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“There is a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say. It is an impatient, inattentive listening, that despises the brother and is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person. This is no fulfillment of our obligation, and it is certain that here too our attitude toward our brother only reflects our relationship to God. It is little wonder that we are no longer capable of the greatest service of listening that God has committed to us, that of hearing our brother's confession, if we refuse to give ear to our brother on lesser subjects. Secular education today is aware that often a person can be helped merely by having someone who will listen to him seriously, and upon this insight it has constructed its own soul therapy, which has attracted great numbers of people... But Christians have forgotten that the ministry of listening has been committed to them by Him who is Himself the great listener and whose work they should share. We should listen with the ears of God that we may speak the Word of God.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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“Abandonment to God is the fruitful way to experience good under God. It means relinquishing ‘our way.’ It means not being angry or resentful when things do not go our way. It means that in God’s hands we are content for him to take charge of outcomes. And in that posture we make way for him to occupy our lives with us, and achieve what is best for us and for others far beyond anything we can even imagine.” Dallas Willard from the collection, Renewing the Christian Mind * * * Now to him who by His power within us is able to do far more than we ever dare to ask or imagine—to Him be glory in the Church through Jesus Christ for ever and ever, Amen! (Ephesians 3:20-21, Phillips)
From James 1, with a few thoughts:
The one who simply hears [the message] and does nothing about it is like a man catching the reflection of his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, it is true, but he goes on with whatever he was doing without the slightest recollection of what sort of person he saw in the mirror. This is one of those times where a metaphor is so immediately memorable, so “picturable,” that there’s a danger we’ll not internalize its literal meaning. So, what is James saying to us? That the “word of the Gospel” is meant to be the place in which we see ourselves, come to see the change God is effecting in us, and constantly check-in for reminders and “re-reminders” of His view… of us! In essence, it is a constant reflection of the very face of Jesus. And, as Paul has it, in 2 Corinthians 3, the more we gaze on this mirror—and live out the ways we see that Face in its reflection—the more we see our own faces looking like Jesus. In fact, that’s the heart of how James continues in the next verse: But the one who looks into the perfect mirror of God’s law, the law of liberty (and freedom), and makes a habit of so doing, is not the one who sees and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true blessedness. (James 1:23-25) So, according to James, what are our two necessary actions? Simply: To gaze upon Jesus and to do as He does. Or, I’ll put it to you this way: Only those receiving a constant love tend to constantly love. Only those enjoying the joy of the Lord tend to impart joy. Only those at-peace with the heart of God tend to spread peace. Only those so grateful for the long-suffering patience of God are persistently, steadfastly patient with others. Only those enrapt by His kindness find the gear to be and to live likewise. Only those receiving of HIS goodness tend toward activities of constant goodness. Only those full of faith tend to, in the end, live a life that’s faithful. Only those knowing the gentle heart of God prize the heart of gentleness. And, only those coming under the direct control of God tend toward the beginnings of self-control. Do you see what I did there? Do you see what’s in the mirror? It’s the ways we receive the fruits of the Spirit—the literal inner life and personality of Jesus—that defines how we put into practice, by that Spirit, those very same fruits. We receive… and we then give away. A rhythm of experience and of offering. What a way to live in our New Year! “My heart is overflowing with praise of my Lord, my soul is full of joy in God my Savior. For he has chosen to notice me, his humble servant and, after this, all the people who ever shall be will call me the happiest of women! The one who can do all things has done great things for me—oh, holy is his Name! Truly, his mercy rests on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has swept away the high and mighty. He has set kings down from their thrones and lifted up the humble. He has satisfied the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. Yes, he has helped Israel, his child: he has remembered the mercy that he promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and his sons for evermore!” (Luke 1:46-55, Phillips)
As we spend these next eighteen days meditating on the grandeur of the Incarnation, let me challenge us to mirror the posture of the mother of Jesus: OVERFLOWING with praise! FULL of joy! DELIGHTING to be noticed! HUMBLY serving! HAPPY with the heart’s true joy! EXULTING in His goodness! REVELING in His mercy! WATCHING IN WONDER all He can do! LIVING-INTO His plans! SATISFIED with His provision! ACCEPTING His help! REMEMBERING how He remembers EVERY SINGLE promise He’s promised! Never forget: WE are the ones privileged to SHOW THE WORLD that Christmas is, in fact, REALITY! At Anchor this week, rather than going back through, and teaching back through, many of the same words/phrases as occur in Matthew 6's similar "Do not be anxious" teaching, I wanted our group to hear Jesus’ argument a little more "philosophically." You see, if you trace His words in this section from the end to the beginning, you start to realize how He’s built His logic on a heavenly-spiritual logic. Every thought follows so beautifully, so invitingly, one to another.
