[Hebrews 3:13 NASB95] 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is [still] called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Note sin is deceitful.  To be deceitful is to be purposely misleading!  Making something look good and desirable that isn’t. It is always based in the lie. It has been since the garden and the serpent with Eve.  It is often couched in a lot of truth and beauty, but the end is misleading; the lie that entices but holds destruction, disobedience, selfish gain, and death. 

The only defense against such deceit is being focused on the truth, or more properly He that is the truth, the way, and holds life abundant. Jesus! The Word that was made manifest in flesh (John 1:-3,14). It is He that prayed the Father “Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth!”   (John 17:21)

In our time, with the communications technology we are blessed with, there is absolutely no reason for us not to take the instruction of Hebrews 3:13 to heart, and encourage someone, somehow, day after day.  Phones, email, cars, all make staying in touch truly a daily possibility…. across the neighborhood, the city, the nation, yes… even the world. 

With that said, let me turn your attention to Psalm 103.  Practically any verse in it can be used to encourage someone in any kind of circumstances.  It is said to be a Psalm of David used to bless the Lord for His mercies and all He has done for the shepherd, warrior, king, man after God’s heart, and His people.  But, it certainly illuminates the goodness of God to us in most situations.

[Psalm 103:1-22 NASB95] 1 [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, [bless] His holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, [So that] your youth is renewed like the eagle. 6 The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive [with us,] Nor will He keep [His anger] forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on [his] children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are [but] dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. 17 But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them. 19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! 21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. 22 Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Consider these sharing these encouragements from this Psalm:

1) The LORD pardons all your iniquities (sin, imperfections, mistakes)

2) The LORD heals all your diseases (sickness of all kinds)

3) The LORD redeems you from the pit (traps, no way out circumstances, despair/depression)

4) The LORD crowns you with lovingkindness (mercy) and compassion (love, care, concern)

5) The LORD satisfies you as you grow and age with good things and renews your strength, even in age, to soar with wings of Eagles.

6) The LORD will prove himself with righteous deeds/works and just judgement when you find yourself oppressed

7) The LORD will show Himself  and His mighty acts to you when bound (slavery in Egypt) or in wilderness even as He did to Moses and Israel

8) When you screw up, have failed, denied… The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness/mercy.

9) The LORD will not strive (wrestle/test/frustrate you as an opponent) with you forever, nor deal with you in anger forever

10) The LORD is not dealing with you on the basis of, or according to, your sins, nor rewarding you in the now according to your iniquity. For as high as the heavens are from the earth, just so great is The LORD’s  lovingkindness/mercy toward you that fear Him.And as far as the East is from the West, just so has The LORD  removed our iniquity/transgression from us in His mercy.

11) The LORD acts as a compassionate Father toward children to those that fear Him

12) The LORD knows our frame, what we are made of and from . He knows us well and intimately as His creation, and stays mindful/aware that we are dust and human, prone to failure and weakness He know us better than we know ourselves, and sees in us more than we see in ourselves.

13) The LORD knows our frailties and the brevity of our days; that we are like grass and flowers that flourish and fades when it can’t stand the warm and strong winds and are dried up and blown away and forgotten. But nevertheless, The LORD has invested EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING (Eternal) LOVINGKINDNESS/mercy upon us, incredible value in us, that fear Him, even to the point of establishing His righteousness in us and to our children as our and His legacy as we stay in covenant with Him; For He is faithful. And, His faithfulness/commitment in covenant and mercy draws us to obedience in submission gained by love.

14) The LORD, our God, is sovereign, His throne is established in heaven and He rules over all in heaven and earth. So we have no need or place for fear, anxiety, or lack or peace. Our God reigns and we can place our lives and confidence in the hands of He that is doing what is right regardless of our circumstances.

15) Bless His Name for He is worthy.

Be encouraged in His love and mercy and faithfulness in covenant in Christ Jesus, and encourage others!

[Isaiah 52:7 NASB95] 7 How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, [And] says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

[Revelation 19:6 NASB95] 6 Then I heard [something] like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

I will admit, somewhat to my shame,  that I am one that consumes far too much “news” online and through streaming television channels.  As a result I am often too exercised and embroiled over the latest world, national, and, most certainly, political issues that flood my thoughts through these outlets and inputs.  I find I must constantly remind myself that my life is His, I am hidden in Him, and I know He Who is in control. Our God, The Almighty, Reigns

I am convinced that in our time DISTRACTION through our phones and media is a primary tool of our adversary to move our focus from He that is LORD.  As the old Bill Gaither song proclaimed… “kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there is something about that name.” I’m 73 years old, and have lived through several political iterations and movements in our nation from the riots over race and Vietnam war in the 60’s,  Watergate and incredible high interest and recessions in the 70’s, the rise of Iran and Islamic states….   and the wars, economics, Reagan, and the “fall” of the wall and the USSR in 80’s, and more in the 90’s. And, of course, 9/11, and Iraq, and more, along with the extreme divisions of party politics in recent decades.

 
Yes, it all impacts us to some degree and is important. But it pales next to knowing Him. I don’t want to be so heavenly minded I’m no earthly good as the old mantra goes. But, I do want to be so Christocentric focused on Jesus and His Kingdom that following Him is primary and brings me peace and defines my life.   We all are allotted the same 60 seconds in each minute, and 60 minutes in each hour, and 24 hours each day. And, we get to choose what we will set our minds upon.   And, that is what has true impact and is of preeminent importance. Loving Him, and loving people as you are empowered by His Spirit, is what has eternal import and impact.  But, don’t get me wrong, I (probably like most) am easily distracted with what will be fairly irrelevant in a few years, and certainly in the light of eternity, but seems so pressing today. 

It is easy to look at the world, the, “news”, and particularly these days,  Christian ministers and ministries that fall and fail, in one way or another, in sin, corruption, and through division. Or, Christian artists and ministers that get led astray into heresies or into “deconstruction” …or, on the other end of the spectrum, are in rigid “Pharisaic” judgement and legalism;  and wonder, even out loud, “Lord! Where are You in all this?”  Like David crying in Palm 42 [Psalm 42:2-3 NASB95] 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While [they] say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

He has not been dethroned and He is not far off. 

No, we have simply traded His nearness and awareness of His presence for an awareness of the world, and the distraction of a palm held computer or device that acts as a conduit for pouring its stuff and distraction into our minds.

Again, don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating throwing your phone into the nearest lake, or heading to the woods to be a hermit or monk and cut off from the world and what is in it.  I’m just reminding us that we are in the world with purpose in Him.  We are in the world, but truly not of it, by His purpose. And, to beware of adversarial distraction from that purpose.   

Look here, contemplate, meditate on what Jesus prayed:

[John 17:14-23 NASB95] 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil [one.] 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, [are] in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

It is obvious God’s purpose in Jesus, and Jesus’ desire for us, was that we not be taken out of or separated from the world, but that we be set apart/sanctified unto His word and purpose in the world, giving testimony of the Father and the Son in the world.  Manifesting Him in the world.   John goes farther in his epistle saying that God abides in (us) and that even as“He is…. so also are we in the world”

[1John 4:15-17 NASB95] 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.

If this purpose is true, and it is; What else is there that should ever consume us?  And, yet, we are often distracted by the world, rather than being given to manifesting the fullness of His love and reign in the world. 

Let us be diligent to (let Him) guard our hearts by the Spirit from distraction.  Ever being aware of what is in the world, and going on around us, but not consumed by it, or the anxiety that can accompany that awareness. Let us, as Christ Jesus did, and as His body, be focused on the Kingdom of God and His eternal purpose, as well as His purpose in the moment,  as we love each other, others in the world, and display that “our God, the Almighty, reigns” to principalities and powers above us and kings and kingdoms around us.
Perhaps… Consider giving as much time to these words to Colossae and Philippi this week as to your phone….

