How Serious
How do you know it is important?
In my sixty-one years of living, I have learned that there are different levels of seriousness in life.
For instance, there’s the seriousness that is expressed when someone simply wishes to make an important point that isn’t life or death. “I’m not kidding here; I’m serious.”
Then there’s the seriousness of parents on a road trip with kids fighting in the car. The dad or mom says, “Stop it, or so help me, I will stop this car and pull you out!”
Then there’s the seriousness of wishing the worst that could ever happen to someone should they violate something of great importance. I call this the highest level of seriousness.
This is the level of seriousness Paul went to over the gospel. He took the gospel seriously when men from Jerusalem came to Antioch, and it resulted in an open rebuke for Peter from Paul and temporarily led Barnabas astray. That resulted in Paula and Silas being sent to Jerusalem to bring the matter to the apostles and elders. After that, we discover Paul took it seriously with the Corinthians, and now we need to see how seriously he took it with the Galatians and the other churches in that region because the Galatian letter was to be read to all the churches in the region.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
This matter of the importance of the New Covenant Gospel is very serious. An entire letter is committed to it. But at the start of this small but powerful letter, Paul says something that should cause any believer to stand up and take notice due to how serious he makes the issue.
He says, “If we or an angel from heaven!” He establishes the importance of the gospel first preached to them in such a serious way that he makes it clear that if he were ever to veer away from it and begin to mix in the law, he would wish himself accursed or even an angel.
Paul goes on to make it clear that he will never back off this position to please any man. He makes it clear that as a bondservant of Jesus Christ, he must stand on the truth of the New Covenant Gospel of Jesus regardless of how unpopular it might make him.
Paul devoted his life to preaching the gospel with clarity and simplicity. Paul uses much of the rest of Galatians to paint a contrast between the law covenant and the new covenant in Christ. One is of faith, and the other is not of faith. The sad reality is that the average believer might never truly read Galatians in a meaningful way, asking the Holy Spirit for revelation and understanding. Even sadder is that not many ministers in churches take the time to teach it to Christ’s disciples. Why would anyone spend time with it if they do not understand how serious it is? No one will ever outgrow their need for the New Covenant Gospel. How serious? Super serious if you were to ask me.
Simplicity
Is it complicated?
There’s something beautiful about simplicity. It declutters, unclouds, and clears away things that seem important but are not.
The English dictionary defines it this way as a noun: the quality or condition of being easy to understand or do, a thing that is plain, natural, or easy to understand, the quality or condition of being plain or natural.
Simplicity is the state or quality of being simple. Something easy to understand or explain seems simple, in contrast to something complicated.
It seems there is never a shortage of those willing to complicate the New Covenant Gospel message, which magnifies Christ alone, by twisting it with many demands and conditions that are not found in the simplicity of preaching found in the Scriptures.
This was a great concern of the Apostle Paul.
2Corinthians 11:1 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
There is a simplicity in Christ that is not meant to be convoluted with extras. Paul speaks of how the serpent deceived Eve by craftiness.
The word craftiness in the Greek panourgia can mean trickery, sophistry, craftiness, or subtilty. In this case, the translators chose craftiness as an adjective, meaning clever at achieving one's aims by indirect or deceitful methods. It is akin to a salesman twisting the truth in such a way as to get you to question what you first knew about the product.
Paul speaks of another Jesus he had not preached to them, their receiving a different spirit than the original spirit they had not received, or a different gospel that they had not accepted but were willing to tolerate. Oh, the dangers of tolerating mixture!
Unity, solely for the sake of unity, is a disaster that is looking for a place to happen. It leads to confusion and disruption of genuine faith at the simplest level. There are some things we are not meant to accept or tolerate.
1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed in the world, Received up in glory.
That view of the mystery of godliness is simple but clear. Add a few self-proclaimed theologians to the mix, and we will have a ten-page thesis on the subject that has run-on sentences and is hard to understand. Simplicity aids us in avoiding needless compromises that put us at risk regarding the truth concerning Jesus, His gospel, and the Covenant we are now under. Oh, the beauty of simplicity.
Glory In Weakness
What do you rely on?
Do you know your calling? Do you want to know it? Have you been trying to understand it according to your skills and talents in the natural? Do you think it is to be discovered based on your strengths? Do you know why God the Father chose you to be one of His own?
God does not call, nor does He save, based on natural strength and abilities potential. There’s no such thing as someone being brought into the kingdom for what they can do for it based on their natural abilities. Don’t believe me?
1Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
God likes to take advantage of our weaknesses. He likes to show Himself strong in our weaknesses so that the glory might be His and not ours. He likes to show the world how foolishly they think and how foolish their confidence in themselves is.
God has never enjoyed and still does not enjoy any flesh glorying in His presence. Why is flesh (Self-reliance) not enjoyed by God?
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
When self-reliance is lost, it opens the door to relying on Christ Jesus. In that place, Christ becomes everything! He becomes our wisdom from God, our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. We do not fight for our rights to receive anything based on our own delusional strength and goodness.
God did not save me because I was all that and a bag of chips. He saved me because I desperately needed to be saved. I needed to be rescued. I could not buy my own redemption. I could not earn my way into righteousness. I could not make myself holy. I needed these realities to come to me from a source that possessed them already and had more than enough to rescue me and transform me.
Paul, as an apostle of Jesus, learned this lesson and embraced the empowerment it offers when one walks into it.
2Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that you do not have what it takes in the power of the flesh to be what God calls you to be. No one can will themselves to become a new creation, nor can they behave themselves into such a supernatural transformation. There’s nothing about the flesh that could ever have what it takes to get into the kingdom, let alone remain in the kingdom. It is all of God and His grace and His mercy and goodness that anyone ever gets new life, is sanctified and has even the tiniest amount of wisdom. God has not called us to be supermen and women. He has called us to live in a place of reliance upon Him in relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. My weakness brings Him glory, so I will glory in my weakness as opposed to my strength!
A Good Minister
Know the difference?
When we think of what a minister is, we think of someone who is tasked with instructing the body of Christ. This would be a correct idea of a minister.
But do you know the difference between a good one and a deceived one?
The Scripture offers a clear idea of how to discern the difference.
1Timothy4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
Paul is equipping his son in the faith, Timothy, to be a good minister, and he offers him this advice. He makes it clear that the Holy Spirit has declared this to be true.
He says the Spirit says some will depart from the faith! This will happen because they give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.
What do these deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons promote? You would think it would be something extremely dark and evil. However, it has something to do with marriage being forbidden and foods being avoided.
I have a confession to make. I enjoy sausage, bacon, ham, pork chops, pork ribs, and I have eaten dear, egret, quail, duck, all sorts of bread and many other things there might be some who think was wrong for me to have eaten. I ate them with gratitude in my heart towards God, who supplied them to me for my nourishment in that moment. I ate them with a clear conscience and faith.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Paul says these teachers have had their consciences seared with a hot iron. In other words, they have allowed their thinking to become hardened against the real truth that promotes freedom in Christ regarding marriage and food. They teach that spirituality avoids marriage and chooses celibacy instead. Their brand of spirituality also avoids certain foods that, under the New Covenant, have been deemed acceptable when eaten with thanksgiving. Placing such basic restrictions on saints is an act against true faith and practice. They would rather someone go hungry for the sake of their idea of spirituality than to eat and be nourished.
For those who believe and know the truth, every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving. The word of God and prayer sanctifies the food we eat! The word of God that ays rise and eat it will be all right, and prayer that offers thanksgiving for its provision.
It amazes me that, in this instance, Timothy was expected to give these instructions to the saints in order for him to be deemed a good minister. It was not a complicated list of things for this designation to be his.
It is not being a good minister to bring the saints under ridiculous restrictive bondages. It is not good to make petty things a matter of spirituality. Suppose we remember what Jesus said about the religious leaders of His day who were deemed as being against the truth and blind leaders of the blind. He said they would strain a gnat and swallow a camel. In other words, they majored on minors and minored on the majors. Their focus on spirituality was in the wrong places and on the wrong things.
A good minister stays away from such practices and seeks to bring the saints into the freedom Christ died to give to them with grateful hearts, always ready to offer Him thanksgiving.
Looking
Where are you going?
I hope the title captured your curiosity. I own and ride a 1997 Police Editon Harley Davidson Roadking Motorcycle. I truly enjoy it, but I have to employ safe practices to do so. It is a very large and heavy bike. It is classified as a cruiser and, for some cruisers, can be tricky to handle in tight turns.
The top riding trainer offers the following advice when wishing to turn without a problem. Look where you want to go. If you want to make a tight right turn, look at where you want to go. You will not make the turn looking straight ahead or to the left. To make an effective turn, you need to look at where you want to go.
Another road rule often offered to all who operate motorized vehicles is not to drive distracted. Distracted driving is dangerous and has led to many accidents. Everyone should be looking at where they are going if they wish to get there. To reach the end of your journey, you must look in the right direction at all times.
There’s a spiritual principle that we can extract from this.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This verse basically says not to get distracted and not to multitask things you shouldn’t for the sake of temporary pleasure because it can occupy you in the wrong way and use up your energies on the wrong thing. You have a destination, a destiny! To achieve that destiny, you will need endurance and focus.
Jesus is our example of this. He pressed through the most difficult of circumstances and the most severe temptations for distraction, and He endured the cross. The joy of the promise of destiny was of greater value to Him than the trials and temptations of temporary comfort and convenience in that moment. He accomplished His purpose!
We are meant to draw inspiration from Him by looking unto Him and allowing Him to empower and comfort us in our moments of trial and difficulty. He sent us the Holy Spirit for this very reason.
Jesus made us new creations that the Holy Spirit can inhabit. We now live according to the Spirit with His empowerment. When we look to Jesus, we see Him as a man relying on the Holy Spirit’s supernatural help, enduring and pressing through every situation. His victory has become our victory. But we will not live in the realization and revelation of this marvelous privilege if we do not look to Jesus!
Looking at ourselves and what we bring to the moment is not helpful. While looking at others and what they brought to a similar situation might encourage us a little, it is not the source we need most. If we want to reach where God has called us, we must look to the right place and the right person.
I encourage you today to always be mindful of where, what, and who you are “Looking” to
Get Up And Get Dressed
Are you awake?
I remember when I was young, my mom would come into my room in the morning and shake me and my younger brother to wake us up, and she would say, “Time to get up, get dressed, and get ready for school.”
She was right, you know. Now, my brother and I would have rather stayed asleep a little longer, enjoying our dreams. But there were things to be done if we were to grow and mature and be ready for what was ahead.
