Access Denied

S - "“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

O - Most likely no one is surprised to hear Jesus talking about entrance requirements into the Kingdom that never ends.  The qualifier he identifies is available to all and is described as doing the will of my Father who is in heaven. The surprise is what won't work as a part of this entry qualifier. The things that won't satisfy the requirement include:

·         Correctly identifying Jesus as Lord.

·         Accurately speaking (prophesying) in Jesus' name.

·         Pushing back evil (casting out demons) in Jesus' name.

·         Blessing others (doing many mighty works) in Jesus' name.

Not only do these not make the grade as doing the will of the Father, Jesus will go on to identify them as works of lawlessness or iniquity.  Seriously?  If these things aren't the will of the Father then what are?  While all these activities appear to be in line with God's will on earth, and even when these activities bless others which heaven likes, there is an essential which makes and confirms them as the God's will and confirmation of our entry into the Kingdom.  The essential?  Love. God is love and his kingdom is a kingdom of love.  All of the cited activities can be (and have been) done without love; but the will of the Father cannot be done without love.  It is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22; Luke 10; Mark 12) and without love Scripture confirms all such actions end in nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

A - Culture (personal, secular and religious) is focused on what is seen while the Father and his kingdom focus on what is unseen.  Culture is about doing something to be someone where the kingdom is about being and all doing flowing from that.  Jesus calls me/us to himself and to his Father according to love.  From being loved and in love the doing takes on more significance than meets the eye.  It becomes rife with his relentless love and irrepressible life.  Today I intend to engage him, his will and this earth according to love.

P - God who is love,

Thank you for today and for having a will on earth which includes all 7.2 billion of my fellow earthlings.  I admit my need of your love so that I can really love.  You have loved me/us first, most and refuse to change your mind.  I do love you back and will rely on the love you have for me and us all to enable me to do your will on earth like they do in heaven … according to love.

In Jesus,

Steve

Shameless Living

S - "And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”" (Luke 9:23-27 ESV)

O - Shame is a very powerful force in human life and culture.  Jesus addresses this head-on as it relates to his person and to his words.  Does this shame dynamic apply to all of Jesus' words or only some of them?  Religion picks a very small portion of his words to connect with this direct statement about shame.  Jesus makes no such limitation.  All of his words are included.  Many will want to identify with the shame of his cross but ignore his words on daily needs and provision (Matthew 6:24-34), money and greed (Luke 12:13-34; 16:13-15) and on loving all and judging none (Matthew 7:1-6; Luke 6:37-42; John 15:12-17) to cite a few. The result is that we are taught to be ashamed of many of his words under the guise of good stewardship, practical living and how earth really works.  Aren't these the very issues he calls us to deny ourselves to?  Anyone means everyone.  Whoever includes all.  His metric is simple and clear: "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"

A - The term for shame (ἐπαισχύνομαι) has as its root the action of disfigurement.  This is how I can know if I’m ashamed of his words or not.  Am I believing/living his words or altering them (disfigure) to accommodate me trying to keep or save my life?  Either I will succumb to the shame of culture (religious and secular) and disfigure the words of Jesus or I will believe and live them … shamelessly.  I'll need heaven's help to refuse the shame.  The beauty is that heaven is near and stands ready to help.

P - Lord who is life,

I choose to lose … so you will find.  Thank you for clear words about earth so we can be empowered by heaven.  I accept this assignment according to love.  I admit that you are life and your words lead to life.  I also admit that I am little and weak and vulnerable to shame.  Thank you for refusing to be ashamed to call me brother.  I love you back and welcome your irrepressible life and power unto no shame!

Yes according to Jesus,

Steve

Terms and Conditions for Heaven and Earth

S - "Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. … For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. … And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us." (1 John 2:24-25; 3:11, 23-24 ESV)

O - The Kingdom of God offers eternal life to all who will believe. It calls all people to a simple and direct commandment which simultaneously engages heaven and earth according to love. The problem is that earth wants to redefine the terms of eternal life and believing. Earth makes believing all about "accepting" certain theological conclusions about the identity of Jesus.  Heaven keeps it all about an unqualified personal response to the person of Jesus (John 5:39-40). Earth wants earthlings to think eternal life is a status one obtains by holding on to a prescribed formula. Heaven wants earthlings to know that eternal life is a person who will hold on to them forever (John 10:28-29; 17:2-3). Earth says eternal life begins in heaven but heaven wants earthlings to have and experience this life beginning now.

