It frustrates me when Christians play the part of victim. Victimized Christians do not know who they are in Jesus and it is a shame that they are wasting the precious days they have been given in this world. Paul wrote something to Timothy that is worth your consideration today. He starts with this:
I’m reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m sure that this faith is also inside you. (2 Timothy 1:5)
Paul first reminds Timothy that he has been raised and trained in a life of faith. It was demonstrated to him in his mother and grandmother. Paul encourages Timothy by stating that he is confident that this same faith resides in Timothy. Then:
Because of this, I’m reminding you to revive God’s gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. (v. 6)
I like this. Because of this faith Timothy I am reminding you to operate in it. Live by the Spirit. Do what you have been equipped to do. The Spirit provides the equipping but we are responsible to operate in it. Then Paul writes what we all must grasp:
God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled. (v. 7)
This is not personality. Personality type does not play in your calling and equipping. Look at many of the servant's of the past who tried to get out of their calling with excuses, like Moses and Jonah. It has everything to do with the spirit he has given to us and it is one of boldness. He has equipped us with his power, his love and the power to be self-controlled. This is good stuff that we simply have to act on, in faith that it is so.
It has been this way since the beginning but even more so now that we are possessed by the Spirit of God. When Moses was about to die he addressed the nation and told them to possess the land because Yahweh had told them to possess it. He encouraged them:
Be strong! Be fearless! Don’t be afraid and don’t be scared by your enemies, because the Lord your God is the one who marches with you. He won’t let you down, and he won’t abandon you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Two things right there are the source of our boldness. First, our God is always with us, going before us, always preparing the way. He abides in us. Psalm 139 states we can never escape him, even more now that he lives in us. This is for our encouragement.
The second thing I want to highlight : He won't let you down. That is a big one all on it's own and can only be understood in the context of a loving, intimate relationship. Jesus promised that he would be with us until the end of this age. He said his desire was for us to be one with him in the same way that he is one with Father. The Way, the Truth and the Life is in you. The one who declared that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, is intimate with you. The one who stated that he is the Resurrection walks with you every day.
Paul wrote that we are more than conquerors, we are overcomers. We are not victims. We are not powerless. We are not timid, because our God has given us the authority to forgive. Thank about that for a moment. The power does not rest in the hands of the offender but in the hands of the offended. Without your forgiveness, the offender will have to give account for their actions. With your forgiveness that offence is wiped away. By offering forgiveness you are also set free from the cage of victim. That is power and that is what has been given to you with the responsibility to love your enemies.
We cannot and must not live with a victim mentality. Jesus has made us greater, more powerful than people can grasp. Now walk in the boldness you have been given and dare to love where others have failed.
Showing posts with label boldness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boldness. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Be Bold!
Are you bold? It takes a lot of confidence to pull off bold. It helps to know who you are and to have embraced your purpose and direction. As we examine the Cross this week we should take note that Jesus did not just give himself over to death on the cross; he embraced it with boldness and determination. He knew this was the will of Father and it was his purpose to carry out his will. So he stepped forward in the confidence of the relationship.
People with experience are bold. People who believe what they are saying are bold. People who trust the authority they represent are bold. We see it in all kinds of people throughout our day from teachers to police officers, from doctors to parents. But their boldness is limited to the limited boldness of this world system. For Jesus to step out in such boldness he had to believe in something beyond this limited world; he had to believe in the plan of Father and that belief came from his relationship of trust.
Let's shift from the Cross for a minute and consider Joshua. Joshua was Moses' assistant and had been trained under him for over forty years. That's longer than the working career of most people. He got to see first hand the incredible relationship between Yahweh and Moses, got to experience the miracles, saw Moses intercede countless time on behalf of the unfaithful Jews, and became the general of the national army under the guidance of Moses. So when Joshua was appointed by Yahweh to take over from Moses as leader, entering the promised land, he had a great relationship of trust with the Lord.
Joshua was able to step out in boldness because he knew his calling and purpose, and he personally knew the one who called him:
"Be brave and strong, because you are the one who will help this people take possession of the land, which I pledged to give to their ancestors." (Joshua 1:6)
It should be no different for us. We have been called by Jesus to more than just our personal salvation. That salvation allows us to enter into a greater relationship with Yahweh than either Moses or Joshua had with him. They were not one with God by the Holy Spirit and we are. Our boldness should be even greater because our calling is specific and directly from the Lord:
“All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
“It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Boldness. That is what we have because of our intimate relationship with Jesus, knowing and understanding our purpose. It doesn't matter what anyone else in this world says, we know what we must do. Jesus had to face the cross without the support of his disciples because even they tried to turn him from it. They did not understand, but they understood after the Resurrection. Jesus had to face the cross alone, simply knowing it was Father's will. It is the same reason we can face what we must, alone if need be, with people against us. We know who we are in Jesus. We know who he is in us. And we know our purpose.
"Be brave and strong, because you are the one who will help this people take possession of the land."
"God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled." (2 Timothy 1:7)
People with experience are bold. People who believe what they are saying are bold. People who trust the authority they represent are bold. We see it in all kinds of people throughout our day from teachers to police officers, from doctors to parents. But their boldness is limited to the limited boldness of this world system. For Jesus to step out in such boldness he had to believe in something beyond this limited world; he had to believe in the plan of Father and that belief came from his relationship of trust.
