Yesterday, we talked about some of the signs of the end (a pretty scary topic, but not so for those who have the Hope of Jesus).
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. I love that Jesus uses a common example from the Old Testament to explain the suddenness of the day when Christ returns for us. It will be just like any other day -- people are eating, drinking, getting married, and all those other "normal" things. It could be today! No one, not even Jesus himself knows the day -- only the Father does. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. It's good that we don't know the exact date when Christ will come, otherwise, I think we'd all just be lazy -- waiting until the day of to get our act together. Remember that Heaven is not our only goal! We have very important work to do here, and we must continue to do it. But when Christ does come, it will be swift and sudden. No last minute changes of mind can be made. We must decide before that time, and if we haven't decided YES to Christ intentionally, the automatic, humanly choice is NO.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In the meantime, we are to faithfully and responsibly take care of people in Jesus' name! And that is no light task -- there is a reward promised! Likewise, if we are selfish and unloving, the consequences are severe. It is our choice, and a choice we need to make daily. How can you care for someone today?
Tomorrow, we will look at Matthew 25, which has three parables Jesus uses to describe further what it means for us to be ready for His return and how to live as we wait. Obviously, if Jesus spoke two whole chapters worth on this topic alone, it is very important. Oh, how I pray that Lord will open our eyes and our minds to this topic so that we may be able to live accordingly as we wait for Him! I don't claim to be a Biblical scholar and have all the answers on this very theologically divided subject, but even if we aren't exactly sure what everything means, let us not ignore it completely! God gave us the gift of a brain, and let's honor Him by using it! Even in the "harder" passages of Scripture! Nothing is too hard for us when we have the Holy Spirit who gives wisdom and understanding. Read, pray, and re-read, and see what He might have just for you this morning!
Coffee with Jesus
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Matthew 24:1-14 (Jesus Talks about the End)
1 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. As Christians, we know that the end will come. Christ is returning! Here, Jesus is warning the disciples to be careful when "looking for signs" because quite often when we look for signs, we are easily deceived. The only sure way to keep from being decieved is to focus on Christ and His words. Don't spend too much time looking for signs and listening to others words. Instead, look at Christ.
Yet, Christ wants to make sure we know the truth, and can recognize truth when we see it. So, He does tell us what the beginning of birth pains look like as the end of this world approaches. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains." If there is anything to take away from this as we look at our world, and the destruction and evil all around us, I think it's clear to see that the birth pains have begun. Below is a table of the major earhquakes at a 7.0 or higher in the past according to a research group in the UK.
I don't show you this date to scare you, but rather, so that we might know that Jesus isn't playing around. It sure seems to me that wars, famines, and earthquakes are certainly not at a low. May this be a reminder to us that we don't have forever. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies so far -- may we not doubt Him now.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. I don't know what it is truly like to be persecuted, but I know my brothers and sisters around the world do. But even here in the U.S., have you noticed lately that Tim Tebow has received a lot of slack for giving credit to His Lord for his success? The name of Jesus Christ angers people! And He told us it would. Yet, if someone wants to do a dance in the end zone for themselves, that's okay! That shocks me, and yet it shouldn't. This is the world we live in today. This shouldn't shock me because Jesus told us it will only get worse before it gets better.
Let us press on, my friends! Times of trial often sift the Christians from the non-Christians. Stand firm to the end -- the one who stands firm to the end will be saved! We need not be surprised by the condition of our world, but in the Hope and Knowledge of Jesus Christ, may we continue to live and love as He has called us. We are the light to this dark world when we serve in Jesus' name, and we do not live as those who have no hope! As we see the darkness and evil all around us, may we remember that Christ is coming soon. The time is now to do the work He has called us to do, and may we be firm to the end, rooted in Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, we know where we will be when this is done. Press on, brothers and sisters!
3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. As Christians, we know that the end will come. Christ is returning! Here, Jesus is warning the disciples to be careful when "looking for signs" because quite often when we look for signs, we are easily deceived. The only sure way to keep from being decieved is to focus on Christ and His words. Don't spend too much time looking for signs and listening to others words. Instead, look at Christ.
Yet, Christ wants to make sure we know the truth, and can recognize truth when we see it. So, He does tell us what the beginning of birth pains look like as the end of this world approaches. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains." If there is anything to take away from this as we look at our world, and the destruction and evil all around us, I think it's clear to see that the birth pains have begun. Below is a table of the major earhquakes at a 7.0 or higher in the past according to a research group in the UK.
DATES FROM & TO PERIOD NO. EARTHQUAKES (Mag. > 6.99)
--------------------------- ----------- ------------------------------
1863 to 1900 incl 38 yrs 12
1901 to 1938 incl 38 yrs 53
1939 to 1976 incl 38 yrs 71
1977 to 2014 incl * 38 yrs 164 (to Mar. 2011) I don't show you this date to scare you, but rather, so that we might know that Jesus isn't playing around. It sure seems to me that wars, famines, and earthquakes are certainly not at a low. May this be a reminder to us that we don't have forever. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies so far -- may we not doubt Him now.
9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. I don't know what it is truly like to be persecuted, but I know my brothers and sisters around the world do. But even here in the U.S., have you noticed lately that Tim Tebow has received a lot of slack for giving credit to His Lord for his success? The name of Jesus Christ angers people! And He told us it would. Yet, if someone wants to do a dance in the end zone for themselves, that's okay! That shocks me, and yet it shouldn't. This is the world we live in today. This shouldn't shock me because Jesus told us it will only get worse before it gets better.
Let us press on, my friends! Times of trial often sift the Christians from the non-Christians. Stand firm to the end -- the one who stands firm to the end will be saved! We need not be surprised by the condition of our world, but in the Hope and Knowledge of Jesus Christ, may we continue to live and love as He has called us. We are the light to this dark world when we serve in Jesus' name, and we do not live as those who have no hope! As we see the darkness and evil all around us, may we remember that Christ is coming soon. The time is now to do the work He has called us to do, and may we be firm to the end, rooted in Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, we know where we will be when this is done. Press on, brothers and sisters!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Matthew 23:25-37 (Watch Out! part 2)
Yesterday, we started reading through all the "Woes" that Jesus says to the Pharisees. These are warnings to them about the terrible things that will happen to them because of their actions -- seven ways to guarantee God's anger. I'm sure these statements were all said with a mixture of anger and sorrow, for they are strong and unforgettable. They are great reminders to us anytime we become so wrapped up in the practice of "religion" that we forget that God is more concerned about real love, mercy, and forgiveness. If you haven't read yesterday's, you may want to start there to catch up.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders for outwardly appearing upright and holy but inwardly remaining full of corruption and greed. In other words, they were keeping up appearances while their private world was corrupt. Yet, we can't keep the show going for long. Imagine drinking from a cup that is clean on the outside but has been sitting on the counter for weeks with the remains of your hot chocolate. The mold begins to grow; the smell begins to creep into the entire kitchen. Though it is clean on the outside, the truth of that cup would be obvious once we looked inside, and to drink out of it would be foolish, but very shocking if you did! What parts of your private world are less than clean? What secrets do people not know because you are trying to keep looking good from a distance? And isn't that true -- you can only look good from a distance when you're dirty on the inside -- so people cannot possibly get close to you. And, oh boy, we are not good in isolation. We need people to know the truth about us!
So what is it for you? Perhaps you have enormous amounts of debt, but you're living as if you're debt free, and everyone and everything looks so put together. Perhaps there is a lie you have told that is continually brought to mind, and you continue to quench the Spirit by saying, "I don't really need to deal with that. It was just a little lie." Perhaps there is someone with whom you're speaking, who is not your spouse, and the sight of an e-mail from them or a quick conversation is thrilling on the outside, but on the inside, you know it's not right. Come clean! Ask Jesus to wash you on the inside, and then YOU take the steps to begin walking in the other direction.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Similarly here, Jesus is referring to the people acting spiritual to cover up sin. Do we ever know we've done something wrong, so we think we'll pay Jesus back by volunteering more or giving more money to charity? But good deeds to cover up and keep doing what we're doing is not helpful at all! In using the "pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside" analogy twice here, we know how serious a condition this must be to Jesus! And it is! Hypocrisy rots away your insides until you "are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." The truth will set you free! Jesus will make you clean, and He desires for you to be clean, no matter what kind of ugliness you need to bring Him.
