Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: God

  • Rude christians

    Rude christians

    I have searched the Gospels, Letters and Old Testament and found NO excuse for rudeness in Christians.

    Christians claim that God is a God of love. (Scripture confirms this.) We claim that Jesus came to the world because God ‘so loved the world….’ (Scripture confirms this.) God is love. Jesus is love. The Holy Spirit counsels us in love.

    So why do christians so often witness rudeness, coldness and indifference to the heart of God’s love?

    I must confess that on occasion I am the rude christian who does not return the phone call of a brother or sister in the Lord. Sometimes I forget to answer a text or an email. I often forget to pray for some saints who I know need prayer. Yet I speak of a more devastating rudeness by which we wound the body of Christ’s church.

    As I have just spoken against elevating any saint, man or woman, above God; I will lift up their many examples of love for others. (We have witnessed or read of what they have done for others out of love and compassion; things that we ought to do, but do not.)

    Have you seen a Christ-like love for others, even from a non-Christian?

    Yes, of course; we all have.

    The Law of Moses sets high moral example for us. The Qur’an sets some very strict examples of how men and women ought to behave in relation to each other. The traditions and writings of Hinduism, Buddhism and other poly-theistic religions hold relationships of family and community much higher than (it would seem) do Christians. We seem unwilling to practice this relational love in our daily, relational lives with other Christians.

    Their better relationship to family, community and country will not cover our sinfulness or redeem our mortal flesh from hell. Their fine families and close communities will not bring even one soul to eternal life. (And you do not just die, return as a cow, bird or amoeba to work your way once more to eternal bliss of some sort.)

    Yet Christians must realize that this same love for others is the same love that Christ Jesus commanded brothers and sisters in the Lord to have for each other.

    (No rudeness.)

    God IS a God of relationship.

    IF we are truly in relationship with God; IF we truly have a relationship with Christ Jesus; THEN that relationship does NOT include a rudeness toward God the Father and that relationship does NOT include a rudeness toward the risen and eternal Christ Jesus… IF HE IS your LORD.

    Do not grieve the Holy Spirit by rejecting His counsel of love – a love for one another, which does not include rudeness.

    We have numerous scriptural instructions to “love one another.” No doubt, this love intended by Jesus does not include even a hint of rudeness.

    I could say much more just on the meaning of Christ’s love commanded to us and perhaps will return to this in another post.

    John 15:17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

    My focus, however, is a conviction against our rudeness which Christ will not condone.

    Perhaps the closest possible example of Jesus that may seem to demonstrate rudeness for another human being follows in this story.

     Matthew 15:

    21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word.

    ‘There it is,’ you say. Jesus appears rude to the woman here.

    Jesus had left Galilee with the Disciples. (You know how sometimes you just have to get away from it all. Not exactly a vacation, but time together for Jesus and His dearest friends.)

    I’m kind of busy with other things. You know, we all are. right? So Jesus had not gone to the Syrian coast to work or to preach.

    23b And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

    Wow!  Nicely said, “get lost.”

    Is it rudeness to Jesus to try to send her away? (I wonder if some of my casual requests for an answer from my brother or my sister in Christ seem intrusive?)

    ‘I left you a voice-mail (when you didn’t answer).’ I didn’t get a reply to my text… even now. (You know I was hoping for some Christian fellowship – some time together for just you and me, dear brother/sister in Christ.)

    Why are you ignoring me?

    But something happens here that shows this woman to have more than just a casual, intrusive request of Jesus.

    25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

    Again, the woman is persistent. (I know, I’m a real bother to you.) She comes humbly to Jesus, kneeling before Him, humbling herself to Him as her Master in every way.

    The woman makes her request as a lowly servant, saying, ‘Even the master who feeds his own children and family will give crumbs to the dogs.’

    Yes, beloved sister… beloved brother in the Lord… give me just a crumb. (I know you’re busy; yet I need this one thing from you.

    I need a crumb of your love, dearly beloved.)

    27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

    28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

    Jesus may have (at first) appeared rude, as our Lord was engaged in conversation and engaged in meals with His Apostles. Jesus may have seemed rude to her as He paid closest attention to those nearest to Him.

