When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.
They shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. The sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates, and devour them because of their own counsels. My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all.
How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD. (Hosea 11:1-11 ESV)
It would seem clear from reading the Bible that parents are not responsible for the behavior of their children. One key example of this truth is that God is the Father of His people and they are always rebelling against HIM. God is a perfect Father. Yet, HIS children do not obey.
God loves HIS children. He communicates them HIS love. He invites them into a healthy relationship with HIM but instead they follow other gods. God the Father teaches His children, heals them, and feeds them. Yet, they go astray.
At the time this passage was written the apostasy of Israel had brought upon them the promised results. If they did not want to be the children of God then they could return to the world. The EXODUS could be reversed. From the nations they were created and to the nations they could return. Assyria will come and take the ten tribes into captivity because they had rebelled.
But, as the heavenly Father sees the just and logical consequences of the sins of his covenant children HE cannot just let them go. How can he allow them to be destroyed like Admah and Zeboiim, two minor cities that were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah? No, the FATHER’s great compassion cannot allow that to be their end. He will bring revival to Israel. He will give them life again.
Here we see God’s great grace motivated by HIS great love. He will wake up HIS spiritually sleeping children and they will return to HIM. He will save the nation and they will fulfill HIS redemptive purpose in history. God’s grace will satisfy God’s justice and bring the kingdom of God to the earth. God’s grace gives hope.
Now God’s election works at many different levels. God the Father elects individuals to have personal faith in Messiah Jesus and be His disciples in a broken world. God the Father has also elected to create a new community “The Church” which is the “new Israel” made up of both Jew and Gentile believers to be His covenant people (see Ephesians 2). God the Father has also elected to bring all of physical Israel and most of the middle east to faith before the final coming (see Romans 11 and Isaiah 19:19-25). God works with both individuals and with groups.
God, the creator of the world, is the ruler of the nations. What is the basic principle by which God works among the nations?
If I threaten to uproot and shatter an evil nation and that nation turns from its evil, I will change my mind. If I promise to make a nation strong, but its people start disobeying me and doing evil, then I will change my mind and not help them at all. (Jeremiah 18:7-10 CEV)
So God is at work to establish justice among the nations but mixes this with mercy and compassion. Like Nineveh, rebellious nations can be spared (see Jonah). Repentance is always the wisest choice for nations, churches, or individuals (Revelation 2 & 3).
Today let us remember that God is our heavenly Father. He has adopted us in Messiah Jesus. He has given us the same relationship with HIM as Messiah Jesus has with HIM. We have become the “sons and daughters of God”. He gave this gift to us. It was 100% motivated by HIS great love. It was given to us by grace alone.
How have we rebelled against HIM today? What actions, words, and attitudes are not conformed to HIS will? What idols (objects of ultimate concern) do we have in our lives?
Do you hear the Heavenly Father calling out to you today? Do you hear HIS invitation to come home? Are you ready to return to HIS will for your life and the warm embrace of HIS unconditional love?
Remember, the heavenly FATHER who began a good work in you will see to it that you finish the race well and are with HIM forever in glory. HE never fails to save any of HIS true children. Find joy in HIS grace and love this day.
Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's love. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part four
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10 ESV)
We must love one another as we really are and not as we would ideally like others to be. We must honor each other in our imperfect state and not in some ideal state in which we have no faults. We are called to love and honor real broken people and not some "ideal" Christians who do not exist in the real world.
The love we are to have for other Christians is unconditional. It is not based on their performance. The honor we are to give them is also unconditional. It is not based on their performance. Only unconditional love and honor last since everyone we love and honor is a sinner. Because those we love and honor sin we will eventually find fault with them if we look for it. If our love and honor is conditional upon their performance then we will find reason not to love and honor them.
This is entirely different than the way the unbelieving world system operates. Love and honor are earned by good performance. Here in the kingdom of Christ they are given as a gift to all who call upon the name of the Lord Messiah Jesus. Doing Church well means that we strive to feel love and honor for every Christian seeing in them God's image and God's child. We see in them the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. We embrace them as God's child and our spiritual sibling. This is all done as a gift even as we have been accepted by God in Messiah Jesus as a gift.
Only a focus on grace can allow us to do church well.
