Where Would We Be Without The Cross?

Where would we be without the cross? Perhaps those of us raised in the Church do not fully appreciate the message of the cross and the cost of it. Perhaps we forget because the affect of it cannot be seen in us daily. Perhaps we never fully grew in awe of it because we never fully let go of the affects of a fallen world. It is amazing how a few verses can cause us to catch our breath and cause us to stand still.

Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your minds, which was shown by your evil actions. (Colossians 1:21)

This is who we were and yet are never far from returning to it. What Adam and Eve opened the door to has wrecked havoc on all of Yahweh's creation, and especially upon our minds. As a result of our fallen state, we tend to make ourselves the center of everything and refuse to give glory to anyone else. Even if we are forced to do it, it is usually because there is some benefit for us to do it. This selfishness sets us up to be a creature directly contrary to the nature of our Creator, setting ourselves up us the enemy instead of the worshiper of the one who gave us life.

Our rebellion is conceived in our minds, plagues our hearts and is revealed in our actions. We set ourselves up as our own gods, and still do. Other people only have worth as long as they have something to add to us and the moment we perceive they have nothing to offer, we cut them off. Lying, cheating, stealing, killing, along with self-determination are all rationalized when we consider our needs to be the most important. What a contrast to our Lord:

Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

And we can now because Jesus changed everything for us. No longer are we trapped, under the control of sin which had misshaped every aspect of what we were created to be:

But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death, to present you before God as a people who are holy, faultless, and without blame. (1:22)

Jesus did that. While we were still enemies of Yahweh, Jesus sacrificed himself so that we could be transferred from darkness into the Kingdom, as children of Yahweh. Get it through your head, there was no good in us, we had nothing to offer, no value, and yet he made a decision to love us. In that love he sent his Son to rescue us but we still have to decide to accept it, love him back and obey. Although often times we still see no value in ourselves compared to his holiness, the fact is Father now sees us as holy, faultless and without blame, because of Jesus' death on the cross. Live the biggest good life you can muster, it has no value; only Jesus can save. But there is something we have to do:

But you need to remain well established and rooted in faith and not shift away from the hope given in the good news that you heard. (1:23)

We have to work out our salvation every day. It takes effort to remain faithful to Jesus. It requires a conscience effort to deny the desires of our flesh and to choose Jesus' righteousness daily. If we know who he is and who we are in him, and remind ourselves every day, then our effort enables the Spirit to empower us to overcome the draw of sin. We don't even have to think about that very much, we just have to desire Jesus, and a growing intimacy with him. Love really does take care of the rest, because the action of love is obedience.

We are not perfect but we are being perfected. In Father's eyes we are perfect. When we mess up and sin, we confess it and by his grace it is gone. We can grow in confidence, learning to love him more deeply, knowing he is not looking to destroy us but to increase us.

Don't Play Around With Your Belief In Jesus

"Jesus was a good man."
"Jesus was a prophet."
"Jesus was a great teacher."

Many things are said about Jesus but few people on this earth come to the same conclusion as Peter:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

If we are disciples of Jesus we have to have a clear vision of who he is. Paul gives us this in Colossians:

1. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the one who is first over all creation (v. 15)

Jesus told us that if we know him we also know Father. He also stated after his resurrection that all authority in heaven and on earth was given to him. To be his disciple we must accept his supremacy over all things.

2. Because all things were created by him: both in the heavens and on the earth, the things that are visible and the things that are invisible. Whether they are thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. (v. 16)

If we can accept this as truth concerning Jesus, we can begin to walk in the boldness that is ours, having been transferred from the darkness to the Kingdom. Jesus is over all but it is the citizens of the Kingdom who obey Jesus as King. See him, see yourself, in this simple yet all encompassing statement: "all things were created through him and for him."

3. He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him. (v. 17)

As we read this we must make a decision: do we believe the Bible is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit or not? If not, then go away and get on with your life. But if you do then understand you are not communicating with some genie who grants wishes but the Son of God, who lives in you, and who has told you to obey him in love. He is the one who holds all of creation together. He holds you.

4. He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the one who is firstborn from among the dead so that he might occupy the first place in everything. (v. 18)

Your pastor is not the head of the church, Jesus is. He is also the firstborn of us all. Because of Jesus we have been transformed into a new creation, fashioned after him. What he is is what we are becoming. He is above all of Creation, the holder of Creation and the first born of the new creation. As his disciple, he must be first in our life, over all in our life.

5. Because all the fullness of God was pleased to live in him, and he reconciled all things to himself through him—whether things on earth or in the heavens. He brought peace through the blood of his cross. (v. 19-20)

Jesus is not only the agent of Creation, he is also the agent of reconciliation, reconciling Yahweh with his rebellious Creation. Jesus is the giver of peace to any who will receive it from him. He puts an end to sin's control over us, becoming our strength as we take dominance over our flesh and in turn he gives us peace.

No one who understands the scriptures could ever call Jesus a mere good teacher, a good man, or a simple prophet. This is what Scriptures reveal and it is up to you to believe or not. However, if you do believe you must act on that belief. As our Lord, Saviour, King and friend we obey him because we love him. We trust him. We worship him.

Freedom Is An Illusion

Freedom is an illusion. You are not free to do whatever you want to do, especially if what you want to do is outside of the law. When we are young we all look forward to the freedom of adulthood, but all adults know the many things that destroy any thought of being free. It is no different for those who avoid the "control" of Yahweh.

I have spoken to countless people who believe that religion is intended to control and enslave us. They really believe that they are free without Jesus. Many are so blind that they can't see that they aren't even in control of their emotions or their tongue, let alone their actions and their environment.