Back to front, consider what He says: - Your heart will be where your treasure is stored, thus - Store your treasure where moth and thief can’t tamper with it, meaning - In Heaven, where time is endless and values utterly changeless--in fact, - Learn to live like money hardly matters at all… because - Do you realize? You and I have already been given the entirety of a Kingdom! meaning - Fear nothing. Fear no one. Because - We will be given what we need in this Kingdom, because - Our Father always knows exactly what we need… and - He’d hate to see His sons and daughter frittering away their lives like the people who don’t know His heart… so - We must do business with our anxiety—stare it right in the face… so that - We set out hearts not on mere food and drink… because - If He has been faithful up-till-now, can’t we trust, today and forever, that His faithfulness will continue? For remember: - What He has done, He can do again… and - He is mindful down to the most minute detail… and - If we’re honest, do we actually believe—do we actually want to believe?—that we can somehow “make our own way” through these lives of ours? Or better: - Wouldn’t it be lovely to think our Heavenly Father loves us, and knows us better, than making life a mere fending-for-ourselves? Instead, - What if it is Him who has always fed us, and - Planned for our futures, and - Given us the minds and bodies and skills to participate in His heavenly-earthly plans? What if - Our lives are meant to mean more than their mere sustenance? Yes! - What if our body is more than clothing, our life more important than its feeding--for this reason: - That, we are being fed and clothed, we are invited not to be bothered… by - The One who tells us to worry about nothing. Why? - Because… He is… HE IS!… and He is with us… not just “back then”… but now… and forevermore. - Because He personally knows the pushes and pulls of money, work, time, stress, fear--and yet still, boldly, says to us: - “Do not worry about life.” - “You must not live in a state of anxiety.” - “Your Heavenly Father knows you need these things.” - “Don’t be afraid, you tiny flock!” Why? - Because “Your Father plans to give you… …the KINGDOM!” 100 He visits Mary & Martha in Bethany Luke 10:38-42 AS THEY CONTINUED their journey, Jesus came to a village and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. She had a sister by the name of Mary who settled down at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was very worried about her elaborate preparations and she burst in, saying, “Lord, don’t you mind that my sister has left me to do everything by myself? Tell her to get up and help me!” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, my dear, you are worried and bothered about providing so many things. Only a few things are really needed, perhaps only one. Mary has chosen the best part and you must not tear it away from her!” Just after… A MAN FINISHES a meeting on the other side of town, shakes his counterpart’s hand, walks out the door and into the freshness of the evening air. He takes a deep breath in; lets it out.
As he walks back home, he is at first totally unaware of the loveliness of the sunset: how its pinks and purples linger over the western hills and rises. But all at once he notices. He turns his full attention to the poetry of the night’s encroaching over the town: men and women are returning through the warm-lit doors of their homes; food is cooking; children play in the street, unconcerned. He is watching as he winds along through the alley into the straightaway that runs right up to the door of his shared family home. His sisters are standing outside at the open door. They are talking to a stranger. Both their faces are lit by a lovely warm glow. Even at a distance he can see that their eyes are moist. The stranger nods his head as the two of them pass by each another. “Who was that man?” Lazarus asks his two sisters, arriving home. “Come inside,” they say, “and we’ll tell you all about it.” As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9, ESV) * * * "The Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ, did not come to the world in order to bring a doctrine; he never lectured. Since he did not bring a doctrine, he did not try by way of reasons to prevail upon anyone to accept the doctrine, nor did he try to authenticate it by proofs. His teaching was really his life, his existence. If someone wanted to be his follower, his approach, as seen in the Gospel, was different from lecturing. To such a person he said something like this: Venture a decisive act; then we can begin. What does that mean? It means that one does not become a Christian by hearing something about Christianity, by reading something about it, by thinking about it, or, while Christ was living, by seeing him once in a while or by going and staring at him all day long. No... venture a decisive act; the proof does not precede but follows, is in and with the imitation that follows Christ." Søren Kierkegaard
Judge for Yourself! Here, by way of reminder, is just a taste of how "with you" the Lord will be this whole week:
Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you... (Gen. 26:24) Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go... (Gen. 28:15) Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. (Deut. 31:6) Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Is. 41:10) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you... (Is. 43:2) Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. (Jer. 1:8) They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you. (Jer. 1:19) Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” (Hagg. 1:13) And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Mt. 28:20) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever... (Jn. 14:16) Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you... (Acts 18:9) As shared before, here are a few more of my Pointillisms -- these ones could be a mighty declaration over the week you're living (maybe even read them, over your week, aloud!)...