A - Hearing AND abiding are connected to the promise of eternal life. Both the hearing and abiding involve more than information. I am to abide in him (not just the concept of him) and he will be abiding in me. This is a spirit dynamic which is lived out loud day by day by loving God back and all others as myself. Earth (religion) teaches that eternity is all about what place one will abide in. Heaven says it is all about with whom one will abide. With Jesus the place is not an issue. While the ultimate place maybe future the hearing, abiding, loving and living is now!

P - Lord who is life,

Thank you for wanting to abide in me/us and for calling all to abide in you unto the life that is really life. I accept the dynamics of being loved by you, loving you back and all others. I am very glad to be engaging heaven and earth as you intend. Yes to you and your kingdom on earth, in me, as it is in heaven.

Today while it is called today,

Steve

Note to self: You're Never Too Old to be Afraid

S - "On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41 ESV)

O - One of the signs that you're following the real Jesus is the oscillation between terror and amazement. In obedience to his instruction the disciples are engulfed by a killer storm; and this is only one of many storms they will face together because they're following Jesus. Earth had trained them to think of storms as seasonal, random from nature or judgement from God and always fearful. Jesus thinks of them as unavoidable, rife with opportunity and purposeful. His questions on that day to his followers remain questions for all of his followers on any day: "He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”"

A - All these years later, my problem is that after a season of smooth sailing I begin to think I'm past the season of storms. Maybe I'm thinking 'I've got this part of following down' and so storms in this area of living really serve no purpose. This line of thinking has consistently produced three results in me:

1.       I am once again surprised, shocked and afraid due to a storm.

2.       Jesus remains steady and unoffended at my less than stellar reaction. Together we revisit his questions.

3.       I end up amazed in confidence due to his presence and then by the resolution of the storm.

This serves to illustrate to me, and in me, the reason the work is believing the person of Jesus not a concept, promise or principle (John 6:29). The person has all authority in heaven and on earth and he's working everything for good … everything! The conclusion of King David is the conclusion for all who follow the Lord as Shepherd: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." (Psalm 56:3 ESV)

P - Lord who is the Good Shepherd and my Shepherd,

Thank you for calling me to your very self to learn to think, love, live and speak the way you do. Thank you for the compass point of your presence recalibrating me in my littleness and fearful weakness. The work is not getting out of the storm but believing you. I accept this work; grateful that mustard seed sized faith is sufficient for you … unto everything being possible. I admit that every day and in every circumstance you already have in mind what you're going to do. You lead and I'll follow.

Looking forward to more amazement,

Steve

Why Didn't Jesus Stop Her?

S - "And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44 ESV)

O - Admittedly it's an interesting place for Jesus to position himself.  Yet the really engaging question in this story is why he lets the widow do it?  Why doesn't he stop her?  The amount is negligible in the grand scheme of Temple costs and support. If she kept her offering it would not be missed and in giving it won't she severely miss it? Maybe by the time he sees her it's too late … it took only a matter of seconds and once the coins left her hand it's literally down the drain.  So, why doesn't he send one of the twelve after her with a couple of denarii to replace and drastically increase her former financial bearing?  How will she eat?  How will she live until she somehow gains a few coins again? Could the reason be that Jesus actually believes everything he's been telling the twelve and the crowds about money, provision and how to live life on earth?  In keeping with his teaching about worry and daily bread (cf. Matthew 6, Luke 12), maybe he's convinced his Father will care for her by a miracle or through others. Wait … wasn't Jesus a street kid in Jerusalem for three or four days when he was twelve?  How did he eat and where did he sleep?  Why wasn't he flustered and afraid when his parents found him some 72 to 96 hours later (Luke 2:41-51)? Hmmm … don't worry, don't run after, don't take.  Trust, follow and all these things will be added. 