I had to call a friend last night and offer a very humbling apology. I had been an absolute hypocrite to her, and for four days, the Lord kept bringing this to mind. I kept trying to justify why I didn't need to call and admit what I had done. Finally, I heard the Lord say to me, "Molly, will you choose to honor Me or yourself in this?" Ouch. So, I had to call and confess. Now I am free from the weight of that guilt! Hallelujah! He wants to do the same in your life, my friend, whatever it is. And can I tell you, it feels so good to be clean on the outside and the inside again.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! 33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation." The people of Jesus' day said they would not act as their fathers did in killing the prophets whom God had sent to them, but they were about to kill the Messiah himself and then many of His faithful followers! Wow! Then, they too, would become guilty of all the righteous blood shed through the centuries. Jesus is very passionate about martyrs, or people who have died for His name. Revelation tells us there will be a special honor for those who died for the sake of His name. He doesn't take the sacrifice of a life lightly! That's why He is calling them snakes and vipers and condemns them to hell.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’" What a difference are these words from the proceeding verses. Jesus has just burned with a righteous anger toward the hypocritical people who are leading His people away, but then here we hear His heart on all of this. He wants to gather his people, to protect them, to love them, and to care for them, but they wouldn't let Him. Can you hear the love He has for them, even for the Pharisees? He knows they will soon be destroyed...and they were, about 70 years later in the year 70AD.
May this be our reminder to turn to Jesus! Many times we hurt and we don't know where to turn. We reject Christ's help because we don't think He can give us what we need. But who knows our needs better than our Creator? Turn to Him, my friend. Tell Him your need, seek His wisdom, and allow Him to care for you. Those who turn to Jesus will find that He helps and comforts as no one else can.
And continue to be on the lookout for ways that you are falling into these traps. Rather than religion, may we be focused on relationship: with God and with others. That is what it's all about! Continually ask yourself, "How can I please and honor God in this situation?" I can promise you, you will not be disappointed if you choose Him!
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." Jesus condemned the Pharisees and religious leaders for outwardly appearing upright and holy but inwardly remaining full of corruption and greed. In other words, they were keeping up appearances while their private world was corrupt. Yet, we can't keep the show going for long. Imagine drinking from a cup that is clean on the outside but has been sitting on the counter for weeks with the remains of your hot chocolate. The mold begins to grow; the smell begins to creep into the entire kitchen. Though it is clean on the outside, the truth of that cup would be obvious once we looked inside, and to drink out of it would be foolish, but very shocking if you did! What parts of your private world are less than clean? What secrets do people not know because you are trying to keep looking good from a distance? And isn't that true -- you can only look good from a distance when you're dirty on the inside -- so people cannot possibly get close to you. And, oh boy, we are not good in isolation. We need people to know the truth about us!
So what is it for you? Perhaps you have enormous amounts of debt, but you're living as if you're debt free, and everyone and everything looks so put together. Perhaps there is a lie you have told that is continually brought to mind, and you continue to quench the Spirit by saying, "I don't really need to deal with that. It was just a little lie." Perhaps there is someone with whom you're speaking, who is not your spouse, and the sight of an e-mail from them or a quick conversation is thrilling on the outside, but on the inside, you know it's not right. Come clean! Ask Jesus to wash you on the inside, and then YOU take the steps to begin walking in the other direction.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Similarly here, Jesus is referring to the people acting spiritual to cover up sin. Do we ever know we've done something wrong, so we think we'll pay Jesus back by volunteering more or giving more money to charity? But good deeds to cover up and keep doing what we're doing is not helpful at all! In using the "pretty on the outside, ugly on the inside" analogy twice here, we know how serious a condition this must be to Jesus! And it is! Hypocrisy rots away your insides until you "are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean." The truth will set you free! Jesus will make you clean, and He desires for you to be clean, no matter what kind of ugliness you need to bring Him.
I had to call a friend last night and offer a very humbling apology. I had been an absolute hypocrite to her, and for four days, the Lord kept bringing this to mind. I kept trying to justify why I didn't need to call and admit what I had done. Finally, I heard the Lord say to me, "Molly, will you choose to honor Me or yourself in this?" Ouch. So, I had to call and confess. Now I am free from the weight of that guilt! Hallelujah! He wants to do the same in your life, my friend, whatever it is. And can I tell you, it feels so good to be clean on the outside and the inside again.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! 33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation." The people of Jesus' day said they would not act as their fathers did in killing the prophets whom God had sent to them, but they were about to kill the Messiah himself and then many of His faithful followers! Wow! Then, they too, would become guilty of all the righteous blood shed through the centuries. Jesus is very passionate about martyrs, or people who have died for His name. Revelation tells us there will be a special honor for those who died for the sake of His name. He doesn't take the sacrifice of a life lightly! That's why He is calling them snakes and vipers and condemns them to hell.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’" What a difference are these words from the proceeding verses. Jesus has just burned with a righteous anger toward the hypocritical people who are leading His people away, but then here we hear His heart on all of this. He wants to gather his people, to protect them, to love them, and to care for them, but they wouldn't let Him. Can you hear the love He has for them, even for the Pharisees? He knows they will soon be destroyed...and they were, about 70 years later in the year 70AD.
May this be our reminder to turn to Jesus! Many times we hurt and we don't know where to turn. We reject Christ's help because we don't think He can give us what we need. But who knows our needs better than our Creator? Turn to Him, my friend. Tell Him your need, seek His wisdom, and allow Him to care for you. Those who turn to Jesus will find that He helps and comforts as no one else can.
And continue to be on the lookout for ways that you are falling into these traps. Rather than religion, may we be focused on relationship: with God and with others. That is what it's all about! Continually ask yourself, "How can I please and honor God in this situation?" I can promise you, you will not be disappointed if you choose Him!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Matthew 23: 13-24 (Watch out!)
Woe! It's not a word we use in daily language, but in today's passage, Jesus uses it seven times as a warning to these hypocritical teachers of the law. He's warning them with the word "woe" that great and terrible distress will be the consequence of these things He has seen in them. Let's see to it that we are working on these areas in our own lives...
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." How have we shut the door of the kingdom in people's faces? Perhaps our own hypocritical actions make it difficult for people to want to come to Jesus. We say that we love people, yet we never give of our time or money. We say that we love Jesus, but we don't speak about Him. People are watching us. How I pray that it is never because of me that someone says no to Jesus.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are." This is why the Bible warns so strongly about the responsibility of people who call themselves leaders and teachers. We need leaders and teachers, but they, especially when it come to teaching The Word, have a greater weight upon them. People become like their teachers! People often become an even greater version of whatever their teacher is and does. In the Pharisees case, they were winning converts all over the world, but the converts would become more of a hypocrite than even their teachers! If we are teachers, leaders, mentors, parents, or in any place of authority, we must make sure that we are not just saying the Word but living it out for those who are watching and imitating us.
“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it." I think studying this part might take a little more time than I have this morning in order to look up all the historical truths about swearing by things like the temple or the gold of the temple. But the verse that seems to stick out to me most is "Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?" If there is any quarrel among whose gift is greater, that is so petty compared to He who is greater than any gift, and who even allows us to give any gift. It seems like the Pharisees were giving rankings on how people could "swear by" things, and obviously, that is a man-made law. Instead, may we lead people to follow God's laws, for those are the ones that really matter.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." Here is a matter of focus. Since God says to give a tenth of all we have, we take that sum out of our paychecks, joyfully give it to the Lord, and that's that. But the Pharisees were giving their tithe, then going through their whole houses, including the spice cabinet, and measuring out a tenth of those, too! But that's just silly! If you have tithed from your paycheck, you need not go through the house and be so meticulous about giving a tenth of all your spices, lawn fertilizer, or hair products. So, the Pharisees were so concerned about all of those things, yet they failed to do the most important things, Jesus says, like acting justly, giving mercy, and walking faithfully with God. If we weren't sure before, we know now: these are what God desires most from us. If we aren't focused on that, we are missing the boat completely! And what about that gnat? In those days, to accidentally swallow a gnat would have been unclean. So, they strained all their water, so that they wouldn't possibly swallow a gnat. But again, Jesus says they are focusing on the wrong things. Swallow a stinkin' gnat for cryin' out loud -- but don't swallow this huge camel of unforgiveness or self-righteousness or hypocrisy!