[Colossians 3:1-14 NASB95] 1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, [and] abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its [evil] practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 [a renewal] in which there is no [distinction between] Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. 12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

[Philippians 4:4-9 NASB95] 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle [spirit] be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you

And, revisiting David….let us find peace and hope:

[Psalm 42:11 NASB95]11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

[2Corinthians 5:17-21 NASB95] 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This is one of the most compelling and deep passages of the epistles outlining God’s redemptive nature expressed in Jesus, and our holding the ministry and word of reconciliation to draw men to relationship with God.   God did not create us out of some felt need, nor did He love us and reconcile us out of some need or loneliness He had.  His relationship with His creation was not based in any need of His, but on His own kind intentions and purpose, His own good pleasure toward us. His plan was not to satisfy some felt need at His Son’s, Jesus’, expense.  He reached to meet the need in us, through Jesus, at His own expense.

God’s purpose in the cross, was to make us righteous, those with whom He could be comfortable, just like the Son.  We must comprehend how costly this great exchange was. 

We somehow get the idea that the Father dispensed the wrath we deserved upon Jesus as some casual act and purpose in which He was uninvolved, and as a bystander or spectator of some kind.  This is to misunderstand the relationship of the Father and the Son and God’s very nature. The Lord our God is ONE (echad).

Note in verse 19 that “God was in Christ” reconciling the world to Himself.   He (God) was intimately involved. He (God) was participating, acting IN and through Jesus to reconcile and restore relationship in redeeming us.

I think there is a false paradigm that has been taught to us, that God cannot look on sin (Habakkuk 1:13) and in Jesus’ saying “why has thou forsaken me?”  (Mt 27, Mk15),  that makes us think the Father was not present at the cross as Jesus became sin for us. 

God has, from the Garden forward, sought out man in sin.  Adam.. where are you? (Genesis 3:9) God did not hide but sought man.  It was man who hid, because we think and feel our shame separates us.  God is omnipresent. [Psalm 139:8 KJV] 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there].  In Jesus’ cross, He came into the midst of our sin nature everyday.  The cross proves that there was no place He would not go to gain us, to have/restore relationship with us. So, God not only looked full in the face of us in sin at the cross, it was there that He made Jesus to be Sin on our behalf.

In doing so, He did not just offer a covering for our sins, as with leaves with Adam and Eve. Or, a partial cure, as with sacrifices offered from what was ours, requiring us to be aware of every sin and live under the fear and control of sin in our lives and make sacrifices over and over. No, He dealt with the nature of sin, our sin nature, making Him to be sin,  and making us righteous. And, not just to be righteous, but to be “the righteousness of God in Him/Jesus!”

Thanks be to God for the cross of Christ. The full weight of the judgment of God for sin was summed up and given full expression in Christ’s crucifixion, death burial, and resurrection. The world has been judged for sin, found/declared guilty, and full judgment has been poured out on Jesus the only Begotten.

Now, according to His love,… and beyond salvation/redemption, and reconciliation alone; He (God) now continues His eternal purpose by working in and through His obedient children; the saints, holy ones, who are sons like the first and only begotten, in Jesus. 

Those that are submitted to the Lordship/will of Jesus, just as Jesus was submitted to the Father’s purpose and will. We are, in fact, God’s workmanship in Christ saved not just from sin and death but saved unto good works He has prepared for us to be about in Christ.

 [Ephesians 2:10 NASB95] 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

He (God) needs no one, but has chosen to work through anyone that comes to Him responding to His love in Christ Jesus by faith.   Will you, as Jesus, co-labor with the Father in reconciliation and “beg (others) on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God”,  and other services that He may lead you into by His Spirit in Christ?  Service that manifest the fullness of His love in Christ Jesus.

 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This is a sovereign act of God that did not require Jesus to sin in order that He might become sin. God made Him to become sin.

Someone has asked this powerful question: If He (God) is powerful enough to do that; is He not powerful enough to take you, and totally apart from your behavior, literally make you to be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus? 

If that is the case; religion, religious behavior, and performance is never enough, will never be enough, and cannot be enough.  Why do we want to identify with it (self justifying works or performance) and suggest to others they need to do so?  The outward act never perfects the inward man.  God is not looking for us to do anything for Him. After all He is Omnipotent Almighty God.

But, He has saved us to co labor with Him in His purpose. Only our submission to Jesus’ Lordship manifest our love for Him, others, and the world around us. So we encourage each other to function in love as His body and under Jesus as Our only Head. (see Ephesians 1:22-23.)

I have talked about living from the Tree of life rather than the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the past.

Genesis 1 and 2 and Revelation 21 and 22 are scripture that show us times without the curse, and without sin and a need for redemption. These chapters speak of some of the same things. There is a river and the Tree of life in them, and they both picture God dwelling in an intimate relationship with man on the earth.

These bookends in Genesis and Revelation significantly speak to the eternal nature and purpose of God in Christ Jesus. They imply that He has always had an eternal purpose that involved man as His creation, and summing up all creation IN Jesus the Son.

“the end of both covenants we find (is) righteousness and obedience. It all comes down to God has always desired to dwell with a people with whom He can be comfortable. Those created  in His image that are righteous, holy as He is holy. And, He has desired a people that would be obedient to what He asks/speaks out of a submission gained by love rather than coercion.  

That existed in the Garden before the fall. He was comfortable with Adam and Eve and they with Him, so much so, that they were well acquainted with the sound of Him waking the grounds in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8-10). And, as far as we can comprehend, they were living in obedience to the one command not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, until they did. 

After the fall in the Old Covenant/The Law we worked at righteousness through obedience. It was impossible. In the New Covenant established in Jesus we have been given righteousness as a gift in Jesus that we might then learn obedience living in Him and under His Lordship.  A righteousness that comes by faith, not by works of the flesh. But, that righteousness inspires a submission, gained by love, to Jesus…”

That discussion in our gathering also included a reference to a wonderful passage in Hebrews. Here is a portion of each. 

[Exodus 20:18-19 NASB95] 18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw [it,] they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”

[Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24, 26-29 NASB95] 18 For you have not come to [a mountain] that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which [sound was such that] those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. … 

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of [the] righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than [the blood] of Abel. … 

26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.” 27 This [expression,] “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

This inspired some thinking on my part this past week about the nature of the gospel of the Kingdom which has been delivered into our trust for sharing and manifesting in our lives and relationships.  And, about the nearness of God we enjoy in Christ!   A nearness the Father has desired since before the foundation of the world and Eden, and that has been made possible, accomplished in Jesus.

The passage from Exodus is right after the giving and listing of the 10 commandments.  Just after, the thunder and lightning, sound of the trumpets, and smoke on the mountain began. And, that display induced fear on the part of the people.   Moses even alludes to the fear of the Lord being the purpose of the display in vs 20:Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test  (ie:prove/assay) you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain(ie:be before) with you, so that you may not sin.” 

There is a place that, as His creation, we must understand that He is God and we are not, and that as the Hebrews scripture says “our God is a consuming fire”. But, I am convinced that we should never lose sight of the fact He desires to speak with us. For us to be comfortable with hearing Him, and He to be comfortable with us. 

In Exodus we find the people trembling and standing at a distance, or as other translations say “afar”. But then they make, what I think,is a rather large error or, at least, an over reaction.  Rather than wanting to know Him personally, they only want to know Him and His voice through an intermediary.  And they say Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die. They request Moses to be the intermediary between them and God, fearing for their lives.  

Now some would take license here to push forward the case for hierarchy in leadership and giving the shepherd Pastor the place of authority to hear from God for us. I think that is a bridge too far, given the whole of the scriptures. Moses is a type of Christ here, not a type of the pastor or hierarchy in polity. If anything, it points out that Christ will make a way for us to speak with God personally. Moses says God has come that the fear (awe) of Him might be before you and that you may not sin.  Not that you may not hear from Him. 

In the Hebrews account this is truly all given exposition eloquently. Go back up and read how we have not come to a mountain we cannot touch and must fear, and beg not to be spoken to from.  No, we have come to Mt. Zion, the habitation of God, the general assembly of the church of the firstborn, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant. And although His voice shook the earth…His voice will once again shake not just the earth but the heavens as well.  

