The Blessing Clicker

Tally Counters

Can we see a blessing? Because if we cannot identify a blessing, then we most certainly cannot count it.

I want to address what kind of blessings we should be counting to get the benefit behind the idiom, count your blessings.

Count

Not like Count Dracula, but like the Count on Sesame Street. Counting. Like 1-2-3. Like the manual tally counters pictured above. I know. I know. Those are old school. Maybe you have a Fitbit that automatically counts steps. Too bad we don’t have that kind of technology to add up all our blessings every day!

Your

What is yours, personally. What you currently have in your possession.

Blessings

Noun. The object of what you count. It’s plural, too, assuming you have more than one.

Blessings are what the one giving the blessing gives to the one receiving the blessing. Yes. Blessings are a gift. A free gift. They can be material. They can be monetary. They can be spoken like compliments, congratulations, or well wishing. They can be health related. Blessings can be most anything.

The Source of all blessing is God. We can only truly bless others after we ourselves have been filled up with His blessing. A person cannot give what he does not have.

Since it is by blessing we receive gifts, then our response should be one of thanks. Thanks to the giver (if human) and also to God, the ultimate source of all blessing.

But all things that we have in our possession are not truly ours. They are His. We are only temporary stewards of all that we have.

And the purpose of being blessed is to bless others. And we use the resources God has given us to help make this world a better place.

Let’s see how this works. Was the world created because you deserved it? The stars? The moon? The sun? Were any of us deserving of the waters of the earth? The creatures of the sea? The dry land? All the creatures of the world? The air we breathe? For life itself? No. We didn’t deserve any of it. Creation was God’s first act of grace. His free, unearned acts of lovingkindness had nothing to do with our deservedness. It had everything to do with his character. He is a good God. He is a loving God. He is a giving God. He is the God of blessing.

Which of us deserved to have eyes or ears or mouth? Or arms or legs? Or a heart? Or blood? Or lungs? Or kidneys? Or 37 trillion cells? Over three billion strands of DNA in most of the cells? Or the breath of life itself? Or the next breath we take? Which of us deserves another day? All of these are free gifts to us. Things to treasure and care for. Blessings for which to be thankful.

Which of us deserves family? Friends? Community? A government to keep us safe? Stores and businesses? Shops and services? Technology? Science? Arts? Skills? Knowledge? Cars? Shoes? Clothes? Houses? Passions? Hobbies? Pleasure? Relationships? Children? Care? Love? Kindness? All gifts to us. All things to be thankful for.

And the awesome daily natural world we see and live in? The beauty in a sunrise? Or sunset? The colors of a bird’s feathers? The delicateness of a butterfly? The sweet smell of a flower? A clear blue sky? Soft, billowy clouds? Rain that waters the earth? Did we deserve any of this? I think not.

We are marvelously made. We live on a fantastic planet. Our blessings are vast and far reaching. We are bathed in blessings every day. Blessings are acts of God’s gracious, lovingkindness that can be seen and heard and smelled and tasted and touched. It is splendid beyond human language.

A few years ago I prayed a prayer I now say every day. It has literally changed my outlook on life. Here it is:

Lord, show me Your grace
Bathe me in Your mercy
Fill me with Your lovingkindness
Give me Your patience

Let me see what You see
Let me hear what You hear
Show me the things
That You value most

Let me be Your feet
Let me be Your hands
Let me feel what You feel
Let me speak Your words

Let me be the answer
To someone’s prayer today

Even if you don’t remember all this just ask God to let you see what He sees and do what He wants in the same nature and character that He has—love.

Now I look for people every day. I look for the brokenhearted, those weighed down in anxiety, the despairing, the hopeless, the hurting, the fearful, the sick, the weak, the lonely, the outcast, the misfit, the unloveable, the handicapped, the disadvantaged, the grieving, the afflicted, the lost, and the blind. To the least significant person on earth: I love you. And so does God.

This is how my blessing clicker works. It counts so much that I end up counting all day long. It makes me more thankful. It makes me more peaceful. It makes me feel content. It calms my thoughts. I am more relaxed.

I can now see differently with the eyes of my heart. My outlook on life has changed. I always tried to be positive. But when my mind ran out of reasons to be positive I would lapse back into negativity. I was trying to think positively on my own effort. It was only temporary. I was stuck in the negatives. Now I have zillions of reasons to be thankful.

Yes, but don’t you have bad days? Don’t you have dark times? Don’t you have hardships? Yes. Yes to all of those questions. But what do I do in those situations? Two things: 1) increase my thanks to God and 2) look for more opportunities to bless others. I double down.

The whole reason I am alive another day is to be a servant of God’s blessing to others. Revealing God’s grace in acts of lovingkindness to others is my sole mission in this earthly life.

So count your blessings! Give thanks. Enjoy. Then share. It’s God’s way.

Vampires, Icebergs, and the Mother of all Sins

Vampires? Isn’t this Good Friday? Easter Weekend? How could you possibly use Vampires at a time like this? Besides, what do icebergs have to do with this? And what do you mean by “Mother of all Sins”? Well. I am glad you asked. All of these will play an important part of this post.

Vampires. Yes. I am about to write about a mythological character in a fictional novel. But I am going to only use one aspect of this created character from one book only—a gothic horror novel, “Dracula” by Irish author Bram Stoker (1897).

Stoker describes one characteristic of his version of a vampire that is important for this post. What could that possibly be? Well. It has to do with mirrors. Now some of you may already be zooming ahead of me your mind. It’s ok. I’m going there. According to legend, a mirror can reflect part of your soul. But, it cannot reflect what you don’t own. And since vampires don’t have a soul they cannot see themselves in a mirror. There. The important thing to remember is not being able to see it in a mirror. This sin I will be talking about is like that. It is often invisible to the person who has it.

Ok. So we cannot see this sin in the mirror. But what about the icebergs? Ahh. It’s a very similar concept. Ohhhhhh. I can hear a number of minds racing ahead. Why? Because they already know that you can only see the “tip of the iceberg”. The density of an iceberg is less than that of water. It floats, but about 90% of the iceberg is under water and only 10% is visible above water. So even if you can see this sin, it will only be the tip of something much larger lurking in your soul. Ugh. That sin could be really bad.

It is. It *is* really bad. Most folks will recognize the tip of the iceberg, especially in *other* people. It is almost impossible to recognize it in yourself. I am calling it the “Mother of all Sins” because I believe I can trace almost any sin back to this as its source. The root of wickedness. The source of evil. Ha. I am hearing racing minds again. You thought it was Satan. The devil. Well. You are correct. Sort of. But I called this a “sin”. We don’t really have Satan himself inside us. But we have his nature. The nature and character of the first fallen man, Adam? Yes. That fallen nature. The old nature. Sometimes referred to as “the flesh” depending what version of the Bible you are reading.

Well, does this “sin” have a name? Yes. It is “pride”. The tip of the iceberg—the part that is easily seen in others is boastfulness, arrogance, and an air of superiority. The I’m-right-and-you’re-not kind of superiority. People with self-inflated egos are pretty easy to pick out. Yet they themselves often do not see their own folly.

The part that gets sticky is the part that is under water. The unseen part. The unrecognized part. If you are still reading this you may want to stop right here. You think that you are not boastful, arrogant, or superior to others. You feel safe. But, I am going to expand on pride. The Bible has more to say about pride than the dictionary.