As parents, my wife and I experienced the same thing with our kids when they were younger. I think this is a reality for every generation. Sleep can be sweet, and it is needed for good health, but there is also a need to awake, get dressed, and be prepared for what lies ahead.
This is especially true, spiritually speaking.
Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
When someone is asleep in bed, they are not dressed for the day. They are not clothed as someone with a purpose. When the CEO of a company goes to bed, he or she does not dress as they would for the workday. The same would be true of a mechanic, plumber, electrician, or farmer.
I realize that many people are now seen out in public in their pajamas. Try as you might, you would never be able to tell what they do productively in life. In other words, if they are not clothed according to their purpose, no one can discern their purpose.
This is true of the church as well. That is what Paul is getting at here in Romans 13
Church, it’s time to wake up! That is why I pray for an awakening in the church. Our final phase of salvation is nearer than it has ever been. Jesus is coming soon! When He comes, we all get new bodies that are in keeping with the glory of the new creation we are in Christ. It will be obvious then who and what we are without even trying. However, in this moment we are in, we need to be reminded of who we are and whose we are, and we need to awake and put on the armor of light and the Lord Jesus so that it is plain for all to see the image we bear of Him!
We say no to spiritual laziness, as that is the way to give provision to the flesh. We say yes to Jesus and all He desires! We say yes to bearing His image in the manner of life we choose to live. We are not showing up in public in our pajamas and slippers! We are showing up ready! We want it to be clear what our purpose is and Who it is we belong to and are looking for as His return grows closer!
I hear an alarm ringing loudly in the realm of the Spirit, calling the church to “awake, awake, rise, and shine!” Get up and get dressed, my chosen ones! It’s time to get up and get dressed!
What DNA?
Do you have His DNA?
There has been a recent fascination with origins. People submit DNA tests to discover where their ancestors came from and what parts of the world their ancestry covers. They want to know where they came from. Some do this for nostalgic reasons, while others do it to help their sense of identity.
All this is determined with a sample of DNA. Do you know what your DNA is? Do you know where you are from?
My birth certificate indicated who my parents were, when I was born, and where I was born. I grew up knowing who my father and mother were, who my grandparents were, and so on. If someone asked me a question about my family origins, I could answer confidently. As a child, I knew how to tell someone where I lived in case of an emergency.
So many things go into making sure a child knows who they are, what family they belong to, and how to navigate situations with accurate information should the need arise.
Question: Does the church make the same efforts in making sure believers understand where they come from? Jesus spoke of origins when teaching what it means to inherit the kingdom of God.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
When someone is born again, they receive Jesus’ DNA. That is what eternal life truly is. It is not merely a state of mind; it is a genuine life-giving DNA establishment. By grace through faith in Jesus, one becomes a New Creation. That means they become born from above. In other words, they are no longer ordinary in the worldly sense.
I am not of this world any longer. I have been born from above. My confidence in this matter is much more important than many realize it to be. It establishes a different way of looking at life and imagining possibilities and opportunities according to the Spirit as opposed to the natural.
2Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
The wealth and riches of His grace invest His DNA into us so that our transformation is completely about God’s work, not our ability to determine and fix ourselves or make ourselves good enough.
1Corinthians 15:47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
It is about which image you now bear due to a DNA change when you met Jesus. The Law could not perform a DNA change. The Law could not produce the power to bring a person to new birth as a new creation in Christ. When this part of the gospel is not understood, it leads to disinformation and misguided allegiance. Jesus is the source of DNA for anyone who has been born again. The question will never be how good a person thinks they might be. It will always be about what DNA you possess.
The Source Of Life
Do you have life?
If we think of this idea of the source of life from a natural perspective, we know that if you take a fish out of the water, it will die. We know that if you were to uproot a flower and just leave it exposed, it would die. We know that if you put a human in an atmosphere with no oxygen to breathe, they will die.
In these cases, water, soil, and oxygen are sources of life. But what about spiritual life?
What is the source of spiritual or eternal life?
Those who think the law is somehow the means to true spirituality have missed the point of eternal life. The law never once imparted eternal life to anyone. There was never a promise of eternal life attached to the Law. In fact, the Bible teaches us that the Law was the ministry of death. Its purpose was to expose the frailty of man, the failure of man, and the inability of man to attain for himself the righteousness required to possess eternal life.
Now, when I state the righteousness required to obtain eternal life, I am really speaking about what is required to possess God’s presence and dwell in it, which is the source of eternal life. I am speaking about being in Christ and having Christ in you.
There’s something of great interest written in the Book of Acts that we should consider here.
Acts 17:25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, “For we are also His offspring.’ 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Notice how it says, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” The worthlessness of idolatry is addressed in these passages from the standpoint of where real life comes from. Anyone without the presence of God within and without is spiritually dead. They may appear to be alive on the outside, but inwardly, they are dead.
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
According to these passages, why did the law enter? So that the offense may abound. It was given to magnify the offense of sin. What did sin reign in? Death! Grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!
Jesus is the source of life! He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except through me.” This is why anyone who has not been born again spiritually by ceasing to be good enough by their own merit and putting their faith, hope, and trust in Jesus they are dead and will not see life. Keeping the law will never make anyone alive with eternal life. That can only be obtained through Jesus Christ, who is the source of eternal life. Preaching the law to believers is declaring death to them by tempting them to once again look to themselves for their righteousness and acceptance with God. The Law is not the source of life Jesus is, and the New Covenant is the covenant that God is now acknowledging, not the Old. Only a connection with the true source of life can bring eternal life, hope, and peace as promised in the Scriptures.
