"Yoked To Jesus"

So, maybe you can not see it that way; that's okay, I might need to see it that way because I am so unable to do what I should do on my own; and you are so strong in your faith, that your just plowing on down the road, wearing the yoke that you have been given. (You Think?) But the way I see it, Jesus has asked me to take His yoke upon me, and there are only so many ways that you can interpret that. One way to look at it, which is what I had previously felt, is that He has a yoke prepared for my life, which is custom fitted for me; and because it is for me, that is what makes it easy, and the burden associated with it will be light. Okay, that might work for a good interpretation, right? There is only one small problem with that way of thinking, and it is what I was shown so vividly yesterday; the problem is, that the work is then up to me, yet Jesus said, in Matthew 11:29, "and ye shall find rest unto your souls"; which if I really want to find rest, I know of only one place for rest to be found, and that is in Jesus. Alright, so maybe I am splitting hairs; but after that dream I had yesterday, I have to wonder what to think. I did not tell you the strangest part of the dream, although I did give you a hint; but the strangest part was that this phone I was trying to dial on, had only One phone number: 1-area code-number. But the problem was, that every time I went to place the call, there would be a problem with the buttons; and so I would get each button fixed, until finally I saw the 'clear' button after the area code, and then woke up. That coupled together with what I believe God was showing me in Paul's letter to Corinth, made me wonder about something very important: if I am coupled together with Jesus Christ, which means that His yoke is upon me, and we are coupled together as a team of oxen would be, and when I look back, could that be why the journey becomes difficult? Because I know that Jesus will not be looking back; and yet, when I am looking forward with Him, He is actually the one doing all the work; for He said in that same verse, "and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart"; which means that He will not require me to do any more than I can handle, and that He is actually the one doing the work; I just need to learn of Him. Now, as I look at what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:15 and 16, there are a couple of things which do not mix that I must take a real close look at. One of the things listed by Paul is in verse 15, "And what concord hath Christ with Belial ?"; in other words, what does Jesus have in common with worthlessness, wickedness, or lawlessness? Absolutely nothing, that's what! And then as we look at verse 16, "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for ye are the temple of the Living God". Giving this, which is so vastly contrasted, and then coupled together with that strange dream, I have been reminded of something which is so vitally important to being coupled together with Jesus: I can not be coupled together with Jesus Christ and with the world; the two do not mix!!! (Clear!)

"Trusting In God & Yoked To Him"

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:29 & 30) You know, the more I thought of it, the more I could see that anything in my life which I know to be contrary to God, is too much. I use to think of this 'yoke' that Jesus was talking about was a yoke that I would have on myself, much like an oxen is yoked to a plow; and then there I go, plowing forward, trying to keep a straight line as I go, and trying not to look left or right, and especially, to not look back. Dreams are really strange; and last night I had a really strange one. It had to do with trying to make a phone call, a really important phone call; the problem was, that the phone I had to use kept dialing the wrong number. As I looked closer at the phone, I could see that the reason I could not call properly, was because the buttons were all screwed up; and as soon as I got the right buttons in place, there would be one missing, or the area code, or, and this one woke me up, a button right after the area code that said 'clear'. This is my life; always trying to do things on my own; always trying to figure out how to get it right; and never really being able to. As I looked up the word 'yoke' this morning, I discovered something which I can now see is my basic problem, and that is, that the yoke I have been wearing is mine, not His. I know, it sounds crazy and maybe a little extreme; but really, as I looked upon my view of His yoke, it was not His yoke I was wearing, but mine; one that I had imagined Him placing on me, and then saying, "okay, now go". But it is not that way!!! That is how I have made it, but not how Jesus has meant it to be; because the way He has meant it to be, is for me to be yoked to Him, and Him saying, "come". Okay then (wiping away tears); so let me ask you what I have been asking myself: How much of something which is not of Him makes us unequally yoked? "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)