Where are we focused on the wrong things? Are we involved in every last detail of everything in our lives, yet we are ignoring what is really important? It is so easy to get wrapped up in making sure our home is spotless, our bodies are buff, and our kids are perfect, yet we have failed to spend time on what really matters. Today, may we have three goals: acting justly, giving mercy, and walking faithfully with God (as it says in verse 23). Don't worry about the stuff. Worry about the condition of your heart, give attention to it -- focus on that. If we are not careful, we will miss the most important things. Watch out!
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." How have we shut the door of the kingdom in people's faces? Perhaps our own hypocritical actions make it difficult for people to want to come to Jesus. We say that we love people, yet we never give of our time or money. We say that we love Jesus, but we don't speak about Him. People are watching us. How I pray that it is never because of me that someone says no to Jesus.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are." This is why the Bible warns so strongly about the responsibility of people who call themselves leaders and teachers. We need leaders and teachers, but they, especially when it come to teaching The Word, have a greater weight upon them. People become like their teachers! People often become an even greater version of whatever their teacher is and does. In the Pharisees case, they were winning converts all over the world, but the converts would become more of a hypocrite than even their teachers! If we are teachers, leaders, mentors, parents, or in any place of authority, we must make sure that we are not just saying the Word but living it out for those who are watching and imitating us.
“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it." I think studying this part might take a little more time than I have this morning in order to look up all the historical truths about swearing by things like the temple or the gold of the temple. But the verse that seems to stick out to me most is "Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?" If there is any quarrel among whose gift is greater, that is so petty compared to He who is greater than any gift, and who even allows us to give any gift. It seems like the Pharisees were giving rankings on how people could "swear by" things, and obviously, that is a man-made law. Instead, may we lead people to follow God's laws, for those are the ones that really matter.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." Here is a matter of focus. Since God says to give a tenth of all we have, we take that sum out of our paychecks, joyfully give it to the Lord, and that's that. But the Pharisees were giving their tithe, then going through their whole houses, including the spice cabinet, and measuring out a tenth of those, too! But that's just silly! If you have tithed from your paycheck, you need not go through the house and be so meticulous about giving a tenth of all your spices, lawn fertilizer, or hair products. So, the Pharisees were so concerned about all of those things, yet they failed to do the most important things, Jesus says, like acting justly, giving mercy, and walking faithfully with God. If we weren't sure before, we know now: these are what God desires most from us. If we aren't focused on that, we are missing the boat completely! And what about that gnat? In those days, to accidentally swallow a gnat would have been unclean. So, they strained all their water, so that they wouldn't possibly swallow a gnat. But again, Jesus says they are focusing on the wrong things. Swallow a stinkin' gnat for cryin' out loud -- but don't swallow this huge camel of unforgiveness or self-righteousness or hypocrisy!
Where are we focused on the wrong things? Are we involved in every last detail of everything in our lives, yet we are ignoring what is really important? It is so easy to get wrapped up in making sure our home is spotless, our bodies are buff, and our kids are perfect, yet we have failed to spend time on what really matters. Today, may we have three goals: acting justly, giving mercy, and walking faithfully with God (as it says in verse 23). Don't worry about the stuff. Worry about the condition of your heart, give attention to it -- focus on that. If we are not careful, we will miss the most important things. Watch out!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Matthew 23 (Hypocrisy)
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Few things are worse, in my opinion, than a hypocrite. Dictionary.com defines a hypocrite as "a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs." The root of all hypocrisy is self -- I want myself to be seen as better; I want myself to be honored above others; I want myself to feel okay. We are all hypocrites, and I wonder if we think that we are not, if perhaps we are the biggest ones of all.
Matthew 23 is a tough chapter. All throughout our Matthew study, we have heard the questions, plots, and evil schemes of the Pharisees. And now Jesus has had enough! This entire chapter is in red: Jesus' words. And many of the sentences end in exclamation points -- so He was really speaking with some gusto on this one. He is addressing the spiritual and religious leaders of His day, but I think we can glean some truth from this for ourselves as well, since we know that all Scripture is living and active in our lives, right?
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." The teachers of the Law were still in leadership, and the Bible says it is God to establishes and destroys kings, so Jesus was telling the people that what the teachers were saying was true. The people were to obey what was read from Scripture, but not to do what they did. Their own traditions and interpretations had begun creeping in and being seen as equal to God's laws. What do we do today like this? What religious ceremonies and practices do we say people MUST do, but can really be found no where in Scripture? Or perhaps its what we don't do. Confession doesn't feel nice, so maybe it's not that important. I'm not saying we need to go to a priest, but just "confess your sins to one another" the Bible says. Our man-made laws these days may be more what we don't really need to do anymore.
"They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." Do we ever expect people to behave in a way that we, ourselves, our not behaving? This is what the teachers were doing. I urge you to check yourself on this -- are you adding weight to someone's shoulders by expecting them to do something that you are not as a Christian or just in daily life? This is not good.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;" The teachers were not concerned about being holy -- just looking holy. The phylacteries were boxes containing scripture verses that they wore on their foreheads and arms in order to literally obey Deut. 6:8 and Ex. 13:9, 16. But rather than just keeping these scripture close to their hearts and minds, they made a show out of it by making the boxes bigger and bigger as a status symbol. How about you -- do you carry a certain Bible for a particular reason? Do you find pleasure in the amount of underlined parts you have? (My hand needs to go up on that one.) Are you more concerned with your Sunday outfit looking nice than the condition of your heart before you attend worship?
"they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others." Jesus clearly commands us to be great by our service to others -- not our positions of power and honor on earth. Serving others allows us to keep the focus off of ourselves. Just as Jesus came as a servant, so we are to live to serve rather than to be served. Clearly, the Pharisees were saying this but were not practicing it.
Which of these four stirs you most? I hope we are always seeking to be better followers of Christ, and that always starts with looking inwardly rather than pointing fingers outwardly. It is so painful for me to admit my hypocrisies, and yet, I know in order to become more like Jesus, I have to allow Him to help me work on those areas. I want my life to be lived in truth, not in deception. When I allow my own faults and imperfections to be exposed, I allow others to live truthfully with and work diligently on theirs. A humble transparency is the opposite of hypocrisy. That's my goal.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Few things are worse, in my opinion, than a hypocrite. Dictionary.com defines a hypocrite as "a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs." The root of all hypocrisy is self -- I want myself to be seen as better; I want myself to be honored above others; I want myself to feel okay. We are all hypocrites, and I wonder if we think that we are not, if perhaps we are the biggest ones of all.
Matthew 23 is a tough chapter. All throughout our Matthew study, we have heard the questions, plots, and evil schemes of the Pharisees. And now Jesus has had enough! This entire chapter is in red: Jesus' words. And many of the sentences end in exclamation points -- so He was really speaking with some gusto on this one. He is addressing the spiritual and religious leaders of His day, but I think we can glean some truth from this for ourselves as well, since we know that all Scripture is living and active in our lives, right?
“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." The teachers of the Law were still in leadership, and the Bible says it is God to establishes and destroys kings, so Jesus was telling the people that what the teachers were saying was true. The people were to obey what was read from Scripture, but not to do what they did. Their own traditions and interpretations had begun creeping in and being seen as equal to God's laws. What do we do today like this? What religious ceremonies and practices do we say people MUST do, but can really be found no where in Scripture? Or perhaps its what we don't do. Confession doesn't feel nice, so maybe it's not that important. I'm not saying we need to go to a priest, but just "confess your sins to one another" the Bible says. Our man-made laws these days may be more what we don't really need to do anymore.
"They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." Do we ever expect people to behave in a way that we, ourselves, our not behaving? This is what the teachers were doing. I urge you to check yourself on this -- are you adding weight to someone's shoulders by expecting them to do something that you are not as a Christian or just in daily life? This is not good.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;" The teachers were not concerned about being holy -- just looking holy. The phylacteries were boxes containing scripture verses that they wore on their foreheads and arms in order to literally obey Deut. 6:8 and Ex. 13:9, 16. But rather than just keeping these scripture close to their hearts and minds, they made a show out of it by making the boxes bigger and bigger as a status symbol. How about you -- do you carry a certain Bible for a particular reason? Do you find pleasure in the amount of underlined parts you have? (My hand needs to go up on that one.) Are you more concerned with your Sunday outfit looking nice than the condition of your heart before you attend worship?