45.49 In Jesus, I shall never be condemned. 45.50 In Jesus, the Holy Spirit looses my life from death and the Fall. 45.51 In Jesus, the divide is bridged. 45.52 In Jesus, the former Law is already fulfilled within me. 45.53 In Jesus,—by His Spirit—I have His outlook ever available. 45.54 In Jesus, I presently have peace. 45.55 In Jesus,—by His righteousness—I am utterly, ultimately, alive. 45.56 In Jesus, my current life is contemporaneous with eternity. 45.57 In Jesus, I too am a son of God. 45.58 In Jesus, I too am an inheritor of the wealths of the Kingdom. 45.59 In Jesus, I am on display as one of His glories. 45.60 In Jesus, I am gloriously free—in order to free. 45.61 In Jesus, I know where this is headed. 45.62 In Jesus, the Holy Spirit is replacing my age-old spirit. 45.63 In Jesus, that Spirit translates my life, my thoughts, my prayers. 45.64 In Jesus, I have nothing at all to fear. 45.65 In Jesus, I have everything to hope for. 45.66 In Jesus, I am being made like Jesus. 45.67 In Jesus, I shall be sustained just as certainly as I was known; created; saved; called unto. 45.68 In Jesus, nothing separates this life from His life. I want you to imagine Jesus – just the way you imagine Him – see Him in your mind’s eye with all the details that come along with that: the look of His clothing, the set of His shoulders, the look in His eyes, and on His face, as He leans closer to you. He is sitting in a room where, just a few minutes ago, He’d stooped at your feet and washed and dried them; now He’s been speaking to you, very directly. Something in His eyes says that all these words are a valediction – a sort of farewell – like a father preparing to make his final earthly departure. You find your heart confused; sad. Why is He suddenly taking on a tone like this?
Then His features soften; His eyes gloss over with tears. “Peace I leave with you,” He says, “my peace I give to you.” In the last three years of following after Him, you have seen the nature of that peace: scenes begin to occur to your memory. Of the crush of the crowds pressing against Him from all sides. Of the approach of Legion, the man possessed by a thousand spirits. Of the night before that: His waking, in the storm, and standing up against the gunwale and pronouncing “Hush” into the night. Of the constant attacks of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Of the rumors of the fury of Herod. Of the whispering of the authorities unto the Romans. Of the day, even, when He’d cleared the Temple. The peace He is leaving you, His peace that He says He gives, is the most remarkable power you have ever seen. Jesus’ peace is not the absence of action – a vacuum where no problems may enter – it is a conquering force that dominates every situation. You have seen the way His peace can be as quiet as the light mellowing at dusk; you have seen it rise to confront all evil in its darkness. The peace that Jesus gives you, on this night, and forever, is the ability to abide in Him, no matter what. It’s the ability to conquer fear with love; hate with goodness; lack with abundance; death with life. Nothing can stand against the peace of Jesus. This week, at Anchor, we meandered our way through John 10's “Good Shepherd” message, while looking back at some of David's most famous words, from Psalm 23. I think you'll enjoy the juxtapositions, section by section:
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd will give his life for the sake of his sheep… I am the good shepherd, and I know those that are mine and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I am giving my life for the sake of the sheep.” “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” “I am the door. If a man goes in through me, he will be safe and sound; he can come in and out and find his food.” “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” “[The shepherd of the flock] calls his own sheep by name and leads them out of the fold, and when he has driven all his own flock outside, he goes in front of them himself, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” “Believe me when I tell you that anyone who does not enter the sheepfold though the door, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a rogue. It is the shepherd of the flock who goes in by the door. It is to him the door-keeper opens the door and it is his voice that the sheep recognise.” “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” “I do assure you that I myself am the door for the sheep. All who have gone before me are like thieves and rogues, but the sheep did not listen to them… The thief comes with the sole intention of stealing and killing and destroying, but I came to bring them life, and far more life than before.” “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me ALL the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” “So there will be one flock and one shepherd. This is the reason why the Father loves me—that I lay down my life… and I lay it down to take it up again! No one is taking it from me, but I lay it down of my own free will.” My friends, let's go listen for, and follow after, our Good Shepherd all week long! Jesus came: to reveal the heart of God; to establish the Kingdom of Heaven; to show us the Way; to give us His Word; to die to set us free from sin; to conquer death; to ascend to intercede on our behalf; to send His Holy Spirit; to allow us untrammeled access to the Throne; to send us out to make all this known to everyone; to be with us in perfect power; to be with us in His own brand of fearlessness; to ask for more of everything He offers; to receive everything He offers; to be with Him—as He is with us—every minute of our lives.
