2 Peter 1:20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with the stories they have made up. their condemnation has been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Look around. Listen. What Peter is addressing in the verses above is in full effect in our day here in the USA. Peter is saying watch out for teachers who teach things like:
>Scripture is not the divine word of God - it is up for debate
>Surely there is another way to God -Christ is one of a few options
>Stories about their viewpoint, instead of teaching the Word of God
>Their teaching exalts and draws attention to themselves, not Christ
He says beware of these teachers, they will take you to hell with them. There are teachers sprinkled throughout denominations doing just what he is warning will come. Huh- imagine that! Gods' Word predicting future truth and it happening!
When you look and listen, these "so-called" Christian teachers will of course pull in the name of Christ when needed to keep the charade in tact. They will give him props kind of like muslims do saying, " he is a wonderful man, a prophet in which we should follow his moral code". They intuitively know they have to work him into their teachings. They believe that their stories and thoughts are more important than God's breathed out Word so their "sermons" are rambling stories about their lives and thoughts, not God's. In the process, they eliminate the Gospel (a divine work) and trap you in religion (man's work). The Gospel is "Good news" about a historical fact that Jesus has pleased God, you can't, and your only chance is to beg that He may become your treasure. "Cultural Christianity" which includes Jesus' name, but only as a moral compass in a religious path in which you must please God, is no different than what Muslims and even some Hindus believe. They believe Jesus was a great prophet, performed miracles, and sets the tone for morals, they Just deny His virgin birth, sinless life, crucifixion as a one time atoning sacrifice, and reserrection from the dead. In doing so, they and false teachers here, present Christ as an additive to help your efforts at reaching God. In the process of stripping His deity, they strip the deity of the Word of God with it and "help it with their own thoughts".
Make no mistake about it. He is definitely a moral compass to be followed as these false teachers will say, but they are only giving you half truth as they eliminate His deity. If they give you only half truth, the other half is a lie. Jesus is God, He elected to be fully God and fully man for a season so that He could be exalted in prayer by those who follow and Worship Him as they walk down a narrow Holy path paved with His blood and righteousness. He offers and exchange: His Life for yours. His death for yours. You can only have His life, when you die to yourself. The Blood of deity and mankind can not co-mingle except in , through and by Jesus.
So what are you being fed? Add Jesus and try harder? That ain't it !
The Gospel is that Jesus did it all and He did it for the Joy of the Cross set before Him. The son delighted to do the will of the Father. It pleased the Father to crush the Son on the Cross (Isaih 53:10). It is a sacrificial, triune love affair as the Spirit enters the Hearts of men that want to bring forth the treasure of this "Good News", that Jesus has done what you can't do so abide in Him.
Our only chance is to rest in the Work of Christ, so that we can be mobilized for His work by His strength for His Glory! Be careful who gets to instruct your soul. Maybe your pastor or teacher fits some of the warnings above. Maybe he needs to hear the Gospel, as he is in a bad season but yet truly a Christian. You will be able to tell who is the center of his life only when confronted with The divine Word of God. If he is the center of his life, he will reject the authority of God over him. If God is the center He will do what all Christians do and break and repent under the mighty hand of a Loving, yet wrathful God.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
RSVP Required
Mark 2:14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Luke has an ear infection. No matter how much grape flavoring, momma's sweet coaxing or daddy's stern brow is applied there are times when he does not want to take the medicine. We are trying to help him. Heal him. He is only two I know, but sometimes it takes some wrestling moves to break his resistance to help. He needs the very thing we are trying to give him to heal him, yet he refuses it violently.
I think that in many ways, man's rejection to the Gospel of Jesus looks just like Luke'e rejection of medicine. Jesus offers a wide mercy in offering all the invitation "Follow Me!", many reject that offer. I believe that it is healthy to examine both what Jesus is offering and our internal reaction to the offer.
Jesus is offering Himself to become our treasure as we agree to become refined into Holiness through trials, struggles and victories. In His offer to follow, we must agree to leave behind desires for other treasures and agree to "pick up our crosses" and daily watch an instrument of death kill the natural man in us all. The offer is to deny our selves from being filled with worldly stuff so that we can be filled with Him and His Holiness. As we follow we trade our treasures, learn to wait until He leads and learn to savor trials and suffering as he presses us into Himself. Later in Mark 2, in verse 17, Jesus makes the statement of, " I realize that this offer will only be accepted by those who are sick. The doctor is here to heal all. Not all are willing to take the medicine of my lavish presence. I know that there are some people whose self made wellness and righteous has them feeling healthy and happy and in no need of me. It isn't that they aren't sick, they are just taking the wrong diagnostic test to define health. They have money, morals and power so their gut tells them things are good. They aren't. They just need to take the right diagnostic test". We all do as well. It is this:
When Jesus extends the offer to follow Him into spiritual restoration of right worship and delight in Him, knowing your healing will come by Him killing your wrong desires, self esteem, and wicked delight in sin and replacing that with Holiness, what is the reastion of your Heart and Soul?
