Blog: “Discovering His Living Hope”

Ephesians 4:26-27 Amplified Bible

²⁶ Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down.  ²⁷ And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Offering forgiveness to others is one of the most difficult, important aspects of the Christian life. The Word of God clearly covenants with us to forgive others.

God longs to fashion us into his likeness that we might model the love we’ve been shown to a world with no concept of mercy.

He longs for us to offer each other continuous grace, a lifestyle of forgiveness to the undeserving as we, like Christ did for us at Calvary, have been offered grace upon grace and forgiveness upon forgiveness when we too were undeserving.

Today and for as many tomorrows as God gifts to Hus children, May we each be filled with courage and boldness to offer forgiveness to those in desperate need of grace. And may the lasting experience of our God’s true forgiveness and love shine bright through as we enter into our calling as a minister of reconciliation.

About that “Lifestyle of Continual Forgiveness”

Ephesians 4:26-27 Easy-to-Read Version

²⁶ “When you are angry, don’t let that anger make you sin,”^[a] and don’t stay angry all day. ²⁷ Don’t give the devil a way to defeat you.

Ephesians 4:26-27 offered the Ephesian followers revelation on an important and often unknown, seldom preached, seldom emphasized spiritual principle.

Scripture says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” 

When we do allow anger to fester within us for hours, days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, we allow the enemy to gain a foothold in our lives that robs us of the abundant life provided in Christ.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul is clearly expressing to them that anger in itself is not a sin; it’s when we allow anger to remain anchored into our souls instead of choosing grace and forgiveness, that we violate God’s command.

When people wrong us the natural response is to be angry, and that is all right!

Jesus himself was often angry. 

Matthew 21:12 tells us, “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.” 

In the Gospel Narrative of John, Jesus too the time to create a whip and used it.

John 2:13-21 Amplified Bible

First Passover—Cleansing the Temple

¹³ Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And in the temple [enclosure] He found the ^[a]people who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at their tables. ¹⁵ He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; ¹⁶ then to those who sold the doves He said, “Take these things away! Stop making My Father’s house a place of commerce!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Scriptures], “Zeal (love, concern) for Your house [and its honor] will consume Me.” ¹⁸ Then the Jews retorted, “What sign (attesting miracle) can You show us as [proof of] your authority for doing these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ Then the Jews replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But He was speaking of the temple which was His body.

Jesus was consistently angry with those who claimed to know God, worship and pray to God and simultaneously took the greatest advantages of fleecing others.

Nothing made him more angry than pharisaical people.

But Jesus also modeled forgiveness of the highest form. Rather than being filled with anger and allowing it to fester inside of him, he offered his life out of his love for the very people who shouted, “Crucify him!” and “Free Barabbas!”

The truth is that our anger is often a symptom of our brokenness rather than the result of the wrongs of others.

Often, anger is rooted in our own insecurities and pride rather than a righteous anger for justice.

It’s for this reason the Bible teaches us all over and over again to be slow to anger. 

James 1:19-20 says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” 

Proverbs 19:11 says, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” 

And Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”

Psalm 86:15 Amplified Bible

¹⁵ 
But You, O Lord, are a God [who protects and is] merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.

Psalm 103:8 Amplified Bible

⁸ 
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in compassion and lovingkindness.

Psalm 145:8 Amplified Bible

⁸ 
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

Proverbs 14:29 Amplified Bible

²⁹ 
He who is slow to anger has great understanding [and profits from his self-control],
But he who is quick-tempered exposes and exalts his foolishness [for all to see].

The Lord desires to make us a people filled with his mercy, grace, charity and compassion and forgiveness over our own anger and prideful sense of justice.

God, who was deserving of everything, gave it all up to show us grace. Jesus is the rightful King of kings and Lord of lords. But rather than claiming what was rightfully his own, he humbled himself before a Roman prefect and a rebellious people and gave up his own life. And now he asks you, me, we, to do the same.

Jesus is asking you to lay down your rights and pride to pursue a higher calling of unconditional love. He’s asking you to show grace where none is deserved.

He’s asking you to offer mercy where there should rightfully be none. And he’s asking us to forgive others so heaven might come to earth through our actions.

Commit your lives to living a lifestyle of continual forgiveness today, and allow God to work through you to bring His message of salvation, forgiveness and of reconciliation and restored relationship to a world in desperate need of a Savior.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on God’s command to live a lifestyle of continual forgiveness. 

Allow his word to fill you with a desire to be slow to anger and quick to forgive and offer grace.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27

“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

2. Who do you need to offer forgiveness to today? 

What anger have you allowed to fester in your heart?

3. Forgive that person or those people in your heart right now. Offer grace to them in your heart that you might receive healing in the place of bitterness.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25

1 Peter 2:23 “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” 

May we become like Jesus and offer grace and forgiveness to others who are undeserving.

May we be reflections of his love by being slow to anger, quick to offer mercy.

May his light shine through us today into a world wrought with deep darkness.

Psalm 86 Amplified Bible

A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.

A Prayer of David.

86 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
For I am distressed and needy [I long for Your help].
² 
Protect my life (soul), for I am godly and faithful;
O You my God, save Your servant, who trusts in You [believing in You and relying on You, confidently committing everything to You].
³ 
Be gracious and merciful to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry out all the day long.
⁴ 
Make Your servant rejoice,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul [all that I am—in prayer].
⁵ 
For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our sins, sending them away, completely letting them go forever and ever];
And abundant in lovingkindness and overflowing in mercy to all those who call upon You.
⁶ 
Hear, O Lord, my prayer;
And listen attentively to the voice of my supplications (specific requests)!
⁷ 
In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
⁸ 
There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works [of wonder and majesty] like Yours.
⁹ 
All nations whom You have made shall come and kneel down in worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
¹⁰ 
For You are great and do wondrous works!
You alone are God.

¹¹ 
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
I will walk and live in Your truth;
Direct my heart to fear Your name [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
¹² 
I will give thanks and praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
And will glorify Your name forevermore.
¹³ 
For great is Your lovingkindness and graciousness toward me;
And You have rescued my life from the depths of Sheol [from death].

¹⁴ 
O God, arrogant and insolent men have risen up against me;
A band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.
¹⁵ 
But You, O Lord, are a God [who protects and is] merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.
¹⁶ 
Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Grant Your strength [Your might and the power to resist temptation] to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
¹⁷ 
Show me a sign of [Your] goodwill,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, helped and comforted me.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Ephesians 4:31-32 Amplified Bible

³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. ³² Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave ^[a] you.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Luke 23:34-35 The Message

^34-35 Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”

Forgiveness is one of the proofs that God has touched the heart of a man.

We usually hear stuff like “to err is human and to forgive is divine.”

As great as it sounds to some level, in Savior Jesus forgiveness isn’t just a divine responsibility but also human responsibility in response to the Holy Spirit who just strummed the harp strings of your heart and soul distracting your attention away from our instinctive response of our instantaneous meltdown resentment.

How easy is it, nowadays, for humanity to take instant meltdown level offense at misplaced, misspoken misdirected words, thoughts and ideas, criticisms?

How simple is it to randomly encounter someone somewhere, greet them as anyone would with “Sir or Ma’am” and get suddenly get verbally pounded for use of wrong pronouns, “failure to identify or recognize” correct genders?