Here’s why understanding pride is important. Look at the last part of this verse:

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
—1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)

Notice the word “opposes”. In English dictionaries this word can mean many things. It can be something rather harmless like disagree in argument or disapprove of. But it can also be used as an opponent in a conflict or competition. Do you really want to have the Almighty God, Creator, Master, and Lord of the Universe to be your opponent? But how can we know if this is the harmless disagreement or the opponent in competition kind of meaning? Ah. By checking its original language (Ancient Greek) we find that the word used here is an ancient military term literally meaning organized resistance. Like battalions in formation in full battle array and ready to fight. Whoa! That verse sounds much more intimidating now!

In direct contrast, the word use for “favor” actually is the same Greek word for “grace”. It’s not just favor. It’s unmerited, unearned, and free favor. And it is for the humble. So now we have the two groups, the proud, and the humble. And we have how God treats each one. The great thing is, that we get to choose which group we are in. It is the ultimate free choice. Now you know why understanding pride and humility is so very important.

Where there is strife, there is pride…
—Proverbs 13:10 (NIV)

Is there strife in your life? Time to search your soul for any evidence of pride.

As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
—Proverbs 26:21 (NIV)

Do you find yourself in a lot of arguments? Yep. Pride is probably lurking somewhere.

For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.
—Proverbs 30:33 (NIV)

Do you find yourself getting irritated often? Do you allow the irritation to fester and become anger? Uh-oh. Pride is probably somewhere closer than you want it to be.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
—Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)

Do you feel like you have been unjustly disgraced? Dishonored? Shamed? Oh, my. You didn’t think I’d go here, did you? If you’ve had this happen as a result of your stand as a Christian you understand it. But if it’s been happening to you and you don’t know why then it’s time to look inside. Pride deceives us into believing we’re doing a good thing when really we are doing not for the good of others but we are hoping that we’ll look better in other people’s eyes.

An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
—Proverbs 18:1 (NIV)

Remember the quarrelsome person mentioned above? Here we find that one who starts quarrels ignores sound judgment. The same person is unfriendly because he pursues selfish ends. Pride is expanding to include selfishness. In fact, that is the very best definition for pride—inordinate self-focus.

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
—James 3:16 (NIV)

Disorder is not a physical disorder. It is disorder—like chaotic disorder. Things are out of control in your mind. There’s a riot going on inside your head. You don’t know which way to turn. And everything you try to do seems to fail. You are overwhelmed and confused. Self focus to the exclusion of others? It leads one down a dark, lonely road.

So how does this sin hide itself so well in us?

In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin.
—Psalm 36:2 (NIV)

Do you see it there? A person can flatter themselves so much that it makes their own sin undetectable. In other words, it’s as good as invisible like the Vampire in the mirror example or at least looks acceptable since only a little bit is showing, like the iceberg example.

What does all this have to do with Easter? Everything! Easter has it’s roots in the Jewish Festival of Passover. They do their spring cleaning by ridding their houses of all leaven (yeast) up to the start of Passover. And for a whole week that will eat only unleavened bread.

Yes, you say, but we are Christians. But I tell you Jesus was a Jew. (And he still is). Our understanding of true Christianity can be greatly enhanced by understanding the significance of Judaism and its profound influence on early Christianity. So what does this unleavened bread (bread without yeast) have to do with Passover?

First of all, unleavened bread is part of the Seder. It’s a feast that celebrates the Passover tradition in the book of Exodus. Unleavened bread was eaten on the night before they were freed from the slavery under the Egyptians. The Exodus is the story of their deliverance. It was unleavened bread because they had to eat it in haste. There was no time for it to rise.

Did you know the Apostle Paul wrote about unleavened bread? He did it in a letter to the believers in Corinth in Greece.

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
—1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NIV)

Did you see that? Paul is associating boastfulness with yeast (leaven)! The leaven represents pride. And like yeast, pride spreads quickly throughout one’s life. It is insidious. So get rid of the old pride and put your trust in the Christ, the Messiah, the Chosen One.

Pride is putting trust and confidence in our own abilities. Humility is putting your trust in the Passover Lamb—the Messiah. We cannot whip pride on our own. We must rely on Jesus to give us a new heart. A heart that is pliable and willing and hears the Voice of God and is quick to obey.

So I encourage you to read the story of the Exodus again this weekend. Read about the plagues. Read about the deliverance. It’s an amazing story of God’s favor to the Israelites. Thanks to that deliverance, the Jews were still around over 1,000 years later. Without that, Jesus could not have been born and we would not have Christianity today. For Jesus, the Christ, did not only give his life for the Jews. He graciously died for our deliverance as well.

During Passover, the Israelites brushed blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. The blood was a sign. The plague of the death of the firstborn son was passed over those homes with blood on the sides and top of the door.

Brush the Blood of the Passover Lamb over the doorposts of your heart. Apply His Blood to your mind, your will, and your emotions. Submit your lives to Jesus. He is the keeper of your heart. He is the Lord and Master of the Universe. He is God. And He loves you far more than you can possibly imagine.

This weekend I encourage you to take communion. You can do this at home even if your own church doesn’t do it. If you’ve got some matzo bread (unleavened) then great. If not, that is ok too. If you’ve got wine, great. If not, grape juice is fine. You now know the significance. That is what’s important.

Take the bread. Give God thanks. The bread represents Christ’s fulfillment of the Law. Christ has shared all the blessings of the Law with you. And He has broken all the curses of the Law. You get all of the benefits. None of the curses. It’s the too-good-to-be-true news. That is what Christ accomplished in His death. Every time you eat it, you proclaim this good news! Rejoice! It’s your deliverance!

Take the cup. Give God thanks. The wine represents Christ’s blood. It is the Cup of Redemption. This is the New Covenant. He has given us all a new heart. We are new creations. His perfect work has made us clean, without blemish, and without blame. He wants us to trust Him completely. Every day. Every moment.

The Day I Died

An old cemetery on the west edge of Sugarcreek, OH – photo by Greg Miller

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live…
—Galatians 2:20a (NIV)

As a Christian, I died *with* Christ. On the cross. Yes, crucified. Nailed to the cross. He died. And so did I. Christ died and we call it Good Friday. But I had a “Good Friday” day, too. It was the day I died. It was the day I was crucified.

But how can this be? Christ died 2000 years ago. I was not even alive then. How could I die when I did not even yet exist? What am I talking about? I am talking about my own “Good Friday”.

It was the day I got baptized as a new Christian. That is the day the “old me” died. The old me that was a slave to sin. The old me with its old, self-centered way of thinking. The old me that could never achieve a clean, sin-free life. The old me that failed continually. The old me that was always coming up short. The old me that always found itself in a state of not enough. That is the me that was crucified and died.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in Rome. In the sixth chapter he is very emphatic about the association of a Christian’s baptism with the death of Jesus, the Christ. Let me show you a few phrases:

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
—Romans 6:3 (NIV)

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death…
—Romans 6:4a (NIV)

…we have been united with him in a death like his…
—Romans 6:5a (NIV)

For we know that our old self was crucified with him…
—Romans 6:6a (NIV)

…we died with Christ…
—Romans 6:8a (NIV)

I did not include the whole chapter here. But I encourage you to read it in its entirety. Romans chapter 6 carries one of the most victorious messages ever spelled out for a Christian. And when you do read it, note (as I have here) the statements about the death of the “old you”.

This is all good. But what comes next is better. Far better!

Can you guess what is next? I’ll give you three tries and the first two don’t count. Ha! Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God arose from the dead. Yep. He rolled away the stone to His own grave. He is the Mighty Champion of Heaven! Death did not hold Him down. He conquered sin and death. And God has given him a Name that is far above all other names.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist. You know what is coming next, don’t you?