"Trusting In God - Always!" part 2

Maybe you don't see the connection between trusting in God and being unequally yoked? Maybe, the real problem might be that you may know what it means to be unequally yoked? As I thought about this for most of the day yesterday, I kept wondering, how much of something that is not of God makes us unequally yoked. Because, the meaning of the term is not just limited to marriage, or living with a nonbeliever; no, it really goes quite further than that. It can also be what we yoke our hearts to in place of our relationship with God; which, if you think about that, can count for a whole lot of stuff. This is what I need to remember (for myself), that when I find myself not trusting God, in any situation, I must ask myself: What have I yoked myself to that has drawn me away from God? It is quite simple really; if I am not trusting God, it is not because He has moved, but because I have moved away from Him; and if I have moved away from Him, it is because I have put something else between Him and I. Remember what we are talking about here; we are talking about people reading are lives, never giving up, and the fact that we have a job to do; in other words, we are here for a reason besides just ourselves. Knowing this, we must conduct ourselves as ambassadors of Jesus Christ; which means that we must trust God in order to properly represent Jesus; because Jesus Christ trusted the Father, so too, we must also trust Him. Yet, it is the things which are contrary to God which pull our hearts away from a close relationship with Him, and thus can cause doubt in our hearts; doubt which is not only based in who He is, but who we are in Him. It really matters to our standing with God, on where we are standing! To really be a child of God, which comes with it the pleasure of knowing you are His son or daughter, you must live like a child of God; and to put it as simple as I possibly can: We can not live like a child of God if we are yoked to something that is not of Him! "And what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel ? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? For ye are the temple of the Living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:15-18)

"Trusting In God - Always!"

I hope you know that I am writing this for me. No, really, this is the thing which I can find myself lacking in, on so many different levels: trusting the God who loves me, in all things, and always. I know what you are thinking: 'Hey Rich, you just need to trust Him.' Yes, you are right, I just need to put all my trust in Him and never look back. However, that is not in my nature; and as I said before, it is more my nature to try and figure out what God is doing; you know, so I can try to help Him plan things. That's me, the great planner, who plans everything; yet sadly, those plans that I plan do not pan out; in fact, I can not seriously remember any long term plans that I have made that have been successful. Therefore I have no other option than to trust God's plan for my life, right? Right? (I know that there is someone out there; somewhere.) Okay; here is the deal: I can not honestly give God thanks for 'all things' if I do not trust Him in 'all things'; and neither can you. Oh, we might be able to fake at good 'Thank You Jesus', or 'Praise the Lord', in the midst of something traumatic; but as soon as we get off in a corner, we cry out 'Why Lord?' Which is why the first thing required of us, and by first, I mean the foundation on which 'all' is set upon; but the very first thing that we must do, is believe that He is God! He is either God, or He's not! So the first thing required of us to truly trust in Him, is to believe that He is able, or capable of doing the things that only God can do. That seems simple and easy enough doesn't it? (Hello?) Doesn't it? Well, if you said yes, you are wrong; because this very first thing, is the very first thing that causes doubt. Maybe you do not agree? That's alright, because I am not here to argue; only to express what I believe. However, the reason the Bible starts with "In the Beginning God" is that way for a reason, because He is God; and one the requirements to be God is to have not been created; but instead to have been the Creator; which is why the very next word in Genesis 1:1, is "created". This is the foundation of the Bible, and if you can get past this, believing it with all your heart, then the rest will be simple and easy; but the first thing we must do is settle this question: 'Is He God, or not?' After we have the answer to this question verified in our hearts, we can then accept the next truth about God; which is the fact that He loves us! After listing all these things in verses 4-10 of 2 Corinthians, Paul says something which might seem off the subject; but given the situation which was going on in Corinth at the time of his writing, it really is to the point. "Oh ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels." (2 Corinthians 6:11 & 12) To understand the true meaning of this statement, we must first off consider what was going on in Corinth at the time, factor in what Paul was just talking about in that list of 'good and bad', look ahead to the next few verses; and, it might be a good thing to know what the word 'straitened' means. The basic meaning of that word, is to be restricted; in other words, to be unable to express yourself. Which is exactly what happens to us when we have doubt! "Now for a recompense in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness ?" (2 Corinthians 6:13 & 14)

"Accepting The Very Best"

Sometimes I have to wonder: What is the Very Best for my life? I was going to title this blog 'Expectations', but the funny thing is, I think we are always expecting something; at least I know that I am. If you don't know what I mean by that, it simply means that we are always in the role of an expectant mother; waiting for God to birth something out of us. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think so. In fact, I actually think that it is part of being a child of God, because we know how much He loves us, we know also that He will not leave us unattended, and without the protection of His mighty hand; but we also know that He will not neglect us either; which means that He will not fail to raise us up, as His children. Much like the experience of natural child birth, there is pain involved in the birthing process; but the results are life giving. But also, much like the birthing process, there is that expectation of what that life given will look like; and this is where we must prepare ourselves for bending. In other words; we are not the ones who are in control, so we are not the ones who always get what we want; but we do (believe it or not), always get what we need. There is something else which comes with 'expecting', and it is called 'Trust'. Do I really trust that God is doing this for my very best? Is it even possible to try and figure that out? Well, I think I can honestly answer 'No' to both of those questions! Do you know why the first answer gets a 'No'? The answer to that is easy: Because the second question was even asked; that's why! I can not honestly say that I am trusting God, and then try and figure out what He is doing. But that is what we naturally do; it is in our nature to set up plans within our hearts and minds based upon what we think God is going to do. However, this is the challenge that is set before us: that we would always be expectant, but always bending; that we would be willing to receive the worst, but always expecting the very best; that we would accept what God has set before us, and know, with the trust of a child, that He is our Loving Father, and everything we must go through, whatever, and however terrible it may appear to be, is for our very best! "Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in strips, in imprisonments, in tumlts, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the Word of Truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things." (2 Corinthians 6:3-10) (Question: Did he leave anything out? Is what you are going through not somewhere in that list?)