We must love one another as we really are and not as we would ideally like others to be. We must honor each other in our imperfect state and not in some ideal state in which we have no faults. We are called to love and honor real broken people and not some "ideal" Christians who do not exist in the real world.
The love we are to have for other Christians is unconditional. It is not based on their performance. The honor we are to give them is also unconditional. It is not based on their performance. Only unconditional love and honor last since everyone we love and honor is a sinner. Because those we love and honor sin we will eventually find fault with them if we look for it. If our love and honor is conditional upon their performance then we will find reason not to love and honor them.
This is entirely different than the way the unbelieving world system operates. Love and honor are earned by good performance. Here in the kingdom of Christ they are given as a gift to all who call upon the name of the Lord Messiah Jesus. Doing Church well means that we strive to feel love and honor for every Christian seeing in them God's image and God's child. We see in them the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. We embrace them as God's child and our spiritual sibling. This is all done as a gift even as we have been accepted by God in Messiah Jesus as a gift.
Only a focus on grace can allow us to do church well.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Doing Church Well - Part Three
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34,35 ESV)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The hard thing about doing church is that it is a group activity. From the time of the desert monks it was seen by many people that it was easier to at least feel holy if you did not have to interact with other people. It is easy to love human kind and not be able to stand people.
It is in that dynamic fellowship of different personalities, cultures, genders, philosophies, options, tastes, outlooks, and experiences that we are tested to have healthy, caring, compassionate, honest, encouraging, and challenging relationships. This is what makes up the fellowship of the church. A group of diverse strangers striving to live as the family of Messiah Jesus.
The only thing we have in common is our Messiah Jesus. That connection to Him is suppose to be enough to allow us to connect to each other in caring, compassionate, gentle, and healthy ways so that we can help, encourage, and nurture each other towards becoming more like Messiah Jesus and doing His will on earth together. Being "in Messiah Jesus" is to make us united and one.
Any reading of the New Testament points out how hard this was. The Jews did not respect the Gentiles. The Gentiles could hate the Jews. Women were seen as inferior to men in the Roman empire and women could want to disrespect men in the new freedom offered in Christ. Rich Christians could fear that the poor Christians were trying to take advantage of their relationship with Christ and the poor Christians could judge the rich Christians as lacking in compassion when they did not respond to their needs.
The Apostles themselves struggled to find a practical answer on how to overcome the culture wars between Jew and Gentile in the church (see Acts 15). At the very least many of the followers of James and Paul saw the two men having different solutions to the "Gentile problem." Paul will have friends and co-workers such as Hymeneus and Alexander (1Ti_1:19, 1Ti_1:20) and Demas (2Ti_4:10) who will have their faith ship wrecked. Peter and Paul will have conflict as well because Peter will act in a hypocritical manner. (Gal 2).
Christians in the New Testament struggled with still practicing sexual sins, gossip, self righteous judgement, taking each other to court, splitting up into cliques, forming personality cults, bringing pagan ideas into the church, forsaking sound doctrine, getting involved in strange views of prophecy, misuse of spiritual gifts, rebellion against leadership, and leaders abusing those who followed. These problems which are all recorded in the New Testament we see continue after the age of the Apostles and repeated all during church history. The continued moral brokenness of Christians manifest itself in the practical fellowship of believers making it hard to show love for each other.
The Messiah Jesus actually makes success in loving each other the mark by which the unbelieving world is suppose to be able to tell if people are disciples of the Messiah. When the world sees sacrificial love within a fellowship of people who claim to follow Messiah Jesus then they can know they have found the "real"thing. Messiah Jesus makes real love the way people can know the genuine disciples from those who only claim discipleship. This raises loving each other to the top priority for the church.
But how to practically do that when each of us is so broken and has so much baggage is a hard problem to solve. Many Christians do not know how to have healthy human relationships in any aspect of their lives and so there is little likelihood they will succeed in "loving" Christians at church where they have less connection to than their family and friends. So the failure of the church to be a community of love is easier to understand than when it succeeds.
