I AM the true vine

This statement comes with an invitation as well as a warning.  Even though I know how valuable accepting the invitation is, living within its boundaries often eludes me.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser...I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.

What do you know about vines?  I remember driving through the Finger Lake region of NY as a boy, and seeing field after field of grape vines.  The vines themselves were pretty short, and didn't look like much, but the branches spread out over quite a large area. We usually made that trip toward the end of summer, so many clusters of grapes hung from those branches.  At first glance, the branches appeared to be the important part, but I also saw those same fields during pruning time when those branches would be cut back significantly, revealing the main stalk of the vine.  Another thing I noticed was the many miles of wire which supported and trained the branches. 

In this passage, Jesus refers to the pruning process.  It fulfills two purposes.  First, it gets rid of branches that fail to bear fruit.  Secondly, for the branches that bear fruit, it provides opportunity to bear even more.  What happens when a branch is pruned?  If cut back all the way to the vine, it dies and withers away, but if only part of it is cut away, it reproduces, and more branches grow from it.  This latter picture is what God desires for His children.  He invites us to abide in Him.  As we accept the invitation, we begin to bear fruit.  Then the pruning starts, and we have the opportunity to bring others to an understanding of the value of connecting to the vine.  Just as a vinedresser trains the branches using the wire that stretches through the vineyard, God trains us.  And oh how much we need His training!

The vine provides life for the branches.  In the same way, Christ brings life to us.  He warns us in this passage about becoming disconnected from Him.  We will not bear fruit, in fact, He goes so far as to say apart from Him we can do NOTHING!  And yet I often try to accomplish things in my own strength, forgetting that He brings life and strength.  I want to be an abiding branch.  I want to bear much fruit, bringing glory to God, demonstrating that I am a disciple of Jesus. 

I AM working

This statement by Jesus, in response to the reaction of the Jews to His Sabbath activities challenges me.  It raises a few questions in my mind.

"My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."  John 5:17

What work is the Father doing?  Is Jesus referring  to His work of healing the sick, or does it go deeper than that?  If I am going to be a follower of Jesus, what are the implications for me in this statement?

Jesus goes on to talk about His dependence on the Father and His imitation of Him.  In verse 21 Jesus gives us a glimpse into the work the Father is doing.  "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life..."  God is in the business of bringing newness of life to those who put their trust in Jesus.  He delights in reconciling people to Himself. Col. 1:19,20.  This is the work God has been doing since the beginning of time.  He created man from the dust of the ground, "and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."  Gen. 2:7  This talks about God bringing physical life to mankind.  This life also included a spiritual side.  Man had complete access to and fellowship with God.  Then sin entered into the world, and along with it, the many effects of sin.  One of these effects was separation from God and another was sickness and death.  God works to remedy both.  Jesus' advent here on earth plays a major role in that plan.  He came to display God. "And He is the image of the invisible God,"  Col. 1:15.  "...Christ, who is the image of God."  2 Cor. 4:4.  Now, that role has been passed on to us.  "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ..."  2 Cor. 5:18-20a

I believe Jesus conveys a message here about what is important.  God is bringing redemption into the world, and they were so caught up in keeping their rules and doing what was "right", that they couldn't even see it.  I wonder, how often do I miss out on seeing God at work because I'm busy focusing on the wrong things, or even the "right" ones?  I don't want to be guilty of that.  Jesus claims here that everything He does is a result of watching the Father act and following His example.  His power came from the Father. 

How will I demonstrate following God's example today?  As others observe my life, is there evidence that God is working in me?  What kind of image bearer am I?  I want to be working the work of God!

I AM the Good Shepherd

This is one of my favorite I AM statements from Jesus.  I love the analogy He uses in comparing us to sheep and letting us know that His care of us models that of a shepherd.  There are so many lessons to be learned in this statement about God, about ourselves, about responding to the world around us.  I can't do it justice in a blog, but want to make a few observations.

