That you might have life in His name.

“The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe[a] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name “ (John 20:30-31 NLT).

  The headlines scream about new discoveries hinting of new information about Jesus Christ.  The world stage comes alive with new books, new archeological finds that suggest alternatives to Jesus being the Son of God.  Some would reduce Him to a simple prophet, a political agitator and others want to make Him as an ordinary Jewish man who was married with a family.  The new information is not really new as the ancient church struggled with these divergent views of their Lord. Ancient sects such as the Gnostics, Arians and various other groups tried to separate from the ancient Church over their views of Jesus Christ.  Most ideas about who Jesus was have already been dealt with and any new archeological find must be carefully analyzed over time in multi-faceted, scholarly circles to ascertain its validity and value.  Something can be quite old but could have been rejected by the ancient church because it was written by an unknown author using a false name or contained heretical philosophies. 

     First of all,  as Christians we stand on the Bible which was canonized in the 4th Century.  The Bible reveals to us the power of God’s Word protected by the Living Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12). It was written by eyewitnesses that knew Jesus Christ as the truth and given to us to believe and be saved and to reject anything that counters that revealed truth (John 14:6-7; 20:29-31; 1 John 2:18-27; Romans 1:16-19; Galatians 1:3-9).  Thus the four Gospels are the only accepted accounts of the life of Jesus Christ by the early church and by thousands of years of belief and scholarship.

    Secondly, as Christians we stand with the ancient church and its leaders, knowing that God protected His Church as His Bride and it lives by the power of His Spirit.  The ancient creeds were written to help believers follow orthodox beliefs from the Apostles, the Scriptures and the Church. If any writing or text was rejected then, it must be rejected now. Thus something that contradicts the orthodoxy of the Christian faith may not a new discovery at all but a discovery of something old that was rejected as untrue and heretical many years ago.

    As Christians, it is our greatest desire and purpose in life to know more of Christ.  This comes through His Word, seeking His presence and guidance in prayer by abiding and appealing to the Holy Spirit while living in the fellowship of His body as the church.  We believe in the Jesus attested to by Apostles and by believing in Him, we might have the life He promised and delivered to us through His death and resurrection. 

“Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me’” (John 20:29 NLT).

Suggested Bible Reading … John 20

Tucked away in a nice little box.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails … And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”  (Selected verses from 1 Corinthians 13)

  There are nice little boxes tucked away in every house.  Some of these boxes are intricate and ornate noting many hours of careful work by their builder.  Some of these boxes have special significance being made for someone by a father or grandfather.  Some of these boxes are musical and were given by mothers to their daughters.  Some of these boxes might have been reclaimed having previously held other items such as cigars, cheese or nuts and bolts.

    All of these boxes now hold souvenirs, little notes, tokens and possibly coins or money.  Each item has its own unique and personal value. It is a bit sad that even as these boxes hold such valuable things, they are tucked away from daily sight and use.

    One of the most powerful and valuable writings in the New Testament is the “Love Chapter.”  First Corinthians 13 contains some of the most beautiful and  valuable verses in all of the Bible.  The words are direct, succinct and important as they relate descriptively and factually about what love looks like and how love sustains, nurtures and carries the relationships we are involved in.  The love described is the pure love that God gives us which is totally devoted and sacrificial.  We often read this passage at weddings and then we tuck the words away, held in a nice little box until the next gathering.

    The “Love Chapter” is valuable and should be treasured but love is active and dynamic.  Love is involved … as it sees, engages and gives life to all relationships.  Past moments of love remembered are nice to cherish but real love and the “Love Chapter” was never intended to be simply tucked away in a nice little box.

Suggested Bible Encouragement … 1 Corinthians 13

To glance or to gaze ...

My thoughts today … reflect a conversation a few years ago with my dear friend Mary.  Moments spent with her are always insightful and deeply joyful. At the same time, she is always overflowing with gratitude and love whenever she offers reflections about her precious Savior.  These thoughts are from one of those wonderful conversations, as Mary talked about truly gazing into the eyes of her Savior.

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT).

  As we look at our Savior, do we glance at Him casually as if to acknowledge Him but never to involve Him in our daily life or do we gaze at Him?

