Believing In or Merely For?

S - John 4:46-53 (TLJ): "One of the king's important officials lived in the city of Capernaum. This man's son was sick. The man heard that Jesus had come from Judea and was not in Galilee. So he went to Jesus and begged him to come to Capernaum and heal his son, who was almost dead. Jesus said to him, 'You people must see miraculous signs and wonders before you will believe in me.' The king's official said, 'Sir, come before my little boy dies.' Jesus answered, 'Go. Your son will live.' The man believed what Jesus told him and went home. On the way home the man's servants came and met him. They said, 'Your son is well.' The man asked, 'What time did my son begin to get well?' The answered, 'It was about one o'clock yesterday when the fever left him.' The father knew that one o'clock was the same time that Jesus had said, 'Your son will live.' So the man and everyone in his house believed in Jesus."

O - The Lord's immediate response to this dad's understandably desperate request is quite interesting to me on several counts.  Apparently, asking Jesus for a miracle and believing in him is NOT the same thing.  Didn't the dad ask and didn't Jesus say in response to him 'You people must see miraculous signs and wonders before you will believe in me.'? Also, wasn't the miracle of the healed son the inspiration or confirmation for the entire household to believe in Jesus? The man had some faith because he takes Jesus at his word and leaves without Jesus coming with him to his home believing/hoping that his son would in fact recover and live.  Believing for something is not the same as believing in someone.  Jesus calls us to believe in him not just to believe for him to do stuff; all are called to follow the person of Jesus not just a concept of the Christ.

A - Believing in the person Jesus and not just the concept or a principle or promise is critical on so many levels.  When I am unable to grasp what is going on or why something is happening I can grasp his person and default to trust.  The Gospel is a person. God doesn’t want to capture a market share of the human race but to adopt human beings into his family. Heaven isn't offering us an improved version of self-help but help in the form of transformation.  Today the work is believing in the person of Jesus and in the ongoing context of a love relationship; Jesus want me to be asking for anything and to be willing for anything and everything he already has in mind to do.

P - Lord,

I do believe and please, please help my unbelief.  I want to keep asking big; to start my thinking, praying, speaking and believing at only one spot: with God all things are possible. Thank you again for loving me/us first and most and for refusing to change your mind. 

Grateful to be yours by right and by grace,

Steve

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

Real Life Cannot be Disconnected from Real Love

S - 1 John 5:1, 11-12, 20-21 (NLT): "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.  … And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life. … And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we are in God because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts." 

O - Loving the Father's children has only one starting place, Jesus … the only true son.  It starts there because he is God and he is eternal life.  However, loving the Father's children does not end where it begins.  Jesus insists that we love all who have been adopted into the Father's family by faith in him.  But wait, there's more! Jesus also insists that we love all … even our enemies.  This is formidable on a good day and all but impossible on a less than good day - and could this be the point? Could it be that just as real life, eternal life, requires Jesus so does real love?  Is it that we are to turn into Jesus to be able love all as intentionally as we turn into Jesus for eternal life?  Can it be that love engages a daily or a circumstance by circumstance turning-in and never a 'once for all'?  Confidence in eternal life in Jesus inspires and requires us to confidently, intentionally and consistently turn into him so that we may love all with the love we are being loved with.   

A - My assignment as an adopted son and brother is to love.  Like life, this love has its origin and first object in Jesus.  Jesus then turns my attention to all other children and inhabitants of planet earth.  This personal connection with Jesus and with the Father require consistent and intentional interface so that the intended fullness of life will be flowing into all who are his and through all who are his to the world which belongs to him by right and has been purchased by grace.  The greatest commandments are all about this love and upon them hang all Scripture and eternal life.  I am not sure how this all plays out in a life as flawed and distracted as mine, but I am sure I must engage.  Faith, Hope and Love remain … and the greatest of these is love. 

P - Lord who is God, Friend, Father, Brother and Hope,

This day dawns and offers to me the opportunity to love you back, to turn-in, to engage you so that as a recipient of your irrepressible life I would be a fountain of your love flowing out toward all.  Lord, I am not sure how all this works but I am sure you want me to turn in and believe.  Help me do the work of God in believing today while it is called today.  Lord, let and cause your life and love to flow into and out of me in ways known and unknown, by my intentional acts and by your awesome acts in and through me … even when I'm unaware. Lord you are the source and you determine the flow rate; all I can do is throw open my heart/life and rely on you to cause the living water to flow.  I choose to do this  kata; kariv~!
Steve

It Really is All in a Name

S - Acts 9:13-16, 21:11-13 (NAS): " But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."  … And coming to us, he [Agabus] took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: `In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' “When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.""

O - Why all this attention on the name of Jesus?  Why not use gospel or message or teaching in these exchanges between heaven and earth and between people?  What brought about transformation in Saul of Tarsus' life (and in the entire original band of followers) was not more information, teaching or concepts but an encounter with a Resurrected Person.  The concepts and principles of Jesus are not Jesus and they have no power or authority.  They do not save us, love us or protect and shepherd us … Jesus does all this and more.  We are not saved by the blood or the cross … we are saved by Jesus; it is his blood and his cross.  Paul will not go to Jerusalem for a cause, concept or religion. He will go for only one reason … a Person.

A - I was not/am not called to a worldview, principle, cause or promise.  I am called to a Person and he said "Follow me." It is such a privilege to know him and to be simply and directly charged to carry his name to all people and their kings/leaders. Jesus (and all of heaven) has loved me first, most and refuses to change his mind.  I am ready (ἑτοίμως: prepared to receive someone and/or to do something) to love him back and follow … no matter what!

P - Lord who wants and loves us,

Thank you for calling us to your name because we are called to your person.  You don't want us to live for you but in you.  You don't want us to work for you but with you.  You don't want us to know about you but to know you in the fellowship of your sufferings and the power of your resurrection.  Today, Sovereign Strong, I am ready.  I am not ready by strength or superior positioning.  I am ready according to love … because you have set your affection on me/us and refuse to change your mind.  Lord Jesus, today I will carry your name and stay near.

Following because of love,

Steve