Yesterday I couldn't get past this verse from Colossians :

He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins. (1:13-14)

We can't mistake the language here, "control of darkness", "transferred", "set us free". Do we trust and and believe the Word? Do we accept the language here that conveys the truth of what Father has done for us through the Son? Then consider what Jesus taught:

“I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave isn’t a permanent member of the household, but a son is. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free." (John 8:34-36)

This is the condition of everyone before the blood of Jesus is applied; we are slaves to sin, with an illusion of control but possessing no control. We can't stop ourselves from doing the things that offend the holiness of Yahweh. Father loves us too much to want us to be under the control of darkness so he set us free through the Son. But that freedom is freedom from the control of sin, not free to do whatever we want. Paul explains it:

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, that you are slaves of the one whom you obey? That’s true whether you serve as slaves of sin, which leads to death, or as slaves of the kind of obedience that leads to righteousness. But thank God that although you used to be slaves of sin, you gave wholehearted obedience to the teaching that was handed down to you, which provides a pattern. Now that you have been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)

Wow! These verses speak life into us as we realize the extent of what Father has done for us through the Son. Indeed, we are set free from the control of darkness and are made alive in Jesus. Sin no longer controls us! So now we lay down our lives in gratitude and love, and are controlled by his righteousness. Look what Paul concludes:

But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, you have the consequence of a holy life, and the outcome is eternal life. The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (v. 22-23)

There is a cost to being a disciple of Jesus, obedience in love. Paul used the metaphor of slavery to paint the picture of what attitude we need to adopt here. Now consider again the verse from Colossians:

He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins.

We have been adopted and have been placed in the Kingdom. We have been taken from the enemy's camp and brought into the camp of Light. We are Kingdom dwellers, citizens, followers, believers. So let's start behaving like citizens, throwing off the old slave master and submitting ourselves to the law of righteousness that comes from love. If we love him, we will obey.

Be Encouraged

I am tired today and finding it hard to get motivated to start on my day, even after two cups of coffee. It has caused me to reflect on Jesus as my source of motivation and strength. As I have done this, a memory verse from Sunday School days has come to mind:

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it."

I remember studying in my pastoral studies that this was being stated because it was a day of victory for Israel. But as I have I turned to this Psalm this morning, I realized it was so much more than that. Consider what we find in Psalm 118:

I won’t die—no, I will live
    and declare what the Lord has done.
18 Yes, the Lord definitely disciplined me,
    but he didn’t hand me over to death.

Consider what was being faced on this day of victory:

- All the nations surrounded me,

- Yes, they surrounded me on every single side,

- They surrounded me like bees, 

- I was pushed so hard I nearly died,

I find it amazing that this encouraging song was birthed in the worse circumstances, in the darkest moment, in the appearance of defeat. But this psalmist was a warrior who knew Yahweh, who trusted Yahweh, and had great expectations of Yahweh. Look at how he encouraged himself:

- Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
    because his faithful love lasts forever.

- The Lord is for me—I won’t be afraid.
    What can anyone do to me?

- The Lord is for me—as my helper.
    I look in victory on those who hate me.

- It’s far better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust any human.

He repeats this and clarifies it:

- It’s far better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust any human leader.

And he declares to himself the result that will come from this trust:

- I won’t die—no, I will live
    and declare what the Lord has done.

No people, we are not weak or defeated because of the One who is in us. He loves us and he wants us to succeed. He gives us victory over our enemies, the dark principalities in this world. We are able to declare with the psalmist:

- I thank you because you answered me,
    because you were my saving help.

I pray that you and I will conclude our day with the same shouts of triumph, victory and thanksgiving as we look to our God to be faithful in all that he has promised, because he is our strength.

You are my God—I will give thanks to you!
    You are my God—I will lift you up high!
29 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
    because his faithful love lasts forever.

I Believe; Help My Unbelief

Most Christians read the Bible and believe it. But often we only believe that it is possible; we don't believe where it is a reality in our day. Now, you and I won't be honest enough to admit it but all we have to do is look at the way we live and we know the truth. We believe it but we need help with our unbelief.

The Israelites believed Yahweh's promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. They believed because of what they saw. They believed enough to follow Moses through the parted waters. They believed enough to travel the desert with no food. They believed enough to commit themselves to God's Law. They believed right up to the point of actually acting on their belief. At that point, when Yahweh commanded them to possess the land, their unbelief overwhelmed their belief.

It takes someone who is completely sold out to walk in the promises of Yahweh. It is someone who looks full into the reality of their testimony, of what our Father has done up to this point, and decide he is worthy of their trust. Caleb was such a man. He considered the power and miracles he had seen up to this point and made the decision that Yahweh was as good as his word. He told the people:

"The land we crossed through to explore is an exceptionally good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, he'll bring us into this land and give it to us. It's a land that's full of milk and honey. Only don't rebel against the Lord and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are our prey. Their defense has deserted them, but the Lord is with us. So don't be afraid of them." (Numbers 14:7-9)

Ten of the spies that Moses had sent could only see the obstacles. They admitted that the land was everything that Yahweh had promised but the could not see "the Lord is with us" as their advantage. Caleb saw what strength they had to overcome these obstacles because of the fact that the Lord was with them. He believed and his belief overcame his unbelief.

Jesus did not promise us an easy life. He did not promise us everything on a silver platter. In fact, he promised us that the world would hate us, that we would have enemies and there would be persecution. But he did promise us a victorious life, that we would overcome through him. He promised us joy and peace. He promised that we would stand against his enemies and that we would be more than conquerors. He promised us strength for every day. He promised to go with us as he sent us out. He promised us power by the Holy Spirit. And he promised us authority over demons and illness.

Jesus told us to pray the Father's will "on earth as it is in heaven". He promised that we could ask for anything in this battle and we would receive it so we could carry on. By the sounds of all these promises, he intends for us to be mighty warriors, filled with the laughter of his joy, bold, fierce and unwavering in the mission he has given to us.

That is how Jesus sees us but is it how we see ourselves in him today? Is that how we will live today? Will we possess the land today?

O Lord, help our unbelief!

Know Jesus; Know Yourself

We lie to ourselves all the time. We try to convince ourselves of an alternate reality because we are not willing to be honest when we are faced with our own failings and faults. We lie to ourselves when we say it is well with our soul, knowing that we are far from where we are suppose to be with Jesus. We even rationalize our sin, saying Jesus understands, as we throw ourselves under the power of that sin.

We may be kidding ourselves but we are not kidding our God.

Do we forget how we are connected with him; Jesus in me and me in Jesus? He is not some deity or power who stands at a distance; he is one with us, knowing all out thoughts, emotions, plans, ideas, dreams, desires, longings, sins. He knows us and wants us to know him even more. So when we ignore him, lie to ourselves and place ourselves under the power of sin again, we break his heart.