"they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others." Jesus clearly commands us to be great by our service to others -- not our positions of power and honor on earth. Serving others allows us to keep the focus off of ourselves. Just as Jesus came as a servant, so we are to live to serve rather than to be served. Clearly, the Pharisees were saying this but were not practicing it.
Which of these four stirs you most? I hope we are always seeking to be better followers of Christ, and that always starts with looking inwardly rather than pointing fingers outwardly. It is so painful for me to admit my hypocrisies, and yet, I know in order to become more like Jesus, I have to allow Him to help me work on those areas. I want my life to be lived in truth, not in deception. When I allow my own faults and imperfections to be exposed, I allow others to live truthfully with and work diligently on theirs. A humble transparency is the opposite of hypocrisy. That's my goal.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Matthew 22:15-45 (Questions)
Questions are powerful. A deep, and well-worded question can often cut us like a knife, revealing our true motives and our heart's conditions. Jesus used questions a lot to expose people's motives and to hold up Scripture so that everyone could interpret it better. In a world where everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else, I think we should follow Jesus lead by asking more questions. I want to ask my students more questions, and someday, I want to ask my own children questions to reveal their motives or to discover their character, both the good and the bad. Josh is a master at this -- he often answers my questions with a question -- and when he does, I know I'm about to learn something. And if I'm honest with myself, that's a good thing.
Man, I wish I could see the four different scenes that play out today! Four different questions are asked, and most of them are with evil motives. Yet, they are four wins for "our side" for sure. I am quite hopeful that since I love movies and am dying to be a fly on the wall in Jesus' day, that I might be able to re-watch all of history on the biggest screen with the best surround sound in Heaven. (And I suppose if that's not part of the plan up there, I will be more than excited to do whatever is planned.) Here, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Herodians (a political party that followed Herod), are putting their hate for one another aside for the common cause of getting Jesus arrested...and they're doing it with questions.
The first scene the groups are asking Him about paying taxes. If He says they should pay their taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would say He was opposed to God. If He said to pay only to God, then the Herodians would have Him arrested for rebellion. But Jesus exposes their evil motives and embarrasses them both by saying, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Jesus: one; People: zero.
The second scene, they question Him about resurrection. The Saduccees ask the next one because they only read the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) in which no direct teaching about the resurrection exists. They pose this story about if a woman's husbands keep dying and she ends up marrying seven different people before she dies, then ask whose wife would she be in Heaven. Yet Jesus, knowing they will only believe Scripture from the Pentateuch, quotes Exodus 3:6, when God says, "I am the God of your ancestors -- the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, and the God of Jacob." If these people are technically dead, then why would God use the present verb of I am meaning currently? Wow! Jesus: two; People: zero.
In the third scene, the Pharisees are giving it another swing again. Scripture says, "One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap Him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"' Jesus reply will be familiar to you: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Jesus: three; People: zero.)
Now, we may know this because we've heard that verse many times, but imagine hearing that for the first time. I remember when I realized that those two included ALL His commands. That is quite impressive! And as a quick aside, I heard a great quote this week about all the "don't" in the Bible. I know these don'ts are abrasive to some ears, especially teenagers, or people who just want to do what they want to do. But remember this: When God says "don't," He means don't hurt yourself. So true in my life! The boundaries are there for our protection and our good. I know this to be true.
Finally, Jesus asks THEM a question, playing their game: "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?" They reply that he is the son of David. Jesus responds, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, call Him Lord? For David said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feat.' Since David called Him Lord, how can he be his sun at the same time?" And the Bible says, "No one could answer him, and from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions." (Jesus: four; People: zero.) Notice also, that he responded to ALL of these questions with Scripture. May that be a reminder to us to keep memorizing! The Word is our arsenal, friends!
Questions are powerful. If I'm wanting to live in truth, I don't want to shy away when a question is asked of me, and I hope I can wisely and tactfully learn to pose questions of others out of my love for them. I will be having a truthful conversation soon with a young woman whom I love dearly, and I think I need to be praying how I may ask her questions regarding some of the choices she's making. Perhaps you can use this idea of questions, too -- it's much better than pointing fingers -- and we can watch and learn how to do it from the Master himself!
Man, I wish I could see the four different scenes that play out today! Four different questions are asked, and most of them are with evil motives. Yet, they are four wins for "our side" for sure. I am quite hopeful that since I love movies and am dying to be a fly on the wall in Jesus' day, that I might be able to re-watch all of history on the biggest screen with the best surround sound in Heaven. (And I suppose if that's not part of the plan up there, I will be more than excited to do whatever is planned.) Here, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Herodians (a political party that followed Herod), are putting their hate for one another aside for the common cause of getting Jesus arrested...and they're doing it with questions.
The first scene the groups are asking Him about paying taxes. If He says they should pay their taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would say He was opposed to God. If He said to pay only to God, then the Herodians would have Him arrested for rebellion. But Jesus exposes their evil motives and embarrasses them both by saying, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Jesus: one; People: zero.
The second scene, they question Him about resurrection. The Saduccees ask the next one because they only read the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy) in which no direct teaching about the resurrection exists. They pose this story about if a woman's husbands keep dying and she ends up marrying seven different people before she dies, then ask whose wife would she be in Heaven. Yet Jesus, knowing they will only believe Scripture from the Pentateuch, quotes Exodus 3:6, when God says, "I am the God of your ancestors -- the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, and the God of Jacob." If these people are technically dead, then why would God use the present verb of I am meaning currently? Wow! Jesus: two; People: zero.
In the third scene, the Pharisees are giving it another swing again. Scripture says, "One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap Him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"' Jesus reply will be familiar to you: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Jesus: three; People: zero.)
Now, we may know this because we've heard that verse many times, but imagine hearing that for the first time. I remember when I realized that those two included ALL His commands. That is quite impressive! And as a quick aside, I heard a great quote this week about all the "don't" in the Bible. I know these don'ts are abrasive to some ears, especially teenagers, or people who just want to do what they want to do. But remember this: When God says "don't," He means don't hurt yourself. So true in my life! The boundaries are there for our protection and our good. I know this to be true.
Finally, Jesus asks THEM a question, playing their game: "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is He?" They reply that he is the son of David. Jesus responds, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, call Him Lord? For David said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feat.' Since David called Him Lord, how can he be his sun at the same time?" And the Bible says, "No one could answer him, and from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions." (Jesus: four; People: zero.) Notice also, that he responded to ALL of these questions with Scripture. May that be a reminder to us to keep memorizing! The Word is our arsenal, friends!
Questions are powerful. If I'm wanting to live in truth, I don't want to shy away when a question is asked of me, and I hope I can wisely and tactfully learn to pose questions of others out of my love for them. I will be having a truthful conversation soon with a young woman whom I love dearly, and I think I need to be praying how I may ask her questions regarding some of the choices she's making. Perhaps you can use this idea of questions, too -- it's much better than pointing fingers -- and we can watch and learn how to do it from the Master himself!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Matthew 22:1-14 (Wedding Clothes)
1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
In Jesus' time, two invitations were sent for banquets and feasts. The first told the guest that they were invited. The second told the guest when everything was ready and they could come. The guests at the beginning of this parable represent the people who the Lord is trying to reach, but they refuse to accept His invitation. Look at what they are doing instead in verse 5, "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business." They were too busy managing their investments, working their jobs, and being busy! What culture does that sound like? My guess is that the Lord would say that describes all cultures, but it certainly rings true with Americans. We are so busy! We focus on all the wrong things, and our culture, is missing the invitation to the Celebration of the Centuries for eternity in Heaven! In fact, look what it says they are doing upon receiving the invitation: they abuse and kill the king's servants. Remember this: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10). God will get justice for the wrong done to His people (verse 7).
So, the servants are told to go out into the streets and get anyone and everyone they can -- the good and the bad. The banquet hall was filled! (There aren't going to be just four of us sitting around, twiddling our thumbs -- there will be multitudes, remember?)
Then the king comes and sees someone who is not wearing the wedding clothes. I loved learning about this this morning! Get this: a king would often provide wedding clothes to the guests to wear to the banquet, as was the custom. If the provided clothes were not worn, it was an insult, and could be assumed that the guest was being arrogant. The wedding clothes in this parable represent our righteousness and salvation from Jesus. It is our choice to put on this righteousness, these wedding clothes, but what when we do, we are official guests at the banquet.
