The Grace Scale

Do you think of God’s grace as a balancing act between legalism on the right and license on the left? Often times those on the legalistic end of the spectrum are encouraged to lighten up and show a little mercy while those who are living however they please are pushed the other way, toward legalism, as if grace is in the middle. But grace is not anywhere on this spectrum.

God’s grace is an expression of His heart. By working to move either toward legalism, or away from it, we make the mistake of equating God’s grace as His reward for good performance. This is just another version of walking after the flesh, and that certainly isn’t grace.

It is because of God’s grace that we do not have to earn or maintain His acceptance. By living in His grace we can stay off of the deceptive performance scale for good.

- Preston Gillham

Two Elements

Since it is the blood of Jesus that has cleansed us from our sins, have you ever asked God why we partake of two elements at the Lord's Supper? Why did Jesus introduce the wine plus the bread? Why not just the wine since it is to remind us of our forgiveness bought with His precious blood? Forgiveness is all that’s ever mentioned in most churches as we partake of the elements. But that's only observing half the celebration.

The bread, the second element, represents Christ's body in which God crucified our old son-of-Satan, self-centered, sin nature—the old man. You were then recreated as a new creature in Him (in His resurrection body, 1 Pet. 1:3). Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus”. It doesn't reference the person created in your Mom, but the new you who was created in Christ. This is now your true identity!

- Bill Gillham

Sin Problem

Since God is not time dimensional, He can see forever into the future. That's how He revealed the prophecies. But consider also that He can see forever into the past as well. If He couldn't, He'd be limited by time just as we are.

The Bible states that Jesus Christ is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, KJV). Imagine this now. God solved man’s sin “problem” before the problem ever occurred in the time-dimensional setting by “seeing” the lovely, innocent Jesus crucified before the foundation of the world.

- Bill Gillham

True Identity

As you set your mind on your true identity in Christ, and as you live like Christ is expressing His life through you to accomplish His will on earth, ask yourself: can you become more righteous than righteous? More forgiven than forgiven? More accepted by God than accepted? Holier than holy? Better seated in the heavenlies than seated in the heavenlies? Absurd.

You can’t get more of any of those awesome characteristics. First John 4:17 says, “As [Christ] is, so also are we in this world”; 1 Corinthians 3:17 says, “For the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” Your spiritual nature is Christlike. You are holy! “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete” (Colossians 2:9-10). You are complete! How can you improve on perfect? As such, you have the wonderful opportunity to cooperate with Christ to let Him express His holy life through you as opposed to offering your “members ... to [the power of] sin as instruments of unrighteousness” (Romans 6:13).

- Bill Gillham

Freedom in Chrisianity

It was for freedom that Christ set us free   . . . --Galatians 5:1

Christianity is the only religion that uses the term freedom. It is not surprising, in that much of religion ultimately offers its adherents nothing but a whirl around emptiness, with all teaching leading to nothing divine, a doctrine without power, and a system that will not work in the world and must be practiced in relative seclusion. If not for manipulation, intimidation, brainwashing, control, fear, guilt, and bondage, maintaining a religious system would be impossible. Jesus is not a religion; with Him we have a relationship, and relationships are most enjoyed when those involved want to be with one another. I remember a fellow telling his wife, who could not decide if she wanted to leave or not, "When I come home from work at night and see your car there, and know that you are waiting for me, I must know you are there because you want to be there." This man had given his wife freedom to leave. He did not want a relationship based on duty, guilt, compulsion, or responsibility, but on love. Love is freedom. The believer is free to walk with Christ or not; Christ does not enjoy man’s attempts to walk with Him when he really does not want to be with Him. Who would?

If you do not desire to walk with Jesus, it is only because you do not know Him or have drifted away to the point that familiarity with Him is a thing of the past. For His character is such that you should be doing everything possible to be with Him. Jesus is secure in Himself and knows what fellowship with Him brings; you, therefore, are free to partake of His riches or free to walk in the dry desert bereft of His presence. I love freedom!

“ONLY” is a strong word, is it not!  Amen.  It is vital for all to know that “Christianity is the only religion that uses the term freedom.”  It is also vital to know that “Jesus is not a religion; with Him we have a relationship…”  Oh, that more of God’s children would really desire to want to be with Jesus more than they show, for Michael points out that it is then that relationships are most enjoyed.

“Love is freedom.”  How beautiful is that equation!  “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” 1 John 4:16 tells us.  Wow!  God and love and freedom are inextricably related by the character of God.  Now, pray tell me…why would any Christian CHOOSE to “walk in the dry desert bereft of His presence”???

Amen!  Amen!  I am free to partake of His riches!  The Lord Jesus Christ set me free to do that!  Hallelujah!  He knew what my fellowship with Him would bring.

That leaves me speechless beyond that point today…

Pure Religion (James 1:27)

Religion is bad. By definition, religion is a kind of bondage, which means there’s no such thing as good religion. But what about James who said this:

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27, KJV)

There are two ways to read James’s words:

1. Religion is good

Forget grace, forget the cross, forget the blood of Jesus – what really impresses the Lord is visiting the fatherless and widows. And if you really want to impress him, keep yourself unblemished from the world. Don’t drink, don’t overeat, don’t hang out with sinners. In short, don’t do half the things that Jesus did.

As the fatherless son of a widow, I have no problem with James’ exhortation to help out the fatherless and the widow. And in the old covenant, this was something that earned you points with God (Deu 24:19-21). James is Jewish so he understands this, and he’s writing to Jewish people who are familiar with the law of Moses.

But is James preaching law? Is he selling the free favor of God?

Not a chance! James has just told us about a God “who gives generously” (v.5), who provides us with “every good and perfect gift” (v.17), including the living Word of his Son (v.20-22).
James draws a big fat line between the law of Moses that binds and the perfect law of liberty that makes us free (v.25).

Contrary to what you may have heard, James was not confused about the gospel of grace, and he did not preach a different gospel. However, he did have a different audience.
Paul preached to Gentiles; James preached to Jews. Paul preached to people who never had the law; James preached to those who took pride in keeping it. This is why he says:

If anyone among you thinks he is religious… (Jas 1:26)

In other words, “Religion counts for nothing, however, if you insist on thinking of yourself as religious, perhaps because you’ve been raised on a diet of law, then here’s how to be religious.”

2. Nope, religion is bad, but if you must play that game here are the rules

And what form does James’ religion take? Do we get the Ten Commandments? Nope. Do we get all 613 ceremonial observances? No. All we get are two instructions.

First, take care of the fatherless and widows, not because this supersedes the work of Jesus, but because they are dying. Jerusalem was in a famine (Acts 11:28). You’ve probably never experienced a famine, but in those days a famine meant there was no food, which meant you were going to die slowly and painfully. And the first to die would be those without breadwinners, namely, the fatherless and the widows.

