Jesus: The Great Mastermind - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 4:1-3,

"Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee."

I am somewhat fascinated to read of the strategy Jesus employed during his public ministry the last three years of his life.

When Jesus found out the Pharisees had learned he was gaining in influence and was developing a greater following than John the Baptist, he left Judah and went back up to Galilee. It is clear Jesus was not afraid of the Pharisees, as he boldly confronted them in fascinating ways on a number of occasions. Rather, his move to Galilee had a tactical purpose.

Jesus employed strategies culminating in a multifaceted outcome that would serve his purpose. We read his primary purpose was to effect a substitutionary atonement for the sins of all mankind,  "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10. Additionally, he employed fulfilled prophecy and utilized miracles to establish his bona fides - demonstrating the veracity of his teachings and establishing who he was.

He was not here simply to gain a big following or to be mistaken as some kind of military leader (as the judges were in Gideon's day.) John made the following observation, "After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, 'Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.' Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself." John 6:14-15. Jesus came to die on a cross, not to assume the throne in Jerusalem (not at this time... he will assume it yet in the future.)

Jesus' comings and goings were dictated by his design to manipulate outcomes and the achievement of all he set himself to do while here. Notice this fascinating account by John, "After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, 'Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.'" John 7:1-4.

Jesus determined his sacrificial death be by his design, not the design of the Jewish leaders. So, he moved in a way to accommodate that. Although his half-brothers were merely taunting Jesus, they pointed out that if Jesus wanted to make a name for himself, he needed to show up at various events for the exposure. His response to his brothers was, "You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come." John 7:8.

Strategy, manipulation, bringing about his desired outcomes, were all employed by the greatest mastermind the world has known.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God's Love, Our Faith - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 3:16-18,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

These are the oft quoted words of Jesus to Nicodemus. In these several verses we learn of an incomprehensible love God has for lost and sinful mankind. I say incomprehensible because of the disposition of man's heart toward his Creator. Man rebelled against God, turned from God to go his own way. This resulted in an estrangement between the two, yet God so loved mankind that he sent his Son to make a way for mankind to be reconciled to himself and given a place at his table for an eternity.

Quite apart from any inclination from God that man deserves anything, God has expressed his grace and mercy by sending the Son of his love to die a miserable death on that cross to make eternity possible for all who will embrace him in faith.

In addition to the love of God that provided a way for man, we learn that path is only found and only traveled by faith. None of us can ever be good enough to pay for our sins. The only payment we can make is the eternal death we all deserve. However, God sent his Son as the Way. That Way is achieved or attained only by an exercise of our wills, to embrace Jesus Christ in faith. We are all born into this world as lost and fallen people destined for God's condemnation on judgment day. However, God himself makes it possible for us to be reconciled to him, no longer "condemned".

Here is how John the Baptist put it at the end of the chapter, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." John 3:36. Clear, succinct, concise and truthful: the trademark of John the Baptist's communication.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Our Messiah of Miracles! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 2:11,

"What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him."

The first sign Jesus used to reveal who he was, "his glory", was to turn water to wine. A wedding took place at Cana. Jesus, his mother, and his disciples all attended. When the wine ran out, Jesus turned water into wine at his mother's request.

I note this wine was very good. The "master of the banquet" could not understand why this wine, the wine Jesus had made, was not served before the other wine (he didn't know the origin of it). Can you imagine drinking wine hand-made by the Son of God?! It had to have been the best ever had by anyone!

Many struggle with the notion that Jesus Christ performed his many miracles. Some have even sought to gain an understanding of who Jesus "really" was by stripping the miraculous from the gospels. These unbelievers will never gain an understanding as they attempt to filter the full account left us about Jesus Christ in the Scriptures.

Earlier in John's gospel, we read that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the creative agent within the godhead, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." Further we read, in verse 14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

It was the Son of God himself that created all we see and know of in the cosmos. Not only did he create things, he also established the laws of physics we have come to learn of that his creation is governed by. Gravity, the laws of thermodynamics, etc.

It is not given to man to abrogate the laws of physics. We are constrained by them. However, the author of these laws is not. He created it all and determined how all will work together. As such he is entirely free as the Creator to do whatever he desires, even negate his own designs and the physical laws that govern them. This is what was active when Jesus turned the water to wine.

