Loving One Another Pt 2: Love as Christ Loves Us

Two days ago I posted about Loving One Another: Loving Yourself. Today I want to take that a step further because you can't love others simply by loving yourself. There is more to it of course. So here it is: to love one another we must love ourselves in Christ and love each other through Christ.

We are to love as Christ loves us, but the question is how? How can I possibly love as Christ loves us? How does Christ love us?

Through looking at the conversation in John 13:31-38, here is my observation:

The conversation is about Christ leaving. The command to love one another is in the middle. Peter quickly comes back in saying, “wait wait wait!! Where are you going?” 

Jesus then says that Peter will not follow him now, but will later. Where did Christ go after this?  The answer is simple. He went to the cross and to the father. 

Peter ironically says he’ll follow Jesus even if it costs him his life. Though Jesus responds by questioning Peter’s devotion, Jesus knows Peter will follow him. Later Jesus reinstates Peter (after Peter disowned Jesus) saying this: ‘“I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God’ (John 21:18-19a).  

What did Jesus mean then when he said that the disciples could not come now but will later? He meant that he was going to die for them (and the world). And then go to be with the Father.  Later they would die for him and the sake of his kingdom. 

Back up now. What does it mean to love one another as Christ loved us? Christ laid down his life for his friends. This is how he has loved us. He gave his life for us. Is this not our call as brothers and sisters in Christ: to give our life for one another. When we give a cup of water we bless Christ. Jesus said this: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus then calls us friends, not servants . . . if we do his command. What is his command? “Love each other” of course (John 15:17).

This is a sacrificial thing. This thing called love is not mere feelings, but actions. When you have a child it takes time, money, time, money, care, time, money. This is a sacrifice. This is love. When you promise to love your spouse for better or worse it means to sacrifice for them in better and worse. We get lazy in the better part and forget to love our spouses. Then, when it comes to worse we have forgotten that love takes work. If we would only love, sacrifice ourselves on behalf of the other, in the better times, I bet we would see less divorce and pain in marriage in the worse of times. This is just a theory. 

This is the same for the church. If we would love one another more in the better times, there would be less church splits in the worse. There would be less offense in the worse. The Karen people of Burma take a while before they trust you. But when they do, it is for life. If you screw something up, they don’t stop being your friend. They forgive and move on, because they trust you and know you make mistakes. 

This is not the same for our culture. We are easily offended people and do not let people into our lives. We are protective wolves, guarding our very hearts. If someone gets a bit close and we see them make a mistake we instantly put our guard back up. This is especially true for a church who has lost many pastors in the past ten years. The trust is not there. 

I see that many churches are good at guarding. This is a great thing. Protection is key to a community. But what about when it comes to letting someone in to the most private areas of your life. I know that I have problems sharing with people the secrets and painful areas of my life. I can deal with it on my own. Pause! What am I doing? I am not allowing other people to love. I am not sure our problem is that we do not love one another. I believe our problem is that we don’t want anyone to love us. We crave it and cry for it at night or when no one is watching, but yet we are terrified to let people in and sacrifice for us. After all, what if they hurt me?  

My answer: We need to grow up. We need to not worry when people hurt us and we must continue to love, continue to be open for love. If you are perfect then stop reading this because I am only talking to the majority, known as the imperfect. 

Jesus’ Answer to “What if they hurt me?” is this: Forgive as I have forgiven you. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all apart of one head: Christ. We don’t have love, but once again, like loving ourselves, we can love with the love of Christ. Look at how he has loved us. Absorb his love into your system and let it flow from you. “This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us.” So then, “let us love one another, for love comes from God” (1 John 4). Remain in Christ and his love and you will be able to love one another. In fact, you wont be able to help but love.

Love One Another: Loving Yourself

Jesus gave a new command to his disciples the night before he was crucified. I can imagine how emotionally charged the night would have been: he just showed the disciples how to serve each other by washing their feet, then Judas is filled with satan and leaves to betray Jesus. Then, we are back to Jesus says, “Love one another,” and “I am leaving guys and you can’t come . . . yet,” all in the same breath.  

My question is, “How do we love one another?”

