Regarding Your Opinion

S - “On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, “If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! Have confidence in me, and you will have rivers of living water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say.” … When the crowd heard Jesus say this, some of them said, “He must be the Prophet!” Others said, “He is the Christ!” Others even said, “Can the Christ come from Galilee? The Scriptures say that the Christ will come from the family of King David. Doesn’t this mean that he will be born in David’s hometown of Bethlehem?” The people started taking sides against each other because of Jesus. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.” John 7 TS

O - Jesus offers ALL the same invitation and the same guaranteed result. He's inviting the world to experience an unlimited refreshing and life-giving dynamic. The source is himself. He makes no religious or theological prequalification in his offer.  What's tragically curious is the response of the people.Instead of moving toward him for living water they take sides against each other based on their current religious, theological predispositions.  

A - Jesus' invitation to me and to all is not prequalified. The offer is made with a shout not a whisper.  It's not secret; it's very public. He's not asking me about my current theological or religious opinion on anything or anyone. He's not asking me who I think should be qualified to come.  He's inviting each one of us, individually, to himself; to rivers of living water flowing from deep inside.       

P - Jesus given to the world,

Yes to you … to your person, presence and way.  Yes to living water.  

Amazed and refreshed,

Steve 

More than One Surprise

S - "When Jesus was going into the town of Capernaum, an army officer came up to him and said, “Lord, my servant is at home in such terrible pain that he can’t even move.” “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied. But the officer said, “Lord, I’m not good enough for you to come into my house.  Just give the order, and my servant will get well. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you in all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith! Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob . But the ones who should have been in the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. They will cry and grit their teeth in pain." Then Jesus said to the officer, “You may go home now. Your faith has made it happen.” Right then his servant was healed." Matthew 8 TS

O - Jesus’ response to this request was immediate and without qualification. He didn’t inquire into the officer’s religious practices, theological conclusions or political opinions. He did not ask about his life style preferences or off-duty activities. Neither did he attempt to lead him in a prayer or Scripture lesson. He did offer an unprecedented affirmation of the soldier’s faith followed by an observation which refutes all exclusive religious claims about participation in God’s kingdom. "Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven …"

A -  The faith which inspired surprise was relational not theological in its origin and expression. It was, as the Greek term describes, a confidence in and reliance upon the person of Jesus. Relational authenticity will always be more important than informational accuracy or religious practice.Surprise! What a beautiful dynamic and invitation for the whole world God so loves.

P -  Dear Jesus,

I accept this beautiful dynamic and invitation to relational authenticity with you; you who are completely reliable. Confident in your person and your ongoing personal invitation to all I will follow you.

Steve

Understanding God's Secrets

S - "I have explained the secrets about God’s kingdom to you. But for others I use stories, so they will look, but not see, and they will hear, but not understand. … Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have. Jesus’ mother and brothers went to see him, but because of the crowd they could not get near him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.” Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God’s message.”" Luke 8 TS

O - What's the secret to understanding the secrets? Is heaven playing favorites? Who determines who is in and who is out; who gets more and who loses what they already have?  The beautifully shocking answer is we do.  Anyone can be Jesus' mother and brothers.  Anyone can understand and receive more.  The determining factor is how anyone chooses to listen and to live as a result of hearing.  To hear and engage is to be guaranteed more.  To hear and merely consider is to be guaranteed loss.    

A - The followers are engaging and therefore gaining the understanding of God's Kingdom and the more which is sure to follow. It's not a matter of performance but of following and living out loud that which is the substance of God's Kingdom which is near. It is in the how we listen … with our lives not just our brains. The invitation remains wide open to all. Jesus says "follow me and I will make you …"  I will follow and listen with how I live.

P - God in Heaven above and on earth below,

Thank you for sending Jesus to clarify everything … including the identity of your family and the way to understand any and all secrets. It is clearly not religious and is completely relational. Thank you for the incredible dignity given to all people … an invitation to follow and the individual right to choose to respond or not. I am choosing (and will need your help to do it) to listen by how I live out loud not just by what I say out loud. You are completely amazing and I am completely amazed.

Steve