Paul travelled the world raising money to feed the starving saints in Jerusalem (Rom 15:25-26), yet no one calls him religious. Nor is James being religious here. He is simply dealing with the number one need of his church. “You guys who pride yourself on being religious, help the starving poor!” Amen.

Second, keep yourself unspotted from the world, not in a Pharisaical sense of withdrawing into religious cliques, but in a Christlike sense of being in the world but not of it. James is saying the same thing Jesus said in Matthew 16:26 (“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul”), and Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers… come out and be separate….”).

It is the way of the world to advance yourself through self-improvement. You may call it religion or careerism or whatever label you like, but it’s all a flesh-trip. “Don’t buy into anything that promotes self-trust,” says James. “Don’t cheat on Jesus by embracing worldly religion.”

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

I’d rather be a friend of God and an enemy of religion, wouldn’t you?
Religion enslaves, but Jesus died to set you free from religious bonds. So be free and use your freedom to serve others in love – especially the fatherless and the widow or whoever you know who is going through tough times.

Four Reasons to Believe in a Spiritual Realm

For the last century, a large number of theologians and church leaders have claimed that the biblical view of spiritual warfare—where there is an actual realm where angels and demons exist—is no longer believable. The influential German scholar, Rudolf Bultmann famously wrote, “It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament world of spirits and miracles” (New Testament and Mythology, 5).

Many scholars continue to make this claim. The famous Catholic scholar, Hans Kung suggests that belief in Satan and demons are a piece of “outdated medieval thought” and when believed by Christians it “throws away all credibility for theology and the church” (On Being Christian, 369). Some even argue that if we believe in such things as demons and angels, then we must embrace all of the Bible’s pre-scientific cosmology, including things like a flat earth and a six thousand year old creation.

While there is no denying that there is a mythical element to the various conceptions of spirit agents in Scripture, we have to think about what it means to embrace the biblical view of spiritual warfare in a scientific age. We obviously cannot be asked to conceive of an evil cosmic agent along the lines of a many-headed sea monster (Ps 74:14) or angels riding in chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). It’s one thing to grant that the way someone conceived of a cosmic agent was mythic and quite a different thing to claim the very idea of cosmic spirits is mythic. All of our conceptions of spirit agents—including God—are mythic inasmuch as these agents are nonphysical. The important question, therefore, is not whether biblical depictions of angels, demons, and the powers are mythic, but whether these mythic portrayals point to actual entities.

Here I would like to offer four observations that supports the existence of a spiritual reality:

While we have compelling grounds for believing that the cosmology of the Bible was scientifically incorrect, we have no similar grounds for concluding that biblical depictions of spirits was mistaken. To illustrate this point, one could remove the prescientific cosmology from the Bible, and nothing pertaining to its central story line and message would be lost. If one were to extract all references to spirit agents, however, the entire narrative would become unraveled.

The only way to find no place for things like spirits and miracles is to assume at the outset that natural law as described by science provides an exhaustive account of reality. The vast majority of modern Western people have no difficulty believing in spirits and miracles while also continuing to believe in science and use modern technology. Most today do not share the metaphysical assumption that naturalistic science must explain all things.

“Critical scholars” whose naturalistic perspective discounts biblical depictions of spirits and miracles, are in fact being uncritical as they have difficulty turning the same critical eye to discern the arbitrariness of their own assumptions. They presuppose the superiority of their cultural perspective over that of other cultures and they tend to be elitist as they presume that the masses who believe in things like spirits lack the intellectual acuity to perceive what they see. In other words, these so-called “critical scholars” are not self-critical.

Reports of something like “demon possession” and “exorcism” can be found in most cultures and religions throughout history. It is interesting how much in common they have with the reports of the New Testament, despite the vast differences in cultures and belief systems in which they are found. What’s most intriguing is that increasing numbers of anthropologists, ethnographers, sociologists and psychologists are reporting their own firsthand experiences with the “supernatural” while acknowledging the inadequacy of natural explanations.

While we Western Christians may find it challenging to make theological sense of spiritual experiences, whatever else we make of them, they provide empirical support for the NT view that such a spiritual realm is real. The claim that modern Westerners can no longer believe in such things was never warranted or accurate, but in light of the demise of dogmatic naturalism, which tries to comprehensively explain everything through the laws of science, its fallaciousness is now more apparent than ever.

—Adapted from Understanding Spiritual Warfare, pages 129-147

Man's Deepest Needs

It is interesting how God designed man, but allowed the fall of man.  It is interesting how fallen man has only one focus.  It is really interesting how God structured life to where fallen man has only One Who can meet his deepest needs, and at some point fallen man can turn to God and have all those deepest needs met.  Read how Michael so simply and succinctly puts all this into perspective!

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’ --John 7:38

Jesus knew who He was, where He came from, where He was going, who His Father was, and that all of His friends were going to deny Him. What was His response? He picked up a towel and washed the disciples’ feet! The behavior of others did not determine His actions. This is true freedom, the freedom from the actions of others. How many of us have our actions predetermined by others and, in effect, are not living life but merely responding to it?   

           

Being physically born from below, our life initially centers on the things of the earth.We look to another to meet our spiritual desires, desires that only God can meet, such as the affirmation of worth, acceptance, security, love, and commitment. We then find that this other first wants us to meet his or her needs. We are--as one lady said at a conference--two ticks with no dog! We then become angry and bitter toward the mate, the friend, the pastor, or the child. However, the anger does not stop there. We begin to hate ourselves for needing others’ love and acceptance before getting on with life. We hate having our mood controlled by the glance of another, the casual unkind word, the lack of interest in what we do, and the subtle hints at our inferiority. In short, we hate ourselves for not being free. We find ourselves under the control of others, slaves with hats in hand begging for our daily allotment of acceptance, security, and assurance. We hate what we have become: emotional leeches. We want to believe that others have created our feelings of inner ill will and misery; however, we know they have not; they have only revealed them.

           

Are you attempting to drink at a well that holds no water for your inner man? Do you look to your boss, your mate, or your parents, begging them to give what they do not possess? If so, then you have received the misery that you deserve. The end result is not only hatred toward those who fail at being God for you but also hatred toward yourself for being in such a pathetic situation. Anything that you make out to meet your deepest needs is a god, albeit a false god, that in the end must fail you.