Then, please notice, the author of Hebrews says “therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;“. I think the clear indication is that we are in that unshakable kingdom now, and the speaking He does, even now, that shakes heaven and earth is to us, and even through us to the world around us, and principalities and powers above us!  Because we are in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus and of our God and it cannot be shaken, we may offer up service to our Lord and God (not our own dreamed up works for righteousness, but service under His Lordship and the righteousness He has given us in Christ) that speaks of reverence and awe before a God that is just, and is a consuming fire.

As mentioned above we have been entrusted with the gospel of the Kingdom which has been delivered into our trust for sharing and manifesting in our lives and relationships.  And, about the nearness of God we enjoy in Christ!   A nearness the Father has desired since before the foundation of the world and Eden, and that has been made possible, accomplished in Jesus.

The gospel of the kingdom is based in the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ as Lord.  It is not about doctrine(s) or rules and regulations of men. However, there are obviously mutations of the gospel that manifest a different Jesus, exhibit a different spirit, and present a different or distorted gospel. These kinds of mutations are not new in our day, although they may be more numerous and innovative.  Even in Paul’s time the Judaizers were stirring up a“Jesus and” mutation.

[2Corinthians 11:3-4 NASB] 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

[Galatians 1:6-7 NASB] 6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

“A different gospel” –“another Jesus”?    Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom, without distortion.  Where there is a kingdom, there is a King, a Lord, and His authority often accompanied it in changed lives in spiritual and physical ways

[Matthew 4:23 NASB] 23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people

[Matthew 9:35 NASB] 35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

[Matthew 24:14 NASB] 14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

This gospel of the kingdom is based in what Paul told the church at Corinth was the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Not devotion to a particular set of doctrines of men, or rules-regulations-works, and certainly not to another man/leader. Pure, simple, Devotion to Jesus; as in This is my beloved Son. Hear Him! 

[Matthew 17:5 NASB95] 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”

[Mark 9:7 NASB95] 7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!”

[2Peter 1:17-18 NASB95] 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

Let us consider the comparison with Exodus 20 here.   I think God was looking for those that would hear Him. Yes, stand in awe, fear, of Him… but who would hear Him and walk in His way. He was not looking for Moses alone to hear, but for a nation, a people, of His own. A people He could redeem and be comfortable with.   In our new covenant times, the application would be  He is looking for a people who will  Hear Him, and draw near and follow Jesus, doing as He directs and speaks.

God was looking for a nation of priest.  But, Israel would not have it.

The people wanted the word of God, but not a relationship with Him. God wants the relationship so you can hear…. and do the word.

Israel did not receive God’s call on their lives. They wanted God to speak to them through Moses,  not directly. This is because they did not want the responsibility of living separated lives, dependent upon hearing from Him personally, that would be a testimony to the world.  A life of the Simplicity and Purity of Devotion to Him. They wanted to follow God, but not completely to the point of giving up, dying to, sinful behavior and living devoted to His Lordship and His way,….  which is a requirement for the priesthood. That was for Moses and Aaron. 

He was looking for not just priests but a “royal” priest hood.  Kings and priests

The levitical priesthood stayed in place until the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though it was a spiritually dead institution. When Christ came, He instituted a new order of priests, one ordered after the priesthood of Melchizedek who was a king, priest, and prophet. This new priesthood is based upon the life and power of God, not rules and regulations, and man-made traditions. By Jesus’ death on the cross, resurrection, and ascension a new way was opened up for man to once again enjoy complete and unrestricted fellowship with God. The kind of comfort with each other that was known in the garden. 

Now man could approach the throne of God boldly, the veil into the holy place had been rent. Man could enter into the very presence of God for fellowship and hearing Him. The great barrier of sin was dealt with on the cross. Now those who received this gift from God could enter in. The power of this new priesthood is established in the power of an indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16 Melchizedek/Jesus)..The life ofJesus. The eternal life that is ours in Him.

 [Hebrews10:19-25 NASB95] 19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since [we have] a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another;] and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

[1Peter 2:5, 9 NASB95] 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. … 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God’s] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

 God is now revealing covenant grace mercy and love, He is also leading countless believers to discover the Kingdom… live in the purity and devotion to Jesus the King…. to come into  loyal submission/obedience to the King. Not coerced to obedience, not working at self righteousness earned through dreamed up ideas and self effort.   But, a submission gained by love that results in loving obedience to Jesus, and what He speaks, as His subject and servant.

[Matthew 6:2 28-34 NASB] . 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 he air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much m”But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Much is made here by some of “to work a job or not“. There is no such thing as paid full time ministry, although many try to press into it. We are all in full time ministry! But, most of us will see Him provide through a job. Even Paul made tents and worked with His hands. But His devotion was to the King and the kingdom. 

The “different” gospel that prevails in the church today, and weakens the church as His body, is a“come and get” gospel instead of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Come and get rich, healed, happy, everything made perfect, etc…, rather than come follow Jesus and give all that have and all that you are for all that He is, and in His service.  

We do a disservice with a gospel of grace that allows calling upon Him as savior but denies Him the right to be King and Lord.   

This has caused a lack of credibility before the world, and made the church to be seen as full of hypocrites and charlatans. It has also caused us to produce a gospel without Kingdom power and left many anxious, in anxiety over trivial matters.

The LORD is now calling for a “complete conversion”. A commitment to Him that lies down my right to rule, and ask me to join a group of believers that function as a royal priesthood under the One High priest as a royal nation under the Lordship of the King.

He has not called us to institute Christian Sharia law – rules and regulations for righteousness.  He has called us to give, love, and be an example of what life is under the rule and reign of Jesus as Lord… and a submission that has love as it’s motivation. Jesus did not come to simply solve our problems, but to liberate us and empower us by the Holy Spirit, and obedience to what He speaks, to liberate others from the dominion of self and sin and death unto life under His loving Lordship. 

I think the central message of the Gospel is not simply, or only, Jesus is savior, or problem solver or the answer.  But “Jesus is Lord!”, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and if you come under that… then  everything else (savior/problem solver, answer) will follow.

God already rules over all creation.  Only man has free will and when he lies that down, the Kingdom comes to bear.

We do not call people first to the church, but to the Kingdom. If people hear the word of God but do not put it into practice, they are building on sand.  Personal obedience and living under His Kingship/Lordship is the foundation of being a member of His body, His church/ekklesia, the fullness of Him that fills all in all. 

God’s love and grace, and righteousness are amazing gifts.  Unconditional to all that believe.  His blessing, however is not unconditional.  It is tied to obedience.

If you keep my commands, I will bless you.  (Duet 28:1-2, Duet 30,) was the old testament paradigm.  “If you will …. I will…”

The New Covenant paradigm is…. “If you love me… you will..” (hear and do) 

[John 14:15, NASB] 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. …

 [John 14:21 NASB] 21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

If you choose not to obey under His Lordship, God does not stop loving you. Grace is unconditional.  But you have stopped loving Him.  And, the greater revelation/disclosure of the fullness of Himself and His love may be quenched.   

A  majority of church expressions don’t multiply and grow, and it seems the  majority of believers live uneventful and fruitless lives. Could it be that being unfruitful and not multiplying … but being very much loved, and even given charismatic, and other gifts of grace, is simply a sign of lack of blessing and disclosure, revelation….. blessing/disclosure based in a response to love that leads to obedience?   

Jesus did what He saw the Father doing, as it was disclosed and revealed (John 5:19). The life of Jesus was filled with the supernatural, healing, deliverance, raising the dead, prophecies, miracles. So was the early church.  The Kingdom super-ceding natural law over and over .

God does not force obedience, nor anyone under His rule.  He draws them to it by the revelation of His love in Jesus. He has arranged that the Kingdom become visible through those not consuming salvation on themselves, or making righteousness a matter of religion: works and devotion to doctrine.  Christianity is not about the transfer of information and living by our intellectual understanding of it.  

