Power in the Name

Friends,

Luanne Oleas shares this story -- When the 1960s ended, San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district reverted to high rent, and many hippies moved down the coast to Santa Cruz. They had children and got married, too, though in no particular sequence. But they didn't name their children Melissa or Brett. People in the mountains around Santa Cruz grew accustomed to their children playing Frisbee with little Time Warp or Spring Fever. And eventually Moonbeam, Earth, Love and Precious Promise all ended up in public school. That's when the kindergarten teachers first met Fruit Stand. Every fall, according to tradition, parents bravely apply name tags to their children, kiss them good-bye and send them off to school on the bus. So it was for Fruit Stand. The teachers thought the boy's name was odd, but they tried to make the best of it. "Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?" they offered. And later, "Fruit Stand, how about a snack?" He accepted hesitantly. By the end of the day, his name didn't seem much more unique than Heather's or Sun Ray's. At dismissal time, the teachers led the children out to the buses. "Fruit Stand, do you know which one is your bus?" He didn't answer. That wasn't strange. He hadn't answered them all day. A lot of children are shy on the first day of school. It didn't matter. The teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children's bus stops on the reverse side of their name tags. The teacher simply turned over the tag. There, neatly printed, was the word "Anthony." Aaah, oh well. The lessons we learn, right? Names are important, as they more closely identify us than anything else we own.

So, it is with this in mind that we further come to understand the unique relationship between the Father and the Son here in John 17:6-12…and how the Son carries the name of the Father. The Old Testament Jew knew God has Jehovah, the Great I AM (Exodus 3:11-14). Jesus takes the sacred name I AM and makes it not only personal, but meaningful for His disciples. “I AM the Bread of Life” (John 6:35), “I AM the Light of the World” (John 8:12), “I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11) all reveal that Jesus is everything that they need. But, the Father’s name includes much more than this, for Jesus also teaches His disciples that God, the Great I AM, is their Heavenly Father. “The Father” is used 53 times in John 13-17, and 122 times in John’s gospel. We get the picture as to who is in the picture here. Jesus makes it clear, repeatedly, that it is the Father who sent Him, that He is equal to the Father, and that His words and works come from the Father. He makes a clear claim to the fact that He is deity, but they refuse to believe. By saying that He has “manifested the name of the Father”, He reveals the very nature of God. One of the ministries of the Son is to declare the Father (John 1:18, 14:7ff). It is through His living the life of service, that He gradually…by His words and deeds…reveals the nature of His Father in a way that they are able to more readily grasp it.

It is because we believe in the name of God and the power of salvation that comes in His Son, that we understand that we, as believers, have safety. Peter and John believed in this, as they proclaimed the power of the name of Jesus is Acts 3-4. God took care of them. God takes care of His own people. The Father purchased us through His Son, and He is not going to allow us to have to fend for ourselves. As we discussed in chapter sixteen, God gives to us His Holy Spirit to guide and protect us in our walk with Him. Furthermore, God’s people are the Father’s gift to His Son. Would the Father present His Son with a gift that would not last? Whenever you feel down or as if the Lord has somehow forgotten you, read Romans 8:28-39. The Father is near…He is present…He cares for us and what is going on in our lives. The Spirit helps us to understand better the presence of the Father for us and through us.

We come back to the theme of glory once again. With all of their faults and failures, the disciples still receive this word of commendation – that Jesus is glorified in them. As I mentioned last week, we need a Savior, because we are going to blow it, we make mistakes, we sin. But, the Lord God knows this. This is why He would send his Son to rescue us from ourselves. And no one can take this away from us. Once we have received salvation in Christ, the only way that we cannot have it is to walk away from it. We must be faithful to Him who called us out of the darkness and into His glorious light.

Finally, we have fellowship and unity (v.11)…a theme that He is going to come back to shortly. Wherever we find saints, we find fellowship. We have the most important thing, and in this case, the most important person in the world in common – Jesus Christ. The Father knew that we would need one another. After washing their feet and up until the time of His crucifixion, Jesus knows that they are going to face trying times and that they are going to need one another. We are able to be overcomers in this life, because we share in the life of the One who has overcome sin, flesh and even death itself. So, even though one day we are going to die, it will be as if passing through a gate from one form of spiritual/eternal existence to another. Jesus is going to be waiting for us, by the power and authority of the name of His Father. What a marvelous thing!

