Category: Religion

Beyond A Title

3/10/2012

John 17:1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You” (emphasis mine)

The final week of life as He has known it on this earth has arrived. By all accounts He is only in His early thirties and yet, this is His “hour.” He has devoted these last hours to sharing with His closest friends that which was pressing and immediate for them to know and what His leaving meant for Him and for them. He had this “hour” on His mind before and had mentioned it a few times (John 2:4; 12:23, 27). This would be His darkest hour and finest hour at the same time, and ironically, it would also be our darkest and yet finest hour. This seemingly contradictory truth is a paradox that only those who are willing to surrender to a life beyond self can begin to understand.

Now He stands in solitude, perhaps just a small distance from His friends, raises His eyes to the heavens and begins to pray. The first word to come from the lips that for around three years had been bringing hope and healing to so many was… “Father.” It is doubtful that any mind other than His can grasp all that has happened and the great exchange that has taken place for that precious and moving word “Father” to be spoken by Him. This word was not a title prescribed in some memorized prayer for meeting a religious duty. No, His cry of “Father” was a description and manifestation of a relationship based in deep oneness, romance, and love between the Father and the Son. This word had come about because of a God who loved so much that He sent and gave, and His Son, known before time in the heavens as the Word, who came and gave for the sake of whoever would believe and receive that love. The opening word “Father” in this prayer was born out of sacrifice and surrender that was about to become life changing for many.

Jesus’ prayer will be very different than many. There is a time I’m sure for beautiful and lofty terms such as “Oh Thou omnipotent God,” but unfortunately any purely religious person can shout that out. I admit to having at times begun my prayers, (particularly when I had an agenda of requests I had not yet disclosed), with specific titles for God to remind Him of what He was capable of and how that should benefit me. When I needed financial help He was the Great Provider, and the All Knowing, All Powerful God when I wanted Him to inform me on some matter or defeat an enemy for me. That would be rather like standing before my earthly father, (before he went to be with the Lord), and saying “Oh thou great owner of all things in the family with wheels, could I have the keys to the car?” That is not what is happening here though, not in the solitude of this Son and His “Father.” This is a Son in submission standing as flesh and blood, blood about to be spilled, because He is in a state of total love for His Father, and the result of that relationship is His being consumed with pouring out that love and concern for the sake of others…like you my children, and like me.

The above truth is why, though He can and does depend on His Father for any and everything, He is not going to demand the “car keys” of escape from suffering or death, for that would ultimately still leave the nagging question…”So what?” You see, Jesus is in this relationship of being a man of flesh and blood crying “Father,” because of a great exchange He had made. This exchange had begun an eternity ago and would soon be displayed on a piece of wood splattered with blood, that would throw wide open the door for you to have a relationship with God as Father,that no religion before, and no religious practice by itself ever has or ever will offer. That is the answer to “So what?” The door of intimate relationship between mankind and God had already been cracked by Jesus’ living out on earth the relationship of Son to Father, or more strangely and simply put, Child to Parent. His dream though had always been for you to be able to have the same thing that was going on with and in Him, going on with and in you. His exchange would soon bring about the reality of you no longer trying to reach or please an outside God by religious requirement, performance, duty, or obligation. Now you would be offered the opportunity to live a life of relationship in response to the Spirit of your Lord and your God dwelling in you, whereby you can cry “Abba (Daddy), Father” (Galatians 4:6). When that happens, relationship has overtaken religion, and “Father” is now not a title, but a description and manifestation of what is going on in you. That is available to all of you now because of His great exchange, which I will address later.

The Great Exchange

3/10/2012

(Written on July 24, 2011) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Before the angel announced the birth of Jesus on that night long ago, He had existed in the heavens with a different name, likeness and appearance, (which I shall call His manifestation). Before we beheld Him He was called the “Word.” He was with God, was God, and the demonstration of God in all creation. Nothing was made without Him and He was Deity (see John 1:1-3). Now He would be made flesh. Now He would be called Jesus, the man from Nazareth. No human mind can grasp, save His perhaps, the depth of the exchange He made when He left the majesty of heaven to plunge into the muddy roads of our existence. The “Word” would come as humanity in the womb of a woman. True, she was a highly favored young woman, yet completely human. There He would be knit together and formed as a flesh and blood child to be born, just as you and I, yet without sin. The “Word” would be made flesh. The word “made” in the original language has to do with created. How amazing, the “Creator” would become the created one so He could really, really know us. The Deity would become a dependent child in need of feeding, diaper changing, parenting, schooling, and learning obedience as a Son (through suffering see Hebrews 5:8), in order to have relationship with us.

