Tag: Jesus Christ

Very Close to the Kingdom

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Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said, “There is one more thing you need to do. Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”  Mark 10:21

We must understand exactly how deeply that Jesus Christ loves us.  There is no diminishment, no reluctance in how He He handles each of us.  But in Mark 10 we see that there was a man whom Jesus picked out.  He was special because of the special work that was being done in him.

This man in particular became the focus of His concentrated love.  It drills into his heart with an intensity, a laser beam of happy holiness that penetrated and exploded inside.  However– the love of Jesus wants this man to take things deeper.  It’s funny but God loves us so much, that He refuses to leave us alone.

Obedience to Jesus becomes the step in which this man must take.  He hears the words, and evaluates the next step for himself.  Jesus tells him, that he must sell everything, and he must take every penny and give it to the poor.  Perhaps you think there should be gradients in grace?  But there are none.  We must make the stand, alone.

He was very sad to hear Jesus say this, and he left sorrowfully, because he was rich. Mark 10:22

For me, there is a disconnect someplace.  I think he was so close, and that he had a whole lot working for him.  And he turns away, unable, or unwilling to do was Jesus had ordered.  This young man was not far from the Kingdom of God– so close, and yet so far.

There was pain in his heart.  But he knew what he was doing.  The unique love that Jesus had for him should’ve acted as an anesthetic, and eased him through this pain of letting loose of his possessions, his credit, his wealth.  The love of God must always take us to a place far beyond ourself.

It is necessary for us to know exactly how deeply Jesus loves us.  That love is the only thing that will enable us to step out of our closest attachments.  His love is necessary for us to accept the things that are closest to our hearts that we must sacrifice.  Perhaps that is the word that sums all of this up–sacrifice. We must give up the things which are closest to us.  Only this can touch us where we are most tenderest.

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ybic, Bryan

kyrie elesion.

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The Shape of Love

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With a little bit of forethought, we can create an atmosphere where love, and all that follows it will flourish.  We predetermine all that goes into “love” and makes an impact on all those around us, who savor and appreciate its presence.  This you might say, makes us authentic believers–but it’s joy, and most certainly not a burden!  We were born to love others!

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”          Augustine

^

 ybic, Bryan

kyrie elesion.

P.S.  I’m thinking of getting a tattoo on my left shoulder, “Born to Love Others”.  (Think it will help?)
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The Blessings of a Long Struggle

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It’s a familiar story. A person has become a Christian in recent years and is engaged in spiritual practices–prayer, Bible study, meditation, church attendance, fellowship, tithing, and/or the sacraments. They’ve listened closely to their priest or pastor and have developed some formulas that are supposed to help them overcome the problems, sins, and weaknesses in their lives.

They’ve heard sermons and/or read books that have titles that start with “Three Steps,” “Five Keys,” and “Four Ways,” that are supposed to lead them to the abundant Christian life. They see progress in their lives but are discouraged because they still struggle with certain sins, problems, and/or weaknesses. Some feel like they can’t overcome the very deep negative legacy from the unhealthy family they grew up in.

Church leadership would do many believers a service by teaching them about how God can bring good out of their protracted struggle. No , it’s not God’s will for us to habitually sin , but God, in his tender mercies can work redemptively in this long and frustrating battle.

One of the first good things that can come out of a long battle with a character flaw or problem is deliverance from a formulaic Christian faith. “Do these three things and your problem will go away” you learn from a best–seller, but your problem doesn’t go away. The fallen human heart is a complex and formidable thing, and these canned approaches are a little like taking a squirt gun to a forest fire.

When people experience sustained adversity, their lives feel out of control, and they will often grab on to formulas to give them a sense of righting a ship that’s taking on water. Unfortunately, they end up trusting in the formulas more than God himself. Faith in formulas will always eclipse faith in God. The Christian life is more about a restful trust in a Person than embracing a set of principles no matter how spiritual those principles may sound.