Why It Is Good News
Do you know why?
For many, the gospel is good news because our sins are forgiven past, present, and future in Christ Jesus. That is good news, no doubt. However, if you stop there, you’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg of what Jesus accomplished.
This fails to answer the question of why sin was necessary to be not just forgiven but completely removed in the first place. To make it only about sins being forgiven and going to heaven one day misses out on the glory intended in the New Covenant.
Really think about this for a moment and allow the privilege you have received to sink in really deep.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Notice the hope of glory mentioned here.
Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Christ, in you the hope of glory! What is glory? The glory of God is His unchanging essence. Christ was a visible representation of the very image of God. He demonstrated the very nature of God, which is a supernatural nature. God is not of this world; He created this world, but He does not originate from this world, and this world rebelled against Him. God is altogether different from what we are so familiar with in the natural. We should note what the Scriptures reveal to us regarding His presence.
Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Acts 2:28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
Christ came to give us hope of God’s presence, not just in heaven to come but also in this life on earth. This is why Christ is in us! God has made His abode in us! God is alive in the church! God is not dead; He is very much alive, and He lives in each one of us!
We are presence bearers. This is why we had to be made into new creations in Christ. We were created to be a habitation for the Lord. This is so much more than just having sins forgiven! This is so much more than just being under grace. This involves a privilege, unlike anything this world could ever offer.
God has shared His glory with us by bringing His essence to dwell within us. This is why Christ Jesus is the hope of glory!
We no longer have to live estranged from God or as enemies of God. We’ve become His dear children and are one with Him now in a relationship made possible through Jesus Christ. This is the purpose of forgiveness of sin; this is the purpose of grace and truth! This is why it is such Good News and why we need to preach and teach the New Covenant Jesus established with His own blood.
It is His essence that makes it so amazing! It is Him that makes it good news!
What Kind Of Love?
How loved are you?
It appears that the phrase “I love you” has become popular and can be tossed around like a penny.
Who wants to be loved with a love that is rated at the value of a penny?
It’s kind of like growing up in the South, where women call everyone sweetie or honey. You get married and live in confusion if your wife is a Southern bell and happens to call you honey or sweetie. You don’t know if you rate above the rest, are equal, or maybe fall short because it is just the way she talks to everyone. How can you know the measure of love you are partaking of?
Then there is the friend kind of love, the mate kind of love, the family kind of love, and so on. There are so many variations on the idea of love today that it can be a challenge for someone to know just how loved they truly are. It’s hard to feel secure when you can’t nail down just how sincere or solidly you are loved.
Jesus prayed about our being loved by the Father. However, He quantified it very specifically when He prayed it.
John 17:25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Have you been given to Jesus by the Father? If you are born again, that is exactly what happened. The Father drew you to Jesus, and Jesus gave you new life. So that means every born-again believer in Jesus was given to Jesus by the Father, and that means this prayer applies to them.
So, let’s pay close attention to what Jesus prayed. Jesus says, “I will declare to them Your name. “ To truly grasp this, we must understand this phrase: Your name.
Jesus said he had declared it to them and would declare it. This should give us a clue: If He had already declared it and it was merely a name or a title, then they would know it, and continuing to declare would be redundant. By this phrase, Your name is much deeper than just a title. It is dealing with essence. It deals with unveiling the person based on who they truly are. Jesus has shown the Father and will continue doing so. He will reveal the Father in ways we have not known for a purpose.
The aim of doing this on the part of Jesus is that the love with which the Father loved and still loves Jesus might be in us, and we might be in Christ.
This spiritual reality of being in Christ is huge. The Father loves the Son with an intense, passionate, unyielding, unwavering, devoted eternal love. It is a love with immeasurable depth and richness. When one is born again, Christ enters into them, and they are placed in Christ. In that place of being hidden with God in Christ, there is an overwhelming love that seeks to overshadow and fill the life of the believer.
Every believer has access to this amazing love. The Father heard Jesus’s prayer and answered it. But there’s a difference in access and possession. I can know there is something available to me, even given to me, but neglect to take possession of it due to wrong thinking about it. Knowing the kind of love does not automatically assure me I will experience all it is intended to offer me. I must, by faith, take possession of it and allow it to produce in me the confidence and security it is meant to produce. We have been born into an everlasting, extraordinary love of God that is continually ours to rejoice in and take advantage of. What kind of love? It is the best kind of love and the most unique love there is.
Treasure
Do you have it?
When people think of treasure, they usually think of riches. However, I am not using this word in that sense. I am using it in the sense of something of greatest value.
Believers in Jesus have been given a treasure.
2Corinthians 3:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
What is the treasure?
Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
The fellowship Jesus has with the Father and with the Holy Spirit He freely gives to us. The union has been made ours in Christ.
In John 17, Jesus prays for His disciples at that time; however, as He continues praying, He shifts His focus to those who believe in Him afterward.
John 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Jesus was not praying for our unity with each other; He was praying for our unity with the Trinity.
He is praying about oneness with God. By stating this, I’m not saying there is no beauty or significance to our unity on some level. I am simply putting the focus where Jesus placed it in His prayer. There are riches too great to measure in our unity with God.