Any one of Jesus' miracles demonstrated his deity. Whether he turned water to wine, stilled a storm, walked on water, healed the blind and lame, any one of these authenticates he was who he said he was. He clearly established his credentials as God and certified he was the One we need to turn to for the forgiveness of our sins (another thing we cannot do, but he can).

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Whose Sins Have Been Paid For? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 1:29,

"The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"

John the Baptist knew exactly who Jesus Christ was. As Jesus approached him one day, John declared that it was Jesus Christ who would "take away the sin of the world." He would take that sin away by taking the punishment for that sin upon himself in the court of God's justice. And, he did it for the whole world.

Some have arrived at the conclusion that when Jesus Christ died on that miserable cross, he only paid the penalty for the sins of those who would ultimately find their way into the kingdom of God. Conversely, all who find themselves condemned in the judgment of God at the end of the age never had their sins paid for by Jesus' atoning death. The theological concept is called "Limited Atonement". It is a conclusion that is drawn from a theological deduction. The thinking goes that the precious blood of Jesus Christ could not possibly be expended upon anything that did not achieve God's purpose. Since those who reject Jesus Christ do not represent the achievement of God's purpose for mankind, then Jesus' blood could not have been expended upon them. Those who reject Jesus Christ never had their sins paid for on that cross. I'm certain someone else could articulate the position more clearly than me. Hopefully you get the point.

Here is yet another point where the theological deductions of limited mankind fail to find the truth. (I'm a prime example of someone who falls into this number!)  There is a reason God has revealed himself to us in the Scriptures: we need them. We can't arrive at those truths on our own that require God's help in us apprehending them.

When John pointed out that Jesus would take away the sin of the world, the straightforward understanding is that anyone who exists or has existed in the world has had their sins taken away, or removed, as an obstacle to achieve eternal life. And, this is exactly what he meant. In Paul's letter to Timothy, we find that it is God's will that all come to know him, "God our Savior... wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4. In order for "all people to be saved" all people need to have their sins paid for. Peter makes the same observation, "he [the Lord] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9. Since God does not want anyone to perish, their sins need to be paid for.

While the above is likewise a deduction, the following is not: "He [Jesus Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2. Here, John clearly points out that all the sins of all mankind for all time were paid for by Jesus Christ when he died on that cross. Everybody's sins.

If the Lord suffered such a miserable death for you and for me, how could we turn our back on such an astonishing act of love on our behalf? If each and every person's sins were paid for by Jesus Christ, if he suffered for each and every human being, how could I possibly not reflect that value of each and every person as Jesus did when he expressed his incomprehensible love for us all on that cross?

It is important to note that although God wants each and every person to enter his family, to inherit eternal life, he also has determined that only those who embrace him in faith will do so. "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" John 1:12. We find the fate of all who fail to do so in Revelation 21:8. What we learn from the Scriptures is that Jesus Christ made a way for all to inherit eternal life by paying the penalty for their sins on the cross. However, that payment for sins only gets credited to our account in God's court if we embrace Jesus Christ in faith.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Where (How) to Find Jesus - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 24:5-6,

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here..."

This is what the two angels told the women who went to tend to Jesus' body after it had been placed in a tomb on the previous Friday following his crucifixion. In John 20:1 we read that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early that Sunday morning, while it was still dark, saw the stone was moved from the entrance, that Jesus' body was missing and ran back to report it to Peter and John. Jesus was not there, his body was missing.

As the account continues in John, we read that Jesus then appeared to Mary after she had returned to the tomb. Not dead, but now in his resurrected body, he spoke to her of his returning to the Father, "I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." John 20:17. Later we read of the ascension of Jesus into heaven, "He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" Acts 1:9-11. He was no longer to be seen but had been taken into heaven.

I wonder if the two angels that appeared to the disciples and said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky" were the same as the two that told the women, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here…" On both occasions folks were looking for Jesus where he wasn't going to be found. Given the circumstances of each occasion, none could be faulted for doing so.

However, there are many today who will be faulted for looking in all the wrong places to find Jesus Christ or to find God the Father. The list of religions that seek to find God is endless. The theologies and religious practices that have been developed to find the Lord seem limitless. As Jesus taught, "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it." Matthew 24:26. Looking in all the wrong places won't be helpful to find the Lord. While many may claim to have found him, there is only one way. "'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'" Romans 8:8-11.