"Thanksgiving"

The Greek word for Thanksgiving is 'eucharistia'; and in Paul's writings, and in the Book of Revelation, it means the expression of gratitude to God. You may notice that the beginning of this word is 'Eucharist', which is used in modern language for Holy Communion, embodying the highest act of thanksgiving for the greatest gift received from God, the sacrifice of Jesus! In the Book of Ephesians, chapter 5, Paul gives instruction on how to Live a Life of Love; which starts first and foremost as being followers of God, as dear children (v.1). The meaning of the word 'children' here is expressed by the word 'dear' which comes before it; it literally means that we are cherished and loved by God, as His precious children. Therefore, knowing that He loves us so, makes the task of following Him an easy one, because we know that He cares for those things that we need; and knowing that, makes us strive to stay as close as possible, within the reach of His loving arms. The next instruction given in verse 2, is about walking in Love; which requires sacrifice, and Paul uses Christ as the example of what 'sacrifice' really means. To put it in the simplest terms, we are to walk as those who give ourselves as an offering to God, for the sake of others. That is a hard pill to swallow, because we all know how often others take a back seat to our wants and desires; but this simple rule is key to the whole meaning of what Love is: Others! In verses 17 and 20, I believe there is another important factor in what is required to Live a Life of Love, and it involves 'Giving Thanks'; however, there is this word 'All' added into the text; which, if you remember, means ALL. If you thought you could pick the things to be thankful for, think again; because, as a Child of God, everything that He allows us to do, has us to do, or gives us to experience, is for our benefit; as crazy as that might sound. So, as I ponder those things which I have to be thankful for, I must also include the things which I might otherwise not be real thrilled about. A real good example of that would be, is the condition which my wife is in, and has been in for over seven years; and I am really not real thrilled about that. However, in this also I must give thanks; knowing that my Heavenly Father loves my wife and I very much, and only wants the very best for us; and in knowing this, I must be able to accept what is best for us. (But sometimes it is so hard!) "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:17-20)

"Speak"

As soon as I was finished with yesterday's blog, I had this thought come upon me about those who might say, 'But I don't feel like I have the Word of Reconciliation within me'. That is alright, because most people are in the same boat; but here is the thing: Speak and you shall know the Word of Reconciliation! 'Hold on there dude; I can't do that; what if I it does not work?' That might be your reaction to what I said; and if it is, that is natural also. This is what we must know about the Word of Reconciliation: it is of God, and not of us; so you can practice it all you want, but when it comes down to reconciling the heart's of men to God, there is only One who is the one who speaks, and that is God! However, we must be willing to open our mouths and let Him speak through us; knowing also, that it is Him who will be doing the speaking, we must also be subject to the power of the Holy Spirit, and in an attitude of prayer. Maybe there was a lot of stuff in that statement, and I should take it apart a little? First off, we must know that the Word of Reconciliation that is within us, and which can be uttered by us, is of God; in other words, it is not of us. Although we have been reconciled to God, and therefore know what it is about; it is not that experience, or the knowledge of that, which is used to convince others. If we are going to be doing it in that framework, we are doing the speaking based upon our own power, and not of His. That being said, God can speak through anyone, at anytime; so if He can speak through an Ass, and get someones attention, He can speak through us; even if we are speaking our own words. But, for our everyday conversations with those that we meet, and those that we wish to share Jesus with, the words which make their hearts turn towards Him, are from Him. Which is why we must be subject to the power of the Holy Spirit; which means, that we must be walking in the power of the Spirit. If we are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, then we will be talking by the power of the Holy Spirit; it's that simple, really! To be 'subject' to the power of the Holy Spirit, means that we are submissive to the Holy Spirit; which really means that we are not being submissive to the flesh. This is really important!!! Because, as you look at the word 'Word', the primary meaning of that word 'logos' is 'Intelligence'; and if we are speaking to someone about God's Love, we really need to be speaking intelligently; which God never fails to do! And then, we must always remember to pray! Not just praying for the words to speak, but praying also for the heart of those that we are speaking to; that their heart would be softened to receive the Word of Reconciliation; and be prepared for Reconciliation!!! "We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain. For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of Salvation have I succoured thee: Behold, now is the accepted time; Behold, now is the Day of Salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:1 & 2) (FYI: that word 'succoured' means HELPED!)