How are we doing, in daily pragmatic experience, with receiving all of the above? When you are wronged by a brother or sister from within the Body of Christ:
* When you are wronged by a man or woman outside the fellowship of the Church:
At this week's Anchor, we considered a series of statements from the Feast of Tabernacles' message of Jesus, from John 7, and I want to share with you a few of my favorite takeaways:
Towards the end, Jesus says to the crowds, “I shall be with you only a little while longer and then I am going to him who sent me. You will look for me then but you will never find me. You cannot come where I shall be.” In this and the final statement to follow, Jesus not only points ahead at what is to come, but He also demarcates the differences between the “ways of the world and the flesh” and the glories of the “Way of the Kingdom and the Spirit.” Consider what He’s saying here of the world and the flesh: It is constrained by the construct of Time--“only a little while longer”—and of the distance between God and men--“I am going… but you will never find me.” Also, the world and the flesh, unchanged, unredeemed, cannot do anything to change the equation: “You cannot come where I shall be.” But what of the “Way of the Kingdom and the Spirit”? It is UN-bounded by time—eternal, everlasting, unchanging—and, thanks to the coming Ascension of Jesus, completely connected between God and man, Heaven and earth. And though, yes, we “cannot come where [He] shall be,” as we are, He is in the business of utterly remaking us so that it’s possible. How? Read His final statement, as John writes it: “If any man is thirsty, he can come to me and drink! The man who believes in me, as the scripture says, will have rivers of living water flowing from his inmost heart.” In other words, the world and the flesh are thirsty, uncertain where to go with their thirst, and desperate at the level of the heart for life, and for true living. But, in the Kingdom of Heaven, and by the Holy Spirit Jesus will offer to “any man” (note that “any”), we may drink to our fill, believing in Him--NOT in thirsty old religion—and, ourselves, become a river of living water for the world to come and drink from. Do you understand? By the Spirit He will pour out upon His friends and followers, we, His friends and followers, are meant to become the fountain of JOY, and of JESUS, for this world. Yes, all may come to you and I… in order to drink OF HIM! What an awesome, and humbling, honor! He works beside Peter’s mother-in-law in the kitchen, kneading dough, chatting comfortably of the rest of the things she is preparing for supper this night. He reaches out and takes a drink from a clay cup. She prattles on. Jesus continues to listen, smiling. * * * In the darkness, you hear Him chuckling to Himself in the stern of the boat, while re-fluffing His pillow. Both sounds are perfectly audible against the unnatural stillness of the waters. He only just finished hushing the storm. * * * Ideas of His: The colors of the sunrise; the smell of the lilacs in springtime; the breath of cool air off a brook in the morning; the cronch of new-fallen snow underfoot up in the high country; autumn breezes; the sound of a wind-tide lapping against a pebbly shoreline; your breath; your heartbeat; you. These, among so many millions and billions of others, were things He personally thought up. * * * Jesus enjoys your enjoyment of the life He created for you. He is also dissatisfied with your petty, untoward dissatisfactions. You must always mind your pleasure- and pain-points in all that you do—with Him and for Him. * * * His friendliness holds space for your great silences. He is content to walk alongside you, just being together.
Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. (Ephesians 3:7-12, ESV) * * * "To have a share in any earthly inheritance, is to diminish the share of the other inheritors. In the inheritance of the saints, that which each has, goes to increase the possession of the rest." George MacDonald
Unspoken Sermons "The Inheritance" When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? (Ps. 56:3,4, ESV) * * * “It is a law of the spiritual life that every act of trust makes the next act less difficult. Trusting becomes like breathing, the natural unconsciousness of the redeemed soul.” Hannah Whitall Smith
The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life “He, the Life of all, our Lord and Saviour, did not arrange the manner of his own death lest He should seem to be afraid of some other kind. No. He accepted and bore upon the cross a death inflicted by others, and those other His special enemies, a death which to them was supremely terrible and by no means to be faced; and He did this in order that, by destroying even this death, He might Himself be believed to be the Life, and the power of death be recognised as finally annulled. A marvellous and mighty paradox has thus occurred, for the death which they thought to inflict on Him as dishonour and disgrace has become the glorious monument to death's defeat.” Athanasius
On the Incarnation 4th C. Of late, I've been struck (yet again!) by the overwhelming qualities of the opening of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. So, for this week, I'm sending you three different translations of vv. 3-10; I want these to be a reminder of how great are our privileges in this Kingdom!
