Troubled hearts

The public ministry of Jesus was drawing to a close. His sacrificial death on the cross lay ahead.  I would suppose one of the most difficult things he would need to do would be to inform and warn his disciples on the events that would be happening soon. 

These were the men Jesus had called to follow him. Their following consisted of making drastic changes in their lives and lifestyle. Their previous jobs and families were left behind when they made the decision to follow Jesus.  Our Lord knew of the changes that had come to them. He knew how they had  trusted him and followed him, even in times when it wasn't easy. Jesus needed to use the right words spoken in the right way to assure them everything was going to be all right. 

For a moment, put yourself in their place. You give you allegiance to Jesus. You have walked away from the people and the life you previously knew so you could follow him. You grew to trust him because you had heard his teachings, witnessed his miracles, and believed his truth. 

Then Jesus called his band of believers to him and made the announcement, "I am going away and you cannot go with me."  What a letdown! The announcement he made to them caused them to question their loyalty, and wonder if they had made the right decision when they became a follower. 

John 14 records the comforting words Jesus shared with these men, and they have become words to be shared with all of us when we face disappointment, discouragement, or sorrow.  "Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. My father's house has many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place I am going."    Note three things Jesus promises in which to bring comfort the them, and to us. 

1.  I am going to prepare a place for you.  The devotion of these men to Jesus had been demonstrated in their trust of God and now Jesus encourages them to trust him, too. While their discouragement was because of their lack of understanding the approaching death of Jesus, the promise was given that their faithfulness would bring the reward of a place in the father's house.  Perhaps when we feel discouraged and let-down, we need to be reminded of that promise for us.

2.  I am going to come back.  Jesus wanted them to know his return to earth would be for the specific purpose to take them with him, where they could be together with him.  Of all the promises we have in this life, the greatest is the promise that Jesus is going to come back to take us home with him. 

3. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  This claim of Jesus provides the sustaining power his followers needed to keep on keeping on with their lives and testimony. In like manner, we find strength in making Jesus our way, truth, and life, even as we face difficulties and disappointment. Life lived on the basis of this promise of Jesus, is a life that becomes a blessing to countless others. Have a great weekend.

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Forgiving and being forgiven

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."  Matthew 18:21-22

These verses set the stage for how Jesus wants his followers to handle forgiving those who commit sins against other people.  Peter thought forgiving up to seven times seemed rather generous, but Jesus told him that wasn't enough.  Seventy times seven or seventy seven times, signifying there should be no limit to our forgiveness toward others, is the standard by which we should live. 

But Jesus continues on the subject by telling a story. It's recorded immediately following the verses printed above:   “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.  He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’  But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

I hope you take the time to read that somewhat lengthy passage. It will help you to understand three things that stand out as very important in dealing with our forgiveness toward others. 

1.  It's unlimited.   We are familiar with phrases such as, "Burn me once, your fault; burn me twice, my fault."  It has become the basis of our placing blame and extending forgiveness toward others. Jesus says we should continue to forgive an unlimited number of times. He gets that from his Father, who continues over and over forgiving us. That should establish how we should forgive. 

2. We cannot repay our debt to God.  We know the sacrifice of Jesus was made because we could not pay for our own sins. In forgiving others we need to remember that. Irreparable harm may have been done to you that can never be corrected, nonetheless, Jesus is our example in forgiving us under those same circumstances. 

3. If you possess an unforgiving spirit, you are unable to receive God's forgiveness. Read the next sentence very closely. Jesus places on us the condition of being forgiving, as a basis for being forgiven. 

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The Struggler

A man named Saul from the city of Tarsus had an extraordinary reputation for persecuting Christians and doing everything within his power to stop the spread of the early church. The very mention of his name would bring fear in the hearts of those who were followers of Jesus. In that day, if you were a believer which encountered Saul, you could count on being dragged off to prison or possibly face execution. 

Saul was traveling to Damascus with the intent of extending his work of doing away with Christians and had a very personal encounter with Jesus himself.  He was blinded and had to be helped into the city but while there was taught more about Jesus and was baptized.  From that day forward he was actively becoming a friend of Christians and preaching about Jesus. His name was now Paul, and he spent the rest of his life devoted to the Lord through missionary journeys, written instructions to churches, and even imprisonment for his faith. 

Think for a moment about Paul's conversion experience and the complete turn-around of his life. Think also about the difficulty other Christians might have had in accepting Paul into the community of the faithful. After all, these Christians had suffered at the hands of Paul, and we can understand their reluctance in accepting him. He had a reputation. He had been an enemy of the cross. He had been the author of chaos for many Christians and their families. 

