You OWE me...not in God's Kingdom!

Matthew 18:23-35
Jesus says: "The Kingdom of God may be compared to..." and tells a story that is summed up like this:

A servant is called by the King to pay all His debts--which are BIG!  But he cannot pay and even though rightfully he deserves prison--the King has pity on him and releases him from all debt.

This same servant goes and finds a fellow servant, who owes him a relatively small amount and demands to be paid in full--his fellow servant begs for mercy but is given none and put in prison.

I have seen this same scenario played out by Christians over and over and over and over!!!  O how petty our hearts are!  How many times have we refused to forgive because we have be "hurt"!  Or stood on the ground that "it's not my fault" so why should I forgive them?  We get bitter, and hard...breaking off relationships, holding grudges, letting feuds develop--all because we want what we are OWED!  (be careful what you wish for!)

Jesus' message about the Kingdom of God is simple:  In God's Kingdom debts are forgiven by the King, and those who are forgiven are to do the same for others.  To hold another in debt to you is NOT the way of God's Kingdom!  (and yes, I know this sounds backwards to our sense of justice!)  But the point is that we have a King--Jesus--who has forgiven us ALL our debt (sin, wrong-doing), so who are we to hold it over another?

The story ends with Jesus saying there was an outcry against this first servant and the King came and delivered him to the jailer.  And Jesus ends by saying: "So my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive another from your heart" (that is from a heart that is forgiven by the King!)  In another place Jesus says we are to forgive as we have been forgiven...and that if we do NOT forgive, we will not be forgiven.

The way of God's Kingdom all flows from our KING JESUS--he has forgiven us
--not because we are worthy or earned it--but by grace and through His own payment for our debt.  He invites us into His Kingdom to live with the same "Kingdom values" as have been shown to us.

If as you read this people or situations come to mind in which you have not forgiven another...take time to bring that to Jesus--ask Him to help you...and go and forgive as you've been forgiven!

Is Christianity Unreasonable?

What would you do if you had a friend -- one whom you saw immense potential for good in -- and that friend began to talk about how it was inevitable that they would soon be harassed by those who did not like them and it would end in their own death?

Would you for starters say something like:  "No way!  Let's make sure that doesn't happen!...even "I'll protect you!"

I know I would.  Why would I allow my friend, who has such potential for good...to just go walking on into his own death.  I'd want to try stop it!

In Matthew 16 -- just after Peter has declared that Jesus is the King who would save His people -- Jesus starts talking about how when they get to Jerusalem, the religious leaders were going to persecute Him and kill Him.

Peter exclaims:  "Surely not Lord!  This shall never happen!"

Given the well-meaning intentions of Peter, Jesus' response seems a tad harsh:  "Get behind me Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Jesus follows this by saying things like:

"If you want to follow my you must deny yourself and take up your cross"

"whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"

I titled this post:  "Is Christianity (that is--following Jesus) Unreasonable?"

Here is the answer:  Yes...and NO.

From the perspective of our world -- let's be honest, it sounds unreasonable.  I mean, Jesus give Peter a break right?  He was just trying to save your butt!  We'd all do it!  So from this standpoint it would seem Jesus is being unreasonable -- His commands to give up our own lives to gain life--is by all means crazy sounding!

But then why does Jesus say it?  Perhaps Jesus sees something we don't...knows something we don't? Jesus pointed out Peter's problem:  'you have your mind set on the things of man, and not on the things of God' ... don't we all have that mindset naturally?

But Jesus viewed things from a different perspective--what we might say is an "unnatural perspective":  Jesus viewed life from the perspective of the Kingdom of God. In fact Jesus came to establish a New Kingdom...a New Way of Life.  But it is a Kingdom that is far different than the examples of this worlds Kingdoms.  The ways of the world will not get us to it...It is a Kingdom that is gained by giving up all that we hold so tightly to.

Jesus continued:  "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits His life?"

Jesus' point is that our lives are meant for more than the temporary, fleeting things of "this world" -- Our lives are created to be lives that eternally reflect the Image of God through knowing Him intimately.  But to know Him intimately requires an exchange -- our old, dying and fleeting life and all of it's "values" for a New and Eternal Life that is ours NOW in Jesus.

Beware of like Peter--one minute confessing Jesus as Lord...and the next moment chasing the things of the world.  We are all prone to it-- but let us press more and more into Jesus and seek more and more of HIM...give up your life and the pursuits that rob your soul of Life and Life to the full today!

 Accept the Good News of Jesus daily--the Good News that gives us life and life to the full in Jesus.  This life came to us by "unreasonable means":  it's not reasonable that Jesus would die for you and me when we did nothing to deserve it or earn it--and we never can. -- But His Love for you made it reasonable from the perspective of the New Kingdom that He is establishing and wants you in!

Let's live "unreasonable lives" of faith -- trusting Jesus and following Him wherever He leads--even if it is to "Jerusalem" -- where suffering and even death awaits.  For the Life He gives far outweighs anything we can give up!

(if you are one who reads this and something stirs within you, and yet it all seems "out of reach"--I'd love to talk more in person!)

Jesus: Descendant of a Prostitute--Your Life is NOT too messy -- part 2

"Judah father Perez and Zerah by Tamar"  (Matthew 1:3)  (Genealogy of Jesus)

It doesn't seem like anything too messy or scandalous.  In fact many Christians are familiar that Jesus is from the Tribe of Judah  -- "the Lion from the Tribe of Judah!"...But I think often we think of the tribe of Judah as this royal, pure lineage unlike any other.  In fact it is far from it!