Bruce Larson, in Believe and Belong, tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ: "For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. 'Now that's one way to live,' I would point out to my companion, 'trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.' "On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. My point was illustrated graphically. "We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, 'I give up, Lord; here's my life. I give you my world, the whole world.'"

In a sense, this is the message that Jesus is sharing with His disciples…then and now. You and I can try to take on the world, put it all on our shoulders and see how long we are able to bear up…or, we can let it go. We can trust in the power of the name of God, and the authority of the name of Jesus to take care of us. It is in the strength and power found in Jesus that we are going to find victory and overcome this world, religious trappings, and other matters that seek to weigh us down. There is a song that came out recently that really captures this wonderful thought, and I fell in love with it quickly, because it helps us to gain some perspective on life. It is called “Just Say Jesus.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWbYo6H0WiI

Blessings, Don

Considering Jesus' Message concerning the Sheep and the Goats

Friends,

A handwritten paper pinned on the wall of the chapel where Mother Teresa worked in Calcutta, India said: "When I was homeless you opened your doors. When I was naked you gave me your coat. When I was in prison, you came to my cell. When I was lonely, you gave me your love. Searching for kindness you held out your hand. When I was happy, you shared your joy. Every person, often the ones closest to us, is offering a gift -- a chance to love.” This sounds familiar, doesn't it? As one of her humble friends relates -- Mother Teresa was a powerful servant of God. She was more than a Christian saint...her entire life radiated love and service.

Jesus tells this story in Matthew 25:31-46 -- "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

There is a lot to consider here...and most of it is difficult. As I think about it, I do not believe that most people like this story, or they are at least uncomfortable with it. We certainly do not want to be with the goats, yet everyone believes that they are sheep. The truth is likely somewhere in between. Much of this is due to the fact that we like such stories it as they relate to other people, but we do not like them so well as they relate to us. We have been discussing the end times on Wednesday evenings in recent weeks, and some have expressed certain discomfort with passages like the one above, as well as Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

It has been well-documented that, as a comprehensive church culture, we have become more so a group of consumers (or takers), rather than producers (or givers). To quote a common refrain, “Everyone’s business is nobody’s business” is not a good principle to live by as it relates to the Christian walk for individuals and churches, but it happens all too often. I believe we have come to the point where being challenged, and getting out of our comfort zone is not only not in vogue, it is no longer welcome at all for many believers. We must be what Jesus called us to be – servants in the kingdom of God. We don’t have to preach a sermon or give a lesson…all we have to do is be the hands and feet of Jesus, and share a smile. Some might think that …concerning a service project or difficult ministry situation…“this is not my thing”. Try it! Surprises will be in store, and blessings will be the result. We have to be challenged in order to grow.

Busyness has become an idol (perhaps the predominant idol) in our culture. We are all busy…yet, we have the same 24 hour period as any group of people in history. I truly don’t believe the Lord expects us all to be Mother Teresa…but when we stand before the Lord on judgment day, He is not going to say, “Well, you were awfully busy – terrific.” He is going to ask, “What did you do to prosper the kingdom?” “What did you do to serve?” And, if we say, “Not much, I was too busy.” He might say – “Go take your place with the goats.” Let’s not be as the saying goes – “Most people wish to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.” Knowing full well that we are saved by grace thorough faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and our salvation has been paid for and we have responded accordingly, we have an obligation and a responsibility to live like “saved” people. This is indeed the other side of the coin. From time to time over the years, some have expressed concern to me as to whether they “have done enough” as it relates trying to get there…or trying, in essence, to work for their salvation. This is simply not possible. Others have expressed concern over whether they have done enough in working out their salvation. (Philippians 2:12-13) I believe that this is a much more important question to ask. I will offer this in closing…to quote the famous musician, Keith Green -- “The difference between the sheep and the goats is -- what they did and did not do.”