NIV: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." NKJV: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him." Phillips: "Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit as citizens of Heaven! For consider what he has done—before the foundation of the world he chose us to become, in Christ, his holy and blameless children living within his constant care. He planned, in his purpose of love, that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ—that we might learn to praise that glorious generosity of his which has made us welcome in the everlasting love he bears towards the Son. It is through the Son, at the cost of his own blood, that we are redeemed, freely forgiven through that full and generous grace which has overflowed into our lives and opened our eyes to the truth. For God had allowed us to know the secret of his plan, and it is this: he purposes in his sovereign will that all human history shall be consummated in Christ, that everything that exists in Heaven or earth shall find its perfection and fulfilment in him." My friends, let's go LIVE this GLORY all week long! 45.74 We come to know Him so that others may come to know Him.
45.75 Beloved, we will be loved and be love. 45.76 Jesus still snares the steps of those who’d follow rotely. Then, falling, prone, He raises them up to follow Him. 45.77 How extravagant are our prayers for the world’s salvation? ie. How many brothers and sisters do we want? 45.78 Where we look for life is where we believe goodness lies. 45.79 Salvation: to believe that Jesus is alive—and say it. Thus the Word Himself enters the life; hope and salvation the heart. 45.80 We call on One who, possessed forever of the gracious heart of God, is ever inclining His human ear. 45.81 The tragedy is not that, seeking Him we will somehow not attain Him,—He has, remember, promised all seekers their finding of Him—but that so many seekers are simply seeking so many other things. 45.82 Choosing His grace, we find ourselves: chosen by Him. 45.83 Chosen by Him, we find Him: choosing to grace us. In honor of Pentecost Sunday at Anchor today, we used the combination of Matthew 15 and Mark 7's version of the same narrative to paint a picture of how "the spirit of religion" so often tends away from the heart of Jesus. In essence, we were asking: If religion looked like the scribes and Pharisees wrangling with Jesus over the ritualistic act of handwashing, what are the spirits of those infused by the Holy Spirit meant to look like? More simply, what would be the exact opposite of Matthew 15 and Mark 7, in the economy of Pentecost?
Consider the words and logic of those combined passages, but in their exact inversion: And Jesus was approached by followers and disciples intent upon His Way. They had noticed how He Himself walked in freedom before God and man. Jesus would eat, He would go to market, He only considered important the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. So His followers and disciples put this question to Jesus, “How should we remain free with your freedom?” Jesus replied, “My friends, I myself described you perfectly when I once stated, ‘If you are faithful to what I have said, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!’ If you listen to the voice of my Spirit—who will ever live within you—you will be faithful to what I said… which is freedom!” Then He went on, “It is wonderful to watch you following the Way of the Spirit: this is my own life extended through yours! For I said to you, ‘Follow Me’—and this is how you do it! What an extraordinary display of my everlasting life—through yours!” Then He turned toward the crowds—those not yet knowing of His Way—and said to them, “Watch these, my friends, living out my Way. For I have chosen to place my Spirit right there within them—right inside the inner lives of these followers—and it is this Spirit which makes them clean. They are free now… and you may be free too.” Later, we His disciples approached again and asked, “Do you really mean that we are to walk in the freedom of following only your Spirit?” Jesus replied, “Every branch which abides in me, the vine, shall be nourished; shall be strengthened; shall produce my exact fruit. You will never-ever be alone. And, you are meant now—everyday—to be a guide to your fellowman: show them the Way home.” We asked Him to explain Himself further. “Oh!” He laughed, “you are so dear to me! Can’t you see that your greatest inheritance is receiving of my Spirit; that never again will you be anything less than heavenly to me? For my very Spirit will go into your heart and make you ever more like me; you will be made pure; you will learn to bear my fruit in your everyday life. What will flow forth from you will be extraordinary, uncommon—just like Me—and the world will get to meet me by getting to meet you. From my Spirit within will flow love, generosity, life-giving, purity, kindness, goodness, truth-telling, brotherliness, open-handedness, encouragement, humility, and wisdom! All this goodness will flow from me, through my Spirit, unto you—you will follow my Way and show the world what I am capable of!” “Not only do we only know God through Jesus Christ, but we only know ourselves through Jesus Christ; we only know life and death through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ we cannot know the meaning of our life or our death, of God or of ourselves. Thus without Scripture, whose only object is Christ, we know nothing and can see nothing but obscurity and confusion in the nature of God and in nature itself.” Blaise Pascal Pensées In other words, in Jesus we know: God, ourselves, life, death, sense, reason, and the end-goal of all Creation.
