When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to be baptized he said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."(Jn. 1:29) That is quite a statement! No sports team would name themselves the "Lambs". Lambs are basically weak. You can do almost anything you want to with them. Like a lamb, Jesus was unnoticed(Is. 53:2b), He was available(Matt. 20:28), and He suffered(Is. 53:3,7).
Yet there is power in the term because Jesus is the lamb of God. As such He is unblemished(I Pet. 1:17,18). As Son of God, the Word who became flesh, Jesus was sinless(Is. 53:9b. He was also the perfect sacrifice because "not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, Jesus entered into the Holy Place having obtained eternal salvation."(Heb. 9:12) That perfect offering tells us that there is nothing left to do for our salvation. We cannot add to what God has done on our behalf. All we need do is receive Christ and in doing that we accept what He has already done for us to have eternal life. So He did that for us.(Is. 53:4-6)
Let all of us who are followers of Jesus Christ remember that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He died for you and me but He also died for everyone. This lamb is seeking and saving the lost((Lk. 15:11-32, 19:1-10). And He is sending us out into the world to tell others about this amazing love. How can we keep it to ourselves? If you discovered the cure for cancer you would shout it from the housetops. We actually have the cure for death. We cannot help but tell the world that Jesus saves!
God's love is amazing! It is like a mountain lake. Around the shore line it is shallow enough for even a little child to know, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so". But it is so deep in the middle that even the giants of theology are in over their heads. All we can say is that God loves us and the cross of Christ, His Son, proves it.
I pray that all of us will look to the once crucified but now risen Lord Jesus and be ready to say to others, "Behold the Lamb of God".
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Where Have You gone, Joe Dimagio?
In the 1960's Simon and Garfunkel sang a song in which a line went, "Where have you gone, Joe Dimagio, a nation turns it's lonely eyes to you; What's that you say Mrs. Robinson, jolt'n Joe has left and gone away..." The meaning was clear to me: All the real heros are gone. It seems to still be true today.
Who can we trust in today? All the athletes, show people, business leaders, and especially polititians seem to care only about themselves. I can detect almost no real concern by most of our current political leaders for the needs of the USA or the world. They just want to be elected(or re-elected). Neither of our presumptive nominees for President appear to want to suggest or try anything heroic that could bring us out of the doldrums. I long for a man or woman who will challege us to be our best. I would love to have a President who, while being optimistic, would be realistic enough to call us to make sacrifices for the common good. Unfortunately, I just don't see it happening in the current campaign. Maybe I'm expecting too much!
In Acts 12 we read about a polititan(Herod Agrippa) who was so popular that the people thought he was a god. Herod refused to give glory to God and he was struck dead(Acts 12:23). "Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread and there were many new believers."(vs. 24) Later, Paul and Barnabus were performing miracles to the point that the crowds declared them to be gods.(Acts 14:13) Paul and Barnabus replied, "Friends, who are you doing this? We are merely human beings--just like you! We come to bring you the good news that you should turn from these useless things and turn to the living God , who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them."(vs. 15)
I am persuaded that we should never put our faith in humans. The God of the universe is all we need and the only one in whom we can ultimately depend. We tells us that He loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.(Jn. 3:16, 10:10) He calls us to make sacrifices,(Matt. 16:24,25) He promises us His presence with us now and an eternity with Him in Heaven forever. His name is Jusus Christ, the name above every other name!(Phil. 2:11)
Who can we trust in today? All the athletes, show people, business leaders, and especially polititians seem to care only about themselves. I can detect almost no real concern by most of our current political leaders for the needs of the USA or the world. They just want to be elected(or re-elected). Neither of our presumptive nominees for President appear to want to suggest or try anything heroic that could bring us out of the doldrums. I long for a man or woman who will challege us to be our best. I would love to have a President who, while being optimistic, would be realistic enough to call us to make sacrifices for the common good. Unfortunately, I just don't see it happening in the current campaign. Maybe I'm expecting too much!
In Acts 12 we read about a polititan(Herod Agrippa) who was so popular that the people thought he was a god. Herod refused to give glory to God and he was struck dead(Acts 12:23). "Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread and there were many new believers."(vs. 24) Later, Paul and Barnabus were performing miracles to the point that the crowds declared them to be gods.(Acts 14:13) Paul and Barnabus replied, "Friends, who are you doing this? We are merely human beings--just like you! We come to bring you the good news that you should turn from these useless things and turn to the living God , who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them."(vs. 15)
I am persuaded that we should never put our faith in humans. The God of the universe is all we need and the only one in whom we can ultimately depend. We tells us that He loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.(Jn. 3:16, 10:10) He calls us to make sacrifices,(Matt. 16:24,25) He promises us His presence with us now and an eternity with Him in Heaven forever. His name is Jusus Christ, the name above every other name!(Phil. 2:11)
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Only Our Feet
Read John 13:1-17
In Bible times the streets and roads were dusty and dirty. It was common for people to pick up dirt and mud on their feet and so, when they came inside a house they had to take off their sandals and wash their feet. Well-to-do households would have a servant wash the feet of the guests. In this passage of scripture we find Jesus taking the role of a servant and washing His disciples' feet. Peter took offense and said, "No, you will never wash my feet!" Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." then Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and head as well!" Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean."
True followers of Christ have been washed in the blood of Christ. They are clean. We are righteous in Jesus Christ. But we pick up stuff every day that cakes dirt on us that must be washed off. We go out into the world, whether to work, school, marketplace,sports, movies, tv, or just general talk with people we see. We hear words and see situations that are un-Christ-like. We see and hear behavior that can damage us and later our testimony. We are still clean--we are saved by Christ's blood. We need our feet washed metaphorically so we can be clean, to feel clean, and to be a good witness for our Lord. For, out in the world, we hear and see things that, if left on our heart are going to make us ineffective. In those situations we have a need to allow Jesus to wash our feet.
The Bible says that we can be holy and pure when washed by the water of the word.(Eph. 5:26) The daily reading of scripture along with meditating on it can wash us clean of the filth we pick up as we go through the dusty and muddy road of life. We are clean, but not all of us. As we read His word, Jesus will wash away all those thoughts and attitudes that try to drag us down and damage our christian walk. "Thy word I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee."
In Bible times the streets and roads were dusty and dirty. It was common for people to pick up dirt and mud on their feet and so, when they came inside a house they had to take off their sandals and wash their feet. Well-to-do households would have a servant wash the feet of the guests. In this passage of scripture we find Jesus taking the role of a servant and washing His disciples' feet. Peter took offense and said, "No, you will never wash my feet!" Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." then Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and head as well!" Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean."
True followers of Christ have been washed in the blood of Christ. They are clean. We are righteous in Jesus Christ. But we pick up stuff every day that cakes dirt on us that must be washed off. We go out into the world, whether to work, school, marketplace,sports, movies, tv, or just general talk with people we see. We hear words and see situations that are un-Christ-like. We see and hear behavior that can damage us and later our testimony. We are still clean--we are saved by Christ's blood. We need our feet washed metaphorically so we can be clean, to feel clean, and to be a good witness for our Lord. For, out in the world, we hear and see things that, if left on our heart are going to make us ineffective. In those situations we have a need to allow Jesus to wash our feet.
The Bible says that we can be holy and pure when washed by the water of the word.(Eph. 5:26) The daily reading of scripture along with meditating on it can wash us clean of the filth we pick up as we go through the dusty and muddy road of life. We are clean, but not all of us. As we read His word, Jesus will wash away all those thoughts and attitudes that try to drag us down and damage our christian walk. "Thy word I have hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee."
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Jesus Has Something To Say
Jesus was having dinner with a Pharisee named Simon. An immoral woman came in with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume. "Then she knelt behind him at his feed, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them."(Luke 7) Simon was indignant, thinking that Jesus should not let a sinner touch him. "Then Jesus answered his thoughts, 'Simon...I have something to say to you.'"
So often people sit in church services thinking all kinds of thoughts. Some people are looking at others and wondering why such sinful people can came to church an act so religious. Some are thinking about what's for dinner or who will win the game that day. All those kinds of thoughts and many others are either anti-God thoughts or non-God thoughts. They take us away from an opportunity to truly worship the risen Savior. They rob us of our chance to hear from God and grow in Christ.
I can just hear Jesus saying to so many of us as we sit in church thinking thoughts other than God-thoughts or even as we go through life ignoring God's command to pray without ceasing, "I have something to say to you." Christ wants to speak to us and guide our lives. Corporate worship is one of those great times to hear from God, through the singing, the praying, the scripture reading, the sermon or just a still small voice. I think most of us know of our need to hear from Christ but we are unaware that He actually wants to say something to us.
In the story of dinner at Simon the Pharisee's house Jesus' word is that the more we understand God's forgiveness, the more we will love and worship Him. The sinful woman expressed her faith in Jesus by loving Him. Even as we pour ourselves out to Him in love, we are opening up ourselves to hear another word from Him and grow in our faith. "Faith come by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."(Rom. 8:17) Jesus answers our wondering thoughts and says, "I have something to say to you!.
So often people sit in church services thinking all kinds of thoughts. Some people are looking at others and wondering why such sinful people can came to church an act so religious. Some are thinking about what's for dinner or who will win the game that day. All those kinds of thoughts and many others are either anti-God thoughts or non-God thoughts. They take us away from an opportunity to truly worship the risen Savior. They rob us of our chance to hear from God and grow in Christ.
