The Ultimate Love Dare

In Matthew 10:31-38, Jesus challenges his followers with this, "Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my father which is in heaven. Think not I come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword...a man's foes shall be they of his own household...and he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

Matthew 5:44, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you."

The Ultimate Love Dare is This:

1. Do I love Jesus enough to pick up this cross of division and follow him?

2. Do I love Jesus enough to obey his command in Matthew 5:44 regarding these foes?

1. Love: to feel and exhibit esteem and gratitude to a person, to prize and delight in a thing. The etymology of this word is commonly understood properly to denote love based on esteem as distinct from that expressed by "amo", spontaneous, natural affection. In other words, this is dutiful love and it cannot be faked. It is a command.

2. Bless: to praise, celebrate with praises; to invoke blessing; to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers. It is a command.

3. Do Good: To perform beautifully, finely, excellently, well -- no reason for blame. It is a command.

4. Pray: Present tense, voice almost always translated as active and it is an imperative. It is a command.

It is God who works in us both to will and to do his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13). Do your work in me, God! Conform me to your image and make me a willing, obedient child to accept with joy your love dare. Amen!

Unbelievable!

Mark 16 gives the account of Jesus' resurrection. Perhaps the most disturbing verse of this chapter is verse 14, "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen." Before Jesus' arrest and crucifixion, he had tried to prepare the disciples for this time. He frankly spoke of the events surrounding the his death and resurrection. He even took three of them up to a mountain where they witnessed his transfiguration and saw Moses and Elijah, all proof of the truth of resurrection. Yet they did not understand. These truths Jesus revealed were uncommon. They definitely did not fit in their "boxes" of understanding. Nor would it have fit in ours.

The last verses of Mark 16, verses 15-20, give account of Jesus' charge to the disciples to go and tell, preach the good news of Jesus to everyone. Jesus told them that those who believe and are baptized will be saved but those who are not will be damned. Another difficult truth.

He also says that "these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Then a couple of verses later, "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following."

In our current day, it is not difficult for us to believe the crucifixion and resurrection. We have the perspective of history and scripture to help us understand and believe these things. I find it interesting that right after Jesus gets on the disciples for not believing he had risen from the dead, he begins to tell them about the signs and wonders that will follow "them who believe." The disciples had no problem believing that. They had already seen these signs and wonders. And now they were actually speaking to the risen Jesus. They believed what he said, obeyed by preaching the word and God confirmed His word with signs.

I have heard this passage explained away many times. I have heard pastors and teachers say that we should not expect signs and wonders in our day because those were just for this specific time in history. However, when I read this passage, I really don't see that. As a matter of fact, I don't see that teaching anywhere in the Bible. God is powerful. God's word is powerful. We have this treasure in our "earthen vessels" so that others can see His power through us and glorify Him (2 Corinthians 4). So why do we try to explain these verses away? What are we afraid of? Yes, there are those who misuse "signs and wonders" just as there are those who misuse all manner of scripture for their own benefit or to suit their own comfort level. But misuse does not negate truth.

I believe if Jesus were to walk into our midst today, he would upbraid us with our unbelief and hardness of heart. We need to pause before we criticize the disciples for their unbelief at something that seems so obviously believable to us. Contemplate this: do I walk in unbelief at the obvious teachings of God's word? Do I read it for the truth it contains or do I try to make it fit within my comfort zone? God confirms His word with power. Do I allow Him to do that in my experience? God, help thou my unbelief!

On Forgiveness

"And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses" Mark 11:25-26

I was looking for an "out" regarding the whole praying and forgiveness issue and I was thinking it would be okay to pray sitting, or even better kneeling or prostrate. Then I discovered the meaning of the word stand as it is used in this passage. It is translated from the Greek word steko which means, "to stand firm; to persevere, to persist; to keep one's standing". Then I thought of Psalms 66:18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Could it be that unforgiveness counts as iniquity in my heart? Jesus absolutely forbids unforgiveness. Certainly, a true Christian will not lose their standing as a child of God or their access to God, but the Bible is very clear that there are things that cut off communication with our Father.

Are you persevering and standing firm in prayer? Do you feel as though God does not hear those prayers or answer those prayers you have been praying for weeks, months or even years? I know I have some of those. There can be several reasons for that, but I think it would serve us well to investigate the possibility of unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts. On a very personal note, I have recently been surprised at some of the ugliness that has been revealed in my heart. Certain events in my life have pried open the mouth of a concealed well of bitterness and anger so that those rivers of living water are competing with, well, sewer water! Yuck.

This morning as I was praying about how in the world to have complete victory over unforgiveness, a verse came to mind. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Those were the words of Jesus as he hung on the cross. He uttered these words after being unjustly and severely beaten, mocked, humiliated and AS he was enduring a most painful form of death. I have previously realized that I have no right to hold unforgiveness in my heart if perfect Jesus forgives all things and endured all that he did. That in itself is a huge motivation for forgiveness. But apparently I need more motivation as I continue to struggle with "repeat offenders," especially those offenses that deeply hurt.