Jesus is found only through faith and Paul tells us that faith comes through hearing the gospel message, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17. That faith will never be arrived at by intellectual superiority or special spiritual insight designed only for the "gifted ones" that are revered as such by the world. Jesus taught us, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:17.

Jesus is not missing. He is at the right hand of our Father in heaven. He can be found, not by looking in the wrong places but by listening to him as he tells us how to find him: through the faith generated when his gospel is preached. All who embrace Jesus Christ in faith have found him and found a place at his table!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Jesus Christ - a Subversive? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 23:1-2a,

"Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, 'We have found this man subverting our nation.'"

We are told in the previous chapter that the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, Luke 22:2. Having come up with a way by paying Judas for his act of betrayal, and arresting Jesus, this was their official complaint. Jesus was "subverting" the nation. While the arrest and trial of Jesus was a mockery of justice and a false pretense, there is something of truth to their complaint against Jesus. He was "subverting our nation." Not  only had Jesus invaded Israel and invited the people to a new kingdom, the "kingdom of God", his intent was to take this subversive message to the entire world through Israel.

The world has its own structure, its own hierarchies, its own way of doing things, all in opposition to its Creator since the garden of Eden. The world, in its sinful rebellion and animosity toward God shuns the things of God. I am reminded of how the world is characterized in Psalm 2:1-3, "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters.'"

In this sense Jesus came as a subversive. He was subversive toward the world of sinful mankind, a world living in opposition to the things of God. The religious leaders saw their lofty positions in society endangered, the teachers of the law saw their "wisdom" tied in knots when they attempted to challenge Jesus. The rulers and authorities found themselves threatened as the Lord captured the hopes, the hearts and the minds of many people.

Truly, this world of lost and sinful man was subverted by the Son of God who came as a penetrating light into its darkness, breaking its hold on people and freeing them to embrace a new nation, a new kingdom that he offers to all who will embrace him in faith!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Getting Rid of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 22:1-2,

"Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people."

In his introduction to the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, Luke provides some background detail. The religious leaders of the day sought "to get rid of Jesus", but were afraid of the people. They needed a way but would have to do it in a manner that would not arouse the possible opposition of the people.

The opportunity came their way through the agency of Satan. We are told that "Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve." Verse 3. This prompted Judas to approach the chief priests and officers of the temple and work out a plan with them. Money would be given Judas and so he watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd would be present.

What captures my attention is that these religious leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus. Why? Jesus taught the people about God from the Scriptures, he performed wonderful miracles that freed people from demon possession, illness, infirmity, even death. He fed people and manifested a deep compassion for them. Why would these religious leaders want to get rid of Jesus?

They did not know God. These religious leaders held enviable positions in society, commanding respect and a living. But, they did not know God. It was not that they were ignorant of the Scriptures, it was they never embraced God who inspired the Scriptures. For this, Jesus called them out, threatening their status as the religious leaders of the day. Jesus called them hypocrites, blind guides, snakes and a brood of vipers! See Matthew, chapter 23. They were threatened by Jesus and so they sought to get rid of him.

This is true for all who fail to embrace God. Any mention of God brings the cold reminder that all are condemned to spend an eternity in a fiery lake of burning sulfur for their sins in this life. Since all sin, all are condemned. Any thought, any mention of God often brings opposition and anger. We see it in the tireless campaign to remove any vestige of Christmas in the public square during that season. We see it in the willful exclusion of the major influence of the Judeo-Christian heritage that resulted in western civilization in curriculum taught in schools. We see it in the many and various crusades of political correctness in political and public discourse. Indeed, in many quarters, any discussion of God is simply not considered polite conversation. God has become a taboo subject in the rising tide of a desperate effort to get rid of God.

The truth is that those who embrace Jesus Christ escape God's condemnation and enter into his family. The efforts to get rid of God is a complete misdirection. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24.

God exists, as well as his judgment, and the objective reality of this is not contingent upon our acknowledgment or consent of it. Try as we might to get rid of God, he isn't going anywhere. Just as futile the efforts of the chief priests and teachers of the law to get rid of Jesus, so is the futile effort of those today who attempt to get rid of God. As I say, he isn't going anywhere.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

Being Used by God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 21:12,

"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you."

This is a part of the answer Jesus gave his followers when they asked him about the destruction of Jerusalem and what signs to look for just prior to his second coming back to Earth. One of the signs is a persecution of Jesus' followers. Why would God allow this? Doesn't he love his people? Since they have embraced God in trust, why would they be given over to those who would harm them?

