Read this from Our Daily Bread. The writer wrote something which hasn't strike me before. Some of the disciples that followed Jesus are those who are 'toughies' back in those days - rugged fishermen, radicals. At the same time, Jesus also attracted the 'smarties'.
Jesus is relevant and connects across societies, age, culture and race. Something for me, us to ponder.
When Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?”—He wasn’t having an identity crisis nor was He feeling insecure about His reputation. He passed out the quiz to see whether or not the disciples had come to grips with who He really was, or, if they too, like the rest of the crowds, had misperceived His true identity.
It’s a good quiz to take, because if you and I don’t perceive Jesus as He really is, we just may get our Christianity twisted and headed in the wrong direction. So ask yourself, “Who do I think Jesus is?”
There are lots of ways to look at the question: theologically, historically, culturally, redemptively, spiritually, or experientially. But for starters, let’s ask in terms of how you perceive Him as a person when He comes to mind. This is not a throwaway issue! How you envision Him has a lot to do with whether or not you’ll want to follow Him. And following Him is at the very heart of a fulfilling relationship with Him.
If you grew up in Sunday school world, you saw a lot of Sunday school papers with pictures of Jesus in a neatly pressed white robe, nice sandals, and a well-trimmed beard. It was easy to draw the conclusion that Jesus is a kind, softhearted, merciful, and deferring kind of guy. And, thankfully, He is all those things. But if that’s all He is to you, He won’t seem very compelling. You might think, “Nice guy, but I’m not sure I’d want to go on a fishing trip with Him!”
Yet a brief look at who found Him to be compelling will correct our often distorted view of Jesus. Rough fishermen like James, John, Peter, and Andrew dropped their nets to follow Him. These were guys who would have had fading tattoos on their bulging biceps, and rugged, sea-worn faces. Simon the Zealot, a member of the underground resistance force, was committed to give his life if necessary to overthrow the oppressive regime of Rome. He traded in his Uzis and fatigues to join the Jesus revolution. And Matthew, the ruthless tax collector, found Jesus a far more compelling option for life than continuing to get rich at other peoples’ expense. Women felt safe with Him and adoringly followed and supported Him.
So, take it from those who knew Him best. They gave up everything and followed Him to a whole new way of life. A life where the power of love is courageous enough to forgive; where the joy of generosity trumps the withering grip of greed; where others’ needs and interests capture the attention of our hearts; where cross-bearing is an honor; where the poor, marginalized, and oppressed find refuge and significance.
So, what do you think of Jesus?
Seeing Him as He really is will make you ready to drop “whatever” in order to follow Him. And, come to think of it, I’d love to go fishing with Him! I might just end up being quite different in a lot of good ways if I spent more time with Him!
YOUR JOURNEY…
What has been your impression of Jesus?
Have you seen Him as so compelling that you are willing to drop anything that gets in the way of following Him?
Would you forgive for Him? Give your money to the poor and needy for Him? Stop gossiping for Him? Live for eternity for Him? Work well at the office for Him even though your boss is weird and unreasonable?
—Joe Stowell
Monday, October 18, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Love
"LOVE" IS TO FLOW THROUGH THE CHRISTIAN OUTWARD TO PERFORM GOD'S WORK IN PEOPLE AROUND HIM.
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another." (John 13:35).
"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." (John 15:9-12).
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." (1stJohn 4:7).
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (1st John 4:11).
"Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you." (Ephesians 5:2).
"I say unto you, love your enemies." (Matthew 5:44).
"Let love be without hypocrisy." (Romans 12:9).
"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10).
"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails." (1st Corinthians 13:4-8).
"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1st Corinthians 13:13).
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God created beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10).
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another." (John 13:35).
"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." (John 15:9-12).
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." (1stJohn 4:7).
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (1st John 4:11).
"Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you." (Ephesians 5:2).
"I say unto you, love your enemies." (Matthew 5:44).
"Let love be without hypocrisy." (Romans 12:9).
"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:10).
"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails." (1st Corinthians 13:4-8).
"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1st Corinthians 13:13).
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God created beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10).
Hope
"HOPE" IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT PROVIDING PRESENT ENJOYMENT OF THE FUTURE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISES OF GOD.
"Having a hope in God, ... that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked." (Acts 24:15).
"And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body, for in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Romans 8:23-25).
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:18-19).
"... He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and without reproach - if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, ..." (Colossians 1:27).
"Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27).
"Christ Jesus, who is our hope;" (1st Timothy 1:1).
"... the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, preached long ages ago, ..." (Titus 1:2).
"In the same way, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us." (Hebrews 6:17-18).
"Having a hope in God, ... that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked." (Acts 24:15).
"And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body, for in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it." (Romans 8:23-25).
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:18-19).
"... He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and without reproach - if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, ..." (Colossians 1:27).
"Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27).
"Christ Jesus, who is our hope;" (1st Timothy 1:1).
"... the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, preached long ages ago, ..." (Titus 1:2).
"In the same way, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us." (Hebrews 6:17-18).
Faith
"FAITH" IS THE BASIS FOR THE REVEALING OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS IN A CHRISTIAN'S LIFE.
"For in it (in the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith.'" (Romans 1:17).
"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ ... whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness ... that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26).
"For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." (Romans 4:16)
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:1).
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17).
"The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20).
"For in it (in the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith.'" (Romans 1:17).
"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ ... whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness ... that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26).
"For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." (Romans 4:16)
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."(Romans 5:1).
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17).
"The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God." (Galatians 2:20).
Faith, Hope and LOVE
Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. It comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Hebrews 11:1, Romans 10:17).
We have a living Hope, because our God is a living God, (Peter 1:3).
Love must be the motive and the driving force behind every thing we do (I Cor 13:3)
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Cor. 13:13
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