Abundant Life is Not Religion

"The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."


Jesus Christ

Instead of citing the chapter and verse of this statement, I put the name of the person who said it. So often we get so caught up in where a verse is located, we forget who said it. A few weeks ago this verse came to mind; followed by this thought: Jesus did not come so that we might have religion; and that more abundantly. Yet this is what so many Christians have. He didn't come so that we could spend hours reading our Bibles, quoting scriptures, praying for the lost, though there is merit to those things. But friends, it will all be useless if we don't actually live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. Think about Eden. God created the beautiful garden and put man in it. He didn't say to Adam "Well now Adam, you'll need to pray 3 times a day. Now cut down some trees and build a big church. Get everybody to come there once a week and talk about me." No!! God came down in the cool of the day to talk with Adam and Eve every day. It was a relationship...fellowship...friendship between man and his Maker. Oh how lovely would it be to let our friendship with Jesus dictate our days. Religion will never satisfy either God or man. We were made to be his friends; his children.

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Making a Decision while Standing in the Ashes

This morning I watched a couple on a popular Christian broadcast telling about how God provided for them after a devastating house fire. This couple's home was completely destroyed by a fire; there was nothing left standing. I was so taken by what the wife said about it. She said that as she stood there looking at the rubble and the ashes of her home, it took all of the faith within her to decide not to question why it happened and to continue to confess that God was her supplier. Instead of complaining she chose to continue to believe and to say that she was blessed by God.
Isn't this the simple essence of faith? Standing in the ashes and deciding to proclaim that God will provide? Isn't this what Abraham did when he 'considered not his own body', but believed that God would give him a son, though he and Sarah were past child bearing years.
So often we want to have a special feeling or sign before we speak by faith. And sometimes we think that because we doubt in our mind, that we cannot have faith. BUT FAITH IS IN SPITE OF!! It's a decision to believe in what we cannot see. In spite of the ashes, the fire, the doubts, the naysayers, the doctor's report, and every other evidence to the contrary, I must say "I believe God's word is true and will prevail, even in my situation." Oh, it's so easy to believe that God will prevail in someone elses situation. But we must learn to do what Jesus told us to do when faced with our own mountain...SPEAK TO IT.
This is faith. Speaking the impossible as we stand in the ashes.
By the way...the couple I mentioned now have a lovely home with twice the acreage as before...more room, a tennis court and huge pool. I don't think she saw these things when she was standing in the ashes proclaiming God's goodness- but HE did.
PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD! PRAISE GOD!

I Can Do All Things....My P.S.

Please note that the scripture says I can do ALL things; not EVERYTHING. For those of us who would like to try to do everything, never say no, and please everyone; take heed! There is a big difference between All things and Every thing. All implies all that Christ asks of us. Everything implies doing everything we want to do. Example: Not too long ago, while I was contemplating a new exercise regime; the Lord spoke to my heart and said "I have not created you to be an athlete." This isn't news to anyone who knows me. Therefore, I will embark on a sound program to keep my body fit, including a good diet and moderate, regular exercise. I will not, however, begin to train for a marathon; in spite of the fact that some friends and family members are doing so, and might encourage me to try. I will not ask Christ to make me a marathoner and then become disillusioned when I fail. I will though, believe God to strengthen my teaching and writing skills, as I believe this is where my giftings are located.

