Category: Jesus

Figuring out the Things of Life

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Essay by Dan

It was my observation while reading Matthew chapter 5, Jesus shares a series of life guidelines with us. When he saw the huge crowds, he climbed up on a hillside to gain respite. Once he found a suitable place for a rest, he sat down and instructed his friends. He provided them with a roadmap, a path forward on how to live life to its fullest — honoring the things of God, walking with God, worshiping God. This is what I gleaned from the quiet affirmations of Jesus.

When you find yourself at the end of your rope, be content, God is in control. With less of you forcing solutions into play, there is more space for God and his influence over your daily actions. If you feel you have lost something, remember you are giving space for God’s influence. Spend time thinking about who you are, reach the point where you are at peace rather than striving for position. Life is easier when you are content with yourself — no more, no less — just acceptance. (Implied in Matthew 5:3-5)

Look hard in scripture for the truth, lean into the word, develop a strong appetite for the things of God. Accept the bread of Life, reach out to others, allow God to develop a caring attitude within you, give yourself to others. But start this journey by getting your inside world—your mind and heart—in the right place. To figure out life, look for God. Avoid being part of the problem, you become part of the solution when you can show people how to cooperate instead of competing or fighting. That is when you discover God’s purpose, you find your place in God’s family. Find God’s peace. It is close by. Find your place of rest. It is close by… (implied in Matthew 5:6-8)

In the life of every peacemaker who is committed to God comes trouble and persecution. Let this adversity drive you deep into rather than away from God’s kingdom — the truth is too close for their comfort, and they are uncomfortable. Love the truth. Your friends will always encounter speed bumps (persecution), do not despair, step over the speed bump, help others do the same, these things will pass. At this juncture in your life, it should be clear why we are here on earth. We are alive in this moment to be the salt that points to God’s message. Stay the course. (implied in Matthew 5:9-12)

Most young children have heard the lyric – This little light of mine, I’m gonna to let it shine. Jesus tells us You are here to be light; this light will bring out God’s brilliant Kodachrome message for all the world to hear. This is not a private conversation or message to hide on our bookshelves. The message is to be delivered in every nook and cranny – your life should be the city on a hill, the City of God. This message is Truth. If we hide the message in a building, the oxygen quickly disappears and the message fades. Get the message out of the building, give the message oxygen. Give the message a chance to grow. Be generous with your life, be accessible, be approachable, take the first step. When we open up to others, we show people how to open up with God. God’s Word is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Word will be alive helping people to figure out life. (implied in Matthew 5: 13-16)

The deeper truth – If you trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Word, you will only have trivialized yourself. Take the message seriously, walk with God, love the people around you, then you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do better than the Pharisees when yielding to God, you will not know the first thing about living life to the fullest (implied in Matthew 5:17-20).

I choose Jesus.

A Quiet Evening in Bethlehem

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Sometimes, it seems proper just to quote a lot of scripture, today is one of those days. The passages below from John are NIV and passages from Luke are MSG. The brackets mark subtle text changes (I replaced ‘hostel’ with ‘inn’; I guess I am a bit more traditional than I first realized). Take your time, breathe in the message… Continue reading “A Quiet Evening in Bethlehem” →

Responding To Friction

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To my young friend Albert, here are my thoughts on friction (verbal jousting) when talking about the things of God between friends. It has been my observation – when someone challenges how we use our belief system to make decisions, the verbal aggression and volume of our response is inversely proportional to our: (1) Assurance what we believe is unconditionally true; (2) Knowledge of the true nature of grace and the all-powerful living God; (3) Ability to suppress our fight or flight response; and (4) Assurance we are doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Observing how Jesus operates in Luke (His repetitive encounters and struggles with local leaders), Jesus rarely uses verbal aggression and volume to make a point. Rather, He tends to embrace logic (premise, supporting evidence, conclusion), presented in a calm voice, bathed in love for the listeners, and enveloped with the shekinah glory of God. Jesus exudes assurance, his actions reflect unconditional truth. Given the example of Jesus in Luke, we should take note of his approach. We gain knowledge of grace and God’s power by seeing how people make decisions when confronted by the truth. I think every time a person decides an issue, two things happen.

First, we make a choice (the right thing versus the wrong thing). The decision often includes consequences. Before we choose the path, we consider the available guidance from Scripture, listen to the nuances from the Holy Spirit, foster a willingness to abide within the wisdom and counsel of God; then implement the decision.

Second, we build character. Each time we decide to act on an issue, we draw from all we know (including our character) to continue. The outcome of our actions reflects our gradually morphing world view. We are learning how to manage our fight or flight response. The direction we take reflects our character. Our character is constantly aligning with our current decisions. Decisions that are based on a stable set of principles strengthen the resolve of our character. The aftermath of each decision gradually builds or diminishes our walk with God and our character (implied in Luke 6:45). “As a man thinketh; a man is” (Proverbs 23:7). As we grow, we gain assurance how to differentiate between right and wrong. And, at the same time we learn how to love the unlovely.

JI Packer said – “To love God and our neighbor requires us to behave like a referee. Our purpose is to live in a manner that is as pleasing to God and beneficial to our neighbor, within the limits that God has set.”