Then, the king noticed that someone was invited, but did not put on the clothes, and that person was thrown, as it says, "outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The Lord does not make us do anything -- He invites us -- but it is our choice to accept this invitation. In fact, look at the wording! When the king (Jesus) finds the man who is not wearing the wedding clothes, look at how He talks to him! He says, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ He calls him FRIEND! Even though this man never accepted the gift, Jesus still loves him and calls him a friend. He's not angry at him; He doesn't ignore the man smugly; He doesn't send someone else to tell the man to leave. Jesus addresses the man Himself because He cares for him. Wow.
Perhaps, if you're reading this blog, you have already accepted the invitation and now follow Jesus Christ. If that is so, then you are someone else in this parable: you are the kings servant. So, what is our job as His servant? The Lord says to us, "So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find." So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good...
We are to invite.
We don't have to win them over, persuade them, correct their wrong doing, or act higher-than-thou. We simply invite.
Now, I must say, that the way we live our lives and the way we invite people may have an impact on their decision, so it is absolutely critical that we are living for Christ in everything we say and do. We are His representatives! Sometimes I question how He could ever want me to represent Him; yet, this is the way He planned it. So, I want to do my best. I don't have to put on any big performances. I don't have to have a big speech planned out for when I have an opportunity to share this invitation.
"Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:2). What does that say? We no longer live shamefully, but righteously; we don't try to deceive people in the Kingdom or make the Bible say something it doesn't. Instead, we set forth the truth plainly. We don't shove the truth down their throats -- we set it. We set it in front of them plainly. Just say it. We don't need to make excuses for God as to why He's not "inclusive" of everyone in His kingdom, or why doing good things can't get us to Heaven. I love this: set forth the truth plainly. Isn't that true in ALL of our interactions, not just the conversations about salvation?
That's our job, friends. Lord, may You help me to take a step of faith to do this FOR the people in my life because I love them. Help me to know how and when to set it in front of them, trusting that it's not my job to make them believe You. I know this is what You desire of me, Lord. Help me to do it.
Daniel 12:3: "Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever."
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
In Jesus' time, two invitations were sent for banquets and feasts. The first told the guest that they were invited. The second told the guest when everything was ready and they could come. The guests at the beginning of this parable represent the people who the Lord is trying to reach, but they refuse to accept His invitation. Look at what they are doing instead in verse 5, "But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business." They were too busy managing their investments, working their jobs, and being busy! What culture does that sound like? My guess is that the Lord would say that describes all cultures, but it certainly rings true with Americans. We are so busy! We focus on all the wrong things, and our culture, is missing the invitation to the Celebration of the Centuries for eternity in Heaven! In fact, look what it says they are doing upon receiving the invitation: they abuse and kill the king's servants. Remember this: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10). God will get justice for the wrong done to His people (verse 7).
So, the servants are told to go out into the streets and get anyone and everyone they can -- the good and the bad. The banquet hall was filled! (There aren't going to be just four of us sitting around, twiddling our thumbs -- there will be multitudes, remember?)
Then the king comes and sees someone who is not wearing the wedding clothes. I loved learning about this this morning! Get this: a king would often provide wedding clothes to the guests to wear to the banquet, as was the custom. If the provided clothes were not worn, it was an insult, and could be assumed that the guest was being arrogant. The wedding clothes in this parable represent our righteousness and salvation from Jesus. It is our choice to put on this righteousness, these wedding clothes, but what when we do, we are official guests at the banquet.
Then, the king noticed that someone was invited, but did not put on the clothes, and that person was thrown, as it says, "outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The Lord does not make us do anything -- He invites us -- but it is our choice to accept this invitation. In fact, look at the wording! When the king (Jesus) finds the man who is not wearing the wedding clothes, look at how He talks to him! He says, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ He calls him FRIEND! Even though this man never accepted the gift, Jesus still loves him and calls him a friend. He's not angry at him; He doesn't ignore the man smugly; He doesn't send someone else to tell the man to leave. Jesus addresses the man Himself because He cares for him. Wow.
Perhaps, if you're reading this blog, you have already accepted the invitation and now follow Jesus Christ. If that is so, then you are someone else in this parable: you are the kings servant. So, what is our job as His servant? The Lord says to us, "So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find." So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good...
We are to invite.
We don't have to win them over, persuade them, correct their wrong doing, or act higher-than-thou. We simply invite.
Now, I must say, that the way we live our lives and the way we invite people may have an impact on their decision, so it is absolutely critical that we are living for Christ in everything we say and do. We are His representatives! Sometimes I question how He could ever want me to represent Him; yet, this is the way He planned it. So, I want to do my best. I don't have to put on any big performances. I don't have to have a big speech planned out for when I have an opportunity to share this invitation.
"Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4:2). What does that say? We no longer live shamefully, but righteously; we don't try to deceive people in the Kingdom or make the Bible say something it doesn't. Instead, we set forth the truth plainly. We don't shove the truth down their throats -- we set it. We set it in front of them plainly. Just say it. We don't need to make excuses for God as to why He's not "inclusive" of everyone in His kingdom, or why doing good things can't get us to Heaven. I love this: set forth the truth plainly. Isn't that true in ALL of our interactions, not just the conversations about salvation?
That's our job, friends. Lord, may You help me to take a step of faith to do this FOR the people in my life because I love them. Help me to know how and when to set it in front of them, trusting that it's not my job to make them believe You. I know this is what You desire of me, Lord. Help me to do it.
Daniel 12:3: "Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever."
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Matthew 21:12-27 (Passive Jesus?)
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
I'm not quite sure where our society gets the idea that Jesus was a weak and quiet man, and as a teenager, I can remember being a little embarrassed that my God wasn't a little more macho. But clearly, I just hadn't read enough scripture yet. I love Matthew chapter 21 because here we see three different examples where Jesus was not a push-over!
I love the picture of Jesus going into the temple and turning over tables because people were defiling God's house. Put some dramatic music behind those images and you have a just hero in an action movie! Jesus was a fighter. He fought for the holiness of God and His temple; he fought for the underdogs of his day when he cared for women, widows, and children; and he has and continues to fight for our souls out of His great love for us! No, He was absolutely not passive, and I am so proud to call Him my Savior! And yet, in this very scene, He also healed many people out of His love and compassion for them. Now, if that's not the perfect man, I don't know what is!
In the next part of this passage, He kills a fig tree on the spot for not producing fruit, reminding us that Jesus is fully God, and Scripture also says that Jesus was hungry, which reminds us that He is fully human lest we not forget! Now, there are many ways we could look at this and dive into it further as far as what that fig tree represents. But what I know about Jesus, is that His followers are to bear fruit! He despises "lukewarm" dedication from us. In Revelation 3:16, He says, "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." He doesn't play pretend just so that everyone can feel nice about this Christian stuff. You either are hot or cold. I'd say those are pretty clear-cut boundaries, and He doesn't settle for the in between. I love that about Jesus, because even in my own life, I want to be on fire for Him. I'm glad that He makes that the standard because otherwise my fleshy self would probably not aim so high! So, I wonder if that tree represents self-proclaimed Christians who are not bearing fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Jesus doesn't play games. I also like this section of scripture because as a leader, He empowers and encourages His disciples, telling them that they can do the same things if they just have faith that it can be done AND the humility to ask for it in prayer.
The third thing I love about Matthew 21, and I really love this one, is verses 23-27 (read above). The Pharisees are doing what they are always doing, trying to back Jesus into a corner about His authority. But Jesus is sharp! He plays their game of "asking questions" right back at them, and says they must answer His question before He'll answer theirs, because He already knows their hearts. They know what He wants them to say, but they don't want to say it, and if they say the opposite thing, the people will be mad at them (and we wouldn't want to make anyone mad at us, right, because they might take away our power), so they say "We don't know," which isn't the truth. Jesus response: "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." And that's the end of that. He doesn't give reasons; He just gives a simple answer. And they're thinking...rats, we're out-smarted again!