I can just hear Jesus saying to so many of us as we sit in church thinking thoughts other than God-thoughts or even as we go through life ignoring God's command to pray without ceasing, "I have something to say to you." Christ wants to speak to us and guide our lives. Corporate worship is one of those great times to hear from God, through the singing, the praying, the scripture reading, the sermon or just a still small voice. I think most of us know of our need to hear from Christ but we are unaware that He actually wants to say something to us.
In the story of dinner at Simon the Pharisee's house Jesus' word is that the more we understand God's forgiveness, the more we will love and worship Him. The sinful woman expressed her faith in Jesus by loving Him. Even as we pour ourselves out to Him in love, we are opening up ourselves to hear another word from Him and grow in our faith. "Faith come by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."(Rom. 8:17) Jesus answers our wondering thoughts and says, "I have something to say to you!.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
This Is Not All There Is
Reality does not consist only of that which we can see, hear, taste, smell, or feel physically. There is another world--a spiritual world that we can only see by faith. But it is there and it is really more real than what we can experience with our five senses. Everyone has a little inkling of this world(which we will call, "eternity"). Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God has placed eternity in our hearts. We all have a sense that there is more to this world. One of the great proofs of the existence of the God of the Bible is that almost every society values things that one cannot see, hear, taste, smell, or touch. Qualities such as love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, patience and godliness are admired and sought after by people from every generation and nation. We know them to be God-like qualities that come to us as fruit of the Spirit.
One day the disciples were walking in the Temple area with Jesus and pointing out the magnificent buildings. Jesus said, "Yes look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another."(Mark 13:2) One day all of humankind's accomplishments will be gone. Only what
is spiritual will remain. Our world is temporary. God's kingdom is forever.
In Jesus, Eternity entered into this temporal, sinful world. As he healed the sick, set free the demon-possessed and forgave sins Eternity Himself demonstrated that His world is more powerful and real than the one we experience in our bodies. Ultimately He yielded to all that drags us down by dying on our behalf. He took the sting of death and rose triumphantly to open up the other world to all who would place their trust in Him. When you connect with Christ you plug in to another world--eternity and it changes you forever.
One day the disciples were walking in the Temple area with Jesus and pointing out the magnificent buildings. Jesus said, "Yes look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another."(Mark 13:2) One day all of humankind's accomplishments will be gone. Only what
is spiritual will remain. Our world is temporary. God's kingdom is forever.
In Jesus, Eternity entered into this temporal, sinful world. As he healed the sick, set free the demon-possessed and forgave sins Eternity Himself demonstrated that His world is more powerful and real than the one we experience in our bodies. Ultimately He yielded to all that drags us down by dying on our behalf. He took the sting of death and rose triumphantly to open up the other world to all who would place their trust in Him. When you connect with Christ you plug in to another world--eternity and it changes you forever.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Will of God
The one question I get asked(and ask myself sometimes) is; "what is God's will for me?). The specifics can be murky at times for sure, but, in general, the answer lies in Mathew's Gospel, chapter 25. In this discourse by Jesus, just before His crucifixion, we find a simple path to how we are to spend our lives.
The discussion really begins with chapter 24 when the disciples ask the question the signs of the end of the world. Jesus makes it clear that He will come again and that we will be held accountable for doing His will when He comes. Jesus is ruling now and will, some day, rule for all to see. In this kingdom we are to be His faithful servants now and forever. Faithfulness in the current rule of Christ will assure more duties in the next. Being faithful involves making certain investments.
The act should be an investment in God Himself, (Matt. 25:1-13: The parable of the 10 bridesmaids) In looking at these parables we learn that there is usually only one main point. The foolish bridesmaids were not prepared for the coming of the groom and so they missed the wedding celebration. The wise bridesmaids kept their lamps filled with oil and were ready when the groom came. This parable tells us that we should maintain our relationship with Christ--investing our time in Him and things about Him. There are two very telling thoughts in this story: The foolish girls ran out of oil which indicates their lack of interest in the groom and stands for our not remaining filled with the Holy Spirit. Secondly, in verse 12, the groom tells the foolish bridesmaids that he does not know them. Getting to heaven is not about some glorious future event (though there will be one). It is more about enjoying the Person of heaven now by investing in knowing Him and being filled with His Spirit so we can serve Him.
The act should also be an investment of our time and talent for God.(Matt. 25:14-30 The parable of the three servants) In this parable three different servants are given certain amounts of money. The first two make wise investments doubling their money while the third hides his money. When the Master returns he rewards the ones who invested and throws the do-nothing into the outer darkness. The lesson is clear. God wants us to invest our time and talents in His kingdom. Being a disciple of Christ starts with a Spirit-filled relationship with Jesus which results in our dedicating all that we have to serving him. It is better to try and fail at something for God than to not try at all. We all have different talents and abilities but we all serve the same mighty God who will multiply what we do for him in obedience and in the Spirit's power. This is a Christ-centered activity that ultimately is helping others.