It is amazing to me that the Deity would extend itself so much, would drop so far down, even walk through hell itself, to bring us up. Much of religious activity puts the pressure on us to do more, get better, prove our worthiness with the hope of somehow, someday, someway obtaining a better place and position. He gave up a perfect place and position, a heavenly life, for an earthly one, so you could go beyond simple religious effort to an intimate relationship with Him. We did not have to get to Him; He came to us, and of all things, as one of us. This becoming flesh was not a temporary deal Jesus would slip in and out of, for we are told “this same Jesus” shall one day appear again.

The above may in some fashion explain how He came to us, but why He had to come, and what was on His mind in doing so still needs some clarification. The short answer as to why He came is simply put, love; love that was far beyond His own comfort or circumstances. As to what was on His mind…you were. Love and you is what drove Him into a whole new mode of existence. He wanted to know you, but He also really wanted you to know Him, and God, His Father.

Can I ask you to consider that if He was willing to have His whole world change in order to get to you; are you willing to have your life reordered to better know Him? And I don’t mean know about Him, I mean know Him.

From your Father's heart, Dances with Jesus

Our That And So That

3/9/2012

(Written on October 24, 2011) John 17:1 Jesus spoke these things and lifted up His eyes to Heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may also glorify You, 2 as You gave to Him authority over all flesh, so that to all which You gave to Him, He may give to them everlasting life. (Literal Translation Version, underlining mine)

Often deep truth is contained in the most common or seemingly insignificant words, and thereby most important matters are overlooked. In Jesus request in 17:1, and His statement in 17:2 above there is a that or so that which follows. “That” is a demonstrative word connecting what has been said to a reason, result, or purpose to follow. The proper and then naturally highest “so that” is the heart’s safeguard against operating out of self centered motives, and will keep us from false pride and arrogance.

The person who does not have a higher “so that” than their own gain, has or soon will, become a stagnant pond filled with self rather than a stream of life flowing to others. The proper “so that” in one’s life should move them from replacing God to revealing God. One thing is certain; you will always have a “god” to which you are bringing glory. The question is only whether that “god” is self or the One True God; the One who loves hearing the word “Father” from the person who has become, or truly desires to be His child.

1). When I am seeking something in my life, what is the “so that” which follows my request?

2.) How often does the “so that” following my request or desire have as its’ end an eternal rather than temporary purpose?

Father, may all of my “so thats” be a demonstration of love, even as Jesus’ were. Keep me from being stagnant in self and keep creating in me a stream flowing to the lives of others. Amen.

From your Father's heart, Dances with Jesus

"Doing" The Call

3/8/2012

“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” I Thessalonians 5:24

It is a marvelous thing to be called by Christ into a transformed life. We rejoice, many who observe us rejoice, and heaven rejoices. Jesus will at times give us a glimpse of what we will be when His life dwells in us. This is evident in Jesus’ statement, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; John 15:16. It is when we become invested in establishing procedures for living this revelation out, instead of being enthralled with the Person who chose us, that our rejoicing can diminish quickly.

In the ten (10) verses preceding our text, Paul the Apostle has set forth at least a dozen spiritual characteristics or attitudes that are a picture of the life of the believer. Just three of them seem nearly impossible to me. “Rejoice Always….Pray without ceasing…In everything give thanks?” Does Jesus not know my circumstances today? Does He have any idea of the endless necessary tasks? Does He not understand that I am at times weakened and an earthen vessel? BUT, I conclude this is what He expects of me as a called out one and I must prove to Him that I am dependable. Come hell or high water I am going to look like this. I am going to do my best to climb into this photograph. After all, the world is watching and is this not what I am supposed to be doing?

The religious structure at times tends to reinforce this performance mentality by convincing me that one more night of attendance in some program, or one more committee appointment is probably needed; and if I will work harder at this I will achieve more success. Somehow, the beauty of the call of Christ has been replaced by the boredom of the carrying the call out. Who will rescue me?

“Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”

In our passage is the simple and seemingly insignificant word “do” (Gk-poieo), which was indeed significant in the Greek culture. This word, poieo, has a different flavor than our English word “do,” which often may imply going through the motions of a tedious task of obligation. Rather, “poieo” often has the flavor of an internal and creative passion and drive that is at the heart of what results outwardly. This word was used of Greek artists when describing what was underneath their artistry. In the context of our passage the emphasis is much more than what drives my activity. We find both the doing and the “Who” of this doing disclosed. “Who also will do it” powerfully declares that God (through Christ) becomes both the source and the substance of my doing. The outward activity can now become a display of Christ in me to the watching world instead of me trying to produce a reasonable facsimile of Christ. It is God’s approval at work in and through me instead of my endless search for activities that God will approve. This difference may appear subtle but it is critical! This may end up being the difference between His faithfulness and our fading. The Apostle Paul is so aware of the necessity of this way of operating that his preceding statement declares that only the “God of peace Himself” can bring this about in my life. (I Thessalonians 5:23)

I remember a few years ago my wife, Joy, and I purchased a barbecue grill. We brought it home in the box and set about assembling our exciting new purchase. I always have Joy with me on these ventures as I tend to take a quick look at the instructions, look at the finished product on the box, and then tear into the final accomplishment of the great picture. Frequently, and especially true in this endeavor, my excitement was replaced by frustration. When done it had the appearance of a barbecue grill, but we had to redo a number of things that were done out of order (my fault not Joy’s), and somehow we had seemingly important parts left over. With something less than rejoicing I finally looked at Joy and said “That’s good enough,” (as well as a few other grumblings). She quietly pointed to big letters on the box that said “FREE ASSEMBLY, JUST ASK!”

