Many Sons!

“For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”

Hebrews 2:10, ESV

“God is the One who made all things, and all things are for his glory. He wanted to have many children share his glory, so he made the One who leads people to salvation perfect through suffering.”

Hebrews 2:10, NCV

There is a definite complexity is embedded in this verse. It’s a regular “theological minefield.” But that shouldn’t stop us, but we should work our way through it with cautiousness and awareness. But there is the compelling question.

How did Christ learn obedience through suffering when he was already perfect?

Christ was human and “tempted in all points as we are and yet perfect and without sin,” and thus Christ was sinless. The humanity of Jesus can be seen throughout the gospels. He hungered, and he got thirsty. We see him very tired, and sleeping in the back of a boat in a storm, which reveals his humanity. “He committed no sin, neither was their deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

Only humans need to learn obedience. And all of us have faltered. Yet he didn’t. He had to learn, but He didn’t fail. As a man, He met every issue and every obstacle with a solid and a profound obedience. He learned how to obey, but without any failure, or fault.

In every person’s life, we are challenged to obey. There are so many twists and turns, and each of us has stumbled. It can be quite painful. We are also learning “obedience through our suffering.” It seems trials and suffering are the tutors teaching us about out Father, and His kingdom.

A Christian believer in Iraq.

This thought, “bringing many sons to glory” is of significant consideration. It reveals the intent and purpose of Jesus coming and doing all of this. He wanted to open the doors for all those who come to salvation. In a direct way, His intention was to become our escort, or safeguard to make a way for us into the Presence.

The words, “many sons,” shows the breadth and width of His work. It is considerable. The idea of “sons” is just as astonishing. We are not slaves, forced to labor in the quarries or mines. We are sons and daughters, His children. Eternity is too short of time, I suppose, for us to hold and occupy this kind of glory.

“They strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.”

Acts 14:22, NLT

“If we accept suffering, we will also rule with him. If we say we don’t know him, he will say he doesn’t know us.”

2 Timothy 2:12, NCV

Passage of the day: Hebrews 5:8-10 (standingatthedoor.wordpress.com)
Obedience (pastorgirl.wordpress.com)
Success = Obedience? (writtenbymegs.wordpress.com)

Feb 18 2012

I Don’t Have the Slightest

“Ah yes, the Shroud of Turin! We will have to dry clean it before we return it.”

Inspector Clouseau, (Upon discovering stolen artifacts) in The Pink Panther 2

I honestly think that our bumbling attempts to follow Jesus are entertaining angels who watch our efforts and shake their heads in astonishment. ” Did you see what Bryan just did?” I guess I’m the “Inspector Clouseau of the spiritual realm.” Clumsy and very much oblivious, I bungle my way down the path of discipleship, without a clue. It seems when something right happens, I still end up butchering it.

We have experienced so much, been given so much light, and yet we consistently choose to trade it for a lie. For the most part, I don’t sin automatically, I choose it, consciencely and deliberately. People don’t sin because they feel they have to. We sin because we like the pleasure it brings. We sin because it feels nice. We sin because it brings a thrill to our bodies, fleeting satisfaction to our souls and excitement to the boredom of our everyday lives. We sin because we believe the lie that the pleasure it brings, though passing (Heb. 11:25), is more satisfying than the pleasure obedience brings.

The issues I have are medical and psychological. I have chronic Hepatitis C. I survived a brain tumor and I need to walk with a cane. I do have a bad case of Bipolar disorder. I have some struggles with paranoid delusions and social anxiety. These are forgivable and God gives me buckets of grace. I know first-hand his agape love for me.

But he cannot bless disobedience and rebellion. When we announce to the world that “Jesus is Lord” we can expect God will hold our feet to the fire over this. The Holy Spirit will not negotiate when we suddenly decide we are hungry for sin. Apprehended by grace, we must fully surrender all claim we have to sample sin’s delights.

In the middle of my psychiatric issues, I must remember joy. I can not imagine being without it. I’ve been clinically depressed to the point of suicide many times. But God gives me joy in my darkness. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah)

Feb 15 2012

He Was at Home

“A few days later, when Jesus came back to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home.“

Mark 2:1

You can’t hide the presence of Jesus. There is a built-in need for Him in the hearts of men and women. You can’t keep it quiet, it is an open secret. People let it out in many ways. You can see it in their faces, and hear it in their voices. They become gentle and caring, where once was selfishness and anger. Peace is present, and a wonderful new thing called joy. They can’t help but share about their new guest, when they speak it spontaneously spills out.

Spring flowers can’t help their beautiful fragrance. There is a fragrance that announces that He is present. You might say that He takes over, just as a bright light take over the darkness. When Jesus is present His brightness pushes through the cracks and shines out every window. He cannot be contained or hidden. Love itself is invisible. But it has an effect on all who take it in. The very presence of Jesus transforms us.

People travel and gather great works of art. They collect these things of beauty and culture. They will go out of their way to search for paintings and statues of grace and elegance, and finding them they will spend a great deal of money to obtain them. But no one or nothing can compare to having Christ as the honored guest. The poorest farmer can be the wealthiest man.

No matter how quietly Jesus enters, His presence will soon make itself known. Where Christ abides, nothing but good will manifest itself.

