The Commerce of the Moment

Luke Chapter 2

Scripture:

Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him, by the Holy Spirit, that he would not die before he saw the Lord’s Christ.  (Luke 2:25-26)

There was also a prophetess, Ana, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was very old.  She had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.  She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

Observation:

This whole passage in scripture has always fascinated me.  I only posted the introductions of these two extraordinary people, please go back and read all of what they said to Mary and Joseph when they presented Jesus at the temple for the first time.

God provides not one but two witnesses, heralds, you might say, to announce the presence of Christ among the people.  The scripture doesn’t say that it caused a big fuss though.  Most of them likely didn’t even know what was happening right in front of them.

And that’s what I want to zero in on today.  Simeon and Ana were aware, awake, to what was happening in front of them.  The rest of the people had agendas, to do lists; “Stop at the temple, exchange Roman coin for temple coin, cue up at the line to make the sacrifice, stop at the cobbler on the way home, baby needs a new pair of shoes.”  Just because they lived in a different time, didn’t make them different than we are today.  We still sit in our church service making lists in our heads of the things we need to get done, don’t we?

I’m not saying that we should all be like Ana who stayed at church (temple) the entire time fasting and praying.  Well, then nothing would get done – would it?  But I am saying that she didn’t lose her focus on the things that were important.  She and Simeon were aware and watching for God to do the things he told them he would do.  Not only through the written prophesy from the past (the consolation of Israel: the birth of the Messiah), but also in the personal promises that he made them.  God promised Simeon personally to see Jesus before he died.  Simeon believed him, trusted in it, and acted on it by watching for him.  As a result: he didn’t miss Jesus in the crowd and the throng of distraction that the temple could have been with people coming and going, animal sacrifices bleating or cooing, well, you get the idea.

Application:

What promises has God made you?  There are many upon many for us in scripture that he promised ALL believers no matter what era we are born.  God may have, through the Holy Spirit, spoken to you personally as well; promised you things too. 

Are you aware?  Are you awake to the things going on around you?  Or are you distracted by the commerce of the moment?  Do you worry the lists in your mind and miss the dramas that happen in front of you?

Prayer:

Lord, I pray for us to not lose sight of your promises. I pray that the tyranny of the urgent, doesn’t overshadow the plans you have for us.  I pray lastly that we act in belief on the things you tell us.  Amen. 

Deeply Rooted

Colossians Chapter 2

Scripture:
My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. (Col. 2:6-7 Message Version; a paraphrase on thought for thought by one man, Eugene Peterson.)

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Col. 2:6-7 New International Version; a dynamic equivalent that balances between a word for word and thought for thought translation.)

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (Col. 2:6-7 New American Standard Bible; equivalent of a word for word translation. )

Reflection:
I selected these two verses in three different versions to illustrate the nuances of translation. Here's something I noticed: because God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient, it means that you have access, (through the Holy Spirit) to tap into a person who can help you all the time, every where, and with all power at his disposal.

What's more, because He is the Great I Am (a name he calls himself), it means that he is able to meet all of us throughout history at every persons point of need, simultaneously, with power. The profound change that happened in us at the moment of our "being rooted", continues to work itself out in us through the "building up" or "establishing" of our faith.

It's a progressive process that is lived out in our ordinary coming and going of life.

Prayer:
Lord, I spill over with thankfulness that you not only saved me and rooted me in you, but that you CONTINUE to build me up. Our relationship is a living thing. Thank you that you never leave me alone, but support me through that root system, to thrive and bear fruit. Amen!

Use Your Head!

Philippians Chapter 1


Scripture:
So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.  (Phil. 1:9-11) ~The Message


Observation:
I like using The Message version once in a while, it keeps the meaning fresh when you know and love the verses so well that you skip over them.  Paul is encouraging his congregation in Philippi with these words about love.  "You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush."  We all know people who are lead by their feelings, or maybe I should say that we've all had our turns of being lead by our feelings!  We've all been there.  So it struck me today, where the emphasis rested in this version.  So I went back to the NIV for reference and it  says "may your love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight."

Application:
Let me encourage you today with these words.  Spend time in whatever situations you find yourself in and use your head to test your feelings.  Let love (Christ) abound more and more, giving you knowledge and depth of insight.  

Ask Him for wisdom in that decision you need to make, that conversation you need to have.  It's so easy to let our reactions push us, and the emotion of the moment to drive.  

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your love, that living, growing thing inside of us that flourishes.  I praise you for the way your love is always appropriate, and that I can trust you to guide me into righteousness.  Amen.

"Why Does God Send People to Hell"

Ephesians Chapter 2 

Scripture: 

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  (Eph. 1-10) 

Observation: 

I have a group of accountability partners who look over what I write before I send it the Scio Journal. I asked them to pray for me today that I would find and write the things that the Spirit directed.  I said after reading the chapter that I wanted to address the misconception that most people have about salvation in thinking that they can get to heaven if they are just good enough.  I told them that I planned to title it "Why Does God Send People to Hell?" as my provocative opener.  I got back a comment that was so eloquently said that I asked permission to use it for today.  I figured that the Spirit spoke through her today instead of me, so why not step out of the way.  She agreed, and the following quote is the content of her comment. 

Quote: 

The strength of this chapter for me has always been the focus on Peace. The Peace that Christ brings between man and God (through His death) so that we can become who we were originally created to be.   

(15b-16) His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, (16) and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. So that (22) And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit, 

(10) For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Paul specifically relates it to Jew and Gentile (see vs 11-13), but I’ve always related it back to the top section (vs1-3) and seen it as also bringing peace between our two natures . . . not that our sinful nature loses its influence over us. . .but that through Christ we have the power to put it to death, to choose wisely, to choose HIM. The closer we crowd to Christ, the louder His voice/nature is and the more we can silence our sinful nature, thereby experiencing peace with God through His grace. 

A God who desires Peace with us, who has created good works for us, who desires fellowship would never “send sinners to hell”. I remember the Matthew 25 passage on sheep and goats. It’s vs. 41 that reminds me 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"  

Hell wasn’t created for us . . . it was created for Satan and all who would follow him in rebellion to God. . . . 

Prayer: 

Lord, for so long I had it backwards, thinking that I was born basically good and my bad behavior was what sent me to hell.  Going to hell isn't about what we do, it never was.  We were born ALREADY separated from you. Going to hell is not a choice you make for us, but one we make ourselves, to follow you or not.   Being saved from hell is about knowing you, accepting what you did for us on the cross and letting that love transform us so completely that it spills out thereafter into everything we do.  We are literally re created inside so that we become an instrument for you to use for good. Lord, help me conquer my sinful nature, help me crowd close to you so I can hear your voice and follow it.