It is about the transformation of lives that are fully under the Lordship of Jesus.  When this happens His people’s love for God, the brethren, and others are a response of obedience to His directives as Head of His Body. This results in the manifestation of the Kingdom…. to drive back demons and darkness, heal the sick, raise the dead and life that is not concerned with mammon.

This does not mean it will look like what you want it to, and be all roses and no problems. It means His purpose will be worked out in you no matter your circumstances. 

I, for one, rarely, when sharing the gospel, speak of “going to heaven” because I don’t think most people can relate to that. It conjures up all kinds of visions from sitting on clouds playing harps to majestic mansions lining streets of gold.  That may all be there, but I can’t say for sure. (I have some other more theologically based reasons as well). I can say for sure that, at the present it is where God dwells (Our Father who is in Heaven  -Matthew 6:9-  and other scriptures bear this out). Instead I speak about eternal life, because I think people understand what eternity is, in as much as they can embrace it, and they understand living/life. So I find that term, eternal life, more relatable and understandable to most. 

I open this writing with that only to make the point that, again, I, for one, believe in reference to the eternal purpose of God, we are far too focused on “going to heaven” and should be more focused on our part in seeing God come to dwell on earth with us, and in us.  I think this misalignment in understanding of His purpose has created all kinds of strange, and less than straightforward, teaching, doctrine, and thinking in the ekklesia about the kingdom and His purpose for us in the earth.

I have said before that if we break down, in albeit a simple form, the end of both covenants we find righteousness and obedience. It all comes down to God has always desired to dwell with a people with whom He can be comfortable. Those created in His image that are righteous, holy as He is holy. And, He has desired a people that would be obedient to what He asks/speaks out of a submission gained by love rather than coercion.  

That existed in the Garden before the fall. He was comfortable with Adam and Eve and they with Him, so much so, that the were well acquainted with the sound of Him waking the grounds in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8-10). And, as far as we can comprehend, they were living in obedience to the one command not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, until they did. 

After the fall in the Old Covenant/The Law we worked at righteousness through obedience. It was impossible. In the New Covenant established in Jesus we have been given righteousness as a gift in Jesus that we might then learn obedience living in Him and under His Lordship.  A righteousness that comes by faith, not by works of the flesh. But, that righteousness inspires a submission, gained by love, to Jesus’ Headship in obedience as we comprehend we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

This reference to things prepared beforehand alludes to the fact that we are in Christ for a purpose that has existed in God in eternity past and still does.  

Consider:

[Ephesians 2:4-7 NASB95] 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

It could be said there is a sense that we need not be quite so focused on “going to heaven”, because we have already been seated there in Jesus. And, perhaps we indeed may need to give a bit more attention to His purpose for us, in Him, in this present age. We are to display the fullness of His grace and kindness in Christ Jesus as those that are in Him.

[Ephesians 1:3-12 NASB95] 3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, [that is,] the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

So it might be said, again, perhaps we should be a bit less focused on “going to heaven”, since we are blessed in the heavenly [places} in Christ already.  We have been made that aforementioned righteous and holy people in Him, and are here to display the kind intention of His will in Jesus.  So perhaps a bit more focus on obedience to manifesting the mystery of His will and kind intent and purpose, that He has revealed to us in Jesus, and bringing praise to His glory might be in order.

[Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB95] 18 [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places,] 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The apostles prayer here is for our enlightened understanding of the Father’s inheritance in us (the saints/holy ones) made possible by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus to His right hand in heavenly [places} establishing and displaying His dominion and power for all time(s).  And, specifically establishing us, as the ekklesia (church) to manifest His headship/Lordship and His fullness on the planet out of a submission/obedience gained by love. 

Don’t misunderstand me.  I can get excited by what I can imagine of heavenly places, particularly when I read Revelation 4&5. And, I do believe I will see the bodily return of the Lord Jesus. (I have thought so from being saved at 18…and I’m now 73…so it must be imminent.) But, I think we waste our time, and are made less effective in His purpose, if we are not focused on His eternal purpose of summing all things up in Christ, things in the heavens and On The Earth and giving ourselves to being His body, the church, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

May we be as much concerned and looking toward, and preparing for, God coming to dwell on earth and Jesus with His bride.  You see He is coming here to establish new things. So it probably isn’t so much about us “going to heaven” to dwell. That seems to be the end of the book and the eternal purpose in Christ.  

Consider:

[Revelation 21:1-5, 9-11 NASB95] 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer [any] sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” … 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.  (read all of Revelation 21 for the complete descriptions)

However, the idea of new beginnings or making a new beginning does hold some value. Our God, in fact, it might be said, is the God of new beginnings. From the fall in the garden His redemptive nature and plan for such is displayed. From Noah after the flood through Abraham and dealing with unfaithful Israel, to the resurrection of Jesus, and the promise of eternal life to all that embrace Him and the gospel.  His redemptive nature in love is brought to us in scripture revealing His desire and willingness to bring life out of death.  And, revealing His redemptive nature in His mercy/willingness to forgive in love and move forward with those that are drawn into relationship (read that as intimate fellowship) with Him, by the revelation of that love in Christ, for a new beginning. 

The New Year is traditionally a time of new beginnings (and often failure in them, if in the flesh).  But, listening to Him, drawing close to Him in fellowship and a relationship of new beginnings can be a good and spiritual thing as He empowers success in His purpose  as we listen to the Holy Spirit.

I am often reminded of the prodigal son at the new year and the “New Beginning” party his father threw for him. The prodigal in the pigpen of His own making “came to his senses” and turned his heart toward home for a new beginning. 

As one with a Non-traditional Christian worldview, I know new beginnings are something the faithfulness of God takes great pleasure and joy in. [Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB] 22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses (mercy and goodness) indeed never cease, For His compassions (mercy, tender love) never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is His faithfulness. His love and mercy are new whenever you turn to Him. He is not there to crush with condemnation, but with tender love and mercy.

In Luke 15 we read of a son who  is given the world in his fathers inheritance and squanders it, consuming it on himself with the result being winding up in the pigpen of life lusting for the food of the pigs. 

[Luke 15:11-24 NASB95] 11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.‘ So he divided his wealth between them. 13 “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving [anything] to him. 17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”‘ 20 “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion [for him,] and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

May this season of new beginning cause you to consider His tender love and mercy in Jesus. You will find when you come to your senses in whatever pigpen you may be in or have created of your life; He will run to you!  He will kill the fatted calf, bring the best garments, a ring, and new dancing shoes and throw a New Beginnings (New Years) party! 

[Luke 15:20 NASB] 20 “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion [for him,] and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 

[Luke 15:22-24 NASB] 22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Real change may come through coming to your senses and repentance initially. But in His, The Fathers, eyes, it will not remain a pigpen, or sackcloth and ashes, event! Out of tasting death and life, death to yourself and returning to find life in Him, it is a resurrection and life event!  A new beginning event.! And, in this case, the celebration is great and eternal. Because everyday is new, and holds promise and purpose, as we are living in Him/Jesus.

(If interested – read more in depth regarding this, here at basicsfellowship.com –  search for a post from January 11, 2025   “Change Out of Death and Resurrection… and Chasing the God of The New Beginning, Rather Than The Fresh/Latest“)

December is filled with celebration around our home… my (Randy) birthday is the 16th,  Christmas the 25th, Mary’s (my wife) birthday is the 27th and our wedding anniversary is the 28th… then the New Year!  We are worn out and broke at the end of it every year but there is much to celebrate when life is so gooooooood in Him. 

Mary and I celebrate our 53rd anniversary this year on Sunday.  I generally mark the event with a  syrupy sweet post on social media like what will shortly follow.  I do so, not just to tout our longevity in love. God knows we aren’t perfect and there have been struggles we wouldn’t have survived without Him at our foundation. But, that is the exact reason I share it, and do so again here. Our marriage has been founded on an understanding of Biblical love that has made all the difference. The first 6 years were difficult, after that, the LORD got our attention and things changed. A large part of that was our understanding of how closely commitment and faithfulness are tied to the nature and character of God in love.  Here is an example of what I normally post: 

AFTER 53 YEARS I AM STILL LOVING MARY!

