Today: needing Him

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Sometimes Christians speak of being born again as if we did it, or at least had something to do with it. But this is a work of God. It is as mysterious as the wind. It is also a surprise. I remember when it happened, but have no idea how, or where it started, perhaps somewhere in the depths of my heart, but certainly in the depths of God’s heart!

Chambers says being born again from above is a perennial, perpetual and eternal beginning. He rightly points out that it brings freshness in thinking, talking, and living and makes the life of God filled with continual surprise, so much so that any staleness indicates my life is out of joint with God.

One sign of staleness is thinking ‘I must do this thing or it will never be done.’ However, I don’t need to rake my mind for something to do because staying fresh with God is not about me, not even about my obedience. It is from the Holy Spirit, light, newness, energy, the will to walk with Jesus and let Him constantly surprise me.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

Keeping close to God, being obedient, walking in the light and staying fresh are vital and somewhat connected. Jesus prayed the above prayer for my oneness with Him and with His people. His desire is that nothing gets between us, nothing to mar my relationship with Him, nothing to ruin the freshness of new life from the Holy Spirit.

I cannot draw my life, inspiration, even my energy from any other source than God himself. Chambers says that if I am depending upon anything but Him, I will never know when He is gone. That is a horrible thought. These days, it also seems a ridiculous thought. I felt yesterday that I was ‘running on fumes’ but it is not right to talk about the life and energy of the Holy Spirit as mere fumes. He is sustaining me at a time when there is no other source.

I need to eat. I need to sleep. I need to keep from being entangled in non-essentials that press me into ‘stale’ mode. Being born of the Spirit means having vision for the challenges of each moment. It also means being kept fresh for everything by the perennial supply of the life of God.

---

Last night Bob thought he would likely die soon. Every breath took too much energy. He called me to bring a book so I could take notes of what needed to be done. By the time I got to the hospital, he was repeating himself, nearly incoherent. He was struggling to breathe. Someone decided to raise the oxygen input. When that happened, he improved, forgot all he wanted me to write down. More tests, more x-rays, and so on, and he was much better by five pm. Still not out of those proverbial woods, but clearer of mind and able to breathe without gasping. God used Psalm 20 to comfort both of us.

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions! Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call. (Psalm 20:1–9)

Worldliness begins with an attitude

Many Christians think that worldliness is going to movies, watching too much television, spending money at the mall (particularly on Sunday), and having a well-paying career. Yet if I refrain from doing those things, I can still be worldly.

Worldly is better defined as “life thought of and lived apart from God.” A more familiar term is “secular,” which is not exactly the same idea, but close.

Worldliness is more about the inner person, the mind and motivations, than it is about what I am doing. Of course, having a worldly mind-set will affect what I am doing. The bottom line is that my Christian life will be in danger whenever my thoughts leave out God.

John warns me, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15–17)

Whenever I read this, I think of blatant desires such as too much food, sinful relationships, having more than I need, boasting and showing off, the obvious sins that mark a life lived apart from God, but by definition, worldliness is not always that obvious.

Today’s devotional booklet says that worldliness is about my thought-life. When my mind leaves God out, does not consult Him, does not consider His will, does not turn to Him when I feel needy, does not consider giving Him glory or saying thanks when things go well, then I am worldly. It is a spiritual danger because life flows out of our thoughts.

Jesus had this spiritual danger of worldliness in mind and prayed for His people about it. He said, “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:11)

Here, being kept by God means oneness with Christ, a unity that is cannot be worldly as long as that oneness is enjoyed. Unity is also oneness with other Christians, but it can be broken when any of us leave God out of our lives.

Jesus continued to pray, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:14–19)

Here I can see what might cause me to leave God out. The first thing is being hated by others because I am not worldly. One person yelled at me, “I don’t want to talk to you because you always bring God into the conversation.” That sort of rejection is a temptation to worldliness.

The evil one is always at it too, suggesting all sorts of ways to ‘do it yourself’ and not bring God into the picture. He is subtle. I think of those days when I’ve been so busy doing my own thing that I didn’t think of God or bring Him into any of my plans and actions.

Another temptation to worldliness comes with being different and set apart for God, which is what sanctification means. That can make me feel out of the loop, odd, misunderstood and other negatives which worldliness might do away with, at least for a little while. If I were not sanctified, if God were not at the center of my life, I might feel like I fit in and am not so alienated from others.