…just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
—Romans 6:4b (NIV)

…we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
—Romans 6:5b (NIV)

we will also live with him.
—Romans 6:8b (NIV)

Our old selves are united with Christ in His death on the cross and our old selves are buried with Christ in the tomb. But our old selves do not get resurrected. Our new selves are born!

Remember the last blog post? The one about the Finality of the Cross? Remember how the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Christ, satisfied the absolutely holy requirements of a righteous God? And that it was a once-for-all-time-never-to-be-repeated event?

Let’s put that first verse together with the next verse:

10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
—Romans 6:10-11

Do you see what happened here? Verse 10 was in the last post. I wanted you to understand the finality of Christ’s death and resurrection. That was a setup for this post. It is so you would better understand verse 11.

Look at how it begins—In the same way. You understood the finality of verse 10. The introduction to verse 11 sets us up for an out-of-the-park homer! Just as the death and resurrection was a once-for-all-time-never-to-be-repeated event, so is the death of the old you and the birth of the new you!

“Count yourselves”. Like one, two, three, four? Nope. Like reckon yourselves, or consider yourselves. That kind of count. Do you count yourself lucky? Do you count yourself happy? Do you consider yourself to be loving or kind? Do you reckon that you are impatient? These are all uses of words with similar meanings. In reality, it is how you see yourself. In your own accounting book of self, you count yourself like this. It is your self perception.

Now I’m not getting into psychology-babble here. Paul wants you to understand how you should see your new, alive-to-God-in-Christ-Jesus self. How is that? There are just two things: 1) You are dead to sin, and 2) alive to God.

What does that mean? Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden. God told Adam not to eat the fruit of just one tree. The penalty was “when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:17) But when Adam and Eve ate of that tree they were thrown out of the Garden. But they did not die right away. At least physical death. That happened to Adam some 900 years later. So what “death” happened on the day they were thrown out? It was a spiritual death—a separation from God.

Likewise, in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Ephesus he writes that we were dead in our transgressions and sins. (Ephesians 2:1) In other words, we were “dead” to God. In the following verses we find that we were “alive” to sin by nature.

Jesus did what we could not do on our own. He conquered sin and death on our behalf. Oh, sure. You might have said “no” to some actions you called “sin”. But that does not change your nature. Jesus changed your insides. He changed your nature. When you try to overcome sin yourself you discredit the work of Christ. It is because you want the credit yourself for overcoming sin(s). I spent blah-blah hours reading my Bible, or in prayer, or fasting, or any other thing that you think might produce victory over sin. But there is only One who did that.

And besides, He’s already won that battle for you. He conquered the power of sin on your behalf. It’s yours to take up by faith. How do you do that?

Our faith is in what Christ has already done. It is His accomplishment, not ours, that matters. Since it is already a once-for-all-time-never-to-be-repeated event which Jesus accomplished on our behalf, then it is ours to receive with a grateful heart.

Say things like this: “Thank you Jesus, because of your once-for-all-time sacrifice, I am dead and unresponsive to sin! Thank you, Lord, for giving me a new nature! Thank you for making me alive and responsive to God. Thank you Lord for setting me free from bondage!

Say it often. Don’t go through a day without thanking Jesus for setting you free. You are not a person trying to be free. That would be your effort. You are relaxed and at peace because Jesus did all the heavy lifting.

But what about sins? Why do they still happen? Take courage, dear reader! Keep saying what you know Christ has already done. Believe it. Be convinced of it. It is the truth that makes you free. You know it in your heart. That is why Jesus came to earth. It was so we could be reconciled to God.

I have a “Good Friday”—the day I died. So do you, dear Christian! I have a day I was raised into a new life. It’s my Easter. I share it with Jesus. And so do you! Next time you have communion I want you to think about your old self dying with Christ and being raised into a new life. In communion, we remember Christ’s death—and now we remember our death, too! And when you drink the wine (or grape juice) think about raising it in a salute to a new life! Cheers to being alive to God in Christ Jesus, my friend!

And look for my next post. We’ll deal more with the whole sin dilemma. We’ve only scratched the surface on the victorious life that is ours by the riches of His grace!

The Finality of the Cross

Olympia National Park – October 2016 – photo by Greg Miller

 

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
—Romans 6:10 (NIV)

This verse is about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Notice the words “once for all”. What does that mean? Is it once for all time? Or does it mean He died once for all mankind? Why is “once” important? Why does Paul (the writer of this letter to Roman Christians) use “once”? What is it he was trying to convey? And what does it mean for us who are reading this 2,000 years later?

Let’s start with the overall picture. In this part of Paul’s letter, he is telling the new believers about how Christ conquered the power of sin. Earlier in this letter Paul writes:

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
—Romans 4:25 (NIV)

Paul lays out the purpose of the death and resurrection of Christ. Jesus died for our sins. And He was raised to life again for our justification. So the punishment for our sins was taken care of through the death of Jesus on the cross. And the “Guilty” verdict was removed by means of the resurrection of Jesus. We have been declared “Not Guilty”. That is our justification.

And in the words of Jesus:

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
—Matthew 5:17 (New Living Translation)

Do you see what Jesus himself said? The whole of the Law of Moses and all the Prophets point to the Christ, the chosen one. All Scripture up to the time of Jesus points to Him!

And what did Jesus say on the cross while dying?

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
—John 19:30

“It is finished” means that every item on God’s to-do list for Jesus was completed. All of the Old Testament that pointed to the Messiah culminated in these words of Jesus on the cross. It is finished. There is nothing more that needs to be done. It has been completed. And now we return to “once for all”.

Paul wants to convey that Jesus conquered the power of sin in a single act that occurred in one point in time in the past. And that act was so perfect and complete that it is not necessary to ever be repeated again, for all eternity.

Now for the geeky stuff. Paul uses the an emphatic word for “once for all”. It’s actually a compound word that adds intensity to the normal word for “once”. As you may have already guessed, “once for all” here refers to time. You could say something like this to get what I think Paul meant: “once and only once, for all eternity”. And one could easily imply that such an emphasis on a one-time act implies that it will never again be repeated. There is more support for this. The Greek verbs often say more than what we have in a word-for-word translation to English. Here is the verse we began with my notes for emphasis in brackets:

The death he died [at one point in time in the past], he died [at one point in time in the past] to sin once [and only once] for all [time]; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
—Romans 6:10 (NIV with my notes for emphasis in brackets)

This is a dramatic statement about the absolute finality of the once-for-all-eternity sacrifice of the Lord and Master of the Universe on our behalf. Stunning! But I’m not done with this. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews supports this strongly.

who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
—Hebrews 7:27 (New American Standard Bible)

The pronoun “he” in this verse refers to Jesus Christ. The author of this letter also uses the same emphatic form of the word used to represent “once for all”. And he also makes use of the same combination of verb tense and mood (the “He did” as an action that occurred at one point in time in the past used just before the “once for all”) as Paul did in Romans 6:10. Additionally, in Hebrews 7:27 we can see the contrast between the daily sacrifices of earthly high priests and the one-time-for-all-eternity event of the sin offering of Jesus Christ.

Here is another passage from Hebrews:

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.
—Hebrews 9:12 (NIV)

The same dramatic combination words and verb tense and mood are found in this verse, Hebrews 9:12, too. The “he entered” refers to Jesus and emphasizes a simple occurrence of an action that happened at one point in time in the past.