"I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them.  He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep...My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand." John 10: 11-15, 27,28

What does this passage say to us about God?  The first word that comes to mind is sacrifice.  God's care of us led Him to the point of sending His only Son to lay down His life so that we might experience true life.  Jesus willingly stood between us and God, bearing the brunt of His wrath against sin, experiencing separation from the Father, enduring sin's penalty.  That's what shepherds do.  They stand between their flock and danger, they are protectors.  They sacrifice their own comfort and security for the well being of those under their care.  Why doesn't a hired hand take the same care that a shepherd does?  According to verse 13, the shepherd has a higher level of concern.  My heart overflows with gratitude for God's demonstration of concern in my life.  Another aspect of God that I see in this passage is His knowledge.  He knows us, and likewise Jesus says as His sheep, we know Him.  There is not a detail of our lives that escapes God's notice.  Ps. 139 speaks of this: He knows when I sit down, when I stand up, my thoughts, my path, my words before I speak them.  He is "intimately acquainted with all my ways."  He even knows how many hairs are on my head!  Matt. 10:30  And has a record of every tear I've shed. Ps. 56:8  As the psalmist says, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it."  We also see that God gives generously.  We receive eternal life from Him.  What a Giver; what a gift!

What do we learn about ourselves here?  What do you know about sheep?  They are helpless by themselves.  That describes you and I pretty well.  Without God's intervention in our lives, we have no hope.  Jesus doesn't use lions, or mice, or zebras to describe us, He chooses sheep.  They need to be led, and as verse 4 says, sheep are followers.  They recognize the voice of their shepherd and go wherever he leads them.  I wonder how well I follow.  Do I understand my need to be led?  Am I willing to submit to God's leadership?  Jesus also says that His sheep know Him.  Do I?  Know Him, that is.  Am I pursuing a deeper knowledge of God? 

If I want to imitate God, what does that look like in relationship to this I AM statement?  I believe I will demonstrate a deeper concern for those around me.  Am I willing to sacrifice my comforts for the good of others?  Jesus did, and He calls us to follow His example.

I AM with you!

This is perhaps one of the most interesting and also encouraging statements Jesus makes.  I want to start out with the encouraging part.  How amazing! Jesus is with us.  One of His names: Immanuel--God with us.  God is not One who is far off, but a God who is near. (Jer. 23:23)  I believe at least part of His purpose in sending His Son was to demonstrate this truth.  God promised His people all through history that He would never leave us or forsake us.  We can rely on Him to remain faithful to that promise.  As Jesus prepared to end His physical presence on earth, He told His followers that it was important for Him to go so the Spirit could come.  We have His presence with us today, filling us and bearing fruit in our lives, bearing "witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Rom. 8:16  I am grateful for God's presence with me.

The interesting part of this statement is the qualifier that accompanies it.  Each time Jesus makes this statement He includes, "for a little while."  Why does He throw that in?  Perhaps it was to help us understand our responsibility as followers.  In John 12:35, He says it a little differently; "For a little while longer the light is among you.  Walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.  While you have the light, believe in the light, in order that you may become sons of light."  In an earlier blog, I talked about light and how Jesus was the light of the world, but transferred that role over to us.  God enters into our lives.  He is present with us.  If we are going to be true imitators of Him, will we not enter into the lives of others?  In John 14:19, Jesus says this:  "After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live, you shall live also."  We have the amazing privilege of beholding God.  We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light.  Our once blinded eyes can now see.  Therefore we have an opportunity to enter into the lives of those still blinded by darkness and reveal God to them.

What will I do today to demonstrate that the Spirit of the Living God is with me?

the importance of words

So, I've been reading through James.  I have a love/hate relationship with this book.  It is one of the parts of Scripture that definitely brings out the truth of Heb. 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  Every time I read it, it pokes and cuts like a sword.  God, through James, has a lot to say about our words.  The last couple weeks as I've read through it, I've been thinking quite a bit about the things I say.  Some of my thoughts on this center around my verbal responses to the circumstances I find myself in, the importance of bridling my tongue--that is, bringing my words under control--, taking time to think before speaking and guarding against words spoken in anger, the responsibility that comes with teaching, the need to demonstrate maturity through not stumbling in what I say, how quickly my words influence those around me and how far reaching the results of my words may be, the need for consistency in the tone of my words--not blessing God while cursing men and allowing others to see that I mean what I say.

I was riding in a truck with some others this past week, and a couple guys were talking about sarcasm, when the verses from chapter 3 came to mind.  I reminded them that the tongue "is a fire, the very world of iniquity".  Jesus tells us that "every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgement."  I don't know about you, but that scares me.  When I think about how often I throw out careless words, talk without thinking, or wound someone with an insensitive remark, I realize how much I need to grow in this area of the tongue.

In Eph. 4 God, through Paul, offers us this instruction regarding our words: "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear."  I don't see a lot of wiggle room here.  None of my words should be unwholesome.  How do I know if they are?  If they are not good for edification.  I stand condemned. 

