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Friday, October 29, 2010

Rest in Jesus

Over the last few decades medical researchers have been actively studying the subject of rest and sleep. The researchers are primarily trying to understand what exactly happens when our body rests and when a person sleeps.

Some of the important results of the research reveal what happens to various parts of our body during what is often referred to as ‘recovery.’ Recovery is when, during a time of inactivity, the muscles, tendons, joints and even down to the very cells the body is healed and rebuilt.

Some of the important results of the research reveal what happens to the brain when a person is sleeping. What occurs at a tissue level when someone is sleeping? What stage of the sleep cycle is most important for tissue to be rebuilt, etc.? What happens to the actual memories, emotions and thought processes as a person sleeps? What happens during the various stages of sleep? Which stage of sleep is needed most for optimal brain function?

One of the theories is that during certain sleep stages the brain organizes and rearranges bits of information and memories into reusable patterns. One thing that is becoming very clear is that without adequate sleep neither the body nor the brain functions correctly or even close to correctly. It is well known that without sleep people will go ‘crazy’ and ultimately dies from lack of sleep.

Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NIV) The writer of the book of Hebrews writes about “the promise of entering his rest.”(Hebrews 4:1 NIV) The writer also declares: “Now we who have believed enter that rest, ….” (Hebrews 4:3 NIV)

Is it possible that when believers REST in Jesus’ love, acceptance, forgiveness and purposes instead of continually trying to gain his love, acceptance, forgiveness and purposes, that spiritual bodies were healed and rebuilt and in a time of rest or an attitude of rest their spiritual ‘brains, memories and emotions’ were rearranged and cataloged? What if continual striving, working and labor is a cause of people’s spiritual lives that go ‘crazy’ and ultimately ‘die?’

What is the application? Rest in Jesus’ love – He loves you. Rest in Jesus’ acceptance – He accepts you. Rest in Jesus’ forgiveness – He forgives you. Rest in Jesus’ purposes – He will work out His purposes in your life.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Relationship Quagmire

Don’t those words describe the reality of life? Relationship Quagmire!

No matter how short or long someone has lived they have experienced the blessings of relationships working well and the curses of relationships going sideways! It starts young: “She won’t play with me!” “He’s not playing fair!” It seems to continue into later years: “She won’t play with me!” “He’s not playing fair!” You and I have heard it from children and we’ve heard it from people way further along in life.

When does a person experience the greatest amount of growth in life? When life is perfect or when life pushes imperfection straight into our path? When the road is smooth and easy or when the road is rough and hard?

I’ve come to believe that God often uses people and relationship ‘processes and events’ to confront areas in my life where I need to find freedom in and experience growth.

Let me illustrate: If ‘fear of rejection’ or ‘fear of betrayal’ are underlying issues in a person’s life, does the most growth come from always experiencing acceptance and loyalty or does the most growth come from experiencing the very thing that is feared – rejection and betrayal? I believe that the answer is not one or the other but – the answer is both.

Experience and what is written in God’s Word teach me that growth happens when I experience acceptance and loyalty from others – but even greater growth happens when I have to wrestle through rejection and betrayal and come face to face with my fears.

How do I come face to face with the fear of rejection and betrayal? By being rejected and betrayed! Then I can either become bitter – letting rejection and betrayal have full destructive license with my heart and life, or I process the rejection and betrayal and let the Holy Spirit and God’s Word bring freedom and growth in the very area of weakness and fear. That happens in ‘Relationship Quagmires!’

Choose to let the Holy Spirit and God’s Word bring freedom and growth in your life!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Have life and have it abundantly

One of the most often quoted statements of Jesus is: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 ESV) Have life abundantly!

What does having life abundantly mean? What is the first thing that you think of? Is one of the things that you think of an “All You Can Eat” buffet? Does it mean – any car I want to drive? Does it mean a plethora of shoes in the closet? Does it mean a different outfit for everyday? Does it mean one of each type of hobby tool? Does it mean the latest, greatest, fastest and coolest technology? Does it mean traveling anywhere? Does it mean having enough money in your pocket to do anything you want anytime you want?

What did having life abundantly mean to the Disciples that first heard these words? What has having life abundantly meant to generations of believers across the cultures of the world down through the centuries?

Have life abundantly does have a ‘material’ aspect to it but it is so much more! There are plenty of people that are followers of Jesus, who have full pantries that have no abundance in their life. There are plenty of followers of Jesus that have ‘everything’ but would not describe their lives as abundant.