"The Word of Reconciliation"

'The Divine Act of Salvation, the ceasing of God's wrath!' This is written in my Bible right after the verse 18 of 2 Corinthians 5. I am not quite sure when I wrote it there, but I can assure you it was at least several years ago. In the New Testament, the word 'reconciliation' means that there has been a change in man which brings him to God by restoring divine favor between man and God. This change which occurs in man is not a change that man can do on his own; although there are many that try, and there are several, if not hundreds of religions that do so. No, this change to man was accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross; for, as Paul so eloquently puts it in verse 21, "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him". Now then; this 'Word of Reconciliation' which has been bestowed upon us, is part and parcel the passion of Christ to the cross. It is the Spirit of God in us, that has been birthed in us through reconciliation, and is all about reconciliation; it is the 'Word' part of this equation that makes it interesting, because of the meaning of the word 'word'. The word which Paul uses here is 'Logos', which is the same word that is used in John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". The reason that this causes me to take notice, is the fact that Jesus, being the expressed Word of God, is the one who is expressing the reconciliation through us. Okay, maybe I said that a little too fast to get it all expressed? We are vessels; New Vessels of God; made not by hands, but by God's redemptive power; and because we are His Vessels, we are used for His redemptive plan; which is a plan that did not stop at the cross, but was made possible by the cross. Although Jesus said, "It is finished", just before He died on the cross, He was speaking of the sin which separated man from God was defeated; but His ministry was not over; far from it; it really had just begun. Now, that same passion which drove Him to the cross, is pleading for man come onto to Him; and that same passion is expressed through us!!! "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:20 & 21)

"All Things are of God"

I have tried to find a different meaning for 'all', and I can not find one; in fact, as I looked up this word in my Webster's, it really does mean 'in all totality'. As I was driving down from MacArthur on Friday, I noticed how many businesses on the way home said "Under New Management"; I literally lost count. And yesterday, while driving to church, just in our little town of Shasta Lake, there were quite a few. It is sad to see this happening here in the North State, but our State as a whole is in some serious trouble. The saddest things however, is that many of these stores which are under new management will not stay open for long; in fact, the chances that they will be successful are not really that good. The main reason that this is so, is because the business is the same business, and if the founder of that business had lost hope, that pretty much dooms the new owners. The only reason I really have brought that up, is because I was thinking about 'being under new management' as a 'new creation in Christ'; yet, while thinking on that subject, it dawned on me that not everything would be new; which would mean that not 'All things were new'. This is the Great News of the Gospel: we are changed into a Child of God; and now, as a Child of God, we have New things to offer those around us. Not only are we under new management, but the contents are not the same as well; because the merchandise we have to offer now is eternal life! That is what Paul is saying here in verse 18, "And All things are of God, who hath reconciled us unto Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." Not only are we new creatures in Christ, but we also have new contents to share with others; these are 'The Things of God' that are within us, which actually are the things that make us want to reach the lost. Now, having said that, do I do what I want to do? Not as much as I should, that is for sure (to say the least). But, within me is the 'Word of Reconciliation'; it has been there since the day I first believed. For many, this is simply the testimony of God's grace and mercy upon their lives; for others, it may be the actual ministry of preaching the Gospel; but whatever it is in you, you must perform it. It must be expressed in one way or another, because it is in us all that are His Children to express what He has done; otherwise, all we are offering a dying world around us, is the same old dead merchandise... "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19)

"I Am Broken!"