Are you like Luke wrestling Him at every turn, Not submitting and fighting His offer as you truly treasure things of this world more than the Riches of Glory found in Christ Jesus?
Are you more like the pharisees who heard the offer but saw themselves as justified without Him. Do you at the core of truth in your soul feel like you are worthy of standing in the presence of a Holy God?
The first we call rebellion. The second we call religion. Both of them keep men from Following Christ into eternity. I believe for the majority of people reading this religion is the danger. I do not think it is coincidence that the man who accepted Christ's offer in this verse is named Levi. The Levites were at the epicenter of Old Testament worship in the temple perfoming the "inner circle" operations of the sacrifices and temple upkeep. I think God planned all of that to foreshadow the fact that there will be those who slave in religion to come to His grace. I am one of them. If you have been in Church all of your life, yet have never experienced the richness of Grace in a Holy walk of following Christ, may this verse and picture of a man with a righteous name of Levi, who was actually buried in sin and seperated from God seep deep into your soul and activate faith in Christ. Maybe you are outwardly referred to as a Christian in name, but inside are an empty shell. He wants you to follow Him.
Following Christ frustrates the flesh, yet raises the Holy Spirit within. Following Christ will guarantee that trials and struggles will force you to your knees to praise Him more, as you realize that He is exalted in your weakness. What is even better is that His Grace is so rich that you learn to see these as gifts of growth.
If you are following Him, you will learn to appreciate the tension of the Gospel which squeezes the self esteem out of you to replace it with Christ. if you are not then you will be hard at work at building your self esteem either through self righteous acts of religion or be pacifying the tension with rebellious things that provide escape like sex, drugs, power, and pleasure. Maybe you were like me and chose the combo. I believe that is actually where many who might acknowledge the name of Jesus walk. That is not the path following Christ.
Religion and Rebellion are the same in God's eyes. They both say no thanks to the only true medicine for our sin and actually keep us from seeing our need for Christ. It looks just like Luke kicking and screaming as he resists. Maybe for someone reading this God has lovingly placed you in a submissive hold and He is pinning you down by orchestrating life events that have you paralized. Maybe, like me putting Luke in a full nelson to give him medicine, The Father is applying so much loving tension in your life in an effort to forces submission to follow so that healing can begin. If so, stop resisting and simply close your eyes, get on your knees and do what Levi did and say, "I will follow you Jesus". Gaze into the Glory of Christ as you worship a the foot of the Cross. Take your medicine- Jesus brings warm healing to the soul!
Luke has an ear infection. No matter how much grape flavoring, momma's sweet coaxing or daddy's stern brow is applied there are times when he does not want to take the medicine. We are trying to help him. Heal him. He is only two I know, but sometimes it takes some wrestling moves to break his resistance to help. He needs the very thing we are trying to give him to heal him, yet he refuses it violently.
I think that in many ways, man's rejection to the Gospel of Jesus looks just like Luke'e rejection of medicine. Jesus offers a wide mercy in offering all the invitation "Follow Me!", many reject that offer. I believe that it is healthy to examine both what Jesus is offering and our internal reaction to the offer.
Jesus is offering Himself to become our treasure as we agree to become refined into Holiness through trials, struggles and victories. In His offer to follow, we must agree to leave behind desires for other treasures and agree to "pick up our crosses" and daily watch an instrument of death kill the natural man in us all. The offer is to deny our selves from being filled with worldly stuff so that we can be filled with Him and His Holiness. As we follow we trade our treasures, learn to wait until He leads and learn to savor trials and suffering as he presses us into Himself. Later in Mark 2, in verse 17, Jesus makes the statement of, " I realize that this offer will only be accepted by those who are sick. The doctor is here to heal all. Not all are willing to take the medicine of my lavish presence. I know that there are some people whose self made wellness and righteous has them feeling healthy and happy and in no need of me. It isn't that they aren't sick, they are just taking the wrong diagnostic test to define health. They have money, morals and power so their gut tells them things are good. They aren't. They just need to take the right diagnostic test". We all do as well. It is this:
When Jesus extends the offer to follow Him into spiritual restoration of right worship and delight in Him, knowing your healing will come by Him killing your wrong desires, self esteem, and wicked delight in sin and replacing that with Holiness, what is the reastion of your Heart and Soul?
Are you like Luke wrestling Him at every turn, Not submitting and fighting His offer as you truly treasure things of this world more than the Riches of Glory found in Christ Jesus?
Are you more like the pharisees who heard the offer but saw themselves as justified without Him. Do you at the core of truth in your soul feel like you are worthy of standing in the presence of a Holy God?