Let's shift from the Cross for a minute and consider Joshua. Joshua was Moses' assistant and had been trained under him for over forty years. That's longer than the working career of most people. He got to see first hand the incredible relationship between Yahweh and Moses, got to experience the miracles, saw Moses intercede countless time on behalf of the unfaithful Jews, and became the general of the national army under the guidance of Moses. So when Joshua was appointed by Yahweh to take over from Moses as leader, entering the promised land, he had a great relationship of trust with the Lord.
Joshua was able to step out in boldness because he knew his calling and purpose, and he personally knew the one who called him:
"Be brave and strong, because you are the one who will help this people take possession of the land, which I pledged to give to their ancestors." (Joshua 1:6)
It should be no different for us. We have been called by Jesus to more than just our personal salvation. That salvation allows us to enter into a greater relationship with Yahweh than either Moses or Joshua had with him. They were not one with God by the Holy Spirit and we are. Our boldness should be even greater because our calling is specific and directly from the Lord:
“All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20)
“It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)
Boldness. That is what we have because of our intimate relationship with Jesus, knowing and understanding our purpose. It doesn't matter what anyone else in this world says, we know what we must do. Jesus had to face the cross without the support of his disciples because even they tried to turn him from it. They did not understand, but they understood after the Resurrection. Jesus had to face the cross alone, simply knowing it was Father's will. It is the same reason we can face what we must, alone if need be, with people against us. We know who we are in Jesus. We know who he is in us. And we know our purpose.
"Be brave and strong, because you are the one who will help this people take possession of the land."
"God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled." (2 Timothy 1:7)
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Living Large In The Lord
Boldness is a mark of those who know who they are in Jesus. It has nothing to do with our intelligence, abilities, knowledge, skills and everything to do with our relationship with Jesus. When we realize and live the reality of his promises we step out each day in the confidence that we go in his strength and presence.
We've been lied to about not knowing the will of God, of not knowing the direction to take or the decisions to make. Jesus made it all clear and the only reasons we would not move forward is due to a lack of will on our part, laziness, or lack of a relationship. Moses is a great example to demonstrate this fact.
I have no doubt that Moses would have known about the Hebrew God growing up, as all the Hebrews did, but there was no revelation. None of them had a revelation. Yahweh had only revealed himself to a choice few and none of them were in Egypt at that time, or alive. It was Moses' heart to see his people freed but without knowing Yahweh he did what he thought was best and it got him in trouble.
Forty years later, Moses had a personal revelation of Yahweh through his burning bush experience. In fact, Moses went further than anyone else, being told what God's name was; "I AM who I AM", translated as Yahweh, Jehovah, and written as LORD in our Bibles. Even in this experience Moses was hesitant, offering up three excuses of why he couldn't accept Yahweh's call. He did not yet know Yahweh intimately. Moses at the end of Deuteronomy is not this same Moses. He had been transformed by an incredibly intimate relationship with "I AM who I AM". Moses' confidence was not in himself but in everything he had witnessed his God do:
"By this you will know that the Lord sent me to do these deeds and that it wasn't my own desire." (Numbers 6:28)
Skip ahead. Peter is another person who was completely transformed by a growing relationship with Jesus. Peter of the Gospels is not the same Peter of Acts. The receiving of the Spirit had much to do with this (the same Spirit we have received) but experiencing three years of intimacy with Jesus also helped, so that Peter did what he had seen Jesus do. Who could doubt the boldness of spirit that possessed Peter.
Paul was another of the great servants who operated in boldness. But Paul said that he considered anything he was and had before Jesus to be a lose. In other words, he was not reliant on his privileges, contacts, education, finances and instead placed himself in complete dependence on the Lord. Paul wrote many times in a similar fashion of Moses, that he did nothing in his own strength but in the strength of Jesus.
For our own convenience we have let go of this boldness today. We do what we have the resources to do. We do what we know how to do. We do what we want to do. We are bold in ourselves which means we are not very bold. Where is there faith in our lives? Where is the God column in our budgets? Where is the impossibilities of our projects? Where is God's glory in our lives? No where because most of us do not live intimacy with Jesus and so do not live by his strength.
I was challenged by the Spirit this week with a very simple thought that came in while I was talking a few things over with the Lord: "You are not living large enough for my glory". The same thing I just said to you was presented to me: He asked me, "Where is faith in your day?" "Where are you letting me show myself?" "For what am I getting the glory?"
It comes down to: Do we believe or don't we? If we believe then we are called to live big, in boldness, trust and faith, giving all the glory for what is produced to our Father, because that is the Son's desire. And if that is his desire, isn't it enough for those who say they love him? Are we living according to our ability or his?
We've been lied to about not knowing the will of God, of not knowing the direction to take or the decisions to make. Jesus made it all clear and the only reasons we would not move forward is due to a lack of will on our part, laziness, or lack of a relationship. Moses is a great example to demonstrate this fact.
I have no doubt that Moses would have known about the Hebrew God growing up, as all the Hebrews did, but there was no revelation. None of them had a revelation. Yahweh had only revealed himself to a choice few and none of them were in Egypt at that time, or alive. It was Moses' heart to see his people freed but without knowing Yahweh he did what he thought was best and it got him in trouble.