Earlier, Jesus gave the greatest commandment: Love God with everything & Love your neighbor as YOURSELF. You must love yourself? How is this different than selfishness? This is a struggle for most of us. What is loving myself if it is not being a bit selfish sometimes? 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8) 

Loving yourself is different because God gives us his pure love. When we are of the world our love for ourself becomes obsession.  We get addicted to loving ourself and loving ourselves becomes at another’s expense (especially our loved one’s). This is why Christ gave the command to love another so many times: to eliminate selfishness. Other places he tells us to deny ourselves. How can we both love and deny ourselves? Generally, we know how to love ourselves right? The problem is not loving others.

I’m not sure if their is a difference between Christ’s time and now when it comes to this command, but sometimes the reason we cannot love one another is because we have no idea how to love ourselves. Maybe it is a form of selfishness, but it looks different. 

These are the people who get angry at themselves easily. These are the people who cannot find motivation to make a meal for themselves when there is no one to eat it with. And further, they want to get out and exercise, but why does it matter? There is not much purpose in their lives unless they are busy. Yes, busybodies. These people need to find themselves doing something in order to have purpose. 

This has been me. At home in evenings, not wanting to eat, get out, or anything. Movies are no good. TV fails me. No patience to read. 

What do I find at the end of the day? Hate. Hate, not only for myself but, for my loved ones as well. I end up mistreating the ones I love. I don’t want to, but when I hate myself it becomes automatic to hate whoever is around me. It comes out as being short and usually not joyous. Why? Because I hate myself. 

The Result: Not obeying Christ. His command is to love my neighbor as myself, but I hate myself. The good news is that I realize my worthlessness. This is good. But where is the part when I discover the LIFE that Christ gives in my worthlessness? Yes! I have worth because he gives me life! Christ, show me this worth that I may love myself that I may love others. 

I am not alone in this. There are many many others. We need to come to a place in our christian walks where we can say, “YES I AM WORTH IT IN CHRIST!” In fact, there is a time where we need to declare it! This does not take away from God, but on the contrary, it gives glory to God. Christ died to take our sin. He died to take our worthlessness and hopelessness to give worth and hope. He ascribes it to us. He implants worth into our depravity. When others SEE how God has changed our lives and given us life, then we have lived out our purpose. Then, we can give an account for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). 

The result then is that we can love one another. We can then obey Christ’s command, the greatest command, the most repeated command I see in scripture. We need to love one another. Jesus, in the midst of betrayal and right before going to the cross, gave this command: Love one another. 

My life, and I am wondering if this is your life as well, is saying, “Sorry God, I can’t even love myself, I have no love for others. In fact, I hate myself, I am not worthy!”

In great care and in his most loving, fatherly instinct God says this: “You are worth it! I gave you worth! Was my son on the cross not enough for you? Did he die in vain?”

Let’s wake up. Let’s get out of self hate and self pity and say Yes, I am worth making this sandwich. I am worth the exercise, I am worth, rest, I am worth my job, I have worth because of Christ. Then we will love one another. Maybe it will still not be automatic, but at least we will have a great start. So how do we love one another? Love yourself with Christ’s pure love for love comes from God (1 John 4:7). Jesus says this: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love”(John 15:9). Remain in his love and you will love others.

Rest & Sabbath

Sometimes Monday is so hard. Monday could help to be a bit more subtle and lot more gentle in its approach. It just smokes you directly in the face sometimes. As a pastor, I have chosen Thursday as my day off, therefore making Monday the middle of my week in a way. But, yet it's still Monday.

Okay, enough banter. The stage is set. Monday's are set, but here's the bigger issue: Rest. What is rest and how do we do it?

I lasted through a few seminars once on rest and how sleeping and lying around actually is not necessarily rest. Leisure activities are actually sometimes more rest than sleeping. For example, for me I love hiking. When I hike I get energized and can do anything. Literally. I am like superman at this point.

After this type of rest there is different rest. Its called Sabbath rest. It is sometimes difficult to enter into this rest and I don't really understand it fully yet. So, in this case I give you the scripture to let it speak:

"It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of disobedience. Therefore God sent again a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.' For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience" (Hebrews 4:6-13)

There it is: there remains a rest and we must make every effort to enter it. That rest seems to be when we enter eternity. My question is this: Since we become saved now, can we also begin to enter His rest now? I am not sure about you but I am tired and I get tired of running a race.