Start an innocent casual conversation in a checkout line at the supermarket or Walmart, or Target or a restaurant and be prepared for all kinds of rebuttals!

There is no end, no boundaries, no limits to what someone will take offense to!

Even saying sorry or asking for forgiveness might merit a punch in the mouth.

Answers? One of the best ways to move on from hurt isn’t to trash it out with your offender and get satisfied but to pray the moment, overlook the offence, still love the offender, apologize again, and wish the other person a good day.

In the moment when emotions are running the fastest and the hottest, turn it over to God, the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and pray it:

Forgiveness is not, cannot ever be complete when the love of Christ is missing.

As Christ willingly, sacrificially, bore the max weight of our sins at Calvary …

Romans 5:8-10 Amplified Bible

⁸ But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the ^[a]wrath of God through Him. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].

Get this:

1. Bear one another’s burden, Bear with people’s offence.
2. Like Christ, Forgive their wrongs if you went ahead to bear grievance.
3. God forgave you even before you knew you were wrong so forgive others the same way.

Sometimes it is hard to bear with people because our flesh usually wants to get “its pound of flesh,” emotionally satisfied but if we must walk in the light of the life we have received of Christ, we all ought to be in charge of our own emotions instead of letting it run roughshod over us, everyone else, being in charge of us.

The Bible asks, summons us, to follow God’s example of forgiveness.

You, I, we, never asked for forgiveness before God forgave you, I, we and while people were yet in stuck in the cement of our sins, Christ died for our sake!

Comprehending How Unforgiveness Hurts Us All

Ephesians 4:31-32 The Message

^31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

If you’re someone who holds grudges, if you keep score and can’t let things go, then you need to know something: You will surely experience suffer in life.

You also will see your prayer life suffer for air and come to a screeching halt.

Forgiveness is the key to all healthy, strong, and lasting relationships. That’s why we must realize how important it is to forgive.

Jesus said,

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” (Matthew 5:23–24).

Maybe you’ve decided that you won’t forgive someone who has wronged you. Guess who will be the one to get hurt? You will. Harboring resentment and unforgiveness will hurt you more than the person you’re refusing to forgive.

If you want to be healthy and vibrant spiritually, then you must learn to forgive.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12).

You may think they don’t deserve forgiveness.

But then, do you? Do I? No, we don’t.

Our forgiveness doesn’t hinge on forgiving others, but forgiving others should absolutely hinge on God’s gracious and generous forgiveness toward us.

The forgiveness that comes to us from Christ is based on His merit and on His death and His love for us.

If we repeatedly assert and constantly reassert that we know anything about what Christ has done for us, then we should unhesitatingly, forgive others.

The Bible says, “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Forgiven people should be forgiving people.

If we want to be healthy and vibrant spiritually, then we must learn to forgive.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 139:1-12 The Message

139 ^1-6 God, investigate my life;
    get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
    I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
    before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
    then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
    I can’t take it all in!

^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
    night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

Psalm 139:23-24 The Message

^23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

God, my Father, True or False …

I am authentically ready, able, to forgive others as God first forgave me?

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Luke 4:14-19 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Jesus Returns To Galilee And Begins Teaching In Their Synagogues

¹⁴ And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. And news about Him went out throughout the whole surrounding-region. ¹⁵ And He was teaching in their synagogues, while being glorified by all.

Jesus Comes To Nazareth And Reads Isaiah 61:1-2 In The Synagogue

¹⁶ And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought-up. And in accordance with the thing having become-a-custom with him, He entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him. And having unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it had been written [in Isa 61:1-2]: ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because of which He anointed Me to announce-good-news to poor ones. He has sent me out to proclaim a release to captives and recovery-of-sight to blind ones, to send-out with a release ones having been broken^[a], ¹⁹ to proclaim the acceptable^[b] year of the Lord”.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

For The Work of the Ministry

Luke 4:18-19 Complete Jewish Bible

¹⁸ “The Spirit of Adonai is upon me;
therefore he has anointed me
to announce Good News to the poor;
he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the imprisoned
and renewed sight for the blind,
to release those who have been crushed,
¹⁹ to proclaim a year of the favor of Adonai.”^[a]

Jesus began His ministry in the cities around the lake of Galilee. He then made an extensive journey into Judea where he did many miracles. He soon gained a reputation throughout the land as a doer of good deeds, a worker of miracles.

Word had come back to Nazareth, his hometown, of the remarkable things he had been doing. Now he has returned and everyone in town knows that he will be in the synagogue on the sabbath day. They all turn out to hear him for they are anxiously hoping he will do some of the miracles he has done in other cities.

But in the synagogue, instead he calls for the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and unrolls it to what we know as Isaiah 61.

Isaiah 61:1-9 Complete Jewish Bible

61 The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is upon me,
because Adonai has anointed me
to announce good news to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted;
to proclaim freedom to the captives,
to let out into light those bound in the dark;
² to proclaim the year of the favor of Adonai
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn,
³ yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn,
giving them garlands instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit,
so that they will be called oaks of righteousness
planted by Adonai, in which he takes pride.
⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
restore sites long destroyed;
they will renew the ruined cities,
destroyed many generations ago.
⁵ Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,
foreigners plow your land and tend your vines;
⁶ but you will be called cohanim of Adonai,
spoken of as ministers to our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and revel in their riches.
⁷ Because of your shame, which was doubled,
and because they cried, “They deserve disgrace,”
therefore in their land what they own will be doubled,
and joy forever will be theirs.
⁸ “For I, Adonai, love justice;
I hate robbery for burnt offerings.
So I will be faithful to reward them
and make an eternal covenant with them.”
⁹ Their descendants will be known among the nations,
their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them will acknowledge
that they are the seed Adonai has blessed.

What is the meaning of Cohanim? verse 6

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/5557364/jewish/14-Facts-about-Kohanimthe-Priestly-Clan.htm

How can other people tell when the Spirit of God is at work in a person’s life?

Will it be by the display of some strange phenomenon, or by a miraculous manifestation?

No, the Spirit-filled ministry will be the kind of ministry described by Isaiah. First, the work of the ministry is to proclaim the good news that God has not left the human race to struggle hopelessly in bewilderment, pain, and darkness.

God has done something about our condition.

He has acted to deliver us from darkness to light through his Son. The Lord of the Universe has gone to the cross and taken our sins upon him. Through the resurrection, he has given us his own life, which empowers us to truly live.

To tell this story is to preach the good news. To preach it to the poor doesn’t mean only those who are below the poverty line. The rich and the wealthy need to hear this good news too! Obviously, the prophecy goes echelons beyond mere physical poverty, penetrating deep to the spiritual poverty of men and women.

Then we’re to rather resoundingly proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind. Release and recovery and life of sight. Liberty and light.

Do we know any captives, any people who are bound by outlooks and attitudes which hold them in captivity? Do we know of anyone who is struggling to free himself from hurtful habits which hold him in a vise-like grip? Do we know of any people who are locked into a pattern of poisonous hate or possessive greed which they seem powerless to break? Are you and I, we, such people ourselves?

There is good news! Savior Jesus Christ is able to set you free and give you sight.

The final element of a Spirit-filled ministry is to set at liberty those who are oppressed. At first glance this seems similar to proclaiming release to captives.

It is true that the end result is the same: liberty.

