A buddy of mine posted a good review of Transformers and I had to reply. Something’s been eating at me since I saw the movie. Not even a single time since then has the movie been referenced in my presence with me being able to keep silent.
It was good, a solid action movie. But I have no doubt there were foul, dark, purposeful intentions involved… on the part of those who made the movie. You can read Drew’s review, and my reply, on his movie blog…
John 9:3
It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
We focus on what is best for us. Once in a while we truly pick up our crosses and take a total loss for ourselves that Christ might be glorified. But we should always be willing to suffer for Him. And how can we complain, for we caused Him more suffering than we can ever bear in this life.
The truth is that all things are for God, and that includes us. Even if we choose to reject Christ, He will be glorified in His display of justice. We can be for noble or ignoble purposes, but we will surely be used.
And because we are His, we should rejoice when we are used by Him. Even if we have a weakness, or are in a humble situation, or some tragedy has befallen us; we need to desire to be a part of His story.
As you read John 9:3, think about how God’s power can be glorified in your weakness… and not for your sake, but for His. Look into your heart and see if it cries out with every drop of blood within it as Rich Mullins’ heart cried out in his song “Jesus”…
Jesus
Write me into Your story
Whisper it to me
And let me know I’m Yours
The second half of John 8 is spoken to the Jews who believed in Jesus. But when you read it, you get the impression that their belief was weak. It would seem that they didn’t like to believe when Jesus spoke to their sin.
It’s hard, as a Christian who tries to give his all to Christ, to hear of others who claim to have a faith but deny Him if He hurts their pride. To watch people have such a wishy-washy faith in the One who died for them, who suffered for them, who became a man for them. It’s unreal how unthankful people can be.
But then I’ m reminded of my own struggles. Sometimes I’m faced with a situation that requires I be humbled if I’m to follow Christ. And sometimes I don’t give up my pride like I should.
It’s never an intentional thing when I forsake Him. But that’s just it… I should always intentionally follow Him. I should have nothing less than a fully intentional, moment-by-moment, living for Him faith.
The Holy Spirit convicts His people when they walk in sin. When I’ve been convicted and rebuked for my forsaking Him I have two choices… I can swallow my pride and address the situation, or I can go on living in my pride.
My belief will not be limited to one who will flatter me, it is only placed in He who has the words of life!
We often try to think of ourselves as our own masters. We have free will, sure. But the things we do with that free will… they’re things that we’re told to do.
Jesus offers us freedom in serving Him. It sounds backwards, but that’s the way the world wants us to see it… backwards. However, Jesus wants us to see things just as they are. He wants us to know the truth. And to do that, we must continue in His word.
We can, of course, choose to go “our own way.” But that’s a deceptive way of saying it, because really it isn’t our own way. It’s sin’s way. If we reject Christ, we become slaves to sin. Sin becomes our master. All of us have sinned, and allowed sin to have dominion in our lives.
And sin doesn’t like to let its servants go. It pulls them deeper and deeper into servitude. It will let them think they are the master if that’s what it takes to keep them.
If we want true freedom, we must become a servant. Sounds confusing, but if we want to understand the truth of it then we simply need to continue in His word. We need to love and obey Christ. Only then will we know the truth that sets us free.
It’s a violent world we live in. People are filled with hatred and malice towards each other. But even in the midst of all the wickedness there are windows… windows that open to a world of love and truth.
We see an example of this in the end of John 7. The leaders of the people, along with some of the crowds, they had a burning hatred towards Jesus. And we know that Jesus did not deserve it. None the less, they wanted to kill Him.
But not all of the people in the crowd were filled with sin. Many put their trust in Him. The temple guards refused to arrest Jesus. Even one of the leaders, Nicodemus, stood against the evil.
And Jesus Himself was a window to a better world. He brought love to His enemies, and we still receive that love. It’s a love that conquers. It’s a love that truly gives life.
There are people out there that love the Lord. If you are a Christian who feels alone in the world, look for the windows. Look for the view into a better world. You’ll come to find that they are all around us.
I like the song by Andrew Peterson, “Windows in the World.” Give the song a listen, and you may find it a little easier to see the other side.
There were a lot of tests that people threw at Jesus. And there were some big plots made against Him. All of these were said, that is by their perpetrators, to be in an effort to uphold the law of Moses.
But when one takes that statement and stops to consider the reality of who upheld the Law and who didn’t, they run into a problem. It doesn’t add up that these people would have been so focused on killing Christ and not on killing others.
They had to try with all of their might, for years, to find something they could hold against Jesus. And they never did find any legit grounds to punish Him.
But all of the other people broke the law of Moses. There was no debate about that. Even the leaders broke the Law, though they would have likely debated any particular instances of this. But they knew the truth of the matter themselves.
