"Love Is...."

"Though I speak....And though I have....And though I bestow all..., but have not love, it profits me nothing." (1 Corinthians 13)

Apparently one can do everything which seems good yet, "profits me nothing."

This is the 1 Corinthian 13 time of the quarter.  Many years ago I came to the realization that the KJV rending, "charity," for the word translated, "love," is the best translation.  Love means so many things to people.  "I love you," is said by so many people.  Yet many then go to court, get a divorce, become bitter, feel betrayed.  Love to most is a feeling, perhaps of passion, or of warmth and the connection of family ties.  The reason for this "fleeting," and somewhat selfish nature of man's use of the word, "love," is the word has no "Jesus meaning" and power Jesus in it.

I have shared many times that the best translation of John 3:16 is, "God loved the world this way: He gave...."  Jesus' love is charity, i.e, giving.  The dictionary defines charity as, "benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity; generosity and helpfulness...aid given to those in need...a gift for public benevolent purposes."  Love is giving and expecting nothing in return.  Jesus commanded us, "But love your enemies...."  Then, in case we do not understand what that means, Jesus goes on to define love, "Do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return...."  This is, "Charity."  Our "expecter" is blank, viz., "expecting nothing...." 

You have probably heard people say, "Well, I keep giving and giving and get nothing back."  Those words are always laced with bitterness.  If our love is based on expectation of being loved in return, or giving and expecting to receive, then we are not walking in the love of Jesus.  If Jesus would not love me the way of love described in 1 Corinthians 13, I am done for.  But He does, "....I am among you as the one who serves."  Jesus, "gave Himself for us," in His cross, His Blood, Death and resurrection.  Could we say that Jesus "serves us Himself?"  He is giving Himself continually to you and me.  His residence in us is a manifestation of, "expecting nothing."  No one gets paid for charitable giving.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I want to walk in Your Love.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....Walking According To...."

"....Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts."
(2 Peter 3:3, from today's reading-- as always)

The word for, "lusts," can also mean, "passionate longing, eagerness for."  The NIV says, "....following their own evil desires."  Be encouraged today, my friend: "Scoffers," are driven by, "evil desires"; never doubt that.  Their attack on you has nothing to do with intellectualism.  Those who rail on us because we are Followers of Jesus are not smarter than us.  Rather, "their own evil desires," rule.  You and I are allowing, "The Word of God, to rule.

"Desires," will ultimately reveal a person and/or "ministry" rather than preaching, writing, "doctrinal stance."  This is where the Biblical command to, "Make every effort to...be holy," becomes lifesaving.  "....Without holiness no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.  See that no one is...like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance.....Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected.  Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done."  This will bring upon us, "the fear of the Lord," perhaps more than any other reality, "....he could not change what he had done."

Life is a heart matter.  This is the reason the Blessed Trinity says in the Scripture, "My son, give me your heart."  This is why Jesus said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed[s] evil...."  We can observe/see preaching, teaching, missions, giving to the poor, prayer "watches," etc.  The heart, however, can hide, "a multitude of sins."  After David descended into adultery and murder, he desperately cried, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."  Notice in the Hebrew passage quoted above that a, "bitter root root grows up to cause trouble...."  We have heard the statement, "Get to the root of the matter," also stated as, "Get to the heart of the matter."  This is exactly what our Lord Jesus taught which so upset the religious people.

Some deepest maladies are in that, "bitter root."  If it, "grows up," it will surely, "cause trouble."  What religious people of the First Century who encountered Jesus had allowed to "slip through" their religion was the heart.  Yet what Jesus was teaching about the heart, "....from within, out of the heart of men," was not new.  It pervades the Old Testament.  It is always easier for religious people walk in the "without" than the, "within."  The world system is driven by what man sees, and cares nothing for what comes, "out of the heart."  This is the main reason Bill Clinton is still the most popular former American President in Europe.  You and I are driven by what we cannot "see," by that which is, "from within.... Therefore, we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day....We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."     

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that You can deal with, "the inward man."  Amen.
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Berlin Mission: October 5-27, 2016

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"I Have More Understanding...For I Obey...."

"I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts." (Psalm 119:100)

The NIV says, "I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts."