Today, as we have opportunity to speak, may we think about the responsibility that is ours as ambassadors of our God to exercise caution in our words and use our tongues as instruments of righteousness. 

God, help us to obey you and bless you by blessing others in what we say.

I AM He!

On three different occasions, Jesus utters these words.  And just like His statement about being light, this too is a proclamation of His deity.  To the Samaritan woman who was aware that Messiah was coming, He says, "I who speak to you am He."  To those who wondered who He was, He says, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He,"  And to those who came seeking Him in the garden He asks, "Whom do you seek?" When they say, "Jesus the Nazarene", He responds, "I am He."

It is quite interesting to look at the differing responses of those who hear these words.  The Samaritan woman demonstrates a portion of belief.  But she still is unsure.  She goes back to the city and tells the men what she has experienced and invites them to come and see Him.  She asks them, "this is not the Christ, is it?"  We see that the result is many from Sychar believed first based on the woman's words, but eventually because of Jesus' words, and they became convinced that Jesus is "indeed the Savior of the world."

The second account is in John 8.  This proclamation is part of an interesting conversation. It starts with the statement we looked in the last posting.  As a result of Jesus saying He was the light of the world, the religious leaders accused Him of falsely representing Himself.  This lead to a discussion about bearing witness and then Jesus proclaims that He comes from above, and tells them unless they "believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins."  Their response?  "Who are You?"  He again refers to being sent from above, and then talks about His coming death being evidence to who He is.  The result was that many believed.

In the garden, those who came seeking Jesus drew back and fell to the ground at His words, "I am He."  Obviously, they understood the import of those words.  Jesus then instructed them to let His disciples, who were with Him, go.  Normally the one being taken prisoner receives instruction rather than giving it.  But Jesus does not fit into "normal." 

In each of these settings, people believed as a result of three words.  "I am He."  Jesus still makes this proclamation today.  I wonder, what does my response indicate about my faith?  Do I, like the Samaritans, allow who Jesus is to change who I am?  Or am I more like the religious leaders of the day, looking for an argument, promoting who I am?  I believe there are times when those words ought to drive me to my knees in wonder and awe like those who came seeking Him in the garden.  What about you?  Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the one sent from above to be the perfect sacrifice, bearing our sin on the cross, satisfying God's wrath, offering us hope for eternal life?  How will these three words change the course of our lives? 

"I AM" sayings of Jesus

A while ago, I started to look at the "I AM" statements that Jesus made as He walked this earth. I came up with 17 different things He said about Himself in the gospels. I've been wanting to take a deeper look at these, and so over the next couple of months, I will be sharing here about what God is teaching me in relation to those statements. There may be times when there is some diversion based on what I am seeing, but I think this is a good continuation of the theme of being an imitator. If I can grow in my understanding of who Christ is, there's more opportunity to reflect Him.

I've been thinking a lot about light recently, so I will start with Jesus words in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." From the beginning of creation this idea of light has been with us. Gen.1:3 gives us this account, "Then God said, 'Let there be light', and there was light." And in Revelation 21:23 we read, "And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb." God, who John tells us is light, spoke the light that we know into existence, and will forever be the light of our eternal habitation. Jesus identifies Himself as God in this saying. And He gives us a promise here as well. Those who follow Him will not walk in darkness. In his first epistle, John speaks of this relationship, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." So, where I walk is an indicator of the strength of my relationship with Jesus. I can't say that I'm His follower while engaging in the deeds of darkness. Paul gives this charge in his epistle to the Ephesians, "for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light"5:8.

We who once knew only darkness, have become light as a result of relationship with Jesus. This leads me to the other place where Jesus talks about being light. But in this verse He qualifies it. "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Why does He say it this way? I think we gain some insight into this in His sermon on the mount recorded in Matthew's gospel. "You are the light of the world...Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matt. 5:14,16 We have been commissioned by Him who is light to be light, reflecting Him. As we do this, others will see our actions and give glory to God, the source of our light. Jesus lived as an example for us, reflecting the light of the Father, and now that He is no longer physically present on earth, He has passed on to His followers the privilege and responsibility of shining forth the light that comes from Him.

I want others to see light in my life today. I want to be a proclaimer of "the excellencies of Him who has called [me] out of darkness into His marvelous light;" 1 Pet. 2:9b

Ambassadors!