Blessings, Don

Something from Nothing

Friends,

Elijah is instructed by the Lord in 1 Kings 17 to go to a certain place and wait.  But, his time is not spent in vain, the Lord continues to use him, providentially, to bless the lives of those around him.  After leaving King Ahab’s presence, Elijah…directed by the Lord…goes into hiding by the brook Cherith, where he lived for probably a year, and then God tells him to leave.  I am certain that the Lord’s instructions likely shock Elijah, but such should be the case when God is in the driver’s seat.  He commands Elijah to travel northwest about a hundred miles into Gentile territory to the Phoenician city of Zarephath.  Since Zarephath is not too far from Jezebel’s home city of Sidon, he will be living in enemy territory.  This would prove not to be too unusual for the Lord, as His own Son would travel to the same area to minister to a foreign woman.  Even more, Elijah is instructed to live with a widow whom God has selected to care for him, and widows are usually among the neediest people in the land.  And since Phoenicia depends upon Israel for much of its food supply, food would not be plentiful.  But, when God sends us, we must obey and leave the rest to Him.  As one has said, “We do not live on man’s explanations, but upon God’s promises.”  In accordance with this, when we consider the early days of the church in Jerusalem in Acts, the believers had all that they needed (Acts 4:34-35), as they all shared with one another in order that the blessings of the Lord could grow. 

It is likely that Elijah stays with her for two years (18:1).  The fact that this woman has been instructed by the Lord is by no means proof that she is a believer in the God of Israel -- this is not indicated.  In fact, the widow speaks of Jehovah as “the Lord your God.”  It is not the first time that God has used an outsider…as he used Rahab the harlot and Cyrus, king of Medo-Persia (among many others) in order to accomplish His purposes.  The woman has very few things of value – a little oil in a flask, a handful of barley in a large grain jar, and a few sticks to provide fuel for a fire.  But, Elijah’s resources are great, for the Lord Almighty has promised to take care of him, his hostess, and her son.  Elijah gives her God’s promise that neither the jar of grain nor the flask of oil will be used up before the end of the drought and famine.  This is sort of like winning gasoline for a year, but much better.  In our modern society with credit cards and convenience shopping, we need to remember that each meal that we eat is a blessing from the hand of God.  We may or may not live far from the farmers, orchardists who grow our food, but we cannot live without them.  “Give us this day our daily bread” should be more than just a line in a prayer.  Food for thought (no pun intended).

To help us to better understand the workings of the Lord in our everyday lives, Chris Appleby shares this -- It was Sunday morning and Harry was off. He pulled out of his driveway in his 2-seater convertible, with the roof closed because of typical Melbourne driving rain, and headed for church. But as he turned into the main road he saw ahead of him three bedraggled figures huddled under a single umbrella at the next bus stop. One was old Mrs. Fletcher. She still insisted on getting to church by herself, despite her arthritis which was always worse in wet weather. There was Dr. Jones, the local general practitioner. A year earlier Dr. Jones had diagnosed a rare and dangerous disease that Harry had contracted on an overseas holiday, so Harry virtually owed him his life. And the third person was Judith. Harry had had a crush on Judith for the past 6 months since she joined their church, but had never had the courage or the opportunity to ask her out. Harry had about 3 seconds to decide what to do. There was only one spare seat. Who should he offer a lift to? But 3 seconds was enough. He pulled to a halt, jumped out, passed the keys to Dr. Jones, helped Mrs. Fletcher into the passenger seat, and then modestly waved them good-bye as he huddled close to Judith under the umbrella. God’s sovereignty and our action so often go hand in hand. 

None of this really should be surprising, even though it still often does surprise us.  But, if the God of the universe could create the universe…something out of nothing…He really should be able to handle all of the matters in our daily lives that need to be taken care of -- and so He does.  I want to offer one final story to help us to understand that we really need to trust in Him.  James Brown shares this -- there is no situation I can get into that God cannot get me out of it. Some years ago when I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out-of-control. It soon became evident that the instructor was not going to help me at all. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, my mind began to function again. I quickly corrected the situation. Immediately I turned to the instructor and began to vent my fearful frustrations on him. He very calmly said to me, "There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again." At that moment God seemed to be saying to me, "Remember this. As you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right."  That lesson has been proven true in my ministry many times over the years.  And even better when we simply trust the Lord for His guidance first and foremost, as He will lead to where we need to be from day to day. 