I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me

How often has someone quoted Philippians 4:13 to you? "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." In the past, when I have heard or read this verse, I have not really understood the context of the message. Certainly we all want to be able to do great things for God like the Apostle Paul did. A careful re-reading of Chapter 3 will shed some light on how this can happen. In chapter 3, verses 4-8, Paul gives a short history of his spiritual background. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, righteous in the sight of the law! The next line, however, delivers the death blow to his boasting. Read verse 7 and 8. "But what things were gain to me, those things I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
Well, what had Paul lost? Simply put; ALL THINGS. That's what he said. He lost everything to follow Christ. What are all things? Here's what we know. He lost his prominence in the Jewish Church. Even if they had been open to the message of Christ for the Jews; the idea of preaching to Gentiles would be absolutely repugnant to them. Eating, drinking and fellowshiping with Gentiles alone would have made Paul and outcast to the Jews. Perhaps he lost close friendships and relationships with family members. He lost his freedom. Looking back and chapter one, we will remember that Paul was writing this letter from a prison cell in Rome. Not only could he no longer fellowship with the Jews; he had lost the freedom to personally fellowship with believers, except through letters. How many lonely days did he spend in prison? How often did he suffer physically from the rigors of prison. (Many Christian historians claim that a sewer ran through the cell that Paul stayed in; and that sometimes he could have been standing knee deep in raw sewage.) How's that for losing everything!
Now fast forward to Philippians 4:9-23. Here Paul describes his ability to be content in any state he finds himself; whether full or hungry. It is in this context that we read; I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. He's telling the Philippian church that God will supply the strength to deal with any situation that one finds oneself in.
Is it true than, that the believer can do anything through Christ. Indeed. And the first and best thing that the believer may do is to abandon himself to the will of God. Herein is the strength found. How many miserable Christians are trying to use this verse to get God to strengthen them in pursuits to which they were never called. Would to God that we would be strengthened to pare our ambitions down to one do-able goal: Philippians 3:13 ...this ONE THING I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Do we really think that Paul was telling us that we can dream up anything we want to do; and then call upon God to make it work out? Or in looking at the context of the whole book of Philippians, is it more likely that he was telling us that in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, the power of God is available to us to make us more than a conqueror?
Earlier this week the Holy Spirit brought this verse to my remembrance. I was going through some difficulty and was wondering what to do. Now in the past, when I would think of this verse; I would imaging Paul, standing on a mountain, preaching his heart out and winning countless souls to the kingdom. I couldn't relate. But what the Holy Spirit showed me was, that in my everyday life I can do what I need to do through Christ's strength and not mine. When I am sick, I can be healed through Christ's strength. When I'm at work and need to have patience with my students, I can do it through Christ's strength. When I am lonely; I can lean upon Christ's strength to get me by. When I am grappling with my flesh, and need to put His will above my own; only through Christ strength can I succeed.
So whether on the mountain or in the valley; in the prison or free; doing the mundane or the spectacular; it's all done through Christ.
The challenge then, is to do whatever is facing you through Christ's strength. Right now. Today.

The Problem of Becoming Static and Regression

Hebrews 5:11-14

Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain since you have become dull in your (spiritual) hearing and sluggish [even slothful in achieving spiritual insight]. For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary to ether divine or human law.

As a special education paraeducator, one of the major hurdles we deal with is regression. We may pour ourselves tirelessly into a student; offering him/her the best teaching practices available on a given subject, only to find that after a two week break for the holidays; the student has forgotten all or most of what was taught them. We call this regression. The reason for regression is really quite simple; the student has ceased to practice the skills that they have recently learned. For example; I may have worked with a student for a few weeks on the difference between long and short vowel sounds; practicing the difference between the words 'hat' and 'hate'. But the student goes on spring break. He gives no attention to reading, nor do his parents require this of him. He spends his whole break playing video games, staying up until midnight every night and rising at noon. The first week back to school he arrives in my classroom at 9 am. He's yawning and his hair is disheveled. He lays his head on the desk and is cranky when I tell him to sit up and pay attention. He has regressed physically from lack of sleep. He has regressed mentally from lack of educational stimulation. It can take a month or more to reteach what has been lost.
Look the text once more and ask yourself if this is a picture of your spiritual state. Have you become too lazy to feed yourself, requiring bottle feeding from the pastor? What are you eating every day, spiritually speaking. If it amounts to only a verse randomly pulled from a promise box or a once a week feeding on the pastor's message; face it; you are in regression.
According to verse 14, YOU are responsible to right the ship (having your senses and mental faculties trained by practice. )
Imagine how concerned, as a parent, you would be if your young child, having passed babyhood, refused to eat solid food. The child would lose weight, his strength would diminish and all sorts of terrible physical problems would begin cropping up. In the absence of vital minerals and vitamins found in 'grown up' foods, the child would begin to fail mentally as well. Lethargy would set in; with the child refusing to exercise and play; even communication would become limited.
Is this not the condition of many of God's children? How tragic. How unnecessary.
Our Father is not an unfit parent. He has set a table before us; and our cup runneth over. But He does not force us to eat.
This New Year, as many are making resolutions to eat better and exercise to gain physical strength; I challenge you and myself as well; to resolve to get into spiritual shape. To eat better and to exercise ourselves in the Word by practicing it daily. Let's start reading the Word like it means something to us; take it seriously. Let's move on from babyhood in 2009.

Hebrews 4: The Rest of God

Hebrews 4 opens with a stern warning. We are exhorted to fear that we may come short of the 'rest of God', as did the children of Israel. (v. 1)

Verse 2 gives us the key to our ultimate success (or defeat) in our effort to receive the promises of God: Faith. The Word of God was not mixed with faith in them that heard it. And so it is today. How many of our friends or loved ones have sat in a service or across the table from a Christian friend and rejected the Word spoken to them? And the simple reason was; they did not believe what they heard. Dear friends, our entire existence, both here and eternally is based upon what we believe. People seldom accomplish anything unless they believe that they can do so; for they will be overcome by doubts and fear at the first sign of resistance. It has taken me many years to come to understand that every thought that comes into my mind is not true. I must be vigilant in comparing my beliefs with the only flawless source of Truth; the Word.