There are times that I may be able to “do” something that resembles His doing, and it may even function. BUT, it doesn’t come forth with rejoicing, giving thanks and always praying. I believe this passage, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it,” implies a “free assembly, just ask…”

your father's heart, with love

The Prize Of Poverty

3/7/2012

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (NKJ Thomas-Nelson)

To grasp how contradictory the two halves of this sentence seem is impossible to the fleshly mind. The Greek word for “poor” (ptochos), is the word for beggarly. It is a desperate state of having no resources to operate out of or means of attaining them on our own. There is another state of “almost” poor (penes-Gk) or having little left. The person in that state can have just enough pride and religion left to never find the prize of poverty. They may be in very bad shape, but not bad enough to be thrust into the kingdom of heaven. They are not the people of this passage. Jesus is talking about a total lack of strategies or explanations or resources. Jesus is talking to those who would be bankrupt of all hope in their ability to fix their lives or their circumstances and hunger for change whatever the cost. Now, this is not the kingdom of the average person’s dreams, and certainly not what one thinks of with regard to heavenly living. Yet, Jesus makes them mathematical equals; total poverty of spirit equals (is) the kingdom of heaven.

Recently, though in times past also, I have witnessed people who were devastated by matters, I have been there. I have seen broken, weeping, anxious, depressed and hopeless people who could not contemplate going another day in their desperate condition. BUT…then something (really Someone) happened! Jesus became the only thirst, the only desire and the only goal. Life began to be lived beyond circumstance and in Christ alone. It is not explainable in a “how to” sense when you suddenly are possessed by something, really “Someone,” much larger, much greater than any mere circumstance or your own self. It is a miracle when poverty of self turns into the prize of the high calling of Christ in our lives and all things are summed up in Jesus. Is that not really the kingdom of heaven? And by the way, a kingdom is defined by the King and therefore it is not nearly so much a place as it is a Presence and a Person. This prize of poverty is available only to those who are willing to lose their lives, and be crucified with Him. He must be your only hope for resurrection.

There is one caution, one catch if you will. It is possible to walk away from and thereby lose the state of poverty and thus the kingdom of heaven by being rich in self sufficiency; and what is probably more concerning is that beingalmost poor may be a worse deception than being rich in spirit. It is often the “almost poor” that present themselves as the religious representatives of Jesus and thereby confuse a lost world. Those rich in themselves may be far from His Kingdom but few are confused by them. Arrogance is clear and cold. Lip service religion is foggy and lukewarm. It invites but repels at the same time. Is it possible that this is the reason for a “church” that is sometimes quite ineffective no matter how vocal?

Rev. 3:15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
From your father's heart with love (DWJ)

The Blessed Life (Part III)

3/6/2012

We continue our study on the Blessed Life from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. We have briefly touched on the “Desire,” the “Definition,” and now Part III, “The Demonstration” of the Blessed Life.

The Demonstration of Blessed: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt. 5:3 MKJV). The person moved from spiritual darkness, or from going through the motions of purely religious activity, to a deeper experience in the person of Christ, at first has an unclouded sense of what being blessed is about. They do not quibble about being “poor in spirit” for they now know exactly what Christ was saying. They are tired of the show and sham that comes from being their own God, and welcome the freedom from the worship of self. They find rest in allowing Jesus to be not only their Savior but the Lord in their activity. They experience a rather startling awareness of “whereas I was blind, now I see.” Eventually spiritual cataracts can fog over the initial “wow” of this illumination by the Spirit. In the beginning they know they are “blessed” not for outward and passing success, but rather by an unusual and inward shift of their passions and desires.

Jesus does not present a “how to” program or prescription for achieving happiness, but rather a description of what is birthed and can increasingly grow in the one who has responded in the face to face meeting with the Kingdom of Heaven. This is that meeting which fuses together the relationship with, and the reign of Jesus. You will know when this happens to you. You will be moved from selfishness to selflessness. The road to this description is a narrow one and few will find it according to Jesus. The reason is rather simple; in order to be living in the “Kingdom of Heaven” there must be a relinquishing of competing kingdoms, and a continuing life of response to the One who opened your eyes.

