I was asked this simple question by a friend,

“I have a question for you that I need your advice on. My 9 yr old, Jonathan and I talk a lot about the Lord, and he always ends up with the same question, ‘Mom, if God created everything, WHO created God.’ I try to explain that that is one of those answers that we will know when we get to the other side, and that it’s not meant for us to understand it right now. This is not going over well, and he is really struggling w/ some major doubt. How have you handled this in the past & do you have any recomendations on what to tell him? To tell you the truth, this is a ? I’ve wrestled w/ myself! lol Thanks!”

This is a tough question, I believe, simply because of our view of who God is. I also believe that we must always go back to Scripture and that Scripture reveals all things. Let me say this about Scripture, I believe that God intentionally revealed to us through Scripture the mysteries and the “secrets”, if you will, of how to live a full and fullfilling life here on this earth as well as through eternity.

Let’s start by looking at this thought by Pastor Rob Bell: In the grand scheme of things we live between two trees:

Before the tree of life in Genesis God always was…..and after the tree of life in the book of Revelation…….God always will be.

Because we are human and live in a human world, we see everything as “matter”… and as having a physical form. Simply…we must put a face and form on God…usually of a human like us in some way or another, sitting on a throne up in the sky on the clouds.

You have asked….we will seek the answer……if we knock…..Jesus tells us the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7-8 ( TNIV )
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  8 For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.

What does the Bible tell us regarding who God is?

Who does God say He is?

Exodus 3:14 ( TNIV )
God said to Moses, “I am who I am…….”

God is described as existing outside of space and time:

God lives outside our three-dimensional physical world:

Jeremiah 23:23-24 ( TNIV )
“Am I only a God nearby,”…..“and not a God far away? …..“Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. 

2 Peter 3:8 ( TNIV )
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 

God is Spirit:

Jesus is speaking to a Samaritin woman and says this:

John 4:24 ( TNIV )
24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Jesus is speaking to the Apostle Peter (Simon) and tells him what God is not:

Matthew 16:17 ( TNIV )
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 

Additionally, in the Old Testament book of Numbers, chapter 23, verse 19, the writer tells us that, “God is not a human…”

These descriptions of God tell us that He is Spiritual and therefore lives outside our physical world.

God “WAS” from the beginning:

Romans 1:20 ( TNIV )
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Genesis 1:1-2 ( TNIV )
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

I would point out that God created time and existed before the creation of time. I believe that the statement in Genesis, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” is making reference to the creation of time.  You see also in the creation story (Genesis 1:1 to 2:3), many references to the creation of time.

Genesis 1 ( TNIV ):

5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.

 

1 Corinthians 2:7 ( TNIV )
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

There are many instances in the New Testament where God was acting before time began:

1 Corinthians 2:7 ( TNIV )
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 

2 Timothy 1:9 ( TNIV )
…….. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 

Titus 1:2 ( TNIV )
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 

Everything that was created has a beginning:

Everything which has a beginning has a cause. Whether you look at this question of  God being created from a Biblical standpoint or from a scientific standpoint.

The universe has a beginning……..there is much scientific evidence that the universe had a beginning…..therefore the universe has a cause.

Time has a beginning……..Einstein’s theory of relativity….which is widely accepted…..shows that time is linked to matter and space. So time itself would have begun along with matter and space.

God, unlike the universe, and unlike time…..had no beginning, so.. doesn’t need a cause. As I have seen in Scripture, God created all matter as well as time. God created time and matter…therefore He lives outside time and matter…this is affirmed by his revealed Word….all of Scripture.

Isaiah 57:15 ( TNIV )
15 For this is what the high and exalted One says—  he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with those who are contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly  and to revive the heart of the contrite.     

Lastly, let’s take a look at John 1:1-5:

John 1:1-5 ( TNIV )
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 He was with God in the beginning.  3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all people.  5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

I would note that the word that we translate as “Word” in Greek is “Logos” [also the name of my favorite all time study tool].

The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus first used the term “Logos” around 600 years before Christ to designate the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe.

God is the creator of all matter and time. God is not created. In the end…..this is a matter of faith….it’s easy to “overthink things”. However…..there is much evidence to be considered.

God inhabits all eternity….everything before the tree of life in Genesis….and everything after the tree of life in Revelation…….God is…..as He said…..”I am“……and we……..we live between those two trees!

Debra’s Personal Journey
Call to Christ:  I came to know Christ during my senior year at the University of Central Florida (UCF) when a staff woman from Campus Crusade for Christ shared the Gospel with me on January 12, 1993. I was immediately filled with so much gratitude for what Jesus did for me that I gave Him my life and wanted Him to use me and mold me into the person God created me to be.  Since that day, my journey has changed my life forever! It didn’t take long to realize that my life was not my own, but now belonged to God to use in whatever way He desired.

Call to Missions:
Just a few months later I was on a mission trip in Romania when I knew God gave me the desire to help young people know what I wish I knew growing up. I found out about Campus Crusade’s High School ministry called Student Venture and soon got involved. I started at headquarters as a receptionist and then I joined staff with Campus Crusade in 1995. I worked at Cypress Creek High School near Kissimmee and Lake Brantely High School in Longwood until 2002.  During this time I led mission teams to Italy three times, trained other new staff, led students to Christ, discipled them, and spoke at conferences around the country. The experience deepened my burden to help young girls dealing with sexual purity issues and I decided to follow my heart and transitioned to work at the Sanford Crisis Pregnancy Center from 2003-2009.

Pictured here are just a few girls I led to the Lord when they were freshman in High School. During their senior year they led a Bible study for sophomore girls and met with me for their own Bible study at 6 a.m. every Wednesday morning. As they invited their friends, the study grew to 12 girls and then the group wanted to meet again on Thursdays to share prayer requests and pray together too. All four of them travelled with me to Florence, Italy on a Student Venture mission trip to share the Good News of the Gospel with Italian students.  It was incredible to watch this movement happen by just being available to them and watching God work in their lives.

At the Sanford Crisis Pregnancy Center I counseled young women who were facing unplanned pregnancies and part of my role was to teach sexual integrity to our clients, as well as to youth groups in the Central FL area. I felt I was in the center of God’s will for my life and it was very fulfilling.

Steve enters the picture:
When Steve Burns moved to Lake Mary from Ohio, he was voluntarily leading the youth ministry at Lifepoint Christian Church. He asked the pastor for a referral of a woman that could talk to the girls about sexual purity and the pastor suggested he call the Sanford Crisis Pregnancy Center. God brought Steve Burns to the center where we first met in 2004. As we gradually began dating, we also served at Lifepoint together. The students got to witness our relationship grow week after week as we led the ministry and lived our lives before them. The best memories were made at the CIY Believe Conference and special events where we enjoyed quality time with the students.  Meeting someone who enjoyed ministering to the youth as much as I did was a gift from God!  Serving God together was an answer to both of our prayers.

Soon after we married in 2005, we bought a house in Deltona and attended Deltona Lakes Baptist Church. We felt led to serve in the middle school ministry because there was a need. It was fun to teach 70-80 teenagers from the local neighborhood who did not attend church with their parents. Sometimes it felt like we were just there for crowd control or to entertain the kids with games and food. I remember one girl who thought she couldn’t be a Christian because she was “American.”