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:20,21

I want to take a look at the second verse first. It is so amazing that God would choose to take our sin on Himself. When I think about the cross, the physical pain associated with that is enough to make me shudder. But beyond that, the fact that Christ would endure the separation from God the Father because of my sin, and the agony associated with that separation is hard to grasp. We see how painful that was in Christ's cry from the cross, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" He experienced that so that I would not need to. He set such an extreme example of living sacrificially, and through that sacrifice we now are clothed in a righteousness we were incapable of attaining. As I think about being an imitator, the words Jesus spoke to His disciples echo in my head, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." I don't know about you, but it makes me want to ask, "Where are You taking me, Lord?" That middle phrase frightens me. I don't like crosses. I'm not a fan of pain. I'm getting too old for that! But there is a call to live sacrificially, and I want to heed that call.

Ambassador, or Representative is how God now sees us. We are His representatives on this earth, called to give those we rub shoulders with an accurate picture of God. We are given the responsibility to be proclaimers of this message that God delights in reconciling people to Himself. I was looking at Luke 15:1,2 the other evening. "Now all the tax-gatherers and sinners were coming to Him to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them.'" The accusation against Jesus was that He accepted people. This God-man, who was the holiest person to ever walk on earth, received the worst of sinners while maintaining His holiness. I'm challenged by that. I am called to be holy, but in my relationships, is holiness something that draws people and allows them to experience acceptance, or am I using it as a buffer to turn people away? If I'm ever on trial, I'd love for that to be the charge against me, that I accept others. I know also that Jesus was very intentional in His acceptance of others. He came to proclaim the Father's love for people, and like Him we are to share that message.

It's encouraging to me that Paul, speaking to the church, says, "we beg you...be reconciled to God." We cannot look at our reconciliation as a once and done thing. It is an ongoing journey God has us on. In view of my stumbling, I'm grateful that He continues to reconcile me.

What will the world think of God? I have an opportunity to influence that today as His ambassador. Lord, keep me humble and obedient as I walk this earth.

Is this the hardest part?

Up to this point, I have seen from this passage in 2 Cor. 5 that being an imitator requires me to die, to live for God rather than self, to see others with a new perspective, and to recognize my dependence on the Father. Verse 19 may well be the thing that causes the biggest struggle for many of us. "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."

Forgiveness: something I am extremely grateful for in light of the fact that I was hopelessly lost and dead in my sin until I experienced God's forgiveness, but something I find it difficult to offer to others. However, God's desire for me is that I would fully understand His forgiveness so that I too can be a forgiver. This verse tells us that God does not count our sins against us. I love Psalm 103, and gratefully read the words of verses 10-12; "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." It is impossible for me to fully comprehend how a holy God could give such a gift to us, but He does, and not just once, but many times. His love for us is so amazing. His grace knows no boundaries. His forgiveness is as sure as the rising of the sun.

Too often I have the response of Peter, who asked Jesus, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" We are all familiar with Jesus' response, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." The following parable goes on to show how ridiculous it is for we who have been forgiven of such a great debt to withhold forgiveness to anyone. And yet I often do just that. 1 John 1:9 says, "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I think the most amazing part of this is that God is faithful to forgive. It is not that He will think about forgiving us, or might forgive, but He will. It is intrinsically wrapped up in who He is. And when I accept His mission as a messenger of reconciliation, and actually forgive others, I reflect His glory to a world in desperate need.

So, if I am to be an imitator, I need to allow forgiveness to become a part of the tapestry of my life. A tall order for today!

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN!

That phrase has echoed across the centuries as a shout of triumph for all who believe in Jesus. Once again yesterday it was heard by many of us. What were you thinking as you heard? Was it cause for rejoicing...reflection...disappointment? 2 Cor. 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." And in Rom. 6:4 we read, "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life."

I don't know about you, but at times those words are very convicting. I look at my life and wonder why there's not more evidence of newness. Why is it that the old things, which are supposed to have passed away, continue to show up in an action, a word, or even a thought? What is needed in this pursuit of being imitators of God? Is there anything I can do? The short answer is "No!"

Unfortunately, I often make it about me. More effort, more activity, more commitment on my part. But the verse in Romans says that "as Christ was raised...through the glory of the Father" we are able to walk in this new life. And 2 Cor. 5:18 goes on to say, "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,". Could Jesus have raised Himself from the grave? It required the power of the Father to bring about the resurrection. It was another display of His glory. And verse 18 is a reminder that all we have is a gift from God.