Another pressure is that idea of being ‘sent’ by Jesus into the world. He’s my boss, my motivator. Leaving Him out of things would allow me to do what I want to do, live like I please, satisfying those worldly desires and feeling good about fitting in, being accepted.

All of this sounds like a big ‘pity-party’ and it can become that, but not by keeping my focus on God. It is leaving Him out that makes me eventually experience that ‘poor-me’ feeling about the blessings I am missing. 

Indulging in worldliness is not at all what it promises. Leaving God out leaves a huge space empty. It does not work. Worldliness is a snare and a trap that I need to avoid.

What happens to my prayers after I die?

Whenever we travel, the thought crosses my mind that we could experience an airplane crash or be in an accident and never make it back. This doesn’t become a nagging worry, but occasionally makes me wonder about my family left behind. I know that God has answered my prayers for them but what will happen when I cannot pray? I notice when people pray for me, and when it seems like no one is praying. Will they notice the difference when I no longer intercede for them?

Today’s devotional is again in John 17 where Jesus is praying for His people. He says…

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

The reading for this verse points to the care and love Jesus shows as the time of His own death approaches. He faces great pain and unbearable spiritual heaviness, yet He is thinking of others. Such is the love of Christ.

Then the writer says, “As we remember our (relatives) every day and lay up prayers for them in the time of our health, so it becomes us to imitate Christ in our earnestness with God for them when we die. Though we die, our prayers do not die with us; they outlive us, and those we leave behind may reap the benefit of them when we are turned to dust.”

My heart says yes. This is obvious and I wonder why I was even concerned about it. The prayers of the saints enter eternity by the wonderful communicating power of the Holy Spirit. Once they are placed before God, they stay there. One example is when an angel came to a devout Roman man named Cornelius. He was afraid, but the angel said, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. (Acts 10:4)

His prayers were a memorial or a “reminder” to God and stayed before Him until He answered them. He sent Peter to tell him about Jesus.

So I can keep praying now in confidence that God is putting my prayers near His heart. He will answer them at the right time. I may not see the answers, but He will answer them.

As a child talking to my Father…

It’s been said that it isn’t what you know but who you know. As ethically debatable as that might be, the saying is true in prayer. In fact, the Bible even tells me not to pray in my own name, but in the name of Jesus. His access to God gives me access to God, and because I can come to the Father in the name of the Son, He offers great promises concerning my requests.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. (John 16:23)

Today’s devotional verse is the same one used in the past few days. It shows how Jesus appeals to the Father using the Name which He has been given.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

It seems this gives me instruction to pray in a similar way. “Lord God, I am Your child. By the saving power of Jesus Christ, I have been placed in Your family and I come to You as Your child, asking that You…”

Today’s devotional writer rightly says that I am not heard either for my much speaking or even excellent speaking. It is Christ’s pleading in heaven that makes my pleading on earth effective. That is,

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)

At the same time, the intercession of the Holy Spirit sometimes spills over into my heart and suggests prayers that I otherwise would not have imagined. Sometimes the contents that come out of my mouth surprise me because I didn’t know or even think that I should pray that way. Sometimes my emotions surprise me or my reasonings that form the basis for my requests, for they were not in my mind when I began to pray.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit are master communicators. When I pray, I might fumble and not know what to say or how to say it, but this is not important. Coming to God as His child and in the name of Jesus is important though, even on those days when my only hope is that He gave me an interpreter because I’m not sure what I’m praying about.

 ******************

NOTE: If anyone logs on to read in the morning or during the day, and Saturday's post is not here, no worries. I get on an early flight tomorrow and am not sure if I can post until evening. Keep trying! 

The Name of Jesus

A song line says, “Jesus, Jesus, there is just something about that name…” and there is. Many Christians admit that it is easier to say “God” than it is to say “Jesus Christ.” Perhaps this has something to do with the reactions. “God” is generic in that everyone has ideas about who God is, but Jesus Christ is specific, the name of a person but not just any person. He claimed to be God.

Jesus Christ is the name most used as blasphemy. I’ve never heard anyone curse leaders of other religions, although I suppose it happens. However, Jesus is a polarizing figure; people either love Him or are drawn to Him, or they sneer and curse His name, even without knowing who they are cursing.