"....because I keep ('obey') Your precepts,"  not, "because I read Your precepts."  Or, for that matter, not "because" anything other than obedience.

This really got my attention today.  Understanding comes from obedience, not hearing, reading, writing or anything else.  I think some people believe that hearing, teaching, and/or reading translates to doing.  You and I know that is not the case.  Understanding is not head-nodding, or amens, or hand clapping.  Only when I do the Word of God does any understanding come to me.

No one can understand by just reading or hearing.  It is when Peter got out of the boat that he understood the power of Jesus' command to, "Come."  Nothing in the situation could give Peter any understanding of what was going on.  In fact, only unbelief, "misunderstanding" could rule.  Then Peter obeyed, and he did what is just not Darwinian possible.

If it is understanding you seek, "obey [Jesus'] precepts," words, commands.  I simply will not, "understand," if I do not, "obey."   We we, "....obey Your precepts," then that person who seems to have so much understanding, but is really just wowing you with their abilities, well, you will be able to say, "I have more understanding than...."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I hear; now I desire to obey.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....Eyewitnesses Of His Majesty"

"And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem....For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory....And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."  (Luke 9:30, 31 & 2 Peter 1:16-18)

There are those, mostly of the last 150 years, who think that many passages of Scripture were not written by the men who the Bible says wrote them.  You have a decision today: Either believe what we have as recorded in the Bible, or believe people who are making judgments from a distant 2000 year perspective.  That goes for "water cooler" theologians also.  I chose a long time ago to believe the Bible.  The record here is of Peter's eyewitness account of the appearance of Moses and Elijah to Jesus, "on the holy mountain."  I believe you, Peter.

According to our text, we have Peter here, "the big fisherman," the man who could swear with the best of them, denied Jesus, walked on water, drew a sword to defend His Master, later, as legend has it, was crucified upside down, telling us his "personal testimony."  He is telling us that he and his companions, "were eyewitnesses...."  That is really, in many ways, what the Bible is.  Yes, the Words of the Bible are, "God-Breathed."  And, "God-Breathed" the Words through "ordinary" men, fishermen, a tax collector, a very reluctant prophet, a king who committed adultery then attempted to cover it up with murder.  This is too much for a religious person to handle.  Most religious people are like Job's "friends."  They had it all figured out.  They knew God, His ways, and that if you are good, then good things will always happen to you.

"We were with Him on the holy mountain."  They heard the discussion among Jesus, Moses, and Elijah concerning Jesus' death in Jerusalem.  Perhaps Moses was "encouraging" Jesus with, "the prophetic word," and Elijah, a great Old Testament miracle worker, was saying how he and the others of the Old Covenant dispensation were foreshadows, types of Jesus, His Words and Work; don't let, "this cup," pass.  Whatever, all that you and I believe concerning, "the faith of Jesus," is from, "eyewitnesses of His majesty."  Our faith, our lives are, "on Christ the Solid Rock I stand."  The message of the Kingdom of God/Heaven, the Laws of the Kingdom, the life style of the Kingdom are all based upon the words of eyewitnesses, "....for prophecy never came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (1 Peter 1:21).  Let us go now, and keep the, "eyewitnesses," account before the world.  I have not problem with saying, "I believe what I am told to believe."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You that by the Holy Spirit I am a child of, "eyewitnesses of His Majesty."  Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

The Healing King

"He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick....So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere." (Luke 9:2 & 6)

"....The Kingdom of God," is a Kingdom of healing, "spiritual healing" and "physical healing."  In Jesus' Blood, Death, Resurrection and Ascension is the Reign of God in the earth and the healing of humanity.  "Surely Jesus has borne our griefs ('sicknesses') and carried our sorrows ('pains')....Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, Jesus was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement needful to obtain peace for us was upon Jesus, and by Jesus' stripes we are healed."  Here is our text via the Old Testament.  The King bearing the guilt, the judgment, the suffering of sin, bearing the diseases of the race.  "Surely Jesus has borne," all for all.

Rarely, if at all, has the message of, "the Kingdom of God," and, "to heal the sick," gone "hand in hand."  But it does.  Embrace anew today our Healing King, Jesus, His Reign in our lives and His power to heal.

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to, "go into all the world," and proclaim and live Your Words.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2