November 30

1 Corinthians 1-4

I saw an interview with Bill Maher a couple years ago. He had a movie coming out called Religulous (combination of the words religion and ridiculous). In this movie, he interviewed people of different faiths (Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists) with the purpose of pointing out how "ridiculous" religion is. When he started to point out how silly he thinks Christianity is, I found myself agreeing with him (hear me out for a minute!). From the perspective of the world, religion is ridiculous. Faith in ANYTHING we can't see doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make sense that a God would be three persons in one. It doesn't make sense that God would step down into our world and die for us. It doesn't make sense that a good God would allow suffering in the world. It doesn't make sense that He is strong through our weakness. If you look at it through the eyes of the world, I agree, it sounds ridiculous.

1 Corinthians 1:18 says "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The problem with Bill Maher (a devote atheist) is he believes in his own wisdom, rather than God's. If we rely on our own understanding, it will lead us in the wrong direction. The message of the cross will confuse us, rather than bring us life. We must look with eyes of faith in order to experience the true wisdom of God. Verse 25 of 1 Corinthians 1 says "God's foolishness is wiser than man's wisdom." I have more confidence in God's foolishness than my own wisdom any day!

God's Own Fool
by Michael Card

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind

For even his family said He was mad
and the priests said, "A demon's to blame";
but God in the form of this angry young man
could not have been perfectly sane.

When we in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes.
When we in our weakness believed we were strong,
He became helpless to show we were wrong
And so we follow God's own fool;
for only the foolish can tell.
Believe the unbelievable;
come be a fool as well.

So come lose your life for a carpenter's son,
for a madman Who died for a dream.
Then you'll have the faith His first followers had,
and you'll feel the weight of the beam.

So surrender the hunger to say you must know,
have the courage to say: "I believe".
For the power of paradox opens your eyes,
and blinds those who say they can see.

When we in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes.
When we in our weakness believed we were strong,
He became helpless to show we were wrong
And so we follow God's own fool;
for only the foolish can tell.
Believe the unbelievable;
come be a fool as well.

Nov 29: 2 Thessalonians

Warning about false prophecy.

It seems that the Thessalonian church were confused about whether Jesus had returned after his Resurrection or not. This of course is major question for a believer in Jesus. So Paul is reassuring them that it has not happened, gives them details of signs for the return of Jesus and warns them against false prophecy.

This reminded me of something that happened to me couple of months ago. On a sunny Sunday afternoon I was in a park waiting for a friend to arrive. A man and a woman approached me. From first sight I could tell they would preach something, but I was curious what exactly about. Long story short - they were part of a sect which used the Bible but made un-biblical claims. What the man was trying to convince me was so skewed from the Christian faith, I don’t even want to give you all the details. By the 2nd minute I knew I would never believe what this man is claiming, however I let him continue with his Yes/No questions. He was turning the pages of the Bible showing me underlined verses from different chapters. He claimed that these verses pointed to a prophecy of another Saviour other than Jesus and that that other Savior is alive today! That’s all I have to say about that! I felt defensive but the conversation staid peaceful. I started asking him questions back reminding him of certain verses which challenge his conclusions. And trust me I was referring to basics from the Bible, nothing difficult. The man was getting impatient with me. I told him that I disagree with him and that I still believe that Jesus is the one and only Saviour and could only promise him that I would keep reading the Bible.

There's always been false prophecy. The people I met that afternoon believed in one. It was a good reminder of the importance of knowing what God's message is in it's completeness, not just believing in few verses which when taken out of the full context of the Bible can be misinterpreted. Paul wrote the Thessalonians a letter to remind them of the truth about Jesus which was revealed to him and the apostles. We have this letter still today. We believe that the Bible is God's message revealed to us. We pray to God for wisdom and understanding. The Holy Spirit guides us to understand the truth written in the Bible. We share our faith with other believers.

So all this makes me ask: How is your faith being nourished?

November 28: 1 Thessalonians

In 1 Thessalonians, we see the beating heart of the Apostle Paul for his fast friends, the Gentile Christians in Thessalonica. While he had spent only three weeks in the city, God planted seeds of a deep fellowship in the Gospel: "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction." (1:4,5) The Thessalonians had quickly become co-laborers in Christ: "We continually remember before our God and Father you work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1:3)

Through Paul's short-term mission to Thessalonica, we may sense the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, even given the short timeframe. The new believers had become a living testimony to the regions around them: "You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia -- your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead -- Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." (1:6-10)

Yet, Paul recognized that he had been unable to pass along important messages to the Thessalonians and took great care to touch upon watchfulness, as evidenced by his frequent descriptions of the last days (eschatology), in both 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. Indeed, each chapter of 1 Thessalonians includes a reference to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. Paul urges the young Christians to live in eager anticipation of Christ's return, remaining steadfast to the Gospel. One key outcome involves seeking purity in the minds and bodies: "It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him." (4:3-6a) Greek culture, not unlike today's American culture, had highly sensual elements, even surrounding their idol worship. New Greek believers would have struggled with separating from these cultural elements. Yet, God had set them free from slavery to sin, and they had willingly become "slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18-23)

Like the Thessalonians, we will do well to remember Paul's exhortation to remain vigilant, "for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." (5:2) Elaborating further, Paul explains:

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
　
Our encouragement to our friends in the Lord is not merely a question of brightening another's spirits, but further includes a spurring on towards love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24) As the author of Hebrews indicates, we should "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." (3:13) Asking the difficult questions and focusing others on God's presence reaps eternal rewards.
　

QUESTIONS

1. How can you embrace watchfulness in your own life? What should you stop doing? Continue doing? Start doing?

2. Whom could you encourage this week in the faith? Perhaps you could call or text them with a verse that may speak into their life from our reading.

November 25

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

I am the most blessed man in the world.

Here is my top ten reasons

1. The grace shown to me is truly amazing. I am loved by God.
2. I have been included in a global, life changing mission by God.
3. I have the greatest wife on the planet.
4. My kids like to hang around with me and talk to me.
5. I held my grandson yesterday.
6. My brothers and sisters at Grace church are all stars.
7. I have been given opportunities to make friends all over the world.
8. I get to play dodge ball today.
9. I will drink clean water.
10. There will be plenty of turkey and food on our table.