The Word of God has been given to us to reveal God to us, to teach us, to rebuke, correct and encourage. When we study it, looking deep into it's depth, some amazing things happen. The Spirit speaks to us, warning us when we are going astray and encouraging us in the right direction.

A couple of the warning signs that things are not well with this relationship is when we are plagued by fear and anxiety. When we are strong in the Lord we know he holds our future and we do not fear the unknown. When we are lying to ourselves about this relationship, we find it hard to think of the unknown, to face major obstacles, to even consider our future. We are overcome by anxiety, fear, helplessness, a sense of not having the resources to overcome. It isn't anything new.

We should be able to identify with the Israelites as they faced the command to move into the Promised Land, the first time. This was the generation who were possessed by the slave mentality and could never seem to go beyond it. These were the whiners, complainers, rebels against Yahweh. Not having a solid and growing relationship with the Lord is shown in their reaction to the command to possess the land:

"All the Israelites criticized Moses and Aaron. The entire community said to them, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt or it only we had died in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our children will be taken by force. Wouldn't it be better for us to return to Egypt?'" (Numbers 14:2-3)

See where fear of the unknown takes us? We imagine the worse case scenario. It was Yahweh who had promised this land to Abraham's children. It was Yahweh who rescued them in power from the slavery of Egypt. It was Yahweh who was defending them and feeding them in the desert. It was Yahweh who went ahead of them, leading. If they had only examined this relationship they would have marched boldly into the land, as their children would do 40 years later. Instead they allowed themselves to be led by fear.

If we are weak, filled with fear and anxiety, it is because we do not know who Jesus is, what are his promises and who we are in him. Paul reminded his student Timothy:

"Hence I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

In another place the Spirit reminds us  "we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed". Fear and anxiety do not belong to those who are growing in Christ but to those who are lying to themselves.

Know the Word. Know the promises. Know the Lord. Know yourself and be honest. We are all going to get there in the end if we do not let go.

Does Jesus Make A Difference

Are we any better as a person with Jesus than we are without him? Christianity is not about knowledge; it is about relationship. Knowledge about Jesus is important but it amounts to nothing without relationship. It is the relationship that defines everything.

This is not a relationship like you have with a friend. Jesus said that he wants to be one with us. As he is one with the Father he longs to be one with us. He wants to be so intimate with us that he has chosen to dwell in us by the Holy Spirit. That is the most intimate relationship in our life. It makes intimacy possible but not if we don't understand, don't desire or decide to do our own thing.

This intimacy that Jesus desires does not leave us the same. It changes us so that we become like him; in obedience, in power, in compassion. We cannot be in Jesus and Jesus in us and remain the same. And therein lies the problem.

Too many of us are trying to conform ourselves on the outside with no real change on the inside. Before there can be any conformity of behaviour there has to be an internal transformation provoked by the intimate relationship we have with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. It is not something we can fake.

I always consider the outward expression of Jesus' love to be sign posts in our lives that we are on the right track. If they aren't there it means something is wrong with the relationship. Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the Christian we discover the uniqueness of Yahweh's heart: Look at this from Leviticus of all places:

"If one of your fellow Israelites faces financial difficulty and is in a shaky situation with you, you must assist them as you would an immigrant or foreign guest so that they can survive among you. Do not take interest from them, or any kind of profit from interest, but fear your God so that your fellow Israelite can survive among you. Do not lend a poor Israelite money with interest or lend food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt to give you Canaan's land and to be your God." (Leviticus 25:35-38)

Compassion, generosity, kindness, concern, love are all great parts of our Yahweh's character. Jesus taught and demonstrated this to an even greater depth. Just consider this simple command to those who would call themselves disciples of Jesus:

"I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other." (John 13:34-35)

That sets the bar pretty high because we all know how Jesus loved us. Don't downplay this. Study and understand what Jesus commanded us and the example he set by loving us to the depth he went. This makes it a legitimate question to ask ourselves: Are we any better as a person with Jesus than we are without him? Do we know what it is to love our brothers and sisters in the Lord with that same love? Do we know how to reach out and heal the broken people of this world with the same compassion and power?

If you can live the same way with Jesus as you did without him there is a problem with the relationship. You should look into that today.

How Many Times Should We Forgive Our Offender?

Jesus' teachings are not easy to follow. They aren't meant to be. Some people in the world consider Jesus to have been a great teacher along the same level as Gandhi. They are not willing to see him as the Saviour of the world or the Son of God but they think we should follow his teachings. The problem is that his teaching are impossible to apply unless one is possessed by the Holy Spirit.

Let's pick one simple teaching:

"Even if someone sins against you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times and says, 'I am changing my ways,' you must forgive that person." (Luke 17:4)

This sounds great until you are in the position of having to apply it. In our human nature we do not want someone to take advantage of us. We do not want to be seen as gullible. "Once bitten, twice shy." "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me." The world offers a small amount of forgiveness but for one time only. After that our sense of justice demands action and consequences. We mark the person as a liar, untrustworthy, a villain, hater. It doesn't work that way with Jesus, and praise the Lord it doesn't.

Could you imagine if Jesus demanded perfection after one offence? Could you imagine if after one forgiveness we would have to face the wrath of God for every subsequent wrong doing? I am very thankful that Jesus only taught what is already his character. But he demands the same quality of love from any who would follow him.

He gave us several teachings and even warnings about the depth of forgiveness. He told us that we better be careful how we judge people because we will be judged by the same measure that we use to judge. Sounds like a threat but it should be seen more as a warning sign that our love is not the quality that should be provoked by his love for us. At the end of Luke 7 we find Jesus teaching that the person who understands how much they have been forgiven will respond with great love, but the person who doesn't understand just how filthy they look to God will not be provoked to love in the same depth. When we realize all the things for which we were forgiven, we will find it easy to apply the teaching of forgiveness to those who offend us.

It is only by the Spirit that we are able to see with the eyes of Jesus. It is only by the Spirit that we are given such great understanding of the principles of the Kingdom. Only by the Spirit are we able to pray and live "on earth as it is in heaven". It is only by the Spirit that we have the power to forgive from such richness of well being. Oh Lord let your Kingdom reign in me! Only the Spirit produces in us the spiritual fruit, such as love and forgiveness. To anyone else it just sounds like foolishness.