We see today many who have made government god, demanding from it the things that God would give. As is normal for the carnality of man, they selfishly demand that god (government) intervene in everyone’s life but their own, in order that others might be forced to meet their needs by not intruding on their comfort zone. However, nothing will meet the deepest longings of the heart except Jesus, who meets those needs and has structured life in such a way that no other can. Once disillusionment with all other sources of true love and acceptance has occurred, people can look only to God to meet the deep needs. He made each one of us for Himself, and in Him we all must find life. The answer, as always in the deep Christian life, is for the simple and the weak. Those who have lost the strength to pull the world toward them or drag themselves toward it may humbly say, “I have a God. His name is Jesus, and He meets all my needs.”

           

We are not to desire to be lottery Christians, those who would buy spiritual lottery tickets to obtain in an instant what others have gained through a process. A lottery Christian wants to gain the fruit and maturity of spiritual men and women without going through the process of having doctrine, people, mates, teachers, vocations, or places fail them. God is not making mushroom believers but oaks. One is immediate; the other is a lifetime in the making. To discover that the world does not meet our needs is not a pleasant experience and normally takes some time. 

One last point is that upon discovering, believing, and experiencing that Christ meets every need of man, we do not then withdraw from man. On the contrary, we are driven to man, but with a much different attitude. We do not run to others begging for life, but our desire is to impart to them some essence of the Life we receive. 

Many years ago I heard a preacher say this: “Roses are red, violets are blue.  And my disposition depends on you.  AND WHEN IT DOES, I am in trouble!”  Crazy, isn’t it?!?  And way too many people, both Christians and not, live day by day with this idea hanging over their heads.

“Two ticks with no dog!”  Two people struggling to get “the other” to meet their needs.  Hopeless.  Helpless.  And yet, the “ticks” seem to never find their “dog” they are longing for!

This day’s writing is worth spending a lot of time wrestling with each sentence, asking God to open the truths within each.  And asking God to get “me” to the point of “true freedom, the freedom from the actions of others,” and to the point of “the simple and the weak.  Those who have lost the strength to pull the world toward them or drag themselves toward it.”  And then to “humbly say, ‘I have a God.  His name is Jesus, and He meets all my needs.’ “  Well, amen.

Seated in Heavenly Places, No Matter Where We Are

The Bible records that God allowed you to die in Christ so you could start all over as a new person, a holy one. And because He ascended, you, too, are now in the heavenly places in Christ: “Even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:5-6).

Isn’t that awesome? You are now not only permitted into heaven, you’re already at home in heaven. Look at those verb tenses. You have found your place in life! You fit in. You don’t have to strive for acceptance from others or earn it from yourself anymore! As a saint, a son/daughter of God, you are as accepted as elder Brother Jesus is. You are accepted by the One who counts the most! So stop expending so much energy seeking acceptance from people and self. You’ve got it. Go ahead and shout (unless you’re on a plane)!

- Bill Gillham

My Name is I AM

"I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly God was speaking: 'My name is I AM.' I waited and God continued: 'When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I was. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I will be. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is I AM.'"

- Helen Mellincost

Being Content With Who You

I read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in The Message recently and was struck by Eugene Peterson’s translation of Matthew 5:5: “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less.”

The first thought that came to mind was another passage of Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39 ). Perhaps the most elementary point of this verse is that if I don’t love myself, and I am not content with who I am, my neighbor isn’t going to be very appreciative of my attempts at loving him.

But after reading Peterson’s translation, and pondering the idea of being content with who I am, I returned to Father with a follow up question concerning my identity in Christ. “Father, I readily agree with you about my identity in Christ and in your family—and am deeply appreciative—but the characteristics describing me are the same characteristics describing everyone in your family. Papa, who am I? Who is Preston Gillham in your eyes? How can I be content with who I am if I’m uncertain about my personal, unique identity as an individual?”

I grew quiet and began to listen to the thoughts that streamed into my mind from Father: Pres, the jealousy, bitterness, resentment, discontent, and entitlement you fight against is indicative of your failure to be content with who you are. You are attempting to gain contentment rather than being content. Stop striving and driving and pushing to prove yourself. Relax in who I have made you to be, no more, no less. It is only then that you will be content.

By being content with who I am, I become content with who He is. By being content with who He is, I become content with who I am. By being content with Him, and with me, I convey contentment to others—and the cycle continues of life in Christ being demonstrated through the manifestation of His grace.

How about you? Are you content with who you are? Or more fundamentally, have you asked Father to help you understand who you are?

- By Preston Gillham

Jesus Came to Bring a Sword?

Jesus said: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Mt 10:34). 

Some, both modern scholars along with church leaders since the fourth century, have used this passage as evidence to argue that Jesus is not altogether non-violent.

When we place Matthew 10:34 in its broader context, it becomes clear that Jesus’ teaching not only does not condone violence on the part of his disciples, it actually rules out all violence. As Jesus is preparing his disciples to proclaim the Good News of the arrival of the kingdom of God throughout the region, he warns them that he is sending them out “like sheep among wolves” (Mt 10:16, cf. vv. 5-15). He tells them they will be “handed over to the local council,” “flogged in synagogues,” and “brought before governors and kings” (vv. 17-18). Moreover, Jesus warns them that their ministry is going to upset the entire social order. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child,” while “children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death” (v. 21). And, Jesus adds, “[y]ou will be hated by everyone because of me” (v. 22). If the master is persecuted and called “Beelzebul,” he says, his servants must expect the same (vv. 21-3). But in all this the disciples are to trust their heavenly Father, even when they face death (vv. 26-31). Jesus then stresses the importance of disciples fearlessly proclaiming the message he has given them, telling them that he will “acknowledge before my Father in heaven” everyone who “acknowledges me before others” (v. 32). On the other hand, Jesus will “disown before my Father in heaven” anyone who “disowns me before others” (v. 33).

It is at this point that Jesus tells his disciples, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (v. 34). When understood in its broader context, it is apparent that Jesus is simply using the image of the sword as a hyperbolic metaphor for the division that the message of the kingdom would bring, which, significantly enough, is how Luke interprets this metaphor (Lk 12:51-2). Jesus is simply telling his disciples not to be surprised or intimidated by the fact that the message of the kingdom is going to cause social upheaval and may even divide the disciples’ own households and result in their martyrdom.

This point is further driven home in the passages that immediately follow this teaching and that clarify its meaning. Jesus first quotes the prophet Micah who spoke of a similar time of social upheaval in Israel. Jesus declares that the message of the kingdom of God will set…

a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household (Mt 10:35-6, cf. Micah 7:6).

And then, again driving home the urgency of remaining faithful to Jesus even when being rejected by one’s own family, Jesus tells his disciples that if anyone “loves their father or mother more the me” they are “not worthy of me” (v. 37). So too, he adds, “[w]hoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me,” and “[w]hoever finds their life will lose it,” while “whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (vv. 38-9).