For people like me, this rest is my hope to press on. This is my hope for life. Like hiking energizes, I pray so will the hope of rest. God grant us peace in the mundane and encouragement in this race.

It's funny. I took a break from this blog post and just came back. I had a sweet chat with a spiritual mentor and bam, rest. Sometimes it takes someone, filled with the Spirit, to show you the hope that you already have. Thanks God, today you gave me sabbath rest in some strange way.

Waiting, a lost discipline

This was intended to be just a quick post to ponder a quote I just read. Well, that was ruined. The quote comes from an article by Carey Wallace called, "On Discipline." Thanks to Comment Magazine for starring me in the face with an issue I am the worst at.

I cringe at the word discipline. I even whisper when saying, "spiritual disciplines." I feel that the very word is contradictory to life in God. But, I know I am missing something.

In the beginning of his article, Wallace is addressing writers about the art of discipline: "Choose a time to make work and hold that time inviolate, I tell them. If you lack inspiration, wait. Don't do anything else. The work will come."

Of course "the work" is their writing. And his advice is to wait. To wait. Even this morning I lack the motivation and inspiration to work on my song set for Sunday. I am procrastinating. Waiting is not my strong suit and nor is it many others'. To sit and wait is a discipline I have not conquered. Our generation is a fidgety one with short attention spans. We are stimulated by media, short commercials, amazing graphics. If a plot takes longer than 10 min to get going, we bust. If a song takes longer than 10 seconds to catch our attention its over. If a channel doesn't appeal to us in 3 seconds (channel surfing), we switch the channel. Imagine, sitting in silence for more than 5 minutes. That is a ridiculous notion. My only 5 minutes of silence is before I nod off to dream land.

Ok, so what! Well, my lack of patience and attention span steals the very time I need with God. Often, God desires us to shut down, and be silent. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Our first reaction to being still is, "this is boring." And we are gone, playing guitar, watching a movie, or facebook creeping, to our place of zen. We have a desire and an addiction to being numbed and this is dangerous.

The saying goes, "Idle hands are the devils workshop," but for our generation we don't know how to be still. The consequence is stark. Its called complacency, which leads to a generation with no future. Are we not tired of being distracted by almost meaningless things? Let's react and keep an alert mind.

This is where a discipline is useful. Silence. Its an advanced practice. Here's how to do it. "Choose a time to make work and hold that time inviolate, I tell them. If you lack inspiration, wait. Don't do anything else."

That's the advice. It's advice that can be useful for writing, music, and especially in our spiritual lives. Let's train ourselves to be still before our God. Let's not be a generation marked by complacency, but wake up from our lazy slumber. Our lives depend on it. Then watch. Watch as we experience new life in Christ. We'll discover that in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17) and that he gives life and life to the full (John 10:10b). The life God gives us is beyond compare. This is what we miss out on when we don't wait.

The Gospel: Broken People in Communion with God

As I studied John 3 for the first time for a sermon this past Sunday, I felt the heaviness of God. I was excited and discovered many things in this popular passage that I never expected and never heard preached from this passage before.

One of the first things I noticed was the ridiculous analogy of life in Christ as being "born again." Like Nicodemus, I reflected on the practicalities of being born and even one day having my own baby being born. Naturally I ventured to Wikipedia as my reliable source of all knowledge. I discovered the intense process of giving birth with all the turns of the child and dilation and the fainting of the husband (I think that was in there). Through all of that I noticed a section on my job as a calm husband. Apparently I can reduce the pain and chance of a c-section.

Anyway. I then reflected on learning all over again. Walking, talking, eating, morals, lifestyles, relationships. Nope. I am sure that I don't want to do that all again. But, unless we are born again in the Spirit, then we cannot even see the Kingdom of God. Ok. Fine. I need to be born of the Spirit.

The next thing I noticed was the blindness of Nicodemus

, this teacher and ruler of Israel and how we are often blind like him. In verses 10-13 Jesus asks him how he doesn't get this to then tell him that the Son of Man was standing in front of Him. If only the Son of Man has descended to heaven, who else can tell us of heaven but the Son of Man? Of Course! What causes us to not see and believe God for what he says?

Pride.... Just like the Pharisees. Pride, but we call it truth. That's what the Pharisees did. They had "truth" and held it over people. We do the same thing. In arrogance and pride we take truth, say we know it, and lord it over people, condemning others for not having the truth. I am guilty of being this way and have battled with it.