This morning when that verse came to mind, it begged a different question. Rather than the usual, how do I have the right to hold unforgiveness in my heart, it was the question of how could Jesus say they didn't know what they were doing? Of course they knew. They knew he was a just man. In all likelihood, many of them knew who he really was, their Messiah. They knew he did not deserve death. They knew they beat him and mocked him and humiliated him and crucified him unjustly. They absolutely knew what they were doing. Yet Jesus said they did not.

Jesus understood better than any could that the events of those days were fueled by a cosmic battle, a struggle so huge that the majority of the fight could not and would not be observed by the human eye. He understood that the people who hated him and acted so harshly on that hate were driven by unseen forces in the most intense battle of Good versus Evil. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood." (Ephesians 6) I believe Jesus could look at them and have compassion on them because he understood this intense battle and its effect on them and because he knew who they were apart from the sin that had them in its grip as a result of that battle.

And so it is with us. It is true we have no right to hold unforgiveness. There are, however, in each of our lives those situations that demand we continually revisit this issue of forgiveness. It is those repeat offenses that produce deep pain that result in deep and sometimes hidden wells of unforgiveness and bitterness despite our best attempts to cut off the supply to those wells. What are we to do with that? How can we pray effectively and run the race unencumbered by the "weight and sin"? I defer to my life verse, "With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible." The Bible says it is God who works in us both to will and to do his good pleasure.

So here is my prayer. God, work in me both to will and to do what you have shown me about forgiveness. Not only do I need to relinquish my perceived right to be offended, but I need to understand the offenders as Jesus understood his offenders. Help me be able to honestly say, "Father, forgive _________, for they know not what they do." And may others find the grace to say the same of me when I am the offender.

Amazing Vision, Petrifying Path

It's hard to say how many times I have started a project with intense excitement in terms of the goal and then quickly became overwhelmed at the enormity of actually carrying out of the steps to reach that goal. Sometimes I determine the project is not worth pursuing and other times I persevere because I really, really want to reach that goal. I believe this is a fairly common human experience.

I am intrigued by Mark 10:32, "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him."

Did you notice that? When Jesus began to lead them, they were amazed. The word amazed has a flavor of fear intermixed with wonder and awe. What happened as they began to actually follow Jesus' leading? They were afraid. In the Greek, the word translated afraid actually means "to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away)". In the context of this passage, the disciples were probably starting to understand why they were going to Jerusalem. They were beginning to see that this was not a pleasure trip. It was, however, a most necessary part of God's plan for mankind. There is much we can learn from this verse.

There have been times I have embarked on a new journey in my spiritual walk. Often my initial approach is one of amazement -- fear, awe, wonder. But as I walk it out, there are generally moments of indescribable fear. Times I cry out to God, "Did I understand you correctly? Is that really you up ahead on this path?" At times I am paralyzed with fear and stop dead in my tracks. Thankfully, though, God encourages my lead feet to follow his lead and as the path becomes more clear, the fear dissipates, purpose becomes evident and joy overtakes fear. Notice I did not say the path becomes easier. I said it becomes more clear. Its purpose is evident and it is of eternal value. Let us encourage one another to continue the journey. Let us be motivated to listen to our Leader as He coaxes us through those fears and leads us on our perfect path. Have you left the path? Meet Him there again. He so desires us to follow.

As a Little Child

Consider this verse in Mark 10, "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." Did you catch that? We MUST receive the kingdom of God as a child. We WILL NOT enter in otherwise. We don't often talk about the straight and narrow road or Jesus' teaching on that fact that few will enter in. Rarely do I hear teaching or preaching on receiving God's kingdom as a child. Often the focus of the teaching on this portion of the gospel is on our need to love and invest in our children. That is definitely important, but we tend to pass right over the fact that we are instructed very specifically by Jesus to accept God's kingdom as a child. One of the definitions of the word "child" in Strong's Online Bible is "metaphorically children in intellect". Of course, this is the only way an adult can do anything as a child. We cannot physically become a child. Does this mean we have "blind faith"? Absolutely not. Children do not blindly accept most things. If you have a child, you know that. You understand the thousands of "whys" that proceed out of the mouth of a child. What it does mean is that we approach God on the platform of belief, understanding He is Truth. It is from there we make our inquiries and seek to understand. It is in that stance, as a curious child whose understanding of life is incomplete, that we grow in our understanding of truth and our ability to grasp the concepts of faith. The Bible specifically says that God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. It specifically teaches that God doesn't think like we think. He does not work like we work. His ways are higher and better. When we seek Him with our man-made intellect, he does not make sense. If we continue to seek him in that fashion, we will eventually grow weary of this God and choose a wider path that will indeed lead to destruction. But, if we approach him as a child, marvelous things await. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. Believe. You will be continually amazed!

Just in Time

I love the story of the mount of transfiguration, which happens to be what I was reading this morning in Mark 9. I usually get a chuckle out of Peter's response because it's just such a typical human response to an awkward situation. Let me back up.

In this story, Jesus asked Peter, James and John to go with him up to a high mountain, away from everyone else. Here, these three disciples had the amazing experience of seeing Jesus transformed from his earthly body in his heavenly form, "..and he was transfigured before them, and his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them". As if that wasn't enough, "and there appeared unto them Eilias (Elijah) and Moses: and they were talking to Jesus".