Therefore, it is not I that live, but Christ who Lives in me! I can not fix myself, that is for sure; in fact, I don't even think that I can be fixed; but God!!! (I really like saying that!) But God, who created the heavens and the earth, and who created every fiber of my being, has a much better plan than fixing this broken vessel; He has made me New! You see, that which I feel I should be doing, like trembling for the lost, is not really in me to do; but that which is in me that wants to do that, is of God. It is "the Love of Christ" that constrains me; which means that it is His Love in me that compels me to do what I otherwise would not do. It also means that it is the Love of Christ that has made me a prisoner of His ways, or, to put it another way: because He occupies my heart, I am bound to Him and to the things of Him. Or, to put it the way Paul did: Because we were dead, but now alive, then we should be living for the One who gave us Life, and not unto ourselves. Now then; because I have this revealed in me, I have a new sense of 'trembling' which is not of fear, but of rejoicing; which is actually the 'trembling' that David was speaking of in Psalm 2:11, "Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." To understand the 'rejoice with trembling' that is being said, we must first realize the 'serve the Lord with fear' part; for the word 'fear' is meant to be the expression of 'awe and wonder', reverence, abject terror; and if one truly recognizes God as all-powerful, this will be reflected in his attitude and daily life in the form of reverence. Then, as we realize His awesome power, and understand how much that He loves us; realizing that fate which we have been delivered from, and His abounding Mercy; knowing the weakness of our flesh, yet the awesomeness of His Grace; we can not help but tremble inside as we rejoice in what He has done! I can not look upon myself for the example of doing good, no more than I can look upon anyone else, except Jesus; and yet, Jesus was crucified as a man, who did nothing wrong; but died upon that cross for the wrongs of the world. And on the third day, the man that was crucified for our sin, rose from the grave; giving Life to those that were dead, and New Life to broken vessels... "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation;" (2 Corinthians 5:16-18)

"The Terror Of The Lord" - Trembling!

"Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little: Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." (Psalm 2:11 & 12) Considering all that I have said thus far, I have to admit to you that I have been found wanting. I do not say that lightly, because Knowing what the Lord has shown me, has given me a chance to take a really good look at myself, and frankly, I do not like what I see. That being said, I have also come to realize that it is not me that I should be looking at for something that is worthy of praise; but Jesus Christ is my righteousness; Him, and Him alone! As Paul continues in this description of 'the terror of the Lord', he stops short of saying that some may think us (believers) crazy. I can see how that could be thought, because I use to think it also of those that called themselves Christians. In fact, as I shared before, I would think that they were lost, being trapped within the 'institution of religion'. But then I found Jesus, and I could see the real craziness was to be living without Him! Walking dead: that is what is I see in those that do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ; how crazy is that? And yet, I have an answer for their situation; and if I ignore their plight; carrying on, as if they do not matter; then what? 'Trembling' is a word that describes what I feel like when I think about it; I feel like I should be trembling at the thought of it; and yet, for some reason I do not; why? As I thought about that this morning, I wondered if I could be hardened by the culture in which I was raised; abortions given for pure convenience; violent murders depicted in movies; and many more things which take away from the sanctity of human life. But as I thought further, I realized that things have not really changed from back in history; women that would sacrifice their children to molten gods; spectators watching as their fellowman were eaten by lions; the list could go on, but I think you get my point. In other words, I have no excuse for a heart that is hard; it is hard for one reason and one reason only: selfishness... "For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again." (2 Corinthians 5:13-15)

"The Terror Of The Lord" - Revealed

I so want to have Paul's passion for the lost! This 'terror of the Lord' that Paul is speaking about is not just the fear that we will be found naked; actually, being found naked is not the real fear, but the real fear is to have not lived out Jesus Christ. In other words, there is a responsibility that we have been given to share what we know! This word 'terror' comes from the Greek word 'phobos' which means fear, terror, reverence, respect, honor. In the context of Paul's meaning, it would mean to have a deep and reverential sense of accountability to God or Christ. The very next part of the verse explains what that accountability is: "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Corinthians 5:11a); which means that we are to try to convince others that what we know is real. Now, how do we really convince others that God loves them, yet we show not love? This is the state of so much of our church in the modern, 'it's mine', everyone for themselves world that we are living in. Okay, I guess I am judging again; but I am also judging myself; for the umpteenth time, I will say it again, anything I write here in this blog, counts for me also! As I started today, I said that I wanted to have Paul's passion for the lost, and that is what I meant. In other words, I can see that there is a lack in my life which should be there; not just the desire to share about Jesus with someone else, that is only part of the responsibility we have been given; but the absolutely most important thing for us to do, is to show God's love. If we have not love, then we can not really convince others that God loves them; which is not that easy to explain in words; but it is kind of a generational effect, not generation as in sons and grandsons, but generation as in one believer to the next. If you are making disciples, that will also be making disciples of their own, and so on, and on; there needs to be a focus on the Love of God; it must be lived out in order to be received. I don't want to sound as if there is no love in our churches, that is not what I am saying. But, what we have in our churches today, is a whole lot of 'me, myself, and I'; which is not Him! As Paul continues his thought on the 'terror of the Lord', he goes into the point of accountability; where he makes a simple statement about being accountable to God, but also to the conscience of others: "but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." (2 Corinthians 5:11b) In other words, he is making the point that others will read our lives and make a reckoning based upon what they see; which then will cause them to make judgement, or give answer to those who are not living what they preach; or more specific, are not reverencing the Lord... "For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart." (2 Corinthians 5:12)