Blessings on you!! Happy Thanksgiving

November 23

Acts 8, 9

Persecution and Preaching
Conversion of Paul

"But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel." ~ Acts 9:16

I've read or heard this passage many times in my life. Today, when I read it, a question came to my mind: Why? Why did God choose Paul? Why did God choose a man whose life mission was to destroy the new Christian church? Why would God choose Paul to spread His word all over the world? I doesn't make sense. If it were up to me, I would have picked one of the eleven disciples, the ones who were with Jesus during His earthly ministry. It doesn't make sense.

But what if the reason God choose Paul wasn't because he was the most qualified for the job. What if He was trying to reveal the power of His grace and love. God took an enemy of His church and turned him into His ambassador. I think God knew that one of the biggest lies that people tend to believe is that their sin is too much for God to forgive. By appointing Paul as His instrument to carry His name to the world, God proved once and for all that no sin is beyond His ability to forgive and no person is beyond the reach of His grace.

The next time you start to think that your sin makes you unworthy of forgiveness, call it what it is: a lie. God has proved time and time again that the power of His grace and love is infinite.

November 21: Acts 3:1-6:7

Today's passage touches upon the growth of the early church upon the solid foundation that Scott described yesterday. Carried along by the Holy Spirit and their individually and corporately firm commitment to the Gospel, the early church found great blessing and power from the Lord. Let us reflect on several of the declarations from today's passage:

1. "When Peter saw this, he said to them: 'Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." (Acts 3:12-16)

2. "If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is
"the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone."
"'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.'" (Acts 4:9-12)

3. "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say." (Acts 4:13,14)

4. "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:31)

5. "As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by." (Acts 5:15)

6. [Gamaliel] "'Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.'" (Acts 5:38,39)

7. "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah." (Acts 5:41,42)
　

Reading these words forces us to reflect upon the current state of the church. Why don't we experience the power and blessing that Luke describes? Please note that this power and blessing are ultimately for God's glory, not for ours. This "power" is not intended to exalt us in front of others, but rather to lift high the Name of Jesus. When I write "blessing," I am not referring to a physical blessing, but rather a spiritual one. The early church shows great willingness towards personal and corporate sacrifice in the carrying out of Jesus's mission to "make disciples of all nations."

Clearly, the power and blessing were not of human origin, even as the Jewish scholar Gamaliel (and Paul's instructor) acknowledged. How did they tap into the lifesource that drove the advance of the Kingdom? The apostles and other disciples had humbly approached God, offering themselves as living sacrifices and seeking to both experience God's presence and make Him known throughout Jerusalem. Loving and serving God and proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ had become their great passion.

I know for myself that I often do not experience the richness of God's presence because I am too easily tempted to settle for other things. For example, I may become preoccupied with work, sports, or music. Certainly, all of these areas of life are crucial, and God has called us to serve Him faithfully in each aspect of our lives. Yet, when our preoccupations "crowd out" the presence and adoration of God, we miss the greater point of life. The early church saw such a powerful advance of the Kingdom due to their intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ.

How may we experience this intimate knowledge of Christ and see the power poured out at Grace Church? First, let us confess that we have put other things ahead of God's presence. Let us enumerate where we have slighted God to approach some other goal. Next, let us submit ourselves and seek humbly after God's presence. Request His visitation and truth spoken into your life. His motivation and guidance are of far greater value than any other source. Finally, the love of Christ may overflow from our hearts, leading us to serve others and proclaim the Truth as the disciples did.
　

QUESTIONS

1. Where is your heart today? Troubled? Anxious? Joyful?

2. What type of power would you like to see poured out among us? Would you kindly pray for that?

November 20

November 20, 2010

The Foundation of Our Faith

When we lived in Chicago, we were able to visit the Sears Tower on several occasions. At that time, it was the tallest building in the world. When the Sears Tower was being built, the first year was spent making a great hole in the ground. And then they started to pour huge amounts of concrete and iron girders into that hole. You might have even questioned if they were building in the wrong direction. But there is a good reason for spending so much time on the foundation. A solid foundation is absolutely necessary to support the future structure. A doghouse or a chicken coup can be built on little more than a concrete slab. But a skyscraper, that's entirely different. It requires a deep and solid foundation.

So it is with our Christian life. Our upward potential is totally dependent on the foundation underneath. In Acts 2, we see the foundation that was built for our faith. There are five pillars in this foundation.

1. The pillar of the incarnation: Jesus’ birth, his miracles, and the signs and wonders that he performed. Remember these miracles were not doubted by his enemies; they were said to have come from Satan.

2. The pillar of his crucifixion. Peter points out that this occurred as a result of human wickedness and also as the result of a divine plan. There is no sense denying the human responsibility; we just read about it two days ago. But Peter is careful to point out that the cross was not just the result of wicked men, but it was God's eternal plan being worked out from the very beginning, “by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge.”

3. The pillar of the resurrection. The resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. Christianity either stands or falls on the fact of the resurrection,. It is either true or false. If it is true, it is the most superlative truth of all of history. If it is false, then you have just wasted a year of your time reading this Bible. But the message from the eyewitnesses is that, "God has raised him from the dead." This was not done in some small hick town in the back woods. It was done in Jerusalem, a world class city, with over tens of thousands of inhabitants. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Gibraltar of our Christian faith. It is also the Waterloo of every skeptic. The tomb is empty.

4. The pillar of the ascension. Jesus has now been placed in the position of final and ultimate authority. He has been taken into heaven and even as you read this blog he is seated on a magnificent throne in heaven. He is Lord right now and one day every knee will bow before him and confess this. We have willingly chosen to bow the knee in our lifetime.

5. The pillar of the Holy Spirit. Jesus has received the promised Holy Spirit, from the Father, and has poured him out on his followers. The risen Jesus now makes it possible for the Holy Spirit to live within the hearts of his followers. His work is to empower, transform, counsel, guide and change us from the inside out. .

There is no better foundation than the one already laid by God in Jesus. The foundation laid by God will withstand anything. Make sure to build your life upon him.

November 19

Accountability day... send me one sentence stating the difference the resurrection has made in your life.