Is being wrong so wrong? Romans says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." We are all wrong and sinful. If being wrong is the wrong place to be in then we miss the next part in this chapter. God sent His Son for the wrong and evil ones.

Next, Jesus tells Nicodemus and us that the Messiah's first job on this earth was to save men, not judge them. This is what the Pharisees miss. Jesus' mission was focused the first time. Salvation of those who are already condemned.

Here's the last thing I noticed. Verse 21 is GOLDEN! When our life is exposed to God like spilled water is exposed to a clothe, he soaks it up through His Son and uses His mighty hands to squeeze it out. All our deeds are wrought, or carried through God. Whether good or bad, our deeds go through God. A healthy christian walk is one in full communication with God, even while we sin. Then God can purify us. We are broken people attempting communion with God.

So let's lose our pride (we hide as truth) and allow each other to be broken people in communion with God together.

Prayer - The art of falling in love

Prayer is such a funny thing. Throughout my life I have watched people be passionate, swaying and give many words on one spectrum and solemn, still, and monotone on the other. I always believed the one that was most passionate were more spiritual. Boy was I ever wrong.

I still love the passionate and love being passionate. And nor do I think that the solemn man has it figured out either. Here's what I have discovered: Prayer is being in love.

Matt 6 tells us that babbling is no way of being heard by God. Nor is standing on street corners for people to hear your "righteous" prayers.

I also used to believe that you got what you wanted when you prayed. Jesus did teach that after all, didn't he? There are several times in the Gospel of John where Jesus says "I will give you whatever you want if you have faith" (my paraphrase John 14-16). Honestly, I still struggle with unanswered prayer. But I always have to come back to the reason we pray: Why do we pray anyway?

The answer is easy: Because we are in love. If we look at those passages in John a bit closer and add that with Matt 6, we see that surrounding them are passages that say things like this: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you whatever you ask I will give to you" (John 15:7). The purpose of prayer is not to use God to get what I want, but to fall in love with him to pray what he wants. "Your kingdom come. Your will be done." Our hearts become God's heart.

Why do you think we pray "in Jesus' name?" We are praying in the authority and power of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. He has given us that authority and we are now Christ's ambassadors, carrying his Spirit and his authority (2 Cor 5:20). When we pray in Jesus' name, we surrender our feeble will and take up the powerful will of God. When we pray in Jesus' name we begin to see what it looks like for His kingdom to come and His will to be done.

That's why we pray.

YQ Review: Identity

Thanks to all who came to YQ!!! Most of us are sick or have been from this weekend. I want to review a bit of the happenings on the weekend with everyone who came and to update those who didn't.

Let's start with AJ's beautiful Outfit

Joking. But, in honesty it was pretty cool to see him cry over the work God had done over the weekend.

Let's talk Grant Fishbook and the amazing messages that were uttered speedily.

Honestly, he was a fast talker and at times difficult to keep up with. Besides criticizing his form, let's look at the message. First, know that all his messages will be on Briercrest's website, under podcasts, very soon!

The first two message had everything to do with Identity. The idea that, in Christ we have a new identity. Just like God changed Jacob's name from the trickster to wrestles with God and overcomes! God names him Israel! That man, a man who was so corrupt and sick with sin was transformed by God to give birth to the great nation of Isreal. His name bore the name of an entire nation. When we come to God, repenting of our sin, God gives us a new identity. He makes us new beings. God names us (here I can picture Grant's thumbs up as he numbers them) "My Child," and a few others that slip my mind. Can you help me out? What are some names God gives us?

In finding this new identity we have to throw our current identity to God and pick up the new one, like Moses threw his identity in his staff to the ground and picked up his new one, trusting in God that the snake would not bite him. What are the implications of this you may ask?

YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN. We try to rule our lives the best we can but in reality we belong to God. His blood has paid for us and he gives us our new identity and life (1 Cor 6). I dare you to read that chapter and see for yourselves. And see how good it is that we are not our own. This is not a tragedy, but a blessing. Check it out.

As scared as the Groundhog

Feb 2nd was a grand day. The sun was shining, the snow was glistening. Then, in a moment, chaos broke out. The groundhog saw his shadow. Terrified as he was, he leaped back into his whole in fright of the darkness cast by himself. Thus, he predicted 6 more weeks of winter.