     A glance is something that we can dismiss with little hesitation or remembrance. A passing glance has little significance in our thoughts or very little influence as the minutes and hours go by.  Sure for momentary time, we may smile or find some joy in the glance but we do not carry much of the glance with us throughout the day.  To glance is to see something but to let all other matters take away any attention one might give to what was seen.  Many people just glance at our Savior.  They look to Him for salvation, but little else.  There is no lingering fellowship or no desire to be with Him, intent on drawing from Him living water or the bread that is life.

    A gaze is much different from a glance.  To gaze means to linger, oblivious to all other matters.  Attention is focused on the object of the gaze. To gaze is to appreciate, to reflect deeply and set aside all other momentary concerns.  The veil of self-centered attention and blindness lifts as something of greater significance is appreciated by the attentive gaze.  To gaze at our Savior is to see His victorious glory as the King of Kings, to see His sacrifice as the Lamb of God and to see all of His concern for us as our Good Shepherd. To gaze at the Savior means a yearning to receive from Him the release that He brings from all bondage, the insight from all blindness and the freedom and peace He brings from all heartache and oppression.  As you gaze into the Savior’s eyes, everything fades away as your only desire is for the water and bread that only He can give.  It is the setting aside of all concerns as we gaze upon Him, desiring all that He gives.   May our eyes expectantly and contently gaze upon our Savior all of our days.

‘“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:18-21 ESV).

Suggested Bible Reading ... 2 Corinthians 3

Grasping in the smallest way the vast scope of our Savior’s gift.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5 ESV).

  Everything about our Savior’s gift to us is contrary to reason,  extravagantly coming to us through paradoxical amazing grace and great suffering.  What our Savior gives to us is of the highest significance and honor. It comes because He endured and bore the greatest humiliation and pain imaginable.  Everything about the sacrifice of our Savior is in the fullest measure yet disturbing and degrading in taking the holy from the Lord in order that the gift of salvation would be immeasurably capable of elevating us as unholy to full acceptance as Children of God.  It was the full measure of God the Father’s love poured out for us through the death of His only Begotten Son.  It was the crushing of the pure for the impure. It was the acceptance of all evil, that good might triumph forever victorious. It was in the death of the most worthy that He might give life to the most unworthy.  It was through the suffering and beatings of the most innocent that healing might come to the most guilty. That righteousness might be given to the unrighteousness and hope to the hopeless.

    It is good news to a bleak world and water to a thirsty land.  Jesus Christ the Messiah bore our grief and sorrows to ensure joy for all who would follow Him and our great sin that we might be released of guilt for eternity. He was made a transgressor that the transgressor would be forever free. He was tormented that peace might flow unheeded in the midst of all torment.  Pages and pages of written words cannot begin to contain the scope of the Savior’s gift for us.  For the grace of Jesus Christ does in a moment … what all our efforts cannot do in an eternity.  The salvation in grace that comes to all sinners is simply an indescribable gift. Grasping in the smallest of ways, the scope our Savior’s gift is just the beginning of the abundant life He desires to give us through His death and resurrection.  Be ever thankful and ever aware of what you have been given.

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT)

Suggested Reading … Isaiah 53

He knows.

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)

  Does it matter if someone can understand the feelings we have in any given situations of our lives?  A sympathetic friend is helpful with insight and guidance.  A sympathetic judge is extremely beneficial if we are ever in trouble with the law.  In Christ we have both a friend and a judge and He is not just sympathetic but He offers more than a concerned understanding.    

    He does not by effort focus on being compassionate in attempting to identify with our feelings.  He knows the feelings we are experiencing.   He has been in exactly the places we are tempted and He shows us the victorious pathway because He has traveled it before us.

    We have an advocate with power who knows exactly how we feel and the intensity of all our struggles.  His compassion in those moments completely melds His heart to ours and He carries us to the place where we can find His grace for our needs.

    No explanations are necessary because He knows about what we are facing and everything about our weaknesses.  At the greatest moment of need … He brings what the greatest friend, the highest priest or the most powerful judge can bring to us. He brings mercy and grace in abundant and overflowing measure because He knows us and exactly everything about our needs.  He is an amazing Savior and there is none like Him. 

“Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” John Newton

Suggested Bible Reading … Hebrews 4