hand of Yahweh because of the traditions and thinking of man. As we look at a few of these teachings over the next couple of days I pray that we will allow the Holy Spirit to give us fresh eyes to see what many of us have been missing.
So far, since Jesus has entered Jerusalem he has chased the merchants out of the temple and has been healing people right in the face of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So they did what would come natural to any of us, they asked Jesus for proof of his authority. Instead of answering right away Jesus challenged them:
“I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” (Mark 11:29-30)
They weren't expecting this. This one simple question put them in a bind because of two opposing problems. John was a prophet of the people, the first prophet in the land of Israel for a very long time. Everyone considered him a prophet, respected him and held him up. If the Pharisees turned on John, denying him as a prophet they would lose the support of the people. However, if they agreed John was a prophet sent by Yahweh they would be admitting that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God because that is what John the prophet had declared. So they chose the route of silence, but Jesus didn't.
Although Jesus did not answer their questions directly he did tell them three parables all aimed at the leadership of Israel, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Chief Priest.
In the first parable Jesus told of two sons who were asked by their father to do something. The first said no, but later he changed his mind and obeyed. The second said yes but never actually did it. Jesus asked them which was the obedient son. The Pharisees, not seeing the point, answered quickly that it was the first. Jesus then hit them with this:
“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." (Matthew 21:31-32)
I think many of us will be surprised to see who gets in and who is turned away on the Day of the LORD. So many people in the Church are relying on traditions and good works and rejecting the true invitation from Jesus, but Father judges the heart. If we don't love Jesus more than everything else, even more than our traditions, then we are lost. We need to check ourselves daily and guard the truth that the only way to the Father is through the Son.
Jesus then continued with a parable about some tenants who had leased some land from a landowner. The owner had done all the work and the farmers only needed to tend the crops. When the landowner sent a servant to collect his portion the tenants turned him away, The landowner sent others and they were beaten. Finally he sent his son and the tenants foolishly thought this was an opportunity to steal the land for themselves so killed the son. Jesus asked the Pharisees what they thought the landowner would do next. Again they did not see the point of the parable and answered quickly that he would kill the tenants and rent it out to people who would honour him. Jesus then responded:
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (Matthew 21:43)
They finally realized Jesus was talking about them and wanted to arrest him but were afraid of the people, however, Jesus wasn't done with them yet. Finally he told them a parable to explain what the Kingdom of Heaven was like. A king was throwing a wedding banquet and had already sent invitations. It was a tradition to send two invitations. The first asked if you would be able to attend on a certain date and time. The second informed you that everything was ready and it was time to come. So the invitation being sent out now was to those who had already agreed to come. But the people refused to attend.
So the king rejected his preferred guests and invited anyone else who wanted to come so the banquet hall would be filled. At these weddings you never wore what you wanted to wear, there were specific wedding clothes. In this case it was a last minute invitation so the king would have provided, as a gift, the necessary clothing. However, when the king entered he found a guest still in his own clothes, having refused the kings gift, so the king had him removed from the wedding banquet. In conclusion Jesus gave the warning:
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)
For us these parables are all very clear. In this last one the original guests are the leaders of Israel and the nation herself. Those who were invited in their place are those who were not of these self-righteous leaders, who responded to the invitation. However, the only way we can accept the invitation and be in attendance is by shedding our old selves and accepting the new clothing of Jesus Christ.
The reason these teachings are important to us and that we should pay attention is that they clearly warn us against relying on traditions. There is only one way to the Father and it is through Jesus Christ. There is no religious system that will get us there, nothing we can do by our actions, no short cuts. There is only Jesus Christ and obedience to him which is provoked by love. We cannot rely on the traditions of our church or the faith of our parents or pastors, we must have our own relationship with Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords, Son of God, Saviour of the world. Our good upbringing doesn't matter. Our good deeds don't matter. Our church attendance doesn't matter. Only a vibrant, active relationship with Jesus does. All these other things spring up as the fruit produced from this relationship.
We need to be careful because Jesus warned that if we are not bearing the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit, in other words the fruit that is produced by a vibrant relationship with Jesus, we will be removed. Jesus warned that if the Father was willing to cut off the original branches from the vine we should realize that he will also cut off those branches he grafted in. These parables told in the last few days of his life should be a stark warning to us, a cautionary tale to take this relationship seriously. Where are you with Jesus today?
Let this be a cautionary tale then to those of us who have been raised in the Church since infancy, that sometimes we do not recognize the hand of Yahweh because of the traditions and thinking of man. As we look at a few of these teachings over the next couple of days I pray that we will allow the Holy Spirit to give us fresh eyes to see what many of us have been missing.
