What is the standard of the follower of Jesus?

One of the things which cause doubt in Paul's ministry was the amount of suffering Paul endured for the faith. In other words, people began to ask how can God be with the Apostle, if he is forced to endure such hardships and suffering? The modern culture remains just as doubtful. Shouldn't the follower of God possess a special dispensation of grace which empowers the believer to avoid such pitfalls?

Paul responds to such accusations by turning the worldly view on it side and pointing to a crucified Jesus. It is through suffering which prove Paul's service. It is through surrender to the suffering Messiah comes the discovery of the power of God and the consequential conquering of death. Paul writes: "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (NASB 2 Co 4:7–10). Paul's suffering is the mark of Jesus on his life.

Those who follow Jesus in a vocational work or in a volunteer work can relate to Paul's words. It is the believers mantra to agree with Paul in 2 Cor. 12.10: "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (NASB 2 Co 12:10). In my weakness, I learn to trust in God's abilities to work on behalf.

God is not about to stop being God. I am glad and praise him for carrying us through each and every struggle. You know I love ya, Don

Show the Love by Sharing the Strength!

-->

1 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

God has shined a light in the darkest reaches of the heart of a follower of Jesus. The God of light therefore acts quite differently from the god of this world, who blinds people, flings them into utter darkness, and hardens their hearts (4:4). Paul alludes here to the creation account in Gen 1:3–4: “God said, ‘Let there be light.’ ”

Paul is teaching us that the same God who created light in the midst of chaos at the beginning of creation beamed that supernatural light into the heart of the believer.

The image of light shining reminds most interpreters of the account of Paul’s own conversion experience recorded in Acts. In Acts it is described as a light from heaven and connected with glory and “brilliance” of Jesus. Acts does not portray this event as some internal awakening but as an external reality. What Paul makes clear here is that the external reality became an internal reality. Paul was no longer defined by his sin, he is defined by his relationship with the light. God offered new possibilities. We have new opportunities as well.

The new possibilities are the strength discovered in Christ’s love.  A Little girl was holding two apples; Her mother asked for one. The girl quickly bit one apple and then bit into the other… the mother was disappointed … Then the girl handed one to her mother and said, “Here this is the sweeter one.”

My friends, the strength we gain in knowing the bitter taste of the world verses the sweet and everlasting taste of God’s strength is what we are showing those around us. 

We show the love of Jesus when we show our strength discovered in Jesus. 

You know I love ya, Don

The Church is the Embodiment of Grace and Truth!

John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of Grace and Truth.”

I love the thought that you and I are to be FULL of both grace and truth. Jesus and the N.T. does not suggest a balance between grace and truth, but the full embodiment of grace and truth. Jesus did not come to strike a balance between grace and truth, but He brought the FULL MEASURE of both.

So what is Grace and Truth?

             Grace is generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved acceptance.

             Truth is is that which confirms reality, fact, or actuality. We don’t have time to debate the philosophy, the historical, or even the age-old question, what is truth. This definition will work for our purposes … In other words, what Jesus is teaching and revealing is that the confirmation of my faith is when I live it in reality, as fact, and in actuality.

The church is the embodiment of BOTH Grace and Truth. Now listen, the only group Jesus consistently condemned were graceless religious people – those who misused truth to control through guilt, fear, and condemnation.

The bible is the ultimate truth which is filled with the ultimate of grace. The church (You and I) is to be characterized by a full dose of truth … calling sin what it is and pointing to the purity and holiness that comes through believing, accepting, and uniting with Jesus … AND characterized by a full does of grace. THIS IS A CHALLENGE!

It takes boldness, commitment, and to move beyond yourself! How do we do this?

First, We confront sin! In our own lives and in the lives of those around us. 

Second, We don’t ostracize the person, including ourselves … Jesus always looked beyond the sin, to the person and helped them to see a greater possibility through living the truth. 

I want to commit to having soft hearts of grace and calloused hands from serving! You know I love ya, Don

How Important is the church?