Don't just glitz over this. Maybe you have heard this story a thousand times, but think about this. Can you just imagine? Wow! What an experience. If this didn't prove Jesus, nothing would. If this didn't prove resurrection, nothing would. What would my response have been? It's hard to say. I suspect I would have been perhaps speechless and in a dead faint; or if I managed to stay on my feet, I may have eventually felt compelled to some sort of action as Peter did. He surmised it was good for them to be there and then suggested they build three tabernacles -- one for Jesus, one for Elias and one for Moses. Brilliant! He was afraid. And I would have been as well.

This was an amazing revelation Jesus gave them to prepare them for his coming death and subsequent resurrection. They would need the assurance of who Jesus is as well as the assurance of the resurrection to give them hope during the dark hours between Jesus' death and resurrection. But, at the moment of the revelation, they really didn't know what to do with it.

As I read this account this morning, I started to recall some specific things God has revealed to me over the years. Often He has re-taught me a truth that struck me in a deeper or slightly different way than it had before. Often, those truths were in direct preparation for an upcoming situation in my life. Those are sweet, intimate times with my Father.

I also thought of how often my strongest desire is to take that revelation and act on it immediately. I become like Peter...since I have this great truth now, I must DO something about it. And then my flesh takes over and if I don't heed the "whoa" of the Holy Spirit, I can create one huge mess! Lesson -- wait on God. He is precious to prepare us and we must remember that it is sometimes days, weeks, months or even years before that piece of preparation finds its proper place in the puzzle of our life.

Eight the Great

I love the book of Mark. I don't know if I have ever heard anyone say that Mark is their favorite gospel, but I do have a tendency toward the abnormal... What I love about Mark is the glimpse it gives us into how Jesus felt when he encountered a variety of individuals in an array of situations. He felt compassion, love, anger, frustration -- the whole realm of emotions we each experience. This blog entry is just a synopsis of some things I learned from Mark chapter 8 in this read through.

Verses 1-9 tell the story of Jesus feeding about 4000 people with 7 loaves of bread and a few small fishes. What I found interesting is that the people were not asking for food. They had been seeking Jesus and feasting on his words for 3 days. Before Jesus sent them on their way, he had compassion on their physical needs and performed a with-man-this-is-impossible-but-with-God-all-things-are-possible act in order to meet their needs. It was easy for Jesus to provide for them physically. It was his desire to provide for them physically. He did it out of compassion. He did it, too, because they sought him. Oh that my focus would be Jesus alone!

Verses 10-13 Jesus encounters the Pharisees. They, too, were seeking Jesus but their motives were all wrong. They were tempting him and trying to find error with Jesus. They were seeking reasons to support their unbelief. They asked Jesus for a sign. Jesus refused. We know he was capable of showing them a sign. He just performed an amazing miracle in the previous verses. In the previous chapters, the Pharisees themselves had either witnessed or at least surely heard of all the miracles that Jesus did. Seeking Jesus out of bitterness and strife is a dead-end street in our spiritual journey.

Verses 14-21 talk about the disciples being paranoid that Jesus was getting on them for forgetting to bring bread on their journey. Jesus starts warning them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and their minds immediately go to the physical -- "he knows we forgot to bring bread". Jesus tells them their hearts are hard and reminds them of the miracle they just witnessed. He asks them how they could possible not understand. This part really steps on my toes right now -- ouch! The current circumstances in my life are such that the temptation to focus on the physical is strong. Have I not seen great miracles, even as recently as last week? Do I not remember? Why is it that my mind immediately goes to the physical when Jesus' desire is to teach me a much more profound lesson of the spiritual through my physical circumstances?

Verses 22-26 are interesting because Jesus heals a blind man. But this is different than the other healings we have seen in Mark thus far. This time, the healing takes two touches from Jesus. Why? Was this particular miracle too big to be done in just one touch? Of course not. Remember, we're talking about the one who created everything. The lessons here are undoubtedly many, but the one obvious theme is that God does not work the same way even in similar circumstances -- a consistent truth throughout the Bible. Healings can be instantaneous and healings can take time. Jesus is sovereign. Jesus is omnipotent. He does not fit in my box.

In verses 27-33 Peter declares correctly who Jesus is, "You are the Christ!" Then Peter immediately tries to correct Jesus' teaching on the difficult things that Jesus must soon endure. Oops! Jesus rebukes Peter with harsh words, "Get thee behind me Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." Ouch! Recognizing Jesus is only the beginning of this journey. Savoring the things of God is a heart matter.

Finally, verses 34-38 are touching really. Sometimes it is easy to fall into condemnation when I see so much of myself reflected in the mess-ups of the disciples. My heart is hard. My faith is small. I don't savor the things of God. I'm a mess! But Jesus loves his disciples. He continues to teach them. They are sometimes quite slow. I am often quite slow. Jesus is full of mercy, love and compassion. He continues to teach. And the teaching here is not a light one. Do I want to follow Jesus? Yes! Take up my cross. Lose my life. Do not be ashamed. Savor this teaching of God! Enter grace.