Already Advantaged - so Please Check Your to do List

S - “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:7-11 ESV

O - The advantage of the followers of Jesus will not be the Scriptures, the Apostles or the historic connection with Abraham, Moses and the Prophets.  The Helper, the one who will awesomely advantage all who love Jesus, will more than make up for his physical absence in a way prescribed by heaven.  A major component of this advantage will be the work this Helper will do.  His work will encompass the entire world and will engage in an activity reserved exclusively for him.  His work? To convict (ἐλέγχω - convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove.) and to do so with a very specific focus.  The advantage heaven sends to the followers will engage the world in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment.  The problem comes here … when religious thinking and human reasoning try to help heaven with this endeavor. Only one sin is listed; the failure to believe in the person of Jesus.  The righteousness he will convict of is not about the actions of others on earth but of Jesus' relationship with the Father.  Judgment is not focused on any humans but singularly on the fallen Lucifer. This is where the advantage begins each day. Conclusion? Heaven's activity and work list on earth is very different from earth's (secular and religious) activity and work list.

A - Heaven doesn't want my help.  It wants my cooperation.  It wants me to admit, accept and trust the Helper sent to engage the world.  Jesus wants me to follow him and to rely on the work he, his Father and the Helper are doing … whether I currently see it or not.  The Spirit, like the Father and Jesus, does not want my assistance in bringing conviction to others or in building lists of concerns and sins. They do want me to welcome this work, this conviction, in my own life and to live it out loud day by day.  Along the way I'll get invited into places, people and situations where they'll let me be a part of what they are doing.  Currently, heaven is engaging in 7.2 (on the way to 7.3) billion projects on planet earth and I am grateful to be one of them.     

P - Lord God of heaven and earth,

Thank you for the advantage, the work, the focus and the ongoing presence of your person in us and with us … unto everything you already have in mind to do. I want to cooperate and not help.  I welcome and embrace the Helper you send and refuse to alter his list of to dos. I'll follow, be your worksite and agree to whatever you'd like me to do and not to do. Beautiful!

Glad to be living and thinking in Jesus and in his name,

Steve

Salt of the Earth?!

S - “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."” Luke 14:33-35 NASB

O -  The issue of salt-like quality is a big deal for Jesus.  It's also a big deal for the religion of his day and frankly for all religions.  The problem is that religion's salt and Jesus' salt have very little in common.  Religion wants some of our possessions (a tithe, a gift, etc.) and Jesus puts a claim on all one is and has. Religion's salt is focused on not doing certain actions and Jesus' salt is replete with actions that are out of this world (i.e. love your enemy; do good to them, lend to them, be kind to the ungrateful and wicked because the Father is kind to them; lose your life to find it; give it away to keep it, etc.). The religious of Jesus' day considered themselves the salt of the earth but he identified a very different and tragic reality. ““But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”” Luke 11:42-44 ESV The religious were salt without taste … not only were they of no help; they made those who came in contact with them worse than before.

A - My experience has been that the "salt" of religion is about not sinning.  The "salt" of the Kingdom is about living out loud the reality of the God who is love.  It's the greatest commandment (Matthew 22).  Without it (love) everything is noise and nothing (1 Corinthians 13). It's the only measure given by Jesus which verifies those who are actually his disciples (John 13). Not sinning is a good thing but it does not make nor identify salt.  All the residents of every cemetery on planet earth have ceased sinning.  The police, the fire department, the military and the like are never summoned to put down illegal activities engaged by them. They never have a sinful thought or word.  No one there ever sins and none are alive.  Jesus is calling me and all who follow him to life to the full (John 10). A life full of the flavor of him who is love, life and light.   

P - Lord who loves the world,

I am asking to live the miracle of love; to be the salt you are and you've called me to be as I live in you and you live in me.  Thank you for insisting that I admit that everyday requires a miracle for me to live as your disciple.  I give all.  I give away. I say yes to you and all you already have in mind.

I love you back,

Steve