25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
—Hebrews 9:25-26 (NIV)

The writer of the letter to Hebrews was referring to Christ in this passage. The normal Greek word for “once” is used here but it is still translated as “once for all” because of the context. No longer is it necessary for high priests to offer an annual sacrifice in the Holy of Holies for the sins of the nation. Christ’s one-time-act-for-all-eternity was enough to satisfy the absolutely holy demands of a supremely righteous God. That one-time action was enough to pay the entire penalty of sin for us all—for all eternity. It was enough to declare each and every one of us “Not Guilty”—forever.

This is the life we have “in Him”. It is by trusting completely that the blood of Jesus was enough to deliver us from a conviction of a “Guilty” verdict. And it was enough to pay the penalty of all of our sins…forever. Otherwise, He would still be going to the cross over and over again. It is accomplished with complete finality. Done with absolute certainty. And finished in absolute perfection. Christ left nothing undone or incomplete.

Thank you, Lord and Master of the Universe.
Thank you for you for your amazing, undeserved love and compassion.
Thank you for your unmerited favor.
I didn’t deserve any of this.
But you loved me more than judging my performance.
You loved me because you are love.
It is your character.
And it is in this love for me that you paid for the penalty of all my sins with a one-time-for-all-eternity act of love.
And you arose again to give me your stamp of approval—your righteousness—a judgment of not guilty…forever.
What amazing grace this is!
You took me as your own child.
You call me by your family name.
Your love is beyond my understanding!
Every day your grace is pursuing me.
Your grace is better than life.
Thank you that your grace is eternal. Everlasting. Without end.
I am grateful that your grace does not depend on what I do or do not do.
Your grace is not contingent on how I feel.
When I am happy, your grace is with me.
When I am sad, your grace is still there.
When I’m in a crowd, your grace surrounds me.
When I am all alone, your grace fills me with deep comfort.
When I’m in trouble you help me for the sake of your grace.
Thank you Lord for you matchless love!

A Burning Bush, Waffles, and Jesus

Eggo Waffles

The Burning Bush

Remember the story of Moses in the wilderness and the bush that was on fire but didn’t burn up? Just like you or me, Moses was curious. He went over to check it out. And wow, was he in for a surprise! A voice spoke out of the burning bush to him. The Voice knew his name, too!

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” —Exodus 3:4 (NIV)

By this time I would have been both shocked and terrified! The curious burning bush that didn’t burn up spoke! And it knew me (if I was Moses) by name! Whoa! And then The Voice identifies itself to Moses.

…“I am the God of your father,[a] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”… —Exodus 3:6 (NIV)

To put this in perspective these were the respected names of the fathers of the nation of Israel. These were people who had lived more than four centuries before Moses. And this Voice? It was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Voice of God continues to tell Moses that He has seen the misery of the nation of Israel who are currently brutally treated slaves in Egypt under the reign of a powerful Pharaoh. God continues to tell Moses that he will be the man to lead Israel out of the bondage in Egypt.

Moses asks God about how this will happen. How will the Israelite leaders know that God is sending him (Moses) to lead Israel? The reply of the Voice in the Burning Bush to Moses is talked about often in churches.

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” —Exodus 3:13-14 (NIV)

Now if you are like me you may wonder at this passage. “I am who I am”. And “I am has sent me to you”. Hmm. Those lines have left me scratching my head many times. What does that really mean? And how is it that this worked? The Jewish leaders understood it back then.

Maybe the next verse will explain it better.

God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’
“This is my name forever,
 the name you shall call me
 from generation to generation. —Exodus 3:15 (NIV)

Wait. What? This helps? I’m left with more head scratching. You, too? Let’s look at another version of the same verse.

God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation. —Exodus 3:15 (CJB-Complete Jewish Bible)

Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh represents four Hebrew characters often transliterated in English versions of the Scriptures as YHWH. These four characters are all vowels in Hebrew. Many have rendered it by inserting consonants to make it into Yahweh or LORD. In Jewish translations, this is most often translated as Adonai meaning Lord and Master of the Universe. They will sometimes simply refer to it as HaShem, or The Name.

Additionally, I AM carries with it a sense of eternalness. I AM, I was, I always will be. Compare this sense to a passage in Revelation:

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” —Revelation 4:8 (NIV)

This makes more sense to me now. The I AM is a statement recognized as the Eternally Existent Supreme Lord and Master of the Universe. Yep. Got my attention now.

It was this I AM who then cursed the Egyptians with the ten horrible plagues. It is this I AM who led the children of Israel out of the bondage of slavery in Egypt. It is this I AM who guided them and protected them in the pillar of fire and the cloud. It is this I AM who split the Red Sea and allowed the children of Israel to cross on dry land. And this I AM left the walls of water crash over the chariots of the Egyptian army killing them all.

Ok. I got a bit geeky there. But I like words and language. They are the building blocks of communication and understanding.

Waffles

Eggo Waffles. You’ve probably had them at some point in your life. They are frozen waffles you can put in a toaster and have a hot waffle in a very short amount of time. But how does this tie into this post? What do Eggo Waffles have to do with the burning bush we just talked about?

The language of the Old Testament is Hebrew. It is were we started with YHWH, or Yahweh. The language of the New Testament is Greek. What is I AM in Greek? Ego eimi. It’s roughly comparable to I myself, am. And Ego in Ancient Greek is pronounced like the waffles we just mentioned, Eggo. Haha. So now you may be groaning about the association. Sorry. I can’t help it. I like groaner humor. It’s wonderfully tacky.

But “I am” is used commonly in everyday language. I am going to the grocery store. I am going to get my hair cut. I am going to the doctor’s office. The Ancient Greeks used it much the same way. So how does one tell when “I am” is really “I AM”? Context. How it’s used. Let’s find out if it is used in the New Testament.

By now, some of you have already raced ahead in you minds. You are probably thinking that Jesus may have referred to himself as I AM. You got me. It’s true. There are actually many references in John’s Gospel account. But one stands out because of how obvious it is. This is the in-your-face Jesus that roused the ire of the Jewish religious leaders of that time.

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” —John 8:58 (NIV)

The “I am” portion of this verse is “ego eimi” in Greek. Jesus is saying here that He existed before Abraham was born, or roughly 2,000 years before the time of Jesus. But the real kicker is how the Jewish religious leaders responded.

At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. —John 8:59 (NIV)

The leaders were so agitated by this statement that they wanted to kill Jesus right there on the spot. They interpreted it as blasphemy and worthy of instant death! Whoa! Jesus comes right out and means to say, the Lord of the burning bush? That’s me. The Lord who led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt? That’s me, too. The pillar of fire and the cloud? Me again. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Yep. Me. The Supreme Lord and Master of the Universe? Me, Jesus.

Sounds over-the-top, doesn’t it? It’s easy to read over this passage and say (and maybe even a bit smugly) “I would have recognized that. I’m not like those angry religious leaders.” But now when one puts it in context these words are so blatant that it almost makes you take a step back. Jesus displays take-your-breath-away audacity. Can you imagine anyone in church saying this in a Sunday morning service?

But are there other references to I AM made by Jesus? Yes. How about this one?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. —John 14:6

“I am” again is “ego eimi”. Read it again with any of the substitutes that I AM stands for. “I am who I am the way and the truth and the life”. Or “I am the Voice in the burning bush and I am the way and the truth and the life”. Or “I am the Lord and Master of the Universe and I am the way and the truth and the life and I am the only way to get to the Father”. Did the Jews of the day actually recognize this? I think they did.

And here is another amazing reference—do you remember the woman at the well in Samaria?

