On Being A Christ Follower (1)
Being a Christian is much more than having a paid-up fire insurance policy; it is much more than having a ticket to heaven. The first century Christians understood that being a Christian means that you seriously follow Jesus; they were even called followers of the Way. Until we get serious about following Jesus’ prescribed
From Confusion To Story
God is not the author of confusion. Confusion, disunity and chaos comes from human choice and sometimes demonic activity. God is a God of order. He brings order out of chaos and makes music from what would otherwise be discord. He brings unity out of division. He takes our messed up lives, even our
Descending To Communicate
When the infinite God comes to finite humans, He tailors His approach to us. If not, we could not hear His communication. He speaks to us in our language. He comes to us through the experiences of our unique history. He knows our DNA. He bends to our weakness. He communicates within our limited
The Unresisted Kingdom
In Heaven God’s kingship is fully acknowledged. It is the place where God and the Lamb sit on the throne. God’s will is done without resistance on the part of angels, elders and living creatures. All of Heaven bows to His rule. There is no rival king. There is no alternative government, no other
Divine-Human Friendship
Abraham was God’s friend. Think about that! We claim Jesus as our friend. It is a two way street; Jesus also calls us His friends. Friends are faithful; friends do not let each other down. They look out for each other; they stand up for each other. It is a lifelong partnership. Secrets are
The Desolate Place
Flowers grow in rocky places. Birds sing in the wilderness. God makes streams flow in the desert. Angels ministered to Jesus there. Growth occurs there. Maturity is developed there. Your desolate place is not meant to ruin you, it is meant to change you; it is meant to make you like the One who
The Royal Law
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” James called this the royal law (James 2:8). It is the royal teaching of King Jesus. It looks a lot like doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. It flows out of the Great Commandment. It is the high road; it is the
Consuming or Refining Fire
God is spoken of as a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24) and a refining fire (Malachi 3:3). Because of the love and covenant faithfulness of God we are not consumed (Malachi 3:4). God is love; love is both a refining and consuming fire. Wrath is the underside of God’s love. How does that work? It
The Spirit Now
The grace of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit Himself, is not merely given to get us ready us for an eternal future; He is given to ready us for living the Christ life today. If, for me, a future life is the sum-total of my goal, then I will miss all that God is
Personal Value
Beauty contests put supreme value on physical attraction. The wealthy will value you for the amount of money you have. The entertainment industry values famous people. Politicians and corporate bosses often value power the most. But my friend, our value rests in the divine image in which we are made; it rests in the
Spiritual Breakthrough
They say that there are 10 dimensions discovered in quantum physics; we mostly live in three of them. I admit that quantum physics is over my head, but what I do know is that in our spiritual lives we have breakthroughs into new dimensions. Most of this ascending to new heights is tied to
Getting to the Father
We are fond of saying that Jesus is the “only way” to the Father, and He is. However, some have made it to mean that their salvation formulas of receiving Christ are the way. Sometimes, we want to control the way to the Way. Jesus as the Way was understood in a far deeper
Fill All Things
Jesus descended to earth by way of the incarnation. When He completed “the work the Father gave Him to do” here, He ascended back to the Father. He said, “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father" (John 16:28 NIV). We
The Spirit and Divine Likeness
The Holy Spirit comes primarily to reshape us in the divine likeness. He, being God, works to make us look like Jesus, who is “the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). Jesus said that when the Spirit comes “He will testify of me”. He is not only witness to who Christ is
Living the Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus is an historical fact authenticated by hundreds of witnesses. Resurrection is a present religious experience for followers of Christ. There is a future resurrection of our physical bodies, when the last trumpet sounds. Christian baptism preaches all three of these resurrections. To live for Christ, to be in Christ, to
What the Father Does
Jesus made it clear that He came to reveal the Father. He said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father” (John 14: 8-10). Even “I am the way” is in this context of the way to know what the Father is like (John 14:6-7 ff). Jesus said that He only did
The Fragrance of Christ
I love the fragrance of flowers in full bloom; some of those sweet smells you have to come near to experience, others saturate the deep woods. Jesus’ body was anointed by a woman who loved sweet fragrances and wanted to pour some on Him (Mark 14:3–9); the fragrance lingered on his body for
The Spirit of Our Lord
The ascending Christ promised the descending Holy Spirit. When He ascended to the Father, He poured out His Spirit, His very Self. According to Peter in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit is poured out by the crucified, risen and exalted Christ. Jesus said, “I will not leave you, I will come to you.” The
Under Orders
The disciples were under orders to wait for the Spirit. Those who had been baptized with water were commanded to wait for the baptism of God’s Spirit. There is a waiting for the Spirit that we need, not just initially but in every moment of our lives. It is waiting for God’s power and
Not Abandoned
Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” John 14:18 (ESV). Our world is full of people who have been abandoned by someone, stuck on their own to fend for themselves. The Holy Spirit is the promise of God that He will never abandon nor forsake His own.
Radical Teaching
Jesus taught that service was the true measure of greatness. This was such a radical idea. This is world transforming when applied. It is how things are to work in the Kingdom of God. We know it was exactly what Jesus taught. Conveniently, we doubt it. We politic to get around it. We maneuver
The Physical and the Spiritual
Christians reject Gnosticism (the false dichotomy of spirit and body) for several reasons. God made the physical world and declared it good. Jesus came into the world as God incarnate, declaring again that the physical is good. Even the physicality of the Lord’s Supper declares Christ’s presence in the bread and wine. Not only
The Destination of the Way
When Jesus said, “I am the way,” He also said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6. The destination of the Way is not Heaven, but the Father Himself. The Father is our Creator. We broke fellowship with Him in the garden and hid ourselves. He has been in quest
Joy and Sorrow
Joy and sorrow are not incompatible. Joy and sorrow may be present at the same time. Sometimes joy is to the front and sometimes sorrow. There can be a deep joy even in the midst of tribulation. Jesus admonished rejoicing even in persecution: In your sorrows, hold also to your joy. Jesus was a