This day, let’s enjoy this richest of Inheritances… Him! After: You are sitting with your upper back resting against the gunwale of Simon Peter’s fishing boat; you have your head tipped back, against the rail, and are looking up into the night sky. The moon is just on the wane from its fullness: its bright-white light flickers atop the waters; it illumines everything of the seaside as far as your eyes can see. The hills and gullies and folds of the earth are all a mixture of shadows and white light. Even still, there are plenty of stars overhead to watch with wonder. Some seem to pulse and twinkle. Others are just pinpoints of steady light. The air around you is warm and comfortable: that exact perfect temperature where it feels soft and sweet against your skin. All else is perfectly still. No breeze; not a breath. The only sound from the sea is when movements in the boat stir the hull. The sail was dropped well over an hour ago—in the middle of the storm—and so the mast stands stark, silhouetted, against the moonlight. Everything is just… perfect. Ringing the rim of the boat are the other eleven of the disciples of Jesus—all leaning against the gunwale—and, at the prow, sits Jesus, resting His head on the forward notch. He too is looking up into the starry, moonlit sky, enjoying the quiet peaceful air. You can see how He breathes slowly and smoothly. It looks like He’s almost falling off to sleep. Then… He leans forward. Beneath the calm of the night, your eyes meet. For a moment, it is as if He is studying you. Then… so lovingly… eyes wrinkling… He smiles. * * * * Before:
You are alternatingly throwing yourself to your knees—bailing water from the hull of the boat—and jumping to your feet to throw those buckets of water overboard. The moonlight only serves to faintly light the whole scene: of all twelve of you either desperately bailing, or trying to get the sail down and stowed, or violently retching over the edge of the boat. You have never experienced winds like these winds. What had started as moonlit whitecaps had progressed to sizable rollers had eventually become the scene around you: mountains of Galilean stormswells. The boat, from all directions, keeps lifting upon one wave and then--so suddenly—tumbling and flying down the other side… only to be picked up again and heaved in another direction. Land, it would seem, is entirely out of sight. All you can see are the summits and valleys of these endless successions of windtossed waves. All you can hear are your friends’ screams and the raging howl of the wind. Amidst the rapidly growing certainty that, in a very few minutes, you will all be in the water, drowning, you are also thinking one other desperate thought: If only. If only you had not left Jesus on land—left Him to say goodbye to the crowds—He would be in the boat right now. If only you could make your way to the stern, wake Him up like last time, He would rise to His feet and calm the storm instantly. If only Jesus was somehow here, and not up on the mountainside, looking down at you, you would be alright. Oh… If only… A massive wave then rises above the portside. You lean with the others as it seems to suck you upward, passing over and beneath you. The boat, sideways, then tumbles along its back edge. You are all holding on for dear life. And then… in the valley between that breaker and the next… before another wave is ready to come pummel you… you see something. No, you see Someone. Lit up by the milky moonlight, steadily standing amidst the waves, there is a Person balancing His weight—atop the waters. He is looking right at you. By the light of the moon, He nods His head; smiles. "What is there left to say? If God is for us, who can be against us? He that did not hesitate to spare his own Son but gave him up for us all—can we not trust such a God to give us, with him, everything else that we can need?
"Who would dare to accuse us, whom God has chosen? The judge himself has declared us free from sin. Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us! "Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, pain or persecution? Can lack of clothes and food, danger to life and limb, the threat of force of arms? Indeed some of us know the truth of the ancient text: ‘For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter’. "No, in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through him who has proved his love for us. "I have become absolutely convinced that neither death nor life, neither messenger of Heaven nor monarch of earth, neither what happens today nor what may happen tomorrow, neither a power from on high nor a power from below, nor anything else in God’s whole world has any power to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 8:31-39, Phillips) Your sense of walking through life alone is your wrongest sense. Jesus hems you in, both behind and before.
Remember: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Is. 41:10) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38,39) The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zeph. 3:17) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (Jn. 14:16,17) It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. (Deut. 31:8) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (Jn. 14:27) The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Ps. 27:1) My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps. 73:26) (And I could keep going and going!) |
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