True or False?

S - "Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. You can tell what they are by their fruit. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree producing bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. You can tell who the false prophets are by their fruit." Matthew 7 TS

O - In the mind and teaching of Jesus a false prophet is not determined by what they say but by how they live. Religion wants the determination to be about information and scripture.  God's Kingdom is about relationships and living.  Earth's emphasis is on informational accuracy and Heaven's focus is on relational authenticity.  The false prophets of Jesus' day were not living on the edge of society but right in the middle of it.  They were the religious experts and elites; those who engaged the scriptures and the temple.  It turned out that those who read the scriptures and prayed every day, those who tithed and faithfully attended services, were the ones who resisted and ultimately killed Jesus.  "You can tell who the false prophets are by their fruit."

A - The fruit of a life that is true is one where love for God and love for all others is increasing; the fruit of forgiving all, of judging none and of personal, ongoing devotion to the person of Jesus.  It will not be the fruit of flawless living (i.e. never sinning or being mistaken) but of blameless living (i.e. always turning into Jesus and admitting one's failures). The false are willing to believe Jesus about heaven but not about earth.  The true live out loud his instruction on both.  The false use scripture to justify their lives while the true engage it to rectify their lives.    

P - You who are the way, the truth and the life,

I accept the truth that the most pressing problem is the beam in my own eye rather than the sawdust in another's. I admit that the difference between a true follower and false prophet will not be determined by one's theology but by one's living.  So, you lead and I'll follow.  Right religion will never produce or protect … but relational authenticity with you will always do both.  Thank you for loving and wanting the whole world.  

Relying on you,

Steve

Heaven's Need to Know Basis

S - "For 40 days after Jesus had suffered and died, he proved in many ways that he was alive. He appeared to them and spoke about God’s kingdom. … When they were with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to restore Israel as a kingdom?” Jesus said to them, “You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.”" Acts 1 TS

O - Humans want to know the plan and heaven wants us to know a person.  Humans get focused on theological understanding and heaven is focused on personal interaction according to the Spirit. Heaven wants us to stay focused (in heart, thought, word and deed) on Jesus; not theological considerations "inspired" by someone's read of Scripture. "Witnesses of me" is the point.   

A - The Good News heaven sends to the whole world (7.7 billion people) is a person, not a plan, a book or a place.  Religion wants its adherents to do witnessing and heaven wants us to be witnesses; material witnesses not the purveyors of scripturally inspired theories and hearsay. When heaven marshalled all its resources to harrow hell and forever change the eternal destiny of the human race it stacked it all behind a face so that we would know that we are loved and wanted not just well resourced. Jesus comes to affirm the most important conclusion heaven wants all people to know:  We are loved and wanted at our worst! He says to me and to all: "If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light."

P - Almighty God who gives Jesus to the world,

Thank you for loving us first and most and for refusing to change your mind; for giving us Jesus so we can know and experience you and your love. Since he is the exact representation of you it is my pleasure and duty to keep my life's focus in word, deed and heart on him.  I welcome this privileged assignment and way to live.

Loving you back in Him,

Steve

The Gift of Ambiguity

S - "When they were with Jesus, they asked him, “Lord, are you now going to restore Israel as a kingdom?” Jesus said to them, ”You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power.”"  Acts 1 TS

O - The desire for information, to know what's next and what the plan is, hasn't lessened any from this first century exchange until now. The focus Jesus identifies here remains the same for all. His followers, those who are actually living in him and working with him, will not be relying on the power of information but the power of presence.    

A - Wait a minute!  Don't we need to know the plan?  What kind of handicapped living will that produce in those who are wanting to follow Jesus and welcome God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven?  Why this avoidable ambiguity?  We are not invited to rely on plans, promises or concepts. We are wanted and welcomed to rely on a person.  The ambiguity is a gift.  It keeps us in the best possible place: focused and near him who is irrepressible life.  When we're in his company, relying on him, everything is possible and everything is being worked for good.  Being near is more important than being right. He wants me/us holding on to him not a plan, engaging his person not a principle, fulfilled and confident in his presence not a promise.  I have discovered that I cannot escape this intentional mystery nor can I replace it with more "tangible" methods without ignoring/missing him. Children live this way and he has insisted that his followers do the same.  I am gratefully accepting this gift experiencing a deepening relationship and learning that his peace really does surpass all understanding.     