But the problem of oppression is a much deeper and far more serious one than mere captivity. Oppression has a demonic element about it. It is more than mere tyranny, there is also a terrible cruelty involved. It results in a sense of burden, of dejection, depression and division, coupled with helplessness, hopelessness.

Whose Doing the Work of the Ministry in the Church?

Ephesians 4:11-16 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

He Gave Gifted People To Equip The Saints To Build Up The Body of Christ To Maturity

¹¹ And He Himself gave some as apostles, and others as prophets, and others as evangelists, and others as shepherds and teachers, ¹² for^[a] the equipping^[b] of the saints for the work of ministry^[c], for the building-up of the body of Christ ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of  God, to a  mature^[d] man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴  so that we may no longer be children, being tossed-about and carried-around by every wind of  teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with-regard-to^[e] the scheme of ^[f] error^[g], ¹⁵ but that while speaking-the-truth in love, we may grow as to all  things into Him Who is the head— Christ, ¹⁶ from Whom the whole body, being fitted-together^[h] and held-together by every joint of supply according to the  working in measure of each individual part, is producing the growth of the body for the  building-up of itself in love.

Former President of the United States John F. Kennedy famously once said,

“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

Most Christians come to church with the consumer mentality that motivates them in the rest of life.

“What does this church … or that church have to offer me? Whichever one offers to meet my needs, I will go there.” Even the term “Church Service” no longer means, “A place where I can serve” but rather, “A place where I am served.”

Pastors and churches that want to be large often cater to this mentality.

They give up biblical preaching.

They only speak to felt needs.

They rarely talk about sin, judgment, the marriage of Christianity and politics, or anything that might make a person feel uncomfortable.

Since people do not seem to come to church to get what they really need, many churches have started to offer what society, culture, the people think they want.

Yet nationally, church numbers are still shrinking. Why? Because God did not design His church to be a place that focuses primarily on meeting felt needs.

God wants us to meet needs that most people do not even know they have.

For unbelievers, their greatest spiritual need is to hear that God loves them, forgives them, and thinks nothing but good about them. They need to hear that they can have eternal life, a relationship with God simply by believing in Jesus.

And one of the best ways for the church to share this message of God’s love and acceptance is to personally invite them to at least listen once, show it to them.

The church is the hands, feet, and voice of God, and people primarily learn about God’s love for them by how the church functions in this world.

But the church also has another function, and that is to teach and train those who believe in Jesus. God designed His church as a place where all believers can, should be taught God’s Word and be given opportunities to put it into practice.

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 commands us to make disciples—not just converts.

Matthew 28:16-20 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Jesus Commissions The Eleven To Make Disciples of All Nations

¹⁶ And the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus ordered them. ¹⁷ And having seen Him, they worshiped Him. But the^[a] ones  doubted^[b]. ¹⁸  And having come to them, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth was given to Me. ¹⁹ Therefore having gone, make-disciples-of ^[c] all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰  teaching them to keep all that I commanded you. And behold— I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the age”.

So the primary functions of the church are to invite unbelievers to believe in Jesus for eternal life, and then to invite believers to follow Jesus in this life.

This entire process is called “salvation” in the Bible, and it is not just about how to go to heaven when you die, but also how to serve God, others, while we live on earth. The church must tell people how to be saved so that they can serve.

This understanding is critical for the life, health, and future of the church.

If we want to get back to being a triumphant victorious, life-changing church, each and every person within the church needs to begin by asking, in the words of John F. Kennedy, not what your church can do for you, but what you can do for your church. And that is exactly what Ephesians 4:11-16 covenants us to do.

As these unbelieving people come to believe in Jesus Christ alone as their Lord and Savior for eternal life, they become a critical part of the church structure—they become what we could term the living walls and the roof of God’s church.

And then we learned that the pastor/teachers are responsible for providing light and heat to the church.

They do this by speaking and living our the Word of God to Christians, thereby training Christians not just to know the Word of God, but apply it to their lives.

John 3:16-21 Disciples’ Literal New Testament

God Sent His Son Into The World That All Believing In Him May Have Eternal Life

¹⁶ “For^[a] God so^[b] loved the world that He gave His only-born Son, in order that everyone believing in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send-forth the Son into the world in order that He might judge^[c] the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸ The one  believing in Him is not judged. But the one not believing has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-born Son of God.  ¹⁹ And this is the judgment^[d]: that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone practicing bad things hates the Light, and does not come to the Light in order that his works may not be exposed. ²¹  But the one doing the truth comes to the Light in order that his works may become-visible— that^[e] they have been worked in^[f] God”.

No one can ever accuse God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit of being indecisive, lazy or apathetic, or lacking any zealous desire for Church to be United and be Active and Sharper than any two edged sword ever forged.

The Anvil Of God’s Word — Does the Bible Change?

https://www.onlythebible.com/Poems/the-Anvil-of-Gods-Word-the-Bible.html

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
When looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers worn with beating years of time.

“How many anvils have you had,” said I,
“To wear and batter these hammers so?”
“Just one,” said he; then with a twinkling eye,
“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”

And so, I thought, the anvil of God’s Word,
For ages, skeptics blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed – the hammers gone.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 100 Complete Jewish Bible

100 ⁽⁰⁾ A psalm of thanksgiving:

⁽¹⁾ Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
² Serve Adonai with gladness.
Enter his presence with joyful songs.

³ Be aware that Adonai is God;
it is he who made us; and we are his,
his people, the flock in his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
enter his courtyards with praise;
give thanks to him, and bless his name.
⁵ For Adonai is good, his grace continues forever,
and his faithfulness lasts through all generations.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Proverbs 14:30 Amplified Bible

³⁰ 
A calm and peaceful and tranquil heart is life and health to the body,
But passion and envy are like rottenness to the bones.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. —  Proverbs 23:17

It’s tempting to admire rich and famous people who seem to have every pleasure in this world. They seem to have every­thing at their fingertips—money, fine food, adventurous travels, sleek cars and other toys, beautiful houses in beautiful places, power in business and politics. Don’t they have it all?

The Bible often cautions against having too much desire for the things other people have. That can lead to internal unrest that’s unhealthy for the soul.

Envy often involves not only a deep desire for something but also a demand that no one else should have it. And the sin of envy might tempt us to commit more sin in our obsession to get what we want—to lie, cheat, steal, or even kill for it.

However, says King Solomon, the writer of our passage today, it is far better to pursue doing things God’s way. When we truly live God’s way, our future will be secure, even if it doesn’t seem exciting or extravagant by the world’s standards.

In fact, when we are truly wise and in tune with God, enjoying the consolations He has freely provided us we will have just as much desire for God’s way as we might be tempted to have for the life of people who seem to have everything.

Envy: The Insidiously Camouflaged Anti-God Emotion

Psalm 119:33-40 Amplified Bible

He.

³³ 
Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I will [steadfastly] observe it to the end.
³⁴ 
Give me understanding [a teachable heart and the ability to learn], that I may keep Your law;
And observe it with all my heart.
³⁵ 
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
³⁶ 
Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain and envy.
³⁷ 
Turn my eyes away from vanity [all those worldly, meaningless things that distract—let Your priorities be mine],
And restore me [with renewed energy] in Your ways.
³⁸ 
Establish Your word and confirm Your promise to Your servant,
As that which produces [awe-inspired] reverence for You.
³⁹ 
Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good.
⁴⁰ 
I long for Your precepts;
Renew me through Your righteousness.