He has made His abode with us in Christ Jesus! We should never lose our ability to marvel at this amazingly glorious privilege of Christ in us, the hope of glory. What glory? Oneness with God! In step with Him, aware of His desires. In tune with Him to such a degree, we know in the moment what He desires for us. But even more than the knowing is the power to not only access but possess the very thing He desires for us.
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
A partaker of the divine nature! It’s one thing to have access and a whole other thing to possess. We have a treasure in these earthen vessels that is meant to be taken advantage of to the fullest. A true treasure, the divine nature, unity with God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and Christ in us! Can we get any richer?
Ministry Mandate
What ministry do you relate to?
Many would say that the Apostle Paul in the Bible was one of the greatest Apostles. After all, the Holy Spirit used Paul to write most of the New Testament. Paul also testified in one of his letters that, by the grace of God, he outworked the other apostles. Like many of the other apostles, Paul was martyred.
I do not think anyone would question Paul’s devotion to Jesus and the gospel. But did you know he possessed a core value in his ministry? One of his letters reveals this value and its origins.
2Corinthians 3:4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Paul’s trust in God was sourced from God and rooted in his understanding that he was no longer sufficient in his own strength. His ministry sufficiency now came from God through the Holy Spirit. He understood that there was a primary truth he was to minister to the churches. He also lets us in on what that type of ministry looks like.
What is the ministry? The New Covenant. What does a ministry of the New Covenant look like? It is a ministry that is not about not the letter (Law) but rather of the Spirit. It is not a ministry of death, but instead, it is a ministry of life. How do we know it is not about the Law but rather the Spirit and of life as opposed to death?
2Corinthians 3:7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
The glory of the New Covenant is so much greater than that of the Old Covenant that what the Old Covenant had seems insignificant. Yet many prefer to minister to others from a platform of Old Covenant premise. They minister the Law to the church as opposed to bringing the saints to understand what the New Covenant is, what it offers, and who it was that established it by His own blood.
Too often, ministers get caught up in offering principles rather than focusing on the relationship at the center of the New Covenant—a relationship not earned by works of any kind. True New Covenant ministry focuses on Christ Jesus, His finished work at the cross, His resurrection life, and how His obedience is the believer’s benefit. It focuses on the new life given through Christ and how life can now be lived according to the Spirit as opposed to a set of rules that call on one’s own strength and ability to keep. True New Covenant ministry does not produce a sense of superiority over others. A superiority fueled by how accomplished one might think they are based on their level of self-discipline and devotion.
True New Covenant ministry produces the fruit of the Spirit in those who minister it and imparts a yearning for Christ in those who sit under such a ministry. The New Covenant is so grand and glorious and covers so much spiritual territory that it should never become too familiar or boring. I desire to minister life according to the Spirit, not death according to the Law. That is why I have embraced the New Covenant as my ministry mandate.
Still For Today
Is everything old out of touch?
The New Testament letters in the Bible were written to various churches to instruct them on the ways of living in the New Covenant. The instructions they received were given with an understanding of what the New Covenant was about, who it was for, and how it was to benefit those who were under it. Because they are written in such a way in each situation, their instructions are pertinent to those who are alive today. Some things were merely cultural to that day and time, and they can fairly easily be discerned as to what they were and how they might be out of place in our time. But much of what was given as instruction is still for today.
Now, some like to ignore some of the writings that address behavior as it makes them uncomfortable for whatever reason. Ignoring such passages is not as beneficial as some might like to think. We do not need to ignore difficult passages out of fear of making people legalistic in their thinking. We can present instructive passages that address behavior in such a way as to promote what it means to adorn the gospel and live out our true identity in Christ Jesus. We can stay in step with how they are presented in the letters themselves.
Example:
Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
These instructions are offered in the context of one having become a new creation in Christ and having the identity of being raised with Him in newness of life. It seeks to remind them of what they had been called out of and then into. In other words, while it instructs them of the differences, it establishes an understanding of who they are in Christ.
It addresses what New Creation behavior looks like. It recommends where to aim their ambitions by determining what they will set their minds on. In other words, it instructs them about how best to invest their imagination so that their practices and habits align with what is in step with who they have become in Christ.
It speaks of what they once before walked on when they did not know Christ. It reminds them of how unfortunate a way of living that was and the judgment it promised had they not been rescued from it.
It encourages believers to actively put to death the things of the flesh that desire to arise, take over their purpose, and confuse their identity. It calls believers to walk according to the image of Christ, which they were created in. To realize this, one must alter one’s thinking to fit the reality of who one truly is in Christ.
The New Covenant contains instructive language that is still relevant today so that we can truly manifest the beauty of the image of Christ in which we have been created. It needs to be presented correctly, with understanding and maturity, so that the saints can realize its glorious appeal and possibilities. We are not destined to think and live as we did before we came to Christ and were born again. We are designed to be renewed in our knowledge and practice according to the image of Him who created us. It is still for today.
Changed
What is different?
I remember how everything changed when I first came to Jesus. The things that appeased and entertained me before no longer appealed to me. I did not try to think differently about them as an act of my own will. They just no longer appealed to me.
