Middle Class in Spirit

Yesterday I heard Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Church in New York.  In his sermon he mentioned Matthew 5:3  " “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
His comment got my attention when he commented, " it says poor in spirit...not middle-class in spirit."
Jesus came into the world poor. He came into the world oppressed.

Jesus says, Blessed are the poor in spirit....(poverty in spirit....not the spiritually arrogant)....for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

How are we to Follow?

Two thoughts:
1. Jesus fought the three temptation from Satan the same way we are to battle him...with the word.
Satan tempts Jesus with the "lust of the flesh", "the pride of life" and the "lust of the eyes". Each time Jesus combats the temptation with, "It is written..." 

2. When Jesus ask two fishermen (Peter & Andrew) to follow him...Matthew 4:20 says, "At once they left their nets and followed Him."  Jesus then called two brothers (James & John) who were with their father.....Matthew 4:22 says, "immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him." 

"At once"..."immediately"... sounds like it was with little to no hesitation.  We are suppose to wait on the Lord....but when He says it's time to follow Him...it's time!!!! We should follow...immediately.

This is my Son Whom I Love

Why did Jesus need to be baptised?   This was a holy sacrament for repentance and forgiveness of sin. He was without sin...so why baptism?

Sin separates us from God...that is why we repent and are baptised....but Jesus was sinless.  No sin...why the repentance?

In Matthew 3:15 Jesus says, "it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness."

So He who was without sin and would become sin for us....gets baptised.  I don't totally understand.... but it sounds like Jesus was obedient to God's plan....and God was please with him, "This is my Son, whom I  love; with him I am well pleased." 

Jesus lived a life we are to model.  It would be easy for us to say, "baptism is just a symbol....but God was pleased with Jesus when He was baptised....so we are baptised to symbolize the death of the "old self"  and the raising up of the "new man" in the Spirit of God. (repentance)   

The picture above is of a soldier being baptised in the desert of Kuwait.

Joseph, a Model of Obedience

Have you ever wondered why God chose Joseph to be the earthly father of his only son?  Maybe it has something to do with Joseph's faith and obedience.  In chapter 2 of Matthew, Joseph is given several commandments from an Angel of God....Joseph followed each directive exactly. Joseph took God seriously...and followed Gods instructions perfectly. 

God picked Joseph to be the earthly father of His only son. He asked Joseph to take a leap of faith to marry an already pregnant woman. God then trusted Joseph with the safety and protection of His defenseless infant boy.  God knew He could trust Joseph and so He entrusted him with his prized possession...His son, Jesus.

Will you follow God in faith and be obedient to Him?

Give Him the Name Jesus, because He will Save His People from their Sins

               Are names important?  Evidently God thinks so....for in the first chapter of Matthew... He lists 42 generations of individuals by name.  They were all part of the promise of God to Abraham.  By faith, Abraham obeyed God...and God promised to "make him into a great nation "  and each persons' name was written in this genealogy...as an ancestor of the "Name above all names".

            In Matthew 1: 20-25, an Angel of the Lord calmed the fears of a poor bewildered young man named Joseph. Even though the baby would not be from Joseph's seed...Joseph was to give the baby a name...."you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  It says in Matt 1:23, "they will call him Immanuel...which means, 'God with us." 

And when the Lord gave Joseph orders through the Angel...He was obedient..."and gave him the name Jesus."   

What is it about the name of Jesus?  Philippians 2:9-11 say that one day, "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Now that is some kind of name.  I hope you know Him...by name.

Set your Hearts/ Minds

Colossians 3: 1-2 starts out with..."Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

So what does this mean for us to "set our hearts" and "set our hearts"?

I don't wear a watch anymore because I feel that it if I need to know the time ...I have my cell phone.
But the picture above is my dad's old Timex watch.  In the last few years of his life he spent alot of his time winding and setting his watch.  When you "set" a watch, you are calibrating your watch...you are predetermining the correct time....you are establishing the right time.

That's what we do to "set" our hearts and our minds, too.  We align our hearts and minds with God's ways...not our ways. In advance we determine and establish the ways we will think and act to please God.
We decide in advance that we will follow God...then when we get in the heat of battle we don't fold under pressure....we follow God just as we have predetermined....So set your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus.

Extreme Heart Makeover

When I read this passage I got a picture of an extreme "HEART" makeover.  Christ takes our old heart....full of evil...demolishes the old...and builds us a brand new heart...a new life.

"Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to it's rules:" (Colossians 2:20)

Christ is building us a new fabulous home...yet we are trying to return to the old filthy house that has been demolished.  How foolish we are!!!!  Why return to our old ways...the of this world...when Christ has such a wonderful life for us?

When we choose to follow Christ, we exchange the old for the new.  That is why when we are baptised the pastor often says, "the old has gone...the new has come."  

"having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead."(vers 12)     Now that is an extreme heart makeover!

Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

So let's start our next book of the New Testament....Colossians.  Paul, again is writing from prison ...but this time he is writing to help clear up a growing heresy in the church at Colossae. 