Feb 10 2012

Loneliness and Depression Are Best Friends

Depression and loneliness walk hand-in-hand. When one of them pays a visit, the other is ready to join in. Often when we try to deal with our loneliness we’ll find depression just around the corner waiting. How ironic is this?

Depressed people tend to suffer in silence and isolate themselves from the outside world. When you are depressed, you feel less motivated to go out, make contact, socialize or participate in activities, or doing anything at all. Days, even weeks can go by without wanting to see anyone or talk to anyone and this aggravates feelings of isolation. Often depressed people do not want to talk about their problem or simply feel misunderstood.

Similarly, prolonged and intense feelings of loneliness can lead to depression. Treating the symptoms of depression is likely to resolve the problem of loneliness. If the reasons of loneliness are well understood (this requires some soul-searching and questioning oneself) and if methods of overcoming loneliness are applied, it is very likely that symptoms of depression will become less or disappear.

Beating depression or loneliness does not start with having more friends, or a relationship, although it can help. It really starts from within and is a process that takes time and care. Asking the right questions and doing the right things as part of this process is one of the keys to healing. Humans go through life in patterns by doing the same thing over and over again. Even in different situations, these patterns will be repeated and simply generate the same results.

A pattern is a repeated response to a situation in life or a series of activities that are repeated over and over again. They are formed by what we have learned from the past, what we know now, what we feel comfortable with and what our beliefs and values are. If any of these remain unchanged we become “fixed” in our ways. That’s why many of us have a hard time making lasting changes. The challenge is to break a pattern and gain new, life-changing insights.

It is a good thing to know that Jesus Christ sees and understands. But its good to have someone with skin on. Someone you can see and touch. Thats precisely why we have the Church. People who believe and touch each other deeply, helping each other up. Loneliness does not do very well in the true Body of Christ.

How to Handle Loneliness (everydayhealth.com)
How to Get Rid of The Loneliness (socyberty.com)
Physical Symptoms Of Depression In Women (answers.com)
always feel alone and depressed because you can’t remember a time when you haven’t felt alone and depressed (youhavemetmeataverystrangetimeinmylife.wordpress.com)

Feb 9 2012

What Good are the Miracles of Jesus?

^“But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”

–John 10:38

The healings Jesus performed boldly attest to his claim to be God. When we read about them, as recorded in the Gospels, we cannot doubt their supernatural flavor. A normal person cannot give sight to someone who has been blind from birth. I cannot raise a dead person, it’s simply not in the realm of even remote possibility.

Jesus performed hundreds and hundreds of healings, many not recorded in the Scriptures except through a vague and veiled reference to them. There were not just healings, but he also did miracles over natural laws. Water turned into wine, walking on the Sea of Galilee, feeding 5000 people with a little boys lunch.

You would think that the presentation of each miracle would bring a person to faith. But that is not the case. We assimilate them and process them to the point where we can nullify them. “Sure Jesus raised a widow’s son from the dead,” we say, but we inoculate ourselves against the truth of it. We deafen our selves, and silence the miracle. We roll right over it.

I need, I must re-visit these supernatural events again and again. They are a tonic to my jaded soul. These miracles require that I pick them up by their handle and make them my own. Jesus Christ is waiting for us to accept him as supernatural, because that is what he is. Does your Jesus work miracles?

“Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,”

–Psalm 105:5

The miracles are not about the miracles (wordsofgrace.wordpress.com)
Believing in Miracles (seekinggodfindingself.wordpress.com)
Prayer For Healing and Miracles..From Book (doublelattebooks.wordpress.com)

Feb 6 2012

A Grace Suitable for Sinners Like Me

Certainty and confidence should never become permanent fixtures in our lives. Yes, there are times of ebullient fortitude when everything just clicks, and we seem to be pretty victorious believers. But I assure you, this is only a temporary state. It isn’t the normal Christian life. And yet, we strive to make this consistency our Christian life.

Gloomy thoughts will often prevail; our fears and doubts become complete seasons of time. There will be doubts and frustration. I start to lose my passion for Christ, it just trickles away. And since nature abhors a vacuum, other desires and interests move in. I slide into something quite compromised, and what I previously condemned.

It is at these times we must absorb the truth. It is not your hold on Christ that saves you, rather it is His hold on you that is significant. It’s not how tight we hold on to our Father’s hand, but His grasp on yours. He has soaked up all our sin, and become guilty of it all. He has drawn it all away. He blots it all up with His white heart.

The mercy of God will insist on Him holding you close. Because of His profound love for you He becomes overprotective of you. Let none question, you are His own. Anyone who touches you, touches “the apple of His eye.”

“I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, One who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted for me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters.”

J.I. Packer

Are you broken? Flawed, and stumbling? Do you think that you are a poor example of a believer? I tell you, His love is not contingent on your outward behavior. It is a Greek word, it is an “agape” love. Narrowly defined as a “unconditional love,” not related to what you deserve, earn, or warrant. It is a love given without an expectation of a corresponding love in return. This is love, and it travels with grace.

“The bridge of grace will bear your weight, brother. Thousands of big sinners have gone across that bridge, yea, tens of thousands have gone over it. Some have been the chief of sinners and some have come at the very last of their days but the arch has never yielded beneath their weight. I will go with them trusting to the same support. It will bear me over as it has for them.”

Charles Spurgeon