To this end, love prompts three ideas. First, love directs us to gain thorough knowledge of the full range of scriptural guidance. Without this basic knowledge, good decisions will be impossible. Second, love directs us, in each situation, to secure as much relevant information about actual causes and consequences as we can. The more information we have the better the decision. Third, love directs us, when we struggle with lack of knowledge or experience, to seek counsel from others who are better qualified to suggest what should be done, while at the same time declining to be swayed by loud noises and friction from people who are enthusiastic but not well informed.

Our life should be less about our self and more about Jesus (implied in Galatians 2:20). Paul tells us several times – I know what the right thing to do is, but I rarely get there all the time. Yet Paul claims victory because of the grace of God offered to him, renewed every morning, presented to Paul as a tool of restoral. Embracing grace, Paul can see a path forward. How then, do we move forward? Do we walk backwards in a circle, in a dark room, thinking about our past mistakes? Humm. We should walk forward, in a straight line, guided by light, embracing grace, looking to Jesus for help to do what needs to be done.

I choose Jesus.

Habits And Rhythms

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There’s a comfort  humans obtain accomplishing recurring tasks. We get up at the same time each morning, we make our bed, we make ourselves a cup of coffee, we get prepared for the day, choosing the clothing we’re going to wear carefully. We go to work; we arrange our desk or arrange our toolbox and our pickup truck. We set out to do the tasks of the day. We come home that evening we plan and prepare an evening meal, check our email, text messages, check WhatsApp, and settle in to rest. We all have recurring tasks that we do to build structure to our day. Continue reading “Habits And Rhythms” →

Purpose of Scripture

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It has been my observation while browsing Hebrews, the word of God is alive and active to all who are looking for order and guidance in their life. Hebrews 4:12-13 (paraphrased) says — To be sure, we have been aggressively shaped by the Word; for it is sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates deep into our soul and spirit, it seeps through our joints digging deep into our marrow; we have no place to hide, nothing can be tucked away in our thoughts or actions. We stand naked, unable to run or hide, we have been judged. The hidden thoughts and subtle attitudes of our heart have been exposed. Nothing in our life can be hidden from God’s sight (as much as we might like to skulk in the shadows for things we have done). Everything in our life is laid bare before Him so we may give account (NIV). Over the years I have developed the utmost respect for scripture. It is difficult to ignore the Word. You may get fiercely angry at God for calling you out, you may repent, but you will never be indifferent to the message.

I believe that Scripture should have a strong role in our life; we should look to the message for insight and influence, we should look for help to discern right from wrong, we should expect the Word to deliver comfort during times of trouble, define our notions of why we are here, and explain the mysteries of ‘walking with God’.  Paul wrote — All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The fundamental purpose of scripture is to reveal God’s mind to us. Therefore, the Bible is very profitable for teaching. In Scripture we find comments on theism (existence of God), theos (nature, attributes, decrees and works of God), angels (the good ones and the evil ones), anthropology (nature, attributes, and works of man), soteriology (nature, attributes, decrees, and works of Jesus, plus the new covenant), Ecclesiology (community of believers), eschatology (the last days), and let us not overlook prophecy, history, poetry, wisdom, etc.  However, I want to be extremely clear – scripture is not exhaustive; it does not comment on every element of knowledge known to man. But, when scripture comments; it is absolutely, forever true.

As God reveals himself, he uses the Word for reproof of the foolish and correction of the misguided. The Greek word for reproof is elegcho, which means to convict, refute, or confute (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). As we read scripture, sometimes we are convicted by the Holy Spirit for a habit or activity that is not in alignment with the manufacture’s Handbook (scripture). If we read scripture with an open heart, the Bible becomes a set of operating principles to focus our thoughts, conduct, and behavior. The Greek word for correction, used in this verse, is epanorthosis. It means restoration to an upright or a right state; correction, and improvement (Thayer’s Greek lexicon). This is the purpose of the new covenant – restoring and adopting us into the bloodline of Abraham (the family of God) through the ransom.

We are changed because of God’s infusion of righteousness directly into our heart. Righteousness, as used by Paul in this verse, comes from the Greek term dikaiosune which can be defined as faith implanted into man producing gradual movement towards conformity with the will of God (Vine’s Greek Dictionary). We are learning to walk with God, implementing his plan. We learn about righteousness from the Word, God changes our heart, we are infused with his plan.

The bottom line – our Bible is the manufacturer’s handbook. Everything we need to know about God, Jesus, man, salvation, how we got here, and where we are going has been documented in the handbook. What do we do with this handbook? Read. Learn. Repent. Yield. Choose. Proceed. Grow. Love.

I choose Jesus.

I Am Redeemed

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It has been my observation that Paul presents a clear, unmistakable path for restoration with God in Romans. In Romans 10:9-10 he defined the restoration in simple unambiguous terms. God assures an amazing outcome for every scared timid soul who approaches the one true living God with their head hung in submission, seeking forgiveness. Our redeemer clears the path, we are forgiven. Then, in parallel, the Holy Spirit helps us to slowly assimilate the message until our heart is flooded with a brilliant light that only God can make. In this essay, I want to examine this remarkable path.

Continue reading “I Am Redeemed” →