Our recent focus on Matthew 5 has given me an appreciation of Jesus’ radical teaching. The scene is the hills of Galilee. Jesus sitting on a mountaintop addresses his flock. A consistent theme in this chapter is that mere legalism in following God’s commands is not enough. One must obey the spirit behind the law. Thus Jesus asks his disciples not just to greet their friends, but also those who are unlike them. He asks them not to just love their friends, but even pray for those who persecute them. Further he enjoins them to bless those who falsely accuse them. On and on Jesus continues to challenge orthodox rabbinical teaching, where they taught that righteousness was based on fulfilling their version of the law.
You can just imagine the Pharisees hearing Jesus’ teaching and seething with anger. Jesus finally says except your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “But how could this be?” A faithful Jewish peasant would ask. After all the Pharisees were the most righteous of all.
Jesus in giving his version of the law evokes a new law. Something only Moses had done hundreds of years earlier. Jesus was essentially saying look I am now effecting a new law. Moses law was good, and yes we should follow it, but a higher law is here now. One who is greater than Moses is now here. This law is one of love, one of the spirit of the law, not just the letter. According to Matthew 22:37-40, the greatest law is loving God and one’s neighbour, thus love is the foundation of the law.
Jesus concludes in verse 48 by saying “be perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect”. We know perfection is impossible, but Jesus refers to completion. If we choose to be like God, and complete His wishes for us, then we need to fully follow his commands by placing our highest priority on loving one another.
Jesus new law for you and I then is not just to be honest, kind, and obedient. But to radically love when it is both convenient and inconvenient. To place ourselves last and others first. To live sacrificial lives whereby our desire is to be more and more like Christ who gave all for sinners. For it is only in doing thus that we will inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Hold on, its not yet time!
Yet, but not yet. The perpetual tension seen in scripture is thematic in our reading today of Romans 8. God’s kingdom, inaugurated by Christ has always been multi-tiered. Christ appears as the manifestation of God’s kingdom, he heals, delivers, meets needs and models a godly community of love and care. Yet by his own admittance, this kingdom has only just begun. The end of the age has not yet appeared. Thus in this moment, there will still be injustice and oppression, disease and sickness, strife and dissension. The only solace that Christ brings is freedom in the spirit which is microcosmic of the universal kingdom that God plans to normalize at the end of the age. For now the Christians can demonstrate this life that will be, yet they will struggle with the challenges of this fallen world. Christ promises freedom, but this freedom is limited to the body of Christ, and the vestiges of the world it chooses to influence. God’s kingdom remains now, but not yet.
Continuing with this theme, Paul describes the tension of not achieving our full redemption as a woman in childbirth. We who are now trapped in earthly vessels, long with tremendous burden to become the full children of God. Whereby not just our hearts and minds, but also our bodies will be transformed. Paul reminds them that even creation itself and the current worldly order, will also be delivered in the apocalypse. Finally, Paul offers the spirit as our ever present comfort. His consistent message to the Romans bears significance for us. We can win the fight over the flesh, if we lean on the power of the spirit. For the spirit knows our weakness, and also knows God strengths. Thus a life lived in the Spirit is able to close the gap between the far off kingdom of heaven that appears to be not yet while helping us believers to realize a taste of heaven in the here and now.
Continuing with this theme, Paul describes the tension of not achieving our full redemption as a woman in childbirth. We who are now trapped in earthly vessels, long with tremendous burden to become the full children of God. Whereby not just our hearts and minds, but also our bodies will be transformed. Paul reminds them that even creation itself and the current worldly order, will also be delivered in the apocalypse. Finally, Paul offers the spirit as our ever present comfort. His consistent message to the Romans bears significance for us. We can win the fight over the flesh, if we lean on the power of the spirit. For the spirit knows our weakness, and also knows God strengths. Thus a life lived in the Spirit is able to close the gap between the far off kingdom of heaven that appears to be not yet while helping us believers to realize a taste of heaven in the here and now.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Shy?
The gospel and being shy are not synonymous terms. In Romans 1:16, Paul writes that he is not ashamed of the gospel. The message translation says
I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives."
As I look at this verse I see several words or phrases immediately. “Most Proud”, “extraordinary message”, “rescue” , “powerful plan”.
These words tend to convict. Think of the last time you talked about Christ to someone who was a non-believer.
The obvious question is have you talked to someone recently about Christ?
The next question is did you really think you are “rescuing” them from any imminent danger?
Were you “most proud” of the message you had to proclaim, or was it a burden, stressful or even difficult to say what was on your heart?
Did the “extraordinary” nature of the message make you excited to share the good news with someone?
Were you convinced that your solution would be a “powerful plan” able to help solve core issues in their lives?
Did you find you were shy, or you could boldly share this message?
Work through these questions this week. I am.
Don’t let shyness rob you of the joys of participating in the greatest rescue mission ever known to humanity. Embrace the cause that you have joined with when you got saved. Reflect on the nature of your calling. Like Paul, realize that God needs you to proclaim his powerful message in a consistent fashion to people around you everyday. Pray specifically for God’s boldness to remove shyness, apathy and complacency from your life.
My challenge to you as we meditate on this portion of scripture from our daily reading is this:
Find someone this week to share the rescue plan of the ages to them – the gospel.
Pray first. Ask God to lead. Don’t wait or think too much, just do what makes sense after you have prayed. Step out, and be bold about it.
Remember, the power to save is not in you, but in the words of God that you speak.
I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives."
As I look at this verse I see several words or phrases immediately. “Most Proud”, “extraordinary message”, “rescue” , “powerful plan”.
These words tend to convict. Think of the last time you talked about Christ to someone who was a non-believer.