So how does the Lord speak to you in this first chapter?

For me...I could not get past this statement, "Christ in You, the Hope of Glory."

This statement is so deep in a way...but these words Paul explains are the mystery of the glorious gospel of grace, revealed to us. 

Christ is in you if you are saved.  Now that is a mystery...but it is also... so true.  Christ in us...the Hope of Glory!!!!

Do not be Anxious...

Do not be anxious...    Are you kidding? These are trying times....we are all busier than ever....so many things tugging at us.  Tweeting, blogging, texting....bills, loans, bills....more and more responsibility at work....cancer....war...kids.  These are times to be anxious....right?     WRONG...not according to God's word.

Philippians 4:6-7 means a lot to me.  That is because of how much God has used this in my life.There is a lot of great wisdom chocked in this last chapter ...but these two verses have changed my life.

I memorized them probably fifteen years ago.  Over time God has embedded these words deep, deep in my heart. They roll in my head most every time I get nervous....they roll when I get worry...and they roll when I get my priorities out of whack. 

God has commanded me not to be anxious about anything. 

This passage is called "a command with a promise".  That means that we should be obedient to follow God's command in this passage, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and petition present your request to God." So every time I feel anxiety coming on...I call on God. He reminds me of the truth....There is no thing I should be nervous about...He is in charge...not me.  He is Lord and will always take care of me.  He truly loves me.  He is able and faithful.  He loves you too!

 So when we rely on God... then God promises to do something for us, "The peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

God has guarded my heart in this area of "anxiety"....He is Lord...and He loves us and will always be with us....so don't get anxious.  Try this in your life...it is a command!!!!

Our Citizenship is in Heaven

Whatever Paul thought was profit...he realized was rubbish, garbage...dung (King James Version).  Our old ways are our waste, our junk...the least important stuff in life.

All the things Paul once considered highly important....compared to Jesus....was now just temporary junk fit for the dumpster.

So what is Paul urging us to do in Philippians 3?
He encourages us from his own life experiences, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection..."  Paul says forget about life from your old perspective...your worldly perspective. (My life's priorities before Christ were crap)  Put your effort into straining toward the future. "Press on to take hold " of Christ's will for your life.

Don't think worldly.  Think long term...your citizenship is in heaven! "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3)

Your Attitude Should Be...

A lot is said about "attitude" in business, in sports, in school...  and in life. Most attitude statements are framed from a"worldly" point of view.

But this awesome passage from Philippians 2:5-11 is a lesson from a Kingdom point of view.(God's view)  It is one of the great descriptions of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.  It is one of my favorites...so about 12 years ago I memorized this passage.  It rolls over in my memory all the time.  I love it.  It reminds me of who Jesus is and who I am in Him.  My attitude should be the same as His !!!!

So what was Jesus' attitude?  The attitude of a servant.... humility, nothingness and obedience.  He was obedient to His Father even when it cost Him His life.

That is what my attitude should be....too.

Sorry...We are in Phillipians!!!!!

My mistake....I started Colossians and we are in Phillipians starting today Feb 10, 2011.  My Bad!!!!

Put on the Full Armor of God

First century Christians got to see plenty of armor on the enemy...the Roman soldiers.  They probably coveted all that armor when they had none for themselves.  They were intimidated and persecuted by these men with swords, shields, helmets and breastplates.They probably thought, "Aw...if only we had that...we would again be in power.

Paul uses this vivid example from their everyday life to bring home a point about the "spiritual battle" they fight.  He refocuses their attention Ephesians 6:12 ,"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood."  It is like Paul saying to them, Your battle is not against the Romans.  Your battle is not against your neighboring country.  It is against evil powers that that work themselves out to steer people against God. It is the schemes of the devil himself!!!

So Paul tells his fellow Christians in Ephesus (and you and me).  Our battle is to take a stand for God. Four times he tells us to "STAND".  He also tells us not to go out into this battle unprepared.  He tells us God will fully armour us with His Armor (His truth, His righteousness, his salvation for us, Faith in Him)....not our armor (polished presentations, seminary degrees, powerpoint presentations, communication skills, fancy illustrations, christian activities and programs, fancy life centers and church buildings)  We think it is our slick methods and worldly schemes that will get us through...but it is God's power.

Friends, we simple must let God fully equip us and trust that He is our protection and His truth is our sword.
Many days before I get out of bed, I simple ask God to equip me for the day ahead with His armor.  It is a simple pray...but He is the Almighty God.

"...For it is Light that Makes Everthing Visible."

When I was in high school and college I was an avid spelunker. (cave explorer)  If you have ever been deep in a cave beyond the mouth of the cavern...you know what darkness is.  Wow... it is really dark in a cave...so dark...it can't get darker. It is scary...you lose a lot of control because you can't see a thing.  The most important lesson of caving is to always have 3 sources of light.  We always carried a flashlight, a carbide lamp and matches & candles. We took light... into a very dark place.