Jesus answers this as he continues, "This will result in your being witnesses to them.", verse 13. God has a purpose for bringing difficulties into our lives and will do so. Contrary to much of what is being taught today in our churches, God's people will endure difficulties and hardships. Often it is heard that if we but place our faith in Jesus, our families, our marriages, our health our finances will all be blessed by troubles being taken away because God loves his own. While it is true that God loves his own, it is not his intention to remove us from difficulties in life. As Jesus tells us here, God will bring difficulties into our lives for his own purposes, his own agenda, the things he wants to accomplish.

All we need do is ask Job about it. He endured horrific difficulties as God used him to make a point with Satan. Paul learned of this when he said, "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:2. Here God took Paul and his companions through hardships to teach them to rely on him. God brought difficulty into Paul's life to bring about his own purposes for Paul.

In another place Paul speaks about the difficulties God brings into our lives to mold and shape us into the image of his Son, that is, to bring spiritual maturity to our lives. In Romans 5:3-4, "we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Also, Romans 8:35-36, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'" Why is it we will face death all day long for Christ's sake? Paul tells us, "Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Romans 8:29. God uses difficulties in our lives to shape us, to mold us into the image of beauty he has for us.

God has grander plans for us than to simply provide us a bed of ease. He purposefully brings difficulties into our lives to grow us and to use us as he sees fit. While I can say that a bed of ease looks awfully attractive, I have to admit that becoming a part of God's agenda, being used by him for his purposes sounds much more fulfilling, much more exciting!

How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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On Being a Child of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 20:35-36,

"Those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection."

Not all are considered to be one of "God's children" in this passage. In one sense, because all mankind has his origin in God as his Creator, all are thought to be "all God's children". But here, in Jesus' comment, there are a select few who are considered to be God's children in a specific sense. These are ones who are set apart, who are considered "worthy of taking part" in the resurrection of life.

How does one become "worthy" of such an honor as becoming a child of God? We read in John 1:12, "… to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God". Belief, faith, trust. All who will embrace Jesus Christ in faith gain the right to become God's children. Anyone can put their faith in him and our worthiness is not established by living a morally superior life. The worthiness to become a child of God is what Scripture calls "righteousness" and it is the very righteousness of Jesus Christ that becomes ours, what we share in when we embrace Jesus Christ in faith.

It is interesting to speculate as to what life will be like for God's children when they pass through death's doorway into eternity. We are told that in that life we will not be married, we will be like the angels and we will not die again. We read in Revelation 21:4 that, "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Becoming a child of God means we will share in the inheritance of God's Son, Jesus Christ. "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…" Romans 8:16-17. For me, this provides much to consider and muse upon… exciting stuff!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Eternity in an Instant! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 19:9,

"Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham."

As Zacchaeus expressed his faith by manifesting it in his decision to give his wealth to the poor and recompense all those he had wronged, Jesus acknowledged the salvation that had come to him. In another place, Jesus told Nicodemus that no one could see the kingdom of God unless he is born again, John 3:3. This account of Zaccaeus is of one who experienced this second birth, a spiritual birth.

I note that Jesus said "Today" as the time frame of Zacchaeus' salvation. While this may seem a fairly unimportant detail, it catches my attention this morning. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ and are born into his kingdom, it takes place at a certain point in time. It was on this very day Luke tells us of, that Zacchaeus was saved. Not the day before and not the following day. This was Zacchaeus' day.

I am reminded that it may be we consider the claims of the gospel over a period of time and it may be that several different people have shared the things of the Lord with us over an extended period of time, but when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, it happens at a point in time. It is a transaction that takes place instantly. Not that we are spiritually mature in an instant - just as we are not born physically mature - but we do become spiritually alive at a point in time, just as we become physically alive at a point in time. Just as we are conceived in our mother's wombs at a certain specific point in time, so when we are born again, it is at a certain specific point in time.

This life we experience is all about the two births. God is building his kingdom and to do so, we are brought into this world physically and then all heaven awaits to see if we will experience the second, spiritual birth. It is obvious that the first birth is required for us to experience this life, and the second birth is required for us to experience eternal life in the next. At times I think of this life as the "birthing room of God." This life is temporary. Its ultimate purpose is to provide a winnowing process where God builds his family from all mankind. Those who embrace him in faith enter into his family, all others will be cast into a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 20:15-20.