Christians should say His name more than we do, but in the right way for His name is powerful. A few years ago, a person with demonic problems (identity deliberately vague) gave me permission to share with him what I thought was causing his suicidal thoughts. After I explained the way the forces of evil work, I said, “You need Jesus.” Instantly I sensed a release from oppression as he began to shake and sob uncontrollably. After calming down, he expressed that he was set free — just by the name of Jesus.

Some might raise eyebrows at that, but not those of us who have witnessed the Lord at work through the name of His Son. God described the power of His name early in the Bible. On one occasion, it had to do with an angel. Some would call this angel a theophany, which refers to a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ.

Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him. “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. (Exodus 23:20–22)

Because the name of the Lord was in this angel from God, he was not only an agent of protection and leadership, but of forgiveness and insurance against the power of their enemies. This sounds like a member of the trinity, for who else can forgive sin and do these things? His name is powerful.

Today’s devotional verse also speaks of His Name. Jesus is praying for His disciples and says to His Father…

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

Jesus asks that we be kept in the Name of God, but He also says that this very same Name has been given to Him. He shares the title and designation of God, because He is God the Son.

I’ve been studying the nature of God this week and looking at answers to the question, “How can Jesus be fully man and fully God?” My head aches as I try to understand some very wonderful analysis done by those with incredible insights. They use all that is said in the entire Bible and come to the same conclusion as was revealed to me in an instant when Christ came into my life: Jesus is God in human flesh. I could not articulate it at the time, and still struggle to explain it, but there are no alternatives. All of Scripture points to one God with three natures. This is why the name of Jesus is so powerful. He is no ordinary person and His name is powerful. Eventually, everyone will know it.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11)

United and kept by the power of God

Upgrading software often interrupts my quiet time with God because my devotional book is on my computer. While waiting for the upgrades to finish, I turned to a research paper that I’m supposed to read and write about for this week’s class. It is difficult reading. The author shows how Jesus could be fully God and fully man, without one compromising the other. He uses language and ideas that are foreign to me and my head began to ache as I tried to figure out the gist of his words.

This course (eight weeks) is crammed with assigned articles much like this one. They are thoughtfully selected so students might better understand biblical truths, particularly about Jesus. For me, some sections have moved me to tears with their expression of the beauty of Jesus Christ and the amazing things He has done.

Today’s devotional reading is much simpler but no less amazing. Consider this: Jesus Christ prays to His Father to keep His followers secure in Him and united to other Christians -- that we might demonstrate to the world the oneness that is between of the Son and the Father.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

Kept secure is a big issue in itself. Because of my union with Christ, I have eternal security. However, because God is sovereign and has good plans for me, I am secure in the events of this life too. That does not mean perpetual smooth sailing, but it does mean I am never out of God’s purposes for me, nor outside of this promise:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

Unity with other Christians is another big issue. I’ve met believers from all over the world and from all walks of life and that unity comes to the forefront almost immediately. (It can be blocked only by sinful attitudes in me or in them). I think of the Korean airline stewardess who made sure we found our hotel, and the chain store manager I sat beside on a flight from Chicago, and the smiling girl who worked in a small restaurant in China, and the many we have enjoyed fellowship with in churches across North America. The Spirit of Christ who lives in us also links us heart to heart. It is a beautiful thing.

My course is about the unity of one God in three persons. The concept is most difficult for our human minds. The course endeavors to clarify this reality, using both the Old Testament and the New to show that if all passages are taken into consideration, there is no other way to think about God.

This takes me back forty plus years to my conversion. I was reading in my living room and came across a verse from the Bible. In a moment of time, the Spirit of God opened my heart so that I understood immediately that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. I had not taken a seminary course or sat under anyone’s teaching. This understanding was from God to me, without study and without a headache! At the time, I would have been hard-pressed to explain how I knew that was true, but I did know and that knowledge still fills me with joy.

Now, as I read the explanations and the attempts at explanation of that same reality, rejoicing pushes hard against that headache. What God has done in Jesus Christ is a beautiful thing. He has changed my life because of His life and promises to pray for me forever, asking God to keep me in Him, and to keep me united with other Christians and with Himself. Again, this is a beautiful thing!