Forty years later, Moses had a personal revelation of Yahweh through his burning bush experience. In fact, Moses went further than anyone else, being told what God's name was; "I AM who I AM", translated as Yahweh, Jehovah, and written as LORD in our Bibles. Even in this experience Moses was hesitant, offering up three excuses of why he couldn't accept Yahweh's call. He did not yet know Yahweh intimately. Moses at the end of Deuteronomy is not this same Moses. He had been transformed by an incredibly intimate relationship with "I AM who I AM". Moses' confidence was not in himself but in everything he had witnessed his God do:
"By this you will know that the Lord sent me to do these deeds and that it wasn't my own desire." (Numbers 6:28)
Skip ahead. Peter is another person who was completely transformed by a growing relationship with Jesus. Peter of the Gospels is not the same Peter of Acts. The receiving of the Spirit had much to do with this (the same Spirit we have received) but experiencing three years of intimacy with Jesus also helped, so that Peter did what he had seen Jesus do. Who could doubt the boldness of spirit that possessed Peter.
Paul was another of the great servants who operated in boldness. But Paul said that he considered anything he was and had before Jesus to be a lose. In other words, he was not reliant on his privileges, contacts, education, finances and instead placed himself in complete dependence on the Lord. Paul wrote many times in a similar fashion of Moses, that he did nothing in his own strength but in the strength of Jesus.
For our own convenience we have let go of this boldness today. We do what we have the resources to do. We do what we know how to do. We do what we want to do. We are bold in ourselves which means we are not very bold. Where is there faith in our lives? Where is the God column in our budgets? Where is the impossibilities of our projects? Where is God's glory in our lives? No where because most of us do not live intimacy with Jesus and so do not live by his strength.
I was challenged by the Spirit this week with a very simple thought that came in while I was talking a few things over with the Lord: "You are not living large enough for my glory". The same thing I just said to you was presented to me: He asked me, "Where is faith in your day?" "Where are you letting me show myself?" "For what am I getting the glory?"
It comes down to: Do we believe or don't we? If we believe then we are called to live big, in boldness, trust and faith, giving all the glory for what is produced to our Father, because that is the Son's desire. And if that is his desire, isn't it enough for those who say they love him? Are we living according to our ability or his?
Thursday, March 3, 2016
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.
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.
Monday, September 29, 2014
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.
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.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Boldness Despite Insecurities
Knowing my audience, especially those of you on Tumblr, you probably don't see yourself as a bold person. In fact, you probably see yourself in the opposite light. Certainly in the safety of your keyboard you can manage bold words, but put you in a public setting and you blend into the background. So if I talk to you about spiritual boldness you probably would not be able to relate. It's because we have the wrong idea of boldness.
Even the most daring and bold person you can think of has a whole attic of unspoken insecurities. Most likely they act as bold as they do to compensate for those insecurities, but that is not how spiritual boldness works. In fact, spiritual boldness has nothing to do with your confidence or insecurities and everything to do with belief and faith in Jesus Christ. All Jesus needs from you is to believe his promises apply to you and then faith to act on them. With these two things in place Jesus is able to accomplish great things through anyone, despite their shortcomings. Consider David.
David had never fought against a man before facing the seasoned warrior, Goliath. His experience was limited to protecting the family's flock of sheep from various predators. But David took the experience and knowledge he had gained about Yahweh and translated it to this situation with Goliath. His thinking was simple: If Yahweh makes it possible to protect these meager sheep he will also make it possible to protect Israel:
“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
How could Yahweh not respond to such a bold trust? Jesus told us time and again to have this same attitude when serving him. Ask whatever you need, is what he said to us. Ask, seek, knock are his instructions. Boldness and determination were the subjects of his parables. Read through the gospels again and look for it. You will be amazed how clear it is.
The Lord doesn't need anything you have to offer him so your spiritual boldness does not depend or your ability or inability. What he needs are more hearts like David; people who know and believe the promises and who have the faith to act on them. Boldness does not depend on who you are but on your willingness to act on who Jesus is. It is not "I think I can" that moves mountains but "I know he wills it". Step out in the boldness of the promises; believe and act on it.
Even the most daring and bold person you can think of has a whole attic of unspoken insecurities. Most likely they act as bold as they do to compensate for those insecurities, but that is not how spiritual boldness works. In fact, spiritual boldness has nothing to do with your confidence or insecurities and everything to do with belief and faith in Jesus Christ. All Jesus needs from you is to believe his promises apply to you and then faith to act on them. With these two things in place Jesus is able to accomplish great things through anyone, despite their shortcomings. Consider David.
David had never fought against a man before facing the seasoned warrior, Goliath. His experience was limited to protecting the family's flock of sheep from various predators. But David took the experience and knowledge he had gained about Yahweh and translated it to this situation with Goliath. His thinking was simple: If Yahweh makes it possible to protect these meager sheep he will also make it possible to protect Israel:
“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
How could Yahweh not respond to such a bold trust? Jesus told us time and again to have this same attitude when serving him. Ask whatever you need, is what he said to us. Ask, seek, knock are his instructions. Boldness and determination were the subjects of his parables. Read through the gospels again and look for it. You will be amazed how clear it is.
The Lord doesn't need anything you have to offer him so your spiritual boldness does not depend or your ability or inability. What he needs are more hearts like David; people who know and believe the promises and who have the faith to act on them. Boldness does not depend on who you are but on your willingness to act on who Jesus is. It is not "I think I can" that moves mountains but "I know he wills it". Step out in the boldness of the promises; believe and act on it.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Strangers In Our Own Home
We are not bold enough. Often we try to be too polite with God. We act like visitors in a stranger's home, not wanting to offend or get anything dirty. There is a difference between how children react as a guest in someone's home and as a family member in their own. Why would we act like guests in the presence of our Father? Why would we treat him like a stranger? Why are we so afraid to act like family and why would we ever ask for something he has already promised to us?