More and more I encounter an emotion in people that is quiet, hidden, nagging, and insidious.  Most people seem surprised when it’s named (if it is so named because nobody dares, risk, want, to 0.01% offend anyone else’s sensibilities.)

And even the slightest of notions of inviting an open exploration of the real feelings in their relationships seems quite unthinkable. 

To dare take ownership of the emotion feels shameful, and the detection of said emotion risks eliciting diverse measures and degrees of guilt in the perceiver.

It’s a primitive feeling we can easily recognize, yet conveniently, and physical and spiritual, self-preservation, tend not to take notice of.  What is the feeling?  

Envy. a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck (noun) and a desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to (someone else) – verb.

It’s at the heart of relationship problems, in families and between lovers.  Its corrosive properties lurk at the heart of political divides and toxic discourse. 

Individuals and groups grow further apart and disparities, divisiveness emerge, more seeds of quiet strife, irreconcilable discontent, fields of envy are planted.

What is the Experience of Envy?

Mark 7:14-23 Amplified Bible

The Heart of Man

¹⁴ After He called the people to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen [carefully] to Me, all of you, [hear] and understand [what I am saying]: ¹⁵ there is nothing outside a man [such as food] which by going into him can defile him  [morally or spiritually]; but the things which come out of [the heart of] a man are what defile and dishonor him. ^16 [a][If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]

¹⁷ When Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the ^[b]house, His disciples asked Him about the parable. ¹⁸ And He said to them, “Are you, too, so foolish and lacking in understanding? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile and dishonor him, ¹⁹ since it does not enter his heart, but  [only] his stomach, and [from there it] is eliminated?” (By this, He  declared all foods ^[c]ceremonially clean.) ²⁰ And He said, “Whatever comes from [the heart of] a man, that is what defiles and dishonors him. ²¹ For from within, [that is] out the heart of men, come base and malevolent thoughts and schemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, ²² acts of greed  and covetousness, wickedness, deceit, unrestrained conduct, envy and jealousy, slander and profanity, arrogance and self-righteousness and foolishness (poor judgment). ²³ All these evil things [schemes and desires] come from within and defile and dishonor the man.”

One thing I find interesting about envy is that it is much easier to feel than it is to define.  As stated above, it’s primitive and easy to access in our bodies. But what exactly is it?  

Before defining it, I invite you to feel in your body. 

Bring to mind someone, group of people who always seems to get what they want.  Life seems to automatically open up a 10 mile wide path of blessings to them no matter what challenges others face. They have all the love and all of the money they need without seeming to suffer the hardships of pain or loss. 

They are gorgeous and seem to find even more beautiful, doting, and passionate lovers. They have charisma, make others laugh with ease and always seem to be having an amazing joyous time, they’ll have boundless energy and confidence.

Feeling it yet?

Where? 

I feel it deep in my soul, I feel my stomach twist and my molars being forced together (gnashing of my teeth).  It’s painful, yet also perversely stimulating.  

How the Sin of Envy Rots Us to the Bone

Proverbs 14:30 The Message

³⁰ A sound mind makes for a robust body,
    but runaway emotions corrode the bones.

A few weeks ago, I was in prayer and was having a difficult time letting some ideas, thoughts go regarding the direction of my post Open Heart Surgical life.

Can you relate?

Maybe not because you might have had open heart surgery, but another way.

Sometimes, the enemy seems to flood your life with distractions in order to cloud your mind, bring confusion, and cause you to question God. Eventually, if left unchecked, we can begin to grow alienated, bitter toward others (and God).

For me, because of the way I was raised and also the environment I spent a majority of my life in (bullied/nursing/psychiatry), I am used to looking at the minutest details of other people’s lives and too, measuring my life with theirs, whether to make myself feel better or give myself their goals to work toward.

Sadly, this is how most people make decisions in life.

They say, “Well, that’s how so-and-so did it so that seems like a logical plan.”

Or “So-and-so is just always so successful in life and seems to have everything they want. I will just change my goals, follow what they did so I can have that kind of happiness and have those nice clothes, car, job, house, spouse, etc.”

Ultimately, if you follow this way of living, do not achieve their success, you grow resentful toward others and envy starts to grow in your heart. Envy will then cause you to look for reasons why you deserve what someone else has.

Comparison, contrasting and envy give birth to ungratefulness and bitterness not just toward ourselves and other people, but most importantly, toward God.

The moment you take that step into comparing your life with someone else’s is the moment you will find yourself in a real deep, empty pit surrounded by pride, selfishness, bitterness, and envy.

The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom on how we are to live our life and avoid such pitfalls.

Let’s take a look at one of these pitfalls, envy:

“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones” (Proverbs 14:30, KJV).

You can forget about living in peace or feeling complete or whole if you enter into the land of envy or covetousness.

Comparison that leads to envy has been a trap of the enemy since creation.

The motive behind Adam and Eve’s disobedience was comparison, which lead to covetousness, which lead to pride, which lead to selfishness, which lead to ungratefulness for what God had already provided (all rooted in fear).

Are you in fear? Then you are not in faith. Anything that is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:22-23).

^22-23 Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don’t impose it on others. You’re fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you’re out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then it’s wrong.

When we compare ourselves with another, we are saying we would do a better job planning out the minutest detail of our lives than our Creator, the sovereign Most High, acting like Satan who fell and caused Adam and Eve to fall.

Whoa, that is a dangerous place to be!

We are all guilty of comparing our lives to someone else’s life at one point or another. The only way out is to repent, renew your mind with the Word of God.

The word “sound” in Hebrew is marpe, which means healing, remedy, calmness, wholesome, and yielding.

We can only have a sound mind when our eyes are on Jesus and we are habitually in His Word. Cling to Him, abide in Him, and you will remain full of His love, joy, and peace- the only things that will bring true fulfillment.

You won’t want anything else than what He has for you; His promises for you will be more than enough.

Proverbs 3:5-12 The Message

^5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

You will begin to trust God with all of your heart and lean on His understanding, not your own. When we do that, He will direct our paths and He will never lead us astray. Take some time and right down ten things you are thankful for.

Gratefulness instead will fill your heart with joy, leave no room for comparison.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 40 The Message

40 ^1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God.
    At last he looked; finally he listened.
He lifted me out of the ditch,
    pulled me from deep mud.
He stood me up on a solid rock
    to make sure I wouldn’t slip.
He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,
    a praise-song to our God.
More and more people are seeing this:
    they enter the mystery,
    abandoning themselves to God.

^4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,
    turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,”
    ignore what the world worships;
The world’s a huge stockpile
    of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one
    compares to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know,
    and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words
    account for you.

⁶ Doing something for you, bringing something to you—
    that’s not what you’re after.
Being religious, acting pious—
    that’s not what you’re asking for.
You’ve opened my ears
    so I can listen.

^7-8 So I answered, “I’m coming.
    I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
And I’m coming to the party
    you’re throwing for me.”
That’s when God’s Word entered my life,
    became part of my very being.

^9-10 I’ve preached you to the whole congregation,
    I’ve kept back nothing, God—you know that.
I didn’t keep the news of your ways
    a secret, didn’t keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
    I didn’t hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
    let the congregation know the whole story.