We can't afford to keep Jesus at a distance as we would teachers like Gandhi. The only way it works is when we dive in, taking on this relationship in Jesus, to be one with him, dying to ourselves so that we can grow to be just like the One who loved us enough to die on the Cross, then rise from the dead, to ascend to the Father and send to us the Spirit.

He told us to love each other as he loved us, so forgiveness should be a given


 

The Power To Love

How much of Jesus do you want? That's what we need to decide. What we should decide is that we want 100% of him, that we will not be satisfied with anything less. What we settle for is sadly much less. It is sad because there is no need for it. We are like that seed which had very shallow roots, so when the day became hot and dry, it died. As soon as any trouble or challenge comes our way, our faith fails because our relationship is shallow.

Since the first time I read the Bible as a child, Paul's prayer for the church of Ephesus overwhelmed me, and still does to this day:

I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

That we would find strength in the presence of Jesus in us; that our fellowship would be so real that we would be open to him strengthening us through the Spirit. Some of us imagine this sort of relationship but we don't understand how available it is to us, if we are willing to be in love with Jesus. We get caught up in all the trappings of the Church, of the religiously minded, of the law seekers, the circumcision group. We need to break free of this thinking and discover again the simplicity of the relationship.

We first have to accept and live the fact that Jesus is in us. We don't always live as if he is. If we did, we certainly would not want to join him to sin by allowing our bodies to enter into sin. If we were more conscious of his presence we would have greater strength to resist temptation. We would also be more in love with him as we understand intimacy with him. We are not praying to some distant god; we are living through the One who is in us, sharing every intimate detail of our lives with him.

Some of us want to grasp the greatness of God's love from a safe distance but this prayer reminds us that the starting point must be an intimate relationship of love with Jesus:

"As a result of having strong roots in love ..."

Paul prays that they will be lent the power to grasp the greatness of this love. If we would submit ourselves to this level of understanding, all selfishness would disappear and we would be provoked to love the loveless, to pray for those who persecute us and to befriend the sinners of this world, because they need to experience the love of Jesus.

Yes, go ahead and preach those powerful, anointed words, but also allow that power and anointing to but legs on what you teach in theory. The only way this world will know Jesus is when we grasp his love to the point of laying our lives down, giving up our rights and possessions, giving up our attachments, to show kindness, mercy and grace to the lost, even as they spit in our face, throw us in jail, destroy our reputations and put us to death. If we are to love like this in these extremes then should we not love with forgiveness in the little things as well?

This is what really stands out:

"...that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. "

Beyond knowledge. Beyond study. Beyond theory. Empowered by the Spirit to know in your heart, mind, soul, so that you can put that love into action through his strength and power. Christian extremism is not upholding the Law of the Old Testament, it is living the fulfilled law of love that the Spirit has written on our hearts. It is not ignoring the fact of God's justice, but it is holding out the hope of love, forgiveness, mercy, grace to a dying world.

Let us set our heart and mind on things above instead on this decaying earth, and let us love as Jesus has loved us, to the point of sacrificing everything to lay down our loves for those he loves.

True Encouragement In The Body

What is the greatest ministry gift that the Spirit can bestow on a person in our current age? Is it not the ministry of encouragement? Not the encouragement of the world but of the Body of Christ. The greatest thing you can do for a brother and sister in the Lord is to lift them up spiritually, to speak words of encouragement into their lives, words that would enable the Spirit to encourage them in the darkest moments. It is an anointed ministry. We can all encourage but the spiritual gift of encouragement is a supernaturally powerful thing.

Maybe we forget that part of the reason we are here is to lift each other up. Maybe spiritual leaders forget they are here to build up the Body of Christ; not for personal gain but to see people grow in the Lord. Sometimes that encouragement includes correction.

Too many of us see encouragement as cheer leading but for leaders in the Body it also includes positive correction that helps people come closer to the Lord. Apostle Paul was a great example of this because he clearly understood it:

This is why I’m writing these things while I’m away. I’m writing so that I won’t need to act harshly when I’m with you by using the authority that the Lord gave me. He gave it to me so that I could build you up, not tear you down. (2 Corinthians 13:10)

Jesus told his disciples that leadership in the Kingdom means servanthood. Leaders of the Church are not like leaders of the world, they are not lords but ones who lay down their lives in service to the Body. But this type of leadership also requires leaders to correct in the same sense of a parent. It is never pleasant but necessary to reach the goal. The goal is spiritual maturity.

Correction that is brought is not meant to lead to destruction but to build up. Correction in the world involves vengeful justice but in the Church we do not look for justice; we look for correction, restoration and growth. Leaders must constantly demonstrate the forgiveness, mercy, grace, and correction of our Lord, and it costs us a lot because taking correction requires a level of maturity that much of the Church is lacking. But, good, Christ-centered leaders understand that this is what we are to do with the authority that has been given to us.

We Are Warriors

Not everything is as our society defines it. Not everything that exists can be seen. Just because we have yet to experience something does not mean it isn't real. If these things are true statements then we should not allow our society to define our reality but instead understand that our reality is defined by the Creator of heaven and earth.

We are warriors. Not warriors as our society defines them. We do not walk around with guns. We do not have mad martial art skills. We are not muscle bound freaks. Most of us aren't even much to look at. Our skills are limited. Our education is limited. Our finances are limited. Our circle of friends is limited. But we serve a King who is unlimited and he has called us into his service. We are his warriors. And our weapons are the most powerful weapons in all of creation, if only we would learn to use them:

Although we live in the world, we don’t fight our battles with human methods. Our weapons that we fight with aren’t human, but instead they are powered by God for the destruction of fortresses. They destroy arguments, and every defense that is raised up to oppose the knowledge of God. They capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Our problem is that we have been raised and educated in the system of this world. It feels familiar and comfortable to us. So when Jesus teaches us that there is a better way there is a lot of resistance on our part.

When Paul describes the Church as a body and explains that each of us are a part of it, as assigned by the Spirit and we are to work together for our common goal, we know that the only way this is possible is supernaturally because we don't get along very well. Then he tells us that there is one way that makes this possible. The enemy has tried to mimic this in the world but self-centeredness always exposes the truth of the matter. Paul describes this one way with great poetry:

Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth.  Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) 

That is the supernatural love of Jesus worked out through us. The world can't live this because you need the Holy Spirit to do it. Your flesh will rise up against it and it is only in submission to Jesus that the Spirit is able to win over the flesh.

We are warriors of love, setting aside hate, fear, prejudice, revenge, rights, self. We are warriors who love those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us. We are warriors who pray in love against the dark fortresses that imprison the lost, the blind, the poor, the spiritual destitute. In love we are friends with the enemies of our Saviour for the sake of their salvation. We stand in the cesspools of our society, holding out the only hope that exists. We are warriors who fight against the dark principalities, praying for those who don't know enough to pray for themselves, be they friend or foe.

Perhaps we have been confused by the system of this world to think we are fighting for our rights. We are mistaken to defend ourselves in fear and hatred, with bitter and angry words, using insults and slurs. We have all the rights of the Kingdom of which we are citizens, something of much greater worth than rights on this earth. We aren't here to defend ourselves but to fight for those who would silence us, behead us, make us less than themselves, who perceive us as their enemy. We are hear to fight with a love that desires everyone to be saved from the judgement close at hand. Let us fight with the methods of our Lord.

Is The Church Presenting The Reality Of Jesus?

Don't you ever get the feeling that we are getting it wrong? Don't you ever sit in Church and feel that we are being presented with a sanitized God? After all, this is the God who sacrificed his Son, killing him on the cross, so that we could be adopted as his children. It seems odd that this same God desires to give us everything we want and to spoil us with what we ask. Is he really interested in seeing us all wealthy, healthy and satisfied in this place? (There is a difference between satisfied and content) If that is how you see Father then you are not being presented with the true revelation of our God found in the Bible and understood through the Spirit.

There are two things going on in our life when we serve the Lord in this world. First, there is our service to him as we deal with people with compassion and grace while presenting them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to make disciples. But while we are doing this, our wonderful God is also developing us, helping us grow and mature. He does this in the messiness of life and ministry.

Our Father has no desire to spoil us but he wants to bless us, equip us with what we need in our service to him. If we need a bicycle to get around to minister in our neighbourhood he will provide the means; if we need a multi-million dollar jet he will provide it. He tells us to ask. He will provide for where he has placed us. He will also lead us through the mess and ugliness of life in our development. The world is a messy and ugly place in comparison to his glory. We need to understand that these two things, his provision and our development,  are not contrary but have different purposes.

At the very foundation of our relationship is dependence. That is hard for us because from birth we have been taught to be independent, but when we come to Jesus we are taught to depend on him for everything. He isn't interested in what we have to offer. He wants us to empty ourselves and allow him to use us as he needs us, in whatever capacity, with the tool of a bicycle or a jet. Sometimes, he needs to lead us through difficult times in our training so we don't rely on ourselves but learn to turn to him in every situation. Paul the apostle wrote:

 Brothers and sisters, we don’t want you to be unaware of the troubles that we went through in Asia. We were weighed down with a load of suffering that was so far beyond our strength that we were afraid we might not survive. It certainly seemed to us as if we had gotten the death penalty. This was so that we would have confidence in God, who raises the dead, instead of ourselves. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)

I don't know about you but I have had periods in my life that felt like I was going to be destroyed. I had a choice in each incident to try to help myself (which was actually beyond my ability or anyone else's) or to turn to the Lord. I spent hours, days, weeks, in worship, reminding myself who my Lord is and what he promised. I washed myself in Scripture and soaked myself in worship. It felt like I was at the point of death but sustained me and eventually interceded and rescued me. In those moments I learned that my strength was not sufficient but my Lord's was. I need him for everything and I dare not try to serve him in my limited abilities.

Maybe that is hard for you to understand. Just keep in mind that you have been raised by your parents and society to be independent, so the thought of not relying on yourself can be foreign and frightening. But the only way we can serve our Lord is understanding our constant dependence on the Vine (Jesus). A branch cannot support itself, but from the sap we receive through the vine (Jesus) he is able to produce fruit through us. The fruit is not for the branch but for those who would eat from it.

Our life is a classroom and Father is the teacher, training and transforming us in the power of the Spirit to be like the Son, Jesus. So let us submit ourselves, learn our lessons and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ. Doing this will mean that we never lose our joy or peace, when we realize that our God is in all the messiness of life. Never stop singing his praise. Trust. Obey. Lean.

We Need The Spirit

The battle-lines are being drawn. Are you on the Lord's side? Scriptures say that many people will think they are okay only to be surprised on The Day that they have deceived themselves. Don't be deceived. Our God is not "whatever you want to do". There is a way to walk with Jesus, to be in fellowship with him; it is Yahweh's way, not what we think is best to do.

Let's give ourselves a good shake. It is better to be corrected in this place now then to find out we have been wrong and end up being judged with the world. We have been given the wisdom of Father and it is very different then the wisdom of the world. Too many of us are living according to this world, fooling ourselves into believing it is the way of Yahweh. The problem is with the Spirit.

There are too many of us who are walking around with a head knowledge but with no living connection with Jesus. It is by the Spirit we are joined with Jesus but too many of us have fallen for lies about the Spirit and so do not understand he is vital for life in Christ. In these final days we have to gain knowledge about the Spirit and act on it:

God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God. Who knows a person’s depths except their own spirit that lives in them? In the same way, no one has known the depths of God except God’s Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

If you want to follow Jesus, do his will, be faithful to the end, you need the Spirit. If we are to live by the wisdom of Father, we need the Spirit. We cannot know our God without his Spirit teaching us and giving us understanding; also to convict us to do what is right. We listen to knowledge and confuse it for wisdom. So much of the world has crept into the pulpit because of the lovers of knowledge instead of the Lord:

We haven’t received the world’s spirit but God’s Spirit so that we can know the things given to us by God. These are the things we are talking about—not with words taught by human wisdom but with words taught by the Spirit—we are interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people. But people who are unspiritual don’t accept the things from God’s Spirit. They are foolishness to them and can’t be understood, because they can only be comprehended in a spiritual way. (v. 12-14)

According to the wisdom of the world this truth can be disputed, but if we say that we follow Jesus then we accept the Word is truth and live accordingly, empowered by the Spirit. If we try to live through these days without the Spirit of God we will be confused and lost. We need to make the right decisions while there is still time.

"I want more of you Spirit." May this be our constant prayer as we desire to be more like Jesus.

Are You Living What You Believe?

Many of us do not realize that Christianity is not a club you join but a relationship you grow in. The entire thing is about growth but like any relationship, there are certain foundation stuff that have to be in place. If you start a relationship based on lies and half-truths it is a relationship doomed to fail. Any relationship you hope will last a lifetime must be based on love, openness, honesty and trust. You have to believe the person is who they say they are and will do the things they say they will do. These are the same principles we have in our relationship with Jesus.

A decision to follow Jesus must be based on truth. We have to believe he is who he says he is and that he will do what he has promised to do and we have to act on this belief. If we simply have wishful hope with no certainty then we will not hold tight during the storms. If we are not certain the ground we stand on is safe we will always look for what appears to be safer ground. But look at what Jesus said to Peter.

Peter just stated that he believed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus response was intended to encourage this belief and to encourage it to grow into faith:

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17-19)

The reason I say "grow into faith" is because faith is acting upon what we believe. If we honestly believe everything that Jesus said, faith is when we act on what he said. Now here Jesus is stating where we need to start in his relationship with him and how it should develop. The Catholic Church interprets this to mean Peter is the rock on which Christ has built the Church but the Church is built on Christ not Peter. So how do we understand this? The rock on which Jesus refers is the rock of this confession. The Church is built on the foundation of our belief that Jesus is who he says he is, that he is the Christ, the Son of God. If we do not start on this foundation we have no hope to grow in faith.

Now consider what he says here because we have misunderstood most of this. Have you ever seen the gates of a city attacking anyone? Of course not, they are not offensive but defensive. So what he is saying here is that as we are on the offensive, going into the enemy's camp to take back what belongs to the Lord, the gates of hell cannot stand against us. That is the power we have as the people of Jesus, when our relationship is based on the truth of who Jesus is. Wishful thinking will not get us there but only the bold statement of belief such as Peter made.

This relationship has also given us tremendous responsibility as the powerful people of Yahweh. It means that we are a people who operate in the Spirit, binding and loosing. The Church is not a weak institution but a powerful instrument for Father's will. We are involved in something huge and there is no place for weak, idle, selfish thoughts. There is no place for doubts and fears. This is not a relationship of uncertainties. This is a relationship of boldness, assurance, certainty, belief, trust, and faith.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

It is time we rethink our relationship with Jesus and walk in the belief we claim to profess. It is time to be a people of action, of faith, of boldness. It is time to get out of the mud and serve Jesus as he intended us to serve him, based on the proper foundations of relationship.

Why We Are Hypocrites

I find that most of us Christians are hypocrites. Perhaps not in the sense that our enemies use it but in a sense that reveals a great weakness. We criticize people who decide not to take the Word of God at face value, who twist passages and come up with excuses to make the Bible say what they want it to say. We see that a lot these days with all kinds of things but especially from people who wish to support the homosexual community. But the hypocrisy happens when we, those who say we live by the Word, also twist the Word, or ignore certain passages, because they make us feel uncomfortable or reveal a certain lack in our walk.

Now I am not talking about some obscure Old Testament verse that I want to tell everyone they should be practicing. I am talking about the Words of Jesus. It is amazing to do a study just on what Jesus commanded and what he taught and realize how much of it we are not applying to our living. For example, Jesus was adamant about the importance of the Holy Spirit but great sections of the Church ignore the Spirit. In fact, much of the Church operates without any sense of the supernatural. They live very much as they would without Jesus except they pray and go to church (sometimes). Do you know Jesus rebuked his disciples for not stepping out from what they were to embrace the Kingdom?

Yesterday we saw how Jesus told his disciples they were hard-hearted because they continued to ignore the supernatural things they saw all around them through Jesus. We are considering another passage today where he did they same thing because the disciples refused to believe those who had seen him after the resurrection. Even after seeing all that Jesus did and having heard his words that he would rise from the dead after the third day, they chose to believe what they had grown up with: Dead people are dead. Dead people do not get up, have conversations with people or take a nice long stroll with them.

We are like this. Even though our belief in Jesus has brought us into the incredible Kingdom of God, made us a new creation, brought us into adoption by Father, and has allowed us to be possessed by the Holy Spirit, we live like we have always lived, with the same limitations. We ignore the supernatural because it makes us uncomfortable and we are unfamiliar with it. We are hypocrites, criticizing others for ignoring the truth of the Word while we do the same. Jesus told his disciples:

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16)

We accept this as truth but we stop there. We totally ignore what follows. Jesus told us that we will know people are saved by the manifestation of the Spirit. Power would come on those who believe. Look at the wording of this. He did not say it would come only on the disciples to kick start the Church. He said it would come on those who believe. The ones the disciples would teach and baptize:

"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18)

It is amazing what lengths people will go to in order to dismiss these words for our times even though these words confirm Old Testament prophecies. It is crazy that we would dismiss these words of Jesus while accepting everything else. It is just like the disciples who took part in all the supernatural happenings as members of Jesus' Team yet failed to apply it when it really mattered. Thankfully they woke up to the new reality when Jesus sent the Spirit, as promised.

Without the power of the Holy Spirit we can only play at church. We can only build what we are capable of in our own flesh, our talents and abilities. It is impressive what we can do but there is no eternal value in it. In the coming testing fires all such work is going to be burned up, but what is birthed and empowered by the Spirit will stand any test thrown at it. We who believe in Jesus have been given the Holy Spirit bu,t if we refuse to believe in these words of Jesus, his power will not be manifest in us. However, if we surrender our prejudices, step away from what we were and step into the new reality of the Kingdom, then we will discover the power he has given us to do his work.

It is hypocritical to do what we have accused others of doing. Either we believe the words of Jesus or we don't:

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

How Do You Find Peace In Troubled Times? Remember.

We must be a huge source of frustration for Jesus. No wonder we need a Shepherd; we are spiritually dull, as sheep are dumb. We get ourselves into a panic over the least little thing. It is like we have no memory of anything beyond today. Either that or we think Yahweh is a constantly changing God. Why can't we remember who he is and what he has done?

How many times has Jesus either rescued you from situations or provided you with what you needed to get through it? Probably countless times. But do we remember these things when we find ourselves in trouble? Hardly. Is he the first one we run to? Not very often. Normally we turn to family, friends, banks, credit cards and only after everything else fails do we consider prayer.

We pray but it is not with boldness and confidence, it is more a desperate hope. We so quickly forget how he gave us the wisdom and strength to deal with that big thing just last week. And remember last year when we felt the world was falling in on us and he stepped in with that big miracle? But we don't remember; we panic. Even if we don't panic we do allow fear to disturb our sleep and we allow worry to dominate our day. Are we ever going to grow up?

Let's take a second and see what we look like. Jesus just finished a huge ministry to a great multitude and was also walking away from another confrontation with the spiritual leaders. He was trying to teach his disciples while they traveled by boat but the disciples couldn't understand because they were too concerned that they had forgotten to bring food. If I was Jesus I would have been frustrated with the lot of them. But Jesus took the opportunity to point out the obvious because they could not see the obvious:

He said to them, “Why are you discussing that you do not have any bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened? (Mark 8:17)

Now understand the context here. Jesus has just fed a multitude of four thousand (more when you add in the women and children) with a bit of bread and a bit of fish. The fact he did this is awesome in itself but the fact that they had left overs, and a lot of left overs, just adds to the wonder of this thing. The disciples were not observers in the event either; they were participants. They were the ones who distributed the food so it isn't like they could forget. Yet, they saw Jesus do this and they still allowed the fact they had forgotten food to interfere with what Jesus was trying to teach.

Jesus referred to a hard heart here due to their inability to shift from what they had known to the new reality of the Kingdom. What they had known before had to be let go of because they were now with the one who walked on water, quieted storms, gave sight to the blind, cast out demons, made the lame walk, brought life to the dead and fed multitudes with scraps. We seem to be able to accept the reality of the Kingdom when we are told our sins are forgiven but we have a struggle accepting all the rest of it. Our hearts are hardened into the old reality.

Jesus said to them:

Do you have eyes, and not see, and do you have ears, and not hear? And do you not remember? (v. 18)

Look in the mirror and ask yourself those three questions. Examine your own recent history: Do you have eyes, and not see? Examine your journals for the many lessons the Spirit taught you as you sat in loneliness and despair, a broken person: Do you have ears, and not hear? And the worse question of them all: Do you not remember? How easily we forget what Jesus has done for us. How easily we forget our own testimony. How easily we forget what he has brought us through to get us to today. Do we really think he is going to change his mind and abandon us now?

Jesus asked them how many baskets of left overs there were after he feed the five thousand with five loaves of bread. Twelve. Jesus asked them how many baskets of left overs there were after he feed the four thousand with seven loaves of bread? Seven. Then he asks them one simple question:

"Do you not understand yet?"

My friends, do we not understand yet? After all the things he has helped us through and rescued us from, do we not understand? He loves us. He has promised that if we obey him and concern ourselves with the matters of the Kingdom, he will look after all our needs. He has promised to rescue us. He has promised to lead us through the difficult places. He has promised and he has been faithful to these promises. Why is today any different? Remember your testimony. Remember his promises. Remember his love. Remember his power.

Remember and rejoice because Father is good all the time. You, remain faithful and obedient. Stay the course. Hold his hand. Sing his praises. Speak of his wonderful love. Trust. Lean. Abide in him because he abides in you. Remember.

Loving Without Compromise In A Divided Home

Things are changing very quickly in the Church's relationship with the world and we are beginning to see large divisions in the Church herself. There is a great spirit of confusion because the enemy is taking advantage of the fact that people do not know their Bible. Even though we have more resources available to us than ever before, biblical illiteracy is incredibly high. When we don't know what Jesus taught it becomes easy for the enemy to change our heart with a changing of the wind as we are seeing in our society of late.

At the end of the Old Testament we find the book of Malachi and at the end of this book we have a warning to not let go of the Word of God. We also find here the promise of what the returning prophet Elijah would do:

And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:6)

So many parents hold on to these words as a promise not understanding their significance. This is not speaking of family strife but of generations that had turned away from the patriarchs of Israel, who had left the teaching of the ancients and had rebelled against Yahweh. In other words it was speaking of the nation of Israel. So this is the condition of Israel when John the Baptist began preaching and he was effective. The people turned and repented, receiving a baptism of repentance. Jesus had another warning for parents though:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ (Matthew 10:34-36)

Jesus spoke of what is only natural because the flesh cannot be friends with the Spirit nor the Spirit with the flesh because they are contrary. When a son or daughter refuses Christ and the parents stay steadfast then there is division. When the son or daughter belong to Jesus and the parents do not, there will be division. We are going to see much more of it in the days to come as the world sinks deeper into its depravity and the saints continue to stand on the Word. The hatred will grow and we will see greater division. Jesus knew his the cross would not bring peace to the world but would bring peace between those who accepted it and Father. But he warned us:

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (v. 37-38)

Many of us will do anything to have peace in the family. We will be willing to compromise the Word, bend some things that Jesus taught, all for the sake of peace in the house. Peace at all cost, but Jesus warned against it. No matter the cost we must pay, we have to keep to the understanding that Jesus is of highest importance and priority. Even if we lose our entire family as a result, we must stand with Jesus; we must love him more than any other.

Yes parents, our hearts will be crushed as the sin of unbelief divides us from our flesh and blood. Yes children, your hearts will yearn for the council of your dear parents, but our love for Jesus must be superior to all of this. It is hard but that is exactly what the enemy is counting on, that our earthly affections will keep us from Jesus. We cannot compromise on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We cannot compromise on the holiness of our LORD God. We cannot live but the Word of God.

He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (v. 39) 

We never lose hope nor give up on those whom we are separated from because of unbelief; we love them too much to give up. But neither do we move from the Rock, upon whom we stand, to be with them in their depravity. Every person will have to make their decision and will be held accountable for that decision. We can pray for them and try to persuade them but they have to make and live with their own decision. Do your best to get them in now because it is almost too late but whatever you do, don't go wandering yourself because the curtain is being drawn on this age. Stand fast my friend and pray.

Why I Don't Like Superheroes

I'm about to get a lot of people upset at me. I was reminded yesterday why I don't like superheroes. Yes, there I said it: I don't like superheroes. There is one very good reason that a number of people will not understand. Superheroes are a bunch of vigilantes who disperse their version of justice. They are all about justice; punishing the bad guy, if not straight out killing him. We love to cheer the good guy on, even if he has taken on the role for himself and has been given no legal authority. We also cheer him on as he seeks the destruction of the bad guy. As a Christian you should be offended by such a notion.

Now I am not telling you to stop watching superhero movies but I am telling you to be careful of allowing the notion of justice to settle in your heart. If you were to live with this same mindset you would end up living in opposition to most of what Jesus taught and what the Spirit empowers us to live. Father has always had a heart for reconciliation with his enemies over applying justice.

Without a doubt Father has every right to bring justice against the evil doer but before you say Amen to that you had better realize that it was while we were still sinners that Jesus died for us. It is the sinner who is the enemy of Yahweh. Hear the words of Father as Jesus taught us to love our enemies, just as Father was doing through Jesus. He loves his enemy so much that he laid down his life for us. We didn't deserve it. The only thing we deserved was death but instead he chose to reach out with life. This has always been his heart:

For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you. (Malachi 3:6-7)

Apply those verses to your own heart. So many Christians are consumed by guilt because they adhere more to their fear of a just God than they do to a compassionate Father. Yes, we need to feel the conviction of our sin, our rebellion, against him but we must also hear his voice calling us back to him. Don't hide in a cave licking your wounds. Stand in his light; let your shame be exposed; and he will clothe you in his compassionate forgiveness and grace. If he was not the God who never changes, we would be destroyed for our rebellion. Instead we hear him say, return to me and I will return to you.

Father is justice. Those who do not seek his forgiveness will be destroyed. But justice is not what he desires. He has always desired reconciliation and restoration. Why do you think it took him so long to finally send his people into captivity? Why do you think he sent prophet after prophet with great warnings and the call to return to him? He would rather forgive his people then to apply his justice to them. Even then he sent them into captivity to turn their hearts back to him instead of destroying them.

He does not change.

Perhaps you have not been the best Christian. Perhaps you have been a Christian in name only. Maybe you are one who has the appearance of godliness but in private you are a very wicked person. Maybe your sins are not the public sort but Jesus has promised that whatever is done in private will be exposed in public. Perhaps you believe you are a lost cause and you would rather pretend that God does not exist than to deal with your rebellious ways. I'm here to tell you, despite your rebellion, Father still loves you. He is calling to you right now to turn back to him so he can return to you. He does not want to punish you, he wants to be reconciled with you. He does not want to bring you low, he wants to restore you.

If we lived in a world of super heroes there would not be many of us left alive. We would be tracked down by these vigilantes and killed or jailed. You may not think our rebellion is all that major but it is. Praise the Lord we live in an age of grace where Yahweh seeks to forgive the offence instead of punish it. And we who have been forgiven must in turn forgive. We need to seek reconciliation and not justice. We must love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us. We need to let go of our desire for justice and become agents of restoration. We are not agents of Shield seeking justice; we are agents of Grace, desiring to shield.

What Is The Purpose Of Your Today?

What is your purpose? Why are you alive today? Why have you been given the gift of life for this specific day? Sometimes we wake up and start to move through our day without giving much thought to it. We get up, grab a shower, eat breakfast, get dressed and walk through our front door into the world without giving any thought to purpose. We think about what we need to get done. We think about our complaints. We think about what we want to do for pleasure. We think about friends and family. We think about stuff but we do not ponder the question, why?

You belong to Jesus Christ. He bought you. You didn't have to accept that purchase. You could have remained a slave to sin but you made the decision to accept the price that Jesus paid for you, so now you belong to him. But for what purpose? Are you just someone for him to throw blessings at, like a pet dog? Hardly. You have become his brother, his sister, a child of Father. You and I are now part of this incredible family. But is there purpose in it?

There is purpose for our life and for each moment of our day and I want you to see it through one simple verse found in Malachi. The context of this verse is interesting. Yahweh is chastising Israel for her neglect of their relationship. She took her relationship with Yahweh for granted and abandoned him and her purpose, to live a life she chose. But in the midst of the chastisement we find this gem of a verse which sheds some light on our relationship with Yahweh:

For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:11)

Israel had rejected Yahweh and Yahweh was about to reject the people of Israel. But the Lord will never be without praise and worship. His name will never fail to be lifted up. Israel's purpose was not to become great for her own sake; she was to become great by the hand of Yahweh so that all nations would see the glory of Yahweh through Israel. But he could not bless her as he intended because of her disobedience. Yet, he had a plan that would still allow the nations to discover his glory and enter into relationship with him. That plan was Jesus.

What Yahweh stated through Malachi the prophet has come to pass. Consider the Church, a people who were not a people, the Body of Christ spread around the globe, found in every nation. Wherever you find a Christian you find the Church and you find the Spirit of God. Wherever you find the Church you find praise and worship, the lifting up of the name of Jesus. The sun never sets on the Church. The praise of Yahweh never ends, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, around the entire globe. While we are sleeping, brothers and sisters on the other side of the world are lifting up the name of Jesus. His name is great among the Gentiles.

It is interesting to study and investigate the incense offering but let us simply say here that it represents prayer and worship. The offering of incense was an act of worship in ancient days and was combined with prayer. Often incense was mixed with other types of offerings. What are the fundamentals of our relationship with Yahweh? Prayer and worship. And these are offered up in the name of Jesus all around the globe, in every country, all the time, as the saints seek the face of Yahweh.  His name is glorified among us and it comes from sincere hearts, completely possessed by the love of Jesus. It is our purpose today and every day.

As you open your eyes today I pray you will realize that you have a great purpose and responsibility: To bring glory and honour to Jesus. It is not a secondary thought after your 'To Do' list. It is the purpose of the air in our lungs. We worship him in prayer but also in our actions and words throughout the day. We have the same purpose of Israel, to allow Yahweh to bring glory to himself through us; through our strengths and weaknesses, our victories and defeats, in the sunshine and rain. Yahweh will never be without worship; all praise is due him. If you do not understand anything else about your purpose today understand that you have purpose and it is to worship Jesus in all your living so others will see his glory.