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” —John 4:25-26

You already guessed it. “I am” at the end of verse 26 is “ego eimi”. It’s a double whammy here. Not only does Jesus make use of a reference to “I am who I am—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Lord and Master of the Universe” but he also agrees with the Samaritan woman with a positive affirmation that he is the Messiah, the Christ.

How did others refer to Jesus? Take a look at what the author of letter called Hebrews says:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. —Hebrews 13:8

Doesn’t this sound like the reference above in Revelation 4:8? Why yes. Yes, it does. He is the Living Lord and Master of the Universe who always was and always will be. He is eternal.

This whole study has meant a lot to me. Now, as a Christian, I know that Christ lives in me. The I AM of the burning bush lives in me. The I AM that led the children of Israel out of Egypt is the I AM that protects me. The I AM—Lord and Master of the Universe cares for me. Every day. Every night. Always. The I AM—Yahweh—Lord Most High looks out for me. He cares about every detail of my life. He knows all my thoughts. The hairs on my head are counted. And yet He is the One who holds all things in place by His Word.

And it is this Eternal Living I AM that loves me with an unconditional, unimaginably wonderful love and calls me His own. The I AM that parted the Red Sea? That One. He lives in me. He loves me. Because I am good? No. Because He is the one and only good. In my mind I imagine Him taking my hand and looking at me with a gentle smile and saying, “Walk with Me”. And I take His hand and reply as a child, “Ok Father. Let’s go.”

Finally, here are a few of the I AM references in the Gospel of John for you to read at your leisure.

“I am the bread of life” (John 6:35,48,51)
“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
“I am the door of the sheep”(John 10:7,9)
“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11,14)
“I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25)
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)
“I am the true vine” (John 15:1,5)

May the Great I AM be with you today and forever!

Freedom From The Cursed Life

New Jersey Sunset – October 2016 – photo by Greg Miller

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” –Galatians 3:13

I’ve read this verse many times. It’s about the crucifixion of Jesus. But lately it popped into my mind and I became curious about it. I realized I had never really spent much time mulling this one over. It was straightforward, right? Or was there something I have been missing? Why do I now have questions?

First of all, what does it mean to be redeemed from the curse of the law?

Redeemed – The only thought that comes immediately to my mind is redeeming a coupon. But here it doesn’t really represent “to buy back” as this word is commonly used. In the original language (Greek) it means to make payment, but especially carrying the idea of a transfer of ownership. In a context of salvation, as here, believers become Christ’s unique and special possession. (J. Thayer) So Christ was crucified (made a payment) so we could become His own, private, highly-prized, special treasure. How awesome is that!!?!

Curse of the law – In modern usage we usually use curse to describe using all those four-letter words we use when we get angry. But in the context of Galatians it is more closely aligned to invoking a magic spell by speaking with evil intent or harm toward another person. It is the penalty for disobedience to God’s Laws describe in the first five books of the Bible. It is spelled out in detail in Deuteronomy 28. There are many horrible and ghastly things that go along with this curse.

I am only going to highlight a handful of those things that are included in the curse of the law:

• sicknesses and diseases
• fear
• anxiety
• despair

But which sicknesses and diseases are included? Are you sitting down? Ready? Here we go—ALL OF THEM! Really? There are lots of bad diseases, conditions, and sicknesses recounted in chapter 28. How can you say all sicknesses? There are so many diseases being found every year in modern science. Surely not all of these are listed in a document that is several thousand years old. On that note, you are correct. They are not listed individually. But take a look at this verse:

The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. –Deuteronomy 28:61

There it is. Plain as day. An all encompassing verse covering any sickness or disaster that is not even listed here. Whoa! So what does this really mean? Are you saying that Christ’s death and resurrection frees us from every sickness, disease, or condition? Well technically I am not saying anything new. It’s already there. Read it yourself in you favorite version.

But if that is true, then why do Christians get sick? Um. I’m not sure. But what I do know is that we don’t have to take it on the chin and accept everything that comes our way. If it’s part of the curse of the law we can actively resist it by giving thanks to God for what Christ has already accomplished. Every time you think of it, thank God for redeeming you from sickness and disease. Even if it seems like it isn’t working. And don’t take a guilt trip if you don’t see immediate results. And don’t feel bad if you don’t understand. Just know that God has made His promise to you on the merits of the blood of Jesus. And we found out from the last blog that you cannot break a promise that you didn’t make. It is God’s promise to you. You didn’t earn it. You didn’t deserve it. But He loves you and has extended His favor toward you. He wants you well. You belong to Him. You are His own child. You care for your own children and would never want them to be sick. How much more Your Heavenly Father wants you well!

Now what about fear? Isn’t that an emotion? And aren’t there a bunch of different kinds of fear? How can that be part of the curse of the law? Well. Take a look at this:

You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. –Deuteronomy 28:66-67

Wow! Constant suspense? Suspense in a movie is ok, but in real life? Not so much. And filled with dread night and day? No thanks. Never sure of your life? That sounds pretty debilitating. Terror filling your heart and in all you see? Oofah. That is some horrible fear. But that is part of the curse of the law. And Jesus blood has saved us out of this gripping fear. Say goodbye to fear eating away at your mind and paralyzing you. We are free from that fear because of all that Jesus has accomplished. Even if you are currently experiencing fear. Say with you mouth “Thank you, Jesus, for freeing me from the curse of the law. Thank you for releasing me from the bondage of fear!” You would never wish fear upon your own children. God is the perfect Father. How much more He wants you to walk in the freedom that is already yours because of what Jesus has accomplished!

Today, anxiety seems to be everywhere. People are bent over with the weight of many worries and cares. In fact, in some folks, the anxieties are so frequent that all the causes seem to blur. They are anxious but they no longer even know why. Every day they wake up worried, nervous, and burdened down. Despair is a close relative of anxiety. After you’ve been entangled by the tentacles of anxiety long enough your future begins to get dark. You lose hope. And you find yourself in despair. Let’s see how these things occur in the curse of the law:

Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. –Deuteronomy 28:65

There they are—an anxious mind and a despairing heart. These are part of the curse of the law. They cannot cling to you anymore because of Christ’s death and resurrection. Maybe you are in the middle of a fight with anxiety and hopelessness. You don’t have to fight in your own strength. Again, thankfulness is the key. Say it out loud with your own mouth, “Help me, Lord! Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from anxiety and despair. Thank you for redeeming me from the curse of the law!” Do you feel like you don’t deserve this? Perfect! There is nothing you can do to earn your way out of anxiety. There is nothing you can do to merit being free from despair. But, in acknowledging your own weakness and consenting to the miracle-working power and love of the risen Christ, you will open yourself up to receive comfort and healing for your broken heart. It’s His promise to you. He cares for you more than you can possibly imagine. He knows your pain. He knows your hurt. He knows your weaknesses. God doesn’t love you any less for any of those things. He wants you well. He wants you to be sound and in your right mind.

If you are already seeing a doctor or psychologist or other professional, then keep seeing them. Let them give you a pronouncement of cured or healthy. And if you think you need the help of a professional, then by all means you should go. But your faith should be in God whether or not you are getting help or not.

If this all seems foreign to you, then put it on the shelf of your mind. Think about it. Pray about it. Check your heart. Listen to God. Mull it over. Read more Scriptures.

I have written this in simple fashion. I do not mean to belittle your circumstances or your situation in any way. These things are very powerful. These issues can keep you from your destiny. They can keep you from your dreams. They can prevent you from doing what God wants in your life. They can ruin you financially. They can destroy your hopes. They can cause relationships to go sour. They can steal your peace.