We, Mary and I, are both very ordinary people,… really, both of us. But our love and commitment over 53 years has, unfortunately, become a bit extraordinary in our culture today! We live in a very consumables and consumer driven culture and time. If we don’t like something, we just throw it away and get something new, or something we like better. That has, unfortunately, come to apply to relationships in our culture as well. And, believe me, I am sure there have been times when she has wanted to toss me and find something better! It takes a special kind of unflappable, even-keeled personality and tremendous patience to endure a lifetime in marriage to one such as I. You must be 1/3 complete saint, and of course, 1/3 great lover, and 1/3 lion tamer.

But, it is our understanding of what love is, and what it requires, that would not allow either of us to toss the relationship along the way.

It was 53 years ago today that at two weeks past 20 I made a commitment to a girl a day over 17. Miss Mary Louise Eldredge. Most told us we were too young. We probably were! The first 6 years were rugged as we both matured and finished raising one another. We probably stayed together just to spite those naysayers in those early years.

I memorized 1st Corinthians 13 as my vows. Boy, that “I will be patient, and kind, I will not act unbecomingly, and will keep no score of wrongs,” has been tough to live up to, and not too tasty to swallow as I’ve failed and eaten those words many times. She took Ruth’s vow to Naomi: “for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.” Little did she know I would move her more than 20 times and pull her all over the country, as a career in radio became like tent making to Paul for us in His purpose. But the commitments made were serious and lasted and we are blessed

That commitment to her has been the best of my life. She has been, and still is, my perfect match and mate. Her love never fails. In the good and bad, up and down, lean and abundant times her love is consistent and committed. God has deeply, richly, blessed me with her love as a gift, and graced me with the joy of sharing life with her, and with her help. I am overjoyed to have her as my best friend, counselor, lover, wife, partner and more. She inspires life in me, and others, with her laughter, her heart of praise, her encouragement, her hospitality gift, her love, and her positive paradigm focused on His goodness.

Yes, her eyes still dance and she delights me with them, and her smile drives joy to my heart daily. Her love of people, her family, friends, strangers, and her LORD still daily inspire me to be a better man as they always have. Her embrace of life, the ups and the downs, challenges and the triumphs, more and the less, weakness and strength, in all that any day may bring, give me unwavering help and support. But, it is knowing her commitment to me, and for me, in everything, even when I am very unlovely, unbecoming. And, even in those times when it’s hard to even be near me, much less like me in any way, that causes me to want to humble myself before her, praise her, and be committed to her, in like manner in the adventure that is life, and yet day after day.

So, we mark 53 extraordinary years together today. And, we are committed to all the days that remain ahead. I am still… still loving Mary!

Hearing her take on her days each morning with praise inspires me daily. I grump and gripe, and I cuss and fuss. She gives thanks and sings praise and draws my heart to follow after. I am certain I always will. I am led and inspired because of the marvel of Mary. So, again, today, I thank the Lord for Mary, and another year with her, AND for His faithfulness / commitment in love for us, and a revelation of Biblical love that has made all the difference in us, and many we have shared it with in wedding and marriage counseling.

And, again, I will share our understanding for biblical love/commitment: “Love…. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” 1st Corinthians 13:7-8a. Those that know me well have heard me wax eloquent about the nature of love and that Biblical love has nothing to do with warm fuzzies and emotion. It is based in commitment/faithfulness. That is why it is commanded. You can’t command emotion.

True love is a decision of the will and requires action. 

Here is the definition that has served us, and so many  others we have counseled and shared it with, so well over the years:

-Love  is the decision to act toward a person, group, or situation (even enemies) in a particular way NO MATTER WHAT, because you know that is what God has asked you to do. –

As such it is a response of obedience to God (if you come from a Biblical mindset like we do, or to your own conscience / character in a more secular paradigm). Love is active, and it is often measured by sacrifice. This understanding has served us, and many others we have shared it with, well over the years. I hope it helps and serves you in your relationships and loving…  of even the unlovely

True love is based in commitment            

(which is closely related to faithfulness in the nature and character of God).

Love is a decision of the will, not an emotion or warm fuzzies. 

It is the decision to act toward a person, group or situation in a particular way no matter what 

because you know that is what God has asked you to do.

As such it is a response of obedience to God. That is why, from a Biblical perspective, Love is commanded .

As I said, I do not post this kind of thing annually on social media out of any sense that my wife and I have perfected marital bliss, but because I am convinced our culture misunderstanding, or cheapening,  the nature of commitment, in what we call love, has diminished relationships. And, in fact, has destroyed many relationships and marriages. And, on the other hand, I am convinced comprehending Biblical love as a response of obedience to what God has asked of you in relation to another person, group, or situation… And, seeing that He has demonstrated it so well toward us in His word and manifested it in Jesus, has made all the difference for us. And, we have seen it do the same for many others. 

 
When I counseled others more,  I used to have men come to me and say: “I want out. I just don’t love her any more!  My response would be.  Look, you’ll just have to make the decision to love her because in Ephesians 5:25  husbands are commanded: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,”. They would generally tell me something like “You don’t understand, or aren’t listening.  I can’t do that.  I don’t love her any way like, or even near, that. I don’t think I even like her much anymore, and I’m certainly not going to sacrifice myself,  and my happiness, for her.”  And, I’d say well you just have to start with loving her like a neighbor because as believers we are commanded in Matthew and Mark [Matthew 19:22, Mark 12:31)…. YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  Again they would say…“You don’t get it…. Listen! I don’t, I can’t love her…!!”  So, finally I would say, Well you’ll have to love her as an enemy because in Luke 6 we are told [Luke 6:27 NASB95] 27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you… (see also Luke 6:35 and Matthew 5:44). 

Obviously these answers were not initially helpful in a practical sense. But they did lay the groundwork for understanding that the kind of love God commands us to for people is not always about our comfort, and certainly not based on a response to how we feel or warm fuzzies, but what He is asking of us for them.  From there, with many believers, we could start working toward reconciliation even when there were deep hurts or unfaithfulness.

This kind of love, again,  is based on commitment, no matter what, and that is the difficult part. And the nature of commitment and faithfulness from God’s, or a biblical, perspective is best understood going into a relationship for believers. Count the costs before. Please understand, I am not saying anyone should stay in a relationship where they are being physically or emotionally abused (too deep a subject to go into here), but reconciliation of relationships is possible in Him, IF believers are willing to obey and communicate.  God is faithful (committed)  in covenant love and His design is that we be also.  It is why  Paul tells Timothy :

[2Timothy 2:13 NASB95] 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself

.Following is  some scripture for consideration regarding the command to love

[Ephesians 5:25 NASB95] 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

The command here is to men/husbands. They are responsible for love in that covenant.  It is to be sacrificial, and requires much. Note:  women are never told to “Love your husbands”.  If a man loves her like Christ loves the church, she will respond in love, and he will be very pleased with her. That is because husbands and wives are to be a picture of Christ and the church in love. (see Ephesians 5:32-33). Once you see the fullness of Christ’s love for you, you will respond in submission (not subservience) out of love.  (Note to the counseling conversation outlined above… when men told me “I just don’t love her anymore”, I knew they weren’t lying and where some foundational problems might be.) 

[Mark 12:29-31 NASB95] 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Jesus indicated what the great commandments were and both involved the activity of love. Love God and Love your neighbor. In other places he even indicated the whole of the law and prophets hung on these two commands. 

“[Matthew 5:43-48 NASB95] 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on [the] evil and [the] good, and sends rain on [the] righteous and [the] unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing [than others?] Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

It is the Father’s nature and character to love. It should not surprise us whom He loved enough to reconcile is in Jesus, while we were His enemies, that He commands us to love even enemies and the unlovely. 