The first we call rebellion. The second we call religion. Both of them keep men from Following Christ into eternity. I believe for the majority of people reading this religion is the danger. I do not think it is coincidence that the man who accepted Christ's offer in this verse is named Levi. The Levites were at the epicenter of Old Testament worship in the temple perfoming the "inner circle" operations of the sacrifices and temple upkeep. I think God planned all of that to foreshadow the fact that there will be those who slave in religion to come to His grace. I am one of them. If you have been in Church all of your life, yet have never experienced the richness of Grace in a Holy walk of following Christ, may this verse and picture of a man with a righteous name of Levi, who was actually buried in sin and seperated from God seep deep into your soul and activate faith in Christ. Maybe you are outwardly referred to as a Christian in name, but inside are an empty shell. He wants you to follow Him.
Following Christ frustrates the flesh, yet raises the Holy Spirit within. Following Christ will guarantee that trials and struggles will force you to your knees to praise Him more, as you realize that He is exalted in your weakness. What is even better is that His Grace is so rich that you learn to see these as gifts of growth.
If you are following Him, you will learn to appreciate the tension of the Gospel which squeezes the self esteem out of you to replace it with Christ. if you are not then you will be hard at work at building your self esteem either through self righteous acts of religion or be pacifying the tension with rebellious things that provide escape like sex, drugs, power, and pleasure. Maybe you were like me and chose the combo. I believe that is actually where many who might acknowledge the name of Jesus walk. That is not the path following Christ.
Religion and Rebellion are the same in God's eyes. They both say no thanks to the only true medicine for our sin and actually keep us from seeing our need for Christ. It looks just like Luke kicking and screaming as he resists. Maybe for someone reading this God has lovingly placed you in a submissive hold and He is pinning you down by orchestrating life events that have you paralized. Maybe, like me putting Luke in a full nelson to give him medicine, The Father is applying so much loving tension in your life in an effort to forces submission to follow so that healing can begin. If so, stop resisting and simply close your eyes, get on your knees and do what Levi did and say, "I will follow you Jesus". Gaze into the Glory of Christ as you worship a the foot of the Cross. Take your medicine- Jesus brings warm healing to the soul!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Two Highways
Isaiah 35:8 And a highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
There are two roads available to walk down for us all. Check out a road described accurately by one of the most popular bands of the 80's.
AC/DCs Highway to Hell
Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
Ain't nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too
I'm on the highway to hell
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me round
Hey Satan, payed my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey Momma, look at me
I'm on my way to the promised land
I'm on the highway to hell
(Don't stop me)
And I'm going down, all the way down
I'm on the highway to hell
Looking at the heart of this man as expressed through the lyrics is dark. It brings conviction on me as I used to sing this song at parties back when the old man was still in charge of my life. Go back and read what the highway to hell has as its roadsigns:
1) Living easy and free - no laws rules or submission
2)Desire to be left alone, to be His own God
3) Doesn't need reason, just do what seems best
4)Going down to party with the devil in the darkness
5) notice the length of his ticket for delight - for a season
The guy that wrote this, I am afraid, got exactly what he wanted; His "promised land" of wicked delight in darkness as He died by choking on his own vomit from drinking to much alcohol. Wow - that sounds like a great party, huh?
Contrast that highway with the coming Kingdom highway described in Isaiah 35. This Highway is for the redeemed, the ones who have been cleansed by Jesus. It is a highway of royal, majestic Holiness that people are walking on as the "everlasting joy" of treasuring Christ is the driving force in their lives. Not only do the walkers on the Holy Highway submit to rules, the do it with Joy as they know the father has given them to them for their good and His Glory. There is no access on this road for anyone who is unclean, meaning submissively submerged in the Blood of Christ. This Holy Highway leads to everlasting delight and joy. This highway has stop signs, speed limits that route us to the Heart of God as we know Him and delight in Him. this Highway leads to life and never ending happiness. This highway is simply a walk with The Way, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This Highway brings Holy Delight for eternity, not wicked delight for a season, followed by eternity in Hellish misery.
No matter your religious depth or commitment stop and ask yourself: Which highway am I walking down?
A highway in which I think I am the boss, with no submission, enjoying the party of the day, delighting in worldly pleasures?
Or a Highway of joyful submission to a loving God that applies His holiness to squelch sin and rebellion, bringing relief and praise from the redeemed which Glorify the God who made us all? Is Christ my treasure?
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
There are two roads available to walk down for us all. Check out a road described accurately by one of the most popular bands of the 80's.
AC/DCs Highway to Hell
Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
Ain't nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too
I'm on the highway to hell
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me round
Hey Satan, payed my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey Momma, look at me
I'm on my way to the promised land
I'm on the highway to hell
(Don't stop me)
And I'm going down, all the way down
I'm on the highway to hell
Looking at the heart of this man as expressed through the lyrics is dark. It brings conviction on me as I used to sing this song at parties back when the old man was still in charge of my life. Go back and read what the highway to hell has as its roadsigns:
1) Living easy and free - no laws rules or submission
2)Desire to be left alone, to be His own God
3) Doesn't need reason, just do what seems best
4)Going down to party with the devil in the darkness
5) notice the length of his ticket for delight - for a season
The guy that wrote this, I am afraid, got exactly what he wanted; His "promised land" of wicked delight in darkness as He died by choking on his own vomit from drinking to much alcohol. Wow - that sounds like a great party, huh?