After just two years, Steve was offered a new position in Jacksonville, if we were willing to move. After much prayer, we felt called to go. I was prayerfully seeking God for my new assignment too. I contacted the Student Venture city director, who has been leading the ministry for twenty years and found out that he needed an experienced staff woman to train a new staff girl coming to the city. I knew this was the answer to my prayers and exactly where I was needed! He has not had female staff for the past 10 years and now he was gaining two! Pictured on right with Christine Kennedy, new staff from Jupiter, FL.
 

The Ministry in Jacksonville:
Student Venture believes in winning students to Christ, building them up in their faith, and sending them to reach others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How do we do this? I will be going on campus to give motivational talks to the cheerleaders, athletic teams, and student clubs. We invite them to come back to a Student Venture outreach where the Gospel will be presented. In the past, I typically saw at least 10% of the students who have not been to church, pray to receive Christ at that very first meeting!  It is wonderful to witness God open the hearts and eyes of His children to receive His unconditional Love and Grace!  From there, I will follow up with each student and invite them to get involved in a Bible Study to further their understanding in their new relationship with God. We also encourage them to get involved in a local church.  Pictured here with Greta and Kimmie. Greta plays soccer at Creekside HS and we will be doing an outreach for her team and I will be leading a weekly Bible study for her and her friends.  Kimmie is on the dance team and we will be planning an evangelistic event for her friends too.

The Need:
I have the privilege to gather a team of partners to pray and invest in this ministry.  God has raised 30% of my monthly need. I was able to purchase the supplies I will need for Bible studies. 
I still need more partners.  What support do I need to impact students for Christ and to help keep just one young girl from making a mistake that could negatively impact her life?  I am praying for 100 partners to give $20 a month or 50 partners investing $40 a month.  But any amount is appreciated, as I know this economy has been hard on everyone.

If you choose to join my team, all donations made to Campus Crusade for Christ are tax-deductible.  If God is calling you to partner with me, thank you, if He has other plans for your giving, I understand and would appreciate your prayers. It may sound strange to support a missionary in Jacksonville, FL, but I know God has called me to serve here and there are lost and hurting teenagers who need to hear the Good News of the Gospel in every city of America.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration. 

Debra’s Contact Information: 
Email: debra.burns@studentventure.com
Website: www.svjax.blogspot.com  www.svjacksonville.com
Website: www.ccci.org/give/0437644
Home: 11345 Finchley Lane Jacksonville, FL 32223
Cell: 321-363-6369

In this study I was amazed. I am often amazed at the Words of Jesus as they so very often challenge me to dig deep. They so very often are literally, the truth…..upside down. We basically all agree with what Jesus says….but often find it hard to apply these truths to our lives because they are so counter to what we have been taught in the world (the so-called “common sense” of real life). This is one of those teachings that challenged me. If we look very close…Jesus teaches us a “third way” of dealing with things in our lives.

Statements like, ” do not resist an evil person“, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”, “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.” ….and this one isn’t to bad, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. ” Most of us, especially as Christians, would agree with what Jesus says here…..however….most of us would have a hard time putting these ideas into practice because we would feel that we are being taken advantage of, we find it hard not to fight back in word or deed. So….what exactly is Jesus saying here? Could he be saying more than what we read on the surface with just a quick reading of His words? What is the rest of the story? Let’s look…..

Okay, this is a long post (I don’t write short stuff, do I? LOL). Hopefully you can endure the trip

Matthew 5:38-42 ( TNIV )
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.  40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.  41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.  42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 

For weeks now we have been talking about how the “truths of Jesus” are the “truths upside down”. So often these truths are opposed to popular wisdom, however, as we have looked at these truths we have seen that they are rather amazing….and the results of applying these truths are better for us.

Today we will look further at the “Truth Upside Down”. I can take little credit for this message. I would like to thank Pastor Rob Bell in Grand Rapids. However…this message, I believe , is a very important message. Let’s look at “The Third Way”:

Have there been times in your life where someone did something to you or something happened to you that you wanted to exact revenge on them or you wanted to retaliate against them? These are the times that Jesus lived in………first century Israel. Times that were unbarable. Times that retribution and retaliation were a key word.

What I want to do is to look a little at those times and then to look at the wisdom of Jesus in dealing with a tough life. Because we all in one way or another struggle through tough times. We face times that are hard for us each day and our times are not always that easy as we interact with others. We are going to talk about a “THIRD WAY” of dealing with the pressures of this world (the first way is passivity..the second is retaliation and retribution).

Imagine that Canada invaded the United States the Canadians were setting out to rule the world and were moving from country to country setting up a “Canadian Empire”. Imagine that the Canadians have been quietly planning and now they have conquored America. The new national sport is hockey and every week as I study at IHop…..I have only one choice of syrup….maple.

Not only that, Canadian soldiers are everywhere, riding their horses looking for any sign of unrest or uprising….looking for any sign of rebellion. Why today as I went into the office, a Canadian soldier on his noble steed looked down at me and wanted to know what we were doing inside the church office. He was concerned because we were having a meeting………planning a rebellion perhaps……

 And there’s more…. Canada now has to pay for all these mounted soldiers occupying the land so they tax us heavily, and of course we’re already taxed by our own government. Imagine paying 25-30% of all that you earn to our government and then also being taxed another 25-30% by the Canadians. Over half of all that you work hard for must go to pay taxes, not to mention the taxes on maple syrup and taxes on cigarettes and gas. Times are unbarable …people are having to sell their houses just to pay their taxes! 

And on top of that……Christians (yes, Christians) are taking advantage of these hard times and buying our houses and then charging us high rent to live in them!

This is first century Israel! They had been conquored by the Roman empire…a giant global military superpower…and so there were Roman soldiers everywhere in the land. The rich Jews were buying up the family lands of their own people and these same people were having to work the land for a pittance.

And not only that, as good God fearing American Christians, we come from a tradition that God is on our side. We, as Christian Americans, are God’s people!

Again…this is first century Israel. The Jews had been especially choosen by God to spread the message of a loving God…a just, fair God of peace.

So, here we are in America and we have this big problem. We’ve been conquored by the Canadian Empire who is taxing us to financial ruin and on top of that, they don’t even believe in our God they have their own god’s and they laugh at our customs and beliefs. Every day, on a regular basis we would bump up against the rules of this Canadian  Army…… because we were living as an occupied people.

All of this was so very humiliating for the first century Israelites……….because in first century Israel, just like it would be to us today here in America, these Roman soldier’s job was to keep the people in line. This is the setting for the times that Jesus lived……

Let’s look at what Jesus has to tell us. What wisdom did Jesus impart to those who’s life was a struggle? What did Jesus have to say about dealing with the humiliation of being bound by society being affected by other peoples actions? Let’s look some more at the “truth upside down”….the key is…..it’s still the truth!

Matthew 5:38-39 ( TNIV )
38 You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.

I love what Jesus is saying here. Why, because it’s a great illustration of how the Israelites (just like us today!) take Scripture out of context and apply our own distorted truth to it! You’ve heard an “‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’…… what does that mean?