    Yet what was the lesson of Jesus and the obtrusive relationship of this woman from outside the fellowship of followers?

    Faith! For her faith Jesus showed her compassion. For her humility Jesus gave her healing for her beloved daughter.

    Suppose that your daughter was possessed by a demon? Suppose that you knew of a Man who could save her from darkness? What would you do?

     John 14:12

    “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

    Do you grieve the Holy Spirit by your rudeness to those for whom you should have compassion and show mercy?

    Jesus didn’t and neither should we.

    I ask you; dearly beloved sister, dearly beloved brother: in the Name Christ Jesus, would you please have fellowship with me?

    Please give some crumb of Christ’s love to another.

    (To do anything else, would just be rude.)

  • Personal Witness of a Personal Love

    Personal Witness of a Personal Love

    Luke 10:23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

    Isaiah 53

    Who has believed what he has heard from us?
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

    John 1:

    14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

    Who IS Jesus Christ?

    And what is the witness of His divinity?

    Note that I ask, ‘Who IS Jesus Christ,’ not, ‘who was Jesus Christ.’

    For if Jesus Christ is not divine – if Jesus Christ is not God; then Jesus was and is not; for the son of man was not and is not the Christ – God with us. If Jesus is not the Christ, then the gospel is not true witness and our faith would be in vain (as states Paul in 1 Corinthians 15).

    Yet again, as Paul did witness, as the Apostles did witness, as John the Baptist did witness, as Jesus’ mother and brothers did witness, as many were witness to the resurrection of Christ Jesus: He IS Divine – Jesus, with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit IS GOD! This is our witness of the gospel of grace for those who will believe.

    Where were you three years ago (in 2011)?

    Were you walking near to the life of a loved one? Were you involved in the daily life – the comings and goings of one so dear that you knew nearly their every action, most of what they said and understood much of what they thought? Were you – three years ago and for these past three years – that near to your beloved, a man or woman of this flesh? Were you near to their soul? Are you joined in your purpose and understanding even now to do what they would have you do?

    And where are you now (on this day in the year of our Lord, 2014)?

    Have you remained faithful in your relationship and love to your beloved? to your husband (or wife)? to your children? to your brothers and sisters in the Lord?

    I would venture to say that you have NOT been as near to any soul, to any of flesh and blood, as was the John the Disciple to Jesus. (And may we be convicted by the Spirit for our neglect of the love of those nearest to us in Christ Jesus.)

    This was the intimacy of John, Peter and the Disciples of Jesus: they lived with the Man, they ate with Him, they traveled with Him, they listened to His teachings in public, they listened to His instructions in private, they witnessed His miracles in public and they witnessed His Power in private.

    It is with this intimacy and understanding of the risen Christ and the Incarnate Son of Man that John the Apostle witnessed Jesus by his Gospel, his letters and his Revelation of Jesus Christ.

    Jesus was, IS, and is to come – GOD!

    AND God is love.

    How can we, a mortal man (or woman), a soul surrounded by flesh and bone and a mind finite in understanding, grasp the fullness of the love of Christ Jesus?

    Indeed, we cannot; but must know the Lord by humility and faith. We must believe by faith the many witnesses of God in the flesh.

    The witness of John the Apostle in his first letter [KJV]:

     That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

    2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

    3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

    NO faithful Jew speaks lightly of GOD – of ‘That which was from the beginning.’ John makes a remarkable statement about God here:

    ‘That’ which WAS FROM THE BEGINNING (Only GOD IS from the beginning), we have heard and we have seen with our eyes.

    We have touched GOD! And He has embraced us!

    How near may a man stand to God? How near dare a mortal come to the Immortal?

    John is witness that God, in the Person of Christ Jesus, came near to us – near to him. Is it any wonder that John’s witness is: God is love?

    John comforts us, “our hands have handled … the Word of life.”

    Following the resurrection, the Holy Spirit was witness to John and the disciples of the divinity and power of Jesus. Following these letters of John the risen Christ is once more witness to John on Patmos (after the other Apostles have been martyred for Christ). Yet prior to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, GOD the Father gives witness to the Son in the presence of John.