Verses 4 through 9 have been a source of perplexity to me for years; the King James wording seems confusing and almost contradictive. However, the thought that the author is trying to convey here is really quite simple; the true Rest of God is not, as the Hebrews believed, the 7th day (Sabbath), or the entering into the promised land of Canaan. This is proved by reference to the scriptures that in several places and times refer to a rest; which apparently had not yet been experienced by God's people. (And if your margins don't clarify it, please note that in verse 8, the name 'Jesus' is actually referring to Joshua, the Hebrew equivalent name for Jesus. So even though Joshua led the Children of Israel into Canaan, he did not lead them into the promised Rest of God.)
Verse 10 gives us a clue to the spiritual nature of this rest; telling us that as God rested from his own works on the 7th day; we must cease from our works to in order to find rest. This becomes a bit of a problem for those who depend upon their religious efforts or good works. And the following verse is an absolute conundrum, an oxymoron, if you will; for it admonishes us to labour to enter into that rest; while one sentence earlier it said to cease from our own works! Oh Dear! It almost seems that you can't get there from here! This passage used to so frustrate me that I would finish reading the chapter in a rather cursory way; all the time feeling that I would never find this promised Rest of God. My best advice at this point is to finish reading Hebrews 4; taking special note of verses 14 through 18. Once completed; turn to Leviticus chapter 16 and read the entire chapter.
Leviticus 16 starts out on a sober note. Aaron the High Priest's two sons had just dropped dead. They had tried to act in a priestly capacity and offer an offering to God that was not as he commanded. Big mistake. So was God being hyper-sensitive or just plain 'picky' in killing Aaron's sons? No, actually it's not so much that God killed them, as that sin killed them. God is Holy, and nothing sinful can stand in his presence. We read time and again of patriarch's who found themselves in the presence of God and felt that they were going to die. God is a consuming fire, says the scripture. Remember the reason for the explicit instructions regarding the office of the Priests was to allow them to come before God's presence.(This is a privilege that man lost in the Fall.)Aaron's sons presumed to appear before God without having properly dealt with their sin. As a side note; how many people today are doing that same thing; attempting to come before God under their own terms? God straightened Moses and Aaron out; instructing Aaron to wash and anoint himself, clothe himself in fine linen garments and have sacrifices prepared before trying to tread His courts. Having been properly prepared , on the 7th month and the 10th day he was authorized to go in. Leviticus 16:30-31 states FOR ON THAT DAY SHALL THE PRIEST MAKE AN ATONEMENT FOR YOU, TO CLEANSE YOU, THAT YE MAY BE CLEAN FROM ALL YOUR SINS BEFORE THE LORD. IT SHALL BE A SABBATH OF REST UNTO YOU AND YE SHALL AFFLICT YOUR SOULS BY A STATUTE FOREVER.
It then becomes clear that the rest of God is freedom from sin, and peace in His presence.
Now returning to Hebrews 4, we understand that Jesus, our High Priest has (unlike Aaron's sons) effectively satisfied the Holiness of God and offered a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Note that in the old sacrificial system (Exodus 28: 34-35) bells were sewn into the hem of the priestly garment for an indication to those without that the Priest was still alive. Some theologians say that a rope was tied onto the priests foot so that he could be pulled out of the Holy of Holies if he died there. (This is not confirmed by scripture.)
In any case, consider this fearful approach toward God and compare it to Hebrews 4:16 - Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Why can we do this? Because our sins have been purged. Not by any great efforts of our own, by by the spotless sacrifice of Jesus.
This is why Jesus said, "come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Think back to Eden and the fall. The curse of sin brought labour, and a neverending striving to overcome the effects of sin in our life. God desired to return us to our pre-Fall condition. Jesus achieved it for us. He is our rest. We may now bask in God's presence without fear of recrimination or reproach (or as in Levitical times, dropping dead!)
The sin issue is dealt with and all that is left to us is mercy and grace! The sacrifices we are now to offer are praise and thanksgiving.
Now, when we read about the Throne of God in Revelation 22:1 we see the water of life flowing from it, instead of death and destruction. For the believer it is indeed a Throne of Grace.
So with the Hebrews writer I urge you to hold fast your profession of faith. Your High Priest has offered the perfect sacrifice for you, and for you; this is the Rest of God.

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