There is a need for balance. We read in Phil. 2:12,13, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." We have a responsibility to obey. But God is the One who brings change, who makes all things new. Just as Jesus was dependent on the Father as He walked on this earth, I want to walk in that total dependence today. In light of His death, burial, and resurrection, I want to be able to say with Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;" Gal. 2:20.

Let's show the world the glory of the Father by walking in newness of life!

what do you see?

I made an interesting observation after my last post. It was the first time I got no response. Made me wonder...did my confession make people uncomfortable...disappointed...convicted? I don't know. But as I said at the outset of this endeavor, it's more for my good than anything else, and it was refreshing for me to admit my shortcomings.

I've been processing this commission to be imitators, and as I meditate on v. 16 of 2 Cor. 5, I face another real challenge. "Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer." I don't claim to fully understand what this verse is saying, but here's what I do know. My natural tendency is to see people and respond to them based on their outward appearance-according to the flesh. A few examples of this: male/female, short/tall, skin color, tattoos, body piercings, clothing. And Paul is telling those of us who are followers of Christ that we ought to be stepping away from that natural tendency. While Christ walked on this earth, that's how people responded to Him: who he hung out with, what he ate, when he did certain activities.

The challenge for me comes in recognizing that God views us differently. He does not recognize us according to the flesh. In fact He tells Samuel in his quest for the next king, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I don't know what Eliab had going on inside, but God saw something that kept him from being fit to be the next king. And as Jesus made His dwelling among us, we see that He saw the multitudes and "felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd." There are other examples from Jesus' life as well where someone came for physical healing and He responded by telling them their sins were forgiven.

Is it possible for me to take on this ability to look below the surface. I want to be discerning as I cross paths with people. I want to not be distracted by their appearance, but be sensitive to their hearts, to the needs that are less evident but just as real. Lord, give me eyes to see as You see, and ears to hear the cries of people's hearts. Help me to be a true imitator of You.

accountability

Okay, they say confession is good for the soul. Last Monday I was talking about how God has been challenging me in the area of being controlled by Christ's love, and the need to die to our rights. I guess God wanted to see if I was serious or not. He put me to the test on Monday afternoon. I walked outside to see my neighbor engaged in a not so neighborly activity. Let's just say that I felt like my rights were being violated. Well all that good stuff I had written about in the morning had somehow leaked out of my brain, and my response was not an evidence of Christ's controlling love. Although I didn't say anything to him, I did make some unloving comments to my wife. All of that to say that I am very grateful that God is patient, His forgiveness is always available to us, and once He has begun this work of reconciliation in our lives He promises to complete it. (Phil. 1:6) I guess we all need to be praying for one another.

Die so you can live

I want to continue to explore this commission we've been given to be imitators of God. He has been using the passage, 2 Cor. 5:14-21, to challenge me in this area. As we saw in Eph. 5:1, God calls us to imitate Him and "walk in love, just as Christ also loved you,". This passage in 2 Cor. starts out with, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." Two things stand out to me in these verses. Namely, that being an imitator of God involves how we die and how we live. Is it just me, or do these two words seem to be opposites? Yet God puts them together often in connection with each other.

In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul had explained to them the importance of love, going so far as to say that if love is not a motivating factor in the things we do, they end up having no value at all. Here again he uses love as a measurement. If I am going to accurately represent God, I will need Christ's love to control me. His love motivated Him to die. This death took a few different forms. Phil. 2 tells us that He died to what was rightfully His, that is, the glory of equality with God. He also became obedient rather than being obeyed. This obedience brought Him to the point of physical pain, suffering, and death. His death also involved spiritual separation from the Father; "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"

So too, if we are going to be imitators of God who are controlled by the love of Christ, we are going to experience death. What is God asking me to die to? Perhaps my rights, my desire to control? Maybe this death will involve pain and suffering? But unlike Jesus, this death takes a different path in the spiritual realm. Prior to hanging on the cross, Jesus had never experienced any separation from the Father. He was sinless and perfect and well pleasing to God. We come from the other side. We were born in sin, separated from God, strangers to His covenants. But by dying, we are able to enter into fellowship with the Father.

And this is where life comes into play. He died that we might live. However, verse 15 tells us that we are not living for ourselves anymore, but rather for Him. Imitators of God live like Jesus lived. He gave Himself up for us; He came not to be served but to serve; He lived His life for the glory of the Father. What will I give up today? Who will I serve? How will God's glory be shown through my actions and words?