The kingdoms at odds here are strikingly different. One kingdom is based on producing and preserving “wins” for myown life’s trophy room, and that other is based on the production of Him in my life for the pouring out of “wins” onto the world around me. Preservation or pouring is a rather accurate indicator of which kingdom I am living in. Oh yes, there is good news; Jesus did not preach to us that which He did not live out. Jesus has already performed this, so He can live it out in us. Do we have that?

2 Cor. 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, in order that you might be made rich through His poverty. (MKJV)
From your father's heart (DWJ)

The Blessed Life (Part II)

3/5/2012

Earlier we wrote on the “Desire For Being Blessed.” Language is powerful and being blessed means different things to different people. What did it mean to Jesus? His words are the most reliable source for that; so we continue on.
Our context for this writing is from Matthew 5:3-12

The Defining of Blessed (focus vs. 3) I cannot tell you how often I hear “I just want to be happy.” Or, “all I care about is that you are happy.” To our world, and all too many professing Christians, happiness is the result of having all “my” emotional, physical, and even spiritual needs met by living in and enjoying all the best external circumstances. Happiness is all too often defined by freedom from any form of trouble or even discomfort. Can you imagine the absolute shock when Jesus opens this great teaching on the hillside with nine, count them, nine points in a row of what being happy really is? What immediately follows the word happy (blessed-GK makarios), seems to be anything but typical happiness. Jesus thrusts the word “happy” into a whole new realm of thought, meaning and ultimately living. The path to being Happy now becomes poor in spirit (surrender of spiritual ego and selfishness), mourning (the damage of all sin on self and others), meekness (His strength in His humility), spiritual hunger and thirst, mercy towards others, purity of heart motives, peacemaking, and receiving persecution and false accusations.

This re-defining of “happy” presents a threatening picture indeed to the person who thrives on the “I or Me” in life. It is in fact a challenge to the professing believer who does not grasp the immense difference between pursuing particularly comfortable circumstances as “blessing,” versus the desire to have His character produced in us in all circumstances. The former is rather common Christianity; the latter is “Kingdom of Heaven” Christianity. There is in Jesus always a “for,” a “so that,” or a “because” that can revolutionize our thinking, and ultimately our living, from that which appalls us to that which amazes us. “Happy (blessed) are the poor in spirit FOR theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 3:5 emphasis/parentheses mine). Unfortunately, many who hear this message quickly become repulsed by the discomfort of it all, and walk away sorrowfully, never knowing and experiencing the other side of the “for.” There are really only two roads; one for those who walk away declaring it is too difficult (John 6:66), and one for those who know there really is no other lasting life, save Him (John 6:68).

From your father's heart with love (DWJ)

The Blessed Life

3/4/2012

(Our background scripture for this writing is Matthew 5:3-11)

The Desire For Being Blessed (an overview): Being blessed seems of great importance to humanity today. It was of paramount importance to Jesus also as “blessed” is the beginning word in the first nine truths He shared from the hills that day that we call the “Sermon on the Mount.” “Blessed are…Blessed are…Blessed are…;” and on He goes. Jesus put forth an entire list for “blessed” which had little or nothing to do with possessions or one’s own external circumstances. It was an amazing and seemingly impossible message. The religious system of the day was being turned upside down. The content and character of life becomes far superior to having circumstances that were trouble free.

Today there continues to be much discussion, teaching and preaching, most of which seems very “me” oriented with regard to being blessed. While it is true that in the Old Testament (and to many now) the primary manifestation of being blessed or happy was the amount of goods you had, your health, the number of descendents, and your rank or position in society, to many, if not most the listeners that day the results of righteousness and obeying God had been measured primarily in visible “prosperity.” Prosperity and popularity was the primary evidence of a spiritually superior person. Jesus presented a dramatic shift that day. Jesus has a way of overturning tables you know.

Jesus took the common thinking and Greek word of His culture for “happy” and elevated it to a far more superior meaning than had ever been attached to it, either in Scripture or in the culture of His day. Jesus has a way of doing that; taking the common and elevating it to an uncommon level. Do not be overly concerned about being simple or common, or even the common around you. It is the creative stuff out of which Jesus can revolutionize your world, and perhaps most importantly, the world around you. St. Francis of Assisi said it something like this; “It is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

From your father's heart with love (DWJ)

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Author

Sometime ago now, after years of doing my best to perform the Christian life out of sheer discipline and "will" power, I found a romance and intimacy with Jesus. Suddenly Christianity was not religious doing but "being" in a dance with Jesus. The real intimacy of the Person of Jesus living inside of me, not me trying to find and copy Him, took over, hence the new signature and lifestyle of "Dancing with Jesus." I trust as you read you will feel the "dance." Dances with Jesus, Sam