Blessings, Don

The Price of Genuine Love

Friends,

There are hearts that are hard enough to resist the forces of wrath and the fury of pride. But hard is the heart that can resist the warm flame of Love.  In his own way, Solomon seemed to understand this, as he shares in his love story in Song of Solomon 8:6, 7a.  There is a strong fire-like passion in love.  There are times when we “feel the love”…and at other times, perhaps, “not so much.”  Solomon explains that the strength of commitment is like a seal over the heart and on the arm.  The seal is a symbolic reminder of the commitment of love.  The seal could be likened to steel for any relationship, and should be so…particularly for the marriage relationship.  Our commitment to love another is to be like solid steel.  Even though we may not always “feel” like love is present…it is not about feelings most of the time.  Feelings ebb and flow like the tide, but the solid steel commitment to love should our foundation for life.  These are Jesus’ final hours with His disciples, and so He wants them to understand matters of genuine importance.  So, it should not be a surprise that “love” is at the center of it.

The story of the Bible is about relationship…it is about how God chooses to befriend mankind and bring salvation.  The basis for our loyalty as Christians is founded upon this very principle.  It is because of the love of the Father that He shares with us through His Son, as seen in John 15:12-17, that we are even able to understand genuine love and commitment.  As John tells us in chapter four of his first letter – it is not how much we love God that makes the difference for our lives, but how much we truly understand that God loves us.  He has granted us a multi-faceted special relationship with His Son.  He is Savior because of His sacrifice on the cross on our behalf in order to take away our sins…and because His sacrifice is empowered by the resurrection, we are able to live eternally.  He is Brother, as Jesus shares in Matthew 12:50, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother.”  He is also Lord, which means that He is to be our Master.  As His bond-servants we Christians take our marching orders from Him!  In this passage, Jesus offers yet another form of relationship.  He calls His disciples His friends (v.14).  We who are His disciples, likewise, are His friends.  Jesus’ relationship with His friends is based upon love and respect, as well as knowledge.  This should be the primary concern of Christianity at its most fundamental and important level – it is about a relationship with Jesus.  As His friends, the disciples are able to interact with Jesus and get to know Him, “What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled concerning the Word of life…” (1 John 1:1ff)  Jesus let His disciples in on His plans, which included their call to become apostles who would go out and spread the gospel message.  God loves you and me and He wants us to be a part of His family for eternity.

Jesus’ also shares concerning how important it is that His disciples be selfless…to love as He loved.  This is called, agape, or unconditional love.  Commitment to unconditional love seeks to put others first…serving without expecting anything in return.  This is the new commandment as seen in 13:34-35.  Jesus says, “This is my commandment,” which is not necessarily to be taken as an exclusive command (although, I do not necessarily have a problem with it), but it is the primary commandment.  This old commandment has been reshaped in a way that only Christians can understand and assimilate it – “love one another, even as I have loved you.”  “Greater love” indicates the ultimate love for disciples…that they would be willing to lay down their lives for their friends, and perhaps others.  All of this adds a whole new dimension to the commandment -- sacrifice.  Jesus’ love is sacrificial.  He willingly laid down His life as the Sacrificial Lamb for all mankind…including those who were His enemies.  Many of us would lay down our lives for our family and perhaps for some close friends, but we would not do so for all, and certainly not for those who would hate us or mistreat us.  While we may not ever be called upon to literally lay down our lives as the early disciples did, we must be prepared to do so.  And we must be prepared to continually give ourselves in service to our Lord and Savior.  Jesus and His disciples had to learn to live beyond their comfort zones.  Should we be any different?  Sacrificial love has a cost.  This is the commitment of love…this is the “steel” that is supposed to be a part of our lives.  We are to live lives of service, building relationships with one another, and others, to the building up of the Kingdom of God.