So why were they trying to kill the man who they could find no dirt on? The man they could find no fault in no matter how hard they looked? And why did they let everyone else off the hook? All the others who had clearly broken the Law?
John 7:16-19
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not My own. It comes from Him who sent Me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
And it still happens today. It is quite obvious that people are wicked. Some try to argue against this. But when faced with the truths of human nature, when shown specific cases (which are available in numbers likely beyond what any man could ever count), the supporters of human goodness are left speechless. They have no answers that stand the test of reality.
Our sinfulness is undeniable.
Yet today’s world is still doing what it did 2,000 years ago. It is still persecuting Christ, the only one in which it cannot find any fault. The only man who never partook in sin, and the only man who could die to save us.
The only man who is capable of bringing us love, goodness and true life.
We as humans need to toss away our lenses of foolish self righteousness, and we need to observe the truth around us… the truth of what’s within us. We need to stop trying to twist reality into something that fits our limited understanding and the delusions we desire, and start excepting the way things really are.
Man is sinful… selfish… full of death.
Christ is good…
Christ is love…
Christ is life…
Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.“
What does it mean to be born again? Nicodemus, a teacher and leader amongst the Jews, couldn’t understand it. Many today seem not to understand it.
We know from Romans 6 that it happens at baptism. It’s clear that it is the beginning of a new way of life. Completely new. Jesus tells us in this passage that it is a thing of the spirit. He goes on to talk about the necessity of believing in Him, even though men love the darkness. He says that when we live in the truth we come into the light so that it may be plain to see that what we’ve done is only by God.
I find that I must pause and really consider if this describes me. In so many ways people can point to my life and say “Look, it’s still the same old Cris. He does as he pleases.” In so many ways I fail to live anew. Sometimes I fool myself by taking pride in the good works I’ve done. Sometimes by emphasizing to myself that I have been baptised just like He told me to be. But I must remember that it is His blood that makes those things of any worth. And the application of that blood always begins with the truth of my sin. Without Christ they are empty and in vain.
But I must believe that God will continue the good work He has started in me, and that He’ll see me through all the way. I must believe that because the Bible says it. And when I do take time to pause and look at my life, I find it is plain that God has done some amazing things in me. It’s even plainer that it was only through God that I was able to do those things. One doesn’t need to know too much about me, or anybody else for that matter, to see the need for God. And when one accepts God, truly accepts Him and is born again, it will be plain that what they’ve done is through God.
So look at your own life, I ask you, and see if it is plain that God has worked through you. Remember not to get proud, because if it is indeed plain that God has worked through you then you have nothing to boast about… Only God does.
Is it plain that through God, and not through yourself, that you are Gennao Anothen?
Here’s a couple of videos from Andrew Peterson. Watch them as you consider whether you are truly a new creation…
When you read the stories in the New Testament you don’t often get the picture that the Jews of Jesus’ time were people who sat by and took whatever was dealt to them. Often times we see them trying to stone people to death, and once we saw them try to push Jesus off of a cliff!
I’m not posting this to say that the Jews were a violent people in general. But when reading the second half of John 2, one should consider the tendencies that many of the people had when it came to deeds and services related to God. In religious matters, one could not go about doing as he pleased if it was in opposition to the religious leaders.
One certainly couldn’t go around overturning the merchant tables at the temple, and threatening people with a whip. But we see a unique event recorded in John 2. Jesus turned the tables over, threatening violence. And guess what…
They had nothing to say for themselves, and they did not threaten Christ.
There was something about Jesus, a presence, it seems, that people could not deny. Here in this passage nobody attacks Jesus. In fact, nobody even accuses Him of wrong doing. Sure, they ask Him by what authority He did what He did. But that’s all they did. They never even defended their market.
We see Jesus’ presence come into play in other places too. The main one that comes to my mind is when the soldiers first came to take Christ away to be crucified. When they ask for Jesus He replies with “I am He”, and they all fall to the ground! I don’t know what exactly happened, but it cannot be denied that Jesus had a special presence.
And I think that it may be good for us to remember that Christ has the right to be that way in the hearts of other Christians. Sometimes we see a brother or sister struggling in sin, and we neglect our duty to tell them what Christ says. Sure, we’re to do so in gentleness, but we are to approach them just the same.
So if you have let Christ be the Lord of your life, listen to Him and let others hear what He says. Trust that Jesus is the only one who can truly help people. And trust that if He be lifted up, He will draw all men unto Himself.
We destroyed His body, and He rose it up in three days. We are God’s temple, and he can raise us up as well. Nobody has grounds to deny His zeal.
None have stones to throw when Jesus clears the temple.
Writing for Christ! 