Could you imagine this conversation:
"Mom, can I have some clothes? Can you give me some clothes please?"
"What are you talking about? Your closet is full of clothes?"
"Yes, but can I have them? Can you give them to me?"
"I already gave them to you. They are yours. Go ahead and wear them."
"Are you sure I can wear them? It won't offend you? I will clean the whole house if you let me wear them."
"What? Are you feeling okay?"
But we do it all the time. We treat our relationship with our Father like we are strangers in his house. We are afraid to touch what he freely gave to us. We don't act on his promises. It's like he has to give them to us again and again. They are ours.
There is nothing wrong with reminding God of his promises in boldness. It is not so much that we are reminding God as we are reminding ourselves. The psalmist stated it rather frankly:
Listen, Lord, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan.
2 You are my King and my God. (Psalm 5:1-2)
The psalmist comes with boldness, demanding the attention of God, not because he deserved it but because of the relationship: You are my King and my God. There is a lot he says in that declaration. God has made promises that have obligated himself to us. Because he is our Father he has bound himself to certain things.
You may think, "God, is Sovereign, he can do what he wants". True but our Father will never go against his character and his promises come out of that character. He is our Father. He has adopted us as his children through Jesus Christ. In doing this he has obligated himself to fulfill all the promises given to us, as we remain his children. Look at how the psalmist understood it even at that time, before Jesus:
You are my King and my God.
Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you. (v. 2)
"You are my King and my God and as such you are obligated to answer my cries for help because I am asking my King." Jesus communicated with us the promises of the Father. He told us to go to the Father with whatever we needed. He told us to stop worrying about what we need here and concentrate on the Kingdom because our Father would look after what we need here. We don't need to come with hat in hand to our Father. We come in with the boldness of children who trust their Father to be who he says he is, one who loves us and pours out all his goodness on us. But remember that it is the parents who establish the rules in the house. The kids do not get to do whatever they want. There is correction:
You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can’t stay with you.
5 No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
and you hate evil people.
6 You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit. (vv.4-6)
Our God is not a "genie in the bottle" who grants wishes. He is our Holy and Righteous Father who expects relationship. He loves us and wants us to love him in return. He wants us to consider what is important to him to be important to us. He wants us to walk in his footsteps, to reject evil and to cling to what is good. It is in this relationship of obedience that we have the boldness of any child to come into our Father's presence, to love him and to expect good things.
Stop acting like a stranger in our Father's house. To be honest, it is kind of creepy. It's like we don't know who we are. Stop it and be the child that you are. Princes and princesses in the Kingdom of God is who we are and our Father keeps us constantly in his presence. Live with boldness and walk in what has already been given to you.
Could you imagine this conversation:
"Mom, can I have some clothes? Can you give me some clothes please?"
"What are you talking about? Your closet is full of clothes?"
"Yes, but can I have them? Can you give them to me?"
"I already gave them to you. They are yours. Go ahead and wear them."
"Are you sure I can wear them? It won't offend you? I will clean the whole house if you let me wear them."
"What? Are you feeling okay?"
But we do it all the time. We treat our relationship with our Father like we are strangers in his house. We are afraid to touch what he freely gave to us. We don't act on his promises. It's like he has to give them to us again and again. They are ours.
There is nothing wrong with reminding God of his promises in boldness. It is not so much that we are reminding God as we are reminding ourselves. The psalmist stated it rather frankly:
Listen, Lord, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan.
2 You are my King and my God. (Psalm 5:1-2)
The psalmist comes with boldness, demanding the attention of God, not because he deserved it but because of the relationship: You are my King and my God. There is a lot he says in that declaration. God has made promises that have obligated himself to us. Because he is our Father he has bound himself to certain things.
You may think, "God, is Sovereign, he can do what he wants". True but our Father will never go against his character and his promises come out of that character. He is our Father. He has adopted us as his children through Jesus Christ. In doing this he has obligated himself to fulfill all the promises given to us, as we remain his children. Look at how the psalmist understood it even at that time, before Jesus:
You are my King and my God.
Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you. (v. 2)
"You are my King and my God and as such you are obligated to answer my cries for help because I am asking my King." Jesus communicated with us the promises of the Father. He told us to go to the Father with whatever we needed. He told us to stop worrying about what we need here and concentrate on the Kingdom because our Father would look after what we need here. We don't need to come with hat in hand to our Father. We come in with the boldness of children who trust their Father to be who he says he is, one who loves us and pours out all his goodness on us. But remember that it is the parents who establish the rules in the house. The kids do not get to do whatever they want. There is correction:
You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can’t stay with you.
5 No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
and you hate evil people.
6 You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit. (vv.4-6)
Our God is not a "genie in the bottle" who grants wishes. He is our Holy and Righteous Father who expects relationship. He loves us and wants us to love him in return. He wants us to consider what is important to him to be important to us. He wants us to walk in his footsteps, to reject evil and to cling to what is good. It is in this relationship of obedience that we have the boldness of any child to come into our Father's presence, to love him and to expect good things.
Stop acting like a stranger in our Father's house. To be honest, it is kind of creepy. It's like we don't know who we are. Stop it and be the child that you are. Princes and princesses in the Kingdom of God is who we are and our Father keeps us constantly in his presence. Live with boldness and walk in what has already been given to you.
Monday, February 18, 2013
So What Will It Be?