We live in a pragmatic world that is governed by many other things than agape.  Loyalties have been divided concerning a principle where loyalty is critical.  Agape is not to be “optional” but “imperative.”  Genuine love is necessary in order that the church may prosper and grow…but it comes at a cost.  It may cost us time, energy, some spirit, but nothing that does not come back to us as a far greater reward.  When we come together, we may see some evidence of agape, but being friendly and shaking hands does not necessarily mean that we are committed to one another, the body of Christ, or to Christ himself.  Jesus paid the price so that we could overcome shallow ups and downs…so that we could survive “the feelings” of love…ultimately, so that we could experience “the commitment” of love -- agape.  Be willing to live a life committed to genuine love…to living life abundantly…and do not settle for something less.  Loyalty to the Savior and His body is the steel that is going to grow and prosper our spiritual lives as well as the Kingdom of God.

Blessings, Don

Staying Connected

Friends,

We have a pecan tree in our front yard that has a habit of shedding…fruit, leaves, seeds…and if that was not enough, it sheds it share of branches.  It happens with some regularity that I am dragging a branch 5 to 20 feet long around to the side of the house to be chopped up and put in the trash. Yet, what do you think would happen if I took one of these branches out into the yard and planted it in the ground and watered it…would come back to life? No, we understand that this is not how it works, because branches get nutrients that they need to live from the tree. Branches cannot live or grow without the tree. If the branch comes from a fruit tree, there will never be fruit on the branch if it is separated from the tree. I have to wonder if this is what prompts Jesus to break into this discussion concerning the vine and the branches with his disciples on their last night together. In the time of Jesus, a great golden vine hung over the entrance to the Jerusalem temple. Jesus and the disciples would have likely walked by it on their way to the upper room, and it would have been fresh in the minds of all who were present…and thus, it would provide a fitting illustration as to their spiritual reality.  It is also interesting to note that the grapevine symbol was also found in coins, Temple décor, burial places, and art of the period. These examples demonstrate the cultural presence of the vine symbolism for Israel before, during, and after the time of Christ.  The key for Jesus is that He wants His disciples to understand just how important it is that they stay connected to Him and to one another.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1, NIV).  This is the seventh and final of the great “I AM” statements that Jesus makes in John’s gospel.  Since the cultivation of vineyards was important to the life and economy of Israel, when Jesus starts using this imagery, it is not something new, but is familiar to every Jew. There are different vines found in the Word of God.  One is old -- the past vine was the nation of Israel.  In an act of grace, God transplanted Israel into Canaan and gave the nation every possible benefit. God asks, “What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?” (Isaiah 5:4)  If ever a nation had everything it needed in order to succeed, it was Israel.  But, the vine produced “wild” grapes.  Instead of practicing justice, it practiced oppression…instead of producing righteousness, it produced unrighteousness. God chastised Israel, but even that was not enough, for when the Son of the Master Gardener came into the vineyard, the tenants killed Him (Matthew 21:33-46).

The other vine is new – it is Jesus Himself.  He is the true or “original” vine.  In Him is genuine life…and the branch that is connected to Him has life. For believers, it is our communion with Christ through the Spirit that makes it possible to bear fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is present in the life of a growing believer…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Jesus says, “You will know them (true disciples) by their fruit" (Matthew 7:20).  A true branch, united with the vine, will always bear fruit.  Not every branch is going to bear a bumper crop, but it will bear fruit…as there is always fruit where there is life. This imagery is similar to what Paul shares concerning the Head and the body.  Christ is the head and the church is the body.  They are inseparably connected…you cannot have one without the other. Many of the images of Christ and the believer given in Scripture (head, body…bride, bridegroom…sheep, Shepherd) emphasize the importance of union and communion…and we can see the connection.