The context of Jesus’ statement about abundant life is relationship. It is about the relationship of the shepherd to the sheep. The context is the relationship of Jesus to the Father and the Father to Jesus and those following Jesus.

Abundant life is not even about having more relationships. In our ‘Facebook’ world it has become normal for people to have dozens or hundreds of ‘friends’ but no friend. Abundant life is describing relationship with Jesus, with the Father and then ‘rich’ relationships with others.

No one worries about ‘stuff’ at the end of their life – they worry about relationships. At the end of life people don’t regret ‘not enough stuff’ but they do regret shallow and empty relationships.

When does ‘abundance’ become ‘indulgence?’ I’m not sure that there is a clearly defined line but when abundance becomes indulgence – no one wins and there is no ‘abundant life.’

Jesus, Teach us what you meant: to ‘have life and have it abundantly.’ Amen

I am the Gate

“I am the Gate,” is one of the statements that Jesus made about himself that we are going to look at in this Portraits of Jesus series. When Jesus referred to himself as the gate the real picture is much different than the one that people would often think of. When people hear the word ‘gate’ they often have a very specific picture in mind. Maybe it is a gate from their childhood. Maybe it is a gate at their present residence. Whatever ‘gate’ it is – it is probably a very specific picture.
Another statement that Jesus made about gates is found in Matthew 7. Jesus said: You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT)
People gain entrance into God’s Kingdom through the narrow gate. The gateway to life is ‘very narrow.’ What restrictive statements. How exclusive. How ungracious and harsh. How NARROW!
There are many people in this culture who see Christianity and the church as just that – NARROW, exclusive, restrictive, ungracious and harsh.
I’m reminded of a story I heard recently about a Bible teacher who was playing golf with a fairly famous professional golfer. As they started their day together the golfer asked the Bible teacher what he did for a living. When the Bible teacher told the golf pro what he did – the golf pro’s response was something like: That’s too bad. Bible people and church people have to live such restricted and narrow lives.
The Bible teacher, ingeniously, responded something along the lines of: I live a restricted life? What about you? You restrict your life to these little fairways with very strict rules. I have seen areas of this golf course that you have never seen and experienced parts of the game of golf that you’ve never been a part of – yet you would see me as the poorer of the two of us because of that.
When the Bible teacher said these words it was like a light bulb lit up in the pro’s mind. He saw a truth about life that he’d never seen before.
Life lived without an element of ‘narrowness’ is a dangerous life. This is true financially, relationally, sexually, verbally and in almost every way. People who go ‘four wheel’ with their finances are quickly stuck in the mud. People who go ‘four wheel’ in their relationships, with their sexual life, with their mouth, etc. etc. are quickly stuck in the mud and are often looking for someone to pull them out of the mud.
Yes there is a ‘narrowness’ in following Jesus but the ‘narrowness’ is the way of freedom and not the way into the mud hole!
Go through the narrow – the very narrow – gate. It may be restrictive but it is the way to great freedom!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Who really was Jesus?

Who really was Jesus? What did He say about Himself? Is what we believe what He intended that we would believe?

There are many varying views of who Jesus was, what He was like and what He did. Many of these views are built on the preconceived wishes of those who teach them, rather then on truth.

For instance, for years there have been those that teach that, at the Wedding in Cana, Jesus didn’t really turn water into wine but into grape juice. This is taught based not in fact but in a belief that Jesus could never and would never create something that had the power to harm people?

There are those who teach that Jesus didn’t have brothers and sisters and that ‘His family’ that is referred to in the Bible were actually just cousins. This is taught based not in reality but on the view that there is no way that Mary, Jesus’ mother, could have ever had had sexual relations with a man.

There are those who teach that Jesus was married and had children. This is taught by those who cannot understand a man having such a close relationship with a woman and it be a pure platonic relationship. Each of these teachings is founded in one or more preconceived idea or wish.

During our teaching series, The Portraits of Jesus, I hope that you and I will gain a fresh look at Jesus, who He is, what He does and how our lives find their meaning and strength in Him.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the Gate. He is the Way. He is the Truth. He is the Light of the World. He is the Bread of Life. He is the Vine. He is the Resurrection and the Life.

He is so much more! To say that He is so much more seems so inadequate. But that is what He is SO MUCH MORE!

Jesus, help us see you more clearly! Amen.