12 reasons I believe in the resurrection of Jesus.
1. Common Sense. The disciples could not have believed in Jesus' resurrection if his corpse still lay in the tomb. It would have been complete idiocy to believe that a man was raised from the dead when his body was still in the grave.
2. Implied Gullibility. Even if they preached this, no one would have believed them. So long as the people of Jerusalem thought that Jesus' body was in the tomb, they would never have believed such foolishness as the sermon Peter preached on Pentecost. The tomb was a lunch time walk from downtown Jerusalem.
3. Ease in Refutation. All the Jews had to do to expose the whole affair was simply produce the body.
4. Joseph of Arimathea. The Sanhedrin was the Jewish Supreme Court made up of 70 men, which presided in Jerusalem. Its members were the leading men of Judaism. It seems very unlikely that Christian tradition could invent Joseph of Arimathea, give him a name, place him on the Sanhedrin, and say he was responsible for Jesus' burial if this were not true. The members were too well-known to be invented.
5. The story is simple and lacks legendary development. You need several generations to come up with a legend. The Gospels were written within 30 years of the actual event.
6. The tomb was discovered empty by women. Women were regarded as so insignificant that they could not even serve as witnesses in a court of law. If a man committed a crime and was observed in the very act by some women, he could not be convicted because of their testimony. Women occupied a low rung on the Jewish social ladder. If the empty tomb had been a made up story, certainly it would have been the male disciples who would have made the discovery.
7. Earliest Jewish propaganda against the Christians presupposes the empty tomb. In the refutation of the resurrection, the story was the disciples stole the body. That means the enemies of Christianity agreed the tomb was empty.
8. The disciples were not the “hero type.” The disciples are not an early form of Rambo. These guys were cowards and Jesus had to prove himself over and over to them.
9. The nature of hallucinations. Some critics have suggested that the disciples just hallucinated a resurrected Jesus. But large groups of people do not hallucinate together. 500 saw Jesus alive at one time. The sheer number of separate appearances of Jesus rule this out.
10. The death of the disciples is powerful evidence. All the disciples went to their deaths testifying that Jesus rose from the grave. 10 of the disciples were tortured to death, yet they never recanted their stories. If this was made up at least one of them would have caved in under the pressure.
11. The swoon theory does not fit. Some have suggested Jesus didn’t die on the cross, but rather just fainted. So how does a man with huge wounds in his wrists and feet, awaken in a cold tomb, unwrap himself, push a 2000 pound stone away from the tomb, and beat up a Roman military fighting unit? It takes a lot of faith to believe that.
12. The Muslim theory that Simon of Cyrene died on the cross in Jesus’ place doesn’t fit. His mother and several men who had just spent three years with him were standing there.

Here is the bottom line, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most wicked, vicious, heartless hoaxes ever foisted upon the minds of men, or it is the most fantastic fact of history. I suggest we proclaim with full confidence these facts:
Confucius' tomb - occupied
Buddha's tomb - occupied
Mohammed's tomb - occupied
Jesus' tomb – EMPTY!!

November 18

What do you think is the greatest love story ever told? The Notebook, Beauty and the Beast, Romeo and Juliet, in our home Pride and Prejudice is very popular... I can still hear the words, “Mr. Bennett, Mr. Bennett” ringing in my ears. You might also include some old time movies like “Sabrina,” “My Fair Lady” and even “Singin’ in the Rain.” But none of these even compare with the love story we read today. The greatest love story ever told didn’t occur on some film coming out of Hollywood but on a hill outside the walls of Jerusalem 2000 years ago.

As I read our passage today I felt I needed to read this on my knees. These words are the most sacred ever recorded in the history of our planet. They tell us about a love story so magnificent it has revolutionized millions of lives and caused millions of books and songs to be written over the centuries. There are two vastly different ways to read this passage; we can read this to know about Jesus’ cross and we can read it loving Jesus’ cross. I hope you read it today loving the cross and the Savior, who gave himself for you.

Let me pick apart several elements of this love story.

1. It starts with the Savior who willingly came to this planet to give his life for us as a substitute. It wasn’t the nails that held him on the cross; it was love. It was his love for you and me. It was the only way to save us from our sin. So the cross was not an accident; it was part of the plan from the very start.

2. This was a horrible death. 2000 years of Christianity have largely domesticated the cross, making it hard for us to realize just how vicious it was. Crucifixion itself was so intense that wine mixed with gall was offered to help reduce pain. Jesus tasted the narcotic, but he refused to use it to deaden the pain. Jesus would suffer fully conscious and with a clear understanding.

3. When crucifying someone, the soldiers felt for depression at the front of the wrist. Then they would drive the 6-inch heavy spike through the wrists into the wood. They would allow some slack in the arms so the body could move. The feet would be nailed together with a spike driven through the arches. Other soldiers might possibly tie the victim with ropes to insure not he wouldn’t fall from the spikes. The cross would be hoisted to an upright position and dropped into a hole, immediately dislocating both shoulders of the victim. He would then endure countless hours, even days, of a yo-yo affect - pulling with his arms and pushing with his legs to keep his chest cavity open for breath and then collapsing in exhaustion until the demand for oxygen renewed. We don't like crosses like the one I have just described. We tend to gloss over and avoid the gory aspects, forgetting that crucifixion was the most heinous way to die in the ancient world.

Like the Negro spiritual says, “sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble!!”

4. Of all the scenes of the cross, this one angers me the most. What kind of sick people would mock a dying man? How low and perverted to sneer at one who is laced with pain. Yet we read about the insults of the soldiers, the common people and the religious leaders. They aim their insults and mockeries at him and amazingly he doesn’t fight back. In fact, he forgives them. Just this fact alone proves that Jesus is God. No human being could do this. He refused to fight fire with fire. He fought fire with love. Never has the world seen such love.

5. And finally the cry of “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani” We read these words earlier in the year when we read the first line of Psalm 22. A devout Jew learned the 22nd Psalm for times of great distress and darkness. When they were in such deep distress, this psalm was prayed. This was the sermon Jesus wanted to preach from the cross but he didn’t have the strength. So he recited the first line and meant for us to read it. You will see that the Psalm ends with victory. “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him.” This love story is not a tragedy, but a triumph.

According to Ripley's Believe it Or Not, the longest love letter ever written in the world was by a Parisian painter named Marcel de Lecture in 1875. The letter was simple in that it only contained 3 words. "I Love You." But this phrase was repeated 1,875,000 times. Mr. Lecture forgot one important fact: One cannot prove love by words. Words are cheap... But a deed! The world can't forget the love demonstrated on a cross 2000 years ago. The death of Jesus on a cross was the greatest love story ever told. This love story was more than words; this love story was an act that towers above every act of history.

November 17

What is Truth?

On this Wednesday, what is the greatest danger we face in the USA? The answers would certainly include potential issues like terrorism, the printing of billions of dollars, the breakdown of the family, and the failures of education but all of these fall short. I believe the most dangerous issue facing our culture today is “relativism.” I define relativism as the existence of a culture without any absolute truths.
This same issue faced Pilate 2000 years ago. It is very obvious from our reading today that Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. Time and time again, he tries to free Jesus because he knows the charges are trumped up by the Jewish leaders. But right smack in the middle of this trial a philosophical issue is raised, “What is Truth?” Jesus starts the discussion by this statement in John 18:37, “Jesus answered, ‘you are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’" And Pilate ends the discussion with the question, “What is truth?”