The obvious question is have you talked to someone recently about Christ?
The next question is did you really think you are “rescuing” them from any imminent danger?
Were you “most proud” of the message you had to proclaim, or was it a burden, stressful or even difficult to say what was on your heart?
Did the “extraordinary” nature of the message make you excited to share the good news with someone?
Were you convinced that your solution would be a “powerful plan” able to help solve core issues in their lives?
Did you find you were shy, or you could boldly share this message?
Work through these questions this week. I am.
Don’t let shyness rob you of the joys of participating in the greatest rescue mission ever known to humanity. Embrace the cause that you have joined with when you got saved. Reflect on the nature of your calling. Like Paul, realize that God needs you to proclaim his powerful message in a consistent fashion to people around you everyday. Pray specifically for God’s boldness to remove shyness, apathy and complacency from your life.
My challenge to you as we meditate on this portion of scripture from our daily reading is this:
Find someone this week to share the rescue plan of the ages to them – the gospel.
Pray first. Ask God to lead. Don’t wait or think too much, just do what makes sense after you have prayed. Step out, and be bold about it.
Remember, the power to save is not in you, but in the words of God that you speak.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Fellowship
In Acts 14, Paul is persecuted in the Lycaonian cities. Jews from Antioch have followed Paul to his current destination. They incite the crowd with hatred against Paul, ultimately resulting in a murder attempt against Paul. The crowds physically throw stones at Paul until he was presumed dead. They then dragged him outside the city and left him to the vultures.
As I meditate on our daily reading in Acts 14, verse 25 speaks volume to me. This is where the disciples gather around Paul’s body, and after some indeterminate amount of time Paul astonishingly gets up, and returns to the city with the believers. In analyzing this verse three words are key, disciples, gather and up.
The disciples represented a group of people who were followers of Christ. They have abandoned worldly aspirations, turned their back to cultural dictates, forsaken personal dreams, and have latched on to Jesus Christ for fulfillment and meaning.
Their gathering represents their potency. In multiple places throughout acts we see several instances of what happens when disciples gather. In Acts 2 gathered in a room, the supernatural power of God invades their fellowship, and people speak in tongues. In Acts 4, after being persecuted by the Sanhedrin, Peter and John gather with the disciples, and upon praying the place was physically shaken. Elsewhere in Acts, Peter is led out of Jail by an angel, while the disciples are gathered in a home praying. Gathering together of God’s people ultimately results in a powerful display of the supernatural. That is the message that Acts leaves us with.
The final word is up. Paul we are told got up. Due to the gathering of the disciples around him, Paul got up. This speaks of encouragement. We are not told the intricacies of this miracle. All we know is Paul was presumed dead and deserted by his persecutors. This means he would have been hideously wounded, up to the point where he looked dead. Thus, for him to even get up and walk away with the disciples would have been a miracle. As I reflect on this event, I wonder if maybe God supernaturally healed Paul as the disciples prayed. Or maybe the disciples lovingly massaged his body back to life. They could have even been with him for hours waiting for signs of life, and then once he revived they helped him as he got up, and walked to the city. The point here is it was all miraculous and this would have never happened without the fellowship of the disciples.
What do you do in your gathering? Whether you go out to minister as a group, or just collectively fellowship in a coffee shop is immaterial. What happens at your group times? Understand that God’s power is literally present each time his disciples come together. It’s up to you to apply that power to the current situation. Next time you are visiting the homeless with your crew, be very aware, his power is there to lead that conversation. When you pray for that sick residence mate, look out for God’s supernatural hand. Let the power of Christ move you to minister as you gather with the body, all for the glory of God.
As I meditate on our daily reading in Acts 14, verse 25 speaks volume to me. This is where the disciples gather around Paul’s body, and after some indeterminate amount of time Paul astonishingly gets up, and returns to the city with the believers. In analyzing this verse three words are key, disciples, gather and up.
The disciples represented a group of people who were followers of Christ. They have abandoned worldly aspirations, turned their back to cultural dictates, forsaken personal dreams, and have latched on to Jesus Christ for fulfillment and meaning.
Their gathering represents their potency. In multiple places throughout acts we see several instances of what happens when disciples gather. In Acts 2 gathered in a room, the supernatural power of God invades their fellowship, and people speak in tongues. In Acts 4, after being persecuted by the Sanhedrin, Peter and John gather with the disciples, and upon praying the place was physically shaken. Elsewhere in Acts, Peter is led out of Jail by an angel, while the disciples are gathered in a home praying. Gathering together of God’s people ultimately results in a powerful display of the supernatural. That is the message that Acts leaves us with.
The final word is up. Paul we are told got up. Due to the gathering of the disciples around him, Paul got up. This speaks of encouragement. We are not told the intricacies of this miracle. All we know is Paul was presumed dead and deserted by his persecutors. This means he would have been hideously wounded, up to the point where he looked dead. Thus, for him to even get up and walk away with the disciples would have been a miracle. As I reflect on this event, I wonder if maybe God supernaturally healed Paul as the disciples prayed. Or maybe the disciples lovingly massaged his body back to life. They could have even been with him for hours waiting for signs of life, and then once he revived they helped him as he got up, and walked to the city. The point here is it was all miraculous and this would have never happened without the fellowship of the disciples.
What do you do in your gathering? Whether you go out to minister as a group, or just collectively fellowship in a coffee shop is immaterial. What happens at your group times? Understand that God’s power is literally present each time his disciples come together. It’s up to you to apply that power to the current situation. Next time you are visiting the homeless with your crew, be very aware, his power is there to lead that conversation. When you pray for that sick residence mate, look out for God’s supernatural hand. Let the power of Christ move you to minister as you gather with the body, all for the glory of God.
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