^11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

^13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;
    hurry and get me some help,
So those who are trying to kidnap my soul
    will be embarrassed and lose face,
So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable
    will be heckled and disgraced,
So those who pray for my ruin
    will be booed and jeered without mercy.

^16-17 But all who are hunting for you—
    oh, let them sing and be happy.
Let those who know what you’re all about
    tell the world you’re great and not quitting.
And me? I’m a mess. I’m nothing and have nothing:
    make something of me.
You can do it; you’ve got what it takes—
    but God, don’t put it off.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Hebrews 12:28-29 Complete Jewish Bible

²⁸ Therefore, since we have received an unshakeable Kingdom, let us have grace, through which we may offer service that will please God, with reverence and fear. ²⁹ For indeed,

“Our God is a consuming fire!”^[a]

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken …

What an awesome blessing it is to know that the kingdom of God will endure.

We don’t have to worry that it won’t be there when we die, or that someday it will cease to exist. God is fully eternal, and his kingdom cannot be shaken.

Nothing, not one thing, in all of time will be able to destroy the Kingdom of God. The devil for a time will try, but we know he has lost the war. Our God is almighty and has overcome the devil.

1 Corinthians 15:56-58 Complete Jewish Bible

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and sin draws its power from the Torah; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah!

⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers, stand firm and immovable, always doing the Lord’s work as vigorously as you can, knowing that united with the Lord your efforts are not in vain.

Let us be truly thankful

When someone does something nice for you, do you thank them?

I’m not always as good at this as I would like.

To be honest, I’m kind of ashamed of it.

Who takes the brunt of that?

Maybe my wife who is so kind to me, seldom refusing to bring me a drink.

Sometimes she gets argumentative or defiant, but usually she is agreeable at least since I am recovering from my Open Heart Surgery just over a year ago.

I must confess though that sometimes I will take her kindnesses for granted.

I don’t always remember, use, all the good manners my mother gave me.

She constantly deserve my thanks and deepest expressions of appreciation.

If I’m capable of forgetting to thank my wife who daily does amazing sacrificial things for me, how much more awful is it that I sometimes, well more than just sometimes, forget to thank my Savior Jesus for his sacrifice for my eternal life.

Not only do I not say it nearly often enough, I also don’t act grateful enough.

I become incredibly forgetful, selfish, unkind, needlessly impatient with Him.

I don’t always act as He would call me to act.

Again, I must make another hard confession; I don’t always treat others much better than myself, and I don’t always put Him at the exact center of my life.

Let us be more thankful. Let us cast off more old ways and focus on the Lord!

Let us Worship God more acceptably with reverence and awe

Psalm 100 Complete Jewish Bible

100 ⁽⁰⁾ A psalm of thanksgiving:

⁽¹⁾ Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
² Serve Adonai with gladness.
Enter his presence with joyful songs.

³ Be aware that Adonai is God;
it is he who made us; and we are his,
his people, the flock in his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
enter his courtyards with praise;
give thanks to him, and bless his name.
⁵ For Adonai is good, his grace continues forever,
and his faithfulness lasts through all generations.

Why do we have the traditions we do in our church? I think most of them are to help with this action, so that we might worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. I want to get significantly better at this and not get too comfortable.

I want things to not become rote or commonplace, but that I remember why I am worshiping, and more importantly Who I am supposed to be worshiping.

I want to show my Lord reverence and awe.

I want to do that by putting Him first in my life.

Lord help me do this, please.

Because our God is an all consuming fire

There’s a story an American Lutheran bishop tells of visiting a parish church in California and seeing a stirring red and orange banner on the wall.

“Come Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!”

it declared in words printed under a picture of a fire burning.

But what really attracted his attention before his Sunday sermon were items almost directly next to it which evidenced: “Fire extinguishers, Hose, Dial 911”

Looking down at his sermon notes, the bishop laughed in irony as he thought to himself, “So much for this parish’s commitment unto their own spiritual renewal!”

When it comes to evidencing spiritual renewal in our lives, many Christians carry around a spiritual fire extinguisher because they’re afraid of looking too “extreme” in what they believe or are too afraid people will think they’re crazy.

But if you look very closely at those who’ve followed Christ most closely in the pages of the Bible and throughout history, you’ll find that while many of them were looked down upon for their faith, they were also well respected among believers and non-believers alike for sticking to their convictions. Acts 2:43-47.

Acts 2:43-47 Complete Jewish Bible

⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe, and many miracles and signs took place through the emissaries. ⁴⁴ All those trusting in Yeshua stayed together and had everything in common; ⁴⁵ in fact, they sold their property and possessions and distributed the proceeds to all who were in need. ⁴⁶ Continuing faithfully and with singleness of purpose to meet in the Temple courts daily, and breaking bread in their several homes, they shared their food in joy and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having the respect of all the people. And day after day the Lord kept adding to them those who were being saved.

When we allow the Lord to be the center of our lives, He is an all consuming fire.

He burns out the old cobwebs. He adds deep excitement and change that we would otherwise not embrace. God is amazing and has so much planned for us.

James 4:7-10 Complete Jewish Bible

⁷ Therefore, submit to God. Moreover, take a stand against the Adversary, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded people! ⁹ Wail, mourn, sob! Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom! ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

When we put God at the center of our lives, as He is an all consuming fire and fills every nook and cranny of our heart, we will find the excitement of having God in charge. Having Him burn away the junk, the sins, that gets in the way of our relationship with Him so that new life might grow hotter inside our hearts.

When there is a fire in the wilderness, it can be devastating  It can look as if everything that was good is gone, but after some time, new life grows, stronger and healthier than before. May I be refined by the all consuming fire of God.

So instead of trying too hard expending our physical resources, to control the fire of the Holy Spirit in your life, let it burn free, moving to every area and consuming all you are as you’re transformed by the renewing of your mind!

Prayer Challenge

Offer your entire self to God and allow Him to consume everything you are!

Questions for Thought

If someone were to ask those whom you interact with every day about how committed you are to God, what do you think they would say?

What are some areas of your life today in which you need to let God’s fire burn away the impurities and give wholly to Him?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray

Psalm 61:1-6 Complete Jewish Bible

61 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. With stringed instruments. By David:

^2 (1) Hear my cry, God;
listen to my prayer.
^3 (2) From the end of the earth, with fainting heart,
I call out to you.
Set me down on a rock
far above where I am now.

^4 (3) For you have been a refuge for me,
a tower of strength in the face of the foe.
^5 (4) I will live in your tent forever
and find refuge in the shelter of your wings. (Selah)
^6 (5) For you, God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Ephesians 4:7-13 Amplified Bible

⁷ Yet grace [God’s undeserved favor] was given to each one of us [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and abundant] gift. ⁸ Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And He bestowed gifts on men.”

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had  previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?  ¹⁰ He who descended is the very same as He who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things [that is, the whole universe]).  ¹¹ And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct],  ¹² [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; ¹³ until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

God’s Gifts to His People …

Ephesians 4:11-13 Amplified Bible

¹¹ And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], ¹² [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church];  ¹³ until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

The basic premise is this: God always cares for the well-being of the church.

The other basic premise is this: We the saints of His church will sometimes care for His church by the same measure by which God always cares for His church.

Christ himself made provision for the building up of its members by equipping various individuals with the varied, diverse gifts needed to achieve that goal.