My Aunt Nancy is a hopeless romantic like me. I can remember visiting her at her farm in Kentucky as a child, and she had this picture of Jesus on her dresser that was unlike any picture I've ever seen of Jesus. He was handsome! Now, I know that the Bible says that Jesus was not particularly handsome (and I'd have to do a little digging to find that reference right now), but I can understand why -- Jesus doesn't want people following Him simply for His looks! (That's why He made Brad Pitt.) But, my aunt wanted to be so in-love with Jesus, that she used this picture to remind her of who Jesus really is, and she called it her Hunky Jesus.
Looking at Matthew 21, we've learned that Jesus was:
sure of His identity, assertive, strong, powerful, defender of God and the underdogs, compassionate, kind and tender, honest, human, God, smart and wise beyond measure, encouraging and empowering, street-smart, and many other descriptors! I'd encourage you to read this passage again yourself and add to my list. What a list it is. Yes, I'd say He is a Hunky Jesus, Aunt Nancy.
This is our God, loved ones. This is who our God really is! He is not a passive, quiet man who allows Himself to be walked upon. On the cross, He absolutely allowed it, but only because He loved you that much. He could have ripped Himself off the cross at any point, but He loved you, so He stayed there. He is a loving, sacrificing God out of His great love for you. You do not have to be ashamed of Him. In fact, the more I read these historical accounts of His life, the greater the chasm between Jesus and all the other gods of this world becomes. I choose Jesus. I hope, with a resounding YES, that you do, too, this morning.
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“‘From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
I'm not quite sure where our society gets the idea that Jesus was a weak and quiet man, and as a teenager, I can remember being a little embarrassed that my God wasn't a little more macho. But clearly, I just hadn't read enough scripture yet. I love Matthew chapter 21 because here we see three different examples where Jesus was not a push-over!
I love the picture of Jesus going into the temple and turning over tables because people were defiling God's house. Put some dramatic music behind those images and you have a just hero in an action movie! Jesus was a fighter. He fought for the holiness of God and His temple; he fought for the underdogs of his day when he cared for women, widows, and children; and he has and continues to fight for our souls out of His great love for us! No, He was absolutely not passive, and I am so proud to call Him my Savior! And yet, in this very scene, He also healed many people out of His love and compassion for them. Now, if that's not the perfect man, I don't know what is!
In the next part of this passage, He kills a fig tree on the spot for not producing fruit, reminding us that Jesus is fully God, and Scripture also says that Jesus was hungry, which reminds us that He is fully human lest we not forget! Now, there are many ways we could look at this and dive into it further as far as what that fig tree represents. But what I know about Jesus, is that His followers are to bear fruit! He despises "lukewarm" dedication from us. In Revelation 3:16, He says, "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." He doesn't play pretend just so that everyone can feel nice about this Christian stuff. You either are hot or cold. I'd say those are pretty clear-cut boundaries, and He doesn't settle for the in between. I love that about Jesus, because even in my own life, I want to be on fire for Him. I'm glad that He makes that the standard because otherwise my fleshy self would probably not aim so high! So, I wonder if that tree represents self-proclaimed Christians who are not bearing fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Jesus doesn't play games. I also like this section of scripture because as a leader, He empowers and encourages His disciples, telling them that they can do the same things if they just have faith that it can be done AND the humility to ask for it in prayer.
The third thing I love about Matthew 21, and I really love this one, is verses 23-27 (read above). The Pharisees are doing what they are always doing, trying to back Jesus into a corner about His authority. But Jesus is sharp! He plays their game of "asking questions" right back at them, and says they must answer His question before He'll answer theirs, because He already knows their hearts. They know what He wants them to say, but they don't want to say it, and if they say the opposite thing, the people will be mad at them (and we wouldn't want to make anyone mad at us, right, because they might take away our power), so they say "We don't know," which isn't the truth. Jesus response: "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." And that's the end of that. He doesn't give reasons; He just gives a simple answer. And they're thinking...rats, we're out-smarted again!
My Aunt Nancy is a hopeless romantic like me. I can remember visiting her at her farm in Kentucky as a child, and she had this picture of Jesus on her dresser that was unlike any picture I've ever seen of Jesus. He was handsome! Now, I know that the Bible says that Jesus was not particularly handsome (and I'd have to do a little digging to find that reference right now), but I can understand why -- Jesus doesn't want people following Him simply for His looks! (That's why He made Brad Pitt.) But, my aunt wanted to be so in-love with Jesus, that she used this picture to remind her of who Jesus really is, and she called it her Hunky Jesus.
Looking at Matthew 21, we've learned that Jesus was:
sure of His identity, assertive, strong, powerful, defender of God and the underdogs, compassionate, kind and tender, honest, human, God, smart and wise beyond measure, encouraging and empowering, street-smart, and many other descriptors! I'd encourage you to read this passage again yourself and add to my list. What a list it is. Yes, I'd say He is a Hunky Jesus, Aunt Nancy.
This is our God, loved ones. This is who our God really is! He is not a passive, quiet man who allows Himself to be walked upon. On the cross, He absolutely allowed it, but only because He loved you that much. He could have ripped Himself off the cross at any point, but He loved you, so He stayed there. He is a loving, sacrificing God out of His great love for you. You do not have to be ashamed of Him. In fact, the more I read these historical accounts of His life, the greater the chasm between Jesus and all the other gods of this world becomes. I choose Jesus. I hope, with a resounding YES, that you do, too, this morning.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thanksgiving Reflections
Okay, I know I was planning to jump back into Matthew today, but instead, I would love to share with you the joy that God gave me this weekend when I was least expecting it. I wrote this Friday morning.
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!
There is something lovely about tradition. For personalities like mine, it’s nice to know what is coming next. There is a certain comfort in tradition, much like putting on that old, favorite sweatshirt, and before even putting it over your head, you know exactly how it’s going to feel once it’s on and how it’s going to make you feel.
My entire childhood, our family tradition for Thanksgiving was to drive the nine-hour trek from Indiana to Kansas to visit all of my mom’s family who we saw only once a year – twice on a good year. As a child, I absolutely detested that drive. My sisters and I fought constantly, that is, until dad found a tiny TV that he would set between the two front armrests. Push play on that puppy and all was quiet in the back. For two hours at least. And then there was that smell – the “we’ve been driving for too long, had too much fast food, and no one showered this morning except Mom” smell. I remember the day we climbed in the van after a bathroom break, and I was shocked when I realized that we were going to allow ourselves to marinate in that smell for at least three more hours. I was disgusted.
But as we pulled into Topeka, Kansas, on those Wednesday nights, and saw the diner where we were sure to order enormous shakes on Saturday, and the mall where we would undoubtedly walk around for hours on Friday but not buy anything, and the cinema where we would see a movie in an actual theater on Thursday, the nine hour drive was suddenly worth it because we were about to see our long-lost family. Then the scurried search for socks and shoes began because we all wanted to be the first ones to jump out and give Papa and Gramary Lou a hug. Oh, how the drive was absolutely worth it in those moments.
About two hours into our visit, we would get bored, and especially during my teenage years, all I could think about was going home to be with friends or boyfriends. This side of the family was quieter that us, so we had to be quieter than we were normally, and we couldn’t make messes in their immaculately clean home the way we did at our kid-crazy home. I now see this was a great experience for us to have because it forced us to be respectful when we were in other people’s homes – it was not always about us, who knew?
Then on Thursday, because we didn’t have all of our usual games and play dates, we were forced to slow down. And that was a good thing. I would read my grandpa’s National Geographic magazines and my soul was stirred to go visit these places someday; or I’d read his Smithsonian magazines and I would actually learn something for the pure wonder and pleasure of it. We would play cards with my legally-blind grandma using her “big number” cards while sipping Shirley Temples, and we would contentedly watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, ooo-ing and ahh-ing over the floats.
By early afternoon on Thursday, we’d climb into the van, which was finally beginning to return to its normal smell, and head to my aunt’s house down the road in preparation for the feast. Upon arrival, we’d hug my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and smile, and make small talk until we’d all warmed up to each other once again. The wine would get poured for the adults, and the kids would drink bottles upon bottles of sparking grape juice because we wanted to be classy, too, but had absolutely no self-control and were not legally allowed to drink the real stuff anyway. During dinner, I looked longingly, from my seat at the kid’s table, to my aunt’s hand with her painted, long nails so delicately cupped around the wine glass which sparkled with celebration, and my heart brimmed with anticipation of the someday when I could look that fancy, too.