This comes straight from God’s wisdom in the Old Testament Scriptures. But remember, Jesus came to fullfill the Law, not abolish it. Jesus came to show us what God really meant, because we just plain get it wrong so very often! We often look at this passage and stand strong in “exacting revenge”…. ”Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth” we yell!  But this is actually a passage that was repeated throughout the Old Testament whose purpose was to cut down on violence, not increase it!

”Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth” actually is saying “if somebody wrongs you then they need to pay back just what they’ve wronged…not more”. So it was a way to curb excessive revenge, not justify it! Plus, in Exodus, in Leviticus and in Deuteronomy where this passage, this thought, has it’s roots it’s always applied to the actions in a court of law, by judges, not to the actions taken by people as individuals.

Now…here is the GENIUS of Jesus! Follow me here. Jesus goes on to say, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person”. The word translated from the Greek here as “resist” is “anthistemi”  [anth-is-tay-mee] which is where we get the word “antihistamine” (because it resist illness). This word, anthistemi  has the meaning of ‘setting onself against”  or ”being hostile towards”.  So what Jesus is saying is “don’t set your self against or be hostile towards an evil person”. On top of that, the Greek word translated as “evil” is “poneros” [pon-ay-ros] which, in the sense it is used, the masculine sense, doesn’t mean to resist evil, like evil in the abstract, but it means to resist the evil person, ”one who is evil”. Jesus is simply telling us not to exact revenge!

Looking at our situation here of being occupied by the Canadian Mounties…… Jesus is saying  that we have opportunities each and every day to fight back!  Our lives are occupied. We are often humiliated, shamed, angered,  provoked, and Jesus says……don’t be violent, don’t resist in a disruptive  or violent sort of way! I recognize that this is often a hard pill to swallow because we have been taught by the world to “get back”, to be against those who attack us either physically or in words.

BUT WHAT IS JESUS SAYING HERE?  He’s not saying to just sit back and be passive! That’s not what He’s teaching. He’s using this specific word meaning “don’t do to them what their doing to you”. As Jesus always does, he offers us answers. He shares God’s wisdom and tells us what is best for our lives. So let’s look again at what Jesus is saying:

Matthew 5:39 ( TNIV )
39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 

Now back in ancient  times, in Jewish culture, people had two hands. A right hand and a left hand. Your hands had very symbolic and practical uses. Your right hand was your “clean” hand. In fact, being right handed was generally understood as having strength, as having power, and skill. You eat with your right hand.

Your left hand was considered “unclean”. You eat with your right hand, but with your left hand, you use it to perform those daily bodily maintenance things that allow the daily routine to go smoothly.

Your right and left hands were used for vastly different things. So Jesus says here , “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” There are two ways you can hit someone. You can slap them or you can punch or hit them. Notice that in order to slap him on the right cheek you have to slap him with the back of your hand. A slap was something you did to somebody who was beneath you (remember, culture had a very strict hierarchy). You would slap somebody like….. a master would slap a servant, or how some men would slap women. Slapping was how you treated somebody who you believed was below you…a notch or two down. 

You only hit someone that you considered an equal in status to you. So, Jesus says, “If anyone slaps you…”……..remember, the Romans saw the Jews as “beneath them”. In our illustration, the Canadians see us as beneath them! So slapping would be something we would see all the time. In those days the Jews saw masters slapping slaves, Romans slapping Jews, husbands slapping wives, and on and on. And…..it was common for soldiers to slap civilians, this was something that was seen all the time.

Jesus says, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” Now notice that if he tries to slap him with the back of his hand when he turns the other cheek…..well, he can’t do it very well. The first slap says, “I’m better than you”. By turning the other cheek he is saying, “I know you think you’re better than me but take your best shot because you and I are equals and you will not treat me as an inferior.” This is a strong statement! This simple act of turning the other cheek turns the whole cultural system upside down! Especially to the people of the day…..they would have heard what Jesus said and felt…”THIS IS AMAZING”! This set’s the whole power and violence thing upside down! So in the end…..turning the other cheek asserts YOUR dignity and shows YOUR strength of character!

Now Jesus says in verse 40:

Matthew 5:40 ( TNIV )
40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 

Now…I want you to imagine the crippling effect of the taxation imposed by the Romans… (the Canadians here in America). The economy is falling apart, people are having to sell their lands and homes because of this extreem taxation. And who is there to buy these lands and take advantage…..the wealthy ….often their own people…the wealthy Jewish ruling class. And so here you are having to sell the land of your fathers….your home and land that has been passed down for generations and you are forced now to work it for a pittance…a daily wage…because it doesn’t belong to you anymore. Again…humiliating and painful. So, Jesus is talking here  about this type of situation where you are being sued by the owner of your property, often a wealth Jew of your own people!

In that day you wore two garments. You wore a garment up against your skin…like a tunic…and then you’d wear a coat over top of that. Jesus says that if somebody comes after you and they sue you…… and the only thing of worth you have left is your coat…this is how bad it’s gotten. Wait, there’s two garments everybody would have been wearing. If he takes off his shirt or his coat, what is he now wearing? Nothing! And it’s not his birthday!

Okay, so if these guys are standing here naked. Where is all the shame? If I were standing there naked…I would be blushing. In Jewish culture, the shame of being naked wasn’t so much on the person that was now naked……it was always the person who was viewing it. That’s why Noah’s sons, when Noah got drunk and naked, were in such a bad place…it was because they witnessed their fathers nakedness. It’s the person who witnesses the nakedness who has the shame and humiliation.

So, look closely at what you have here. Jesus paints this picture, and all the shame and humiliation is on who?  The rich man! His actions may be legal……but are they right? The poor man just flipped everything upside down! The rich man is in this awkward position. What kind of cruel, wicked, cold hearted person would actually take the persons last garment leaving him naked? To people who have been oppressed, shamed and humiliated, what Jesus is saying is turning things upside down…it’s amazing! In the end, the guy handing over his coat has asserted his dignity!

In the first part of this Scripture….Jesus doesn’t tell us not to resist evil,  but to resist an evil person……to take the high road…which asserts our dignity. Let the final justice be in God’s hands…in the hands of the civil authorities….don’t retaliate and seek revenge.

In the first example…Jesus tells us that turning the other cheek asserts YOUR dignity and shows your strength of character!

In this second example…Jesus  tells us again that by giving up our last garment….we have asserted our dignity….. taken the high road…. and shown through this simple action who the evil person really is!

Now let’s look at the third example Jesus uses:

Matthew 5:41 ( TNIV )
41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

Again, let’s look at a little context here. As the peopole hearing Jesus speak here would understand…..Jesus is talking about the common practice of the Roman Army, the conquoring army, to make their subjects carry their “pack”…..quite heavy….. as they moved from place to place. In our illustration of the Canadians conquoring America…..look at it here: a Canadian soldier grabs you in the middle of whatever you are doing and presses you into his service, immedietly, and you have to obey or else you risk terrible violence and cruelty! And the interesting thing is that in their army there are rules to their cruelty! They can only command you to go one mile because farther was considered cruel…go figure!

So there were these rules that were enforced by the generals and the leaders underneath them about what you could and couldn’t command a “conquored” people to do. By law, this powerful soldier can make you carry his load one mile…but Jesus says…..go ahead and carry it a second mile! But what does this do?

