John 7:37-39
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's interesting to me here is that Jesus isn't focused on what is going into the believer. What is it that belief will do? It will lead streams of living water to flow OUT of their heart and into the world, where others will find such living water. With Jesus, belief isn't just about what Jesus can do for you -- it's about how Jesus will transform your life and your interactions with the community.
Also, note the price for belief -- anyone who thirsts can come. There's no admission fee, no pre-qualifications. Anyone with thirst can come and be filled. The cost of discipleship comes after salvation has been freely given. Know that you are saved and set free, you have been bought with a price, but Christ bids you to follow at great cost, albeit with a far greater reward!
Monday, August 12, 2019
Friday, August 9, 2019
John 7:32-36
John 7:32-36
English Standard Version (ESV)
I'll admit that I'm not always clear. Sometimes I talk and I talk, but never actually get around to saying exactly what I mean. Other times, I don't say enough -- I talk over or around the issue that's at hand. When I was in the darkest nights of my struggles with anxiety, I didn't know how to talk about it, so I didn't. If people knew that someone trying to be a pastor was constantly terrified, what would they think?
We do this in church quite a bit as well. We talk about how everything is going fine, when in reality it may not be. When we're really hurting, that's often when we're the least clear, lest others think we are weak or broken. We like to hide our scars, afraid of what others might think. If people knew... what would they think?
Jesus is speaking to the people here, but they don't hear him. They don't understand what he's talking about. They are listening, but not hearing.
If you're struggling with something, please be honest. Find someone you trust. If you are active in a faith community, invest the extra time to find out what's REALLY going on with people. Listen well. Share your vulnerabilities. The most surprising thing we often discover about the people around us is that they're usually struggling with problems similar to what we're struggling with. But we're a community of faith, each of us walking one another home. Don't hide your scars -- and don't judge others when they reveal theirs. Love, and let yourself be loved, for God covers us in unconditional love, and the more time we practice that, the stronger our community is.
English Standard Version (ESV)
I'll admit that I'm not always clear. Sometimes I talk and I talk, but never actually get around to saying exactly what I mean. Other times, I don't say enough -- I talk over or around the issue that's at hand. When I was in the darkest nights of my struggles with anxiety, I didn't know how to talk about it, so I didn't. If people knew that someone trying to be a pastor was constantly terrified, what would they think?
We do this in church quite a bit as well. We talk about how everything is going fine, when in reality it may not be. When we're really hurting, that's often when we're the least clear, lest others think we are weak or broken. We like to hide our scars, afraid of what others might think. If people knew... what would they think?
Jesus is speaking to the people here, but they don't hear him. They don't understand what he's talking about. They are listening, but not hearing.
If you're struggling with something, please be honest. Find someone you trust. If you are active in a faith community, invest the extra time to find out what's REALLY going on with people. Listen well. Share your vulnerabilities. The most surprising thing we often discover about the people around us is that they're usually struggling with problems similar to what we're struggling with. But we're a community of faith, each of us walking one another home. Don't hide your scars -- and don't judge others when they reveal theirs. Love, and let yourself be loved, for God covers us in unconditional love, and the more time we practice that, the stronger our community is.
Thursday, August 8, 2019
John 7:25-31
John 7:25-31
English Standard Version (ESV)
Evidence matters. Whatever you're trying to prove, it always helps to have evidence.
When Jesus was pressed by John's disciples to prove that he was the Messiah, he told them to look around, and to see if what Jesus was doing fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah. Here, many of the leaders are seeking to arrest Jesus because they fear a loss of power and destabilization of their lives, but many others believe, because they see the evidence of Christ's identity as the Messiah in the works that he has done. Even though his teachings may not be perfectly clear, they see his acts and understand that they confirm his identity as the Messiah.