[Romans 5:8-10 NASB95] 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God] through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Love is the Law of the Kingdom. Because we are in the Body, it is ours to exercise effort and diligence to preserve the bonds of unity and peace.

[Colossians 3:12-14 NASB95] 12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (“put on” here is italicized because it is added for understanding… read without it, it is obviously a command to love if you are to have the perfect bond of unity.)

[Ephesian 4:1-3 NASB95] 1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The example of love and reconciliation in the family of God is carried from Genesis to Revelation. The first heinous sin that divided the family was … jealousy that led to the murder of Cain. But we also have examples of reconciliation throughout.  Reconciliation is always possible, and the onus is always on us to pursue it. Otherwise we can be consumed and destroy one another. Bitterness and being unwilling to forgive…lead to death of relationships and people on both ends.  Note the pattern of family reconciliation examples here:

Genesis 32 & 33 Jacob and Esau

Genesis 45 -50 Joseph and his brothers

then there IS JESUS…. making reconciliation available with the Father…

[Romans 5:8-11 NASB95] 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God] through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Peter and Jesus

[John 21:15-17 NASB95] 15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

Peter failed and denied Him. Jesus did not give up on Peter and His calling of Him.  Peter… he asked twice. Do you love me sacrificially with agapeo, love that will give up all for me. Peter said each time….Lord I love you like a brother (phileo), essentially indicating he was not as committed or faithful and he knew he should be, and had proved it by his denial and return to fishing.  He is then grieved at the third question from Jesus which is do you phileo me. But do notice that Jesus never condemned, and never backed away from His calling of Peter or His believing/knowing that Peter would fulfill his call and love of Jesus. Saying each time Tend my lambs, Shepherd my sheep, Tend by sheep.  He remains faithful in His love and call of us, even when we are faithless.  That is agapeo..based in commitment.

Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark 

 [Acts 15:37-39 NASB95] 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

[2Timothy 4:11 NASB95] 11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

A sharp disagreement resulted in breaking fellowship between Barnabas and Paul and Paul and Mark. It is obvious that reconciliation was worked through, and Paul later considered Mark profitable in ministry.

Because of Jesus’ example of love and reconciliation in the face of wrong, we carry the onus to reconcile to each other and everyone. 

We live in a culture that regards relationships as disposable, but that is not in the nature and character of God!  He is a God of relationship in love. He, in fact, exists in relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit that is One, (the Hebrew here is echad –  bound together – inseparable). The scriptures declare His/Your love is everlasting more than 40 times and His faithfulness (commitment) is said to reach to all generations.

[Psalm 36:5 NASB95] 5 Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness [reaches] to the skies.
[Psalm 100:5 NASB95] 5 For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
[Psalm 119:90 NASB95] 90 Your faithfulness [continues] throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands [Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB95] 22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 [They] are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 

Then note again His commitment in the marriage covenant revealed through Hosea. The prophet that  had a harlot and unfaithful wife.

[Hosea 2:19-20 NASB95] 19 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, 20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD. 

We are charged with the ministry of reconciliation. Jesus addressed it early in His ministry.  

[Matthew 5:21-26 NASB95] 21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty [enough to go] into the fiery hell. 23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25 “Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 “Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent.

We are ambassadors of reconciliation.  But, How can we entreat the world to reconcile with, and be reconciled to, God, if His love can’t even move us to reconcile with one another?

[2Corinthians 5:18-21 NASB95] 18 Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Why spend all this ink on reconciliation when the point is love is a response of obedience  and is commanded? The answer is revealed to a large extent in this passage to the church at Corinth where Paul reveals his ministry in the gospel as one of entreating, begging on the behalf of Jesus, for men to be reconciled to God through Jesus.  The same word of reconciliation, He has committed to us that believe and are in the  world  as ambassadors from the Kingdom of our Lord. Our authority and credentials are founded and established in the fullness of His love, which we alone can manifest as recipients and as His body. 

[1John 4:20-21 NASB95] 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.  (consider also vs 17-20 here as well) 

[1John 3:16-18 NASB95] 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

AGAIN,  LOVE IS NOT  DEPENDENT ON EMOTION OR FEELINGS…. WE ARE CLEARLY COMMANDED TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Love is not manifested in words alone but is active and displayed in deeds

[John 13:34-35 NASB95] 34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

“[John 15:12-17 NASB95] 12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 “This I command you, that you love one another.

[Romans 13:8 NASB95] 8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled [the] law.

[Romans 12:9-10 NASB95] 9 [Let] love [be] without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 [Be] devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor (the “Let” and “be” in verse 9 are parenthesized because they are added for understanding. Read without them they are clearly a command.)

[1Thessalonians 4:9 NASB95] 9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for [anyone] to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;

[1Peter 1:22-23 NASB95] 22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, [that is,] through the living and enduring word of God.

[1John 3:9-11 NASB95] 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;[2John 1:5-6 NASB95] 5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though [I were] writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

I pray this stroll through commandments regarding love and reconciliation has been helpful and fruitful. And even if you are not persuaded that the understanding of love I have shared is accurate, I hope you are inspired to love as the first reaction to people, groups, and and situations you find yourself relating to.  My prayer is we may take the words of John the apostle to heart…

[1John 4:7, 11 NASB95] 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. …     11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another

[Luke 1:26-49 NASB] 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. 39 Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” 46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.

In verse 46-49 Mary’s full heart burst into praise at all that God by His Holy Spirit is doing in her, through her, and to her.   How many of us are doing the same at this season of our lives? It is an amazing response given her circumstances.

In verse 26 and 27 we learn this girl, who is probably somewhere between 14 and 17, is betrothed to a man from the line of David. 

In verse 28 she is greeted by an Angelic visitation.  There had been few, perhaps none, in 400 years.  Now as strange as that must have seemed to her, His greeting is even more so.  “Hail favored one! The Lord is with you!”   No wonder she was perplexed and wondering about the situation. She was probably thinking, “Yeah, right, I am a Jewish girl in a country taken captive by Rome.  If that isn’t bad enough I am about to marry a carpenter! Have you ever felt a carpenter’s hands? Do you know how little they make?  Favored huh? Favor is supposed to be the peace that is the fruit of God’s presence with you. Instead I am greatly troubled at your words”

Then in verses 30-33, as if it were the best of news, the angel calms her fears, telling her she has found favor.  The result of that favor will be that she is soon to be found pregnant.  Just what every teenage bride-to-be wants, right?

The good news, in verses 31-33, is that she is not to have just any baby, but a Savior (Jesus = savior/deliverer) who will rule as king and Son of God.  This news must have passed her ears by, in one and out the other, because her next question is, “Hey wait a minute! Who is the father of this child going to be, because I am going to have to be in close and intimate relationship with him?” (How can this be, since I am a virgin?)  I love her response, revealing the natural thinking of a young girl.

The angel then explains, verses 34 and 35, that paternity will belong to God by His Holy Spirit, and that the child’s genetics will make him the Son of God. And lest she doubt this possible, the angel offers up confirmation, in verse 36, that anything is possible with God. He tells her that her famously barren relative, Elizabeth, is with child now in the 6^th month.  So, he reminds her in verse 37, nothing will be impossible with God.

What happens next is the miraculous that is put in place when God plants the seed of faith in us by his Word. You see, faith is not initiated in us. It comes one way, by the now spoken revelation of God: His word to us in the moment. And our response to receiving it releases the miracle of purpose into motion through us and in our lives. The outworking of hearing is faith. The outworking of faith is obedience, and the outworking of obedience is seeing the fulfillment of God’s plan and purposes.

In that moment, in verse 38, where she responded “Behold the bond-slave of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”  The outworking of hearing took root.  It is the place where she heard the word of God, her Lord, and submitted to its purpose.   Her response, “I am your servant. Let your word have its way in me” is a true response of faith. She submits her will to His, and herself to the purposes of God, simply responding to the word she has heard and trusting Him to work it out.