So far, since Jesus has entered Jerusalem he has chased the merchants out of the temple and has been healing people right in the face of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So they did what would come natural to any of us, they asked Jesus for proof of his authority. Instead of answering right away Jesus challenged them:
“I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” (Mark 11:29-30)
They weren't expecting this. This one simple question put them in a bind because of two opposing problems. John was a prophet of the people, the first prophet in the land of Israel for a very long time. Everyone considered him a prophet, respected him and held him up. If the Pharisees turned on John, denying him as a prophet they would lose the support of the people. However, if they agreed John was a prophet sent by Yahweh they would be admitting that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God because that is what John the prophet had declared. So they chose the route of silence, but Jesus didn't.
Although Jesus did not answer their questions directly he did tell them three parables all aimed at the leadership of Israel, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Chief Priest.
In the first parable Jesus told of two sons who were asked by their father to do something. The first said no, but later he changed his mind and obeyed. The second said yes but never actually did it. Jesus asked them which was the obedient son. The Pharisees, not seeing the point, answered quickly that it was the first. Jesus then hit them with this:
“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." (Matthew 21:31-32)
I think many of us will be surprised to see who gets in and who is turned away on the Day of the LORD. So many people in the Church are relying on traditions and good works and rejecting the true invitation from Jesus, but Father judges the heart. If we don't love Jesus more than everything else, even more than our traditions, then we are lost. We need to check ourselves daily and guard the truth that the only way to the Father is through the Son.
Jesus then continued with a parable about some tenants who had leased some land from a landowner. The owner had done all the work and the farmers only needed to tend the crops. When the landowner sent a servant to collect his portion the tenants turned him away, The landowner sent others and they were beaten. Finally he sent his son and the tenants foolishly thought this was an opportunity to steal the land for themselves so killed the son. Jesus asked the Pharisees what they thought the landowner would do next. Again they did not see the point of the parable and answered quickly that he would kill the tenants and rent it out to people who would honour him. Jesus then responded:
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (Matthew 21:43)
They finally realized Jesus was talking about them and wanted to arrest him but were afraid of the people, however, Jesus wasn't done with them yet. Finally he told them a parable to explain what the Kingdom of Heaven was like. A king was throwing a wedding banquet and had already sent invitations. It was a tradition to send two invitations. The first asked if you would be able to attend on a certain date and time. The second informed you that everything was ready and it was time to come. So the invitation being sent out now was to those who had already agreed to come. But the people refused to attend.
So the king rejected his preferred guests and invited anyone else who wanted to come so the banquet hall would be filled. At these weddings you never wore what you wanted to wear, there were specific wedding clothes. In this case it was a last minute invitation so the king would have provided, as a gift, the necessary clothing. However, when the king entered he found a guest still in his own clothes, having refused the kings gift, so the king had him removed from the wedding banquet. In conclusion Jesus gave the warning:
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)
For us these parables are all very clear. In this last one the original guests are the leaders of Israel and the nation herself. Those who were invited in their place are those who were not of these self-righteous leaders, who responded to the invitation. However, the only way we can accept the invitation and be in attendance is by shedding our old selves and accepting the new clothing of Jesus Christ.
The reason these teachings are important to us and that we should pay attention is that they clearly warn us against relying on traditions. There is only one way to the Father and it is through Jesus Christ. There is no religious system that will get us there, nothing we can do by our actions, no short cuts. There is only Jesus Christ and obedience to him which is provoked by love. We cannot rely on the traditions of our church or the faith of our parents or pastors, we must have our own relationship with Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords, Son of God, Saviour of the world. Our good upbringing doesn't matter. Our good deeds don't matter. Our church attendance doesn't matter. Only a vibrant, active relationship with Jesus does. All these other things spring up as the fruit produced from this relationship.
We need to be careful because Jesus warned that if we are not bearing the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit, in other words the fruit that is produced by a vibrant relationship with Jesus, we will be removed. Jesus warned that if the Father was willing to cut off the original branches from the vine we should realize that he will also cut off those branches he grafted in. These parables told in the last few days of his life should be a stark warning to us, a cautionary tale to take this relationship seriously. Where are you with Jesus today?
Monday, April 7, 2014
A Stumbling Block In Love
One of the hardest lessons I have to learn concerning love is my reaction to people. We know that we in ourselves are not capable of loving like Jesus loves us but he changes us so that he can love through us. This means we need to be aware of our weaknesses and submit those areas for change. The Spirit changes us but we are responsible to cooperate and submit to those changes. So one of those areas for me is how I respond when I am offended.
My reactions vary from the silent treatment, the inner brooding that eventually explodes at some point, or getting angry and removing myself from the situation. I will readily admit that when I have problems with this it is usually over how people receive a word of wisdom, an act of love or some other thing that I feel they should respond to in a certain way. I also think my reaction to this is at the lowest level of immaturity: "You won't play by my rules? Fine I will take my toys and go home." Yeah, that can be me.