Something else to understand about the vines in the Holy Land…they were very strong, and it was nearly impossible to break off a mature vine without injuring the plant. That being said, a branch disconnected from the vine is weak and useless – branches are good for bearing fruit or for burning. The sooner that we believers discover and understand that we are but branches, the better we can and will relate to the Lord…for we will know our own weakness and confess our need for His strength. I do believe that “self-sufficiency” is the bane and decay of the vineyard today.  When we think we are strong enough and can handle things on our own, in effect, we sever ourselves from the vine.  When we are so busy that we cannot “be Jesus” to one another, then we are too distracted. We need to be strongly connected. The key word in this passage is “abide”…it is used eleven times.  How can we tell when we are “abiding in Christ?”  Is there some special feeling that is associated with it?  No, in fact, most of the time, our feelings will run contrary to this “abiding, connectedness”.  Satan will try to dissuade from being “connected.” There are evidences of “abiding” that are clear.  When you are “abiding” in Christ, you are “producing fruit” (v.2).  Also, you will experience the Master Gardener’s “pruning.”  He will teach, train and discipline us in order that we can grow. The believer who is “abiding” has his or her prayers answered (v.7), experiences a deepening love for Christ and for other believers (vv.9, 12-13), and experiences “joy” (v.11). The abiding relationship is natural to the branch and the vine...but, it must be “cultivated” in the Christian life – it does not happen automatically. Abiding demands worship, meditation on God’s Word, prayer sacrifice and service.  Once we begin to cultivate a deeper communion with Christ, we will have no desire to return to a shallow Christian experience.

In Ontario near an abandoned cemetery, there is this broken dead tree branch, devoid of life, hanging between two trees. At one end, a vine has intertwined itself around the dead branch and the trunk of one of the trees that supported it, giving the appearance that of still being part of the living tree. But in truth, it isn't…it is dead, truly dead, hanging by a thread! Or should I say, hanging by a vine?  If we are not leading a victorious life through the authority Jesus gave us, we are not "remaining in the vine". We may appear alive, but the sap that gives us victory is not coursing through our veins. We have somehow been detached from the source of real living!  "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." (John 15:4 NIV)  Faith stands firm in the face of trial and temptation, believing in God's promises:  Are we grafted in the vine or are we lifelessly hanging between trees?

I believe that many believers are like that branch being held up by the vine…they have the appearance of being alive, but they really are not.  Something we must understand as we come into this New Year -- we are not going to gain by being disconnected from the Jesus and from one another…in fact, we are going to be hurt, spiritually. We need to be committed to Jesus and to the body if we are going to grow and prosper spiritually.  As we have discussed previously, we live in the most technologically connected, but least personally connected society, in the history of mankind. It is good that we can communicate with friends around the world via Facebook, Twitter and the like, but we hardly spend time with one another outside of our regular meeting times. I don’t believe this is where the Lord would have us to be…especially since many of the early believers were meeting day by day in fellowship (but which also would be entirely unrealistic today). If we are separated from Jesus, and from one another, our leaves will wither and die and we will never put forth any fruit.  If we are staying connected, our lives will produce beautiful leaves and delicious fruit.  Since we have so many distractions today to keep us from being connected, what are we going to do to fight the cultural norm and the spiritual battle? This is an important question that each of us has to answer.

 

Blessings, Don

A Peace of the Action

Friends,

As seen in this portion of the Ephesian letter (2:11-22), Paul is working with the Gentiles.  Most of the Ephesian believers are Gentile converts, yet they understand that much of God’s program in the Old Covenant involves the Jews.  The Jews are not kind to the Gentiles.  Many of the Jews believe that the Gentiles need to become Jews first before they can be acceptable to God and to them.  God made the difference between the Jews and Gentiles from the time of Abraham…not that the Jews might boast in how great they were, but in order to be a blessing and a help to the Gentiles.  The Jews might have been different nationally, ritually…but morally, they are the same as the Gentiles.

Before they came to Christ, the Gentile Ephesians worshipped Diana (or Artemis).  Some of them believed they could worship Diana and Christ…and that it would all be the same.  Paul says – no way!  The Jews were a “special nation”…but not so the Gentiles.  They did not have a covenant for themselves.  They were aliens and strangers and the Jews never let them forget it.  The Gentiles’ philosophies, religions were empty and powerless to help men face life and death.  They were, as a whole, without God.  The nations had many gods (see Paul in Athens, Acts 17), but they didn’t know the One True God.  The Gentiles were included in God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)…and this ultimately would culminate in their having hope through Christ Jesus. 