Remember from the last post that Jesus is our New Covenant. All of the requirements were fulfilled in Him. And all of the penalty was satisfied in Him. All we have is a promise from Jesus. A promise to make us joint heirs of all that He has earned. There are no requirements to break in a promise that is given by someone else. So it is with Christ’s promise to us. We cannot break a promise we didn’t make. All of our penalty for disobedience was swallowed up in Christ’s blood. All of the blessings were made available to us through Him.

In Christ, we have all of the blessings and none of the curses. And He offers it freely to us—undeserved and unmerited. He gives it to us out His great love for us. And this my friends is real grace. He paid for us with His blood on the cross so we could become His very own family. We are His special, prized treasure! He looks out for us every day. He is with us always. And nothing can separate us from His love!

A Promise That You Cannot Break

Maclay Gardens – Tallahassee FL – photo by Greg Miller

Have you ever looked at a Bible and noticed that it was divided into two parts—an Old Testament and a New Testament? And after you saw that it was two parts you wondered

“What is a testament?”

“Why is there an OLD one and a NEW one?”

The word testament used to divide the Bible into two parts is an archaic word describing an agreement between God and the ancient Jews. Sometimes covenant is used to describe this agreement. The old agreement between God and the ancient Jews is documented in the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This group of books together are often referred to as the Torah or The Law among the Jews.

There are more than 600 commands listed in these five books. These commands in the Old Testament are the written requirements (terms) of the old agreement. According to ancient Jewish Law humans (the Jews) are responsible for observing all the commands. Maybe you have heard of the Ten Commandments. But really, these ten commands are just a portion of the over 600 commandments that comprise The Law.

The penalties for disobedience to the old agreement was called “The Curse of The Law”. It is a long list of horrible things listed in Deuteronomy 28. The benefits (called Blessings) of obedience to the old agreement are also listed there in the same chapter.

By being obedient to all the listed commands it was possible to earn the covenant favor of God himself. This ancient Hebrew word was called “chesed”. It is a very rich word and does not fit easily into any single word translation in English. This is the special favor associated with a covenant.

Today we don’t talk about covenants or favor. Although we express things similarly in business. For instance, you may shop on the Amazon website. You get free guaranteed delivery in two days (and many other privileges) if you sign up to be an Amazon Prime member. You get a special status with special privileges if you pay the price to be in any special group with a business. It was a similar deal with the ancient Jews. Keep all the commands of the covenant and win God’s special favor.

It seems pretty straightforward. Obey all the commands and get blessed. Disobey the commands and you receive curses. Cause and effect. You do the right things. Then God blesses you. Do the wrong things and God curses you. No surprises. And note that this contract or agreement was between God and his chosen people, the Jews—those who were Jews by birth. It was not offered to the non Jews (referred to in the Bible as Gentiles). The only way a Gentile could apply the old agreement of God with the Jews was to become a proselyte (convert) of Judaism.

Now I bet you are asking yourself why this Old Testament is included at all in the Bible that Christians use. And maybe you’re even wondering then what *is* a Christian? Maybe you think it is heresy to even ask such questions. But I ask you this: What do you really believe? Why do you believe it? And how is your life different?

Why is there a New Testament?

There were three major parts to an ancient covenant. Two parties and an agreed upon contract. In this case the two parties are God and the ancient Jews, and the agreed upon contract was The Law. If any one of these parts were faulty, then the covenant won’t work. God was flawless on His part. (Psalm 145:17) And The Law and its commandments were perfect. (Romans 7:12) So what is left? The humans. They were at fault. The humans could not uphold their end of the deal. Individual human failures—disobedience to the commands—was labeled as sin. And sins qualify you for The Curse and permanent separation from God in the end. These faults created the necessity for a new covenant agreement. (Hebrews 8:7-13)

Did you notice that this new covenant was still only to the Jews (to Israel and to Judah)? And that it would not be like the old covenant? And God was going to “forgive their wickedness” and “remember their sins no more”? But where are the written requirements? In their hearts and minds? What does that mean? And we still don’t have how any of this got to the non Jews.

When looking at the New Testament, one will notice that the first four books (often referred to as The Gospels) document the life of Jesus. Then there is the book of Acts which documents the first few years of the early Christian Church. The remaining books are just letters to groups of believers (called churches) or to individuals.

The word “Christian” is found very few times in the Bible. Christians were really just followers of Jesus. And “churches” were not buildings, but groups of people who were followers of Jesus. But how did non Jews (Gentiles) ever get included in all of this? In fact, how did they ever become associated with this God of the Jews?

The prophet Isaiah prophesied (in the Old Testament) that the Messiah would be made a covenant for the people and a light to the Gentiles (non Jews). (Isaiah 42:6)

From this verse it looks like the man, Jesus, the Christ/Messiah (Christ is the ancient Greek transliteration for the Hebrew word, Messiah) will actually BE THE COVENANT for both the Jew and the non Jew. In other words, the new covenant will be for everyone. And since humans were the fault of the old covenant, then only Jesus, the Son of God, who became a human, could possibly fulfill the terms of the old covenant and provide for everyone this new covenant.

After the last supper before his crucifixion Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20) Um. Ok. What does that mean? Where are the rules I’m supposed to follow? Where are the commandments? What are the terms of this agreement? And how does this tie in with the old covenant? Did Jesus just do away with the old agreement? What happened?

Let’s look at what Jesus himself said about The Law.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. —Matthew 5:17

Remember the fault of the old agreement was with the weakness of the humans. Paul agrees with the writer of Hebrews that humans are at fault. In the letter to the early Roman church Paul writes that all men have fallen short of God’s standards, both Jews and non Jews (Gentiles). (Romans 3:23) He is careful to include people without the old agreement in chapter 1 and those with the old agreement in chapter 2. He ties them altogether in chapter 3 saying all are under the power of sin. (Romans 3:9)

But if Jesus *is* the new covenant, then what commands do I have to follow to get in on this new covenant? We don’t have a covenant to fulfill. We don’t have the old covenant. We don’t have the new covenant. We are humans. We fail at rules. We fail at commands. We fail at obedience. So what do we have as a Jew or non Jew? Jesus fulfilled the old covenant. And he became the new covenant. Sure. We don’t have any rules now. But that leaves us outside the covenant, right? What really happened?

The too-good-to-be-true News

Remember the penalty of The Law? It was all those horrific curses listed in Deuteronomy 28. But we found out from Paul in his letter to the Roman church that everyone has messed up and fallen short of keeping to God’s standards. And now, here is the good part: Jesus became a curse for all of us when he was crucified. (Galatians 3:13) So that means that *NONE* of the curses listed in Deuteronomy 28 apply to us. (Did you notice that includes freedom from all sicknesses, anxiety, and despair? Wow!) He paid the penalty of sin, once and only once, for all time, never to be repeated again. (Hebrews 9:26)

Now what about that whole fulfilling the old agreement? Remember that from a few paragraphs ago? All the requirements of the old agreement were fulfilled for us, since we couldn’t do it ourselves. So we get all of the blessings and none of the curses? Yep. That is stunning! It sounds too good to be true. But how does this become *ours*? And that, my friend, is a very good question.

In his letter to the Roman church, Paul goes to great lengths in contrasting faith versus the works of The Law. (Romans chapter 4) The works of The Law is an obvious reference to the obedience to the terms of the old agreement. But this is contrasted against faith. Why would he make this comparison? How are they at odds with one another? The works of the Law are tied to the old covenant agreement. The faith is tied to—a promise. What? Yes, a promise. (Romans 4:16)

How do you receive a promise? You simply give your consent. You agree. You can be like Mary, the mother of Jesus. When the angel, Gabriel, came to visit her and tell her that she would become pregnant and give birth to Jesus. What she got was a promise. And here is how she accepted it:

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. —Luke 1:38 (KJV)

I also love what the New Living Translation says here “May everything you have said about me come true”. In the same way we accept this too-good-to-be-true promise from God. “Lord, may everything you have said about me and done on my behalf come true in my life.” There is something very rich about repeating this kind of affirmation out loud. Even if you are alone.