The New Testament is clear on the centrality of faith (not self–effort or formulas) in the overcoming life:

When asked by his disciples what they must do to do the works God requires, Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe on the one he has sent” (John 6:28, 29). When describing the person who overcomes the world, the Apostle John said, “He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (I John 5:4, 5).

The failure of formulas is a good experience because it drives the believer to faith in the living God. In this faith, there is a wonderful exchange: I give Christ my pitiful attempts to live the victorious Christian life and he gives me his transforming power to overcome sin. However, this exchange may not happen overnight; it may be a process that takes years.

For those of you in a long struggle, please be comforted by the mercies of God that endure forever. If he can forgive a murderer and adulterer like David, he can forgive you and me. Please take the advice that Winston Churchill gave the British people during World War II: “Never, never, never, never give up ” or listen to the lyrics from a U2 song called “Miracle Drug” : ” There is no failure here, sweetheart/ Just when you quit.” Even better is C.S. Lewis from The Business of Heaven:

“I know all about the despair of overcoming chronic temptations. It is not serious, provided self–offended petulance, annoyance at breaking records, impatience, etc. don’t get the upper hand. No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home, but the bathrooms are already, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and to give it up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us: it is the very sign of his presence.”

Amen.

ybic, Jonathan

Jonathan is a old friend of mine. He writes like I wish I could. You would do well to visit his site. http://www.openheavensblog.com/ –Bryan

Waiting for the Green Light

“But I tell you that I am going to do what is best for you. That is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you.”

John 16:7, CEV

The disciples are distressed.  They are now starting to realize that Jesus is leaving them.  In the recesses of their minds they can’t accept this.  It makes no sense at all.  (After all, we just got started.)  They have been with Jesus almost “night and day” for three years.  They can’t imagine life without Him present and available.

Jesus starts saying things to help His friends.  I am going “to do what is best for you.”  With this concise idea Jesus wants His dear ones to understand and accept His decisions.  They must accept “this is why I am going away.”  He starts to link His absence with the rich goodness of the Holy Spirit.  On strictly basic level, the disciples have a reason for anxiety.  The disciples are thinking. “He will not be here when I wake up.  Jesus has left!  I am alone, what will I do?”

We have a tendency to think of the Holy Spirit like a telephone.  The dynamic is this–someone calls me from a great distance.  When I pick up the ringing phone, that person is still a long way away– but the voice is close.  To think this way though, is to think wrongly.  We mistakenly think of Him in technological terms.  But Jesus is insisting it is a whole lot better than this. He isn’t on the phone– The Spirit is at the door, and He is ringing your doorbell.

“As soon as we see the Lord Jesus on the Cross, we know our sins are forgiven ; and as soon as we see the Lord Jesus on the Throne, we know the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us.”   Watchman Nee

The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is meant to “upset apple-carts” and change the flow of nations.  The Holy Spirit is first and foremost personal.  He comes and draws in closer than a person could.  He fills us, and our spirits and His are mixed in a new way.  Was it nice to have Jesus bodily present?  Yes. Of course.  But it is also awesome to have the Spirit connecting with us in a most spiritually wonderful way.

When Jesus ascends, the Holy Spirit is given the “green light” to come, and deepen the special relationship that the Father now has for us.  However, we can still be a little confused.  We think that Jesus physically present would be superior to having the Holy Spirit inside of our hearts.  And it is easy to think that way. Who hasn’t dreamed of having Jesus sit down with us over a cup of coffee at our dinner table?  But, it’s not really “better”– not even slightly so!

As we examine Acts 1-2, we are escorted the the real and very active world of the Holy Spirit.  His presence turns these disciples into a “tossed salad” of the Holy Spirit and humanity.  What happens can never be undone or reversed.  The Holy Spirit has followed Jesus and is now transforming everything.  Essentially, we must trust in what God has done, and we should bow our hearts and knees to all the Father has done for us.  Please, Spirit, come and help us.

“If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.”  A.W. Tozer

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ybic, Bryan

kyrie elesion.

image by He Qi

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