Although the Jews, Gentiles might have different purposes, these differences are erased in Christ’s reconciliation or “bringing them together again.”  There is not a significant problem for the church until Peter is sent to the Gentiles (Acts 10).  Then there is enmity (Acts 11-15).  Are the Gentiles supposed to become “Jewish Christians”?  No.  The enmity was taken away.  The law that separated the Jews and Gentiles is taken down…Christ destroys the wall and makes peace.  The big picture is what really needs to be considered.  Not only did the Gentiles need to be reconciled to the Jews, but both Jews and Gentiles need to be reconciled to God!  It is not a question of a Gentile becoming a Jew in order to become a Christian, but the Jew admitting he is a sinner like the Gentile.  Jews and Gentiles both have access to the same God through the new covenant brought by Christ Jesus.  Israel was God’s chosen nation, but they rejected their redeemer and suffered the consequences.  The kingdom was taken from them and given to “a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof…” (Matthew 21:43).  The new nation is “spiritual Israel”, the church.  Sin divides mankind, but Christ unites people by His Spirit.  All believers, regardless of national background, belong to a “holy nation” with citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3).  God does not dwell in a house made with hands, in temples or church buildings…but He lives in the lives of His believers (1 Corinthians 6:19), who are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:19). What a glorious plan in order to bring “oneness” and “peace.”

Joel Jongkind shares this -- In the latter part of the gospels, the disciples were in quite a state when they were gathered in the upper room. Their Lord and friend had been crucified, and the authorities were after them. They sat and wondered what to do next. Some of them were ready to go back home. And suddenly, Jesus was with them, and they heard His wonderful words, "Peace be with you."' Sometimes we too doubt and worry; sometimes we have a feeling of anguish in our hearts. We sit and wonder, or we lie in bed and worry, and we pray about it, or we go to church to worship, or we pick up the Bible and read those wonderful words, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28 NKJV) Or we hear Jesus' words, "Peace be with you."  The word "peace" has been used a great deal over the years. Every time we turn on the television, we hear people “talking about peace” in places where there are wars and uprisings: in the Middle East, in Syria in particular lately, and in a number of African countries as well. There are a lot of negotiations, but there does not seem to be a lasting peace.  Before one war is over, another one has started. There seems to be no end to it, and we have learned nothing from history; there is no lasting peace. But inner peace is for all of us to have and to hold through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. We know that the triune God -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- is our source of lasting peace, and then, it does not matter what might happen in our lives, for we can be at peace through faith, and we will have peace in our hearts.”

It is interesting to note that religious history is not a record of man starting with many gods (idolatry) and gradually discovering the One True God.  Rather, it is the sad story of man knowing the truth about God and deliberately turning away from it.  God called the Jews beginning with Abraham that through them, He might reveal Himself as the One True God.  Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles, but their light burned dimly.  Today, we…spiritual Israel, the church…are not all that unlike the Jews and Gentiles as it relates to our ideals, philosophies and the like.  We all come from different places, have different backgrounds.  The message of grace and reconciliation is just as important today as it has always been…maybe it is even more important as it relates to one another, given the great differences between people…especially those in our fellowship.  But, the goal is not any different for us than it was for early believers.  In spite of our differences, we find ways to submit our spirits to the Spirit of God and when we do so, we are able to be at peace with God and with one another.  And this has value beyond what any of us can really truly appreciate individually…but it is good. Keep working at allowing the “peace of Christ to dwell in your hearts.”

Blessings, Don

Passing from Death to Life, Part 2

Friends,

Mike Wilkins tells this story -- In Donald Miller’s book “Blue Like Jazz,” he has a chapter called “Love: How to Really Love Other People."  He was at a lecture by Greg Spencer that talked about the metaphors that we use around (amongst other things) relationships. We talk about how we value people, invest in people, how we say people are priceless, or that a relationship is bankrupt. All these metaphors are economic ones. “And that’s when it hit me -- the problem with Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money. Professor Spencer was right, and not only was he right, I felt as though he had cured me, as though he had let me out of my cage. I could see it very clearly…if somebody is doing something for us, offering us something, be it gifts, time, popularity, or what have you, we feel they have value, we feel they are worth something to us, and perhaps, we feel they are priceless. This was the thing that had smelled so rotten all these years. I used love like money. The church used love like money. With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did.” There are always going to be those situations in our lives where it feels like we are going to use love “as a commodity,” rather than allow love to transform us. We cannot withhold love from our friends, or from those with whom we disagree. We learn and grow in relationship to allowing the Spirit, in love, to help us to learn to disagree agreeably…to move on and to grow.  In this, we mature in Christ.  I think that this is the concept that John shares in his first letter. In 3:11ff, love isn’t just a commodity, but it is who we are – we are producers.