It was as if someone had flipped off a switch inside of me and turned on another switch that lit up a whole new set of desires and priorities. Before Jesus, I would run to do the things that I thought would make me happy, thinking I was having the best time of my life. After coming to Jesus, my old friends didn’t understand me. They wanted me to do the things I did before coming to Jesus because they were still doing them. They would offer me substances, opportunities that before Jesus I would have jumped on, but all of a sudden, I would say no thank you. I simply had zero desire for them. I would talk about Jesus with them, and they would say I was ruining their good time. They tolerated me for a time. I think they were hoping to turn back to my old ways. But when they would get away from me, they would laugh and talk about me as if I was some sort of weirdo and kill joy now. Eventually, because they had no desire for Jesus, they had no desire for me either. Their love for that kind of life without Jesus appealed more to them and resulted in them no longer enjoying my friendship, and some even turned against me altogether. They wrote me off.
The fact was, they were still of the world, and I had been made into a new creation by Christ Jesus and was no longer of the world. I was experiencing what the Apostle Peter spoke about in his letters in the Bible.
1 Peter 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
The world wants you and I to fit into the mold it casts. Various groups desire that you fit into their mold in order to be accepted and approved of, which means thinking as they think and doing as they do.
But when Jesus makes someone a new creation, the internal motivation of life is no longer rooted in sin. The internal motivation becomes life, and it flows from the DNA of real righteousness and true holiness, which is Christ Himself.
A new creation has a totally different spiritual DNA that seeks to take over and influence all of life for that believer in Jesus. What once was is no longer true for the person who is born again. They see things in a completely different way now. The result of this transformation leads to a new set of problems for the believer in Jesus. Where they once fit in, they are now an aggravation towards. It is not intentional. The differences are just too stark now between the two very different motivations and pursuits. It really is like starting a whole new life in many ways. The world cannot accept authentic new creations lovingly and warmly. Jesus prewarned us about this.
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
The church will never win a popularity contest with this world. Therefore, it should not be a focal point and priority of any group of believers to achieve acceptability among those of this world. Our goal should be to bring change and influence. Some would argue that the only people Jesus ever had a problem with were the religious leaders and that believers today only have issues with religious institutions. Although Jesus did not approve of the corrupt religious leaders of His day, it does not mean that is the only group that chooses to dislike true followers of Christ. Corrupt dead religion is just another group within this spiritually dead world. To think Jesus was only hated by the dead, corrupt religious leaders of His day would be shallow thinking. When a person lives a changed life because of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, it is a testimony of the differences between dark and light, life and death, righteousness and unrighteousness. Living changed is light turning on a bright spotlight in the darkness you were once a part of. A new creation changed person enjoys Jesus, and that is not highly popular with those who love this world.
Imprinted
What image do you bear?
Have you ever used a rubber stamp that failed to transfer the image correctly?
How about trying to print an image only to find that the printer failed to print it as it should?
The image intended in such a case becomes marred and is unclear. You may know what it should look like because you are the creator of it. But those who did not create it may see it in its marred state and assume that is what you intended to start with.
When Scripture speaks of glory, it often refers to likeness—the original image of a person or thing.
If we take this idea with us when we read,
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We understand that the issue is that humanity has fallen short of the likeness God intended for it. The declaration of good given to man at the beginning was marred by Adam’s sin. He exchanged the glory of his original state as created by God for the knowledge of good and evil. In other words, Adam opted for his own brand of glory, his own brand of image, as opposed to what God had originally chosen for him.
Adam altered what was good at the beginning, diminishing the glory originally given. Adam fell short of God’s glory because man cannot create the likeness of God by himself. The enticement of the serpent was that Adam and Eve might improve upon what God did to start. The lie insinuated that by gaining this specific brand of knowledge, they could rise to a level equal to God and thus bear His image.
The lie was actually rooted in distracting them from the truth, removing from their imaginations the reality they already possessed as a God-given gift when He created them. They moved from a place of free-flowing fellowship and intimacy with God to a place of being afraid of Him.
This explains that the first creation was marred by the sin of self-realization and effort, which is the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, a new creation is required if one wishes to have fellowship with God. To be restored to a place of glory as God intended, one must be born again and become a new creation in Christ. This is the reason for Christ coming to give His life. This matter of image, glory, and being properly imprinted according to His image as opposed to our own is what the New Covenant is all about. Our way of advancing now is not gained by what we can do to improve ourselves, but rather, it is rooted in how we view Jesus.
2Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
To correctly view Jesus, we must first have the veil removed that blocks our ability to see Him correctly.
2Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
When we become new creations in Christ, we are enabled to see Him. This is why getting the gospel right is so important: The gospel is God’s image-transfer mechanism, the power of God unto salvation, and the means of delivering a new creation in Christ. The knowledge of good and evil cannot remove the veil that blinds us to the glorious image of Christ that transforms us into His image from glory to glory. The right gospel reveals that this is all of God and not of us.
2Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
It is God’s will that Christ’s image be imprinted on our imagination and hearts. He wants our lives to be forever changed so that we can enjoy the fellowship that is the fruit of His glory. Our transformation comes from beholding Jesus, not ourselves. It comes from rejoicing and being thankful for His accomplishment on our behalf, not our accomplishments on His behalf. So, I will conclude today with this encouragement from Scripture.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Sense That Makes No Sense
Do you really get it?
1Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
In our modern age, much of the church seems convinced that academic instruction can help one obtain a spiritual understanding of God and His ways. It seems to be assumed that if one can explain supernatural truth, the other party should be able to comprehend it.