If the soldier allows this he is breaking his own military protocol  and obviously doen’t want this to be seen by his superiors…he could get into trouble! Who’s got the power now?.  And is this power rooted in coercion and violence?     NO     The power is rooted in generosity! So again, as Jesus is telling this to the crowds, they have to be saying….”WOW…what genius!” This is amazing! This man’s generosity has exposed the cruelty of the Roman soldier.

Okay…now let’s really take a close look at the Genius of Jesus! The original audence would not have what Jesus was saying as “some great ideas about being nice”….they would have seen what Jesus was saying as strong…tangible…ways of subverting evil…of pushing the darkness of the world away… and of asserting their own humanity! This is amazing!

So let’s take a look at the difference between pacifism and violence:

When faced with evil….our options are: To do nothing……OR……to react in a revengful and violent way

Jesus is not offering a “roll over and take it” way of dealing with these things. He’s not telling us that in the face of shame and humiliation to do nothing. Jesus say’s no………there’s a third way!

The third way is a FOCUSED….DISCLIPINED  ACTION in the face of the worlds injustice.By “turning the other cheek”….by “handing over our cloak”…..by “walking the extra mile”, we expose and unmask the situation for what it is! We drive back the darkness of the world with the light of Jesus!

By “turning the other cheek” …….we expose the violence and deep destructive attitudes of others…especially the attitude that says “I’m better than you”! We drive back that darkness and show the light of Jesus!

By “handing over our cloak”…….we expose the whole system of robbing people of their most basic dignity……we expose the cruelty of greed and taking advantage of weaknesses in this world. We say, “no…I won’t be a part of a system that takes basic necessities from others so that I can have more than I need.” We drive back that darkness and show the light of Jesus!

By “walking the extra mile”……we expose the violence and humanity of using someone like a pack mule….of treating someone like an animal! We drive back that darkness and show the light of Jesus!

NOW….HERE’S THE REAL GENIUS OF JESUS: When we do these things, we give the other person the opportunity to do the right thing!

If we respond with violence, if we respond with greed, if we respond with callousness to the evil in this world……we  don’t give any room for the person to, have “a change a heart” (and I know that it may not happen…….we all know that). We take away all possibility of the world seeing the light of Jesus.

The answer isn’t to do nothing……
The answer isn’t to react to evil with violence….
The answer isn’t to take advantage of others for our gain…..

The answer is to assert our humanity…to rise above evil….to be a part of this movement of God that pushes away the darkness and exposes the light of Jesus……join me in pushing away the darkness!

In these troubling times of  economic worry, job losses, daily struggles, high prices, terrorism and on and on……we need help to discern the right things to do………….the right things to do to weather these storms. Again, I encourage you to look closely at, and to begin with the Beatitudes in your life. These “inner attitudes” that Jesus spoke so beautifully about…. eight attitudes of our “inner heart” that bring blessings of peace and fullfillment in our lives. And why are these so important?

Matthew 7:24-27 ( TNIV )
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

 As we look closer at this great sermon of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount, we come to see some wisdom that we often bend or don’t apply. Jesus tells us to let our “YES” be YES and our “NO” be NO………to simply tell the truth. This next teaching from The Sermon on the Mount comes from Matthew 5:33-37.

Matthew 5:33-37 ( TNIV )
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’  34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;  35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[or from evil]

One of the things Jesus is talking about here is honesty. Let’s look at a little background, a little context:  It is interesting that just like so many times before, Jesus starts with “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago..”. It is also interesting that just like so many times before Jesus is repeating a common thought of the day and is preparing to explode it…. to say….”people….you have it wrong….let me tell you the truth”. So, what is it that they had wrong?

 Let’s look at what Jesus says here, “Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.”  Jesus is quoting a prevelant thought of the day that was assumed rooted in Scripture….but was taken wrongly. He is about to “fulfill” it’s meaning. While this thought is not wholy inaccurate, it is also not an accurate quotation of any of the laws of Moses. However, this is a pretty good summary of a few things we find in the Old Testament. Let’s take a look at these things:

Exodus 20:7 (TNIV) the third commandment:
7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God…”…. We often remember the KJV: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain’”

Leviticus 19:12 ( TNIV )
12 “ ‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. …

Numbers 30:2 (TNIV)
2 When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.

Deuteronomy 23:21 ( TNIV )
21 If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, …

So, Jesus is saying, “Let’s look at this whole oath thing and let me set things straight!” In Old and New Testament  times people used oaths to affirm that they would keep their promises or that what they said was true. We do the same thing often today: “I swear to God”…..“I swear on my momma’s grave”……“God be my witness”….

In fact, what Jesus was addressing was the fact that the religious leaders of the time, the Pharisees, had gone to great lengths to address the “oaths” rather than the underlying principal of telling the truth. They developed elaborate rules and formulas for taking vows….. and those formulas that included “the divine name”, or a reaonable substitute, made the vow binding…….while those that did not were less binding. This was Jewish law.

Does this sound familiar? Remember the Pharisees teachings on divorce? The Pharisees had gone to great lengths to address the “divorce” part of the equation rather than the underlying principal of a God honoring marriage. The joining of together of two as one. The key point here is, don’t focus on what we can’t or shouldn’t do, .focus instead on what we should do.

Let’s continue to look closer at the next part of this teaching from the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus says in verses 34-36: “do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;  35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.” 

In early Judaism, people, out of reverence, would not utter the name of God when making a vow. Instead, they would substitute something else when making the vow. However……God created this earth and everthing in it…..everything is of God! The earth; the sky’s; the temple; the people….us. Now is the moment we’ve been waiting for…….Jesus, what exactly do you mean?

Matthew 5:37 (TNIV)
All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.[or from evil]

The bottom line is, it should always be our practice to tell the truth. Jesus taught us to tell the truth under all circumstances and we won’t have to make an apeal for credibility. Our word becomes a living testimony to the grace of God in our lives.

Remember the Beatitudes…….what Jesus taught us about our “inner” selves? What Jesus taught about our “heart”? Our mouth can only give up what is stored up in our mind.  A person whose mind is polluted with profane thoughts, a person who’s mind is focused not on God but on themselves, finds it easy to be dishonest. Because dishonesty seemingly often works to our benefit.

Dishonesty is always wrong. Jesus is wise in saying “be honest!” In the short run it may seem to be to our benefit, but in the long run it harms us….mind…body…and soul!

How many times years ago, did I take my kids to the movies and, to save a few dollars, tell them to be a few years younger? That’s not so bad, right? What am I teaching my children? Be honest only when it benefits you. Not such a great thing to teach the kids, huh?

How many times did I lie to myself and did I “justify” my addiction and reckless living by lying to myself and those around me until it was to late. “I don’t have a problem…everyone else has the problem”. Little did I realize then what the cost of my dishonesty with myself would cause me……it cost me so much time in my life, so many relationships, so much pain. While I have found a true love in my life……I missed a true love in my life.

Let’s look at how we apply the Beatitudes to being honest….our YES being YES and our NO being NO (Matthew 5:3-10):

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit………blessed are those who trust in God and don’t feel the need to have to lie to gain something in their lives (to gain money, pride, honor, power …or whatever it is that we lie to gain for)

2. Blessed are those who mourn…….blessed are those who see the wrong of their own untruths as well as the wrong of untruths told by others and how it hurts them.