Contrast that highway with the coming Kingdom highway described in Isaiah 35. This Highway is for the redeemed, the ones who have been cleansed by Jesus. It is a highway of royal, majestic Holiness that people are walking on as the "everlasting joy" of treasuring Christ is the driving force in their lives. Not only do the walkers on the Holy Highway submit to rules, the do it with Joy as they know the father has given them to them for their good and His Glory. There is no access on this road for anyone who is unclean, meaning submissively submerged in the Blood of Christ. This Holy Highway leads to everlasting delight and joy. This highway has stop signs, speed limits that route us to the Heart of God as we know Him and delight in Him. this Highway leads to life and never ending happiness. This highway is simply a walk with The Way, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This Highway brings Holy Delight for eternity, not wicked delight for a season, followed by eternity in Hellish misery.
No matter your religious depth or commitment stop and ask yourself: Which highway am I walking down?
A highway in which I think I am the boss, with no submission, enjoying the party of the day, delighting in worldly pleasures?
Or a Highway of joyful submission to a loving God that applies His holiness to squelch sin and rebellion, bringing relief and praise from the redeemed which Glorify the God who made us all? Is Christ my treasure?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Luke's Attempted Monarchy
Isaiah 29:16 You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,
that the thing made should say of its maker,
“He did not make me”;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it,
“He has no understanding”?
Luke is two years old, and ramping up his independence. Oh what a joy! Suddenly he knows how to do everything, even though he can't do anything. What's so much fun is that in his struggle of knowing everything, yet knowing nothing, he firmly tells us that we don't know how to do anything. God supplies the miraculous event of procreation, but in a practical way Evie and I "co-made" Luke with the obvious Grace of God empowering the event. It is truly a ridiculous site to see him drowning in frustration and failure, yet forcefully rejecting the knowledge, leadership and authority of his parents that God allowed to bring him into this world.
Isaiah 29:6 above, describes our sin nature's propensity to treat God the same way. With out healing from Christ, we will think that we can tell God what is right and wrong. How ludicrous is that? About as ludicrous as the coffee cup in my hand giving me direction on how to handle it.
Yet we see this all through our society. "Churches" are even in on the action now telling God which parts of His word are right, and which are wrong. They do this by attacking the integrity of scripture by saying "that was Paul's opinion and I am entitled to mine". In effect they ignore the spirit led writing of the scriptures being breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16).
We can feel this tendency touching the core of our souls, as we are tempted to rebel against God and show Him where our knowledge and ability is above His ways. While we may never say that out loud, that is exactly what we are doing when we go through life making choices without knowing, meditating and appropriating the will of God through the Word of God. When we skip deep prayer times in which he wants to instruct us for His Glory and our Good, we in effect miss them both as we chart a blind course through troubled waters. Not caring about the Will, Word or Glory of God is not a good sign my friends. Telling God what you are going to do as you lead out in your own life is a horrible mistake. You might as well ask your coffee cup for answers, or my two year old son Luke.
Give pause to the Word and Will of God. Do not try and believe that you are the center of the universe and that your perspective carries any weight with the God of the World. When we try to rewrite or ignore scripture, blame God for the bad but credit ourselves for the good things, and live as our own law we have made ourselves our God.
I have no right to try and enforce my opinions on God. You are probably thinking that I don't have any right to enforce my opinions on you either and you would be right. That is when I would point you to the fact that this is not my opinion it is God's as stated in His words. Do you care to know it, or are you doing "just fine, thank you" with your own?
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay,
that the thing made should say of its maker,
“He did not make me”;
or the thing formed say of him who formed it,
“He has no understanding”?
Luke is two years old, and ramping up his independence. Oh what a joy! Suddenly he knows how to do everything, even though he can't do anything. What's so much fun is that in his struggle of knowing everything, yet knowing nothing, he firmly tells us that we don't know how to do anything. God supplies the miraculous event of procreation, but in a practical way Evie and I "co-made" Luke with the obvious Grace of God empowering the event. It is truly a ridiculous site to see him drowning in frustration and failure, yet forcefully rejecting the knowledge, leadership and authority of his parents that God allowed to bring him into this world.
Isaiah 29:6 above, describes our sin nature's propensity to treat God the same way. With out healing from Christ, we will think that we can tell God what is right and wrong. How ludicrous is that? About as ludicrous as the coffee cup in my hand giving me direction on how to handle it.
Yet we see this all through our society. "Churches" are even in on the action now telling God which parts of His word are right, and which are wrong. They do this by attacking the integrity of scripture by saying "that was Paul's opinion and I am entitled to mine". In effect they ignore the spirit led writing of the scriptures being breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16).