-->

I wonder, if we were to ask the person in the street, “Why is the church important?” … we would get a wide range of answers. Some would laugh at the question, because for them the church has no importance. 

Others might see the church in the same category as museums:  The church preserves things from the past… They’re a nice place to visit on rainy days, where you can observe how quaintly people used to live, but they’re out of touch with our modern world.  

Others might couch their answer in political terms: They view the church as a powerful voting block to oppose the erosion of morality and to preserve the family.

Or, some might respond to our question by saying that they see the church’s importance as a social institution.  It helps meet the physical needs of the poor and the emotional needs of the lonely and distraught. It ministers to people at the pivotal times of life: birth, marriage, death … 

For many American churchgoers, the church is important because it meets many of their personal needs. They shop around for a church that makes them feel good each week…when they feel good, they is no reason to go. It is a weekly boost that enables them to cope with life.

Then, we come to a short, balding man with a beard, who looks decidedly Jewish. Somewhat hesitantly, we ask him,  “Sir, we’re asking people the question,  ‘Why is the church important?’ Would you care to comment?”

He says, “I believe the church of Jesus Christ is the most important force in the world today. Its task is more important than all the governments and universities of the world combined. There is nothing to compare with it!” We reply, “That’s a pretty strong statement, sir! Why do you say that?”

He leans forward and says,

“Because the most significant event in human history was when the living God took on human flesh and lived among us as the Lord Jesus Christ to bear our sins. And since He ascended into heaven, His church now reveals Him on earth, even as He revealed God when He was on earth.” So, The church is important because it reveals Christ, even as Christ reveals God in human flesh.”

I believe this statement with all my heart, even more today that ever before. The church is the unified assembly bearing the embodiment of Grace and Truth. You know I love ya, now go out and be Jesus to somebody! Don

Mercy!

I once read the true story of a preacher was organizing an evangelistic outreach using small acts of kindness to demonstrate Christ's love. He phoned several neighborhood grocery stores and Laundromats for permission to do specific services.

On one call, the employee who answered the phone hesitated, then said, "I'll need to ask the manager, but first, let me make sure I understand: You want to clean up the parking lot, retrieve shopping carts hold umbrellas for customers, and you don't want anything in return."

"Yes, that's right," the preacher replied.

After a few moments the employee returned to the phone.

"I'm sorry," he said, "we can't let you do that because if we let you do it, we'd have to let everyone else do it, too!"

(Ann Jeffries, Kansas City, KS Christian Reader, "Lite Fare.")

Now why did that store respond like that? Because NO ONE does stuff like that!

This church was obviously out for something… an ulterior motive. And the grocery store was right. The church did have an ulterior motive - they wanted to reach their world for Christ and the tool they were using was something called “showing mercy.”

What exactly IS mercy? Mercy is:  a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion (that’s what God does) and it is also … compassionate treatment of others because of his divine favor (that’s what Jesus-followers do).

Basically, mercy is the act of getting your hands dirty helping others. Mercy is where a person visits the shut-ins, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked. This is giving your offering first and making a point to give over and beyond. Mercy is when is follower of Jesus is doing the love of Jesus. And they do this act without expecting to be paid to do it or recognized.

You know I love ya, Don

Easter is a Reminder ... Do you remember?

Luke 24:6-8 records the angels at the empty tomb of Jesus telling the women, “He is not here; he is risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. Then they remembered his words.”

It is hard to always remember things. I forget where I left my coat. I forget where I put down my cell phone. I have even walked out of the store and forget where I parked my car. In our busy lives, we forget. Easter is a yearly event which reminds of us the power in the one we trust. Just like the angels reminding the women, “He is risen,” we are reminded to take the resurrection of Jesus with us everyday!

So take these words with you today … “He is not here; He is risen!” ... may it remind you to celebrate Easter. 

You know I love ya, Don

Learning to see with big boy eyes!

Mark 6:5-6 – “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.”