I can find all kinds of excuses for it because it is how I react only a small portion of the time. I am usually really tired, sick, distracted or maybe a bit pressured over something. They might sound like reasonable excuses but in the Kingdom there are no excuses for a lack of love. Love turns the other cheek when offended. Love considers the other person more important than the offence. Love covers a multitude of sins.
The fact is that we are not responsible for how a person reacts to our love and kindness. We cannot and should not try to control people. In some ways it is not even about them but us acting in obedience to Jesus. If they reject our wisdom, our kindness, our love, our only reaction and responsibility is to continue loving them. Scripture says that love:
... does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil ... (1 Corinthians 13:5)
In this same passage it also says that love bears all things and endures all things. Jesus simply said that love turns the other cheek. It stands it's ground, leaves it self wide open and is simply present. I see it in Yahweh's instructions to Ezekiel.
Yahweh told Ezekiel that he was sending him to his stubborn people who were in constant rebellion against him. He told his prophet to go and speak his message to this people and he said:
Whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. (Ezekiel 2:5, Holman)
He warned his prophet not to be afraid of them or to be discouraged and to never rebel against his responsibilities. He was telling Ezekiel that it was not his responsibility to make the people obey. He was only the messenger and he must be faithful in discharging his duty. He was not responsible for their reaction to the message. It is in this same attitude we need to to apply Jesus' command to love as he has loved us. It is our responsibility to love and that responsibility does not change according to how people receive or react to us.
It doesn't matter if people discard us or look down on us. It doesn't matter if they walk all over us. It doesn't matter if they call us names or take away our rights. It doesn't matter if they completely disregard our kindness and goodness. The only correct and proper reaction to their rejection of love is to love them more; to turn the other cheek. This is what I am going to continue working on until I have submitted this area of my heart completely to the control of the Spirit. I am determined to be a prophet of love to a rebellious people.
My reactions vary from the silent treatment, the inner brooding that eventually explodes at some point, or getting angry and removing myself from the situation. I will readily admit that when I have problems with this it is usually over how people receive a word of wisdom, an act of love or some other thing that I feel they should respond to in a certain way. I also think my reaction to this is at the lowest level of immaturity: "You won't play by my rules? Fine I will take my toys and go home." Yeah, that can be me.
I can find all kinds of excuses for it because it is how I react only a small portion of the time. I am usually really tired, sick, distracted or maybe a bit pressured over something. They might sound like reasonable excuses but in the Kingdom there are no excuses for a lack of love. Love turns the other cheek when offended. Love considers the other person more important than the offence. Love covers a multitude of sins.
The fact is that we are not responsible for how a person reacts to our love and kindness. We cannot and should not try to control people. In some ways it is not even about them but us acting in obedience to Jesus. If they reject our wisdom, our kindness, our love, our only reaction and responsibility is to continue loving them. Scripture says that love:
... does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil ... (1 Corinthians 13:5)
In this same passage it also says that love bears all things and endures all things. Jesus simply said that love turns the other cheek. It stands it's ground, leaves it self wide open and is simply present. I see it in Yahweh's instructions to Ezekiel.
Yahweh told Ezekiel that he was sending him to his stubborn people who were in constant rebellion against him. He told his prophet to go and speak his message to this people and he said:
Whether they listen or refuse to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. (Ezekiel 2:5, Holman)
He warned his prophet not to be afraid of them or to be discouraged and to never rebel against his responsibilities. He was telling Ezekiel that it was not his responsibility to make the people obey. He was only the messenger and he must be faithful in discharging his duty. He was not responsible for their reaction to the message. It is in this same attitude we need to to apply Jesus' command to love as he has loved us. It is our responsibility to love and that responsibility does not change according to how people receive or react to us.
It doesn't matter if people discard us or look down on us. It doesn't matter if they walk all over us. It doesn't matter if they call us names or take away our rights. It doesn't matter if they completely disregard our kindness and goodness. The only correct and proper reaction to their rejection of love is to love them more; to turn the other cheek. This is what I am going to continue working on until I have submitted this area of my heart completely to the control of the Spirit. I am determined to be a prophet of love to a rebellious people.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Of Friends And Enemies
The world says "keep your friends close and your enemies closer". I hope your values come from a deeper place than that. I hope that your love for your friends come from a greater source. And I hope that your motivation for your enemies is much less selfish than this philosophy. But seriously, have you considered your friends lately? Are they friends because they contribute to you, because you get something from them, or because you have much to give to them? That is not saying that they don't contribute to you. In fact, it is God's desire that we contribute to each other from the resources he provides. But friendship cannot be a selfish thing.