     Matthew 17

    And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light…

    5 He [Peter] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

    6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”

    We may also be familiar with the witness of God the Father at the witness of Jesus’ baptism by John. We are perhaps less familiar of the following witness of God the Father to Jesus Christ the Son, near the completion of Jesus’ three year ministry on earth.

    John 12

    Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead…

    9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead…

    12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord…

    23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…  27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.”

    Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

    29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

    30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

    John, the Beloved Disciple, is witness to the love and glory of Christ Jesus. John says of his Holy friend:

    1 John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

    John held the hand of God, in Christ Jesus. John lay upon the breast of our Lord Jesus, hearing the beating of His mortal heart. John beheld the holes of the nails of the cross in the flesh of the hands of the risen Christ Jesus. John is witness that God is love and in Him is no darkness at all.

    John 13:23 KJV Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

    John’s Gospel and witness and Revelation reveal the light and life and truth of God in Christ Jesus, that only in Him is light and life. He IS the living water. He IS the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

    Only in Him will you have eternal life. Only in Christ Jesus will you have the fellowship of love. Only if by faith you follow and witness by His love: Jesus IS Lord, will you have any life and hope and love for your soul – in this life and that which is to come, which we cannot understand, except by faith in Jesus Christ.

    May our Lord draw you into His arms of love and light and life.

    Amen.

     

     

     

     

  • A Personal God – The Holy Spirit

    A Personal God – The Holy Spirit

    Can you look in the mirror and see your soul?

    Neither can you look upon the Heavens or the earth and see the Holy Spirit.

    “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24

    Acts 1

    3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

    4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

    The Ascension
    6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

    You cannot look into the mirror and see your soul – your spirit. And generally, though not always, you cannot look upon any spirit (for all are not holy) or any angel (even a fallen angel may pose as one not fallen). Angels and spirits and souls are unlike flesh and blood.

    As an image in the mirror is not reflection of your soul, an emotion of human thought is not a separate spirit of holiness.

    The Holy Spirit is much maligned by Christians, misrepresented by false christians and dismissed by non-Christians.

    Genesis 1

    The Creation of the World
    1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

    “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

    John 1

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    The Person of Jesus Christ IS the very Word of God! He personally spoke all things – all heavens and earth, all flesh and blood, every soul and all the angels and creatures of the heavens and the earth – into existence.

    “I and the Father are one.” – John 10:30

    You cannot look in the mirror and see your soul. You can, however, look upon the Word, Christ Jesus, and see the reflection of the Holy Spirit in every way. Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, IS the perfect image of the Father. He IS the perfect image of God, the Holy Spirit.

    “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” –  John 1:49b 

    Jesus Christ suffered and died for your sins and for mine. He IS risen from the grave of hopeless and has redeemed our condemned souls from the just judgement of punishment. He has given our suffering soul and failing flesh not only the resurrection of new life, but the hand of help in the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God – the Person of the help He has promised.

     John 1: 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

    51 And he said to him [Nathanael], “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

    John 3: 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

     Acts 4:

    7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.

    31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

     Acts 8:

    14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

    Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

    31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

    John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”

    23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

    25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.

    26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

    1 Thessalonians 1

    … our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers…

    Have you received the Holy Spirit?

    Is your soul in communion and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, that ‘in Christ you became an example to all the believers?’

    Look deeply into the mirror, into the heart within the cold glass which longs for the eternal – which would embrace the very love of God in Christ Jesus and the warm life-giving guidance of the Holy Spirit.

    You must be born again.

    Romans 5

     5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

    6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

    Beloved, our God is a personal God – our Lord, Jesus Christ, a personal Savior – our Comforter, the Holy Spirit, a personal guide.

    God’s love for your soul is a personal love by an eternal God and Lord for a personal relationship, His Spirit joined to your soul for life everlasting.

    May the Lord grant you the personal love of His Holy Spirit, the personal forgiveness of your every sin through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and the eternal joy and hope of God our Father – a most personal God; beloved son, dear daughter, my brother, my sister.

    Amen.