Facing all the Facts

S - "After Jesus had finished speaking, he looked up toward heaven and said: Father, the time has come for you to bring honor to your Son, in order that he may bring honor to you. And you gave him power over all people, so he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.” John 17 TS

O - Jesus gives eternal life and the definition of it.  Eternal life is not received by believing facts about someone. It is not obtained by committing to live by concepts or principles. It is not gained or maintained by observances, rituals or disciplines.  In the mind, words and life of Jesus eternal is a relationship; received and maintained by knowing someone NOT by knowing things about that someone. Simply put, you know if you know someone and you know if you don't actually/literally know them.    

A - Religion is satisfied for people to believe its presentation of the facts about Jesus.  It creates adherents, devotees and enthusiasts.  It develops gatherings, rituals, programs and organizational structure based on the information it presents. It calls people to believe in Jesus the way 328 million Americans believe in George Washington. Heaven has no such desire.  In the entertainment industry, there are fans, groupies, who scour and consume all available information on their heartthrob.  They frequent the places they hear they will be and follow them from city to city.  They can join a fan club and meet with those who represent the one they are enamored with or hear stories from those who know the person.  They can do all these things and more … and never actually meet or even have one brief conversation with the person they know so much about and give so much time and energy to. Heaven isn't recruiting fans, boosters or adherents. It is inviting the world (7.7 billion) into a relationship with a person. Knowing him and knowing about are NOT the same thing! It is in knowing him (not knowing about him) that eternal life is present.  As he told the sisters of Lazarus "I am the resurrection and the life." According to Jesus, knowing the facts will never be enough.

P - Lord who is eternal life,

Thank you for letting me meet and know you … and for wanting this to be true for all people. I do love you back!

In Jesus,

Steve 

Courageous Living

S - "After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."" Acts 27:21-26 NIV

O - It is not just the men on this ship who will need to keep their courage up. If it happens as God wills then not only will they all be saved from the storm, Paul will stand before Caesar. According to heaven Paul "must stand trial before Caesar." Like his Lord before him the secular authorities will condemn him to death for no reason at all. Like the events of Jesus' trial and execution the world will think they have the upper hand … and, as with the experience of Jesus, time and eternity will prove they did not. 

A - I keep wanting Paul to be free and God keeps wanting him to stand trial before Caesar.  This serves to illustrate yet again why I can have in mind the things of men rather than the things of God even when I'm reading Scripture and putting my best theological foot forward (cf. Matthew 16:23; Mark 8:33).  Relief and confidence will come not through circumstances of our preference but the person of our devotion.  Jesus is life, is truth, is hope, is the King of kings … my assignment is follow and believe (rely on and have confidence in).  This is my heart’s desire.

P - King of kings and King of me,

I admit my flawed thinking … that on my best day I see through a dark glass dimly.  Lord, thank you for insisting I trust, follow and believe. Lord, with all that has transpired and all the still swirls around us I do trust you and am choosing to NOT lean on my own understanding.  I will follow you and refuse to take the lead … no matter where you lead or what I face. Lord, I believe and want to do the work of believing so that I can make you glad and maybe be a reason someone else believes.  Lord, my answer is yes.

All my love,

Steve