3. Blessed are the meek……..blessed are those who are strong in Christ and who don’t feel the need to lie to increase their status or something in their life….blessed are those who accept who they are and accept their wrongdoing by relying on God.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…….blessed are those who hunger to be truthful, honest, and to be stand behind their word.

5. Blessed are the merciful…….blessed are those who help their friends and family around them to see the great truths of God’s Words.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart….blessed are those who have discovered these truths, have put them to the test and who live their lives in God’s will.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers……blessed are those who despite the untruths of others seek to not hate but to show Christ love.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness ……blessed are those who stand strong in who they are in truth and in spirit, and don’t allow those who would make fun of them for being honest  or truthfull to dull their spirit or to lead them down the wrong path.

What Jesus emphasized in his teaching was that honest people do not need to resort to oaths. It was not that they should refuse to take an oath if required by some “external authority” to do so, but that our YES should be YES and our NO should be NO. How does this teaching contribute to our stability in times of pressure as Jesus promised?   The answer can be found later in the Sermon on the Mount….in Matthew 7

Matthew 7:21-24 ( TNIV )
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven [remember, this is not just the place we go when we die….but is also right here among us, the kingdom is right here, right now…should we choose to live in this kingdom with Jesus, indeed God, king in our life], but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. 

22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ [in other words….many will say….but I did such good things all my life] 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 

By eliminating the contamination of lying and untruthfullness we develop a strong, pure basis for our lives. When the storms come, we will respond as the disciples did in the storm at sea in Matthew 8:23-27

Matthew 8:23-27 ( TNIV )
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.  24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.  25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

The point is that when we eliminate lying and untruthfullness ………..when our YES is YES and our NO is NO…………we gain strength in Christ. We gain strength in who we are. The waves and the storms in our lives become calmer. 

I have trust and faith that God will bless the truth. How can God bless us if our hearts are full of lies? Let your YES be YES ….and your NO be NO.

This man came to his lawyer to seek a divorce. The lawyer asked him, “Do you have any Grounds? The man replied, “About three acres. “
The lawyer tried again, “No, I mean do you have a Grudge? The man said, “No, but we have a carport. “
The lawyer made one last effort: “Are you really sure you want a divorce?” The man told him, “No, I don’t but my wife does. She says we can’t communicate!”

Today, again, we are looking at verses that may cause many of us to be uncomfortable. But  please, look at this closely…….and hear ALL that God is saying.

 Matthew 5:31-32 ( TNIV )
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus was teaching the disciples , His listeners, and us, about how…. so very often….. we  mis-intrepret God’s wisdom or place the focus in the wrong place. Here again He speaks to the disciples about that misplaced focus. The primary message that Jesus is conveying here to us is that God’s plan, what He knows is best for us, is that when a man and a woman come together…..it is a special relationship of marital commitment. In fairness to those of you who are single it is possible and indeed practical to live a pure. meaningful life, without marriage. However, for those who choose to marry it is important to understand that God intends it to be for life.

Let me first take you on a small journey through Scripture. This Scripture was not so easy for me…especially because I am “a used husband”…I’m divorced. However, I realized that I needed to gleen God’s wisdom and accept it no matter what I have done in my past because truth is truth whether I want to believe it or not. I hope you would agree that one of the greatest emotional pains that someone can experience often comes from the breakup of a marriage.

In the 1700’s in the book, “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” by Edward Gibbons it is reported that one of the primary reasons for the decline and fall of this empire was, “The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.”

 The splitting of a relationship and the bitterness that engulfs peoples lives…. the splitting of this relationship that God intended to be lifelong and fulfilling…….. is one of the greatest tragedies that I know because everyone get’s hurt: adults…children….friendships and family relationships. ….all often suffer.

Jesus, in His widom and teaching from Matthew 5:31-32, seems to be talking here about divorce. However, I believe that the thrust of what He shares with us is actually about marriage.He is talking more about God’s intention for us in the marriage relationship to join together as one ……to join together as one flesh. Jesus is also talking about the  “devient treatment” of God’s intention  for marriage by the Pharisees (the religous leaders in ancient Israel). We can come up with a million reasons why a marriage should be disolved by divorce however, what we should focus on is “the million ways to work at keeping these relationships together…and healthy.”

Let’s look at where, I believe, the thrust of what Jesus is saying in the Sermon on the Mount comes from. In order to fully understand what Jesus is teaching us we need to look at what Jesus taught about divorce in the larger context. This can be found in Matthew 19:3-9:

Matthew 19:3-9 ( TNIV )
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[this comes from Genesis 1:27] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[this comes from Genesis 2:24] ?  6 So they are no longer two,…………. but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.  9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

So basically what I see here is that, as people, we often focus on the divorce part and not the beauty of God’s plan….the joining of two people…a man and a woman….as one. There is almost no unhappiness so painful as the unhappiness of an unhappy marriage and almost no tragedy so great as the degeneration of what God wants for us……..a relationship of love and fullfilment……… a degeneration into a “non-relationship” of bitterness, discord and despair. Likewise, I have found that there is almost no greater joy and fullfillment than a happy marriage. 

I know that right now there are many things going through your minds….the same things that have gone through mine…. ”Hold on, wait a minute, it’s not that easy!”….. you’re right…..it’s not that easy.

It seems that the prevelent attitude today (I would say that it is an irresponsible attitude) towards marriage is not God’s plan…..it’s less of an attitude of a life long commitment and more of an attitude of “what can you do for ME”. Remember the third Beatitude (Matthew 5:5): “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” ? We have talked about worldy wisdom and Godly wisdom before….this is another case of that contrast……worldly wisdom centers on “ME”….Godly wisdom centers on Him and OTHERS.

The attitudes that say “I’m not happy; we’re not compatible; he (or she) doesn’t meet my needs” are shallow and ”ME” centered. It is important for us to understand God’s ideal.  This ideal is clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  The apostle Paul is talking:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ( TNIV )
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails…..

Two normal people committed to these principals cannot help but find pleasure, happiness, and love for each other. Remember the fourth Beatitude (Matthew 5: 6): “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” ?  Married couples who habitually date and court each other will find their love growing deeper.

Jesus specializes in mending broken lives….. even those fractured by divorce. Notice God’s attitude toward failure.He never asked how they got into trouble…….He knows. He never leaves broken people where He finds them. He moves people from where they are to a higher level of living.

You can see this in the story of the Woman at the well. (John 4)

John 4: 13-18 ( TNIV )
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

It is interesting that this woman recognized that Jesus was the Messiah:

John 4:25-26 ( TNIV )
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

For those of you that are like me and for whatever reason have a divorce in their past…….don’t dwell on the past but look to the future. Divorce is forgivable but like any sin in our lives it must not become habitual. Look at what Jesus says to the woman caught in adultry that was about to be stoned for her sin…..