When people ask me why I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, I point to the evidence. I point to the evidence that surrounds the historical accuracy of the Gospels and the case for the historical truth of the resurrection (If you haven't read Lee Strobel's books, I highly recommend them). I also point to the evidence in my own life -- to the singular moments I've had in my life that seem to be connections to Christ as well as to the transformation I've experienced through my (albeit often deeply flawed) efforts to follow Christ. I've seen God at work in the community as well as my own life, and this is all evidence that supports the reality of God and the love of Christ for me. While I want to believe, I build my faith on more than just desire -- I choose to believe the evidence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Evidence matters. Whatever you're trying to prove, it always helps to have evidence.
When Jesus was pressed by John's disciples to prove that he was the Messiah, he told them to look around, and to see if what Jesus was doing fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah. Here, many of the leaders are seeking to arrest Jesus because they fear a loss of power and destabilization of their lives, but many others believe, because they see the evidence of Christ's identity as the Messiah in the works that he has done. Even though his teachings may not be perfectly clear, they see his acts and understand that they confirm his identity as the Messiah.
When people ask me why I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, I point to the evidence. I point to the evidence that surrounds the historical accuracy of the Gospels and the case for the historical truth of the resurrection (If you haven't read Lee Strobel's books, I highly recommend them). I also point to the evidence in my own life -- to the singular moments I've had in my life that seem to be connections to Christ as well as to the transformation I've experienced through my (albeit often deeply flawed) efforts to follow Christ. I've seen God at work in the community as well as my own life, and this is all evidence that supports the reality of God and the love of Christ for me. While I want to believe, I build my faith on more than just desire -- I choose to believe the evidence.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
John 7:14-24
John 7:14-24
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' humility is remarkable. Here he is, the most powerful man in the world, investing his time with some of the poorest people in society. He not only acknowledges them and treats them with dignity, a rarity in the time, but he also lifts them up in the presence of the powerful. In infuriates the leaders of the church, but Jesus continues to be faithful to who he is, and he doesn't seek the glory for himself. In all of his works and deeds, he points to God. He directs the glory elsewhere.
In doing so, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what the Trinity is like. It's not about the self -- it's a dance between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, each selflessly pointing to the other, lifting the other up, encouraging and serving the other. No one is thinking about the self, but in serving another, they have eternal joy and peace.
So when we think about heaven, think not about streets of gold and what is in it for us. Think instead of a community based on selflessness, where the thought is how to point the glory to another, and in so doing we forget all the things that bring us anxiety, the worries, the fears that we won't measure up or be good enough. In focusing on the others, we lose ourselves and yet find joy and peace.
It's a revolutionary thought in today's world. Imagine a politician or business leader who is restlessly focused on others -- there are some who embody this more than others, but they are rare. One day, the entire Kingdom of God will surround us, and we'll be lost in glorifying God, who is in turn pouring love and mercy into us. So turn down the volume on those seeking to glorify themselves, and fix your hope on Christ and the selfless way he embodies the Kingdom.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' humility is remarkable. Here he is, the most powerful man in the world, investing his time with some of the poorest people in society. He not only acknowledges them and treats them with dignity, a rarity in the time, but he also lifts them up in the presence of the powerful. In infuriates the leaders of the church, but Jesus continues to be faithful to who he is, and he doesn't seek the glory for himself. In all of his works and deeds, he points to God. He directs the glory elsewhere.
In doing so, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what the Trinity is like. It's not about the self -- it's a dance between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, each selflessly pointing to the other, lifting the other up, encouraging and serving the other. No one is thinking about the self, but in serving another, they have eternal joy and peace.
So when we think about heaven, think not about streets of gold and what is in it for us. Think instead of a community based on selflessness, where the thought is how to point the glory to another, and in so doing we forget all the things that bring us anxiety, the worries, the fears that we won't measure up or be good enough. In focusing on the others, we lose ourselves and yet find joy and peace.
It's a revolutionary thought in today's world. Imagine a politician or business leader who is restlessly focused on others -- there are some who embody this more than others, but they are rare. One day, the entire Kingdom of God will surround us, and we'll be lost in glorifying God, who is in turn pouring love and mercy into us. So turn down the volume on those seeking to glorify themselves, and fix your hope on Christ and the selfless way he embodies the Kingdom.
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