What is fascinating to consider is that the next life will be unending. It will be the life God intends for us, life where true happiness, purposefulness, fulfillment and enjoyment is experienced in a context of complete love and where fairness and rightfulness reigns supreme in God's very presence. This life is only about building God's family. The next will be about living in God's family. This life is temporary. The things of our lives here pass when we do. There is only one event, one possession that we can possibly take into the next life, our family membership that assures us our place in God's kingdom for an eternity.

What happens in an instant will bring what happens eternally.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

Justice, God's Style - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 18:7-8,

"Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

In this summation of the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus told of the justice of God. Luke provides the purpose of the parable in verse 1, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

When folks ask for justice, they are requesting what is coming as a certainty. However, God's people need to be tenacious in their request to God for justice. God exercises "kindness, justice and righteousness on earth", Jeremiah 9:24, and so that justice will be coming. God will be responding to the request of his "chosen ones" for justice. Their persistence in prayer for justice will aid them in leaving retribution in the hands of God. It will aid them in issues of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness as they experience the intolerance and the harsh treatment the world provides.

Jesus' closing remark at the end of the parable is a sobering one. "Will he find faith on the earth?" That is the issue when considering the justice of God. The "chosen ones" Jesus refers to are those who are people of faith, those who have placed their trust in him. When the Lord comes to bring justice to the earth, those who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith will escape God's judgment and instead, find their grievances addressed by God against those who have opposed them, those who are not of faith.

There is no surprise that true believers find opposition from unbelievers. John speaks to this as a natural outcome of the spiritual forces at work in the world, "For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:11-13. This animosity expresses itself in the maltreatment of believers by others and when it happens we are to be in prayer about it.

As I read of the horrific nature of God's justice, I can't help but feel a real concern for those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ. The judgment scene depicted in Revelation 20:11-15 is a frightful one!

"When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God draws us through suffering.- Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 17:13,

"Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

This is the cry of the ten men who had leprosy. In their distress they called out to Jesus to be delivered from their pain and misery.

The gospels are filled with accounts of people in pain, misery, illness, bereavement and infirmity of one kind or another. In chapter 4 we read of Peter's mother-in-law suffering from a high fever. Later in that chapter we read of many who were brought to him who had "various kinds of sickness" and demons. In chapter 5 we read of another man with leprosy and a paralytic. A centurion had a sick servant about to die in chapter 7. In chapter 8 we read of Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue who had a twelve year old daughter dying. In that same chapter we read of a woman who had been "subject to bleeding for twelve years". In chapter 9 the account of a man who had a son with an "evil spirit". This is just a small sampling of the many accounts we read of.

What we find of these accounts is that life then is much like it is today. People suffer. They suffer in a myriad of ways. Why is it there is so much suffering that causes people to cry out for relief and deliverance? If Jesus loves us so, if God loves us so, why not just heal everyone of all their pain, misery, infirmities, sickness and suffering? While Jesus demonstrated his empathy, kindness and love for us by providing relief in these accounts, there must have been multitudes the world over that continued in their suffering.

I am certain part of the answer to that is revealed in all the accounts I cited above. In every case these folks sought out the Lord for deliverance from their misery and suffering. It is precisely that suffering that drove them to seek him. While possibly not everyone may need that urgency to seek the Lord apart from a felt need for deliverance, many, many do. I suspect if I never felt the need for help myself, the Lord might be far from mind.

Paul makes an interesting comment in Romans 8:20-21, "The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." In God's great love for us, he has allowed things into our lives that drive us to him. His purpose is that we seek him, reach out for him and embrace him in faith. The felt need for deliverance of any kind often drives us right into his arms.

While so many measure the love of God by their many blessings in this life (and rightly so), it is not our happiness in a fulfilling life, absent challenges and hardships, and full of the pleasures and comfort we might seek for ourselves here that is God's agenda for us in this life. This life has one chief primary purpose - to populate God's kingdom. We might view this life as a "birthing room" where folks come into life and then are born again into God's kingdom. We are here to enter into his family and facilitate as many others as possible through the propagation of the gospel.

I do not believe life is all about a college education, a home in the suburbs filled with techie toys, happy children who all do well and a successful marriage. It is not about a prosperous career with advancement and a comfortable retirement. While there is nothing wrong with any of these, I believe these kinds of things are subordinated to an agenda of God that has a much higher - and loftier priority. It is pursuing that higher priority that God has allowed suffering in our lost and fallen world to continue.