Earlier I said there are no terms to get the benefits of a promise. And the reason we have a promise and not a covenant is that we could never keep the obligations any covenant that God would draw up for us. But, as you can see, this rich promise of God includes all of the blessings and none of the curses of the covenant. And the special covenant favor of God I mentioned before? Yes, that comes with this too-good-to-be-true promise of God. Under the new covenant which was Jesus, he gave us the best promise ever offered. We have all of the favor one could ever hope to get from living a perfect life. And it’s all on account of Jesus.

And this, my friend, is real grace. You cannot do anything to earn a promise that you didn’t make. And you cannot break a promise you did not make. It is ironclad. God, who cannot lie, gave us this promise through Jesus, the Christ.

The great thing is this. I used to try harder and harder to live sin free. I tried living holy by myself. And I spent an inordinate amount of time confessing my sins. I always botched up. I never felt free. I was bent over with the weight of guilt and shame. And I did all this as a Christian. But I did it because I did not know any better. I did not know what all Jesus had done for me. I didn’t know I live my Christian life just like I got saved—by just trusting God.

But since I have come to know better what Jesus has accomplished, I feel the guilt and shame unraveling. And the heavy load of trying to live sin free is gone. Oh sure. I still mess things up now and then. But it is far less frequent. I no longer feel powerless against sin. And I no longer kick myself so hard when I mess up.

It is not how much I love Jesus or how much I do that is important. It is realizing how much he loves me that counts. The whole focus of my thoughts have changed. The victorious life is not behavior modification as a focus. The victorious life is a change that happens on the inside so that your desires, dreams, imagination, plans, and emotions change first. And the outward change is merely a result of a dramatic inner turnaround. (true repentance)

Thank you Jesus that you became a curse for me so that none of the curses listed would happen to me. Thank you that you rose again to give me new life. Thank you for fulfilling the Law so that those blessings will happen to me just the way you promised. Thank you Lord that your eye of favor is always on me. Your grace follows me, hunts me down, and overtakes me every day for as long as I shall live. Thank you Jesus for my blessed life!

The Power of Two or Three

Harbor in Maine -photo by Greg Miller

On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
—Deuteronomy 17:6

One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
—Deuteronomy 19:15

At first glance, these verses out of the ancient Jewish Law seem reasonable. Of course, you would not want to listen to just one witness when judging a matter of murder or crime. But did you know Jesus quoted a portion of Deuteronomy 19:15? When Jesus talked about how to handle faults inside the Jewish community he told them to approach the offender privately. But if that didn’t work then take one or two others along (so there would be two or three) and he references the passage in Deuteronomy 19:15:

But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
—Matthew 18:16

Again, a statement like this is very pragmatic. But Jesus makes a reference to two or three persons in a different way here:

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
—Matthew 18:19-20

This is obviously not a reference to a matter of judging crimes or faults. In this reference Jesus seems to be implying that there is significance to have more than just one person present at the same time. Additionally, two things stand out to me: 1) the people are in agreement, and 2) Jesus is with them. The ancient Greek word used here for “agree” is symphoneo. It is a verb that means to voice the same opinion because the people in agreement are like-minded. It is where we get our English word for symphony. All the parts are working together in harmony. It appears that Jesus is assigning significances to more than one believer agreeing together about something on which they are focused. Fascinating!

And even Paul makes a couple references to the same passages out of Deuteronomy. But he uses it to emphasize the importance of what he is preaching by the number of visits to the Corinthians here:

This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
—2 Corinthians 13:1

Paul instructs Timothy about when to listen to accusations about an elder:

Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.
—1 Timothy 5:19

Lastly, the writer of Hebrews alludes to the passages in Deuteronomy when comparing the Old Covenant with the New Covenant:

28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?
—Hebrews 10:28-29

The significance of two or three people agreeing on the same thing runs throughout Jewish history in the Bible. It’s a very important concept. But I am not going to stop here. I have something more to add about the power of agreement.

Let’s look at the passage that so many preachers use for a new believer to be saved:

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
—Romans 10:9-10

I want you to focus on the words “declare” in verse 9 and “profess” in verse 10. (some translations use “confess”) The ancient Greek word used is homologeo in both places. It means to consent or agree that something is true. It literally means “same word” or to “speak the same thing”.

But what is meant here? Isn’t this a case of a new believer putting himself in agreement with God by admitting verbally that Jesus is Lord? And don’t the believer plus God make two that are in agreement? We have already established the importance of the power of the agreement between two or three parties, right? I hope you are understanding this. It is such a powerful concept!

One more thing: Imagine what happens when you read the Scriptures to find out what God says about you and then verbally acknowledge what God says about you. Isn’t this more important than what you say about yourself? Yes. Yes, it is. Because what God says about your is more true than what you say or think about yourself. You and I are humans. We are capable of lies, falsehoods, and misbeliefs. God never lies. In fact, It is impossible for Him to lie.

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
—Hebrews 6:18

So if confessing out loud what God says about you seems strange or even seems like it is a lie then check what you believe. Chances are great that you have aligned yourself with a lie about yourself. And when you catch yourself in this situation and you find you are agreeing with a lie then consider what party is on the other side of your agreement.

If you believe something that sounds like it opposes what God says about you, then who are you agreeing with? Is it not the father of lies, the accuser? The voices in your head of self hate, self loathing, self condemnation—are they not all from the deceiver and not from God?

God puts tremendous value on us all. So much so that He sent His only Son to die for us all. God did all this for us because He wanted to restore a right relationship between man and Himself. All the Scriptures should be read with this as the heart of it all. God loves us. Find out what He says about us and about what Jesus did for us on our behalf. That is what is true. Consent to God’s love for you. Agree with God and what the Bible says about you.

I’ll be telling you more about the power that comes from agreeing with God by giving examples of some of His promises to us all in the next few posts.

Don’t Do It! Today Is Not Your Day To Die!

 

Don’t Do It! Today Is Not Your Day To Die!

Right now you may be very angry because of great injustice. You may be outraged at what has been done to you. You may feel justified to take your own life and maybe even the lives of others. You may be feeling like life isn’t worth living anymore. Everything is so messed up that it is unfixable.

Don’t do it! Today is not your day to die! Nor is it a day for anyone else to die by your own doing.

God knows your heart. He has seen the magnitude of your pain. You thought no one noticed. But you are reading this right now. It is because God has drawn you. And you don’t know why. The finger of God is touching your heart right now. You are going to live. You are going to have another chance on life. May the Breath of Life breathe into your heart a new life!

There are others who face the question of whether or not to live today. Right now, today, you are all by yourself. Alone. The curtains are shut. Your room is dark. The door is closed. No one else is around. But your aloneness is only symbolic of the complete brokenness of your heart. It is as if it has been thrown down and it has shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. You feel crushed beyond repair. You feel like you have been cut off. Cut off from a relationship. Cut off from family. Cut off by people you thought loved you. Cut off by society. You have been humiliated, shamed, and even scorned. You feel unworthy of being helped. You don’t feel worthy of any relationship. And you may not even feel worthy to be loved at all.

Don’t do it! Today is not your day to die!