Are you convinced bout Jesus? I mean 100%, never look back, never question, always trust, convinced. I mean the sort of confidence that you can have everything removed from your life, everything you love and enjoy and still serve Jesus without blinking, without hesitation, without fear or worry? Are you so convinced that you do not care one minute what other people think or say about you? Is your confidence so great that you trust Jesus with today and all your tomorrows?
It is so easy to say yes to such questions but how much is this confidence In Jesus evident in your life? If it is so then you must be an incredibly bold and adventurous person, always trusting and obeying. You must have the most incredible sleep each night and spring from your bed each morning in eager anticipation of what God is going to do through you. You must be able to say with Paul:
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)
I know I am repeating myself, having already looked at this verse, but looking at it again, I am sure that we are missing something somewhere. Something just isn't clicking for us. Somehow, someway, we have lost the point of this Christian life. How can depression be part of us? How can there be a lack of hope? I don't mean a hope expressed by words but a hope that is evident in our actions as well as words.
Too many of us live a life defeated by everyday problems and circumstances. We are not living with eternal thinking. We read the words but we don't get it:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)
If Jesus is who we say he is, and if we love him as much as we say we do, then our confidence will be found in him and his promises, not anything of this world. If we lose everything here what does it matter compared to the eternal riches that are ours? It's only money here and that has no value in the eternal home that has been prepared. There is nothing here that should be able to disturb the gift of peace Jesus has given to us. If there is something that is disrupting our confidence it is because we are too much focused on the system of this world.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
You can listen to all the sermons you want. You can read as many books as you want. You can visit as many counselors as you want, but until your love for God becomes greater than any other thing in your life, you will not have the confidence and boldness to live your life for Jesus' glory. It's all or nothing. It's diving in the deep end or staying out of the pool. It is leaving the system of this world behind and walking in the promises of Jesus, or living a shallow and pretend faith. It is taking all of the Word of God or none of it.
So what will it be?
It is so easy to say yes to such questions but how much is this confidence In Jesus evident in your life? If it is so then you must be an incredibly bold and adventurous person, always trusting and obeying. You must have the most incredible sleep each night and spring from your bed each morning in eager anticipation of what God is going to do through you. You must be able to say with Paul:
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)
I know I am repeating myself, having already looked at this verse, but looking at it again, I am sure that we are missing something somewhere. Something just isn't clicking for us. Somehow, someway, we have lost the point of this Christian life. How can depression be part of us? How can there be a lack of hope? I don't mean a hope expressed by words but a hope that is evident in our actions as well as words.
Too many of us live a life defeated by everyday problems and circumstances. We are not living with eternal thinking. We read the words but we don't get it:
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)
If Jesus is who we say he is, and if we love him as much as we say we do, then our confidence will be found in him and his promises, not anything of this world. If we lose everything here what does it matter compared to the eternal riches that are ours? It's only money here and that has no value in the eternal home that has been prepared. There is nothing here that should be able to disturb the gift of peace Jesus has given to us. If there is something that is disrupting our confidence it is because we are too much focused on the system of this world.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
You can listen to all the sermons you want. You can read as many books as you want. You can visit as many counselors as you want, but until your love for God becomes greater than any other thing in your life, you will not have the confidence and boldness to live your life for Jesus' glory. It's all or nothing. It's diving in the deep end or staying out of the pool. It is leaving the system of this world behind and walking in the promises of Jesus, or living a shallow and pretend faith. It is taking all of the Word of God or none of it.
So what will it be?
Friday, September 28, 2012
Live Large For Jesus!
You have to admit that our perspective is pretty messed up. The things we tend to put value on have no eternal value at all. The things we try to avoid are the things that are essential for our growth. We read and study the Bible and only hold on to the things that make us feel good. We like celebrating the victory without participating in the fight. We tell God to take our life and use us but when he does we fight him all the way. It's not meant to be this hard.
Something that should tell us that we don't quite get it is found in the book of Acts. It is the part where the apostles were arrested, questioned, beaten and then released. They did not come out of the prison shouting about their rights or demanding justice. They came out celebrating that they were considered worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus. It doesn't mean we should go out looking to be beaten but it should tell us that our view of what is valuable is all wrong. It should tell us that our attitude is not exactly where God would want it to be.
When apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians he was writing from jail. This was likely his last letter written; this and 2 Timothy. He did not want them to be discouraged by his situation so in a paragraph he reminded them of who he had been and who he now was through Christ. Nothing had changed because of his circumstances. Just because he was in jail did not make him less of an apostle or unable to fulfil God's purpose for him. He summed it up with this:
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:13)
Paul was not in jail because he killed someone or because he was a thief. Paul was in jail because he lifted up Jesus Christ. He was suffering for the Name of Jesus and it was the glory of the Church. We seem to miss that in our living. Suffering for the Name should be celebrated not avoided.
I want to draw a distinct line here when it comes to suffering. Suffering for the Name is persecution, it is not putting up with poverty or cancer. We have been given authority over many things and disease is one of those things. Suffering for the Name is when we are carrying out the mission and trouble comes against us because of it. It is when you are sharing Jesus with someone and they spit in your face. It is when you get arrested for preaching on the street corner. It is when great men and women of learning call you an idiot and lost in the dark ages of superstition. It is when friends and family back away from you because you are too extreme in your faith.
How much do we really love Jesus? He said that if we love him we would obey him. Obedience is more than trying to live a good life. Obedience is to go because he told us to go and to do what he told us to do. "Make disciples", he said, not "build a life for yourself", "gain a reputation", "be well thought of". Live for me and the lost, is what Jesus said. Love as I have loved, Jesus said. Do greater things than I have done, Jesus said. Do not fear when the world hates you, it hated me first, Jesus said.