The feasting was always followed by football, naps, and more feasting. Later all the musicians, and there were many of them, would gather around the piano to sing songs together as my aunt just played along without written music. It was in those moments, at the end of all the festivities that I felt so secure, my heart warmed by the familiarity and tradition of it all. Yet by Thursday night, I usually wished I were already back home, and we still had two days to fill before we’d be driving the nine-hour misery back home.
I’m not quite sure how it happened, but one year, I think my junior year of college, I can remember beginning to anticipate that nine-hour drive in early November, and excitement bubbling up. All the little details of our Thanksgiving traditions were suddenly like treasures that I couldn’t wait to pull out and savor once again, and yes, even the drive had new value to me because it meant all six of us were together. We weren’t young kids anymore, and I had hope that maybe we could love each other and laugh for those nine hours in the van. That year, I relished my time to just sit and read magazines and play cards and wander the mall just for the sake of soaking up the season. I even got a few sips of wine from my mom’s glass.
For the next three years, we enjoyed “the perfect family Thanksgiving” according to Hollywood. Those years were truly precious to me. Now, as I write this, I am three years on the other side – three years since my mom died, and all of those traditions and joys have changed in their appearance and in their meaning to me. The first year after my mom died, Thanksgiving marked the first major holiday without her. We didn’t travel to Kansas that year, but a dear family friend made an incredible Thanksgiving meal for my entire extended at our house, but I have to say that I don’t remember much of that day – the “firsts” are all a blur to me. The second year, Josh and I went to be with his family, since we had abandoned them for a couple years in order to be with my family for that sad season of illness and death. Again, I don’t remember much from that day either.
And now, this year, just a couple days ago, I think I got to experience Thanksgiving again. My mom’s family from Kansas all came to Indiana to be with my cousin who lives here now, and Wednesday night, they all poured into my home for pizza. The fire was blazing in the fireplace, the candles were lit, and the wine was poured, and we all laughed and cried and laughed and talked and laughed. The loss of my mom was very apparent as the Kansas family all met Jackie, my dad’s new wife, but I also observed incredible amounts of grace in those conversations as I intentionally stood back and watched for a few seconds. We were all very aware of the past. But living in this moment, this present moment, was the choice we boldly made that night.
In Mark chapter 7, the Pharisees are pressing Jesus with the importance of keeping their religious traditions, and Jesus answers them in verse 8, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” What command is He talking about? The people are twisting the laws given by Moses to make them say what they want them to say. But I wonder if we could also put it this way: the people are no longer following and honoring God and His desires for them, but are putting their human traditions above Him. When we do this, when I do this, it’s idolatry. If I hold up my traditions as more important than God and His will for my life, then Tradition has become a god to me. To cling so tightly to my traditions that I can’t surrender my life to God and His plan is idolatry. He wants more for us than that. I know that Jesus grieves the loss of my mom with all of us, but He also wants us to trust that He is doing a good thing in our midst in spite of it.
My Thanksgivings look different now, and the traditions of my childhood may be over. But what a treasure they are to me, as I remember those rich times of love, laughter, and life with people who are ever-increasingly dear to me. Loss has taught us that the people are what matter. Not the traditions. Because the traditions are great while you can keep them, but they will end one day, and what do I want to be left clinging to when they’re done – the candle that smokes when the tradition was just blown out, or the hands of the people that I have loved and still love as we remember the past, chose the present, and give thanks for every moment of both.
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thankful for Heaven: Part 3
One of the other many things I didn't understand about Heaven was where it is! Paul thinks of it in terms of the presence of God. God is perfect, so wherever He currently abides must also be perfect. Remember when He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden BEFORE they sinned? That was Heaven! The Garden was perfection and God was with them. The Bible says that when Christ returns and satan is destroyed that God will once again walk with and live with the people! Can you imagine God the Father actually being on Earth with us?
1) WHERE WE WILL BE: THE NEW EARTH
John said in Revelation 21, “ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…” Remember that God is going to RESTORE our current Earth!
(Randy Alcorn describes those where the dead are now as “Intermediate Earth” because the Bible says that Jesus is still coming back to defeat Satan! After that, He will restore our Earth, and it will be perfection, and God will come and abide with us here. We don't know a lot about this "Intermediate Heaven" but if that is where God is, then all the people with Him are feeling the best they have ever felt!)
Back to the New Earth...The Earth is under a curse – sin. The Garden was perfection. God is going to restore that which is broken. Remember that scene from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when Narnia is all dead and gray and evil because the White Witch has taken over and destroyed everything? Then Aslan re-enters Narnia after defeating the White Witch, and we see this color and life sweep back over the land that was dead, and now everthing is full of life and beauty again! So it will be with this Earth, when Jesus comes back to take His Kingdom after defeating satan!
What we see now is under a curse – thorns, drastic weather, weeds, starvation and death. That is the dead and gray Narnia. But soon, we will see this Earth as it was designed to be -- bolder colors, fresher smells, juicier fruits, grander mountains, clearer lakes.
Whatever we enjoy about Earth now will be 100 times better when Jesus restores our Earth. Genesis tells the story of Paradise Lost. Revelation tells of Paradise re-gained. God made this Earth to be our home. When He restores it, it will be back to its original, perfect condition. 2) SO, WHAT FOR NOW?: SEEING EARTH FROM HEAVEN
Romans 8 held new meaning for me after my mom died. Let me share some…
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We are experiencing present sufferings, and we will until Christ takes us.
Our Job: According to these verses, one of our jobs is to wait, with eager expectation…talk about Heaven, think about Heaven, dream about Heaven with the imagination God gave you, and tell others about Heaven to get them excited and having an eternal perspective.
Well, what do I think about? Here's something that I hope will excite you: We are not alone in this race. There are many other believers and the saints who have gone before us…
Hebrew 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great CLOUD of WITNESSES, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
The cloud of witnesses that surrounds us is the multitudes of people who are already in the presence of God and are waiting for all of us to be together when satan's time on Earth is through!
In the midst of my mom’s funeral, we FELT that. There was a sense of eternity when we were there together praising God and thinking about where my mom was! Many people told me they felt as if they had experienced some of what Heaven will be like....and it was such a small scale compared to what it will be!
They are watching! The big game is happening down here as they watch the battle play out between good (Jesus) and evil. The fourth quarter is coming when Jesus wins! The people in Heaven are not oblivious to this. They have their eyes on us!
Here are some places where we have evidence of this:
a) -- 1 Sam. 28: King Saul appealed to the Witch of Endor to bring Samuel back from the afterlife, and the medium was terrified when God actually sent him. But Samuel remember what Saul had done BEFORE he died, and he was aware of what had happened SINCE!
b) -- Luke 9: Moses and Elijah are called back from Heaven to the Transfiguration (just before Jesus was taken up into Heaven) and they spoke with Jesus in front of Peter, James, and John about how Jesus was about to depart while in Jerusalem. (They knew what was happening and about to happen on Earth).
c) -- In Revelation 2-3, Jesus is watching closely from Heaven what is happening on the Earth.
d) -- In multiple places in Scripture, angels see Christ on earth and know what is happening on Earth. Surely God’s people in Heaven would be just as concerned about the spiritual happenings on Earth.
e) -- “There is rejoicing in the presence of angles over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15). It’s not rejoicing BY the angels but IN THE PRESENCE of…meaning it’s not just the angels who are doing the rejoicing! Imagine you die before your sibling who you are still praying will accept Christ…and then he does and you can watch from Heaven!
Well, how can people watch us when Heaven is without sin? It’s all based on perspective. They are in the presence of God and can now see the bigger plan and picture. They are not frail beings who can no longer see the things happening on the Earth. Surely, God’s joy is the prevailing mood of Heaven despite the pain on Earth.
Go ahead, give 'em a little wave... :)
So...
This longing for Heaven and for something better is not a flippant desire in us. If your soul is stirring about what I am saying, there’s a reason:
My friends, it is God “who has set eternity in the hearts of men”, according to Ecclesiastes.
Longing for Heaven and being with God is the way He made us. It pleases Him for us to think about what is to come…and we should because our time on Earth is so short compared to the eternity we will have in perfection with Him.
What I have learned:
Heaven is real. I believe that with my whole being.
My mom is there, enjoying the presence, perspective and love from the Lord.
She, and all the others with her, can see me at times.