The issue is this: The Historic Foundation of Canada did a test within 13 cities from the past 30-40 years and found that the groundhog is only successful 37% of the time. If only he realized the sun caused his shadow then he may be more credible. Huh...

Ephesians 5 talks about a load of rules we are to follow. Though not as ridiculous as the groundhog rule, the passage can sound like our mom is down our throats telling us not to have sex and stop swearing or I'll wash your mouth out with soap. Feel my wrath!!!!! The problem isn't the rules or discipline, its the fact that we have no idea why there are rules.

Verses 8-9 begin to tell us the answer. It's because "you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as Children of light." The darkness once filled our lives, but when we come to God and find ourselves in His grace, he fills us with his light and we become light's for God and we must not put it under a bowl (Matt 5).

The Ephesians passage has a dilemma: It says we are light, but yet calls us to be light. If we are light why are we not being light? That is exactly Paul's and God's question to us. God says, I have purified you and have called you my child. I make you holy and your name is now written in the lambs book of life. And you still live as the child of darkness I redeemed you from.

Here's the issue we face: We get scared of our own shadow, just like the groundhog. And are wrong 37% or more of the time. If only it were the opposite. We get scared that there is still darkness in our lives and we hide from it instead of facing it. If only we realized that the only way we see sin and darkness in our lives is because God reveals it to us (1 John 3:20). If only we saw that The Shadow Proves the Sunshine, as Relient K reminds us, then we could face our sin head on realizing its God who is shining behind us. He causes us to be light, but all we see is our own darkness!

So turn around little groundhogs, see that the Shadow proves the sunshine and let the Lord's brilliance illuminate us.

God's Will (What will you be when you grow up?)

Psalm 19 ends with a powerful prayer that admits the defeat of the self and the power of God. It is a prayer of confession that takes honour from the self and places honour where it belongs, with God.

The psalm begins with creation proclaiming the glory of God and then turns to the laws of the Lord being perfect, "reviving the soul." Next, David confesses his hidden faults and willful sins as well. Then this verse blows everything out of the water, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord, my rock, and my redeemer."

As I attempt to wake up each morning I also make a second attempt: to get focused. Our society pushes us to success and to "advance" in life. We are asked from a young age "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Of course this is an innocent question . . . until it becomes our obsession. I would like to answer this question, though, for all to hear. My answer is this:

PERFECT! That's right. I want to be perfect when I grow up. In Thessalonians 4 and 5 Paul redefines what God's will is for our lives or what our destiny or desires may be. Not once does it mention a where or a what, but a How. Its not where you live or what you become that is ultimately God's will for our lives, it is How we live it out. Being holy and sanctified is what matters. God's Spirit gives us this gift of holiness and sanctification. In other words, God makes us perfect in Him. Not perfect in our terms, but his. Complete in unity with God. So, one can be a plumber and still glorify God with his life, maybe better.

How can we let the Spirit do this in our lives???? Its really hard some may say. Here is some help from Colossians 4:2-6:

1) Be in Prayer

2)Be Watchful

3) Be Thankful

1) Be in Prayer because this is our direct connection with God. We must spent time with Him to be immersed in His Spirit.

2)Be Watchful in how to be God's light in a dark world. Serving others in Christ removes selfishness.

3) Be Thankful because a thankful heart is a soft heart, and God molds soft hearts. God can purify soft hearts but hard hearts He leaves alone.

So I end with this focus and Prayer as I enter this New Year: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Oh Lord, my rock, and my redeemer!"

Life

I imagine that I will title many Blogs "LIFE" over the course of this blog,. but for good reason. It is a necessity to focus on the wrath of God and the pain in this world, but only when leading to the life that God has promised and gives today. The flip side is also true. Life is so much more beautiful when viewed in light of God's wrath and the suffering of this world. It is at this point where we do more than quote scripture, we proclaim "Jesus is life!" Just as Jesus did not end with death, but was resurrected to life on the third day so we have a resurrection to hope in.

Though we were objects of wrath, because of God's love, we are made ALIVE with Christ. This life brings us to the heavenly realms with Christ. Notice we are "made" alive. Two things: 1) It is not by our own power. 2) It has been done and is happening. "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect those who are being made holy" Hebrews 10:14.