This neglects the idea that God’’s truth is of a supernatural origin and originates with Spirit, not flesh. Jesus declared this very thing. This further establishes the importance of the Holy Spirit for proper understanding.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
I realize that understanding original language can be beneficial, but to really know a person, you must understand where they are coming from and get the message they intend. Just understanding the basics of their language does not lead to a proper understanding of what they are actually saying. Jesus is a perfect example of saying things that seemed plain enough but, when taken literally, resulted in a gross misunderstanding on the part of some. This is found in the pages of Scripture.
John 6:41 The Jews then complained about Him because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus, therefore, answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews, therefore, quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
We experience this phenomenon almost every day in some way. We think we know what a person is getting at when, in fact, we do not have a clue because we truly do not know them well enough to get the nuance of what seems plain to most but has a different message to those who truly know them.
Jesus was speaking in their language of things that originate in the Spirit. They could not see the forest for the trees. Their pride in their ability to know the language properly, in the natural, led them to a wrong interpretation of what Jesus was actually saying. They would have argued that they knew what they heard and were not mistaken. Jesus knew that unless the Spirit gave them understanding, they would not get it, so He did not try to find other ways of describing His point to them. Jesus was, in a way, making sense that made no sense. I have a friend in Detroit, Michigan, who refers to this as the meta-message. We all need the help of the Holy Spirit if we are to understand the intent of God’s communication truly. The Bible is no ordinary book. It’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit to bring its words to life in those who desire to know the truth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Oh, how we need You, Holy Spirit, to help us see what we really need to see and understand what we really need to understand.
How Well Do You Know?
Do you know?
I have a good friend I have known for many years since coming to know Christ. We have journeyed together and experienced many things. I recently asked him what he would do if someone came to him and reported that I had smacked them, cussed them out, and key-scratched their car because they upset me. His response was quick and concise. He said, “I would tell them I don’t believe it even for one second because I know you and know you wouldn’t do such a thing.” Then he said I would encourage them to avoid spreading such a lie.
His quick response came from a place of knowing me well enough not to believe something contrary to the character he had witnessed in me. He’s spent enough time with me to know that I have no desire to hurt anyone, even when they’ve done me wrong. He really knows me; he doesn’t just know about me through someone else report.
When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He spoke to her and revealed things about her life that led her to believe in Him. As a result of this encounter with Jesus, she told the people where she lived to come out and meet a man who told her everything about her life and who is the Messiah.
This is what they testified after meeting Jesus for themselves,
John 4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
The woman’s testimony of Jesus served as an invitation to come and meet Him for themselves. Had they refused and said, “We now know about Him, and that is enough,” they would never have benefited. They needed to hear Him speak to them in a real way, in a personal way.
During the recent election, there was much information circulating about the two candidates for president. Listening to information from separate sources carried two very different opinions, as a bias was clearly evident. I learned a lot in my endeavor to get to know all I could about each candidate in order to make an informed vote. I had to weed through all the biases to come up with my own thoughts. But for all I learned, I still could not say with integrity that I really knew either candidate. I know about them, and in this particular case, it was enough for me to do what I needed to do. However, I do not personally know either one of them. If you asked me about them, I could tell you what I learned and became confident about. But I could not speak like one who was close to them.
I have shared all this to say that religion seems to think that knowing things about Jesus on an informational level is equal to truly knowing Him, and nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is more than just a historical figure from the pages of Scripture about whom we can learn. He is a person who desires to know us intimately and have a personal relationship with us.
Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask to ensure that we know Him intimately. His ministry is to help us realize our connection and grow in personally knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus up close and personally is far more powerful than just knowing things about Him. The enemy is good at debating and stealing perspectives that are not rooted in personally knowing Jesus. This is why Scripture testifies of the importance of believing in Him, not about Him, but in Him.
John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Think About It
Are you in a tough spot?
Have you ever wished the world would stop spinning for a moment, giving you a chance to process something before demanding you get back to it?
Have you ever had to move from a very serious and sad moment to dealing with the everyday affairs of life?
This happened to Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. While all the disciples were in Galilee with Jesus, He spoke to them.
Matthew 17:22 Now, while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
Jesus has just informed His disciples that He is about to be betrayed and will be put to death, but He lets them know He will be raised to life again three days later. It tells us how this made them feel. They were exceedingly sorrowful. Not just a little sorrowful but exceedingly so.
Then, after they arrive in Capernaum, Peter is approached by the temple tax collectors.
Matthew 17:24 When they came to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.”
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or strangers?” 26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
Can you imagine? Peter is probably still trying to process the idea that Jesus said He would be betrayed and die, and these tax collectors are expecting to collect taxes from Jesus and challenging Peter about it.
I love that Jesus knows Peter is concerned about their perceptions of him and is willing to help Peter find peace. Peter did not mention the tax matter to Jesus, Jesus anticipated it. In other words, Jesus already knew about it and how Peter felt about it. In like manner, Jesus knows when we are in a difficult place brought on by something significant happening to us and sees how the things of life will continue to come at us. He cares.
I love the simple solution Jesus has for the occasion. Although Jesus knows Peter’s concerns, Jesus does not pass on the opportunity for it to be a lesson in faith and trust. The solution is a simple one, but it requires childlike faith to possess it. Jesus sends Peter to do something he enjoys and relaxes him, such as go fishing. The challenge is to believe that the first fish he catches is to check in its mouth for the money to pay the temple tax for both Jesus and himself.