Acts 9:27    But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.

Even the Jerusalem Christians were in no hurry to accept Paul. Opposition against him was so great he retreated back home to Tarsus for a time.  Then Barnabas took action again. 

Acts 11:25-26  Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,  and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
 

Paul went on to be very instrumental in the development and growth of individual Christian lives and the spread of the church.  Thanks to Barnabas, who provided the encouragement and love toward a struggling brother, Paul got the nudge he needed to keep pressing forward. 

Do you know someone today that is struggling with acceptance in the church, perhaps due to a  bad reputation or a sinful lifestyle.  Is there a ministry for us, the imperfect yet forgiven, to share the example of God's love and grace toward those who are in such a struggle? It could be the very person you encourage and help that becomes a church planter, a leader, a ministry student, or a missionary.  I think every church has some of these "strugglers" which are searching for acceptance, encouragement, and love. 

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Listen

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone, only to get the feeling they weren't really listening? Oh they might be able to repeat almost every word you said, but it was obvious they were not actually taking in the thoughts you were trying to express.   That is usually the type of person who prefers doing most of the talking and expressing his ideas and opinions at the exclusion of yours. There might be some label to put on someone like that, but usually the root of the problem is the person is too full of himself. 

I suppose it goes along with the job, but many preachers and teachers of the Word fall into that category, some to a greater degree than others. It is not surprising that there are classes taught in most seminaries on the art of listening.  While the person holding the position of doing most of the teaching to a church is energetic and enthusiastic about sharing the message, there is also a great need for the pulpit professionals to know how to listen to the people they teach. 

In conversations with our coworkers, our children, our spouse, our friends and even our neighbors, we need to cultivate the art of being a good listener.  We miss out on many close relationships that would be a benefit to the church and to us as individuals when we fail to listen. 

The Word of God, the Bible, is the primary means of God speaking to us and making his will known. The book of Hebrews opens with these words, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe."

Luke's gospel gives the story of the events on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus took Peter, James and John with him up on the mountain. While they were there, the appearance of Jesus changed, and his clothing became as bright as lightning. Also appearing with Jesus were Moses and Elijah.  Immediately Peter blurted out, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” A cloud appeared over the mountain, and then a voice from the cloud spoke, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”  When the voice had stopped, Jesus was the only one remaining there with Peter, James and John. Lots of lessons and messages can come from that event but the basic one we need to understand is that God is placing his stamp of approval on Jesus by saying, "He is the one you need to listen to!"

Earlier, we talked of the frustration of trying to talk to people who hear us, but do not listen.  Now we find the same problem can happen and result in hearing but not listening to God's word.  If you think it's frustrating to you, can you imagine how we make God feel when he is attempting share with us the words of life? 

 What is God trying to say to you right now?  Could it be a verse or a command that you have read or heard hundreds of times, but really never listened?  Staying close to the word will bring new horizons to your relationship with the Father. 

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The Bread which satisfies

John 6:31-35

³¹ Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³² Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” ³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus was teaching more and more about who he was, and giving additional instructions for those who would follow him. His teaching reached back to the ancestors of his hearers, reminding them how God had cared for them in the wilderness, as they journeyed toward the promised land. Their food, known as manna, was from God, not Moses.  Back in the Old Testament, Exodus 16 tells us during their wandering years, after the morning dew had dried, there were flakes on the ground, looking like frost. The children of Israel had trouble recognizing what it was or where it came from. They asked "What is it?" Moses told them it was bread the Lord had provided for them to eat. 

Now Jesus tells his hearers, "It is my Father who gives you the true bread of heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Needless to say, when Jesus continued and told them, "I am the bread of life," that teaching did not set well with the Jews. After all, Jesus was just Joseph's son, and they knew his mother and father, so how can he say now that he came down from heaven?  That news just did not satisfy the curiosity of the Jews. 

But get this....the manna received by the children of Israel didn't satisfy them, either. They remembered the meat and vegetables they had tasted before and the manna became boring to them. Their grumbling and complaining led them to learn a great lesson. Remember their wandering lasted some 40 years, while they were bound for the land of Canaan. Their need was for them to continue the journey and they would realize the real blessings of God's promised land.

Look at this verse from Joshua 5, "¹¹ The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. ¹² The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan."

Have you ever reached a time of boredom with Christianity, or the church? Here is the lesson of Jesus' teaching. When God delivers us from our sin, he also delivers us into real life in Christ; a life that satisfies.  Paul says in Colossians 1, "¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  We can  celebrate deliverance from the dominion of darkness, but we find Christianity that satisfies when we are brought into the kingdom of Jesus.

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