Everything needed in the church is covered by this provision.

The function that each person fulfills will, of course, vary, but within that diversity of functions is a unity of purpose: “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

Sometimes we tend to give credit to individuals for their leadership in the church—and we forget the Giver of those leadership skills. It’s good to be reminded that it is “Christ himself” who does the equipping. It is appropriate for us to be diligent, prudent, in humility about the gifts that are given us.

The gifts we receive are not merely for personal enhancement. The one purpose of all the gifts Christ gives is to max benefit others so that they are empowered to render “their works of service”—“that the body of Christ may be built up.”

The church as an institution serves a variety of social and relational functions, but the most important of these is that all of the membership of the church be strengthened so the ministry and mission and work of God in the world can be made more evident, far more effectively and far more efficiently carried out.

… to equip His people for works of service …

Ephesians 4:11-13 Complete Jewish Bible

¹¹ Furthermore, he gave some people as emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers. ¹² Their task is to equip God’s people for the work of service that builds the body of the Messiah,  ¹³ until we all arrive at the unity implied by trusting and knowing the Son of God, at full manhood, at the standard of maturity set by the Messiah’s perfection.

When we chance to compare present-day churches to the original blueprint, we will surely see that many deviations have been permitted which are detrimental to the life of the church. The church has gradually turned away from the simple provisions which made it such a powerful force in its early years, and terrible distortions have entered into the church which continue to weaken the church.

Popular fashionable, thinking has fastened onto the church building as the identifying symbol of the church. Emphasis was placed upon massive ornate cathedrals and campuses with stained glass windows and flying buttresses.

In the beginning, working in the church meant to exercise a gift or perform a ministry anywhere within the vast far-reaching body of Christ, in a home, in a neighborhood, a community, out on a mission field, leper colony, in a hospital.

Gradually, however, working in the church came to mean performing some religious act, liturgist, usher, within a specific building called the church. 

While at the same time, there was a gradual transfer of ministry responsibility from the people, the congregations, whom we do now call the laity, to the few pastors, whom we now call the clergy – clergy run churches, laity in their pews.

1 Peter 2:1-12 Amplified Bible

As Newborn Babes

2 So put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech; ² like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment], ³ if in fact you have [already] tasted ^[a]the goodness and  gracious kindness of the Lord.

As Living Stones

⁴ Come to Him [the risen Lord] as to a living Stone which men rejected and  threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God. ⁵ You [believers], like living stones, are ^[b]being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For this is contained in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen stone, a precious (honored) Cornerstone,
And he who believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him]  will never be disappointed [in his expectations].”

⁷ This precious value, then, is for you who believe [in Him as God’s only Son—the Source of salvation]; but for those who disbelieve,

“The [very] stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief Cornerstone,”

⁸ and,

“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;

for they stumble because they disobey the word [of God], and to this they [who reject Him as Savior] were also appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are  God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul.  ¹² Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that ^[c]for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God ^[d]in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].

The scriptural concept that every believer is a priest before God was lost, and a special class of super-Christians emerged who were looked to for everything.

Somehow, the church lost sight of the concept that all Christians, without any allowable exceptions, are in the shared work, ministry, mission of Jesus Christ.

When the ministry was left to the professionals, there was nothing left for the people to do other than come to church, chat it up, sit in their pews and listen.

They were told that it was their responsibility to bring the world into the church building to hear the pastor preach the Gospel. Soon this Christianity became little more than a Sunday morning spectator sport, much like the definition of football: twenty-two men down on the field, desperately in need of plays, and a hundred plus thousands in those grandstands, desperately in need of exercise!

This unbiblical distortion has resulted in an impoverished church which has made little impact on the world and increasingly withdraws into irrelevance and isolation. We desperately need to return to the dynamic of the early church.

We can no longer defend our ivy-clad, ivory towered traditions which leave no room for the original, Holy Spirit power-packed strategy.

Pastors must restore to the people the ministry which was taken from them with the best of intentions.

The work of the ministry belongs to the entire body of believers, who should be being equipped by those who are gifted by God to expound and apply His Word.

The entire body has received gifts from the Holy Spirit, and it is the task of those in the pastoral ministry to encourage the entire body to use those gifts.

Isaiah 58:1-12 Complete Jewish Bible

58 Shout out loud! Don’t hold back!
Raise your voice like a shofar!
Proclaim to my people what rebels they are,
to the house of Ya‘akov their sins.

² “Oh yes, they seek me day after day
and [claim to] delight in knowing my ways.
As if they were an upright nation
that had not abandoned the rulings of their God,
they ask me for just rulings
and [claim] to take pleasure in closeness to God,
³ [asking,] ‘Why should we fast, if you don’t see?
Why mortify ourselves, if you don’t notice?’

“Here is my answer: when you fast,
you go about doing whatever you like,
while keeping your laborers hard at work.
⁴ Your fasts lead to quarreling and fighting,
to lashing out with violent blows.
On a day like today, fasting like yours
will not make your voice heard on high.

⁵ “Is this the sort of fast I want,
a day when a person mortifies himself?
Is the object to hang your head like a reed
and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day that pleases Adonai?

⁶ “Here is the sort of fast I want —
releasing those unjustly bound,
untying the thongs of the yoke,
letting the oppressed go free,
breaking every yoke,
⁷ sharing your food with the hungry,
taking the homeless poor into your house,
clothing the naked when you see them,
fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!”

⁸ Then your light will burst forth like the morning,
your new skin will quickly grow over your wound;
your righteousness will precede you,
and Adonai’s glory will follow you.
⁹ Then you will call, and Adonai will answer;
you will cry, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you will remove the yoke from among you,
stop false accusation and slander,
¹⁰ generously offer food to the hungry
and meet the needs of the person in trouble;
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your gloom become like noon.
¹¹ Adonai will always guide you;
he will satisfy your needs in the desert,
he will renew the strength in your limbs;
so that you will be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
¹² You will rebuild the ancient ruins,
raise foundations from ages past,
and be called “Repairer of broken walls,
Restorer of streets to live in.”

When we have given, equipped, restored, renewed, refreshed all Christians in the body their God-given role as ministers of God’s eternal plan, then lives are going to be changed, transformed. The church begins to be a difference again.

Ancient Ruins will be rebuilt …

Razed foundations from ages past will be re-raised.

Ancient broken shattered Walls are rebuilt, refreshed and repurposed …

Dilapidated, Wrecked and Ruined Streets are returned to the people to live in.

And Adonai will always be there to guide us, to provision us and to sustain us.

Proverbs 29:18 Amplified Bible

¹⁸ 
Where there is no vision [no revelation of God and His word], the people are unrestrained;
But happy and blessed is he who keeps the law [of God].

What is our current definition of the church? How much prophetic vision does it need to be conformed, transformed to God’s idea of what the church should be?

Psalm 84:9-10 Easy-to-Read Version

⁹ God, watch over the king, our protector.^[a]
    Be kind to him, the one you have chosen.
¹⁰ One day in your Temple is better
    than a thousand days anywhere else.
Serving as a guard at the gate of my God’s house is better
    than living in the homes of the wicked.

How well does our 2024 interpretation of “God’s church” match up with God’s?