This is the “sword” that Jesus brings to the world. And it is clear that, while this “sword” involves not only division, but violence, none of the violence is carried out by the “sheep” Jesus is sending out. It is rather carried out by “wolves” who engage in violence against the “sheep,” which is precisely why Jesus instructs his disciples to be fearless in the face of death and to take up their cross, as he himself would do in the near future.


In this light, I think it is apparent that those who have appealed to this passage to justify violence throughout history were twisting it to fit their own violent aspirations. And this is confirmed by the fact that it never occurred to anyone to use this passage in this way until the church tragically aligned itself with the power of the State, and thus with the power of the sword, in the fourth and fifth centuries.

Junk

Someone Reading Mike Wells Comments.............

Many people today call it clutter.  Michael has called it junk.  It is all the same thing…pitiful.  And yet we cling to the stuff…or, it…or, that…or, them.  You know what I am saying.  Anyhow, Michael gives us a great take on what we need to do with…

Junk

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.--Philippians 3:8

One day I noticed a little old man living by a river in a shack so absolutely full of old junk that there was barely any room left for him; therefore, it was understandable that he spent his days outside the house just sitting and protecting the place, though what he owned was utterly worthless. I thought about what a blessing a flood would be for this fellow.He would, for sure, see it as a great tragedy, but I think not, for in a flood he could escape, and yet his stuff would be lost, washed downstream. Life would begin anew, and hopefully he would see that the value of his life was greater than the sum of all the junk with which he had surrounded himself. Each week I see believers that have been caught in some type of “flood”; all that was held dear has been swept away, expectations have given way to a sad reality, and they are initially devastated. All they see is the death, but I see death as a prelude to life, the removal of unnecessary junk that hinders our focus on Christ. Remember, the proof that Jesus presented to the disciples of His resurrection was that He bore the marks of death. Without death there is no life. The wisest thing to do on the cross is rest, for struggle only prolongs the misery. Rest during, in, and after the flood. All that is rubbish is being washed away for one thing, to reveal His life. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”(Romans 8:35) 

In the town I grew up in, there was a junk place called Jack Heard’s.  Jack had anything and everything someone might be looking for to replace something that was broken or a part of something that was missing.  It was so “junky” that folks would say when things got like that at home, or at work: “it’s beginning to look like Jack Heard’s around here.”  Of course, no one went there very many times…just very rarely.  Which leads me to think of all the JUNK that I allow into my life (items, activities, endeavors, etc.) that lie around taking up space and hindering an uncomplicated life.  I don’t “go there” very often, but have to “deal” with them virtually every day.

And then I read the last ¾’s of Michael’s writing…wow!  What a blessing a “flood” would be if I would just “turn on the faucet” to wash away all which hinders or prevents me from focusing on Christ.  How come I allow life to take me away from LIFE???

So, as I begin 2016, I am looking at asking some probing questions that I am thinking will take me to more revelation of the LIFE of Christ.  Are there any such questions you could ask yourself? 

I am asking myself what progress I have made the past week, and what steps will I need to take this week?  And although I can’t think of any right now, some may need to ask what fears they need to walk straight into to make progress this week.

Well, amen.

That Weird Episode with the Pigs

 In my opinion, the single strangest episode recounted in the Gospels is the account of Jesus’ encounter with a demonized man that ended with two thousand pigs drowning themselves in the Sea of Galilee (Mk 5:1-10//Mt 8:28-34; Lk 8:26-39). Some find it morally objectionable that this mass suicide was the result of Jesus allowing the multitude of demons that possessed this man to enter into them. Does this story present Jesus as someone who evidenced a callous disregard for the welfare of these animals?

This episode must be understood in the context of the cosmic battle that Jesus was involved in throughout his ministry. It is significant that, as Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee to come to this Gentile region, they were confronted with a life-threatening storm (Mt 8:18-27; Mk 4:36-41; Lk 8:22-5). Jesus silenced (phimoō) the storm and commanded it to “be still,” just as he sometimes did with demons (Mk 4:39; cf. 1:25; Lk 4:35).

Jesus’ response reflects the widespread apocalyptic conviction that life-threatening storms as well as other harmful aspects of nature are the result of the menacing influence of fallen powers. Not only this, but the raging sea is often identified with forces of chaos that oppose Yahweh and that threaten the order of creation in the OT. Hence, by mastering this life-threatening demonic force, Jesus is reenacting the frequent OT motif of Yahweh mastering cosmic forces of chaos.

As it turns out, the battle that Jesus fought and won on the sea was simply round one of an on-going conflict, for the battle continues when he and his disciples make shore. Indeed, when framed in a first century Jewish perspective, it becomes clear that Jesus and his disciples had just entered the heart of the kingdom of darkness. From a Jewish point of view, the details of this story are defiling. Let me explain a few of these details.

For starters, Jesus and his disciples were in a Gentile region, which was defiling for a faithful Jew. They immediately confronted a man who was completely naked, which would have been regarded as shameful. The Gospels note that the spirits that possessed this man were “impure” (Mk 5:2, 9; Lk 8:29). And, on top of this, this region was home to an enormous herd of pigs, which Jews regarded as unclean and vile (Mk 5:12-3; Mt 8:30; Lk 8:32).

Secondly, the spirits that possessed this man made him supernaturally strong and uncontrollable — to the point that he could break the constraining chains that others had placed on him (Mk 5:4). The man thus had to be banished from his community to roam about among tombs (Mk 5:2, 5), which Jews also regarded as ceremonially unclean. Not only this, but the name of the demons that possessed this man was “Legion,” a term that referred to a Roman battalion of six thousand men. This associates the demons that oppressed this man with the unjust and despised Roman military forces that oppressed the Jewish people. All of this indicates that Jesus had entered enemy occupied territory and was once again confronting oppressive forces of chaos that oppose the natural order of creation and of human society.

The remarkable strength of the forces that afflicted this man is reflected in the fact that this is the only account of Jesus commanding demons to leave a person and they do not immediately obey. Jesus had said, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit,” but instead of immediately obeying, the demons plead; “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me” (Mk 5:7-8)! In what was likely an attempt to assess the source of this demon’s unprecedented strength, Jesus asked the demon; “What is your name?” (v.9). He received the explanation he was looking for when he learned that there was not one demon residing him: there were several thousand!

The account presents us with several unanswered and unanswerable questions, especially in Mark’s version. The demons beg Jesus not to send them out of the area (v.10), or, in Luke’s Gospel, “into the Abyss” (Lk 8:31). While it is clear why demons would not want to be sent into the Abyss, we are not told why they feared being sent out of this particular region. Conversely, while Matthew’s version provides some rational as to why Jesus could not yet send the demons into the Abyss – viz. it was not yet “the appointed time” (Mt 8:29) – none of the accounts provide any explanation as to why Jesus could not, or at least did not, send the demons out of the region. Nor are we given an explanation as to why the demons requested to be sent into a nearby herd of pigs.