John 8:11 ( TNIV )
11…… “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” 

Some married couples live in emotional divorce and that also is not God’s plan. This occures when they live together but do not share a love for each other. I believe that the cure for this is to live in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3. God gives us His wisdom…we need only to apply it to reap the blessing. These two full chapters are so important and strong in the wisdom of our daily life…….let me share two short excerpts out of those chapters:

Ephesians 5:8-10 ( TNIV )
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light  9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

Colossians 3:12-15 ( TNIV )
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  

There is no room for divorce in a committed Christian home. Remember Matthew 5:23:

 <<– Officiating my daughters wedding….what a blessing

Matthew 5:23-24 ( TNIV )
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,  24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift.

Remember the seventh Beatitude (Matthew 5: 6): “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”

What would our life be like if we were to apply the wisdom of the teachings of Jesus about our inner self, our inner heart……the Beatitudes? The bottom line comes from the fact that our relationship with God will determine the quality of our relationship with not only that special person in our life that we are joined together with in marriage, but also in all of our relationships.

Each week I prepare a devotional for our Leadership/Staff Meeting. This week I was asked to look closer at “encouragement”. My encouragement to you is that you apply God’s Word to your life….as you not only believe….but follow Jesus each and every day…….my encouragement toi you is that you will see a transformation and find hope that wasn’t there before.

How can we encourage others?
It is encouragment to others to work along side them, to have them involved. It is more than “hollow” praise….it is praise in action. Barnabas was a great encourager. When we encourage others they see Christ in us and ultimately see Christ in themselves…..the key is…..encouragement helps others see Jesus.

Acts 11:23-24 ( TNIV )
23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Hebrews 10:24-25 ( TNIV )
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Encouragement is personal and relational. It affirms others work and the work theyare doing for God.

Philippians 1:3-6 ( TNIV )
3 I thank my God every time I remember you.  4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

As leaders, we see people who struggle and often struggle ourselves. Encouragement given and received gives us strength from the compassion we experience.

1 Samuel 23:16 ( TNIV )
16 And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 

How do we communicate encouragement?
Words are like that double edged sword….they can both help and hinder encouragement. Choose our words wisely and use words and thoughts that are uplifting.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ( TNIV )
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 

Ephesians 4:29 ( TNIV )
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

God’s promise to us:
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 ( TNIV )
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Grace and Grits June 24th, 2009……LifePoint serves with a heart like Jesus!

Harry Houdini was the greatest of escape artist. One time he issued a challenge, a challenge that he could be locked in any jail cell in the country and that he would be able to set himself free pretty quickly. And he always kept his promise. But on one occasion……. something went wrong. Houdini  entered  the jail in his street clothes. The heavy, metal doors clanged shut  behind him.

He took from his belt a concealed piece of metal and started working with it right away, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For thirty minutes he worked and got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door. By now he was sweatin’ and concerned…… but he still could not pick the lock. Finally, Houdini collapsed in “frustration and failure” against the door that he couldn’t unlock. When he fell against the door…..  it swung open! It had never been locked at all! But in his mind it was locked……… and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell.

Our “freedom” is often like this. …….. it’s there…. waiting for us to simply choose to open the door….but in our mind the door is locked…and that’s all it takes for us not to do what’s right!

Freedom is important to us. Our country was founded on freedom…….political freedom, economic freedom, social freedom and most of all we cherish the freedom of our own will. But I think so very often, in a similar way to Harry Houdini, we don’t realize that true freedom is so close….that the door is unlocked, just waiting for us to go through. Something else we don’t realize, freedom is not the power to do what ever “WE” want to do….that‘s what the world tells us……..Freedom is doing what we “OUGHT TO DO”, what God would have us do in our lives.

When you go to Philadelphia you can see the liberty Bell. You can run your hand over the surface of this “symbol” of our freedom here in America. The Liberty Bell is scared and has been through so much. When you look at the Liberty Bell, you sense something of the history of our United States. It’s a treasured relic of America’s earliest days. Interestingly enough, on this symbol of our freedom are these words from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof”.

The apostle Paul proclaimed that freedom, “true freedom”, throughout the land. In speaking to the church at Corinth he said in 2 Corinthians 3:17 “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. The Freedom that the apostle Paul described is a special freedom…it is true freedom for our lives. We’re going to look at that freedom today.

Christian Freedom…TRUE FREEDOM….. means freedom to do the right thing. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the gathering of Christ Followers at Galatia, tells them, and us in Galations, chapter  5,  all about this freedom.

Galatians 5:1-4 ( TNIV )
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

So the apostle Paul is telling us here that Jesus has already set us free……..free from what?    Jesus has set us free from the slavery of our own sinful desires. While we can’t be sinless, we can learn to free ourselves from slavery to those sinful desires. First…….Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross. And second….Jesus, indeed God, shares with us right here in His Words what it takes to live a fulfilled life of freedom. The door is actually open, it’s not locked. It’s often only in our mind that it’s locked!

Paul goes on to say: 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.  3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.  
 
Paul here is talking about “The Law”……. the bondage to the Old Testament  Law….not the wisdom of God’s Words, but the ritualistic following of His wisdom. When Paul is talking about circumcision here we have to realize that like many things….it was an outward sign of an inner covenenant with God. However, the religious leaders of the day, and often people, had turned it into a ritualistic action of saving grace. While these rituals are well-meaning and symbolic….God teaches us in Scripture that salvation is not found in these things……..

Paul is saying that the ritual itself will do nothing ……..it’s living in the freedom of Christ that will save us….loving God and loving each other.

How many people have their “ticket” to heaven?…..there is no ticket! God wants us to live each and every day….passionate lives, loving Him and loving those around us! And in doing this we willl have freedom. We will have an eternity with Him as we follow Christ…….we find true freedom. We choose to live in the kingdom of heaven….the kingdom of God….with Jesus as king in our lives….but there is no ticket……It’s more of a passport………a passport records where you’ve been and opens the door to where you are going.

Paul goes on: 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 

What is Paul saying here?  First….let’s look at this word we translate as “FREEDOM”. The Greek word is eleutheria [el-yoo-ther-ee-ah] and it has the meaning in Greek of “liberty”. In fact this word in other places in Scripture is often translated as “liberty”. Eleutheria  also carries with it the thought of a liberty of “living as we SHOULD…..not as WE please”. Second, let’s look at this whole thing about the bondage of the Law:

Again, Paul says in verse 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.  

In that day, and often in this day as well, the emphasis by the religious leaders was to follow the law by the letter, not so much in concept….but by the letter. This is why Paul says, “do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery”. He’s talking about being bound by the yoke of the Old Testament Law. Now let me explain what he is talking about. Maybe this will make it clearer:

I have a financial assistant, Bobbie, that I trained to help with the tedious task of handling, reporting and entering all the financial transactions here at LifePoint so that we can see clearly what we are doing with God’s money….. so that we can be good stewards and do the right thing. When Bobbie first started, she made endless list of procedures  and rules for how we enter the thousands of transactions we deal with each month. I told her that “this was okay”…..it was okay to document these procedures, in fact it is a good thing and helps in learning. However, what I wanted more was for her to learn the CONCEPTS of what we were doing. Why?

One…..so she could make decisions on her own and not be “bound” to the procedures. So that she could do the right thing and when a situation arises that is not  “standard” or clearly spelled out. So she would know how to handle it on her own.