I my previous message, I talked about how the Christian is supposed “to pass from death to life” in the Ephesian letter.  It is a personal, spiritual journey…we go from living in the flesh to resurrected, spiritual beings for Jesus. So…is that all there is to it?  Does this take place in a vacuum…or, is there more to the story?  John says…yes, there is.  So, here we go. He starts us off by talking about the children of our “first parents,” Adam and Eve.  Cain and Abel had the same parents, but they approached life from completely different perspectives. They both had the same opportunities – they both brought sacrifices to God…both acted, but one had a heart that was thankful, while the other had a heart that was indifferent.  Abel’s offering was “by faith”…Cain’s, however, was not. And instead of listening to God concerning His heart problem, Cain listened to the voice of the evil one. Instead of repenting, he was filled with jealousy and hatred toward his righteous brother, whom he plotted against and destroyed. Cain’s attitude represents the system of this world…serve self…look out for number 1…trample on those who keep you from goals #1, 2.

When people in the world come face to face with the truth of Jesus Christ, it forces them to go in one of two directions – repentance and submission to Christ…or defiance and antagonism. In effect, hatred is the destruction of the spirit, according to John and has the same effectual quality as “murder”…which is not a good thing, obviously. This is where the world resides, but it doesn’t have to be this way…what is the answer? It is found in “passing from death to life,” which John equates to “living according to love”.  It is a living out of the resurrected life that we talked about last week…it is about living in the Spirit, walking in newness of life, and so on. We cannot stay in the angst of hatred, jealousy and living according to the flesh – this is “to stay dead.” John says that “true love” means loving in deed and truth.  We are no longer simply to talk about meeting needs or loving others…we must find ways to do it. One of the reasons that sinners were so attracted to Jesus is that they were certain that He would love them in a sincere and unbiased way.

What kind of love would it take to come down from heaven to be among men?  What kind of love would it take to struggle through the Garden of Gethsemane…to die on a cross and be raised from the dead to eternity? This is a costly love, a sacrificial love…it is unconditional. When believers choose to live in this committed, sacrificial way of love, there are some tremendous benefits. The first is assurance. If we love, our understanding of God’s truth grows and we can enjoy hearts filled with loving confidence before God, and confidence in our salvation. Another blessing is answered prayer. Because of our confidence toward God, we can ask of God…and He can answer. Love proves that we are living in the will of God. In addition, our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ cannot be divorced from our prayer lives.  Living in the right, loving relationship with our brothers and sisters enables our prayers to be answered.  A final blessing is abiding.  From the upper room to the garden, Jesus illustrated this principle, comparing His followers to branches in a vine (which we are going to get to in a couple of weeks). If we abide in Christ…obeying His Word…living holy lives…then the fruit of the Spirit of love is going to become evident in our lives. 

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.  But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2:14-18 NIV). As the saying goes, “All it takes in order for evil to succeed is for ‘the good’ to do nothing.”  One might think I am talking about politics…no, but the everyday living of the Christian life. As Randy Harris shares, “What happens when people make themselves available to the work of the Spirit? (To use a band/choir analogy), He helps us to hit or sing the right notes.  We can trust our instinct to be right most of the time…this is spiritual maturity." Love is not indifferent…as it was with Cain, but is proactive…as it was with Abel.  Love is not static, but dynamic.  Love is a verb, much more so than a noun when it comes to our lives. Love is not apathetic (notice there is only one letter difference between “apathetic” and “pathetic”), but it is passionate…it cares enough to encourage, to confront, to bless. We live in a culture, not only where people…including many believers…are apathetic, don’t care, but where people expect things to come to them -- but this is not the way of Christ. We can’t expect that it is always going to be “someone else’s responsibility” as it relates to being Jesus to the world or to the brethren. There are way too many folks who live a “consumer Christianity”…who treat it like a “commodity”, rather than a “producer lifestyle.” Once again, James has a word for us, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22 NIV). Be a producer.

Blessings, Don