This life here is not about us. We occupying a dying vessel that is only meant for a temporary time. As clay vessels we only have a certain life span as we break easy, but we have been told to make the most of the opportunities we have. Live in complete freedom from this world with it's do's and don'ts and live with complete confidence in Jesus. Do not avoid suffering for the Name but instead learn to appreciate and celebrate it. Live in boldness and lift up the name of Jesus for the whole world to see. This is the glory of the Church, to live a life of unbridled love for Jesus and for the lost for whom he died. This is our life, so live it to it's fullest potential in Jesus Christ, our Lord, Saviour and King. Live large for Jesus!
Something that should tell us that we don't quite get it is found in the book of Acts. It is the part where the apostles were arrested, questioned, beaten and then released. They did not come out of the prison shouting about their rights or demanding justice. They came out celebrating that they were considered worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus. It doesn't mean we should go out looking to be beaten but it should tell us that our view of what is valuable is all wrong. It should tell us that our attitude is not exactly where God would want it to be.
When apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians he was writing from jail. This was likely his last letter written; this and 2 Timothy. He did not want them to be discouraged by his situation so in a paragraph he reminded them of who he had been and who he now was through Christ. Nothing had changed because of his circumstances. Just because he was in jail did not make him less of an apostle or unable to fulfil God's purpose for him. He summed it up with this:
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (Ephesians 3:13)
Paul was not in jail because he killed someone or because he was a thief. Paul was in jail because he lifted up Jesus Christ. He was suffering for the Name of Jesus and it was the glory of the Church. We seem to miss that in our living. Suffering for the Name should be celebrated not avoided.
I want to draw a distinct line here when it comes to suffering. Suffering for the Name is persecution, it is not putting up with poverty or cancer. We have been given authority over many things and disease is one of those things. Suffering for the Name is when we are carrying out the mission and trouble comes against us because of it. It is when you are sharing Jesus with someone and they spit in your face. It is when you get arrested for preaching on the street corner. It is when great men and women of learning call you an idiot and lost in the dark ages of superstition. It is when friends and family back away from you because you are too extreme in your faith.
How much do we really love Jesus? He said that if we love him we would obey him. Obedience is more than trying to live a good life. Obedience is to go because he told us to go and to do what he told us to do. "Make disciples", he said, not "build a life for yourself", "gain a reputation", "be well thought of". Live for me and the lost, is what Jesus said. Love as I have loved, Jesus said. Do greater things than I have done, Jesus said. Do not fear when the world hates you, it hated me first, Jesus said.
This life here is not about us. We occupying a dying vessel that is only meant for a temporary time. As clay vessels we only have a certain life span as we break easy, but we have been told to make the most of the opportunities we have. Live in complete freedom from this world with it's do's and don'ts and live with complete confidence in Jesus. Do not avoid suffering for the Name but instead learn to appreciate and celebrate it. Live in boldness and lift up the name of Jesus for the whole world to see. This is the glory of the Church, to live a life of unbridled love for Jesus and for the lost for whom he died. This is our life, so live it to it's fullest potential in Jesus Christ, our Lord, Saviour and King. Live large for Jesus!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Be Like Me
The boldest people you will ever meet are those who know themselves well. They aren't perfect and they don't try to pretend they are. They have gotten to know themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, their beauty and their ugliness and they live in the boldness of that knowledge. The weakest people you will ever meet are the pretenders; the ones that work so hard not to know themselves. They avoid seeing their ugliness and they never want to admit their weaknesses. They pretend to be strong all the time.
However, life isn't always about being bold in our knowledge of self. This kind of boldness is not going to get you very far and will probably still leave you pretty messed up. You see, we are a busted creation and nothing we do will ever amount to very much. We need another ingredient added. It is not enough to know self. We have to know self but the greater ingredient is knowing Jesus. In fact, it is in knowing Jesus that we realize we are not a lost cause. We realize the greatest part about knowing self is that we know that we can't do it on our own, that we need Jesus. Those who pretend will never realize they need Jesus because they are never willing to deal with their imperfections.
It is in this sense, of knowing self and knowing how much Jesus has done in him, that allows Paul to say quite plainly:
I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. (Galatians 4:12)
This is not like some Hollywood star saying, "Hey, copy me". It is not like some millionaire that everyone studies to see how they too can become so rich. This is a man who was forced to face his own ugliness, embrace the truth of it, and then become broken so Jesus could put him back together.
Paul was not a success according to this world but he was becoming a spiritual success. He wanted everyone to become like him, in his love for Jesus and in his dedicated and faithful service. Paul was a bold and fearless man, but not by any strength or ability he had but because of the relationship he had with Jesus Christ. Paul was no dummy and he had all the tools to become rich and successful according to this world but his only desire was to be obedient to Jesus Christ.
All of us have been called to this same boldness but the boldness begins when we realize how far short we have fallen from God's grace. When we realize how much we need Jesus and then realize everything Jesus has done for us, we gain a great boldness. We are able to realize that if God gave us his very best what good thing would he hold back from us. He has given us everything and nothing is a barrier to us. Our boldness is found in our faith just as it was found in Paul's. We trust every word ever spoken by God, every promise ever given, every teaching and instruction laid out by Jesus. We trust the direction of the Spirit and believe we are equipped and empowered (anointed) to do what Jesus told us to do.