Two….I wanted her to feel the fullfillment of knowing what the right thing was to do, not just know how to follow a list of rules that is. while helpful, kind of “hollow” when it comes to truly knowing how to do the right thing.

Three….I want her to truly know how to do the right thing and not feel the frustration of doing the wrong thing when she is faced with making decisions.

So…the procedures, the rules, the LAW, is important. But it should not be our emphasis as much as the underlying emphasis of the concepts. I believe that this is what Jesus meant when He said that He came to “fulfill the law”. God doesn’t want us to be slaves to “the law”….He wants us to be free to do what is right.

NOW AT THIS POINT HERE….maybe you realize that the door is actually open…..and it is only in your mind that it is locked……..let’s get ready to open that door. Where do we start?  Where did Jesus tell us to start so that we could be free?

Paul continue’s on: Galatians 5:5-6 ( TNIV )
5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope [Jesus taught that He would leave with us a helper…the Holy Spirit]. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value [remember…it’s not about the law…it’s about the concept]. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love [this is the big thought…let’s  look at that].

This is where we have to go back to the very beginning….the core of what Jesus taught….the core of God’s wisdom…..and it can be found in a sermon that we call the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was teaching primarily his disciples, the apostles, so that they could carry on this great message from God after His death on the cross……a death he knew was coming. This last year as I have studied and preached the Sermon on the mount…I have come to realize that the Beatitudes are the very core of what we must understand first in order to live a fulfilled life…a life of FREEDOM.

Why do I believe this? First….because as Jesus choose to teach the disciples…..and this is where He started. He started with the inner attitudes of our heart…the Beatitudes……these are the concepts…..these are the concepts we must understand first!

Let’s take a quick look at Matthew 5:

1.  Blessed are the poor in spirit………blessed are those who trust in God with a childlike…daily…trust

2. Blessed are those who mourn…….blessed are those who see the wrong of their own sin as well as the wrong the sin or the bad in the world and mourn it’s effects on not only their own life but the lives of others. Jesus is saying blessed are those who care for others.

3. Blessed are the meek……..MEEK…not WEAK….what is the difference between meekness and weakness? weakness=lack of strength…..meekness=not flaunting your strength, it is strength under control

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…….blessed are those who hunger to be truthful, honest, and to be stand behind their word.

5. Blessed are the merciful…….mercy is grace in action….blessed are those who show mercy for others by helping them…by loving them and helping to carry their burden.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart….blessed are those who have discovered these truths, have put them to the test, and who live their lives in God’s will.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers……blessed are those who seek an attitude of peace on all levels…in their lives….in the lives of those around them and in the world.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness ……blessed are those who see the truth of Jesus and stand strong in their hearts and actions at all cost .

As we apply these eight attitudes to our lives (and we often need the strength of the helper, the Holy Spirit, to do this) we will see a faith that expresses itself through love.

Christian Freedom Means Service. Paul tells us to “Use our freedom to … serve one another in love”. Real freedom is living by the Spirit…….living with the strength of Jesus and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-14 ( TNIV )
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.

Remember the Greek word translated as “FREEDOM”: eleutheria [el-yoo-ther-ee-ah]  and remember that this word carries with it the thought of a liberty of living “as we SHOULD…..not as WE please”.

Paul goes on to tell us: But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature [Or the flesh]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.  14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [Leviticus 19:18]  15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Are we getting the picture here? Freedom is serving one another in love. So, now we start to come full circle in what Paul was teaching……there is a slavery to sin……there is a slavery to our sinful nature…….Jesus came so that we could be free of this slavery….so that we could be free to do what is right:

Galatians 5:16 ( TNIV )
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

I want you to look closely at this next part of what Paul is teaching us…..Paul spells out the “sinful nature” , that if we are not careful, comes out and,if you look closely, each of these things hutrts somebody…..

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. [None of these are things that help us to love one another. They are all things that break our relationships.] I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus taught us that the Kingdom is right here among us…it’s right in our midst………the door is unlocked………..all we have to do is open it and walk through. Paul also goes on to tell us what that freedom looks like…..the freedom to love God and to love one another. Paul comes full circle and sums it up. Notice that these are all attitudes of the heart:

Galatians 5:22-26 ( TNIV )
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Jesus gives us the great promise in His own words found in the Gospel of John

John 8:36 ( TNIV )  (Jesus talking)
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 

In conclusion……as we sum up what the apostle Paul was teaching about this FREEDOM that we all want:

1. True FREEDOM means the freedom to do the right thing.
2. True FREEDOM starts with a love for God and a love for others…it starts in our heart and…… the inner attitudes of our heart.
3. True FREEDOM means serving one another humbly in love.

We have been discussing over the last months the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount……..the most prolific of Jesus’ teachings and wisdom. I want to take a small side path today and share with you Jesus teachings on the kingdom of heaven.  Of course, this ties in directly with all that He taught in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount.

First, let’s look at the picture that comes to your mind when I say “kingdom of heaven”, what do you see? What pictures does that put in your mind?  Golden streets, no suffering, eternal peace , volumes of clouds, pearly gates…. and on and on and on. I don’t want to totally destroy that picture, the picture of the place that we have so very much been taught about, heaven.

The principal theme, the primary teaching, especially in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) within Jesus’ message was and is “The kingdom of heaven / The kingdom of God”.

Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven 32 times in the New Testament……. all in the Gospel of Matthew. He taught about the kingdom of God 69 times in the New Testament……… predominately in the Gospels of Mark and Luke, but there are also teachings in the Epistles. There is no instance that I can find in the Old Testament Scriptures of either of these two phrases. However, the thought of a coming time when God would rule as King is throughout the Old Testament and in many ancient Jewish writings.

I spent over a year studying Jesus’ teachings on this subject, and must say that I am still learning new things. The results of this study can be found here at this link.

As I studied and looked closely at the Scriptures and to what Jesus was telling us, I realized that I had been missing the key to Jesus teaching most my life. I had it about right……..but I was missing so much! The Kingdom of Heaven is not JUST a place where saved souls go after death or a place of post mortem bliss…..it’s more!

Let me try to illustrate where I was before I looked so closely at the Scriptures here (maybe you are here also):

I was very much like a child sitting down to the dinner table with his plate of food and on the other end of the table is a chocolate cake. As a child, I had a rough time eating my dinner because my eyes were always on that scrumptious, sweet, and inviting chocolate cake.

If we are not careful, we’ll  place to much focus on the picture of the kingdom of heaven ….in our future…. and not see it in our midst right here and right now! In short, the kingdom of heaven /  the kingdom of God refers neither to a place nor to a time but to a condition in which the rulership of God is acknowledged by us, His people. It is a condition that starts when we acknowledge Christ as King in our lives. And this, by the way, then….. does extend into eternity.

You know, we sit and we sing, we preach and listen to sermons about Jesus, we pray…… and very often we do this to look forward to a glorious day when we will be united with the Father in heaven. Isn’t that true?

We talk about going to heaven after we die, but we should be talking about God’s will being done here on earth, before we die! We talk about people being good and moral, following the wisdom of God, so that we can avoid hell after death…….. but my prayer is that you will be inspired (as I believe Jesus taught us) with the mission Jesus left us with. Yes, going to the ends of the earth to take forward the Good News…. but also of helping to bring heaven to earth…. IN THIS LIFE by being a an active part of His healing and restoration of God’s people.