Discover the Life with Christ. It fulfills, it completes, it makes us perfect in Christ. Living by our own nature causes death. Our world causes death, whereas our God regenerates and creates life. All Glory and honour belongs to Him who alone is immortal and gives immortality.

Remember What We Forget

Remembrance day is a time of reflection. For most, it's a day where we give honour to soldiers past and present. For others, it is also a day to remember our mistakes as to not repeat them. But yet, what else are we forgetting?

In the book of Revelation, the church in Ephesus forgot something that we often forget. Here is Revelation 2:1-7:

¹ “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken [your first love (NASB)] ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Have we fell into the same trap as the Ephesians? Let's think of a few things:

First: The Ephesians were doing good! Expelling false doctrine, persevering through hardships and persecution. It sounds like a great church. Then why would they be called out on forgetting their first love? Are they, or better yet, are we not remembering our first love by memorizing scripture, reading scripture and holding everyone else to having right beliefs?? By believing what we believe is true even through the low points in life?

This is good stuff, but if its all we have then we too have forsaken our first love. We have forgotten that our hope does not lie in a belief or right doctrine but in our mighty king, Jesus, who is extending grace to us in awesome communion. Our hope is in our LIFE with Christ, not our right beliefs. Of course right beliefs fall under our life with and in Christ, but right beliefs never trump being with Christ.

Of course we could allegorize this passage since there are other things that replace our first love and that is fine. But, the problem the Ephesians had is also our problem.

Remembrance day is a time of reflection. For most, it's a day where we give honour to soldiers past and present. For others, it is also a day to remember our mistakes as to not repeat them. Just like the latter, let's remember the past mistakes of the church and not repeat them. Let's not forget our first love.

Who Follows the Rules??????

Today I have a question for you: What are Rules and Regulations for?

1 Timothy 3 gives a intensely high standard for Overseers and Deacons for how they should live. But in the end, Paul says this, "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great." He labels godliness as a mystery. Didn't he just give us a list of what godliness looks like?

What then are these rules for if they do not meet the standard of godliness?

AND, What is godliness?

The Gospel for all (not just me)

We are selfish.

We live in a world where we strive to attain the best for me. The problem is we do not even see it. We call it individualism. I Rule my own world.

We bring that into our Christianity. Its all about how "I" need to hear the gospel and how "I" go to church to get something out of it. I know we are poor sharers, just look at 2 three year olds in a room along with one toy. We are taught to share at a young age, but somewhere we learn not to share once again.

Maybe its when we earn our "OWN" allowance. Maybe getting "MY OWN" room. Or "MY" car. Or "MY" money... It's simply a "MY" life.

So next time we go to church watch for this. Why are you going? Besides your parents telling you to go. Is it so you can get something out of it? What about sharing the gospel to each other?

How can we share the gospel with each other as the Church? Even at church!?

Luke 10:25-37

Jesus presents a response to two challenging question. The questions were: What must I do to inherit eternal life? and since the response is to Love God and love your neighbour the man asked "Who is my Neighbor?

Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man was beaten, robbed and left to die on the side of the road. Both a priest and a levite(a man of priestly descent) walked by. It was the Samaritan (a half blood, no good for nothing)(a man who no one would expect to help) who gave more than a lending hand. He saw the man back to restoration. The story ends with Jesus pointing out that this man was a true neighbor.

Jesus bypassed the question ,"Who is my neighbor?" and answered What it meant to be a neighbor. Instead of simply saying everyone is your neighbor, Jesus speaks of a good neighbor who loves the person in need.

Jesus states that this is the most important command: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and 'Love your neighbor as yourself."

Of course you love yourself, but how can we love others like we love ourselves?

The Heart of a leader/believer: Reflecting Christ

In reflecting on leadership through reading about Peter I was stopped at Luke 5: 1-11

Here is when Simon Peter (also James and John) is called to follow Christ. I see two things happening: 1)We can emulate Peter's actions 2) Peter's actions reflect who Jesus is.

I) Peter reflects Jesus' Status.

Peter calls Jesus "Master." This term is used to respect one's role of leadership. We know that Peter has already seen Jesus in action through healing Simon Peter's Mother-in-law and secondly through the teachings Jesus just gave.