All of us should be found in that place of being able to say "become like me" when we refer to our faith and relationship with Jesus. If we can't then we need to realize the truth of it and take steps to correct our luke-warmness. Live boldly in Jesus my friend.
However, life isn't always about being bold in our knowledge of self. This kind of boldness is not going to get you very far and will probably still leave you pretty messed up. You see, we are a busted creation and nothing we do will ever amount to very much. We need another ingredient added. It is not enough to know self. We have to know self but the greater ingredient is knowing Jesus. In fact, it is in knowing Jesus that we realize we are not a lost cause. We realize the greatest part about knowing self is that we know that we can't do it on our own, that we need Jesus. Those who pretend will never realize they need Jesus because they are never willing to deal with their imperfections.
It is in this sense, of knowing self and knowing how much Jesus has done in him, that allows Paul to say quite plainly:
I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. (Galatians 4:12)
This is not like some Hollywood star saying, "Hey, copy me". It is not like some millionaire that everyone studies to see how they too can become so rich. This is a man who was forced to face his own ugliness, embrace the truth of it, and then become broken so Jesus could put him back together.
Paul was not a success according to this world but he was becoming a spiritual success. He wanted everyone to become like him, in his love for Jesus and in his dedicated and faithful service. Paul was a bold and fearless man, but not by any strength or ability he had but because of the relationship he had with Jesus Christ. Paul was no dummy and he had all the tools to become rich and successful according to this world but his only desire was to be obedient to Jesus Christ.
All of us have been called to this same boldness but the boldness begins when we realize how far short we have fallen from God's grace. When we realize how much we need Jesus and then realize everything Jesus has done for us, we gain a great boldness. We are able to realize that if God gave us his very best what good thing would he hold back from us. He has given us everything and nothing is a barrier to us. Our boldness is found in our faith just as it was found in Paul's. We trust every word ever spoken by God, every promise ever given, every teaching and instruction laid out by Jesus. We trust the direction of the Spirit and believe we are equipped and empowered (anointed) to do what Jesus told us to do.
All of us should be found in that place of being able to say "become like me" when we refer to our faith and relationship with Jesus. If we can't then we need to realize the truth of it and take steps to correct our luke-warmness. Live boldly in Jesus my friend.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Did You Meet Jesus This Easter?
Resurrection Day has come and gone and we are ... the same? I hope not. I hope that we have all received some new revelation and have drawn even closer to Jesus. I hope we were surprised by something. Maybe it wasn't at church but perhaps it was something in our personal preparation. Change is suppose to be a constant for us as we are in the midst of transformation. Every moment with Jesus is suppose to augment this transformation process because it is impossible to spend time with Jesus without being changed. Resurrection Day was not the end of it. The empty tomb was not the end of it. There is more, much more to come.
Last night Jesus met with some of his disciples. Judas was dead and Thomas was missing but all the others were there when Jesus suddenly appeared in the room. The door was locked as they cowered in fear having heard the report from Mary but not daring to believe. They dared not believe and yet he was standing there, in front of them, greeting them in peace.
Understand that these poor men were without a future. Jesus had been their future, their only future and he was stolen away from them. Without him they had no hope, no direction, no purpose; they felt completely lost. The hid away, filled with fear, anxiety and dread which paralysed them. They were really paralysed emotionally, physically, mentally. The shock was wearing off and the depression was sinking in and this is why they could not process Mary's news from that morning. She said that she had seen Jesus and he was returning to the Father. What were they to make from that?
Now here he stood in front of them. He showed them the marks in his hands, his feet and the gash in his side. There was no denying it. The sight of the marks pained them but the joy of having Jesus with them again was starting to penetrate everything else. What a shock it was to have him with them again but they were still too afraid to touch him, to embrace him, to even greet him. Three things happened that night that changed everything; three things that gave them a future, purpose, direction and hope.
Jesus said to them and to us: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21) Imagine how those words filled the void they had been left with. Consider the power of this statement: Jesus has sent us out with the same sense of rescue mission as he was sent with. He came with the purpose saving mankind:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)
We go with that same understanding that the world is saved through Jesus Christ. We are sent to share the good news, to put the enemy to flight and to respond to the needs of people through the compassionate heart of God. Jesus came with power and authority through the Holy Spirit and he is sending us in the same way.
The second thing that happened is Jesus promising the Spirit, who is the power and authority of God in us: "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22) He told them to go and he promised the Spirit to equip them to go. Jesus set for us an example of how it is that we can serve in these weak bodies. Although he came as man and he was equally man and equally God, he set aside his divine nature and served in the flesh. He did this through the Holy Spirit, showing us that it is possible to do exactly what he did through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)
Going to the Father was significant. He told his disciples they should be pleased he was going to the Father because in going he was able to send to them the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is key to everything we are suppose to do in the going. Yet, it requires a faith that few of us have yet to tap because we have twisted Jesus' words so that we do not expect to do what he did. We convince ourselves that he meant something else. Meanwhile the world continues to cry out, "Show to us that your God is real".
The third thing that happened that night to change them is also of great significance. Jesus said to his disciples: "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:23) Forgiveness is key to everything we do and are involved in. We cannot minister to a suffering world if we do not understand nor experienced the power of forgiveness. Love is the foundation of the Kingdom and forgiveness is its first fruit. Jesus told many parables and gave many teachings on forgiveness, stating that if we do not forgive we will not be forgiven. He told us that we will be forgiven in the same manner in which we forgive. How can we possibly share the Good News of Jesus Christ if we are not able live the first steps of this relationship: repentance and forgiveness?