A - Jesus is very direct about the cost of following him (literally everything), the corrosive nature of money (be on your guard against all kinds of greed), the Father's willing involvement in daily bread (give us this day our daily bread) and that there are no exceptions to the truth that no one can serve God and money (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). The question for me is will I believe him?  Will I take him at his word?  Since for Jesus believing and living are completely connected, will I live this "out loud"?  His question remains foremost in how I am to think, speak, live and love (John 3:11-12):""Truly, truly I say to you, we speak what we know, and we testify about what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony! If I tell you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" [LEB]

P - Lord of Daily Bread,

I accept your testimony about earth and realize that as I live this out loud you won't stop me either.  Instead, you'll lead, reveal, provide, protect and enable me.  I admit that even in daily bread issues your ways are your own.  I'm not putting any confidence in how I think your words should come to fruition.  I'm putting all my faith, trust, hope in your person … you lead and I'll follow. I affirm my everything is on the table … do everything you already have in mind to do.  Thank you for not stopping her and for not stopping any and all who will take you at your word.

All in,

Steve 

Revealed this Way?!

S - "After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21:1-14 ESV)

O - What an amazing way for Jesus to reveal and confirm his resurrected self to seven of his closest friends and followers.  Fish, fishing, breakfast … very few words, big on presence and nonverbal communication (e.g. 153 large fish).  The entire exchange records one simple question and three simple sentences from Jesus.  Communication a child can understand. No theological reviews, tests on Scripture or even prayers for the food. They are together over breakfast and around the person of Jesus.  The conversation will increase and intensify after breakfast … after the revelation is completely accepted by the seven.  Religion puts its emphasis on protocol, environment and information.  Heaven puts its emphasis on presence, relationship and love.  The promise of Jesus remains to this very day: "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”" (Matthew 18:19-20 ESV) 

A - The seven spend all night fishing, not praying.  The result? A "bumper crop" of fish and a very amazing visit from Jesus. Religion taught me that exceptional visits must be preceded by exceptional prayers.  Jesus lived and acted the opposite.  After the miracle of feeding the 5,000 he goes to spend the evening in prayer (Matthew 14:21-23). After the whole town turns out and all are healed he's out by himself praying (Mark 1:29-35).   It's not that I should never pray all night, it's why I should.  Prayer is me making myself lovingly present to God … who is already lovingly present to me and already working everything for good (Romans 8:28).  Apparently there is a great need for being together all night to fish before considering all night to pray.  I'll believe Jesus; live and fish in agreement with my brothers and sisters, anticipate his visit and then look forward to an all-nighter with me making myself loving present to him.     

P - Lord who is love,

Today I'm looking forward living in agreement from fish to revelations … with your family … all who love you back.  I thank for giving us to each other in the same way you've given yourself to us; wholeheartedly and completely.  I welcome you and your kingdom so near to interface in and through my very little life unto all you already have in mind to do.  I say yes to you.

In you and your name,

Steve 

Enter Here

S - "And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34 ESV)

O - The accounts of Jesus' life and ministry present the Greatest Commandment in three different settings.  Matthew 22 reveals that all Scripture hangs/depends on these two.  In Luke 10 the question is about inheriting eternal life.  When the questioner quoted these two commandments as his answer to his own question the Scripture records: "'You have answered correctly,' Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.'" In the exchange above the scribe states his complete agreement with Jesus; that the two commands form the superlative of all … they are the greatest.  The response of Jesus to this is an interesting one.  He didn't say 'Way to go … you're in the kingdom.'  He said:  "You are not far from the kingdom of God." The difference between close and in is essential (cf. Luke 13:23-30). In the life, mind, words and commands of Jesus, believing and living are not separated.  The failure to live what one claims to believe is the very reality Jesus consistently warns his followers against. Such is the yeast of the Pharisees … they say the words but refuse the meaning.  Accuracy in theological thinking is not a bad thing but it will not secure one's place in the Kingdom which will never end. Among his last words to the Twelve we find this statement (John 13:17): "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

A - The doing which connects me/us with the blessing is not a way to earn anything … it is the way to receive … a receiving based on a living response to a living being (divine and human).  Engaging, living the greatest commandments is the purpose for all humans on planet earth.  All are welcome into the Kingdom and all come the same way … loving the way they are loved.  Today I won't settle for being near the Kingdom … because of love and by love I'll enter in!

P - Lord who loves all,

Thank you for being the way for us to live out loud the superlatives … for loving us first and most and for refusing to change your mind.  I am so very grateful that near or in is not something I determine for another … it is something I can know about me.  I do want to love you back with all, even when it's pathetically small and weak, and my neighbor (7.2 billion minus 1) as myself.  It is a beautiful reality that each day, each circumstance all you want is all.  I give my all in Jesus' name.

Steve