This line in the genealogy recalls a messy and twisted story.

In short it begins with Judah seeing a Canaanite woman (Shua) as he is visiting his Adullamite friend Hirah.  As Genesis 38 tells us: "He took her and went in to her..."  psst -- yes it's exactly as it sounds!  Not exactly a picture of chivalry and romance!

From Shua Judah has 3 sons -- His firstborn Er is given to Tamar (from the genealogy of Jesus) --But Er was wicked in the sight of God and is put to death (we don't know what or why exactly).  But as tradition went in that day, his younger brother Onan had a duty "to go into his brothers wife" so that his brothers lineage could continue.  Well, Onan did not like the idea of producing a child that wouldn't be his, so Genesis tells us he did what was considered wicked and "wasted his semen on the ground"...and subsequently he also was put to death.  (I can't make this stuff up!)

Fast forward -- Judah promised his third son to Tamar but never got around to it...So Tamar is basically abandoned by Judah so years later she takes things into her own hands -- she pretends to be a prostitute, and lures her own father-in-law (when I say lures it doesn't seem like Judah required much luring to "go into" someone he found attractive!--see for yourself in Genesis 38!)  Later it is revealed to Judah that it was Tamar who pretended to be a prostitute and now she is pregnant--yes with the very same Zerah and Perez from Matthew 1!

Even by today's standards of very loose sexual morals this is one twisted story!  (ps  The Bible is full of them!)  And that doesn't mean the actions are affirmed--but it just shows how God even works in the most twisted and messed up circumstances that we create to bring about restoration and redemption!

God is not scared to work within the messiness...even the corruption of our lives!  He does not approve of it, nor condone it ---and yet...and this is what is so AMAZING about the GOSPEL--He works with and within it to bring about redemption and purity!

From Judah...and his incestuous relation with his daughter-in-law who pretended to be a prostitute--the CHRIST, the Saviour of humanity descends!  God isn't in the business of avoiding the mess or pretending it doesn't exist.  So don't be scared of bringing it too Him -- He is not turned off by your mess -- He longs to enter in, and bring healing, produce good and redeem all that is corrupt and broken so that it will be all for His Glory!  This is exactly what Jesus came into the world to do, and it is exactly what he offers to do in all of our lives through His Spirit.

If that is not GOOD NEWS, I don't know what is!

Don't interrupt me Jesus!

"...And they asked Him (Jesus) to leave their region."  (Matthew 8:34)

Jesus had just set free 2 men from debilitating demon possession.  And the people of the region knew it!  But they also knew that a whole herd of pigs were lost in the process.  A herd of pigs was a lot of "money"...important to the livelihood of those who owned and farmed them.  But what's a herd of pigs in comparison to the freedom of 2 men?  It seems, the cost was too much--they told Jesus to go.

Before we judge the people of this region--we ought to stop and examine our own hearts.  How do we react to Jesus when He interrupts or displaces our lives?

Just prior to this story a couple people who had been following Jesus around came to Him and OFFERED to follow Him -- Jesus' response was basically "Are you willing to have your life interrupted and displaced?"  (foxes have holes but I don't...let the dead bury their own dead)

The fact is we NEED our lives interrupted by Jesus.  We NEED our priorities and pursuits displaced by Jesus.  The question is will we invite Him to do so -- Or will we send Him out of the regions of our lives that we'd just rather keep control over---Thanks for offering Jesus, but no thanks!

I can't tell you what those areas are for you...but here are some common ones to start with examining in your own life:

-Money/Stuff
-Career/Job
-Relationships
-Time...

Lord Jesus--Interrupt our lives!  Displace us so that we would be better placed within the Life you give us.  Cast out the fear that comes up within us when we thinking of giving up control and help us to loosen our grip and trust you more everyday!

Your life is NOT too messed up for Jesus

In the genealogy of Jesus recorded in Matthew we encounter a bunch of very interesting details--let me just highlight one:

Matthew 1:6b -- "David (that is King David) was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah..."

Did you catch that???
Do you recall the story?

If  you don't know it--in short, King David saw a naked woman, thought to himself "I gotta have her" so he did...well she was married, got pregnant, things got messy so King David KILLED her husband and took her as his own.  Her husband was this man "Uriah".  And from his wife that King David took--Solomon was born.  Yikes right!?  Talk about a mess!

What's the point?

Not only did Solomon become the wisest and richest King in Israel's history--but more significantly--out of this mess of sin the line of King David continued down to the birth of JESUS!

Isn't it amazing that God allowed his own Son to be born through such dysfunction and sin?? (and this is just one example from the genealogy)  Even through all the mess that people made--God still accomplished His purpose of sending His Son in order to redeem us and rescue us from the sin and mess that WE created.

So what might this mean to you?

Maybe you've looked at how messed up your life is and you think--"God could never accomplish anything good out of this"... Don't believe that lie!  No matter how much of a mess your life might be--it is right into the middle of that mess that Jesus wants to come to bring healing, restoration and to transform you for His glory and for the benefit of His Kingdom!

Will you let Him?  Will you invite Him into your life--mess and all--and say "Jesus can you work with this?  Can you do something with my mess of a life?"  I promise you His answer will be YES!