Two final unanswered questions about this passage brings us to a point at which I believe we can begin to see that Jesus was not responsible for the unfortunate fate of this herd of pigs. Why did the demonized pigs hurl themselves into the sea, and why they then drown, since pigs are perfectly capable of swimming? Nothing in this passage suggests that God (or Jesus) drove the pigs into the sea and caused them to drown. Nor does it make sense to suppose that the demons caused the pigs to kill themselves, since they had just pleaded with Jesus to use them as hosts.

The most plausible remaining alternative answer, I submit, is that the demons that inhabited these unfortunate swine simply drove them mad, similar to the way certain parasites can drive insects and animals mad and even, in some instances, to cause them to drown themselves in water. It surely is significant that Legion had already caused the man it had possessed to suffer from a form of temporary insanity. This is suggested by the fact that his peers felt the need to restrain him with chains and, when these chains failed, to banish him from their community. Not only this, but this man subsequently walked around stark naked among tombs while cutting himself and screaming — not exactly the behavior of a sane and rational human being (Mk 5:2-5)!

In this light, it is not hard to understand how pigs, which have a much smaller capacity than humans to rationally restrain themselves in the first place, could become insanely suicidal when indwelt by a demonic presence, especially one as strong as Legion. And there is no indication in the narrative that either Jesus or the demons foresaw this tragic outcome. They were simply casualties of war. Yet, it is the demons, and the entire kingdom of darkness, that is responsible for causing this war and, more specifically, responsible for the drowning of these pigs, not Jesus.

But even if one insists that Jesus did know, or at least should have known, that his permission for the demons to inhabit the pigs would have this unfortunate outcome, we could only charge Jesus with cruelty to animals if we knew that there were better options available to him. As I have point out, however, the multitude of unanswerable questions this episode raises prevents us from discerning this. And given the character that Jesus exhibits throughout the Gospels, I think we are on firm ground trusting that, had there been an option that involved no possibility of animals losing their life (or hosting demons for that matter), Jesus certainly would have taken it.

- Greg Boyd

Judging Spirituality, Perceived Versus Real

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. –Matthew 5:48 and 6:1

I know of a man who preached in a meeting where over 50,000 came to Christ. I heard of a woman who was one of the world’s great social workers. As attested to by eyewitnesses, a fellow raised a woman from the dead. Also, I have been where another woman started over 700 churches. Having traveled for years, this is only the beginning of what I have seen and heard. There is no need belaboring the point. Many, many believers have participated in seeing God perform great miracles and accomplish incredible tasks. My question is this: Were they spiritual people? The obvious answer would be, “Of course,” for too often believers judge the spectacular as being the earmarks of spirituality. But were they? Israel’s greatness was never to be found in the people but in their God. God accomplishes what He wills, and man takes the credit for it and uses it to build himself an image. To be honest, I do not know if these men and women were spiritual in the least. I have been shocked to see “great men” explode when they did not get the seat they wanted on the airline, when a car pulled in front of them, or when a subordinate questioned them. What one is at his worst is the level of true spirituality that he has achieved. Men on the platform often say, “It is only Jesus, praise God,” and then accept the praise of men. Actions speak loudly. One woman could not stand to be questioned. She would explode and leave those around her in a verbal pool of blood. Another preacher would get out of the car if anyone disagreed. Well, we all have our bad moments and the flesh never improves; it is hostile to God. My point is that none of us need to be fruit inspectors or more voices pointing out the hypocrisy of believers. That has all been done before. We must have a different way of judging spirituality than being brainwashed by the loudest, the spectacular, and the dominating. They have defined spirituality to describe themselves and their flesh. However, Jesus gives us the true definition of spirituality. If what He describes is part of a believer’s life, that one is a far greater success than any televangelist ever seen. We are blessed when we are at the end of our ropes. With less dependence on our selves, there is more of God and His rule.

Michael Wells lays down Jesus’ standard for “spirituality,” but isn’t it interesting that the “judgers” never consider Jesus’ standard…perfection.

And how many people really acknowledge an awareness of Israel’s greatness…in Bible times or TODAY!  Man’s flesh can’t get away from trusting in man’s flesh, his own or others…

But, the staggering statement of Michael’s writing is his “What one is at his worst is the level of true spirituality that he has achieved.”  What?!?  Michael, that stings!  Yikes!  I don’t want to go there…  WAIT A MINUTE…look at what Michael says just a couple of sentences later: “…we all have our bad moments and the flesh never improves; it is hostile to God.  My point is that none of us need to be fruit inspectors or more voices pointing out the hypocrisy of believers.”  I love it!  He is correct.  And to me, Michael has pinpointed the exactissue that all the “judgers” neglect: “the fleshnever improves; it is hostile to God.”  It is not our Christianity, but our flesh.  Our Christianity is Christ, Him, Christ IN us.  And He cannot be judged, for He IS perfect.  Hallelujah!  You can jump on my flesh all you want to, but you are barking up the wrong tree!

 So, we ARE blessed when we are at the end of our ropes.  And less dependence on our self, less of our flesh, brings more of God and His rule.  Well, amen.

The Sons of God

Almost all English Bibles translate Romans 8:15 as teaching our adoption: "For you didn't receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" So also verse 23 and Galatians 4:5 and Ephesians 1:5, in English translations, refer to our adoption. Many preachers and Christian writers have praised God for His adopting us as His children. Certainly, adoption by the loving, all-powerful God of the universe would be a wonderful thing, and I would be very thankful for it, if it were what the Bible teaches. The thing is, the Bible doesn't teach it. Everywhere the word "adoption" appears in an English-language New Testament, it is a poor translation that does not accurately convey the concept the Holy Spirit is revealing. Fortunately, what the Bible is saying is far greater and better than what we understand in English by the word "adoption."

Adoption Is a Legal Proceeding

There is nothing wrong with adoption. Many people are raised by wonderful adoptive parents. When it comes to our connection to God, however, adoption as we commonly understand it doesn't properly describe that relationship. One of the clues that the word "adoption" in the verses I mentioned is incorrect is the fact that adoption is a legal procedure. Adoption makes one a child of the adoptive parents by law, but it can do nothing about the reality that the child is someone else's child by birth. The Bible, on the other hand, speaks of Christians as undergoing a spiritual regeneration; we are born again (John 3:3, 5). Instead of our going through a legal action, we receive a very real, spiritual rebirth. Our familial relationship to God is not legal, it is spiritual, and we enter that relationship by birth.