Do we have enough trust and faith in God tear down our failed, fault-filled, deeply flawed effort, to rebuild it, to give God His real live vision of church?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 84 Complete Jewish Bible

84 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of the sons of Korach:

^2 (1) How deeply loved are your dwelling-places,
Adonai-Tzva’ot!
^3 (2) My soul yearns, yes, faints with longing
for the courtyards of Adonai;
my heart and body cry for joy
to the living God.

^4 (3) As the sparrow finds herself a home
and the swallow her nest, where she lays her young,
[so my resting-place is] by your altars,
Adonai-Tzva’ot, my king and my God.

^5 (4) How happy are those who live in your house;
they never cease to praise you! (Selah)
^6 (5) How happy the man whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are [pilgrim] highways.

^7 (6) Passing through the [dry] Baka Valley,
they make it a place of springs,
and the early rain clothes it with blessings.
^8 (7) They go from strength to strength
and appear before God in Tziyon.

^9 (8) Adonai, God of armies, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
^10 (9) God, see our shield [the king];
look at the face of your anointed.
^11 (10) Better a day in your courtyards
than a thousand [days elsewhere].
Better just standing at the door of my God’s house
than living in the tents of the wicked.

^12 (11) For Adonai, God, is a sun and a shield;
Adonai bestows favor and honor;
he will not withhold anything good
from those whose lives are pure.

^13 (12) Adonai-Tzva’ot,
how happy is anyone who trusts in you!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

Psalm 71 The Message

71 ^1-3 I run for dear life to God,
    I’ll never live to regret it.
Do what you do so well:
    get me out of this mess and up on my feet.
Put your ear to the ground and listen,
    give me space for salvation.
Be a guest room where I can retreat;
    you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.

^4-7 My God, free me from the grip of Wicked,
    from the clutch of Bad and Bully.
You keep me going when times are tough—
    my bedrock, God, since my childhood.
I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth,
    the day you took me from the cradle;
    I’ll never run out of praise.
Many gasp in alarm when they see me,
    but you take me in stride.

^8-11 Just as each day brims with your beauty,
    my mouth brims with praise.
But don’t turn me out to pasture when I’m old
    or put me on the shelf when I can’t pull my weight.
My enemies are talking behind my back,
    watching for their chance to knife me.
The gossip is: “God has abandoned him.
    Pounce on him now; no one will help him.”

^12-16 God, don’t just watch from the sidelines.
    Come on! Run to my side!
My accusers—make them lose face.
    Those out to get me—make them look
Like idiots, while I stretch out, reaching for you,
    and daily add praise to praise.
I’ll write the book on your righteousness,
    talk up your salvation all the day long,
    never run out of good things to write or say.
I come in the power of the Lord God,
    I post signs marking his right-of-way.

^17-24 You got me when I was an unformed youth,
    God, and taught me everything I know.
Now I’m telling the world your wonders;
    I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray.
God, don’t walk off and leave me
    until I get out the news
Of your strong right arm to this world,
    news of your power to the world yet to come,
Your famous and righteous
    ways, O God.
God, you’ve done it all!
    Who is quite like you?
You, who made me stare trouble in the face,
    Turn me around;
Now let me look life in the face.
    I’ve been to the bottom;
Bring me up, streaming with honors;
    turn to me, be tender to me,
And I’ll take up the lute and thank you
    to the tune of your faithfulness, God.
I’ll make music for you on a harp,
    Holy One of Israel.
When I open up in song to you,
    I let out lungsful of praise,
    my rescued life a song.
All day long I’m chanting
    about you and your righteous ways,
While those who tried to do me in
    slink off looking ashamed.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When I Am Growing Old and Feeble … Stand By Me

When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship out on the sea
Thou who rulest wind and water
Stand by me

When I’m growing old and feeble
Stand by me
When I’m growing old and feeble
Stand by me
When I do the best I can
And my friends misunderstand
Thou who never
Lost a battle
Stand by me
Thou who never lost a battle
Stand by me

Author: Charles Albert Tindley (1905)

What More Is There For Our “Grey Headed” Spirituality?

Psalm 71:9-18 Authorized (King James) Version

⁹ Cast me not off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength faileth.
¹⁰ For mine enemies speak against me;
and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
¹¹ saying, God hath forsaken him:
persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
¹² O God, be not far from me:
O my God, make haste for my help.
¹³ Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul;
let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
¹⁴ But I will hope continually,
and will yet praise thee more and more.
¹⁵ My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day;
for I know not the numbers thereof.
¹⁶ I will go in the strength of the Lord God:
I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

¹⁷ O God, thou hast taught me from my youth:
and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
¹⁸ Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not;
until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,
and thy power to every one that is to come.

Psalm 71:18 ( AKJV) reads, “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”

This verse is a poignant plea to God for strength and guidance, even in old age.

The unacknowledged , unidentified psalmist acknowledges the inevitability of old age and the challenges that come with it, but also the psalmist expresses a deep desire to continue to serve others and glorify God throughout their life.

There are several key themes and layers of meaning in this verse, which can be explored in detail to gain a deeper understanding of its significance.

One theme that stands out in this verse is the concept of age, resilience and perseverance. The psalmist is acknowledging their age and the challenges that come with it, yet they are not asking, praying, for relief from those challenges.

Instead, they are asking for God to not forsake them, to continue to provide strength and guidance so that they may continue to fulfill their purpose in serving God and showing His strength and wisdom unto future generations.

This speaks mightily to the idea of the psalmist’s enduring faith and dedication, despite the mounting “grayheaded” difficulties and limitations of his old age.

Another theme present in this verse is the irresistible covenant requirement to be passing on of his “grayheaded” faith and wisdom unto future generations.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Amplified Bible

⁴ “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one [the only God]! ⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being]. ⁶ These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be [written] on your heart and mind. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your ^[a]children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand (forearm), and they shall be used as ^[b]bands (frontals, frontlets) on your forehead. ⁹ You shall write them on the ^[c]doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The psalmist expresses a deep desire to show God’s strength and power to the next generation and to all who are to come.

This reflects a deep sense of responsibility and a recognition of the importance of passing on the knowledge and experience of grayheaded faith unto others.

It speaks to the idea of leaving a lasting legacy of faith and a commitment to spreading the message of God’s power and goodness to future generations.

The context of this verse is also important to consider.

The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers and songs that express a wide range of emotions and experiences. Many of the psalms were written by King David, who faced numerous trials and challenges throughout his life.

In this particular psalm, the writer is seeking God’s protection and deliverance from stronger enemies, as well as expressing their trust in God’s faithfulness.

In the midst of their struggles, they are also reflecting on the passage of time and the great challenges that come with old age, and they are seeking God’s continued presence and strength to carry them through.

Symbolism is also present in this verse, particularly in the imagery of old age and gray hair.

In many cultures, old age is symbolic of the accumulation wisdom, experience, and the accumulation of knowledge.

By invoking the image of being old and grayheaded, the psalmist is hereby acknowledging the wisdom and perspective that comes with age, the value of that wisdom in serving God and teaching future generations.

The gray hair symbolizes a life well-lived, lessons well learned and the desire to continue to be of service and value to God, future generations, even in old age.