Question: Do we respect Jesus in His status? Jesus is our king. The one we Pledge allegiance to when we become a Christian. Do we respect His status? Even through the intensity of a carpenter telling fishermen to cast down their nets even though they worked hard ALL NIGHT and caught NOTHING!

II) Peter had Respect for Jesus' Words

Peter has already heard Jesus speak and seen His words at work when they healed his mother-in-law. When Jesus speaks, Peter listens.

Question: Do we listen to Jesus or ignore him when He speaks? Has God nudged your heart to pay attention to someone or to pray for anyone? It's time we listened. Maybe He is talking to you for the first time and calling you like He did Peter.

III)Peter Respected Jesus' Power

In fact When Peter saw the power of the miracle of fish he fell to Jesus' knees and called Him 'LORD,' respecting Jesus for His authority. Not only that, but when Peter saw this power it brought him to a point of repentance. Peter saw something divine about Jesus. Peter saw the difference in his own filthiness contrasted with Jesus' purity and power.

Question: Do we respect Jesus' power? When we encounter God in who He is, we are drawn to repentance. See Isaiah 6

IV) Total Abandonment

Peter, James and John were then called to abandon their entire life to follow Christ, even the catch of fish that was their wages for the months to come.

Question: Are we ready to abandon our lives for God's work? This doesn't necessarily mean our families and jobs, especially school. God needs lights in all of these places. But we must abandon whatever Christ asks, especially our lifestyles, to follow Him. see Luke 9:24

So in the end its obvious this is not just for leaders like Peter, but all Believers! We must all abandon our lives for Christ. The heart of a leader is actually the heart of a believer. The heart of a believer is to reflect Christ.

The Good Life

There are two kingdoms. The kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God. The world will tell you that life is about happiness and success will bring you that happiness. The problem is that when you succeed at a job, getting money, power, you always want more. The world's happy and good life is actually pretty empty.

Jesus talks about the kingdom of God as the most fortunate place to be. Being a part of the kingdom of God is "The Good Life." In the kingdom of God there are meek people who are poor in Spirit. They are mourners who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are peacemakers, merciful with pure hearts who are persecuted because of another persons actions and righteousness.

This doesn't sound like the Good Life?!! Oh but it is.

Because these people inherit the Kingdom of God. It is theirs. In this kingdom the meek inherit the earth and the mourners are comforted. This is the kingdom where those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled. This is the place where the merciful are shown mercy and the pure in heart actually really SEE GOD! The peacemakers are adopted as the children of God!

SEE! Can you see how God's Kingdom is the most fortunate place to be?

Matthew 5:3-10

(Kudos to Dr. Wes Olmstead)

Check out http://www.briercrest.ca/bcast/podcasts/files/Chapel0120.mp3

To Know God Is to Die

Phillipians 3:10-11: "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead"

What a verse! What does it mean to "know" Christ? Especially in "his sufferings" and sufferings"? Why would we want to "become like him in his death"? Didn't Jesus die so that I do not have to?

So many questions. What do you think?

Last time was about peace in suffering and about having Peace with God. But Christ's sufferings took away my sin why should I suffer? If this is our thinking (as it is mine) then our focus is WRONG!

The Christian walk is about knowing Christ in every way. Its about relating to God in however we must to know Him best. Christ resurrected from the dead, so I desire this too! Christ suffered, so to know Christ in this, we must suffer. Christ died so we must die (in a high voice)?

If we really desire to know God then we venture into this odd realm of rejecting our life to follow Christ. Check out Luke 9:22-24

Peace In This World?

"Therefore, 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 his grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Rom 5:1-5).

In pondering this scripture I cannot help but look at the world today and ask, "How can I rejoice in my suffering?" We see the phrase "FML" every time we turn around. REALLY? FML REALLY?

Innocent Smith was talking with his professor who declared that life would be better dead. Smith pointed a revolver at his head and said, "I wouldn't do this for just anybody but if you think so." The professor scrambled to his feet and attempted to back track on his words. Smith shot twice around his head. The professor was grateful that Smith spared his life. Apparently life WAS worth living.

FML? NO! Then how can we find peace in the junk that forces us to say FML? Look carefully at the first verse above. It begins by stating we have peace with God. It is because of this we can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. When we have peace with God every other chaos lines up under that.

The question is this: Do you have peace with God? Pray to God. Talk with me. Let's find peace with God in this chaotic world.