I am not sure she understood all it entailed or would lead her into, but she was willing.   Sometimes we hear God, but will not move until we have every detail fleshed out for the next ten years.  True faith often finds its release in a very childlike response that accepts and receives His word and moves without complete understanding of all the “whys” or “how” of what has been spoken.  

And then we have the miracle of God becoming man to dwell among us, in a moment at His word, and her receiving it. I believe at that moment, when she responded “BE IT DONE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD” the conception took place. He did not force her by command, but drew her into His purpose by speaking and a response of faith in love.  What a glory it is to be part of the eternal purposes of God, by simply receiving and responding to what He speaks to us!

While faith is initiated in and by Him, and is often released in our childlike acceptance and response, God often has arranged confirmation beforehand. So, it was with Mary through Elizabeth.  In verses 39 and 40 this young, now pregnant, girl makes haste to take a journey of seventy miles, on her own, to receive such confirmation as the angel has led her to believe she will find.  But, she gets so much more than just confirmation.

She does get confirmation, but she gets a complete prophetic response in verses 41-45.  From the leaping of the baby John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s formerly barren womb, to Elizabeth being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking prophecy and messianic insight to Mary.  She calls Mary blessed, and speaks of the child that Mary carries as her Lord, and confirms there will be a fulfillment of all she has heard by His word.

Mary’s response is rejoicing in the confirmation of His word.   Elizabeth confirms the word to Mary by the Holy Spirit in her, and Mary understands God is going to perform that which He has spoken and promised, and that is a much larger part of His plan than she may have thought. He cannot lie.  He will fulfill what He speaks. God speaks and faith is initiated, and He cannot lie.  As such, it is the foundation for true joy because it receives the certain fulfillment of God’s promises.

The outworking of faith is obedience. When God speaks and we do what He says. Really, as we simply trust Him to work it all out as we walk with Him, we see the fullness of His plans and purpose.  So, the outworking of obedience is seeing that fulfillment of His plan and purpose in and through us.  

One of the byproducts of understanding that He is working His plan through us, and our receiving His word, is heartfelt worship under the inspiration of the Spirit, which we see in verses 46-55.  When it is revealed and confirmed that God is doing a great thing through her, Mary’s heart pours forth in praise and worship.

Each year at this time, the Christmas season, The Nativity, we read this passage and stand in awe of the incarnation and of His coming.  It seems mysterious and miraculous. And it is!  But, may I ask you to follow me in some personal application.

The mystery of divine seed being planted in Mary, and the mystery of divine nature taking on human form is certainly wondrous, but it is still happening today, and all the time.   Mary is sometimes wrongly referred to as The Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God.  She is, and was, none of that. She is/was just like you and me, a simple bond-slave of the Lord.  And, the same miracle that happened to her happens, and takes place, in you and me. The very same miracle of incarnation is to be seen in us.

Even as the messenger of God brought her news of God’s favor, God being with her. Just so have you and I received the message of God’s favor and grace and love for us in the gospel, and the news and understanding that He is with us and for us in every situation.

Even as Mary could not understand or believe what His purpose was in her at first. So are we unable to comprehend what God is doing in us, and that His “eternal purpose” for, and in, Jesus the Messiah are being accomplished through us when the message first comes to us.

Even as the messenger calmed her fears, and built a foundation telling her she is favored of God. Just so does the Holy Spirit build a foundation of grace under us, letting us know we are not chosen by our merit, or because we are so great, or anything special, but just because God loves us. By His grace we are saved, and by His favor we are given opportunity to co-labor with Him in His eternal purposes in Jesus. (see Ephesians 2:8-10)

Even as she was told that she would conceive new life, and bring forth a son that would be called “salvation”.  Just so have we had new life conceived in us by His word.  And, in our receiving it and through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to manifest the Son, Jesus Christ, to the world around us.  We reveal him individually and corporately through becoming sons of God ourselves, that Jesus might be the firstborn of many brothers.  We also reveal him corporately, as we function with other believers, other family members, as His body. We are the church, His body, and the fullness of Him who fills all in all. We manifest Jesus, and display the salvation that is in Him, giving testimony to it in word and deed individually and corporately. (see John 1:12 Romans 8:29, Ephesians 1:22-23, John 17:18-23)

Even as Jesus, the Son, was to be a manifestation and revelation of God in human form, the divine nature united with and revealed through human nature. So too do we become the revelation of the divine nature in man.  The rebirth, being born again, born from above, establishes in us a new divine nature with our human form administrated by the Holy Spirit taking residence in us and exhibiting Christ. We are not divinity, but we manifest the fullness of Jesus corporately and He may be seen in us individually as we move under His Lordship. 

Even as Jesus purpose was to return the throne to the line of David, and establish authority and rule as King in God’s eternal purpose. So now has the authorized rule of God, the Kingdom of God, been set up and is being revealed first through us as God’s redeemed people. The Holy Spirit administrates the Lordship of Jesus in each one individually, and, as Head of His body through us corporately. (see John 1:12, 1 Peter 2:9)

Even as His Kingdom was to be eternal, never ending. Just so have we become the first fruits of the restoration of all creation and been given eternal life.  His eternal rule has been established first in us, as the church, and is NOW to be exhibited through us to the world around us, and to principalities and powers above us. (see, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 6:10-13, Romans 8:16-18)

Even as Mary could not see all that pertained to the Kingdom in what was spoken to her and did not comprehend how that would all be worked out. So are we often confused by the situations we face, and the call of God upon us, not seeing any way for it all to happen. But His being seen in us, and the Kingdom coming through us, is just as sure.

Even as it would be the Holy Spirit coming upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowing her, so that she might bring forth Jesus, the Son of God. So now is it the Holy Spirit that indwells us, and who begins conception of new life in us, and then transforms us by the word of God from one degree of glory to the next into the image of Jesus.  By that work of the Holy Spirit is Jesus manifested individually and corporately, that He might take His place manifested as the first born among many brethren and the head of His body, the church. (see 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 1:1-18 and others already listed)

Even as Mary opened herself to be the bond-slave of the Lord that His eternal purpose in Jesus might be accomplished through her receiving His word.  Even so must we respond to His word as obedient bond-slaves and pour ourselves out as a living sacrifice to Him. (see Romans 12:1-5, James 2:18-20 & 26, Ephesians 2:9-10)

Even as Mary had a close relative who could testify concerning the ability of God to bring life out of death and barrenness, and encourage her that the impossible can be accomplished through the one that receives and believes His word.  So too has God drawn us into a family, the fellowship of other believers, to support and encourage us with that same news, and to confirm His purposes for us, and that His eternal purpose being worked out through us.

Even as Mary sought counsel and confirmation from Elizabeth concerning the word of the Lord she received. Even so do we seek counsel and confirmation from other brothers and sisters in the Lord, and those in the Body of Christ that also carry the manifestation of His word and His power in themselves. And, even as Elizabeth spoke prophetic encouragement to her relative, Mary, as she was filled with the Holy Spirit, so can we be used prophetically by the Spirit to confirm the word of the Lord and encourage those we relate to in Him.  (see 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13, Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 14:1-4, 22,31)

Even as what was happening with Mary had greater importance and impact on Elizabeth than Mary at first, and Mary may have not even realized its import.  Even so do the things spoken to us, and that we go through, often benefit and mean more to others in the Body, at first, than they may to us.

Even as Elizabeth had greater understanding about what was going on with Mary, than Mary may have had at first. Just so do our brothers and sisters in Christ often have better understanding of what God is doing in us and what is going on with us than we do at times.