We can feel this tendency touching the core of our souls, as we are tempted to rebel against God and show Him where our knowledge and ability is above His ways. While we may never say that out loud, that is exactly what we are doing when we go through life making choices without knowing, meditating and appropriating the will of God through the Word of God. When we skip deep prayer times in which he wants to instruct us for His Glory and our Good, we in effect miss them both as we chart a blind course through troubled waters. Not caring about the Will, Word or Glory of God is not a good sign my friends. Telling God what you are going to do as you lead out in your own life is a horrible mistake. You might as well ask your coffee cup for answers, or my two year old son Luke.
Give pause to the Word and Will of God. Do not try and believe that you are the center of the universe and that your perspective carries any weight with the God of the World. When we try to rewrite or ignore scripture, blame God for the bad but credit ourselves for the good things, and live as our own law we have made ourselves our God.
I have no right to try and enforce my opinions on God. You are probably thinking that I don't have any right to enforce my opinions on you either and you would be right. That is when I would point you to the fact that this is not my opinion it is God's as stated in His words. Do you care to know it, or are you doing "just fine, thank you" with your own?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Leapfrog
Matthew 16: 15 He (Jesus) said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
(5 verses later)
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
My least favorite thing to do as a father is crossing parking lots with my four kids, especially if i have them all by myself. Why? No matter how many times I warn, threaten, coax, yell at or restrain them, one of them at some point is going to try to run ahead of my lead and protection. It is a rather stressful event as I try and keep us all together to safely navigate the parking lot. My older two are now 9 and 8, so their bolting ahead has diminished greatly. The 4 and 2 year old however, are like jail breakers seeking every opportunity to make a dash for "freedom". The reality is that their sprint for freedom is simply a "leapfrogging" of my will and protection, and they are putting themselves in great danger of both physical harm and my discipline.
Perhaps one of the most stunning dialogues in all of the Bible to me occurs in Matthew 16. I have put some of the dialogue that occurred above, but would recommend reading the entire text (and entire Bible) as it will help you understand this further. The context is Jesus has asked the disciples who He is and Peter nails it saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus tells Peter that not only is that the right answer, but God gave it to Him, and that God will use Him as the rock upon which He will build His Church. I would have to think that this type of charge coming of the lips of Christ had to be exhilarating for Peter to hear. Now common wisdom would have us think that from that time on Peter was on point and perfect. Far from it.
It takes Him all of five verses for Him to stop following Christ, and the will of God, and to run ahead of Christ with His own plans. One minute Jesus is saying to Peter as he is following, "You are the rock of my Church", the next minute Peter leapfrogs Jesus' leadership and is ready to draft and execute His own plan. The response from Christ. " Get behind me Satan." In one sequence of events, Christ refers to Peter as the rock and Satan. When He follows Christ he is the rock. When he runs ahead of Christ , Jesus says, "Your failure to submit and follow is not heavenly, it is your will. It comes from Satan and it hinders my plan and will so get back in line and follow me". There is so much here, but the big point is this: humble heavenly submission in following Christ builds the body of Christ as He is glorified, and charting our own course tears it down as it fights against God and His plans.
I can not tell you how many thousands of times I have "leapfrogged" Jesus' leadership in my life. Just like Peter, God has started me on so many trails only to watch me run ahead of His plans with my own. I can honestly say that I think it is my biggest blind spot (that He is bringing vision to). Ultimately it is a pride thing that wants us to have a "say" in our lives and ministry. There is no place for my pride to try to lead Christ down a path. He is God. i am not. I need to follow. The Devil will not submit and follow and that is why Jesus so sternly rebukes Peter. In fact when you look at the temptation of Christ by the Devil (Matthew 4), all He is trying to do is to get Jesus to run ahead of the will of the father and chart a new course.
So, do you leapfrog Jesus' leadership in your life? Are you submitting and following? Or are you out in front trying to lead Him down your path?
Lets exalt and Follow Christ down a path to victory! Let's leave our plans behind and submit to His plans as we abide in Him!
(5 verses later)
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
My least favorite thing to do as a father is crossing parking lots with my four kids, especially if i have them all by myself. Why? No matter how many times I warn, threaten, coax, yell at or restrain them, one of them at some point is going to try to run ahead of my lead and protection. It is a rather stressful event as I try and keep us all together to safely navigate the parking lot. My older two are now 9 and 8, so their bolting ahead has diminished greatly. The 4 and 2 year old however, are like jail breakers seeking every opportunity to make a dash for "freedom". The reality is that their sprint for freedom is simply a "leapfrogging" of my will and protection, and they are putting themselves in great danger of both physical harm and my discipline.
Perhaps one of the most stunning dialogues in all of the Bible to me occurs in Matthew 16. I have put some of the dialogue that occurred above, but would recommend reading the entire text (and entire Bible) as it will help you understand this further. The context is Jesus has asked the disciples who He is and Peter nails it saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus tells Peter that not only is that the right answer, but God gave it to Him, and that God will use Him as the rock upon which He will build His Church. I would have to think that this type of charge coming of the lips of Christ had to be exhilarating for Peter to hear. Now common wisdom would have us think that from that time on Peter was on point and perfect. Far from it.