"The Terror Of The Lord"

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." (2 Corinthians 5:11) First off, anytime we see the word 'therefore', we must ask, 'What is it there for?'. In this instance, it is there to express the upcoming point, and the fact that we know the 'terror of the Lord'; and it is also there to summarize the illustrated points that were previously made: those points about us being "confident", and "willing", and that "we may be accepted of Him". To really understand what Paul means by "terror of the Lord", we need to back up to the point about "not being found naked", which he spoke of in verse 3. We must understand that there is a quality which we have as a Believer in Jesus Christ; which is something that each and every Believer has in common, and that is Jesus Christ. Because we are all the Body of Christ, we are all to be clothed in Him; to put forth the image and the persona of a Child of God. Now; and here comes the dirty part; what is expected of us, and what we do, are sometimes two very different things, because the body in which we currently dwell does not always agree with the Body we are to process. So, as we live out our lives in Christ, our burden is to strive to be clothed in such a way, that our mortality is swallowed up in eternal life; in other words, 'we walk the talk'! But more than that, we are in the fear of 'being found naked', which means that we are fearful that when this body is dissolved, we will be found to have not been clothed in Christ!!! And you know what happens when you are naked, all your imperfections are revealed; ouch! Therefore! "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord", "we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of Life". (v. 11a & 4) Now then; what we have been given to do, and must come to Know, has been manifested within us by the Holy Spirit; which Paul declares in verse 5, "Now He that hath wrought (prepared) us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest (promise or guarantee) of the Spirit". It is because of the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, and the fact that He does not agree with this world, that "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord".(v. 6) Which then causes us to desire to be present with the Lord; which means that we are free from this body; which Paul declares in verse 8; however, in verses 9 and 10, Paul concludes the thought about being found naked, with, "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. For we must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in His Body (the Body of Christ), according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (To be hashed out latter!)

"For We Know That It Is So"

You know, Paul has really been on the same thought since chapter three; it's just that he keeps widening the perspective. In the beginning of chapter three, he shares about how people read our lives, and how the glory of the Lord is revealed in us; and then continues through chapter four explaining how we should never give up, seeing that we have this 'living ministry' that is being looked upon by others; and now here in chapter five, Paul gives us a reason that we should not only press on, but the reason why we should be an example of hope. Some people try and sell Jesus to others as if once they receive Him into their hearts their lives will be perfect, or free from worry and pain; wrong reason to come to Him; to say the least. The reason that we come to Jesus Christ is to be forgiven of our sins and to be given eternal life with God; nothing else really matters that much, because those two things are what it is all about. Moreover, the main event is eternal life with God; that is the 'Gift of God'; eternal life with Him, starting right now!!! Amazing, isn't it? "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whomsoever beleiveth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." This Jesus declared to Nicodemus in John chapter three; and as He declared it, He made sure to mention the fact that we are condemned and need to be saved. It is this condemnation we are delivered from that is the reason for our different outlook on life; where we walk as one's who know what the future holds for us, and know that whatever this life here puts upon us, it is not going to make any difference, what soever. Therefore, as people see our lives, what they should be reading is the life of someone who has their hearts fixed upon another place; and not just any place, but a place set up for them for all eternity. This is the kind of stuff that makes a difference in not only the way we live our lives, but also the way people see the Hope that is within us. You have to know this: what we show others about the 'Gift' we have been given matters; it matters a lot!!! "Now He that wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that. whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him. For we must all appear before The Judgement Seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in His Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:5-10)