P - Lord who invites us near,

Am so very grateful that you want us near in ongoing relationship more than anything.  You keep offering yourself and I am so glad to have the privilege of offering myself back to you … not to your principles, promises or plans.  I welcome the power of presence.

Loving you back,

Steve 

The Basis of Resurrection Belief

S - "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran to Simon Peter and to Jesus’ dearest follower and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb! We don’t know where they have put him.” … The follower who got there first then went into the tomb, and when he saw it, he believed. At that time Peter and the other follower did not know that the Scriptures said Jesus would rise from the dead." John 20 TS

O - The very first followers of Jesus did not believe in his resurrection because the Scriptures foretold it.  They believed because they met, engaged, experienced the resurrected Jesus. Believing in the resurrection in principle because others do and/or because the Scriptures record it is NOT what Jesus or heaven has in mind.  From the first followers to the most recent, belief in Jesus and the resurrection comes not as a result of information but as the result of meeting the resurrected One. It is a function of spiritual revelation, not a conclusion of theological and historical assessments. Faith (belief, trust) is not a theological conclusion but a relational exchange … it is reliance on and confidence in a person.  Once you meet him … resurrection is a foregone conclusion.   

A - While there is "evidence that demands a verdict" this is not the basis of the faith once for all entrusted to that original group of followers. Faith in Jesus and in his resurrection is not based on a verdict but an encounter.  The encounter can come while the evidence is being reviewed but the two are not synonymous. John put it this way describing the basis of his faith: "We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us." 1 John1:1-2 NLT This is the breath-taking beauty of heaven’s invitation to all people - Jesus is to be known not just known about. According to Jesus who is resurrection life - The Kingdom of God is relationships … literally brothers and sisters, sons and daughters not scribes and debaters. 

P - God who sent Jesus to our world,

Thank you for wanting and offering us all a relationship rather than a religion. In the person of Jesus we experience the reality that we are loved and wanted … and the depth of this is in knowing him not just about him. I admit this is only possible by your direct activity in spirit - an ongoing relationship where your will and mine are required. Yes to you and all you have in mind in Jesus.

Steve

Huge Problem - Huge Relief

S - "One of the criminals hanging there also insulted Jesus by saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and save us!” But the other criminal told the first one off, “Don’t you fear God? Aren’t you getting the same punishment as this man? We got what was coming to us, but he didn’t do anything wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom!” Jesus replied, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.”" Luke 23 TS

O - The exchange between Jesus and the thief who asked to be remembered is actually a huge theological problem. He doesn’t say any, not one, of the words religion requires for what it considers to be a bonafide “you get to go to heaven” exchange. He doesn't call Jesus Lord or ask for forgiveness.  There's no confession of truths, acceptance of standards or declaration of personal intentions.  It's a completely relational and dependent request; a response to the person of Jesus and exclusively dependent on Jesus. This underscores the reality religion claims to represent (i.e. God and His Kingdom) and completely misses.  God's Kingdom is not primarily theological; it is primarily relational. Its emphasis is not on right words but a right heart; not on right forms but on relational authenticity. This dynamic of complete reliance on Jesus is, in fact, the only hope any of us have to make heaven our home.  

A - Faith, belief, salvation, prayer, eternal life, heaven, etc. is about reliance on and confidence in a person, not a principle, promise or concept. Jesus' definition of eternal life is the capstone of the relational nature of God and God's Kingdom. "This is eternal life: that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." It's not knowing about someone but knowing them.  This is the beautiful mystery and reality God clarified in sending Jesus to the world. Jesus says to all: "Don’t let your hearts be troubled! Have confidence in God and have confidence in me … I am the way, the truth, and the life! … Without me, no one can go to the Father." Am grateful to know Jesus and not just about him. I admit my complete reliance and dependence on Him.