It takes Him all of five verses for Him to stop following Christ, and the will of God, and to run ahead of Christ with His own plans. One minute Jesus is saying to Peter as he is following, "You are the rock of my Church", the next minute Peter leapfrogs Jesus' leadership and is ready to draft and execute His own plan. The response from Christ. " Get behind me Satan." In one sequence of events, Christ refers to Peter as the rock and Satan. When He follows Christ he is the rock. When he runs ahead of Christ , Jesus says, "Your failure to submit and follow is not heavenly, it is your will. It comes from Satan and it hinders my plan and will so get back in line and follow me". There is so much here, but the big point is this: humble heavenly submission in following Christ builds the body of Christ as He is glorified, and charting our own course tears it down as it fights against God and His plans.
I can not tell you how many thousands of times I have "leapfrogged" Jesus' leadership in my life. Just like Peter, God has started me on so many trails only to watch me run ahead of His plans with my own. I can honestly say that I think it is my biggest blind spot (that He is bringing vision to). Ultimately it is a pride thing that wants us to have a "say" in our lives and ministry. There is no place for my pride to try to lead Christ down a path. He is God. i am not. I need to follow. The Devil will not submit and follow and that is why Jesus so sternly rebukes Peter. In fact when you look at the temptation of Christ by the Devil (Matthew 4), all He is trying to do is to get Jesus to run ahead of the will of the father and chart a new course.
So, do you leapfrog Jesus' leadership in your life? Are you submitting and following? Or are you out in front trying to lead Him down your path?
Lets exalt and Follow Christ down a path to victory! Let's leave our plans behind and submit to His plans as we abide in Him!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Temple Tax Holiday
Matthew 17:24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”
Certainly our government, (both republicans and democrats), has been creative in its efforts to stimulate the economy. Most of the initiatives have been reckless and risky, and we really will not know the long term effects of these short term "fixes" for a while. One of my favorite efforts has been a sales tax holiday. In these "holidays", consumers are exempt from taxes which should drive short term consumption as it is in effect a 7-10% discount depending on where you live. I love the way they call it a holiday, as the connotation leaves such a warm and fuzzy feel. Has it worked? Depends on who you ask. What are the long term downside effects? Depends on who you ask.
Was Jesus a fan of tax Holidays? Speaking specifically outside of current politics, absolutely. While I have no idea about his opinion about these current sales tax holidays, in Matthew 17 he sows some deep seeds of "tax relief" into Simon Peter. When you read through the verses above, it can seem like a simple lesson in obeying God given rules, and certainly that is part of Jesus' teaching. The two drachma temple tax was prescribed by God in Exodus 30:11-16. The tax was extracted from the Israelites and then used to upkeep the temple. Jesus always is obedient to His father, so even though He could spin the temple on His finger like a basketball, he uses this opportunity to disciple Peter into Himself. He asks Peter , " From who do the kings of the Earth take toll or tax? From their sons or others?" Peter replies"from others". Jesus says you are dead on, so that means the sons of the king are free to enter into the temple to worship.
Jesus is building a grid in Peter's soul, that will make Peter realize that He is the temple of God. He is revealing that there is indeed a new covenant being unveiled right in front of Peter, one that is "tax free", at least for the sons of the True King, Jesus. Jesus is not saying the tax is unfair, he is saying it is a just tax that should be, and will be, paid. He is simply saying, and showing that in the New Covenant HE pays the dues of His sons to bring them to the Father. Where does the money come from that satisfies the Holy commands of the temple tax? Is it luck? Some will say that Peter's expert fishing techniques allowed him to best identify which fish would most likely contain a four drachma coin, so Peter needs some credibility here. I say that is ludicrous. The coin was in the mouth of the first fish that Peter caught as that was one of millions of staged events that God laid out over thousands of years to bring Glory to His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus later reveals that He is the Temple. He has paid the due price for His sons to enter the temple, Himself, with His blood and life. It is free. Do not miss this, my "temple tax holiday", and yours, should seem as miraculous to us as the likelihood of me walking to the lake in my neighborhood and catching a brim with a $5 bill in its mouth. The wages of my sin are death and separation from God. They leave me unable to pay the temple tax and outside of communion with God. Like He miraculously whipped up Peter's tax that allowed him into the temple to access God, Jesus alone can provide the Holy blood shed on the Cross that satisfies the just wrath of the father towards our sins. Christ alone is the only provision available to any of us to commune with God.
We must struggle through the clutter of this life to see the Divine large, vast, complex and majestic Gospel of Christ. It is a divine power that is not far from any one of us. It is not man made. Can you see it in your life? Do you feel the freedom as a son or daughter to worship God, only by the blood of Christ? Do you feel the joy and delight of being included in His love?
