An "Over-Throw" Move In The Land

"The One Who existed from the beginning is the One we have heard and seen.  We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands.  He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life."  (1 John 1:1, NLT, 1996 Edition)

I have observed over the years that if you talk of God, not much problem.  Talk of Jesus, however, and you have a lot of problems.

Jesus defines God.  He states quite clearly, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father"; no one, no thing, no religion, philosophy, speculation, etc., can say or do that.  People want believe-anything-you-wish religion.  Advocate this kind of "ecumenism" and most will accept, or at least, tolerate you.  This is the reason we tend to talk of God and not Jesus, though there is no "division" in the Blessed Trinity, as in God, the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Now I confess that I have had people over my life time, either overtly or covertly, indicate that I am involved in, to borrow a phrase from Shakespeare, "much ado about nothing."  Well, my friend, it is not.  It is "much ado about everything."  Apart from Scripture, I believe Blaise Pascal said it better than most.  "Not only do we know God by Jesus Christ alone, we know ourselves only by Jesus Christ.  Apart from Jesus Christ, we know neither life, nor death, nor God, nor ourselves."  Life apart from Jesus is utter futility.

There is a "spirit" loosed in the world today similar to the folk in Nazareth, "Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?"  To most, Jesus is just "one among many."  But I declare to you today that if we marginalize our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, our Churches, writings, teachings, "witness," programs, etc., there is nothing left, nothing but, "sounding brass or a clanging symbol."  Be silent on Jesus and there is nothing left but silence itself.  

To those of us who, "....honor the Son as they honor the Father," I say never be "light-hearted" when we speak Jesus' Name.  Rather, may we speak Jesus' Name with the sense of Isaiah 9, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined....And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that I do as You tell us in Your Words, "....All should honor the Son as they honor the Father."  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

"Charity Is...."

"Charity never fails."  (1 Corinthians 13:8a)

Personally, I think the KJV's, "charity," describes the love of the Living God best.  Too many think of "love" as a feeling.  "Charity," on the other hand is simply giving, a giving with no "strings attached," nothing the other person has to do or can do to earn, "charity."  The concept of, "charity," is giving, and John 3:16 describes the love/charity of God best.  "God loved the world thusly, He gave...."

"Well I gave and gave and gave to that relationship, but got nothing back."  Sound familiar?  According to the Bible, the love of God just keeps giving and giving and giving even when He gets nothing from humanity, and there have been many times in my life when our Lord Jesus Christ got little or nothing "back" for His love to me.  Yet as Psalm 136 repeats over and over, "His love endures forever."

The story of the prodigal reveals that a person who descended into the abyss of life, just took from his father and gave nothing back but a broken, penniless beggar.  And what did the father do when he saw him, "a great way off"?  He had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."  This, my friend, is our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Whether we are some "superhero-saint," some famous and popular leader in the Church, or, just some ordinary personage, the love of Our Father, Our Immanuel, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit never decreases or increases.  "God is love," period.  Maybe people doubt the love of God for them because they mistake His love for the only kind of love they have known: conditional.  No matter what you and I do, the love of God does not change.  There is no degree of love in the Godhead.  He, "IS Love."

Father, thank You that Your love is unconditional.  May mine be also.   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"

"Every Word of God"

"You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?"  (Luke 12:56)

If I walk in an attitude of, "Well, I know that," or, "I've heard that before," and, hence, don't read, observe, listen, we will not be able to correctly, "....discern this time", or any "time."  Discernment in life is not a "natural" gift, no matter what anyone may say.  If I am to, "....discern this time", I need to be walking in Jesus' Words.

Take notice of some of the paragraph headings for Luke 12:

    Beware of Hypocrisy:                                       1-3

    Jesus Teaches the Fear of God:                     4-7

    Confess Christ Before Men:                           8-12

    The Parable of the Rich Fool:                        13-21

    Do Not Worry:                                                  22-34

    The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant: 35-48

    Christ Brings Division:                                    49-53

    Discern the Time:                                             54-56

    Make Peace With Your Adversary:                57-59

I often wonder just how seriously Christendom takes our Lord Jesus' teachings, commands, warnings.  Luke 12, as with all of, "the Words of God," are reflections of, "The Word of God," Himself.  Jesus' Words are His "autobiography."  This is Jesus, "The Light of the world."  Not only during the time of His appearing in the Galilee during the First Century CE, but all throughout the Bible, what we observe is Words revealing just what the Godhead intends for humanity, not just Jews or Christians.  The revelation of Jesus is the only, "Light of the world."  And, remember that He tells us, "You are the light of the world."  Only "walking" in Jesus and His Words can this be His, "Light."

I submit to you today that each day of our lives there are "Wonderful Words of Life" for you and me in the Scriptures, life-changing, empowering, correcting Words.  A danger in reading a book so often is to find your mind wondering when reading those familiar passages.  Our Lord has been helping me not to do this.  As a result, I am reading and "hearing" new, yes, I mean "new" things from our Lord.  I highly recommend it.

Father, in Jesus' Name, Indeed, Your Words are, "alive and active."  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

"....With Him On The Holy Mountain"

"....We...were eyewitnesses of His majesty...when we were with Him on the holy mountain."  (From 2 Peter 1:16-18)

Every one of us needs an, "....eyewitnesses of His majesty," and, "we were with Him," testimony.  Now I am not writing of some "photo-static" image nor an aberrant "with Him," but an "encounter," a testimony as the men of Samaria said, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him."

We thank our Lord Jesus Christ for those who testified, preached, taught and lived the Good News of Jesus as witnesses to the Gospel.  But I gather from the rest of Scripture that the Living Triune God does not want us to have just other, "eyewitnesses," accounts, of people who, "....were with Him on the holy mountain."  He wants you and me to be, "eyewitnesses of His majesty.., with Him on the holy mountain."

Now don't get all "charismatic" on me.  Peter says, "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not seen Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."  This, my friend is what we have in the New Birth, in our conversion, our salvation.  Maybe our, "eyewitnesses," experience is not just as Peter's, nor our, "with Him on the holy mountain", as Peter's, but it is to be just as "real," just as personal, just as, "with Him."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for including me in Your, "eyewitnesses," and, "with Him on the holy mountain."  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