While mankind carries on in his sin and rebellion, estranged from God and facing a certain judgment of eternity in hell, one of the ways God draws us to him is by allowing suffering, illness and infirmity to get us off our duffs to seek deliverance from him.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.  

The rich man and Lazarus: what we have and what awaits - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 16:19-21,

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores."

Here is an account of the earthly conditions of two men, one, a rich man, and the other, a poor beggar named "Lazarus". The rich man had all the best life had to offer. He wore the best in clothing and "lived in luxury every day." Lazarus, on the other hand, was a poor beggar, sickly with sores and starving. He longed "to eat what fell from the rich man's table."

What may come as a surprise is that the man with all the "blessings" life had to offer - good health, financial stability, living in luxury - was hell-bound. The poor beggarly Lazarus in his miserable condition of hunger and poor health was heaven-bound. Since Lazarus was heaven-bound, why did he have such a miserable existence in this life? Didn't God love Lazarus, since he was heaven-bound? Wasn't his destination following his departure from this life an indication that he had a favorable position with God? Why didn't God "bless" him with better health? Why didn't God heal him from his infirmities? Why was it that the rich man was so "blessed"? Why did God allow him to enjoy life here so much since he was apparently not in good standing with God, given his destination following life here?

The story of the rich man and Lazarus is an actual account of two men provided us by Jesus. Given the particulars provided and the conversation as quoted, Jesus clearly wanted us to understand this, not as a fable, but as an account of real events concerning real people.

What Jesus teaches us in this account is that in spite of what our quality of life may be here, no matter what we have been blessed with or what has been withheld from us in this life, life after death awaits us all and what we experience here is no indication of what awaits us beyond the grave. What awaits us has everything to do with the point at the end of the story. In considering those who are hell-bound, "they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Verse 31. Not being convinced is not having faith. Faith determines what awaits us following the grave.

Many, including those who use the Scriptures to further their own "personal empires" and build massive ministries and buildings, mislead so many with the false promise that they hold the key to God's blessings of health and wealth in this life. They teach that when God loves us and is happy with us he will heal us. When God loves us and is happy with us he will bless us financially. When God loves us and is happy with us he will remove the challenges and problems we face in this life. Apparently they never met the rich man or Lazarus.

Perhaps revisiting the account of the rich man and Lazarus might be helpful here.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Heaven's Connection With Earth - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Luke 15:10,

"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Jesus provided a comparison parable to describe what it is like when a sinner repents by placing his faith and trust in him. Just as when a woman loses a coin and then finds it and asks her friends and neighbors to a party to celebrate and rejoice the find, so it is in heaven. Clearly, those in heaven look down upon earth in expectancy and anticipation. "Rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God" inspires such a fascination! Heaven looks on. Heaven reacts! The picture Jesus provides is not simply of a stately smile of satisfaction and approval of those in heaven to the events here on earth… it is a picture of joy and excitement! I see thrill here! I see those in heaven raising the roof!

As I think of this, it causes me to think of all heaven watching as Jesus carried on his earthly ministry. He reminds us that at any time he could have called upon the resources of heaven while here, "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" Matthew 26:53. Heaven is very connected to earth. Clearly, all heaven must have been watching in anticipation. They must have watched when Jesus performed his many miracles. They must have watched his precise manipulation of events as he unfolded his offer of the kingdom to Israel. I wonder how those in heaven felt as they watched Jesus being nailed to that cross and suffer such a miserable death?

Heaven watched, heaven observed, heaven anticipated. Imagine the fascination of the angels as they witnessed, first hand, the overwhelming mercy of God in the expression of his loving kindness as he had his Son die in our place! Peter says, "Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:12. They do not have a simple passing interest in God's redemption of mankind, but a longing to look into these things! A longing!

The focus of heaven upon the events that take place on earth is cloaked from us. We rely on what we are told and what we are told is simply amazing. Heaven watches, heaven observes, heaven anticipates, heaven reacts! When speaking of our need to humble ourselves as children, Jesus said of these children, "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven." Matthew 18:10. The involvement of heaven with earth certainly transcends anything we are able to sense in any way.

I suspect we would all be astonished if one day our eyes were opened and we were able to witness that which we are told surrounds us in the spiritual realm as we live our lives today. I am certain I would be!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.