The Bible never speaks of Christians as being God's children merely under the law. In fact, it specifically says, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Galatians 5:18). One of the very Scriptures in question, Galatians 4:4-5, says, "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the huiothesia (the word usually poorly translated as "adoption" or "adoption of children")." If Jesus came to redeem us who were under the law so that we could receive the huiothesia, it should be obvious that the huiothesia is not an adoption under the law. The huiothesia is a spiritual, living, organic, filial relationship with our Father made possible by Jesus Christ and effected by the Holy Spirit.

Huiothesia

Another clue that "adoption" is a wrong translation of huiothesia is that huiothesia doesn't mean "adoption." It comes from huios—"son"—and tithēmi, which means to place or stand something. Huiothesia is sometimes translated as "sonship" (which isn't a bad translation) and is best translated as "standing as a son [or as sons]" or "placing as a son [or as sons]." For whatever reasons, most English translations of the Bible ignore the facts and continue to translate huiothesia as "adoption." The Bible in Basic English is one of the exceptions. I like its translation of Galatians 4:4-7:

But when the time had come, God sent out his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might make them free who were under the law, and that we might be given the place of sons [huiothesia]. And because you are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, saying, Abba, Father. So that you are no longer a servant, but a son; and if a son, then the heritage of God is yours.

Galatians 4:4-7

The "heritage of God" is referring to our being heirs of God with Jesus Christ (see Romans 8:17). This directly ties into Paul's use of huiothesia. In the Roman world in which Paul wrote, when a son reached the age of maturity, his father would put him in the official position of his son and heir. The son was always the son from his birth, but this was the recognition that he was now ready to take his rightful place as heir. Remember that huiothesia means "placing as a son," and this Roman custom that would have been familiar to the people Paul was writing to may be what Paul had in mind when he used this word.

Let's read how Paul employs huiothesia in Romans 8:13-19. This time, we'll use The Complete Jewish Bible, another translation that properly translates huiothesia:

For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. All who are led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons [huiothesia] and by whose power we cry out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!"). The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah—provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him. I don't think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future. The creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed.

Most English translations follow the example of the King James Version, which translates verse 15 as, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." But this is an imperfect presentation of the parallelism Paul uses. He is not contrasting the spirit of bondage to fear with the Spirit of adoption. He is contrasting the spirit of bondage to fear with the Spirit who makes us sons. It is because we are sons that we can boldly cry out Abba, dear Father! The latter half of the passage says nothing of adoption but clearly says that we are the sons and heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (of whom God also declared, "You are my Son. Today I have become your father," Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5). And yet, although our sonship is now a reality, there is a way in which it is yet to be revealed.

Paul explains this further in Romans 8:23-25. Here, I've used the Weymouth New Testament:

And more than that, we ourselves, though we possess the Spirit as a foretaste and pledge of the glorious future, yet we ourselves inwardly sigh, as we wait and long for open recognition as sons through the deliverance of our bodies. It is in hope that we have been saved. But an object of hope is such no longer when it is present to view; for when a man has a thing before his eyes, how can he be said to hope for it? But if we hope for something which we do not see, then we eagerly and patiently wait for it.

Again, most English translations, in poorly translating huiothesia and saying that we are waiting for the adoption, obscure the full truth. The above translation makes stunningly clear the complete thought that the Holy Spirit is conveying through Paul. We believers have already received the Spirit of sonship—this is a present reality through Jesus Christ, but we still wait by hope to receive the visible manifestation of our sonship—our open recognition as sons—in our glorified bodies at the resurrection.

As Paul points out in Ephesians 1:4-5, God predetermined according to the good pleasure of his purpose our position as sons: "Even as he made selection of us in him from the first, so that we might be holy and free from all evil before him in love: As we were designed before by him for the position of sons [huiothesia] to himself, through Jesus Christ, in the good pleasure of his purpose" (Ephesians 1:4-5, The Bible in Basic English).

I will point out that the only other place in the New Testament where huiothesia is used is in Romans 9:4, where Paul uses it to describe the entire nation of Old Testament Israel. Under the Old Covenant, Israel pictured or shadowed or typified God's true sons (regenerated Christians). They entered that role through their physical birth into the nation of Israel and signified it by the circumcision of their males. But it was only a temporary type under the Old Covenant, not the eternal reality we Christians now have under the New Covenant.

Our relation to the Father is not one of adoption. It is the relationship of sons born to their Father, sons who are joint heirs with their elder brother, Jesus Christ, and whose standing as sons and heirs is now a reality but will yet be openly revealed at the resurrection of our bodies.

(Please don't make the mistake of thinking the doctrine of our position as sons and heirs supports the Armstrong and Mormon teachings that our destiny is to be gods. I will address that in a future article.)

- Peter Ditzel

When Your Goodness Goes Splat

At some point, each one of us becomes proud of our goodness. We become proud of a good thing we have done. We boast, even if only in our own minds, about the purity of an action, the extent of a sacrifice, the value of a gift. We elevate this good act as if it could be held before God as evidence that we aren’t really all that bad, or that we are working our way back toward goodness. We elevate it as if it is worthy of his attention, his favor.

These considerations of our goodness never come about in isolation. When we think about our own goodness, we always compare ourselves to others. It’s not that we are good by any objective standard; we are good compared to the parent, the neighbor, the stranger, the criminal. We choose our comparisons carefully.

Michael Kruger uses a helpful illustration to describe the futility of this kind of boasting, and he illustrates using the Grand Canyon. Imagine that you and I travel together to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. We park and walk for a little while, and before we know it we are standing on the rim, on the edge, of one of the world’s natural wonders.

As we stand there, we get the idea to have a fun and friendly little competition between ourselves. We decide to see who can jump the farthest, who can make it to the far rim, or at least who can make it closest. You guess that you can make it all the way across. You back up a little bit, get a running start, and sprint off the edge. You are even better than you thought and make it nearly fourteen feet! Then, of course, you plummet to the bottom of the canyon and go splat. I take my running start and do even better with a tremendous fifteen-foot jump. Then I, too, hurtle to the bottom, my moment of triumph ending with a crunch.

If God’s standard of holiness is as wide as the Grand Canyon—eighteen miles wide at its widest point—it hardly matters whether I end up at ten, twelve, or fifteen feet. No matter how far I jump, I will still fall far, far short of the mark. It matters even less whether I can jump farther than you, because your jump and my jump both lead to an ugly end. These attempts to meet or match God’s standard of holiness leads only to death. All of our goodness goes splat.

The gospel makes this bad news even worse. It tells us that God’s standard of holiness is far wider than a mere eighteen miles. It tells us that I can jump far less than fifteen feet. In fact, it tells me that I can’t jump at all because I am dead, and dead men don’t jump. But it transforms the bad news to good when it assures me that Christ, through his perfect life and his atoning death, has bridged the unbridgeable, doing what I could never do on my own. It assures me that God accepts Christ’s standard of holiness on my behalf. I don’t need to jump at all; I need to simply trust and receive.