May the soft, comforting Wind of Heaven breathe life into your soul and surround you in Divine Love! May it mend together the pieces of your heart in Pure Tenderness. Your heart is getting a second chance. You thought no one noticed. But God knows the deepest thoughts of your heart. He knows and understands the rejection and shame you feel. You do not have to feel worthy to receive God’s Love. He chose to love you just like you are. He knows all your faults and He loves anyway. Because He chose to love you. On purpose. Let the Holy Spirit heal you like a warm liquid on the inside of you.

Maybe you are at the end of you rope today. You may feel as if you are being torn to pieces in every direction. You are weighted down with anxiety. You are bent over in your heart with a heavy burden. You may feel hopelessly worried, overcome with anxiety, full of fear with gripping strength, and struck with panic. You feel like you are totally out of control—like you are beyond hope.

Don’t do it! Today is not your day to die!

May the Mighty Hand of God give you support. May the Mighty Wind of the Holy Spirit blow the cares, worries, anxieties, and fears from out of your heart and mind. May the Light of Heaven shine new hope onto the big screen of your heart. May you be filled with a new outlook on life. God Almighty knew your every thought before you were ever born. You were ready to give up your life. But don’t do that. Instead, give up your cares, worries, anxieties, and fears to God. Say it out loud, “I can’t handle all this. I give it up to You. Help me now.” Feel the cleansing power right now. It’s dissolving all the things that weighed you down. God will give you a new hope today. You will have a new expectation that somehow everything is going to work out.

Or maybe you are the one who is reading this blog through the many tears. Tremendous grief and overwhelming sorrow have been your lot in life. Recently you have experienced yet another devastating loss. You are almost beyond tears. You have to face Despair every day. Every day seems gloomier than the rest. You cannot imagine losing any more. You feel as if your life has dwindled to nothing. You have come to the end of yourself. All hope is gone. There is nothing to live for anymore.

Don’t do it! Today is not your day to die!

May the Lord of Comfort hold you close. May the Spirit of Love move like a soft breeze inside your heart and dry your tears from the inside out. May the warm Oil of Heaven heal your heart with tender kindness and never-failing mercy. May the Light of Heaven glow inside of you. May the Bread of Life nourish your soul and fill all the empty places. May your sorrow be turned into joy.

To anyone else considering suicide—to those who are in a condition I did not describe—I have some words for you:

Don’t do it! Today is not your day to die!

Lord, you know these people inside and out. You know their thoughts and intentions. You know their pain, their hurt, their struggles, their stories, and their justification for arriving at a day and a time to end it all. May the All-Knowing, All-Powerful God who is Lord and Master of the Universe show Himself to be real on your behalf right now! May the God of Miracles touch your life and make your outlook on life—your perspective—brand new! You may not understand any of this. That’s ok. Give life another chance and watch for the Living God to prove Himself real to you!

Why am I writing this? In the 1990s my life fell apart. Everything I counted important in my life—that I had worked so hard to accomplish—failed miserably. I failed at so many things all at once that I came to the conclusion that my life wasn’t worth living anymore. I was not even worthy to be a human being on this planet. I was going to end it all. But God made himself real to me. And God sent people my way. Things I couldn’t explain happened. I got a verse God gave me. It has helped me many times:

I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done.
–Psalm 118:17 (New Living Translation)

I got that verse in 2001 in an Emergency Room, waiting for a diagnosis: “You will not die, but live”. Hours later I found out I had an acute form of Leukemia and I was given a 50-50 chance of living. Twenty-something years later I am still alive. I have new hope. I have purpose. And I love being alive. Every day is fresh and new—a gift from God. Amazing.

So you see the second part of that verse? “I will live to tell what the Lord has done.” And that is my purpose for being alive. It’s so I can tell others how God fixed my mess. He saved me from death. He gave me new hope. I’m alive so other people can know that God will do the same thing for them. He’ll take your mess and in exchange give you a new life and a new hope. It’s a great deal!

The Secret of King David

Great Blue Heron on nest with Florida sunrise – photo by Greg Miller

After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

—Acts 13:22

Wow! A man after God’s own heart! That is amazing! But this fact made me wonder “What was it about David that made him a man after God’s own heart?” And I’ll bet that you, like me, have heard many sermons on what it was that made David so special. And I’ll also assume that not many of those preachers agreed on what was the secret of King David—why he was so God’s pick over all the other men of that era.

I’ve heard many times that it was David’s quickness to repent after having Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle so he could take her as his wife. But if you look at the story in 2 Samuel 11 & 12, David was quick to repent only after he got caught. David’s son from Bathsheba was already born so it had to be a minimum of 9 months later that he repented. Besides, God called David a man after his own heart long before the Bathsheba incident (1 Samuel 13:14).

I’ve heard, too, that it was David’s many praises recorded in the Psalms that made him special. It’s true that praise is certainly important. And David appears to have done it more than most. But is this what prompted God to tell Samuel to go and anoint David King of Israel? Besides, the Psalms were written after David became king. And God called David a man after his own heart before he became king. (1 Samuel 16)

Recently I was studying about grace—God’s unmerited favor. I wondered if there was a counterpart to the word “grace” in the Old Testament. There is a Hebrew word for God’s favor in the Old Testament. It is chesed. Of course, under the terms of the Old Covenant, this favor was earned. It is a powerful Hebrew word that is not easily translated into English. In a nutshell, this is God’s Covenant Love for His people. The New American Standard is pretty consistent in rendering this word as lovingkindness. And more than half the references to this word are used in just one book—Psalms.

When I stumbled across this I was almost sure that I had found what made David so special. I felt like he was more familiar with his personal relationship with God than anyone else. And David knew intimately God’s love and favor toward him. As I read through Psalms again it was easy to see how many times David made mention of God’s favor—chesed. I was close. I had part of it. In fact all those other things are part of it, too.

Sometimes my lightning fast mind gets in the way of itself. This was one of those times. I spent years wondering and looking. And then recently my eyes were opened. The answer was right there in front of me all along. You all probably already came to that conclusion long before me. It is right there in the first verse I referenced at the top of this blog. Here it is again:

After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

—Acts 13:22 (bold is my own emphasis)

I finally read that last part of the verse: “…he will do everything I want him to do.” It is simple obedience borne out of David’s relationship with God. Hear and obey. It is so uncomplicated that I missed it over and over again. It seems anticlimactic, too, doesn’t it? Weren’t you expecting something more fantastic? I was.

At the end of all this it made me wonder. Why was I so intent on finding out what made David a man after God’s own heart? Looking inside myself I found that I wanted to be like that—a man after God’s own heart. But I already know that God loves me unconditionally. There is nothing I can do to make Him love me more. And there is nothing I can do to make Him love me any less. His Love is not performance-based. So how does obedience factor in with grace?

It is like this: how God motivates us—how He leads us is key here. God loves us first. As a result we are able to love others. God proves Himself to us. We trust Him. And the overflow of love inside us spills out to those around us. It is not forced. It results in outward actions that were birthed on the inside of us as a result of God’s abundant love.

Yes. God wants our obedience to Him. But not from our outward behavior modification. Man tries to emulate the outward actions without changing the heart. But God looks at the heart. It is the treasure on the inside of us that brings forth the fruit of obedience. When we value the things that God values on the inside then our outward actions will change.

Prayer: Lord help me. Show me what is truly important to You. Show me the things that you hold most valuable. Show me what has the greatest worth. Open my eyes to see and understand what You want me to see. Open my ears to hear and understand your voice. I give up all my opinions of what I think is right. Make my mind new today. Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayer.