In Grave Condition

S - Like 11:43-44 (TLJ): "It will be bad for you Pharisees because you love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. And you love for people to show respect to you in the marketplaces. It will be bad for you, because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it."

O - The Pharisees considered themselves to be strict adherents to the Scriptures and as a result to be the 'salt of the earth' type of people.  From their vantage point (distorted and myopic) the world was not only better off because they were on earth it would be even better if all people were like them.  For all the words of Scripture they quoted and the religious rules they engaged nothing was farther from the truth than their conclusions.  People, even those doing the respecting and giving them the best seats, were NEVER better off for being in contact with them.  In fact they were worse off … in scriptural imagery the people were literally made unclean because of their interaction with them.  

A - Jesus' point is not that I should try and find some "religious" people to disrespect. Neither is he asking me to wreak havoc in religious services.  What he is wanting me to do is to NOT be a Pharisee. The Pharisees claimed to love God but really loved the praises of people and money (Luke 16:14; John 5:39-44). Jesus calls me to love God and love my neighbor as myself.  According to Jesus all Scriptures hang on this ongoing response to God and to others, are fulfilled in this response and if I'll do it will end in eternal life.  There is nothing more important than loving according to these Superlatives … nothing.  Today I accept and embrace this assignment from Jesus.

P - Lord who is love,

Thank you that you don't want me to love things or religious expressions or the praises of people.  You want me to love God and love people.  This is to be done with all my might, heart, mind and soul.  I say yes to you and to this. 

In Jesus' Name,

Steve

Trust is NOT a Theological Conclusion

S - Proverbs 3:3-10 (NIV): "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

O - Trust, i.e. fierce personal loyalty, to/in Jesus is an uncomplicated commitment.  How can I know when my trust is only intellectual/theoretical?  When my theology says one thing and my life another.  The assessment for this can be found in the two responses these verses tell us to NOT DO.  Do not:

1. lean on your own understanding.

2. be wise in your own eyes.

Both of these are very easy to do all the while thinking one is trusting.  Trust does not come from our theological conclusions, knowledge of scriptural principles or understanding circumstances. Trust comes from a person to person response, a living out loud of the reality of his greatness and our littleness, of his awesome brilliance and our numbness, of his power and our weakness, of his relentless love, defiant mercy and powerful grace.  Trusting presence/person over resource, intellect, skill or history and staying childlike in our view of ourselves by doing what is right in the Lord's eyes and not our own eyes is key (Matthew 11:25-27, 18:1-4).  The result is described in the verses above … and this all for the sake of love - the Lord's love for us and our getting to love him back.

A - So how straight was Joseph's path?  Well, according to human understanding it just kept drifting farther and farther from his dreams … from bad to worse to absolutely terrible.  But then in one day he goes from Pharaoh's prison to Pharaoh's throne. How wise did Solomon end up?  Not very even though he is considered the wisest and even penned the verses cited.  In the end he was wise in his own eyes and so very foolish in the Lord's.  So, I choose the Lord's straight path and his humble wisdom unto his purpose in me and through me like it happens in heaven.  Trusting the Lord is all about his person not my current take on his plan or any claim I may lay to a promise.  It is deeply personal and fierce. Trust: fierce personal loyalty.

P - Dear Papa,

Thank you for serving your little children, for giving us instructions and then helping us to fulfill them; for inviting us to work with you in that which you could do faster and better without us/me.  I want to/need to lean on you according to presence and engage Jesus' words about life on earth so that I may, because of grace, be wise in YOUR eyes.  Daddy, I love you back.  Father, I am so grateful to be your child.  Dad, transform my life unto all you have purposed and desired.  I really do love you back.

Steve

Today's Forecast: Windy unto Life

S - John 3:1-12 (TLJ): "There was a man named Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees. He was an important Jewish leader. One night he came to Jesus and said, 'Teacher, we know that you are a teacher sent from God. No one can do these miraculous signs that you don unless they have God's help.' Jesus answered, 'I assure you, everyone must be born again. Anyone who is not born again cannot be in God's Kingdom.' Nicodemus said, 'How can a man who is already old be born again? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born a second time?' Jesus answered, 'Believe me when I say that everyone must be born from water and the Spirit. Anyone who is not born from water and the Spirit cannot enter God's kingdom. The only life people get from their human parents is physical.  But the new life that the Spirit gives a person is spiritual. Don't be surprised that I told you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it wants to. You hear it, but you don't know where it is coming from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born from the Spirit.' Nicodemus asked, 'How is all this possible?' Jesus answered, 'You are an important teacher of Israel, and you still don't understand these things? The truth is, we talk about what we know. We tell about what we have seen. But you people don't accept what we tell you. I have told you about things here on earth, but you do not believe me. So I'm sure you will not believe me if I tell you about heavenly things!'" [my highlight]

O - Jesus says a lot about life on earth … a lot. His words about earth are clear and easy to understand.  The problem is we don’t really believe him about earth while we're claiming to believe him about heaven. We read his words about earth and then alter, ignore or exempt ourselves from them.   He says it does not (implied: will not) work that way.

A - Am I believing Jesus about earth (i.e. living out loud in my daily life the things he says must comprise his followers earthly cadence)? Keeping/using the words but denying their meaning is major indicator of the presence of the yeast of the Pharisees.  Today the point is believing Jesus about earth in all things spiritual and practical unto believing him about heaven and the kingdom that is so very near!

P - Jesus who is Lord of heaven and earth,

Today (everyday) I want to, choose by grace to, believe you.  Thank you for clear instruction, encouragement and description about life on earth.  I accept my purpose which is loving God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and my neighbor as my self.  I welcome the work which is believing.  Lord, I will believe you about earth unto the changed thinking which comes because the kingdom of Heaven, and her King, is very near. I love you back.

Steve

Change the World … Breakfast Anyone?

S - John 21:12-14 (NAS): "Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples ventured to question Him, "Who are You?" knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead."

O - This is third time Jesus appears to the "boys" and the forty day meter is running (Acts 1:3).  First of all, should they really take the time to eat?  I mean, can't they eat after he lectures and instructs for some hours? With a glorified body the common opinion is that Jesus didn't need to eat … but could if he wished.  Why would he choose a fishing expedition and breakfast as the venue for his third visit?  Not only will they eat together, Jesus is actually cooking the breakfast and serving it.  Again, this seem so "off" to our way of assessing the stewardship of time and function.  The purpose of human life, Jesus included, never flickers: love.  Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself … love each other the way I have love you.  The next time we're thinking about all that needs to be done and all the great projects, challenges and accomplishments we intend to engage … just maybe we should sit down together over breakfast so we won't take ourselves too seriously and our world will change because we're following Jesus according to love. Breakfast anyone?

A - The original band of followers believed Jesus and his words and so the world changed.  Since that time, we either won't believe him or we change his words into what we think will work better and our world tragically stays the same.  Today, (and every day) his person and presence is available and his words the same … why don't we start believing him about earth since we are saying we do believe him about heaven?  Today I will accept my purpose of loving God and loving others as the only priority for my day and I will engage the work of believing … unto new wineskins, mulberry trees in the ocean, that which is too wonderful for me and my world changing.

P - Lord who loves … really loves,

Today I say please enable to me live your words about earth and follow you unto my life being transformed and my world changing.  I am asking for help, not self-help. I am admitting my misunderstandings about priorities, time and how your kingdom is.  Please put the yeast of your kingdom into the little batch of my life and displace the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.  I will be little and ask big … unto all you already have in mind.

Love,

Steve