Wrong Way Around

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.
Isaiah 64:6 NIV

When the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, we realize that we are fundamentally sinful or unclean.  While we used to believe that we were basically good people who sometimes did wrong things, the Holy Spirit shows us the opposite is true.  Our default is to be sinful and to do hurtful and destructive actions to ourselves and others.  This is a shocking revelation but unless we face it, we will never see the need for a saviour.  Isaiah calls our righteous acts "filthy rags". A rag is often used to clean something but a filthy rag is useless to clean anything or to accomplish any good. Even what we think of as good deeds are tainted by our innate sinfulness unless we are made clean by God.

It can be frustrating when our friends and family brush off any talk of a saviour. Don't they want their sins forgiven?  Don't they want to get rid of sin in their lives?  Don't they want to go to heaven to be with God?  Many of them believe they are basically good and don't need forgiveness. And, sadly, they don't want to be with a holy God.  I can pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them because without conviction of sin, they will not turn to Christ.

The Truth Test

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
1 John 4:2-3 NIV

So many ideas about religion and spirituality come our way every day.  John gives us a very clear and simple way to recognize the Truth.  At the center of his test is the deity and manhood of Christ. Philosophies may encourage us to be kind; religions may stress control over our bodies; some, under the banner of Christianity, may say that Jesus was a great teacher, a good man.  However, none of these ideologies are true if they do not acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Saviour, and that He came to us as a man.  If they do not teach that Jesus is the only way to God and that He is our salvation, then their teachings are not from God and are not true.

I thank God that He has given us such a simple way to know what is true and what is false. Just as a litmus test indicates that something is an acid or a base so the response to the question as to who Jesus is lets us know if a teaching is from God.  Thank you, Lord, for your simple guidance.

Go Away!

"They saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid."  Mark 5:15 NIV

Jesus had just cast a legion of demons out of a man who had clearly been suffering :"Night and day...he would cry out and cut himself with stones." (Mark 5:5). But instead of rejoicing at the transformation of the suffering man, the people were afraid and begged Jesus to leave them. They were happy when Jesus gave physical healing but a spiritual miracle was something else.  What were they afraid of? Did they recognize his holiness and their own sinfulness? The demon-possessed man had approached Jesus and received healing.  The villagers sent Jesus away and were left in their spiritual distress.

Do I sometimes ask Jesus to leave me alone with my sinfulness?  Do I prefer to wallow in selfishness and a critical spirit rather than ask Jesus to drive evil out of me? Do I find it unsettling when someone else is delivered spiritually?  I pray I will be like the demoniac and go to Jesus for healing.

Crowded Out

“So many gathered that there was no room left…they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. Jesus …said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”” Mark 2: 2,4,5  NIV

Jesus had returned to Capernaum and lots of people were anxious to catch a glimpse of him and hear him speak. The house was so crowded that the four friends of a paralyzed man were not able to bring him in through the door. Full of determination, they made an opening through the roof and lowered him down. Why go to so much effort? Perhaps the paralytic man pressed them to make every effort to bring him to Jesus. Perhaps he even said it was a matter of life or death. Imagine the friends hauling their friend up to the rooftop, and then lowering him on his swaying bed. Some deep desire to meet Jesus lay behind this endeavour, and the friends must also have believed that Jesus could provide some relief for the man.

Out of all the people in the house that day, Jesus only said “your sins are forgiven” to the paralytic man. Was he the only person who was coming to Jesus with repentance and faith? But the crowd of people were impeding this man’s approach to Jesus. How often today, do spiritual dabblers hinder the conversion of true seekers? How many of the popular ideas of the day that masquerade as a search for God block messages of truth that could lead people to a true relationship with God? I pray that I will not be part of a crowd that chokes the path to the living God.

Going Home

Going Home

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.“ Luke 15:20 NIV

What a beautiful picture of steadfast love! All the while that his son was off squandering his inheritance, the father is checking to see if his son is returning home. The father never stops longing for his son, never ceases to want a healing of their relationship. When the son finally does appear, the father holds no condemnation towards him.  His heart is simply full of love and forgiveness and he can’t wait to embrace his errant son, rushing to him, and hugging and kissing him in the joy of reunion.

Jesus tells the Parable of the Prodigal Son so that we can know that our heavenly Father is always ready to forgive us when we return to him. It is not a begrudging acceptance but one filled to the brim with celebration and love. He is not looking back to our past sins or demanding restitution from us, but rather He is enfolding us into his everlasting arms with warm smiles and whispers of comfort and reassurance. I am so blessed to know the magnitude of God’s love for me.

Surprise Release

Peter followed [the angel] out of prison. Acts 12:9 NIV

Peter had been thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus. He was securely guarded and no doubt expected to be there until he was released or died.  Suddenly, miraculously, an angel appeared and lead him past the guards to freedom. Peter thought he was probably dreaming or hallucinating – lack of food and water could make that happen. But it was really happening and soon he was knocking at the door of the house where the other disciples were praying for him. They too were incredulous and didn’t initially believe that his escape was possible. Peter, who had denied Jesus before the crucifixion, was given a special miracle to attest to God’s care for him.

I have also seen circumstances align in unimaginable ways to meet some special need of mine. Those times remind me that God knows me intimately and gives me blessings that reflect his deep understanding of me. It can be difficult to feel trapped but what a wonderful experience when God opens the door and leads us past our obstacles.

Clarity

Jesus replied,” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’…” Matthew 22:37 NIV

Just before this passage, the Sadducees had been trying to trip Jesus up with a hypothetical question about marriage. They took the example of a woman who was widowed several times and asked who would be her husband in heaven. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and so were trying to show that it would be impossible to work out the logistics of people’s relationships after death. Jesus explains to them that our heavenly bodies are not like our earthly ones, and that people do not marry in heaven. Then the Pharisees ask their trick question: Which is the greatest commandment? Jesus brings  them all back to the basics: Love God, Love your neighbor.  God’s word is simple.

I pray that God will keep reminding me of the simplicity of the Gospels. I hope that I don’t lose sight of the centrality of love. It’s easy to get caught up in theological debates but they often just lead to irritation, pride and division. I need to focus on God’s love for me so that I can love Him; I need to remember how He forgave me so that I can forgive others and learn to love them. Love, love, love.