Sometimes, when life is coming at us fast and hard with all its demands, Jesus will tell us to do something that allows us a moment to relax and unwind, and He will show us the solution. It can be difficult to hear His solution when we are anxious and hurried, but Jesus cares, and if we approach with childlike faith, He will show us a simple solution to our problem. If you have a problem or a concern, take it to Jesus and let Him speak to you about it. What He tells you might challenge your faith in Him, but it will bring you peace.
What If?
Are you up to a challenge?
The Bible contains a very interesting story about a leper from Syria named Naaman. Although he was a leper, the king of Syria honored him as a man of great accomplishment.
Because of his military feats, he was revered. During one of his military raids against Israel, he brought back a young Israeli girl who became a servant to his wife. The young girl told Naaman’s wife that if her master Naaman were with the prophet who dwelt in Samaria, he would be healed of his leprosy.
The wife told Naaman about it, and Naaman went to the king to get permission to visit the prophet. The king granted permission and sent a letter along with Naaman to give to the king of Israel.
When the king of Israel received the letter saying the king of Syria sent Naaman to be healed of leprosy, he tore his clothes and declared, “Am I a God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to be healed of leprosy?” The king of Israel saw this act as a setup to stir up a war.
Elisha heard of this and told the king of Israel to send Naaman to him. The king would then see that there was a prophet in all of Israel.
So Naaman arrived at Elisha’s place, and Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. Elisha sent a messenger out and told Naaman to wash in Jordan seven times. This was not how Naaman imagined it would go. He expected Elisha to come out to him and then call on the name of God, wave his hand over the affected places, and heal the leprosy. When Elisha didn’t do this, it offended Naaman, and he became angry. In his anger, Naaman reasoned that the rivers in Damascus were cleaner than the Jordan and said, “Could I not wash in them and be clean?” After stating this, he went away in a rage.
As he was leaving, his servants began to reason with him. “If the prophet had told you something great to do, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘wash and be clean’?”
At this, Naaman calmed down and decided what the heck? Why not try it? When he came up out of the water the seventh time, his skin was healed and new, like that of a child.
In our many situations in life where we desire God’s intervention and help, are we willing to accept His wisdom when it comes to us in a very simple way?
What if He tells us to do something contrary to what we have imagined it should go?
Often, God’s wisdom cuts through the fog of a situation with the simplest solution, which does not ask that we display our own might but rather trust Him.
What if God offers something absurdly simple as the answer to your situation? Will you say okay? Will you go way mad and offended?
If you allow yourself to build up the situation in your imagination very dramatically and He does not respond with an equally dramatic solution, you may risk being offended. Keep His greatness ever before you, and know that every problem presented to Him has a simple solution. God is not into all the drama. He is content being Himself, supernatural and all-wise.
The Greatest In The Kingdom
Who is the greatest?
I grew up with four brothers, three older and one younger. I understand a little bit about competition. If that were not enough to teach me about it, I also played sports when I was young and have had to compete to get jobs in my lifetime. Adults will argue over who is the greatest in a position in a sport or a political appointment. The idea of who was the greatest has always been a thing in life for many, if not most. Among siblings, the competition can often be about who is the favorite child.
If I were to ask you who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, what would your answer be?
Where would your thoughts take you when being asked such a question?
Would it be the largest mega-church pastor? Would you think it might be a famous, well-known missionary? How about a famous evangelist? Would you imagine it to be one of the original apostles? What actually makes someone great in the kingdom of heaven?
You might not think this would be an issue among followers of Jesus. You’d like to think that the idea of competing with each other would not be a thing in the church at large, especially among leaders. However, the disciples of Jesus asked Him this very question.
Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
We should all be able to identify to some extent with the question the disciples asked Jesus. But are we prepared for the way Jesus responded to such a question?
Matthew 18:2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I love the way Jesus handled this issue with the disciples. It was such a great teaching moment for them, and it is still the case for us today.
Jesus called a child to come to Him and then set that little boy in the midst of the disciples as an example.
Then Jesus offers two distinct explanations: one involving children in general and how one enters the kingdom, and the other involving this specific child and how it denotes who is the greatest in the kingdom.
So, in essence, Jesus says that in order to enter the kingdom, one must become childlike. That is the more general idea He conveys to the disciples. But then He moves on to answer their question more specifically and says whoever humbles themselves as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom. Why this specific little child?
This child responded when Jesus called him to come to Him. The child came, and when Jesus desired to put the child on display before the disciples, the child complied with no resistance. Do you think it might have been possible for this child to be even a little bit intimidated to be placed in the middle of a bunch of competitive men grappling over who is the greatest and who towers over you in size and power? Yet this child came to Jesus when He called him and then let himself be put on display in what was likely an uncomfortable and awkward way. In other words, this child was willing to say, “Okay,” when Jesus called him and asked him to do something. He did not debate with Jesus; he did not resist Jesus or act as if the thing Jesus desired of him was too difficult a thing. He simply complied with Jesus from what appears to be an attitude of trust. This specific child simply submitted himself and complied.
Greatness in the kingdom is not measured by the numbers we affect, the size of our ministry, or the reach of our influence. It is measured by the surrender and trust we bring to Jesus and how quickly and easily we are able to say okay to whatever He might ask of us. Surrender and submission are the way to greatness in the kingdom of heaven.