Now, by the grace of God the church has shown Christ like love to each other. The New Testament believers took care of widows and orphans, made sure that no poor Christian went without food and shelter, overcame the cultural differences between Jew and Gentile with wisdom, and gathered together in a communion of truth and good works (Acts 2:41-47). This would lead to the ancient world commenting on the early church "We are amazed at how they love one another." Therefore, at a practical level, with all the imperfections, the early church did demonstrate substantial love that was recognized by the world. We must always remember to look at the glass half empty and half full when we strive to understand the church. Never perfection only direction.
In my life I have seen Christians love each other in profound ways. I have seen people sacrifice time, money, and life to help others. I have seen the body of
Christ demonstrate real and amazing love towards others and myself. Such times fill my heart with joy even now.
However, it seems that over long periods of time it is hard for Christians to remain in a fellowship or church without this love breaking down. Social politics, personalities, failed dreams, desire for power and control, different opinions, cliques, gossip, judging each other, lack of respect, poor communication, unresolved conflicts, envy, competition, and desire to dominate; all begin to surface more and more, eventually breaking up friendships and fellowships; sometimes in some very ugly ways. It seems hard to establish long term healthy and committed relationships in the body of Christ.
It is hard to do church well. What can we do? We must become aware of how hard it is to really practice love. We need to look for ways we can increase in our love for each other. How are my actions hurting other Christians? In what way am I falling short of loving others as Messiah Jesus loved me? How can we maintain and increase unity with each other? How can we show respect for leaders? How can we give encouragement to followers? How can we do the church well and really love one another? That is one of the greatest challenges of our lives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The hard thing about doing church is that it is a group activity. From the time of the desert monks it was seen by many people that it was easier to at least feel holy if you did not have to interact with other people. It is easy to love human kind and not be able to stand people.
It is in that dynamic fellowship of different personalities, cultures, genders, philosophies, options, tastes, outlooks, and experiences that we are tested to have healthy, caring, compassionate, honest, encouraging, and challenging relationships. This is what makes up the fellowship of the church. A group of diverse strangers striving to live as the family of Messiah Jesus.
The only thing we have in common is our Messiah Jesus. That connection to Him is suppose to be enough to allow us to connect to each other in caring, compassionate, gentle, and healthy ways so that we can help, encourage, and nurture each other towards becoming more like Messiah Jesus and doing His will on earth together. Being "in Messiah Jesus" is to make us united and one.
Any reading of the New Testament points out how hard this was. The Jews did not respect the Gentiles. The Gentiles could hate the Jews. Women were seen as inferior to men in the Roman empire and women could want to disrespect men in the new freedom offered in Christ. Rich Christians could fear that the poor Christians were trying to take advantage of their relationship with Christ and the poor Christians could judge the rich Christians as lacking in compassion when they did not respond to their needs.
The Apostles themselves struggled to find a practical answer on how to overcome the culture wars between Jew and Gentile in the church (see Acts 15). At the very least many of the followers of James and Paul saw the two men having different solutions to the "Gentile problem." Paul will have friends and co-workers such as Hymeneus and Alexander (1Ti_1:19, 1Ti_1:20) and Demas (2Ti_4:10) who will have their faith ship wrecked. Peter and Paul will have conflict as well because Peter will act in a hypocritical manner. (Gal 2).
Christians in the New Testament struggled with still practicing sexual sins, gossip, self righteous judgement, taking each other to court, splitting up into cliques, forming personality cults, bringing pagan ideas into the church, forsaking sound doctrine, getting involved in strange views of prophecy, misuse of spiritual gifts, rebellion against leadership, and leaders abusing those who followed. These problems which are all recorded in the New Testament we see continue after the age of the Apostles and repeated all during church history. The continued moral brokenness of Christians manifest itself in the practical fellowship of believers making it hard to show love for each other.
The Messiah Jesus actually makes success in loving each other the mark by which the unbelieving world is suppose to be able to tell if people are disciples of the Messiah. When the world sees sacrificial love within a fellowship of people who claim to follow Messiah Jesus then they can know they have found the "real"thing. Messiah Jesus makes real love the way people can know the genuine disciples from those who only claim discipleship. This raises loving each other to the top priority for the church.
But how to practically do that when each of us is so broken and has so much baggage is a hard problem to solve. Many Christians do not know how to have healthy human relationships in any aspect of their lives and so there is little likelihood they will succeed in "loving" Christians at church where they have less connection to than their family and friends. So the failure of the church to be a community of love is easier to understand than when it succeeds.