We shouldn't be too hard on Jesus' home town. They are a great deal like us.  Joseph was dead and Jesus, being the eldest male child, was expected to take on the role of the head of the household and breadwinner for the family. These people, relatives some, maybe felt that Jesus had shirked his family duties by leaving the family to fend for themselves. He had stepped away from his “role”, what he was expected to do according to the customs of society. And his “extended family” wasn’t too happy to see him striding back into town as a “Rabbi”. That’s not his “role”.

How you perceive it… defines it. How do you perceive Jesus?

Can you imagine it? God in the flesh. Standing right there in front of them. And they’re going, “Ahh! It’s just that carpenter. Mary’s kid. He’s no prophet!” Rejected! “And he was amazed at their unbelief.” Jesus knew who he was. Why couldn’t they see it? We need to remember the image of Jesus that people had in their minds. He had left Nazareth alone, the carpenter, and returned with 12 guys, a prophet. 

I live in Howard, PA. A small community in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by a beautiful lake. Now Nazareth is a town probably not a whole lot bigger than Howard. Probably, like Howard, many of the people were related. And possibly upset because Jesus left his family when they needed him.

We’re the same today as those people were back then. We watch the children of our church and town grow up and we’re amazed at what they become and we are skeptical when they change. We sometimes refuse to believe how they turn out. And, in doing so, refuse to allow them to minister to us.

Again, How do you receive Jesus? All too often we receive Jesus as the impression and perception someone else forced on us. I want to receive Jesus as an adult the thrives in the abundance of His grace, mercy, and healing. You see, when we realize that our impression, our perception, and our reception of Jesus defines our relationship with Jesus, we learned that the only way to receive Jesus is through faith in His ability to be the Son of God in our lives.

You know I love ya, Don 

TOTALLY!!!

Daniel 3:17: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.”

The Down Syndrome Indiana Association is the benefactor of the Rolls Royce Company Fly-in every August. One year they brought two, brand new Rolls Royce cars to the show and they would rope off around the cars and not allow you to get to close or to touch it.

Totally is defined as “completely” … Imagine how you would feel if you ordered a new Rolls Royce Bentley and paid $176,000 for this car. You ordered it in your favorite color with your choice leather chairs and automatic turbo charged engine.

Yet, when it arrives it comes just as you ordered, but it is not assembled. Then, there is one box marked… only use these parts if needed…. WHAT?

When you ordered your luxury car, you expected it to be complete and totally assembled with all of its parts in use. Right?

To be totally committed is to be completely assembled for Jesus and totally committed to your fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus.  Total followers of Jesus are resolved to get rid of the garbage in their lives and totally resolved to remain in the truth. 

I am totally committed! You know I love ya, Don

When Jesus enters He brings healing!

When Jesus enters He brings healing … Here Comes Jesus!… turning over the tables.

Matthew 21:14 “The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.”

Preacher/author Tony Campolo tells a story about being in a church in Oregon where he was asked to pray for a man who had cancer. Campolo prayed boldly for the man’s healing. That next week he got a telephone call from the man’s wife. She said, "You prayed for my husband. He had cancer."

Campolo thought when he heard her use the past tense verb that his cancer had been eradicated! But before he could think much about it she said, "He died." Compolo felt terrible. But she continued, "Don’t feel bad. When he came into that church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God.”

She said, “He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful God didn’t take away his sickness and heal him. He would lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him. It was an awful thing to be in his presence.”

But the lady told Compolo, "After you prayed for him, Jesus came and gave him peace.  Peace had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the last three days have been the best days of our lives. We’ve sung. We’ve laughed. We’ve read Scripture. We prayed. Oh, they’ve been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for laying your hands on him and praying for healing."

And then she said something incredibly profound. She said, "He wasn’t cured, but he was healed."

While Jesus may not heal certain physical infirmities that we have, He does want to bring healing to our spirits. I’m not saying that Jesus can’t bring physical healing, it’s just that we don’t see that happening all the time. And hopefully, all of us know that our ultimate healing will come in heaven.

Romans 5:6 states: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” You and I are ungodly without Jesus and His healing.  

Here Comes Jesus!… turning over the tables.