The act should be an investment in people.(Matt. 25:31-46: The parable of the last judgement) This parable talks about the separation of sheep and goats at the last judgement. The sheep are rewarded with the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world.(vs.34) They are blessed because when they took care of the needs of people, especially the poor, they were ultimately doing it to Jesus. The goats were sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil because they did not look after the needs of people. Our investment in God soon leads us to an investment in people. Using our talents and time for him involves serving others. And when we do that, we are doing it as unto Christ.
This parable, taken by itself, can lead to a works-righteousness belief. But it must be connected to the other two. A social gospel alone is no gospel at all. The good news is that in accepting God's free offer of a relationship with Him, filled with His presence and power, we can serve Him by serving others. First we commit to Christ; then we commit to serving Him; which results in serving others.
The discussion really begins with chapter 24 when the disciples ask the question the signs of the end of the world. Jesus makes it clear that He will come again and that we will be held accountable for doing His will when He comes. Jesus is ruling now and will, some day, rule for all to see. In this kingdom we are to be His faithful servants now and forever. Faithfulness in the current rule of Christ will assure more duties in the next. Being faithful involves making certain investments.
The act should be an investment in God Himself, (Matt. 25:1-13: The parable of the 10 bridesmaids) In looking at these parables we learn that there is usually only one main point. The foolish bridesmaids were not prepared for the coming of the groom and so they missed the wedding celebration. The wise bridesmaids kept their lamps filled with oil and were ready when the groom came. This parable tells us that we should maintain our relationship with Christ--investing our time in Him and things about Him. There are two very telling thoughts in this story: The foolish girls ran out of oil which indicates their lack of interest in the groom and stands for our not remaining filled with the Holy Spirit. Secondly, in verse 12, the groom tells the foolish bridesmaids that he does not know them. Getting to heaven is not about some glorious future event (though there will be one). It is more about enjoying the Person of heaven now by investing in knowing Him and being filled with His Spirit so we can serve Him.
The act should also be an investment of our time and talent for God.(Matt. 25:14-30 The parable of the three servants) In this parable three different servants are given certain amounts of money. The first two make wise investments doubling their money while the third hides his money. When the Master returns he rewards the ones who invested and throws the do-nothing into the outer darkness. The lesson is clear. God wants us to invest our time and talents in His kingdom. Being a disciple of Christ starts with a Spirit-filled relationship with Jesus which results in our dedicating all that we have to serving him. It is better to try and fail at something for God than to not try at all. We all have different talents and abilities but we all serve the same mighty God who will multiply what we do for him in obedience and in the Spirit's power. This is a Christ-centered activity that ultimately is helping others.
The act should be an investment in people.(Matt. 25:31-46: The parable of the last judgement) This parable talks about the separation of sheep and goats at the last judgement. The sheep are rewarded with the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world.(vs.34) They are blessed because when they took care of the needs of people, especially the poor, they were ultimately doing it to Jesus. The goats were sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil because they did not look after the needs of people. Our investment in God soon leads us to an investment in people. Using our talents and time for him involves serving others. And when we do that, we are doing it as unto Christ.
This parable, taken by itself, can lead to a works-righteousness belief. But it must be connected to the other two. A social gospel alone is no gospel at all. The good news is that in accepting God's free offer of a relationship with Him, filled with His presence and power, we can serve Him by serving others. First we commit to Christ; then we commit to serving Him; which results in serving others.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Let the Church Be the Church!
I have had the privilege of teaching a Wednesday night class at a local Church on the book of Ephesians. I have learned a lot (as one usually does when teaching) about this letter by the Apostle Paul dealing with the Church. It is so easy to take promises from the Bible as personal--and most of them are. But Ephesians is for us more than it is for me, There is not question that God wants to do amazing things in my life and in your but He is going to accomplish most of what He does through humans with the church.
We are described in Ephesians as a body, a building and a bride. These are great metaphors but really more than that. We are (not are like) a body--the body of Christ. As such we need to work with each other under the headship of Christ. We are building--the temple of the Lord. We are God's house--living stones that need to be shaped to fit together with Jesus being the Cornerstone. We are the bride of Christ. We must all be committed to allowing Jesus to cherish us and sanctify us that He may present to Himself the church, holy and blameless, in all her glory without spot or wrinkle.
Wow!
We are described in Ephesians as a body, a building and a bride. These are great metaphors but really more than that. We are (not are like) a body--the body of Christ. As such we need to work with each other under the headship of Christ. We are building--the temple of the Lord. We are God's house--living stones that need to be shaped to fit together with Jesus being the Cornerstone. We are the bride of Christ. We must all be committed to allowing Jesus to cherish us and sanctify us that He may present to Himself the church, holy and blameless, in all her glory without spot or wrinkle.
Wow!
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