If you had been privileged to be in the room with Pilate and Jesus at that moment, how would you have answered that question? The importance of that answer will determine the outcome of the trial. If truth is relative, if it is in the eye of the beholder, if it is the choice of the individual, then we have no moorings to guide the judge. The great danger is that no one is safe because the law now is a pliable tool in the hands of politicians and judges. This is what happened in Germany in the 1930’s with the holocaust.

Without truth the law becomes whatever the fastest gunslinger, the slickest talk show host, or the most powerful governor says. What the Bible says about truth is that it is “God’s Reality.” Truth is the way God sees the world. This is not a very popular notion these days but without God determining right and wrong we are left to the arbitrary decisions of political leaders and they will always choose what is expedient for the moment. Just look at Pilate.

Ask someone the Pilate question, “What is truth?” You might be surprised to see how close we are to danger.

November 16

Betrayal and Arrest

It goes without saying that all of us have gone through difficult times. When I'm experiencing a storm in my life, I find that talking to someone who has been through similar situation helps me tremendously. That person not only understands exactly how I am feeling, but also can also encourage me to persevere. It's amazing how sharing your struggles with someone else can help release you from a burden.

After reading today's passage, I'm reminded that there is always someone we can turn to who understands our pain and struggles: Jesus. Jesus was in agony as he anticipated what was going to happen. His friend and disciple Judas betrayed him. He was arrested. He was falsely accused. He was humiliated. He was tortured. He was put to death.

Next time you are experiencing a storm, remember that you are not alone. No matter what you are feeling, the Creator of the Universe knows what you are going through because He has been there too. It's amazing to think that God Almighty stepped down from heaven to earth for the purpose of saving us from our sins. It's also amazing that we get the added bonus of serving a God who fully understands us! Turn to Him and He will give you the strength to go on.

Bound to Come Some Trouble
By Rich Mullins
There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't nothing to be afraid of
I know there's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
Reach out to Jesus, hold on tight
He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there

November 15

1. How do we produce good fruit.

As Christians we know that God wants us to produce good fruit in our lives. Jesus explains how we can do that: by remaining in Jesus! "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches."

2. Jesus' command.

What is that good fruit? Jesus follows by asking His disciples to remain in His love. To follow His command which is: "Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Which is exactly what Jesus did. This is the command that we are being pruned to follow. This is the result of being in Jesus. What do your friendships look like? Are you mostly on the receiving side or on the giving side? Ask someone in your life today what can you do for them.

3. We are given a Guide

We have the comfort of the Holy Spirit given to us to guide us in our decisions:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

4. Oneness.

The result is that we become one with God. Oneness. Inseparable, in harmony and in unity, yet still being distinct parts. The mystery of relationship:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

5. Eternal life

And we have eternal life in Jesus. But this does not only mean that we get to hang out in Heaven forever. It means that we will know God forever! Know Him truly and intimately:

"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

Keep Jesus' words in your hearts and follow his commands. Seek for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yearn to know Jesus Christ. Yearn to know the true God.

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

November 14: The Upper Room

John 14:6,7 reads: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.'"

Today's passage discusses some of Jesus's last interactions with His disciples prior to His capture and crucifixion. He indicates the identity of His betrayer and even points to His close associate Peter as one who will disown Him during His hour of trial. Despite the insincerity about Him, Jesus illustrates His great love for the disciples by washing their feet. This act of humble service stands in stark contrast to the prideful posturing of the Jewish religious leaders. To think that God Himself would take on flesh, humbling Himself and turning back on His great throne in heaven, and then wash the filth from His disciples' feet! This passage -- and the death and resurrection soon to come -- highlight the intimately personal and wholly other nature of the Triune God. He is both sovereign over all creation and yet knows His children deeply, loving them uniquely and seeking their individual best (Romans 8:28).

I would like to focus on the three elements of Jesus's great proclamation in John 14:6. I list this verse as my "Religion" status on Facebook because it so clearly encompasses the Gospel message. I received Christ on Friday, September 18, 1998, and this verse cemented the truths about Jesus that I had been earnestly seeking. He is the central Person of all history, and I desire to know Him, love Him, and serve Him forever. The entire Word of God hinges upon His ongoing life and praise. As the saints and angels sing,

"Worth is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!...

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:12,13)

　
Let's take a look at each element in turn:

1) The way. Jesus's life, death, and resurrection directs us to the Father. His desire to glorify the Father and love sinful people provides a blueprint for our lives as His servants. Indeed, the early church became known as "The Way," as noted in Acts 9:2, 19:23, and 24:12. As we consider our lives, we may model them after Jesus's mission (Luke 4:18,19; Luke 19:9,10), joining Him in the ongoing enterprise of redemption. We have been set free from our bondage to sin so that we may honor and glorify the King of Kings.

2) The truth. Jesus spoke with "grace and truth" (John 1:14). In Him, we find the Personification of truth, the fulfillment of all prophecy and history. He promises that following His Word will lead to truth and ultimately freedom: "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31,32) He did not abandon His disciples upon His death and return to heaven. Instead, He sent the Holy Spirit, explaining: "But when he, the Sprit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13)

3) The life. In essence, the Christian walk involves inviting Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live in and through us. If we seek our own kingdom, the results will be short-lived and futile; if we seek after God's Kingdom, our lives will have meaning and eternal purpose. So that our lives may be most effective for the Kingdom, we seek to train ourselves for the race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 Timothy 4:8). We must consistently renew our minds so that we may have our "life... hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-4)

November 13

The chronology of the “Final Week” has profound implications. LaGard Smith is suggesting we place the day of the crucifixion on Wednesday. I am going to disagree with him and here is why:

1. Friday afternoon the Passover lambs were being slain. Jesus timed his death to take place at precisely the same moment that the priest’s knives were falling on the necks of the innocent lambs. Jesus was our innocent lamb, slain for our sins. That meaning is not found on Wednesday.
2. The phrase “three days and three nights” is a technical term and not a descriptive term. There are several examples of this “term” being used to describe events which took place on part of a day. (1 Sam 30:13; 1 Kings 10:22)
3. John 18:28 implies that it was during the early morning hours on Friday that Jesus was led into the Governor's official residence. He says that the Jews would not enter the house so that they would not be defiled for the Passover Supper, which they had not eaten yet. This doesn’t make sense if it is Wednesday.
4. John 19:31 further states that because it was the Day of Preparation, the Jews wanted to break their victim's legs hastening their deaths so that they would not defile the Sabbath (the Jewish Sabbath goes from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown). This again shows that they were crucified on a Friday.
5. John also says, in this same verse, that this Sabbath was also a "High Day." This may mean that this Sabbath supper was also the Passover Supper.
6. John 19:42 again indicates it was the "Day of Preparation" which would have been Friday.
7. If you want to check some extra Biblical information on this go to Bethlehemstar.net for external evidence that Jesus died on Friday, April 3, AD 33 at 3 pm. It is a very intriguing hypothesis.

My bottom line.... there were no coincidences in the timing of Jesus’ death. He was in complete control of time. He wanted to be slain at a precise moment on Friday not Wednesday. The imagery of his Friday death is so powerful.

I believe that Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, died that Friday because of my sin. He became my Passover lamb. What an amazing Savior we have!!

November 12

Living with Anticipation

There is a growing conviction on the part of many that planet earth is unraveling in high gear. Some suggest if you put your ear to the ground, you can already hear the thunderous hoof beats of the approaching horses and riders of the apocalypse. This sense of impending danger can be directly attributed to the impotence of a political solution to correct the disintegration of our global problems. Who, other than the omniscient God, could have anticipated the truly epic world changes of recent years and given us a picture of how this drama is going to be acted out on planet earth? Today we read at least 16 of these signs. Most of these signs have already literally been fulfilled.

1. The Jews will be in the land promised by God to Abraham.
2. The Jews will control Jerusalem.
3. Religious deception will be rampant.
4. Wars and rumors of war will plague the entire planet.
5. International tensions will escalate.
6. Cataclysmic natural disasters will kill multitudes.
7. Sequencing of these events will increase in intensity and frequency.
8. Persecution of Christ followers will increase. Antonio Socci, in his book, The New Persecuted: Inquiries into Anti-Christian Intolerance in the New Century of Martyrs, estimates that more Christians (about 45 million) were killed in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined.
9. The gospel will be preached to all nations. On March 16-18, 1995 Billy Graham preached from San Juan, Puerto Rico and his messages reached 150 countries - the first time the gospel was simultaneously preached around the world.
10. Love for fellow human beings will wane. The social order will break down.
11. The crime rate will increase.
12. The temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. (not yet fulfilled)
13. The temple will be desecrated by the Anti-Christ. (world dictator)
14. The distress will be unequaled since the beginning of the world. (not yet fulfilled)
15. False christs and prophets will deceive many in the institutional church.
16. Great cosmic signs will fill the heavens.

So what should we do as we see the world unraveling around us? Live with hope and anticipation. Jesus said in Matthew 24:25, “See, I have told you ahead of time.” Jesus does not want any of us to perish or to be taken by surprise by the coming apocalypse. He has warned us. Do not put your hope in any political solution; put your hope in Jesus. Our hope is found in the victory that Jesus secured on the cross. Jesus has already triumphed over the forces of evil. We know how the story ends.

We also need to live with daily watchfulness. Jesus wants us to be prepared for his second coming. We should live with the anticipation of a little girl from New Haven, CT who was talking with her mother concerning the second coming of Jesus. “Mommy, do you believe Jesus will come back?” “Yes, dear,” replied the mother. “Could he come back this week?” “Yes, dear.” “Could he come back today?” “Yes, dear.” “Mommy, could he come back in the next hour?” “Yes, he could come back in a few minutes.” The girl looked up at her mom and said, “Mommy, would you comb my hair?”

This anticipation and yearning for Christ's return is all but dead among Christians today. We haven’t given up on the doctrine of the second coming, but we have given up on the joyful anticipation of it. We have been so seduced by comforts of life in the USA that we no longer desire the comforts of heaven. We believe Jesus is coming back in our heads but don’t allow it to touch our hearts. This is what we must rekindle in our hearts today. We must love someone very much to stay awake and long for their coming. (Virgins parable) That may explain the absence of our longing for Christ’s return.

Today is accountability day.... how much do you love Jesus today? Send me an email with a one sentence reply.

November 11

Tuesday, a Day of Dissonance

On Tuesday of Passion Week, the religious leaders mounted a furious attack against Jesus. They questioned his authority on numerous issues. They tried to pinch him in a dispute about money. He was interrogated about an ethical question on the resurrection. And, of course, a theological question was raised. Theologians always stir the water so they appear deep. Three groups of theologians participated in this verbal free-for-all.

In the end, Jesus shuts the discussion down with a brilliant question. Matthew 22:42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.

This is the heart of the issue. Who is the Messiah? If the Messiah is a teacher, a politician, a moralist or even a prophet, then we can dismiss his ideas as the reflections of a man. But if Messiah is God’s son come in the flesh, then we better pay attention. To disobey the teachings of the Messiah could put us in deep weeds with God the Father.

Jesus gives us a hint of his ancestry. Matthew 22:44-45 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." ' If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

It is true that the Messiah would be the Son of David, but he is also much more than this. Jesus wants to raise their eyes to see that the Messiah is also God the Son. So Jesus quotes from a messianic psalm (Ps 110:1) in which David referred to the Messiah as “my Lord.” The actual Hebrew wording is “Jehovah said to my Adonai.” This word “Adonai” is used only of God the Father. (see Genesis 18:27; Job 28:28). So if Jehovah uses a title used of Himself, for someone else, that means the other is Himself. You might have to read that last statement twice. More precisely, Jehovah and Adonai are the same. They are both God. You can say God the Father is Adonai and you can say the Jesus the Son is Adonai. This is a unity in the Godhead that we call the Trinity. David perceives two individuals yet he perceives one title. This makes the Messiah much more than a mere son. This makes the Messiah, God himself. The complexity of Jesus’ answer was so profound that his opponents were silenced. Can you imagine? A theologian silenced!!

The lessons of “Tuesday” teach us an essential life principle. We might not know all the answers to the difficult questions of life but we do know who Jesus is. So even if we don’t have the faintest idea of why there is cancer, heart attacks, death, suffering, juvenile diabetes, infertility and children born with handicaps, in the end Jesus does, and we trust him.

The problems of earth can create a lot of dissonance in us. But, in the end, we bow our knees before God and say, “Adonai, I don't know WHY but I know WHO you are. And I am going to cling onto you with everything I have.” A song says it this way, “We don't know what the future holds but we know who holds the future.” That is our hope as we head towards Good Friday of Passion Week.

November 10

Are you part of the Sunday crowd or the Friday crowd?

The Sunday crowd is about numbers, outward appearances, power, and glitz. The Friday crowd is about crosses, sacrifice, serving and humility. Which crowd are you part of?

The Sunday before Passover Jesus came out of the wilderness on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives (just as the prophecy said the Messiah would come). The Sunday crowd gathered to remember the liberation of Israel from Egyptian bondage. During this period of time many riots occurred because self-proclaimed messiahs would start uprisings during Passover. That is why the Romans brought extra troops into Jerusalem. This crowd was ready for political freedom but not spiritual freedom. The shout of “Hosanna” was an ultra-nationalistic slogan of the Zealots. It meant “Please save us! Give us freedom!” That is why the Jews were so upset; they thought the Romans would come into Jerusalem and create a bloodbath.

The fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 is seen with the mighty warrior Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. The newspaper editorials must have had a field day the next day. What an oxymoron.
This is not a problem for the Friday crowd. We know that servants ride on donkeys and not white horses.

The Sunday crowd had a real problem with the overturning of the tables at the temple. In their minds the Jewish merchants were not the problem; it was the Romans!! Why would Jesus go after the investment bankers? They needed them to finance the revolution.

The big difference between the Sunday crowd and the Friday crowd was that the Sunday crowd did not hear the voice of God.

John 12:28-30 “Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.”

There were three messages heard at this event on Monday:
1. The Sunday crowd heard thunder. They knew something happened out of the ordinary but they couldn’t pick up on the message.
2. The mid-week crowd heard an angel. They knew it was a spiritual source but the voice was still muffled.
3. The Friday crowd heard the voice of the Father. It was God the Father who said, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

The Good Friday crowd knows the voice of the Father. When was the last time you heard the voice of God?

I pray that today we all hear his voice and join in the mission of bringing glory to Jesus’ name.

November 9

The Final Journey

Matthew 20:20-23

In these verses, we read that two of Jesus' disciples (James and John) wish to be appointed to a higher position than anyone else. They want to sit at Jesus' left and right when they are in glory. Jesus then said that they did not know what they were asking. He asked them if they could drink the cup He drinks and they quickly replied yes.

This reminded me of a book written by Henri J.M. Nouwen called "Can You Drink the Cup?" I would like to share a portion. It is a little long, but love how he takes the question asked James and John and turns it into a question that Jesus asks all of us:

The cup that Jesus speaks about is neither a symbol of victory nor a symbol of death. It is a symbol of life, filled with sorrows and joys that we can hold, lift, and drink as a blessing and a way to salvation. "Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" Jesus asks us. It is a question that will have a different meaning every day of our lives. Can we embrace fully the sorrows and joys that come to us day after day? At one moment it might seem so easy to drink the cup and we give a quick yes to Jesus' question. Shortly afterward everything might look and feel quite different, and our whole being might cry out, "No, never!" We have to let the yes and the no both speak in us so that we can come to know ever more deeply the enormous challenge of Jesus' question.
John and James had not the faintest idea of what they were saying when they said yes. They hardly understood who Jesus was. They didn't think about him as a leader who would be betrayed, tortured, and killed on a cross. Nor did they dream about their own lives as marked by tiresome travels and harsh persecutions, and consumed by contemplation or martyrdom. Their first easy yes had to be followed by many hard yeses until their cups were completely empty.
And what is the reward of it all? John and Jame's mother wanted a concrete reward: "Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom" (Matthew 20:21). She and they had little doubt about what they wanted. They wanted power, influence, success, and wealth. They were preparing themselves for a significant role when the Roman occupiers would be thrown out and Jesus would be king and have his own cabinet of ministers. They wanted to be his right- and left-hand men in the new political order.
Still notwithstanding all their misperceptions, they had been deeply touched by this man Jesus. In his presence they had experienced something radically new, something that went beyond anything they had ever imagined. It had to do with inner freedom, love, care, hope, and, most of all, with God. Yes, they wanted power and influence, but beyond that they wanted to stay close to Jesus at all costs. As their journey continued, they gradually discovered what they had said yes to. They heard about being a servant instead of a master, about seeking the last place instead of the first, about giving up their lives instead of controlling other people's lives. Each time they had to make a choice again. Did they want to stay with Jesus or leave? Did they want to follow the way of Jesus or look for someone else who could give them the power they desired?
Jesus' answer is as radical as his question: "...as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father" (Matthew 20:23). Drinking the cup is not a heroic act with a nice reward! It is not part of a tit-for-tat agreement. Drinking the cup is an act of selfless love, an act of immense trust, an act of surrender to a God who will give what we need when we need it.
Jesus' inviting us to drink the cup without offering the reward we expect is the great challenge of the spiritual life. It breaks through all human calculations and expectations. It defies all our wishes to be sure in advance. It turns our hope for a predictable future upside down and pulls down our self-invented safety devices. It asks for the most radical trust in God, the same trust that made Jesus drink the cup to the bottom.
Drinking the cup that Jesus drank is living the life in and with the spirit of Jesus, which is the spirit of unconditional love. The intimacy between Jesus and Abba, his Father, is an intimacy of complete trust, in which there are no power games, no mutually agreed upon promises, no advance guarantees. It is only love - pure, unrestrained, and unlimited love. Completely open, completely free. That intimacy gave Jesus the strength to drink his cup. That same intimacy Jesus wants to give us so that we can drink ours. That intimacy has a Name, a Divine Name. It is called Holy Spirit. Living a spiritual life is living a life in which the Holy Spirit will guide us and give us the strength and courage to keep saying yes to the great question.

November 8

“Jesus wept.” (Jn 11:35) Isn’t this sentence like the shortest in the Bible?

There’s a lot we can learn from Jesus raising Lazarus from death. God’s plan and timing are intentional and perfect. Jesus said that through Lazarus’ death His glory would be revealed and we would believe. This answers the question ‘Why He didn’t prevent it?’ He intentionally waited two days, so that this can be accomplished. The faith of Mary and Martha was put to the test. Jesus asked them to believe Him. At the end the Phrases continued plotting to kill Jesus- not because He yet again did good, but because He threatened more than ever their political standing.

But then there is the part where Jesus wept - because He loved Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Why would Jesus weep when He knew quite well that shortly after He would restore life to Lazarus and all would be OK? Why take the time to weep? Jesus knows the ending of our stories now. So why would He weep at any particular moment in our lives? Because He suffers and rejoices with us through all of it. Because He’s not only concerned with the end, but with the process also. He was greatly hurt because He saw and felt the pain of Mary and Martha. Knowing that Jesus loves us the same, He must weep every time we weep. Though I have faith that everything that happens in our lives is used for God’s purpose and glory, it’s further comforting to know that His heart breaks when ours does.

Here is another short verse:

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” (Jn 11:36)

November 7: The Perean Ministry

Today's reading contains many of the richest parables from Jesus's entire ministry. Clearly, Jesus intended an "upside-down" ethic for His Kingdom, in which much of the world's wisdom would become turned on its head. He urges humility and self-sacrifice in lieu of the Pharisees' proud posturing and title-grabbing. Three parables in a row describe the great joy in spiritual rebirth and how God pursues the lost "while [they]... were still a long way off."


1. The cost of discipleship (Luke 14:25-35)

"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters -- yes, even their own life -- such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

"'Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, "This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish."

"'Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

"'Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

"'Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.'"

　
Jesus demands His followers' whole lives. Paul describes that we were set free from sin so that we might become slaves to righteousness. From this parable, it appears that following Christ should not come as a result of an emotional whim. Rather, those who earnestly seek after Christ have rationally counted the cost and found Him completely worthy. As we surrender more of our life to Christ, we experience more of His presence and grow more eager to love Him and surrender our lives to Him: a beautiful cycle of trust, experience, and love.　


2. Faithful stewardship (Luke 16:1-13)

"'The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

"'Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?'"
　
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager discusses stewardship -- that is, the care of property on behalf of (in trust for) another. In every aspect of life, we are stewards and servants of the Giver of all good gifts. The very breath we receive, every moment of every day, and the money and possessions with which He has blessed us, all these gifts are ultimately God's. Jesus's words suggest an ongoing training for service -- an increasing responsibility load as the Christ-follower's track record of faithfulness lengthens.

How may we serve Him in light of His ultimate ownership? How should this fact shift our motivations?

November 6

Shaking the cages again!!!

Stamford is now the new philosophical center of the post-modern world since we are the home of the Jerry Springer show. The idea of religious tolerance is the credo of our day. The world says to Christ followers, “Can’t you tone it down a bit; you are upsetting the social order by your radical claims of the exclusivity of Jesus.” We see today that this is not limited to just 2010; this radical talk started riots 2000 years ago. It was the celebration of Hanukkah and Jesus had appeared in the temple area, an area that was large enough to hold 100,000 worshipers. So this had the potential of initiating a massive riot.

Then the issue, the most important issue of all of history was raised. “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” There it is. This issue will divide and upset the social order both then and now. And what was Jesus’ response? “I and the Father are one.” Can there be any misunderstanding of what Jesus meant? This is the clearest statement of Jesus’ divinity he ever made. There can be no mistake about what he meant. The Jews understood exactly what he meant because they picked up stones to kill him for the crime of blasphemy. This claim is unmistakable, undeniable, and as clear as the nose in front of your face.

But what is the response of modern “intellectuals?”

1. Michio Kushi says Jesus was a Buddhist. And I say to Michio, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
2. John Simon, in Life Magazine, says Jesus is the model of goodness and hope. In Jesus we see many different people, a dutiful son, an ascetic, a sage, a martyr. It all depends on our personal needs. We see Jesus in our own image. I ask John, “Do you see God in Jesus? How could you be so blind?”
3. John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar says Jesus the Christ was just a myth. He was an ordinary man who became a legend in his time. These 200 scholars deny the virgin birth, the resurrection, the ascension, the miracles of Jesus and, of course, his divinity. And I say to Crossan, “A legend developing in 30 years? (AD 33 to AD 60, the time of the NT writings) It takes 100’s of years for legends to develop.”
4. The United Church of Christ has produced a new hymnal in which the word "LORD" is being replaced with “Redeemer” and “Friend.” Linda Robinson says that the word “LORD” is loaded with a lot of patriarchal and hierarchical images. And I say to Linda, “Get a backbone, girl. Jesus claimed to be Lord.”

In a Jerry Springer world we are told that no one has the right to claim to be God. Yet the radical Jesus of the Bible does exactly that. “I and the Father are one” was the claim made by Jesus. Once again Jesus rattles our cages. What are you doing with your cage rattled? As for me, I can’t shut up. I need to tell the whole world the truth!!!

November 5

The Radical Claims of Jesus

Here is a list of some of the radical claims we read today:

I am the light of the world.
I stand with the Father, who sent me.
I am not of this world.
I have been in the Father’s presence.
Before Abraham was born “I am!” This is the eternal name of God in the Old Testament.
I am the good shepherd.
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

These claims of Jesus absolutely scandalize our post-modern world. These claims mean that Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius and Joseph Smith were frauds. The mantra of our day is “tolerance” but there is no tolerance in these claims. These words make people squirm and chafe inside. Yet I believe Jesus was telling the truth when he uttered these word. He said these words not out of arrogance but out of great compassion. When we understand the life of Jesus these statements make perfect sense. Only in Jesus can we find the door to a changed life and a secure eternal destiny.

What Jesus has not allowed us to do is to describe these claims as the words of a good moral teacher.

Here is an excerpt from C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity:"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God."The Jews who heard Jesus make these claims knew exactly what he was saying. That is why they wanted to kill him on the spot. He was claiming to be God. They made the wrong choice. What is your choice regarding the claims of Jesus? Is he Lord, liar or lunatic?

Today is accountability day... we have 56 days to the end of the journey. Let me know what day you are on.

November 4

Where's the Beef?

A few of you might remember the Wendy's commercial from the 1980’s. A couple of sweet old ladies are examining their hamburger. They look at the hamburger's large bun, and the lady who looks for more than just the obvious had a very penetrating question "Where's the beef?" She knows that there is more to a hamburger than just the bun. She wanted to know not where the externals were, but where was the internal, where was the thing that makes the burger satisfying, Where's the beef?

We live in a culture where people who are busy from birth to death. And for the masses of people they will go through life with their daily agenda filled with activities and projects. And one day they might just pause and reflect on life. During this moment of reflection they know that there is more to life then what they are experiencing, there has to be more than just the big bun externals. These people are struggling to find life, to find meaning and satisfaction. When you break it down, they are asking the same question of life that the Wendy's lady was asking: Where's the beef?

If Jesus were speaking in the vernacular of the 80’s he would have addressed the issue of the beef. We would have heard him say "I am the beef". I am the part that supplies that fulfillment, the satisfaction to life. Let’s break down the words of Jesus we read today,

John 7:37-39 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Jesus starts with the word “IF.” This means not everyone is aware of their thirst. Not every one is conscious of the longings of the soul. There are many people who are going through life thinking that all is fine. Jesus didn't ram his satisfying water down anyone's throat. He offers it as a free gift.

The source of this satisfaction is Jesus himself. Jesus says we must “come to him and drink”. The drink is a personal relationship. It is not religion, it is not a big house, fancy car, having stuff, it is having Jesus. Finally he talks about a stream of living water from the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit filling, empowering, guiding, direction and changing us, we will never find satisfaction.

So the question for today, “Are you experiencing this living water promised by Jesus?” If your life is dry today and you sense there must be more to life than what you are experiencing. Come to Jesus and drink from his living water.

November 3

Forgiveness

In his short story entitled, "The Capital of the World," Ernest Hemingway tells about the troubled relationship between a father and a teenage son. Their relationship became strained, and then it shattered when the son ran away from home. His father, moved by compassion, began a journey in search of his rebellious son. Finally, in Madrid, Spain, the father, as a last resort, put an ad in the local newspaper. His son's name was Paco, which is a very common name in Spain. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of the newspaper office tomorrow at noon; all is forgiven, I love you. Your father. As Hemingway writes, the next day at noon there were 800 Pacos in front of the newspaper office all seeking forgiveness and grace.

From my limited perspective as a pastor, I would estimate that 90% of the pain in life is relational. We hurt each other in our families. Husbands and wives do terrible, hurtful things to each other. Parents and children disconnect just as Hemingway wrote about. Kids are cruel and bully each other in school. In the work place and in friendships we hurt each other with words and actions. Even in church we can say and do things that damage one another.

So if 90% of pain is relational, how are we ever going to bring healing to our hearts and our relationships? The only answer is forgiveness. Forgiveness is the only ointment that heals relational pain.

From our reading of Matthew 18 and the parable of the servants in debt, we receive the most powerful instruction on how to experience true relational healing. The ointment that heals is understanding the relationship between horizontal and vertical forgiveness.

The first debt of 10,000 talents would be equivalent to 10 million dollars. Now that is a little more than I make as a pastor, but it is less than half of what Alex Rodriquez makes as a Yankee. The truth is 2000 years ago nobody could have that much money because it was more money than was used in the entire world. We are told that the entire annual revenue into the Roman coffers all over the globe was approximately 850,000 dollars. With 850,000 dollars you could pay all the judges, all the road builders, all the armies of the Roman Empire, all the politicians, all the teachers, and still have plenty left over for free bread, circuses and stadiums.

So why would Jesus pick a number so outrageous? He did it to give us a picture of our vertical debt with God. We have a debt with God that we can never repay. Sin is cosmic treason. Nothing we can do can reverse its consequences. We have offended God. His holiness demands payment for our sins.
But Jesus, in his love, went over to that ledger and ripped out the pages with our debt, a debt that we cannot pay. He said he would pay for them. So he went to the cross and died with our ledger nailed to his cross. Now we stand before the king of heaven debt free.

The second figure of 100 denarii would be equivalent to 100 bucks. This is the picture of every horizontal debt we have on earth. That is why we must forgive every horizontal debt that occurs in life, even if we must do it 77 times. This is a hard teaching but God requires it because of the vertical forgiveness we have received from Him. Realizing the extent of our vertical forgiveness directly impacts our generosity with horizontal forgiveness.

So who do you need to forgive today? Here are 7 steps to practically apply the ointment of forgiveness to your heart.

1. Take a sheet of paper and write out the names of the people who have offended you. Describe the specific wrong you suffered. Generic forgiveness produces generic healing.

2. Acknowledge the vertical forgiveness you have experienced from God. Thank him for the cross and the enormous debt he paid.

3. Decide that you will bear the burden of each person's sin on your list. This means you will not retaliate in the future by using this information about their sin against them. All true forgiveness is substitutionary in nature, just as Christ's forgiveness of us was.

4. Decide to forgive. Forgiveness is a choice, a crisis of the will. Since God requires us to forgive, it is something we can do. Don't wait to forgive until you feel like forgiving; you might never get there. We need to make the choice to forgive. What will be gained is freedom, not a feeling.

5. Pray and forgive each person for every specific hurt and pain they caused in your life. Then release your right to seek revenge. Choose to release all bitterness and anger and ask God to heal your damaged emotions.

6. Be sure to accept your part in the conflict. If you have any blame in the disconnection confess this to God and to the other person if possible.

7. Finally, destroy the list and expect positive results of forgiveness in your life.

May God give us all strength to follow this pathway of freedom.

November 2

Matthew 15, 16
Mark 7, 8

In today's reading, there are two different occasions when people asked something of Jesus.

The first was the Canaanite woman who had a demon-possessed daughter. This woman was desperate to help her child. She was so desperate that she was willing to risk asking Jesus for help. At this time in history, Jews believed that Canaanites were unworthy of any kind of blessing. I'm sure that the fact that Jesus and His followers were Jews did cross her mind. Asking Jesus for help could have resulted in ridicule or physical harm. But that didn't stop her from knowing that Jesus was the only One who could help her and having the faith to believe that He could and would heal her daughter. Jesus rewarded her faith by healing the girl that very hour.

The second were the Pharisees. They wanted to test His deity by asking Him to demonstrate a sign from heaven. The difference between the Pharisees and the Canaanite woman was faith. The woman asked for a miracle because of her great faith. The Pharisees asked for a miracle because of their lack of faith. They refused to believe Jesus until they saw evidence of His power. Jesus refused to grant their request because there were already plenty of signs pointing to Him as the Messiah. If their eyes and hearts were open, they would have already known the truth. Personally, I doubt they would have believed Jesus even if He had demonstrated His power for them. They were just too hardhearted.

I remember hearing a pastor once say that God is not a divine Santa Claus. It is not His job or obligation to grant our every wish and desire. We are to have faith in His love and power, even if we can't immediately see it. We are to have faith that He will always take care of us and always do what is best for us, even if we can't see His plan for our lives. Our relationship with God cannot be based on what whether or not He grants all our requests. He rewards those who have great faith in Him. I pray that we all can have the same faith that the Canaanite woman had. Even when it appeared that Jesus was not listening to her, she did not lose faith. She still believed that He would heal her daughter.