I am not sure we really understand friendship like we once did. I could be wrong. Maybe you have friends who you love to give yourself to and who you would dearly miss if they were not around. If you have such friends then enjoy them while they are close because you may have times of separation when you will reflect on these times with fond memories, and they will be a source of encouragement. That is the sense I get as Paul writes to Timothy:
Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. (2 Timothy 1:4)
We can understand Paul's expression of longing for his friend when you keep in mind his situation. He had been cut off for a few years as he sat, imprisoned in Rome, waiting for his trial before Caesar. On top of this there had been a falling away of leadership. We read:
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. (2 Timothy 1:15)
At the end of the letter we read:
Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. (2 Timothy 4:9-10)
We will look at all this in detail later. It is enough to know that Paul was feeling alone and abandoned by those who he had trusted as brothers. Is it any wonder that he longed to see his friend, his son in the Lord, Timothy? He remembered the tears of his friend when they last parted. How hard it must have been for Paul who had given up everything in obedience to Jesus.
I don't think many of us can appreciate this sense of separation from those we love. Certainly there are times when we are separated from family and friends but we know we will see each other again. Perhaps the ones who can identify with Paul the most are those who leave family and friends to serve the Lord in dangerous places in this world. They leave all they know behind and have no assurance they will ever make it back. Try to imagine that feeling.
My point is, many of us do not have friends like this.We have friends but do we have friends who love us so much that there are tears at our parting? Do we give of ourselves to such a depth that they are like part of us? Do we think of those moments and feel that love, and long to have them close at hand? We should. That is the level of love and involvement that Jesus has brought us to, but it is our choice to let people in. We can be friends of sorts from a distance but real love risks pain and hurt. Real love is vulnerable and is prepared to be wounded. Real love takes it on the chin and refuses to keep a list.
Real love is a risk and friendship requires a vulnerability that many of us refuse to enter into. Perhaps it is the reason we are not very effective in sharing Jesus with others. We have to care enough to share. We have to love enough to take the risk. We have to love enough to open ourselves up to allow rejection. It is what Jesus did for us and then he commanded us to do the same for others.
Paul took that risk and in the end there were more `friends`who rejected him than who stood with him. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Where were all Jesus' "friends" as he hung on the cross? We must be friends to all people, investing our lives in others, taking the "risk" of complete rejection, and finding great joy in those who we have Jesus in common with. Take the risk,be a friend; it is well worth it.
I am not sure we really understand friendship like we once did. I could be wrong. Maybe you have friends who you love to give yourself to and who you would dearly miss if they were not around. If you have such friends then enjoy them while they are close because you may have times of separation when you will reflect on these times with fond memories, and they will be a source of encouragement. That is the sense I get as Paul writes to Timothy:
Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. (2 Timothy 1:4)
We can understand Paul's expression of longing for his friend when you keep in mind his situation. He had been cut off for a few years as he sat, imprisoned in Rome, waiting for his trial before Caesar. On top of this there had been a falling away of leadership. We read:
You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. (2 Timothy 1:15)
At the end of the letter we read:
Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. (2 Timothy 4:9-10)
We will look at all this in detail later. It is enough to know that Paul was feeling alone and abandoned by those who he had trusted as brothers. Is it any wonder that he longed to see his friend, his son in the Lord, Timothy? He remembered the tears of his friend when they last parted. How hard it must have been for Paul who had given up everything in obedience to Jesus.
I don't think many of us can appreciate this sense of separation from those we love. Certainly there are times when we are separated from family and friends but we know we will see each other again. Perhaps the ones who can identify with Paul the most are those who leave family and friends to serve the Lord in dangerous places in this world. They leave all they know behind and have no assurance they will ever make it back. Try to imagine that feeling.
My point is, many of us do not have friends like this.We have friends but do we have friends who love us so much that there are tears at our parting? Do we give of ourselves to such a depth that they are like part of us? Do we think of those moments and feel that love, and long to have them close at hand? We should. That is the level of love and involvement that Jesus has brought us to, but it is our choice to let people in. We can be friends of sorts from a distance but real love risks pain and hurt. Real love is vulnerable and is prepared to be wounded. Real love takes it on the chin and refuses to keep a list.
Real love is a risk and friendship requires a vulnerability that many of us refuse to enter into. Perhaps it is the reason we are not very effective in sharing Jesus with others. We have to care enough to share. We have to love enough to take the risk. We have to love enough to open ourselves up to allow rejection. It is what Jesus did for us and then he commanded us to do the same for others.
Paul took that risk and in the end there were more `friends`who rejected him than who stood with him. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Where were all Jesus' "friends" as he hung on the cross? We must be friends to all people, investing our lives in others, taking the "risk" of complete rejection, and finding great joy in those who we have Jesus in common with. Take the risk,be a friend; it is well worth it.
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