Why Did Jesus Curse a Barren Fig Tree

While no one argues that the NT advocates violence explicitly, many allege that some passages reflect violent attitudes toward outsiders, and especially toward non-believing Jews, while others detect an element of violence in some of Jesus’ teachings and behavior. Some scholars argue that this violent aspect of the NT laid the groundwork for later Christian violence when the church began to embrace the power of the state in the fourth century. I am dealing with a few episodes from the life of Jesus that have often been used to argue for violent acts. Today I want to look at the cursing of the barren fig tree.

Both Matthew and Mark recount an episode in which Jesus cursed a fig tree because it bore no fruit and Jesus was hungry (Mt 21: 18-22, Mk 11:12-3, 21-5). What makes Jesus’ only destructive miracle even more puzzling is that Mark informs us that, “it was not the season for figs” (v. 13). According to some, this story represents Jesus engaging in a violent attack on the tree that make him appear cruel. One writer goes so far as to speculate that Jesus must have violently cursed this tree “in a petty fit of low blood sugar or something like that.”[1] I submit that if we read these accounts in context and with any degree of charity, it becomes clear that Jesus did not curse this tree in a fit of childish, cruel, or petty anger.

Fig trees are frequently used to symbolize either spiritual fruitfulness or unfruitfulness in the OT (Isa 28:4; Jer 8:13; 24:1-10; 29:17; Hos 2:12; 9:10,16-7; Mic 7:1). In this light, Jesus’ cursing of the barren fig tree should be understood as a symbolic judgment on the nation of Israel. This is made all the more clear from the fact that Mark interjects Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple (See post), which was itself a symbolic judgment on the corrupt leaders of Israel, between Jesus’ curse of the fig tree and the time when the disciple’s notice that the tree had withered. Moreover, in both Gospels the cursing is followed by a confrontation between Jesus and Jewish authorities that concludes with Jesus telling two parables that indict these leaders (Mt 21:13-46; Mk 11:27-33; 12:-1-12). By cursing the tree, Jesus is acting out a parable as God’s spokesperson against Israel.

On top of this, I submit that there is another dimension to the symbolic destructive action of Jesus in this episode. The NT reflects the widespread Jewish apocalyptic expectation that the coming of the Messiah at the end of the age would remove the curse on creation and restore it to what God originally intended it to be (e.g. Acts 3:21; Rom 8:19-22; Col 1:18-20; 2 Pet 3:13). Moreover, in apocalyptic thought, barren or infected fruit trees were sometimes understood to reflect the corrupting influence of fallen angelic powers, and barren fig trees in particular had in some writings become symbols of this curse. In this light it is easy to interpret Jesus’ cursing of the barren fig tree as not only a symbolic pronouncement of judgment on Israel, but also as a symbolic judgment on Satan’s curse on the earth. And in cursing the curse, as it were, Jesus was once again presenting himself as the Messiah who had come to vanquish Satan (Heb 2:14; 1 Jn 3:8) and to restore God’s good creation.

Your Unbreakable Union with Christ

Some Christians understand their union with the Lord but only half way. “Sure, God is with us, but sometimes he isn’t. He comes and he goes.” It’s true that in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon certain people at certain times, but that was then and this is now.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit abides with us and makes his home with us (John 14:16–17). By home he means home. You are not a motel room for the Lord. You are a walking, talking, living, breathing temple of the Holy Spirit. He is not going anywhere.

“Are you saying that the Holy Spirit is with me even when I sin?” Yes! Christ’s love for you and his union with you is stronger than any sin.

Under the old covenant, sinning was your fast track to disunion. If you sinned you risked being cut off from the people of God.

Jesus said if your hand or eye causes you to sin, get rid of it (Matthew 5:29–30). Why did Jesus preach self-amputation to those born under the law? Because under that covenant it made sense to talk about removing those parts of the body that might contaminate the whole. Thank the Lord the old covenant is gone! We are not under law but grace, and this is good news for the members of the body of Christ.



When we sin, Jesus does not cut us off; we remain members of his body. This totally changes the way we look at sin.

Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! (1 Corinthians 6:15b)

Under the old covenant we were restrained from sin through mortal terror but in the new we are restrained by love. Look again at Paul’s warning about prostitutes. Behind the warning—don’t do it—there is a surprising and reassuring affirmation of union. Paul is saying it is possible, though not advisable, to unite the members of Christ’s body with prostitutes.

Do you see it? Earthly marriages may break and fail, but your union with Christ is unbreakable. Sin cannot break it. Addiction cannot break it. The stupidest decisions you might ever make cannot break it.

This should not be taken as a challenge to see what you can get away with but as a stunning declaration of Christ’s absolute commitment to love you and stick with you no matter what. This is what changes us—not the weak influence of the rule, but the relentless and determined passion of his love.

The love of God is the greatest force in the universe. Sin wilts before it. When you encounter the undaunted and unending love of Christ, it changes you. You no longer want to sin. The passing pleasures of this world lose their appeal because you have found a love that is truer and better by far.
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Extracted from chapter 4 “Union,” The Gospel in Ten 

“It takes courage to follow Me!”

            Many have chosen the path of righteousness, only to discover that there is no room on the path for self-promotion and self-praise. It takes courage to follow Me! Those who follow Me find that I am enough. Everything is left behind when I stand before you. Come, follow Me, and you will be made into My likeness.

            My Son is the Lamb slain before anything was created. He is more than the Lamb—He is the sacrificial Lamb. Born crucified, He lived before Me daily as My delight. We took pleasure and delight in one another. And I find My delight in you, for you also have been born crucified. As one with My Lamb, we will sit and rule together in eternal glory. Can you not leave behind what clings to your soul? Can your affections now burn with love for Me? It is more than a choice; it is courage that must fill your heart as you look upon the horizon. Never fear what is to come, for I am the One who was, who is, and who is to come!

            You are an heir of the kingdom—all My promises to you are yes and amen! Nothing will disappoint you as you walk into My kingdom reality. Glory, ever-increasing glory, will surround you. To follow Me is not merely leaving everything; it is gaining everything. Set your gaze on what I am to you and what I have deposited inside your heart. All things are now yours: life, eternity, authority, power, and glory. No one will be able to take these from you. Move forward without fear, and I will be your great reward!

 LUKE 5:10–11

            Jesus answered, “Do not yield to your fear, Simon Peter. From now on you will catch men for salvation!” After pulling their boats to the shore, they left everything behind and followed Jesus.