When you boil it all down, when any person looks at Christ they either view Him one of two ways:
1) Intense Love, Joy, Delight and a passion to more fully know and submit to as he is the end game of all Holy desire - or-
2) He will be a duty and a party pooper that they will out right reject in open rebellion or begrudgingly attempt to "pay their own tax" in a miserable religious facade.
Trust me, I have tried all three. What a delightful Savior is He.
Certainly our government, (both republicans and democrats), has been creative in its efforts to stimulate the economy. Most of the initiatives have been reckless and risky, and we really will not know the long term effects of these short term "fixes" for a while. One of my favorite efforts has been a sales tax holiday. In these "holidays", consumers are exempt from taxes which should drive short term consumption as it is in effect a 7-10% discount depending on where you live. I love the way they call it a holiday, as the connotation leaves such a warm and fuzzy feel. Has it worked? Depends on who you ask. What are the long term downside effects? Depends on who you ask.
Was Jesus a fan of tax Holidays? Speaking specifically outside of current politics, absolutely. While I have no idea about his opinion about these current sales tax holidays, in Matthew 17 he sows some deep seeds of "tax relief" into Simon Peter. When you read through the verses above, it can seem like a simple lesson in obeying God given rules, and certainly that is part of Jesus' teaching. The two drachma temple tax was prescribed by God in Exodus 30:11-16. The tax was extracted from the Israelites and then used to upkeep the temple. Jesus always is obedient to His father, so even though He could spin the temple on His finger like a basketball, he uses this opportunity to disciple Peter into Himself. He asks Peter , " From who do the kings of the Earth take toll or tax? From their sons or others?" Peter replies"from others". Jesus says you are dead on, so that means the sons of the king are free to enter into the temple to worship.
Jesus is building a grid in Peter's soul, that will make Peter realize that He is the temple of God. He is revealing that there is indeed a new covenant being unveiled right in front of Peter, one that is "tax free", at least for the sons of the True King, Jesus. Jesus is not saying the tax is unfair, he is saying it is a just tax that should be, and will be, paid. He is simply saying, and showing that in the New Covenant HE pays the dues of His sons to bring them to the Father. Where does the money come from that satisfies the Holy commands of the temple tax? Is it luck? Some will say that Peter's expert fishing techniques allowed him to best identify which fish would most likely contain a four drachma coin, so Peter needs some credibility here. I say that is ludicrous. The coin was in the mouth of the first fish that Peter caught as that was one of millions of staged events that God laid out over thousands of years to bring Glory to His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus later reveals that He is the Temple. He has paid the due price for His sons to enter the temple, Himself, with His blood and life. It is free. Do not miss this, my "temple tax holiday", and yours, should seem as miraculous to us as the likelihood of me walking to the lake in my neighborhood and catching a brim with a $5 bill in its mouth. The wages of my sin are death and separation from God. They leave me unable to pay the temple tax and outside of communion with God. Like He miraculously whipped up Peter's tax that allowed him into the temple to access God, Jesus alone can provide the Holy blood shed on the Cross that satisfies the just wrath of the father towards our sins. Christ alone is the only provision available to any of us to commune with God.
We must struggle through the clutter of this life to see the Divine large, vast, complex and majestic Gospel of Christ. It is a divine power that is not far from any one of us. It is not man made. Can you see it in your life? Do you feel the freedom as a son or daughter to worship God, only by the blood of Christ? Do you feel the joy and delight of being included in His love?
When you boil it all down, when any person looks at Christ they either view Him one of two ways:
1) Intense Love, Joy, Delight and a passion to more fully know and submit to as he is the end game of all Holy desire - or-
2) He will be a duty and a party pooper that they will out right reject in open rebellion or begrudgingly attempt to "pay their own tax" in a miserable religious facade.
Trust me, I have tried all three. What a delightful Savior is He.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Satisfaction
Matthew 13:44 The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Consider the search for satisfaction in a song that most of you will know: "I can't get no satisfaction", by the Rolling Stones.
When I'm drivin' in my car
And a man comes on the radio
He's telling me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
When I'm watchin' my TV
And a man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts can be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarrettes as me
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no girlie action
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
When I'm ridin' round the world
And I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
And I'm tryin' to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back later next week
'Cause you see I'm on losing streak
I can't get no, a no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
I can't get no, I can't get no
I can't get no satisfaction
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction
Honestly this could be theme song of our day. If you look deeply into the heart of the lyrics you will see a character that is looking to have his desires met and needs and wants satisfied. He wants to be fulfilled and pleased. His problem is that he is looking for it in all of the wrong places. He is listening for satisfaction through his radio listening to modern rhetoric of news,thoughts and politics. He is looking for satisfaction on his TV by watching cool products and advertisements that promise to make him feel better about himself. He travels the world famously, leveraging his fame for hit and run sex opportunities. In all of these things, he comes up empty. He is unsatisfied. The big question is why? Is it wrong to search for satisfaction?