You know I love ya, Don

Stuck in not knowing where we are going!

One of the greatest scientists of our time was Albert Einstein. He was a man who was so focused on his scientific theories. He was so focused; he often neglected even the simplest things of life, such as personal appearance (as evidenced by his hair).

One time, Albert Einstein was taking a train out of town for a speaking engagement. As he sat in his seat engrossed in his work, the conductor stopped by to punch his ticket. Looking up in shock, Einstein realized he didn’t know what he had done with his ticket.

Frantically, he began to search his coat pockets, and then his briefcase. Gently, the conductor said, "We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I’m sure you bought ticket. Don’t worry about it." But, as the conductor moved along, he looked back to see Einstein on his hands and knees searching under the seats for his ticket. The conductor walked back, "Dr. Einstein, please, don’t worry about it. I know who you are."

Exasperated, Einstein looked up and said, "I, too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going."

The Christians at Rome had gotten to the point that they weren’t sure where they were going either. Somebody had begun to convince them that they weren’t going to heaven like they thought. Somebody had slipped into their midst and begun to tell them they weren’t acceptable to God without Jewish traditions.

Traditions and life was confusing them so much that they weren’t even sure what was expected of them anymore. They had gotten to the point where they not only didn’t know where they were going…  They were not even sure WHO they were…Jew or Gentile. They were stuck in the mystery of God…I think many of us are just as stuck!

We are going to take the next few minutes and look at the reality of being a believer and forgetting the hunger that comes in knowing a great, marvelous, all knowing, all-present, and all loving God!

Paul asks a question that reveals the truth as to why God is waiting to bring about destruction…(Romans 9:23) “What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the object of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory – even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also the Gentiles?”  In other words, he is saying…could it be that God’s glory is manifested in his patience, his willingness to wait for us to catch up, and possibly because he loves us? The answer is then answered…YES!

Get unstuck and join me in running with His glory on us. You know I love ya, Don

Sin seperates us from our purpose!

Well, there is good news and bad news…The bad news is that you are a sinner and there is nothing special about you when it comes to sin. The good news is that God knows that and he loves you regardless. The bad news is that you cannot do this yourself…the good news is that God has and is doing it for you. The bad news is that we lie to ourselves in thinking and living as if my world revolves around me. The Good news is that God made his world revolve around your redemption.

Romans 3:9 states, “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.” You are a sinner and that is bad news. The bad news is all bad! There is nothing good about it.

For such a small word, a lot is packed into the meaning of sin. The Bible describes sin as the breaking, or transgression, of God's law (1 John 3:4). It is also defined as disobedience or rebellion against God (Deuteronomy 9:7), as well as independence from God. The original translation means "to miss the mark" of God's holy standard of righteousness.

Hamartiology is the branch of theology that deals with the study of sin. It investigates how sin originated, how it affects the human race, the different types and degrees of sin, and the results of sin.

While the basic origin of sin is unclear, we know that it came into the world when the serpent, Satan, tempted Adam and Eve and they disobeyed God (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). The essence of the problem stemmed from the human desire to be like God. All sin, therefore, has its roots in idolatry—the attempt to put something or someone in the place of the Creator. Most often, that someone is one's own self. While God allows sin, he is not the author of sin. All sins are an offense to God and they separate us from him (Isaiah 59:2).

Jesus speaks of sin and says in John 8:34-26, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has not permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

An awful lot of people in our world view themselves as being pretty good Joe/Jane and everyone else is broken over their sinfulness.  God is not partial to anyone, but that everyone needs His son, Jesus to be set free. We have to go down before we can ever go up. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The bad news is that you are a sinner and your natural self will separate you from your true identity and your eternal destiny. The good news is that God responded. 

You know I love ya, Don

Loyalty beyond words and put into action!

The book of Ruth is a story of God’s Redemption. From the land of Moab, gleaning in the fields of Boaz and to the threshing floor the story finds its purpose in the kinsman (Gaurdian) redeemer. Ruth stays with her Mother-in-law, but Orpah decides to go home. We have no idea what happens to Orpah. God rewards loyalty and records Ruth’s story for all the ages to learn from and apply to our lives.