"For We Know" -2

Besides knowing that this is not our home, we also know that anything we suffer here is but for a season. It's time to take out your measuring stick! Try it and see if it does not help; for this period of time that we are here 'is but a vapor'; here today, gone tomorrow! So, as you feel that you are so weighed down by your trial or suffering, just envision a ruler; at the beginning of the ruler is your life here on this earth, just a few inches or so; the rest of this ruler is eternity, which disappears into the heavens. As far as the eye can see, this measuring stick extends up into the heavens; and the portion of the stick that represents our time here, is but a few inches of the beginning. It kind of puts things in perspective; doesn't it? I know I have said this before, but I feel that it is something worth repeating; our demeanor matters! What that means, is that our outward behaviour matters; which is that which other people see in us. Is our perspective on life eternal? If so, than it should be lived out in our lives! However, the cares of this life tend to get in the way of our eternal perspective; clouding our vision of that measuring stick which extends up into the heavens. These are 'light afflictions' that we suffer here; even that which is suffered onto death, should be considered as a 'light affliction'; because it is so minuscule compared to eternal weight and glory. This is what we know, and what we must focus upon; for our time here is so short, yet it can matter for so much, given the right perspective; because people are watching our lives, and what we do under pressure matters, a lot more than you would know! With that being said, there is something else which can put this in a little better perspective: being clothed with eternal life. In other words, it is the fashion statement of Heaven, that others look upon us and see, and then desire to be dressed in themselves... "If so being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." (2 Corinthians 5:3 & 4)

"For We Know"

From the moment I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart (September 1981) I have known that this place is no longer my home; it was made very clear to me by the Holy Spirit which 'took up' residence within this temporary tent. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul starts to declare something which must be pressed into our hearts and minds; not that we do not know this, but that we do not always live it. In verse one, he begins with "For we know that"; 'we know' in the Greek is 'oldamen', which means to know intuitively as a result of being a child of God. It is part and parcel of the knowledge that comes to us with our new birth in Christ Jesus. And what is it that we know? "For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (5:1) This should be something that we have settled in our hearts and minds, yet for most (if not all) of us, we have a tendency to grow accustom to the cares of this world, and to caring for the things of the flesh. Don't get me wrong here; I know that there are obligations we all have in this world, which require us to be a good steward of the things we have been given, and to raise our children, and care for the ones we love; but what I am talking about is the way we take our focus off the 'Prize', which is the place waiting for us in heaven. Maybe you might be saying, "But I can't see the place I have waiting for me in Heaven, so how can I focus upon it?" Well, this is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; which is really what Faith is all about. "We Know" means that we know intuitively; it is part of the basic instinct of a child of God; and when you become a child of God, you receive certain instincts that are eternal. In other words; because you have been given eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ, you have now taken on certain traits of one who is eternal. Besides the fact that the Holy Spirit is in you, who confirms those things to us, and comforts us through the trails of everyday living; we have a new life in Christ Jesus which brings with it a new perspective, where what was once hidden from us, is now revealed in us, and that is 'eternal life'! And why do you think that this is important? Because the people around you are watching your life!!! What are you focused on??? "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven:" (2 Corinthians 5:2)

"Precious Gems"

"For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." (2 Corinthians 4:11) Who are you in Jesus Christ? Are we 'Precious Gems' of His? Well, we know for certain that He has purchased us with His blood; therefore, we are His. And because we are His, He can make us whatever He wants us to be; He has that authority, and that ability. For those that are His, He has taken that sin, shame, and everything else which is not perfect, and has washed it all away. In case you did not know what 'washed it all away' means, it literally means that you can not see it anymore; well, maybe that is true for the Father, but we tend to keep looking for the stains! But the thing that keeps amazing me, is how much the blood of Jesus washes out. In fact, the stains which remain, are stains that we apply ourselves; which means that they were not there at all, but that we have placed them there by our own lack of faith. 'This too will pass away', is not a slogan for a trial, it is a slogan for this present body; because beneath this mortal flesh is a very precious Gem which belongs to Jesus Christ. He has purchased it, refined it, polished it up, and has even set it in Heaven; where nothing can disturb it, or remove it from the place it has been given. So, as we sit and ponder the things which we do, or don't do, we need to look beyond all that which has been done away, and look to the One who has made us into this precious Gem; because, like a gem in the ruff, 'This too will pass away'! "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen: For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

"We Never Give Up"

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:8-10) You know, I think that the fact that I get so upset about how I treat the Lord sometimes, is a good sign; for if I did not care, then there would be cause for some deep soul-searching concern. We must know that we are not perfect in this body, nor will we be made perfect in this body, because this mortal shell is not perfect. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that God has made junk, but rather that man has junked what God has made; but know this: God is more than able to turn this junk into something of perfect splendor; which is what He does through His Son Jesus Christ. Take yesterday for instance; as I sat there thinking about how I have harmed others by my actions, or even the lack of actions towards them; and then, bang!, out of nowhere, comes the thoughts about what I do to the Lord through my actions and lack thereof. If you look up the word 'adultery' in the Greek, there are many different words to describe that word; I counted about five; but there was one in particular that really hit home, and it is the word 'moichalis' which means, an adulteress: 'eyes full of adultery'. Used figuratively to indicate one who is unfaithful toward God as an adulteress is unfaithful toward her husband. In the Old Testament, it is spoken mainly of those who forsook God for idols; and in the New Testament, the word is generally used of those who neglect God and their duty toward Him and yield themselves to their own lusts and passions. A good example of this word's use in the New Testament is found in Mark 8:38, where Jesus is speaking to disciples about 'gaining the whole world and losing your soul': "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the Glory of His Father with the holy angels." Now, if you think about what it is that would make one ashamed of Jesus and His Words, you can probably see why I was so perplexed yesterday! It is the shame we have in ourselves that makes us ashamed of Him!!! It is the lack of control we have in our own actions, or inaction, that make us ashamed of His Words!!! When we shame ourselves by our actions we dishonor God; when we dishonor God we disgrace Jesus; when we disgrace Jesus we are in fact ashamed of Him and the power of the gospel message. What this actually does to us as a believer, is to cause or effect a reaction within our heart, which actually can frustrate one's Hope as a result of disappointment in one's self. But God!!! Don't you know who you are in Jesus??? "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4:7; again!!!)

"Not Of Us"

"For God, who commanded the Light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6) If you thought you were something of a force to be reckoned with, think again. It really comes down to this very simple fact: we can do nothing outside of Jesus Christ! Now why do you think that is? (Are you thinking?) Maybe you just want me to finish my thought so you don't have to think about it! (I wish right now that I could have that option...) The heart is desperately wicked, who can know it... This is our inheritance of the flesh, and we can not change that! It is what we are without Jesus Christ, and it is what we are when we are in the flesh; darkness is the place where we dwell outside of Jesus Christ. (My heart really is not in this today, but I will try and carry on.) I was trying to think of a good reason why we sin against each other the way that we do, and as I was asking God for answers, one word came into my mind, 'adultery'. As I stepped back for a moment and thought of that, looking at my own life, I could see how that might be more true than we realize. I think what the Lord was saying, is that, we are fulfilling the desires of the flesh at the expense of others! This is also true for how we treat the Lord, as sad as that might sound. You might be wondering right now how that can be so? Well, are you? Let me just say that the most priceless thing that ever has been given, ever, was the gift of God's Son. That was an expense of God, given to us; and when we commit sin, willfully sinning against God, then we are fulfilling the desires of our flesh at the expense of God; or to put it more plainly, we are committing adultery against the One who loves us, and gave Himself for us! Now then, let me ask you again: Why do you think it is that we can do nothing outside of Jesus Christ? (I really can't wait to go Home!) "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (2 Corinthians 4:7)

"Full On - Towards Him"

"For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." (2 Corinthians 3:11) I can see that maybe the thought I had in this may have been lost in the analogy of the husband; but the point I was making, regardless of what our current culture is bent towards, is that the heart of a man must change. For a husband, it is the love he shares with his new bride that changes his heart; there is a completion that has taken place in his heart by the joining together with his wife; thus the reasoning behind: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh". What I was focused on was the relationship between the man and the woman (with or without the Lord being involved, that would be a separate issue); but just in that relationship, there is a change that must take place in the heart of the 'man', as the head over the woman (regardless what our current culture may dictate), he must be changed; and my deeper point in this matter was that it is the 'woman' (his bride) that changes him. Now then, for our relationship with Jesus Christ: we are changed by Jesus; given a New Life in Him, which is not really comparable to that which I just illustrated above, but is very similar in the manner of change. This New Life we have in Christ is based upon a completion which takes place in our hearts; where once we were separated from God, because of sin; but now completely joined to God, because of the blood of Christ. Just like the husband looks towards the bride that he has been given as a rudder for his heart, so too, we are to look towards our Lord and Saviour as the 'Way', which is our heart's desire. And just like the husband is joined together with his wife as one flesh, so too, we are joined together with Jesus as one in the Spirit. Which means this: the power we have to change our hearts is given to us by Jesus Christ, and the transformation which has taken place in us by our relationship with God and the fact that we are complete in Him. (I still do not know if I have made my point!) In the opening verse, there is a point made that is in relation to the 'letter' (meaning the Law), and the 'Spirit' (meaning the New Life in Christ), and there is a contrast which is made about that which was taken away, and that which remains. If, that which was taken away (which was the Law), then that which remains is the Spirit of the Living God (because of Jesus Christ): We are Complete in Jesus; so we must turn towards and follow Him; Full On!!! "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to think any thing of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." (2 Corinthians 3:5 & 6)