P - Dear God and Father of us all,

Thank you for loving and wanting the world and for sending Jesus to us all.  I am so grateful to know him and to be in a growing relationship with him.  He is the only hope I have and the only one I want.  Thank you for being all in for us and I want to be all in in return.

Loving you back in Jesus,

Steve

The Change our World Needs

S - "The Religious Experts and the teachers began arguing, “Jesus is speaking irreverently! Only God can forgive sins.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking this? Is it easier for me to tell this man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk? But now you will see that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” Jesus then said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk home.” At once the man stood up in front of everyone. He picked up his mat and went home, giving thanks to God. Luke 5 TS

O - Due to culture's insatiable desire to control it is always wanting to script the lives and events of people.  Religion leads the way in this tragic line of thinking.  It places extreme emphasis on what it perceives to be the right words and the right actions.  God's Kingdom is always about a right heart and an authentic relationship. Jesus asks the question: "Which is easier to say?" In a different conversation, he will go on to ask “What about those 18 people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Do you think they were worse than everyone else in Jerusalem? Not at all! But you can be sure that if you don’t change your thinking, every one of you will also end in ruin.” Authentic relationship, not control! A change in heart and thought, not in vocabulary and performance. The world's focus is on informational accuracy (not a bad thing but not the most important one).  Heaven is focused on relational integrity (critical to life here and hereafter). 

A - The religiously, politically, theologically and the sociologically correct all want to script the words and the actions of people.  This promotes the pretend, the hypocrisy, the double standard which perpetually keeps our world at war, at odds with others and at death's door step. It's a right heart, a heart in ongoing transformation, which is the key to the life-giving results needed by each of us and our world. A right heart in an authentic relationship with God will stop the pretend, hypocrisy and the double standard.  It won't eliminate all mistakes but it does make the way forward through mistakes to life-giving conclusions.  Our world doesn’t need more scripting or control.  It desperately needs more heart felt change.  And of course, Jesus identifies the most important place where this change must start. With me! In me!  My heart, my thinking, my relational dynamics. I admit my need for the ongoing change of thinking which will avoid ruin and shape my heart as it was intended to be.   

P - Lord God Almighty,

Thank you for sending Jesus to the whole world (7.7 billion) to clarify your person and your purposes. Your pleasure is in a right heart not in "right words."  You're inviting us all to authentic relationship as daughters and sons not to a performance of actions disconnected from our hearts.  I admit that without your ongoing help I won't be able to live this way.  Thank you for making your heart toward us so very clear … if we will choose you will empower.  I choose!  I accept the invitation of Jesus to follow him and he will make me.  

Grateful and encouraged here on earth,

Steve

Heaven's Honor for All

S - "Father … I have honored my followers in the same way you honored me, in order that they may be one just as we are one. I in them, and you in me, so they may become completely one, that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me." John 17 TS

O - The greatest honor does not come in the form of rank, title or position. It is not offered as the result of heroic efforts or miraculous activities.  The greatest honor is relational.  LOVE, genuine, unconditional and unending is THE greatest of all.  It is the honor Jesus received from God and it is the honor given.  It is offered to the entire world God so loves.  This love is demonstrated, clarified and expressed in the love the Father has for Jesus.  With exacting detail, the honor of this love is for all who will accept.  Jesus is sent so that the world will know "that you love them as much as you love me." 

A - The one thing love does not do is force itself upon another. The words recorded above are not the validation but the invitation; they make the point not the proof. Love invites, waits, hopes and is always ready to respond to the one being loved.  This greatest of all honors, to be so completely and inexplicably loved, is something we can't buy or earn. It is a reality we can refuse, but not stop.  This love is not merely an ideal or philosophic concept to be considered. Validation is not found in ritual or academic pursuit. It is a relational dynamic which is not verified by some ancient text but experienced by those so loved. This honor is mine and is for all who will follow.  

P - God who is love,

Thank you for sending Jesus to the world (7.7 billion and counting). I admit that this invitation is to himself, not to a religion or concept or plan.  I know I can't make myself experience your love but when I make myself available it is amazing what I experience in you and your love. Thank you that this love is to be known not just known about. You and your honor are amazing.

I love you back,

Steve