 

One of the most powerful prayers in the midst of suffering I have read was uncovered from the horrors of Ravensbruck concentration camp. Ravensbruck was a concentration camp built in 1939 for women. Over 90,000 women and children perished in Ravensbruck, murdered by the Nazis. Corrie Ten Boom, who wrote The Hiding Place, was imprisoned there too. The prayer, found in the clothing of a dead child, says:

“O Lord, remember not only the men and woman of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us: Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.”

To be obedient in the same direction is to remain faithful and loyal to God and the purpose to demonstrating His righteousness in our lives. Even when life is hard and circumstances are not according to our plans, it is a believers task to remain submissive to the power and grace of God. Roman 12:10 states; “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – in other words: Listen to your brothers and sisters. Associate with your fellow believers in Jesus. It is to control your tempter and refuse to react, but always respond. Ruth chose to respond. A follower of Jesus is loyal to the church and the word of God in every aspect of their life.

Do the people around you consider you to be loyal? 

You know I love ya, Don

The invitation is issued... how will you come?

The determination of people will define how they come to Jesus. Our text records: “When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof…”

For some people reading this blog, if you had been one of those carrying a paralyzed friend to Jesus, and when you got there and saw the place was too crowded, would have just shrugged and said, “Oh, well … maybe another time.” Some people have no problem taking “no” for an answer.

But not these guys. These friends would not take "no" for an answer. They hit a traffic jam … and they simply shifted into four-wheel drive.

They climbed up on the roof, ripped up the sticks, straw, and mud between the beams and lowered their paralyzed friend into the room where Jesus was teaching. I want you to notice that … it didn’t … bother … Jesus.

Jesus didn’t say, “Whoa, whoa, I’m in the middle of something!” He didn’t call for security.

He apparently stopped what He was doing and gave the paralyzed man His attention.

Don’t miss that. Jesus, the Son of Man, is infinitely approachable.

What made those men think they could do this?  What made them go to such trouble?

What made them keep going? I believe that’s in verse 20: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

They had faith. They believed Jesus would see them. They believed He would notice their friend. They believed He could do something no one else could do. And Jesus hasn’t changed. In all these years, Jesus hasn’t changed. The Son of Man is infinitely approachable.

He will not turn you away. He will not laugh in your face. He will not turn up His nose at you. But He also won’t force Himself on you. He will wait for you to come.

So come. Whatever your past, whatever your issues, whatever your excuses or obstacles or objections may be, just come to Jesus in faith. Let nothing stand in your way. Let nothing keep you away. Come to Jesus….

You know I love ya, Don

Undeserved!

Grace means to get something that you do not deserve; unmerited favor.  Mercy means you do not get a punishment that you deserve; compassion, forbearance. God is abundant in grace and mercy and we can read about it in the Bible. Declaring the Lord’s Death grants us a deeper love for Jesus, because we do not deserve grace. His greatest act of grace is the gift of salvation that is available for all people through faith.

Annie Johnson Flint’s life on earth could never be measured in any degree by comfort and ease; quite the contrary, from childhood her body endured the onslaught of Rheumatoid Arthritis until she could no longer rise from bed. Over the years the affliction took a great toll, leaving her with no choice but to seek some comfort from sleeping and resting on soft pillows. Her body developed serious bedsores and finally she suffered the ravages of cancer.

Yet her attitude through all the struggles with pain and confinement may best be expressed through one of her great Christian poems. Her faith in God and His purpose, reflected through these words, portray her deep commitment and disposition of hope and peace:

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.

To added affliction He addeth His mercy;

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

His love has no limit;

His grace has no measure.

His power has no boundary known unto men.

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

Annie Johnson Flint understood that declaring the Lord’s death was a declaration of God’s grace that gives and gives and gives again.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:1-2 states  “since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

It is a joy to boast in God's ability to shower His creation with favor because of Jesus. May I be so bold as to share my faith and love in response. You know I love ya, Don