This is exactly what Paul is telling us to do in Ephesians  5:8  " ...but now you are light in the Lord."  Paul is finishing up this dialogue on being "children of light" that he started in chapter 4.   Basically, Paul is surmising that we live in a world full of darkness.  And what is darkness? Deeds of sexual immorality, greed, foolish talk, course joking, bitterness, rage, brawling, stealing and many more...make up "darkness".

When we love others like Christ loved us...we are being light in this dark world. 

When a person is trapped in a dark place...it is a desperate existence without light...until someone is able to illuminate their world with light.   There is a world of people in darkness needing "Jesus"..the Light of the World. We must live as "children of light".

Are You Tossed Back and Forth by the Waves?

About 10 years ago I experienced the "power of the sea" riding on a cruise ship in a storm with 40 foot waves.  That big ol ship felt like a little bitty cork bobbing around in that overpowering storm.

So what is Paul talking about in Ephesians 4:14?
" Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their evil scheming."

Paul is urging his hearers to "mature in the Lord".  Grow up... don't be an infant any longer!!!  As long as we are immature in our faith, Paul suggests that we will be like infants.

And if we are not mature in the Lord?  We are just going from one thing to another.  Up and down like the waves. We will be out of control...and will be under the control of worldly influences.  Overpowered by every teaching that comes along.

So how do we do grow up in the Lord?  Paul says, we need to take off the "old self"  and put on Christ...the "new self".  When we put on Christ...we begin to become steady in life....steady in the boat. I want to go through the storms of life...steady and calm...not tossed about by the "world." 

Mysteries of God Revealed !!!!

Have you ever felt like God was "mysterious?"  Well, He is...but Paul reveals several mysteries to us in Chapter 3 of Ephesians.
1.Verse 6 says that God personally revealed to Paul that everyone (Jew and Gentile) were sharers in the promises of Jesus. Now, that's Good News!!! No one is excluded from accessing "faith in Jesus Christ", not
by gender, nor race, nor nationality, nor size, nor by IQ.
2.Verse 10 says that the Church will make known the mystery of the Gospel.
3.Verse 12 says that through faith in Jesus, we may approach God with "freedom and confidence."

I don't know if this is a mystery..but in verse 20 it says ..."God is able"... this fact is awesome... so let's go to Him with our cares, our concerns, our troubles, our anxieties, our dreams and our hopes.  He wants to reveal even more of Himself to those who come to Him. So let's go to Him in prayer..."in freedom and in confidence."

We Are God's Workmanship

In Ephesians 2:10 we are described as God's workmanship...

When I read this ...I think about Psalms 139:13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb."

God crafted us physically (created us). How amazing are our bodies?

The human body is a fabulously efficient machine with a carefully balanced, perfectly designed chemistry. The sheer scale and intricate design of God's workmanship is awe inspiring.

"An adult human has 650 different muscles, 100 joints, 100,000 kilometers of blood vessels and 13,000 million nerve cells. There are 206 bones with most of them in the hands and feet.  The heart beats over 2000 million times during an average human life span and pumps more than 500 million liters of blood. The body’s complete blood supply runs through the lungs every minute. The red corpuscles in the blood are made in the bone marrow at the huge rate of 1.2 million corpuscles per second. Each one of these lives for about four months and in a human life time, the bone marrow manufactures around half a ton of red corpuscles." ( reprint from Factoidz)

As amazing as our physical bodies are...God's best workmanship is when he recreates us spiritually in Christ Jesus!!!

...He Lavished On Us...

"He Lavished on us...". 
Let's not miss this word Lavished...what does it mean? It means to give extravagantly.  It means to shower someone with unlimited, generous, abundant gifts. It means to pour out prolifically or very wastefully.  In East Tennessee we might even describe it as "slathered". (That too sounds excessive and messy).  So let's just say it is an excessive outpouring of generosity.      What a great word!!!!

Who does this kind of giving?  In Ephesians 1:7-8  God is the wise and understanding lavish Giver.

What gift is He so generous with?  The spiritual blessing of forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus.

Think about it people....He didn't just forgive you....He lavished you with forgiveness.  There is a big difference.  The difference is God-sized!!!!!!  

Great word...Great God.

"A Man Reaps What He Sows"

In Galatians 6:7 Paul starts off with a warning.  "Do not be deceived...."   People...we should really pay attention here! Are we deceived by the things of the world? We chase a lot of stuff in life.  We are preoccupied with a bunch of selfish interests.  Paul goes on to say, "A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction."  What kind of seeds are you sowing in life? Are you sowing to please God.  Paul gives us a hint of the kind of seed-sowing that pleases God...."doing good to all people"...as we have opportunity. 

A big 'ol crop of money sounds real good....Is that the crop we would like to reap? ....but have you ever talked to someone on their death bed? In these situations, no one says, "I wish I had spent more time at work or I wish I had played a lot more golf."  Instead, they are most interested in being near their friends and family.  Those deep caring relationships are the "treasures" of life.