Heaven is going to more LIKE Earth than not.
I can be excited about what I will do and see in Heaven, and I want to go there and be in the presence of God!
I no longer have to be afraid of dying...or of living.
My hope today is that this week you have gained some excitement about Heaven and can start dreaming about what it might be like. I hope you can now trust that all of life’s pleasures are from God and will be even better in Heaven! And WHEN you experience grief, I pray you find strength in the knowledge and hope of Heaven.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thankful for Heaven: Part 2
This week marks the start of the holiday season, and for many people it marks the start of a really difficult and sad season as they remember the loss of loved ones who will not be with them this year. I will be right there with you, my friend. But, I also am so excited to continue to share with you what God is teaching me about Heaven because if we can claim this truth, our lives and our holiday seasons will change forever! If you didn't get to read the "Part 1" post yesterday, I encourage you to do that so you're not confused. Then we'll pick up where we left off...
1) WHO WE WILL BE: OUR RESURRECTED BODIES
Job 19:25-27: “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my SKIN has been destroyed, yet in my FLESH I will see God; I MYSELF will see him with my own EYES – I , and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
Job knew that in his own flesh, he would see God. Not his spirit, but his flesh. This is such hope to me, because as I told you yesterday, this idea of floating around in ghostly bodies for all of eternity didn't excite me. And no wonder it didn't! That's not the way we will be in Heaven!
Words for eating, drinking, meals and food appear more than 1000 times in scripture, and the word translated “feast” appears 187 times, and get this: The resurrected Jesus invited His disciples to “Come and have breakfast” with him (John 21). He could have abstained from eating with them at that moment, but He didn’t. Do you know what this means?! It means that our newly restored bodies will be able to EAT! Perhaps they won't even NEED to eat, since we wouldn't be able to die again, but we will GET to -- for the pure pleasure of it!
Take a look at these two scriptures:
Phil. 3:20-21 “The Lord Jesus Christ…will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Note the word “spirit” is not used, but “body.”
“Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding SUPPER of the Lamb!’ And he added, “These are the true words of God.” ” Rev. 19.
What do we do at a wedding supper? Eat, drink, tell stories, celebrate, laugh. Why use the word "supper" in the above verse if we weren’t going to be eating?
Now, I know what you're thinking: What about all the figurative language in the Bible? The word "supper" is probably just symbolic of something else. And I agree with you -- the Bible definitely contains many figures of speech. But just because the Bible uses some when describing Heaven, doesn’t mean that they ALL are! We shouldn’t assume that everything about Heaven is figurative when we don’t assume that everything in Matthew or Romans is figurative.
Oh, and look at this! When Jesus returned in His resurrected body, he proclaimed that he was NOT a ghost (Luke 24), yet countless Christians think they will be eternal ghosts or dis-embodied spirits in Heaven. Christ’s resurrected body was suited for life on Earth.
Then the risen Christ said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a GHOST does not have FLESH and BONES, as you see I have.’ When he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of the joy and amazement, he asked them ‘Do you have anything here to EAT?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ATE it in their presence.” (Luke 24:39). Oh my gosh -- there He is eating again in his resurrected body! In fact, He requested to have something to eat in order to prove to them that the food would not fall right through Him.
When Christ was with two disciples after His resurrection on the Emmaus road, he walked and talked with them, asked them questions, taught and guided them, and they didn’t know it was Christ until “their eyes were opened” (v.21). So, looking at Jesus, they thought he was a regular man – his feet didn’t hover about the ground, they WALKED on it.
And remember, too, His body could be touched by Thomas.
So, though He will give us new bodies, we will still be the same people – just as when we become Christians, we see changes in our attitudes and actions, but we are still the same people. In order for Christ to be who He says He is, He needed to resurrect as Himself, not as a new creation, but as Himself. The same is and will be true with us!
The restoration He does in us involves transforming the old, not eliminating it. God is not going to scrap His original creation and start over. Instead, he will take His fallen, corrupted children and restore, refresh, and renew us to our original design. To the way He created you perfectly to be -- body and all!
2) WHAT WE WILL DO: ENJOYING GOD IN SECONDARY PLEASURES
This is one of my absolute favorite things to talk about!
Before
I couldn’t get excited about singing forever in heaven, as I mentioned yesterday. I though that singing forever would also get boring after a while. But now I look forward to
worshipping God in Heaven because I know that worship is more than just
singing! Look at this quote from Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven:
“Most people
know that we’ll worship God in Heaven. But they don’t grasp how thrilling that
will be. Multitudes of God’s people—of every nation, tribe, people, and
language—will gather to sing praise to God for his greatness, wisdom, power,
grace, and mighty work of redemption (Revelation 5:13-14). Overwhelmed by his
magnificence, we will fall on our faces in unrestrained happiness and say,
“Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to
our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:9-12).
People of the
world are always striving to celebrate—they just lack ultimate reasons to celebrate (and therefore find lesser
reasons). As Christians, we have those reasons—our relationship with Jesus and
the promise of Heaven. “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live
with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be
their God” (Revelation 21:3). Does this excite you? If it
doesn’t, you’re not thinking correctly.
Will we always be on our faces at
Christ’s feet, worshiping him? No, because Scripture says we’ll be doing many
other things—living in dwelling places, eating and drinking, reigning with
Christ, and working for him. Scripture depicts people standing, walking,
traveling in and out of the city, and gathering at feasts. When doing these
things, we won’t be on our faces before Christ. Nevertheless, all that we do
will be an act of worship. We’ll enjoy full and unbroken fellowship with
Christ. At times this will crescendo into greater heights of praise as we
assemble with the multitudes who are also worshiping him.”
Can you even imagine?! Millions of people praising God in unrestrained happiness?! It is going to blow your mind! I can't wait!
What about the other things we will do?
A.W. Tozer says, "What comes into our minds when we think
about God is the most important thing about us!"
So, do you think God is pleased when we enjoy a good meal, a
football game, laughter with friends, a cozy fire, a good book, or even sex with your spouse? Your answer to that question not only
demonstrates your view of God but also indicates the degree to which you are
able to enjoy life – and it will determine how much you will look forward to
the resurrection and what the Bible calls the New Earth.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite verses: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be
arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put
their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our ENJOYMENT” (1 Tim. 6:17). Can you believe that?! God provides us with things purely for our enjoyment!
God should be the object of our Hope, but His is also the
one who gives us all the good things in life for our enjoyment! Failure to recognize this is the reason so many people are
blinded from seeing Heaven as a place of great pleasure and enjoyment! They think that if Heaven is “spiritual” it
will be drab and empty of the “earthly” things that they find enjoyable but
“unspiritual”. Not so at all!
We should not hold anything up higher than God, but that
does not mean that people, things, and pleasures are BAD – lest we forget it
was God who made them.
God is not in Heaven frowning at you saying, “Stop that. You should only enjoy me.” That would be foreign to His nature
just as when you give a child or friend a gift at Christmas you WANT to watch
them ENJOY it. I am delighted when they enjoy what I’ve given them!
Similarly, when we find joy in God’s gifts to us, we find joy in
Him! By ignoring this, we miss a
thousand daily opportunities to praise and thank Him...even for the little things!
He is a lavish giver!
Remember that God “did not spare His own SON,
but gave him up for us all – how will He not also, along with him, GRACIOUSLY give us ALL things” (Romans 8:32). He sacrificed His own SON! If He's willing to do this for us, can't you see how quickly He would be willing to give us good gifts just because He loves us?
Praise God for everything!
Give Him the glory that He deserves for all that He has done and will do! As we walk throughout our day today, we should see Him everywhere!
It is with this knowledge that I am excited about the pleasures, adventures, beauty, and enjoyment I will experience in Heaven some day!
Wow, I hope this stirs your soul the way it does mine. We are slowly shattering the lies and exposing the whispers of satan that this earth is as good as it gets, aren't we? I hope you are beginning to dream about Heaven yourself, and using your imagination (another great gift that God gave you) to dream about what Heaven will be like!
Join me tomorrow, as we talk about Where is Heaven exactly? and Can people in Heaven see me? I think you are really going to get your money's worth! For now, chew on this today, and dream about Heaven -- I think you'll find that it will be more LIKE this Earth than not, but even better! And see if you can begin to thank God for all of His good gifts to you, even today...even the little things.
I can't wait!!
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