Why Is Spiritual Growth Important? – Senior Living

Romans 12:1-2 Amplified Bible

Dedicated Service

12 ^[a]Therefore I urge you, ^[b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. ²  And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be ^[c]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

Recently, on my Social Media feed, someone posted this story which hit me;

In the mid-1700s, a shipload of migrants landed on the northwest coast of America. Their first year, they established a site on which they’d build their village. The second year, they elected a village government. The third year, the village government made the risky decision to build a road stretching five miles westward into the wilderness.

In the fourth year, the townspeople tried to overthrow their own government because they believed building a road five miles into the wilderness was a waste of money. The very same people who saw thousands of miles across an ocean and overcame hardships to get there couldn’t see five miles down the road!

They had gone too far, reached the outer limits and so, refused to go further.

Many Christians are a lot like those townspeople.

They reach “their limit” a point in their walk with Christ and think they have no further to go, more to offer. It’s they’ve become “close enough with God to be comfortable,” so they go into “maintenance mode” and stop moving forward.

Our comfort in Christ comes from the fact that throughout our life, through our experiences, both good and bad, through faith, we are firmly planted in Him.

2 Timothy 1:3-11 Amplified Bible

³ I thank God, whom I worship and serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, ⁴  and as I recall your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I remember your sincere and unqualified faith [the surrendering of your entire self to God in Christ with confident trust in His power, wisdom and goodness, a faith] which first lived in [the heart of] your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am confident that it is in you as well. ⁶ That is why I remind you to ^[a]fan into flame the gracious gift of God, [that inner fire—the special endowment] which is in you through the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. ⁷ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or  cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

⁸ So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or about me His prisoner, but with me take your share of suffering for the gospel [continue to preach regardless of the circumstances], in accordance with the power of God [for His power is invincible], ⁹ for He delivered us and saved us and called us with a holy calling [a calling that leads to a consecrated life—a life set apart—a life of purpose], not because of our works [or because of any personal merit—we could do nothing to earn this], but because of His own purpose and grace [His amazing, undeserved favor] which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago], ¹⁰ but now [that extraordinary purpose and grace] has been fully disclosed and realized by us through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who [through His incarnation and earthly ministry] abolished death [making it null and void] and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher [of this good news regarding salvation].

But as we grow and mature, we surrender daily as we are transformed more and more into His image. We cannot be content in just yesterday’s spiritual growth.

The message from the “grayheaded” Psalmist in Psalm 71 is move continually forward in sharing your faith and surrendering your life to Christ day by day!

Prayer Challenge

From where ever you are in becoming “grayheaded” ask God to show you how, when, why, to surrender each day to Him so you’ll continue growing in Christ.

Questions for Thought

As your “grayhead” becomes more “evident,” why do you think becoming spiritually comfortable is such a common tendency among believers?

As those gray hairs become more obvious to you, others, what are some things you can do daily that will help you continually give your life over unto Christ?

In conclusion, Psalm 71:18 ( AKJV) is a powerful expression of faith, resilience, and a deep, ongoing, never ending commitment to serving God, even in old age.

It speaks to the enduring nature of faith, the importance of passing on wisdom and knowledge to future generations, of future generations to continue to pass on, and the symbolism of old age as a time of continued service and dedication.

However old we are, this verse serves as a encouraging, empowering reminder to all believers to seek God’s strength and guidance throughout their lives, and to continue to be a light and example of faith to those who’ll come after them.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 103 The Message

103 ^1-2 O my soul, bless God.
    From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
    don’t forget a single blessing!

^3-5     He forgives your sins—every one.
    He heals your diseases—every one.
    He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
    He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
    He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
    He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

^6-18 God makes everything come out right;
    he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
    opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
    not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
    nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
    nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
    so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
    he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
    God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
    keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
    like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
    leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
    eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
    as they follow his Covenant ways
    and remember to do whatever he said.

^19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
    he rules over us all. He’s the King!
So bless God, you angels,
    ready and able to fly at his bidding,
    quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
    alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
    everything and everyone made by God.

And you, O my soul, bless God!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

John 5:1-9 English Standard Version

The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath

5 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

² Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic^[a] called Bethesda,^[b] which has five roofed colonnades. ³ In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.^[c] 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” ⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ⁹ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Now that day was the Sabbath.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

“Would you like to get well?”

Sometimes our biggest disease isn’t what appears in our bodies.

Instead, this disease hides in our hearts.

“Would you like to get well?”

That’s a much harder question to answer than meets the eye — when applied to my spiritual wellbeing. I might have to change.

I might have to give up my excuses.

I might have to adapt to a different lifestyle.

I might have to give up blaming others for my problems.

I might have to take some responsibility for my own condition.

Jesus asked the question because, in this case, the man had a real, physical disease. After 38 years, as the man shows by the end of today’s verses when he made an excuse, he does not sound ready to take responsibility for anything.

What about us?

Do we really want to get well, both spiritually and physically?

Do we really mean it when we utter the words, confess and pray before God?

Taking a brutally honest look at ourselves – are we truly ready to be authentic?

Ignoring our usual irrational array, our cacophony of excuses, weak rationales?

Psalm 51:1-15 The Message

51 ^1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!
    Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
    soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been;
    my sins are staring me down.

^4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen
    it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
    whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,
    in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out.
    Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

^7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
    set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
    give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
    or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
    put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
    so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
    I’ll let loose with your praise.

Psalm 139:23-24 The Message

^23-24 Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Do we authentically want, in those moments, like David prayed, an answer?

Because, truth be told, we are not even close to ready for God to truly say; “ok?”

Then we need to do some hardcore surrendering within ourselves, refuse Saul’s armor, to come to Christ and be ready for the Holy Spirit to begin changing us!

We had better be ready for God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, is going to arrive when we least expect it, want it, desire it, need it – and begin their work!

Whether we are ready or not … God will make His power and presence well felt!

God is absolutely going to overwhelm us … lead, guide, direct shape, conform us, transform us, move us completely against our wills down His narrow road!

God is Still Asking Us; Would We Like to Get Well?

John 5:7 Amplified Bible

⁷ The invalid answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am coming [to get into it myself], someone else steps down ahead of me.”

There is a place where our hurt and our healer collide, the irresistible force God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, versus the immovable object – us – our rock hardened hearts.

Do we sometimes hold back from accepting Jesus’ transforming power in our lives? Have we become so used to struggling that we can’t imagine things going another way? Sometimes the crutch we know is easier than the walk we haven’t experienced, and that crutch can become an inconveniently hardcore excuse.

It’s often easier to rely on the ways we are familiar with, rather than trying a new way that means change and transformation.

When Jesus asks this man if he wants to be made well, he does not answer with a yes—only a reason why it can’t happen. He’s had 38 years of only seeing the story one way; the thought of anything else hasn’t still entered his thinking.

But Jesus is offering so much more than this man can fathom or imagine.

When Jesus asks us this question, do we limit him on the basis of our experience, or do we have hope that he can do something more?

When we are confronted with the question of change, of thinking bigger than we have imagined before, can we say yes? Will our answer be .01% authentic?

When we begin to understand that the one asking the question is our Lord and Savior, our Creator, our comforter, our healer, and our #1 best friend, who loves us and cares about all of the details of our lives, can we say anything but yes?

Well, today is a good day to imagine what the Lord can do if we don’t hold back.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
² 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
³ 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
⁴ 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
⁵ 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
⁶ 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷ 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
⁸ 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
⁹ 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
¹⁰ 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹ 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
¹² 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
¹³ 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
¹⁴ 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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