We may learn to be a good Christians….. and we may do it especially well on Sunday. But Jesus wants to inspire us….. He wants to challenge us….to live out the kingdom of heaven / the kingdom of God in our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in our families,In our schools and in our society. And not only on Sunday…..but between Sunday’s, every day and every hour that we breathe! THIS…….is what Jesus taught when He taught about the kingdom! It’s a place in our hearts in which Jesus is King in our lives, in which God’s wisdom is welcomed and obeyed, in which we love a love that transcends all of what we think is reality in life.

The Kingdom of Heaven is a condition of our heart in which we are in daily relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit reigns in our lives! Okay. now let’s get down to some Scripture! 

I believe that in order to understand the Scriptures fully, that it is important to understand context. Not only Scriptural context (we should be careful about placing a meaning on a verse without out understanding the story in which it is told), but we must also understand the cultural and historical context. Let’s first look here at a little broad Scriptural context.  I discovered that the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” were synomonous………. they have the same meaning.

Let’s look at just one story that is told in all three Gospels. Indeed this is ONE…….. but there are at least 7 other instances like this:

 Let’s look at Matthew 19:14 (TNIV) Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

Now let’s look at Mark 10:14 (TNIV) When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

And finally, let’s look at the Luke 18:16 (TNIV) But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

It is clear that these two terms are synomonous. But what explanation could there be that Matthew would use the term, “kingdom of heaven” and the other Gospel writers would use “kingdom of God”? It’s actually rather simple. Matthew wrote his Gospel with the Jewish people as an audience. The other writers were writing primarily to the gentiles (Greeks, Romans and others). Additionally, to the nation of Israel……the word “heaven” was often substituted in the place of God’s name out of reverence and respect.

Jesus tells us all about the kingdom of heaven/ the kingdom of God and I believe that we very often focus on the chocolate cake instead of the food that is right here in front of us. The desert comes ONLY after we have eaten what is good for us! And this is what Jesus teaches! He teaches about the here and now…..today! And then comes desert……eternity with the Father.

Let’s look at the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 4, verses 12-17. This is the very beginning of Jesus ministry here on earth:

Matthew 4:12-17 (TNIV) 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum (which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali)14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea along the Jordan. Galilee of the Gentiles 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

And then as I studied, I found the key Scriptures to understanding the scope of this kingdom. Listen to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17, verses 20 and 21:

LUKE 19:20-21 (TNIV) 20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” [which could also be translated from the Greek as “among you“]

Think of this —the kingdom of God can be found through your heart……. it‘s within or among you. Now when Jesus tells us that it is near, is that near as in time, or near as in proximity?   I believe that it can be both!

Jesus tells us how to be a part of His kingdom. But…..imagine people missing the ways of God when they are so close. I think this happens often because they are focusing only on Heaven after they die. It’s almost sad I believe. Jesus message about the kingdom is not just something to be read and heard, but it is something to be seen in human lives and hearts!

So, let’s look at two other things here, the character of the people who belong to God’s Kingdom and what entrance into this kingdom requires of us. This is where we come full circle back to the very basis of what Jesus taught us about ourselves in the Beatitudes. The attitudes of our inner self….the attitudes of our heart. Jesus tells us that those of us who are deeply aware of our spiritual poverty …….and conscious of our utter dependence on God, will, because of our complete dependence on God, know the key to living in His Kingdom. 

Matthew 5:3 (TNIV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus also tells us that when we live according to the will of God that we will often find ourselves at odds with the world around us. However , by persevering  and living in God’s will, we will realize the kingdom of heaven.

This can be found in Matthew 5:10 (TNIV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus tells us that unless we apply God’s wisdom to our lives…the key word is “apply”…….not just speak it with our mouths, we will not enter the kingdom.

Listen to Jesus’ Words in Matthew 5:20 (TNIV) “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus tells us also that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must honestly and sincerely love God and obey His will. He tells us that doing the Father’s will involves first believing, then obeying His Words.

Listen to Matthew 7:21(TNIV) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.“

Jesus tells us that only believer’s, those who put their trust and faith in Him, will understand what he has to say as He reveals the secrets of the kingdom. 

Let’s look at Matthew 13:11 (TNIV) “He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.’”  

And by seeking the Kingdom first, Jesus tells us to seek Him……..to seek God first in our life….. to live righteously. He, in turn, will provide for our needs. As Lord and Creator He wants to help provide what you need as well as guide how you use what He provides. The Kingdom is a place that is close to God, close to Jesus. It is a place where God desires us to be. 

Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

This one, I believe, is a key. Jesus tells us that to be great in the kingdom of heaven/ kingdom of God that we must be humble like a child…… that we must adopt an attitude of humble servanthood.

Listen to what He says in Matthew 18:1-5 (TNIV) “1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “

Jesus explained that little children have the kind of faith and trust needed to enter God’s kingdom. They came to Jesus in humility and received his blessing as a gift. They had no authority or rights but they came to him in trust and love.

This is found in Matthew 19:14 (TNIV) “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’“

Jesus teaches us this in Matthew 13:44-46 (TNIV) “44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. “

Both of these parables tell of a joy in finding peace with God. Both men, the one who stumbled upon the kingdom and the one who was seeking the kingdom, realize when they find it that it is the answer to their hopes and dreams. There is a tremendous value in becoming a true citizen of the kingdom of God.

Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven / the kingdom of God has come and is coming. We have the choice today and every day to seek it, to enter it, to  live as citizens in it, to invest in it and even sacrifice and suffer for it.

Brian McLaren, in his book “The Secret Message of Jesus“ says it this way: “If we trust Jesus, if we follow His way, if we believe that the impossible is possible in our personal and family affairs as well as in our public policy and international affairs, we will make decisions and choose directions of one sort. If we believe His way is unrealistic or too difficult or just plain stupid, we will make other decisions and choose other directions. Depending on how we respond to the message of the kingdom of God, we will create two very different worlds, two very different futures…….one hellish……..the other heavenly.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is not JUST a place where saved souls go after death, or a place of post mortem bliss…….the kingdom of heaven is not free from tears, but in the kingdom comfort comes from God and tears are dried.

The kingdom of God is not free of conflict, but here conflict leads to reconciliation rather than revenge.

The kingdom of heaven is not free of need, but generosity flows wherever need arises.

The kingdom was promised by the prophets, Jesus tells us that it is possible and is at hand, within reach and that now is the time to rethink everything and begin to learn to live in the ways of the kingdom of God!

Again, we talk about going to heaven after we die, but we should be talking about God’s will being done here on earth, before we die! We talk about people being good and moral, following the wisdom of God, so that we can avoid hell after death……..but my prayer is that you will be inspired (as I believe Jesus taught us) with the mission Jesus left us with. Yes, going to the ends of the earth to take forward the Good News….but also of helping to bring heaven to earth…. IN THIS LIFE by being a an active part of His healing and restoration of God’s people.

This is what Jesus taught when He taught about the kingdom!

Matthew 6:33 (TNIV) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.