This is the commission I've been given, to die so I can truly live.

loving the aliens

Alien...what's your first thought when you hear that word? Strange people from outer space, someone from another country, a person you aren't getting along with, an opportunity to love? Wait a minute, how did that last one get on the list? As I think about the commission God has given me, and as I wrote about being an imitator yesterday, I remember clearly the way God used some verses in Deut. 10 to give me a new perspective on aliens almost 6 years ago now. "For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."v. 17-19 Here is a place to start. Those who are aliens--appearing to be strangers, and often feeling like strangers--are the very ones God loves. How does He demonstrate that love? He gives them food and clothing.

If you've been reading my past posts, you've had the opportunity to see that physical needs like food and clothing aren't the only things God takes an interest in. Therefore, while He does care about that side, He does not limit Himself to responding only to the physical needs. The largest group of aliens are those who are separated from God, strangers to the covenant of promise as Ephesians 3 puts it, and for these God provides food in the form of Jesus who is the Bread of Life and clothes them with His righteousness.

To those of us who have been rescued and brought into relationship with the great and awesome God, He extends this invitation: "So show your love for the alien,". How do we do this? I believe it has to start with a recognition of need. Who do you know that is in this position of alienation? Let's look at the physical aspect first. Maybe someone who just relocated, or who lost a close friend or family member, or is experiencing job loss. It could be a person from another country who is having a hard time learning the ins and outs of your culture. What can you do to demonstrate love to them? Maybe a meal or some clothes are in order. Maybe there's some other kind of food or clothing needed. Perhaps you could feed them encouragement or clothe them with words of kindness. Don't limit yourself to the usual definition of food and clothing.

And then there's the spiritual aspect. I think a key to our response here is found in the second half of this verse: "for you were aliens in the land of Egypt." But I was never in Egypt, you might say. That may be true, but do you remember when you were separated from God, when you were His enemy, dead in your trespasses and sins? If I am going to show true love, it is essential for me to remember what it was like being an alien. This will help to condition my responses to meet the need rather than causing further alienation for the one I am trying to help.

Am I ready to take the plunge? Are you? This is our commission: Be imitators; show love as I have shown love to you!

imitators

Ever noticed how the things God asks us to do aren't random at all? Over and over in Scripture we are told something like, "do this because it is what I do." God doesn't give us instruction without providing an example of what it should look like. In Eph. 5, we are told in verse 1: "Therefore be imitators of God,". That's the bottom line for our lives as followers of Jesus. God desires to conform us to the image of His Son. 2 Cor. 3:18 puts it this way, "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

I'm reminded of the moon. I saw it setting the other morning; a huge orange ball. Beautiful doesn't do it justice. But the moon is just a dark mass of dirt. Its beauty is in its ability to reflect the sun. You and I are like that. We are told that God formed humans from the dust of the ground. Ps. 103:14 says that God, "is mindful that we are but dust." Our beauty comes from the transforming work of God's Spirit making us capable of reflecting His glory. I've been praying lately that my life would be beautiful because God is seen in me. Would you join me? Let's allow His light to shine on us and be reflectors of that light.

food that satisfies

"In the meanwhile the disciples were requesting Him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.' The disciples therefore were saying to one another, 'No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?' Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work."

You are what you eat! Ever heard that? I've heard it a few times, and usually, the picture that comes to mind is not a pleasant one! How would you like to become a brussel sprout, or a chicken leg? Seriously though, as I look at Jesus' words to His disciples, I get a very different picture. The disciples were concerning themselves with some pieces of bread and maybe some fish, and wanted Jesus, who said of Himself that He was the bread of life, to be on that same level with them. But He wants them to understand hunger in a different light. Jesus was helping them to see His purpose in coming to this world. More than satisfying physical needs, His real purpose centered around bringing people into right relationship with the Father. This reconciliation process was/is the only true source of satisfaction. Because of His relationship with God the Father, He acted in obedience to His will. This brings a satisfaction no physical food ever could. The result of eating that food will be that I become more like Jesus. Now that's a picture I don't cringe at.

What am I hungry for? As I conclude this study of Jesus in Samaria, I'm coming to a point of understanding that Jesus had to come to this earth. Oh yes, He could have stayed in heaven and continued to enjoy the glories associated with that position, but God had a divine plan and He willingly participated in it. He came to bring life and light to a world that was dying. And now we have been given the commission of making the message of reconciliation known. Will we make that our food today? If so, we will know true satisfaction!

Next I will be looking more at this commission.

A lie about worship

"The woman said to Him, 'Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet." Give her a few points for perceptiveness! I guess any one of us would come to that conclusion after hearing Jesus' last words. It seems that her next statement is an attempt to get the focus off of her. " 'Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.' " But I do believe that the question is genuine. Where should we worship? That question is still being raised today. There are many who I often hear say something very similar "I can worship God anywhere, I don't know why people tell me I have to go to a church." Let's look at Jesus' response. I believe it will help us to understand how we at times are being deceived. "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." What is Jesus saying here? What is it that God wants us to understand about Himself, us, and our relationship to Him? A few things are obvious. God is spirit, He seeks people who will worship Him, and He has some requirements regarding our worship. We are limited in our understanding, we are not all true worshipers, and we have a choice to make in worship. Regarding our relationship with God, in our worship we need to recognize that He makes the rules and we must follow His guidelines.

One of the lies I believe we have succumbed to is the perception that we can worship God anyway we want. The danger in this is that we fail to recognize God for who He is. I begin to try to fit God into my circle of understanding. The problem is my understanding is so limited that trying to do this diminishes God rather than exalting Him. I was just rereading the account of David moving the ark of God this morning. They placed it on a cart and were celebrating, Uzzah even tried to keep it from falling. Was God pleased? Was this worship acceptable to Him. No, we are told that "God struck him down there for his irreverence;" God had given instructions on the proper worship of Him in handling the ark. They were not optional, and they carried with them severe consequences for disobedience. I'm convinced that the same holds true today. Am I a true worshiper? Am I submitting myself to Him who deserves all honor and praise?

It seems that very easily we get hung up on the trappings of worship, where it happens, what kind of music, what emotions it evokes, etc. If these are the things we are focused on, we are being deceived. What God desires is that we stand in awe of who He is, that we acknowledge Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that we submit to Him as true worshipers. I want to be careful. I want to grow in my understanding of God and true worship of Him. This is my prayer for each of you that read this post, that you would be true worshipers. That is what God is seeking in us.

a lie about thirst

What am I thirsty for? Do I even know the answer to that question? This is what is plaguing me and burdening my heart not only for myself, but also for my brothers and sisters in Christ and for those outside of God's family. This is probably one of the most unrecognized deceptions we fall prey to. As we move forward in the conversation between Jesus and the woman from Sychar, this deception surfaces. Jesus has offered her a drink of living water, and her response is, "Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw." She is still unaware of her true thirst. The next statement by Jesus, at first glance, seems disconnected. But I would propose that Jesus very intentionally is opening the curtain on her true thirst. "He said to her, 'Go, call your husband, and come here.' The woman answered and said, 'I have no husband.' Jesus said to her, 'You have well said, "I have no husband"; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband;" The woman asks for water to satisfy her physical thirst, but Jesus offers so much more than that. I'm convinced that I/we often fall into this same deception. We think God wants to merely satisfy some physical longing. Jesus opens the door of invitation when He tells her to call her husband. He knows that her lifestyle has been one of striving to satisfy her thirst outside of relationship with God. She was unaware that her thirst would never be satisfied until she recognized that what she really needed was that relationship.

This brings me to another lie about thirst I'm becoming aware of. Ps. 63:1 says, "My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." The Psalmist understood that apart from God, he was living in a desert. And we all in some form are living in a desert. Do I recognize the desert I'm in? Too often, like the Samaritan woman, I'm preoccupied with my own ideas of thirst, and I fail to see that those things I am pursuing will not and cannot satisfy. Only God can quench the thirsting of my soul. Even those yearnings of the flesh can only be satisfied by God.

Am I willing to examine my life? Will I let Jesus draw back the curtain and expose my thirst and the activities or people I'm using to try and satisfy what only He can? This calls for courage and vulnerability. Would you join me?

a lie about greatness

"You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You..." John 4:12. What a question this woman throws on the table at this point in the conversation. But it is a question many of us ask. A question based on deception. What do we believe about greatness? What marks greatness in an individual, a situation, or a thing? One of the most overused words in our culture today is "awesome." I hear everything from people to cars to athletic moves to animals being described as awesome. Scripture tells us that God is awesome--He causes us to be in awe of who He is and what He does. Whenever people in the bible encountered God, there was a sense of reverential fear. But this woman expresses what appears to be disdain for Jesus. She seems to be saying, "Our father Jacob was great, but who are You?" And I wonder if we have some of that same disdain in our approach to God.

John the baptizer had quite a few people following him, and many felt he was a great person. In fact, when others began to follow Jesus, they were offended. They failed to see what John saw. He recognized greatness. He had told them Jesus was coming, and that he wasn't even worthy to tie Jesus shoes! And when questioned about those following Jesus, his response is one we would do well to echo. "He must increase, but I must decrease." John knew that Jesus was Lord of all, that there was nothing that would stand in His way. And he rejoiced in those who also recognized Jesus as Lord and followed Him.

Where do I stand? Am I with the Samaritan woman, questioning God's greatness? You are not greater than _______________(fill in the blank--sickness, emotional pain, job loss, etc.) are You? Have I been deceived to the point of believing there is anything bigger than/too difficult for God? Or am I on the side of John, who understood how great God is, and encouraged others to know Him in that same way? I pray that I would grow in my understanding of God's greatness, and truly be in awe of Him alone.

Let me not be deceived by the lie that anything is greater than You, O Lord. Let me be a proclaimer of Your power and majesty. To You belong all honor and praise. Amen

a lie about ability

"She said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?' " John 4:11. Today I'm looking at a common deception we all at times fall prey to. We underestimate God's ability and overestimate our own. Jesus makes an offer in verse 10, which we will look at later, but the woman's response calls into question His ability to produce. In effect, what she says to Jesus is, "Look, I'm the one with the pot here. You don't even have anything to hold water in. Let me help you." As though she had some ability to help Him. How often do I have a similar response? God's word is true. I can completely trust Him to do what He says. And yet there are times when I don't respond with faith, and by that lack of trust, I believe the lie that He cannot or will not do what He says. On the other side of the coin, it is not uncommon for me, like the woman, to come to God offering my assistance. How brash is that? "Here God, let me help You with this, since You seem to be lacking the resources. I've got what it takes." Oh, I would never be so bold as to actually say that to God, but by my actions I may be sending that message. I put confidence in my own ability to handle a situation rather than showing a willingness to trust Him and wait for His timing in the accomplishment.

Who do I trust more? That's what God's been asking me. "John, do you need me? Or are you good enough, able to do what needs to be done without my help?" How I long to reach that place of utter dependence on God. I want to live in the reality of Jesus words, "apart from Me you can do nothing."

a lie about love

I ended last time with the statement, "I want to be willing to pass through Samaria." And this leads me to what I believe is a common deception. I want to look at a number of lies that people believe which are exposed in this story.

The first one comes out as Jesus begins His encounter with the woman coming to draw water. Her response to His request is very blunt. "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" Does God set boundaries on who He will love? Unfortunately, there are many who believe the answer to this question is "Yes." Just like the disciples, there are "believers" who think so, and therefore they also limit who they will express God's love to. Verse 27 tells us that the disciples "marveled that He had been speaking with a woman;" We begin to classify people, putting them in categories of how deserving of God's favor they are. Then there are those like the woman who think, "I'm not worthy of God's love." They may have arrived at this conclusion on their own, or as a result of some interaction with believers. There is a partial truth in this, but the bottom line is none of us are worthy of God's love. He does not love us based on our worthiness. He loves us because it is part of His character. "God is love." 1 John 4:8, and if I am going to make the claim that I know God, love needs to become part of my character as well.

So the question I would ask today is, "Am I willing to love like Jesus?" Let's grow in our understanding of God's amazing love, and allow the love of Christ to control us. 2 Cor. 5:14

A Beginning

It seems that transitions in life have a way of causing us to pause and reflect. I've been doing quite a bit of reflecting over the last year. It has been a time of learning and growth, a time of recognizing a need for change.

Now, transition has come in a big way. As I continue to reflect and look ahead, I thought it might be an opportunity to share what God is teaching me through a blog. And whether or not anyone reads it, at least writing out my thoughts will help to solidify them and keep me thinking about them.

You may be asking, "Why going though Samaria?" That's a great question. I have spent a lot of time meditating on John's account of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar. One aspect that has always intrigued me is the statement, "And He had to pass through Samaria." Now all students of the bible know that physically Jesus would have had options, yet it says He had to go through Samaria. I believe in divine appointments. Jesus had one that day sitting by a well in a country most of His countrymen would have avoided. You and I have them as well. The question is, "Am I willing to go where the appointment may be?" I know in my own life there have been times when I've resisted certain paths. I want to be done with that. I want to be willing to pass through Samaria.

More next time!