This command on forgiveness was important because the disciples had to get past what had just traumatized them. They had been betrayed by Judas, one of their own. The leaders of the land just trapped and manipulated the execution of their innocent Master. The Romans and inflicted incredible cruelty upon the innocent. They were hiding in fear. They may have even felt abandoned by God. There was a lot of forgiveness needed to heal the many wounds. Then there was the forgiveness they needed to believe they received. Peter is an example of this. If you are to minister to this fallen world the first thing you must accept is that you are forgiven. The enemy will come at you with accusations of your past, trying to rob you of God's power but you must hold on to the fact you are forgiven. Knowing and accepting your forgiveness you will in turn be able to easily forgive those who will harm you in ministry.
I look to these three things and I realize that my life is brimming with purpose, direction and hope for my future. I have received the command to "go" in the same sense that Jesus was sent by the Father. There is a world that needs to know the good news and who need to "see" Jesus. I have received the Holy Spirit, who is the power and authority of God in me. Demons must flee at my command. Diseases must let go and infirmities will be healed. I have the power and authority to speak life into dead things. I have the power, ability and responsibility to forgive in the same manner I have been forgiven. Forgiveness is what it is all about. I come away from Resurrection Day having been renewed in my understanding that it is not about me; it is about Jesus and the lost who need him.
Last night Jesus met with some of his disciples. Judas was dead and Thomas was missing but all the others were there when Jesus suddenly appeared in the room. The door was locked as they cowered in fear having heard the report from Mary but not daring to believe. They dared not believe and yet he was standing there, in front of them, greeting them in peace.
Understand that these poor men were without a future. Jesus had been their future, their only future and he was stolen away from them. Without him they had no hope, no direction, no purpose; they felt completely lost. The hid away, filled with fear, anxiety and dread which paralysed them. They were really paralysed emotionally, physically, mentally. The shock was wearing off and the depression was sinking in and this is why they could not process Mary's news from that morning. She said that she had seen Jesus and he was returning to the Father. What were they to make from that?
Now here he stood in front of them. He showed them the marks in his hands, his feet and the gash in his side. There was no denying it. The sight of the marks pained them but the joy of having Jesus with them again was starting to penetrate everything else. What a shock it was to have him with them again but they were still too afraid to touch him, to embrace him, to even greet him. Three things happened that night that changed everything; three things that gave them a future, purpose, direction and hope.
Jesus said to them and to us: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21) Imagine how those words filled the void they had been left with. Consider the power of this statement: Jesus has sent us out with the same sense of rescue mission as he was sent with. He came with the purpose saving mankind:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)
We go with that same understanding that the world is saved through Jesus Christ. We are sent to share the good news, to put the enemy to flight and to respond to the needs of people through the compassionate heart of God. Jesus came with power and authority through the Holy Spirit and he is sending us in the same way.
The second thing that happened is Jesus promising the Spirit, who is the power and authority of God in us: "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22) He told them to go and he promised the Spirit to equip them to go. Jesus set for us an example of how it is that we can serve in these weak bodies. Although he came as man and he was equally man and equally God, he set aside his divine nature and served in the flesh. He did this through the Holy Spirit, showing us that it is possible to do exactly what he did through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. (John 14:12)
Going to the Father was significant. He told his disciples they should be pleased he was going to the Father because in going he was able to send to them the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is key to everything we are suppose to do in the going. Yet, it requires a faith that few of us have yet to tap because we have twisted Jesus' words so that we do not expect to do what he did. We convince ourselves that he meant something else. Meanwhile the world continues to cry out, "Show to us that your God is real".
The third thing that happened that night to change them is also of great significance. Jesus said to his disciples: "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:23) Forgiveness is key to everything we do and are involved in. We cannot minister to a suffering world if we do not understand nor experienced the power of forgiveness. Love is the foundation of the Kingdom and forgiveness is its first fruit. Jesus told many parables and gave many teachings on forgiveness, stating that if we do not forgive we will not be forgiven. He told us that we will be forgiven in the same manner in which we forgive. How can we possibly share the Good News of Jesus Christ if we are not able live the first steps of this relationship: repentance and forgiveness?
This command on forgiveness was important because the disciples had to get past what had just traumatized them. They had been betrayed by Judas, one of their own. The leaders of the land just trapped and manipulated the execution of their innocent Master. The Romans and inflicted incredible cruelty upon the innocent. They were hiding in fear. They may have even felt abandoned by God. There was a lot of forgiveness needed to heal the many wounds. Then there was the forgiveness they needed to believe they received. Peter is an example of this. If you are to minister to this fallen world the first thing you must accept is that you are forgiven. The enemy will come at you with accusations of your past, trying to rob you of God's power but you must hold on to the fact you are forgiven. Knowing and accepting your forgiveness you will in turn be able to easily forgive those who will harm you in ministry.
I look to these three things and I realize that my life is brimming with purpose, direction and hope for my future. I have received the command to "go" in the same sense that Jesus was sent by the Father. There is a world that needs to know the good news and who need to "see" Jesus. I have received the Holy Spirit, who is the power and authority of God in me. Demons must flee at my command. Diseases must let go and infirmities will be healed. I have the power and authority to speak life into dead things. I have the power, ability and responsibility to forgive in the same manner I have been forgiven. Forgiveness is what it is all about. I come away from Resurrection Day having been renewed in my understanding that it is not about me; it is about Jesus and the lost who need him.
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