            Reflect on what He is to you and what He has deposited in your heart. What does walking with courage into His promises look like to you?

“Don’t strive.”

            I have taught you in the secret place and you have learned the ways of My Spirit. I remind you this day: do not strive, but rest your heart in the quietness and I will do what you cannot do. Anxiety and striving are the worst of enemies to your peace. When I give you a task, I give you the grace to accomplish it. I will never send you to fail or give you a mission only to make you fall. I will strengthen you in the quiet place and bring My transcendent presence to calm your soul.

            Many of my children are trying to correct the path of another, not knowing that I am at work in them, even as I am at work in you. Rest in my love and I will bring it to pass, and I will bring you transformation by the renewing of your mind. Let Me bring you into a greater light with greater insight. You will begin to see what I am doing in the life of another and pray for them with divine wisdom. Until you come higher into My light, you will misunderstand all that I am doing.

            When you know Me, you will no longer strive to be better or strive to be loved. When you experience My endless compassion, you will learn to forgive. To strive is to leave My strength and embrace the cares of life. To refuse to strive means you will enter into the faith-rest life that I give to all those who love Me. Faith rests in hope. Know that I will never fail you or disappoint you. So My child, this is the day of Sabbath joy when you will enter into the realm of My kingdom.

 HEBREWS 4:3

            For those of us who believe, faith activates the promise and we experience the realm of confident rest!

From Depression to Delight

            Sometimes it’s really difficult to pray with passion when your soul is downcast and you’re feeling depressed. David was clearly in this situation in Psalm 13. What is so admirable is that he didn’t give up on his conversations with God. He kept choosing to pray. More admirable still, he makes a choice to ask God for light rather than focusing on the darkness. He prays, “Bring light to my eyes in this pitch-black darkness” (v. 3). Most admirable of all, David positions himself in his spirit on the far side of God’s answer to his prayer. He decrees, “I will sing my song of joy” (v. 6). If you are in a dark place right now, let God transport your heart and focus to his place of light.

             

            If you feel like you’re in a wilderness right now, consider what new song you would sing to the Lord, as David did. Choose to look up rather than down. Encourage your soul to soar!

I’m hurting, Lord—will you forget me forever?

           How much longer, Lord?

           Will you look the other way when I’m in need?

           2How much longer must I cling to this constant grief?

           I’ve endured this shaking of my soul.

           So, how much longer will my enemy have the upper hand?

           It’s been long enough!

           3Take a good look at me, God, and answer me!

           Breathe your life into my spirit.

           Bring light to my eyes in this pitch-black darkness

           or I will sleep the sleep of death.

           4Don’t let my enemy proclaim, “I’ve prevailed over him.”

           For all my adversaries will celebrate when I fall.

           5Lord, I have always trusted in your kindness, so answer me.

           I will yet celebrate with passion and joy

           when your salvation lifts me up.

           6I will sing my song of joy to you, the Most High,

           for in all of this you have strengthened my soul.

           My enemies say that I have no Saviour,

           but I know that I have one in you!

Speak Boldly in the Face of God

It is important to speak and write with conviction. Proverbs says somewhere “the fear of man brings a snare, but the fear of the Lord brings safety.” When we speak and write as theologians, Christians, we should do so  coram Deo, before the ‘audience of One,’ and allow that reality be what determines how we communicate. The Apostle Paul wrote this in various contexts:

¹⁰ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1.10
4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. ³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵ Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time,before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. I Corinthians 4.1-5

For the Apostle Paul it was the reality of the Gospel that shaped his con-versation; he did not speak or write to please men, but instead He spoke with the approval of God in mind. Furthermore, and quite interestingly, Paul’s speech was eschatologically oriented; in other words, His speech, Gospel-speech has a different court to be accountable to, not the court of humanity, but the court of God. He was willing to speak boldly for the Gospel’s sake, and ignore the judgments of men while anticipating the judgment of God. He knew that the Gospel (Jesus Christ) was His Savior, and at the “end” (eschaton) His Gospel-speech would be found adequate because of the adequacy of Jesus Christ (II Cor. 3); this gave him the boldness he often asked prayer for in the proclamation of the Gospel.
Jesus in his dominical teaching in the Gospel of John said this:

⁴¹ I do not receive glory from people. ⁴² But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? John 5.41-44

This is the iteration from the Lord that Paul in his writings above would have been reiterating; if we are so worried about receiving the approval of men, and seeking the glory of man (versus the theology of the cross) we will be cultivating a life of unbelief; even and especially when we are waxing eloquent platitudes about theological reality.

Conclusion

As theologians, Christians, disciples of Jesus Christ we need to speak the Gospel boldly, for therein is the power of God! I think this axiom applies even more pointedly to theologians who regularly traffic in theological discussion. It is this danger (the approval of men and women) that I believe professional theologians are most prone to. Things are rigged in such a way, in academia, wherein the approval of others becomes tantamount to career upward mobility (i.e. peer reviewed etc.). The theologian, and Christian in general will do well to heed Jesus’ and the Apostle Paul’s warnings to speak, communicate Gospel reality eschatologically; the kind of communication that inherently is shaped by fear of God rather than fear of man. He is able to put us where He wants us, He is able to open career paths despite the political apparatus in place within Christian academia. I believe He uses Christian academia, usually inspite of itself, as such, we need to be good and obedient stewards and speak boldly as we ought to, having a speech seasoned with grace for the hearers.

Speak the Gospel boldly for it is the power of God!

“Hold on to Me!”

            In your days of trouble and your days of glory, in your days of testing and your days of triumph—hold on to Me! The changes will now come more swiftly than you have imagined. That which looms before you may challenge your faith, but hold on to Me!

            Your help comes from Me and from nowhere else. Many look to others to be there for them, but I say to you, I will always be there for you. Trust in Me. Let your challenges bring you to a greater faith, for My outstretched arm of power will bring you courage—hold on to Me!

            Those who trust in Me see miracles. In these days of intense struggle, when it looks like darkness is winning and your light is growing dim, hold on to Me!

            I have taught you many things. You have learned that walking with Me is more valuable and pleasing than your comforts. You have sacrificed your plans for Mine, and you have given Me the reins of your heart. I am satisfied with your tender surrender. You have trusted My ways even when they were nothing but a mystery to you. Many times you bowed your heart in worship. These are the times you grew in grace and took giant leaps of faith. Keep moving into My heart even as things shift all around you. Hold on to Me, and you will have all that you have ever desired, for I am pleased to be your Father and your God.

 PSALM 72:5

            The sun and moon will stop shining

            Before your lovers will stop worshipping;

            For ages upon ages the people

            Will love and adore you!

            Is this a week of trial or triumph? Write a prayer confessing your need for His courage or expressing your thankfulness for His help.