Now, by the grace of God the church has shown Christ like love to each other. The New Testament believers took care of widows and orphans, made sure that no poor Christian went without food and shelter, overcame the cultural differences between Jew and Gentile with wisdom, and gathered together in a communion of truth and good works (Acts 2:41-47). This would lead to the ancient world commenting on the early church "We are amazed at how they love one another." Therefore, at a practical level, with all the imperfections, the early church did demonstrate substantial love that was recognized by the world. We must always remember to look at the glass half empty and half full when we strive to understand the church. Never perfection only direction.
In my life I have seen Christians love each other in profound ways. I have seen people sacrifice time, money, and life to help others. I have seen the body of
Christ demonstrate real and amazing love towards others and myself. Such times fill my heart with joy even now.
However, it seems that over long periods of time it is hard for Christians to remain in a fellowship or church without this love breaking down. Social politics, personalities, failed dreams, desire for power and control, different opinions, cliques, gossip, judging each other, lack of respect, poor communication, unresolved conflicts, envy, competition, and desire to dominate; all begin to surface more and more, eventually breaking up friendships and fellowships; sometimes in some very ugly ways. It seems hard to establish long term healthy and committed relationships in the body of Christ.
It is hard to do church well. What can we do? We must become aware of how hard it is to really practice love. We need to look for ways we can increase in our love for each other. How are my actions hurting other Christians? In what way am I falling short of loving others as Messiah Jesus loved me? How can we maintain and increase unity with each other? How can we show respect for leaders? How can we give encouragement to followers? How can we do the church well and really love one another? That is one of the greatest challenges of our lives.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!
I remember presents under the tree, long tables of food, and getting into trouble with my cousins. Most of the time my family lived in tension, fighting, shouting, hurting, and hitting. But at Christmas we knew how to lay aside all of our dysfunction and celebrate the birth of Jesus the Messiah.
Christmas was the safest time of the year. Somehow all of the insanity that normally ruled our lives would be forgotten and we would pretend that all was well. I loved to see Christmas come and hated to see it go.
Many people this year are struggling with having a big Christmas. Fear of the economy, concern about new taxes, and being unemployed have demanded we buy less. Credit card companies increasing interest rates and lowering line of credits have ended the normal way many people financed Christmas. Christmas this year instead of feeling safe can for many people be forcing them into facing the hard economic times that they will have to live with in 2010.
But Christmas is more than presents. It is suppose to be a time of remembering an eternal love that came to us in a baby boy. It is a reminder that even during economic crisis, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Messiah Jesus. It is to remind us that we are always safe in God's love and in God's plan for our lives. We may suffer but all suffering has purpose.
So this Christmas take time to open your heart to feeling the embrace of God that is found in the Messiah Jesus who became fully human that He might die for our sins and take us to the kingdom of heaven forever. Messiah Jesus came that we might know God and be free of our sin. That really is the best news we will ever hear for all eternity.
I remember presents under the tree, long tables of food, and getting into trouble with my cousins. Most of the time my family lived in tension, fighting, shouting, hurting, and hitting. But at Christmas we knew how to lay aside all of our dysfunction and celebrate the birth of Jesus the Messiah.
Christmas was the safest time of the year. Somehow all of the insanity that normally ruled our lives would be forgotten and we would pretend that all was well. I loved to see Christmas come and hated to see it go.
Many people this year are struggling with having a big Christmas. Fear of the economy, concern about new taxes, and being unemployed have demanded we buy less. Credit card companies increasing interest rates and lowering line of credits have ended the normal way many people financed Christmas. Christmas this year instead of feeling safe can for many people be forcing them into facing the hard economic times that they will have to live with in 2010.
But Christmas is more than presents. It is suppose to be a time of remembering an eternal love that came to us in a baby boy. It is a reminder that even during economic crisis, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Messiah Jesus. It is to remind us that we are always safe in God's love and in God's plan for our lives. We may suffer but all suffering has purpose.
So this Christmas take time to open your heart to feeling the embrace of God that is found in the Messiah Jesus who became fully human that He might die for our sins and take us to the kingdom of heaven forever. Messiah Jesus came that we might know God and be free of our sin. That really is the best news we will ever hear for all eternity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