In Matthew 13:44, and throughout the Bible,it is clear that we can truly be permanently satisfied by one thing. The treasure of knowing Jesus Christ. There is a hole in our souls that sin has created that longs for its maker. I believe that God designed us to search and long for joy, joy in Him. Our problem is that our sin sends us out searching for satisfaction in everything but Christ. Sin has left a gaping whole in our hearts that only He can fill. He is a treasure to be desired and enjoyed, and we are prone to bypass Him and desire other things. For most of my life, I desired everything but Christ, but knew I needed Him as a Savior. I was completely unsatisfied, dabbling in multiple sin habits until I truly saw Him as my treasure. The greatest prayer in my life is that I desire Him more, and that I will see Him alone as treasure. It is a very satisfying prayer and God that I serve. Desire in itself is a drive for joy and pleasure and that is in our created design. It is who or what we seek in our desires that is the key. If we desire Christ and treasure Him, we will be drawn to Him and live in faith. If we desire to be filled with the things of this world we will be left only wanting more as we are unsatisfied, walking in sin.
Nothing but treasuring Christ can satisfy us. Look at people who desire for money. They get it and guess what? They have to have more? The same for drugs, sex, gambling, vanity surgeries, worldly success, tobacco, abusive power and pornography. they are false treasures that deceptively look like oasis as we stand on the edge of a desert. They lure us in to the desert with the promise of satisfaction. After we drink our fill of it, we see a bigger oasis deeper in the desert with a larger promise of provocative pleasure. This occurs over and over as we are led so deep into a dry and parched land that we are lost, empty and completely shackled with the false allure of sinful desires. It starts ever so subtly, but as we all know as our false desires are met with temporary treasures it ends up sucking the life out of us and driving us away from our only hope in being satisfied, Jesus the Christ.
So let me ask you: Is Christ your treasure? Is He the satisfaction of your life?
Or are you getting your satisfaction elsewhere and then coming to Him in an empty religious routine, as if you really want Him when you really don't?
Consider the search for satisfaction in a song that most of you will know: "I can't get no satisfaction", by the Rolling Stones.
When I'm drivin' in my car
And a man comes on the radio
He's telling me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
When I'm watchin' my TV
And a man comes on to tell me
How white my shirts can be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarrettes as me
I can't get no, oh no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no girlie action
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
When I'm ridin' round the world
And I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
And I'm tryin' to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back later next week
'Cause you see I'm on losing streak
I can't get no, a no no no
Hey hey hey, that's what I say
I can't get no, I can't get no
I can't get no satisfaction
No satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction
Honestly this could be theme song of our day. If you look deeply into the heart of the lyrics you will see a character that is looking to have his desires met and needs and wants satisfied. He wants to be fulfilled and pleased. His problem is that he is looking for it in all of the wrong places. He is listening for satisfaction through his radio listening to modern rhetoric of news,thoughts and politics. He is looking for satisfaction on his TV by watching cool products and advertisements that promise to make him feel better about himself. He travels the world famously, leveraging his fame for hit and run sex opportunities. In all of these things, he comes up empty. He is unsatisfied. The big question is why? Is it wrong to search for satisfaction?
In Matthew 13:44, and throughout the Bible,it is clear that we can truly be permanently satisfied by one thing. The treasure of knowing Jesus Christ. There is a hole in our souls that sin has created that longs for its maker. I believe that God designed us to search and long for joy, joy in Him. Our problem is that our sin sends us out searching for satisfaction in everything but Christ. Sin has left a gaping whole in our hearts that only He can fill. He is a treasure to be desired and enjoyed, and we are prone to bypass Him and desire other things. For most of my life, I desired everything but Christ, but knew I needed Him as a Savior. I was completely unsatisfied, dabbling in multiple sin habits until I truly saw Him as my treasure. The greatest prayer in my life is that I desire Him more, and that I will see Him alone as treasure. It is a very satisfying prayer and God that I serve. Desire in itself is a drive for joy and pleasure and that is in our created design. It is who or what we seek in our desires that is the key. If we desire Christ and treasure Him, we will be drawn to Him and live in faith. If we desire to be filled with the things of this world we will be left only wanting more as we are unsatisfied, walking in sin.
Nothing but treasuring Christ can satisfy us. Look at people who desire for money. They get it and guess what? They have to have more? The same for drugs, sex, gambling, vanity surgeries, worldly success, tobacco, abusive power and pornography. they are false treasures that deceptively look like oasis as we stand on the edge of a desert. They lure us in to the desert with the promise of satisfaction. After we drink our fill of it, we see a bigger oasis deeper in the desert with a larger promise of provocative pleasure. This occurs over and over as we are led so deep into a dry and parched land that we are lost, empty and completely shackled with the false allure of sinful desires. It starts ever so subtly, but as we all know as our false desires are met with temporary treasures it ends up sucking the life out of us and driving us away from our only hope in being satisfied, Jesus the Christ.
So let me ask you: Is Christ your treasure? Is He the satisfaction of your life?
Or are you getting your satisfaction elsewhere and then coming to Him in an empty religious routine, as if you really want Him when you really don't?
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