Even as Mary was blessed as she believed, and could be sure that God would do all that He had spoken to her. So too can we rest assured and be confident in His word spoken and confirmed to us, and expect to see the fulfillment of God’s plan and purpose as we respond to what He speaks. (see Philippians 1:6, Numbers 23:19…the life of Abraham and others)

Even as the confirmation drew out of Mary a sincere and heartfelt worship as she understood His faithfulness to His word and His eternal purposes.  And this is important: So too should the realization and understanding that we, individually, have that same source of life by the Holy Spirit in us. And, that we corporately, as the Body of Christ, hold the fullness of Jesus and His life within us, and that we are to manifest His fullness, and His love, and His power, and His victory to the world around us, and principalities and powers above us. That revelation and understanding should draw out of us sincere worship, and cause us to break forth into proclaiming His goodness and the greatness of what He has done for us. We are those who break into each new day with new mercies, love that endures forever, and purposes that sewn up in Christ Jesus.

My soul magnifies the LORD as His Spirit leads my mind into willing submission to His purposes in Jesus and into praise.  My being is wrapped up in Him and His purpose.   From His own infinite kindness and compassion, He has chosen the likes of the lowly, me/us, and we are the ones now counted as blessed from generation to generation.  We have been exalted in Him. The Mighty One has wrought miracles in me/us. Salvation and Sanctification are mine in Him, and mine to proclaim to others in His purposes. Holy, Abundant Goodness, Exuberant Kindness is His Name. I have great reason to rejoice.  His favor is without end in Jesus. The ruler of this world is overthrown. And Jesus, God with us, now rules and reigns. His kingdom manifested first in the likes of me/us.   He has satisfied my hunger. He is faithful and true.

And it must be said that even as Mary brought forth Jesus, the word spoken to her and the WORD made flesh, through the suffering of childbirth and labor. So too do we through His natural order and our suffering bring forth the supernatural and His purpose and walk out its growth and full manifestation in Him.

THAT VERY SAME MIRACLE THAT HAPPENED IN MARY… IS IN US. May Jesus be brought forth, revealed, manifested, incarnate through us as his bond-slaves in love.  Loving servants to Him, to each other, and to those around us.   

Considering our times and the arguments over the sanctity of life, it is only proper that we consider what Mary might have said in our day instead of “Be it done to me according to your word”:     In our time she might have responded… “I don’t want this.” “This will be inconvenient.” “What will people say?”  “What will Joseph say?”  “How will I support a child?”  And anytime past conception… “I think I’ll just abort this plan.”

Are any of these our response to the opportunity to manifest Jesus in our time

May the incarnation come in fullness in you this year.

To wrap up our consideration of the incarnation from previously written pieces, this from last year, “A Bit Less Traditional View of God’s Purpose in the Birth of Christ

Jesus coming was for the redemption and salvation of man. But more than that, yes more, His coming was wrapped up in God’s eternal purpose to fellowship with you intimately. His desire to make it possible for you to know Him, as well as He knows you; and possible for you to be comfortable with Him, and He comfortable with you. His name was called Emmanuel.- God with us.

Here are a few scriptures that are a bit less traditional to the season, but outline God’s purpose in the incarnation we celebrate

[Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB] “18 [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His (God’s)calling, what are the riches of the glory of His (God’s) inheritance in the saints (believers), 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His (God’s) power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His (God’s) might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He (God) raised Him (Jesus) from the dead and seated Him(Jesus) at His right hand in the heavenly [places,] 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He (God) put all things in subjection under His(Jesus) feet, and gave Him (Jesus) as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His (Jesus) body, the fullness of Him (God) who fills all in all.”
[2 Corinthians 5:21]“He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus) .”

An inheritance comes only after a death. Jesus came not to be your personal savior, although He is that, and that salvation is the portal to His greater purpose. But, He came primarily to present to the Father His (God’s) inheritance in the likes of you and me. What the scripture calls “the saints”.

How glorious the incarnation in the purpose of God, how great His grace and love, how deep His desire, from eternity past, to bring us into intimate fellowship, so that His only begotten Son might be the first born of many brothers/sisters who are in Him. 

[Hebrews 2:9-11 NASB95] 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, [namely,] Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one [Father;] for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

[1John 3:1-3 NASB95] 1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and [such] we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope [fixed] on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

The hope we have as children, sons and daughters, of God would be great if it were only to see Him. But God’s full love has not only made seeing Him our hope. But, our hope goes far beyond just seeing Jesus to being being like Him,

John, who had seen and touched the incarnate Jesus. The incarnate Word!!!  invites us into the same fellowship he enjoyed with Jesus, and the fellowship Jesus has had with the Father for all eternity.  Imagine. GOD WITH US… and  indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ.

[1John 1:1-3 NASB95] 1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-– 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us– 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas…. Celebrating God with Us!

We are about 10 days away from the date we set aside to celebrate the Incarnation. God becoming man. Immanuel – God is with us!   What glory to even consider and conceive such. The God Who spoke the universe into existence taking on the form of a man, coming as an infant, growing into a young carpenter, and living with the whole purpose of the ages in His Father in view: to bring life out of His death, and liberty from the bondage of sin to a fallen world, so we might be one… “even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.(Jesus prayer in John 17:21)

The apostle John in his account of creation in John 1 does not begin with heaven and earth, but with The Word and Light out of darkness.

[John 1:1-5, 9-13 NASB95] 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. … 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, [even] to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

It is an amazing understanding of the way things were before the foundations of the world, and God’s purpose and intent in sending His son, as God in flesh, that He might have many sons like the First and only begotten of God. Consider… I mean meditate… for just a few moments on what John recorded next. Ask the Holy Spirit to unfold your understanding of this:

[John 1:14-18 NASB95] 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John (the baptist) testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained [Him.]

I will forego lengthy exposition here, leaving you in the capable hands of the Holy Spirit, but to say God veiled His very Word, which is truth (John 17:17: Your word is truth), in flesh and sent Him/God the Son among us, giving us full exposure to His glory. The Glory of the One and Only who was in the Father and came from Him to us full of, and revealing, His great grace and all truth. And although no one has seen God at any time, this only begotten of the Father, this Word, this Jesus, explained Him. 

But, “explained” is too simple a word here.  The King James version says “declared” Him, unfortunately I think, an even more simple understanding; as in He preached Him.  I am not a Greek scholar, but my understanding of the term “exogeomai” (from which we get the term exegete and exegesis) is to go before, to fully draw out a narrative for complete understanding, to literally unfold a complete understanding of something, or in this case Someone. The fullness of God was in Him in bodily form. Jesus revealed the fullness of the nature and character of God, His grace, His love, His truth. That is why Jesus could say to Philip when he said 

“Show us the Father and it is enough for us.  “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father….

[Colossians 2:9 NASB95] 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

[John 14:7-13 NASB95] 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and [yet] you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how [can] you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Revealing His complete understanding of the Father’s purpose to draw us into fellowship with Himself and the Son, Jesus, John would later write:

[1John 1:1-3 NASB95] 1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-– 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us– 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

John saying here, he heard Jesus personally, he had seen Him personally, he touched Him with his hands personally… The very Word of Life he had opened his gospel proclaiming, he had had a first hand unfolding of the Father through, walking with Jesus. He is now inviting his readers to understand the eternal purpose of God in Christ, and to have that same unfolding, and become one in that fellowship that the Father and Son enjoy, and that John himself now proclaims, knows, and enjoys with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ!

What a glorious thing to comprehend the unfolding of understanding,  and knowing, God in Christ Jesus.  God could have revealed Himself in so many awesome ways that would have got our attention in either mesmerizing, or awe and fear inspiring, displays of power, blowing our minds. But, His plan was to become like us and reveal Himself in grace and truth, and the fullness of His love, in Jesus…. His Final Word.   

As Michael Card put so well in his song  His Final Word: His final Word is Jesus. He needed no other one.

You and me we use
So very many clumsy words
The noise of what we often say
Is not worth being heard
When the Father’s Wisdom wanted to
Communicate His love
He spoke it in one final perfect Word

He spoke the Incarnation
And then so was born the Son
His final word was Jesus
He needed no other one
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed
And make a way Divine
And so was born the baby
Who would die to make it mine

And so the Father’s fondest thought
Took on flesh and bone
He spoke the living luminous Word
At once His will was done
And so the transformation
That in man had been unheard
Took place in God the Father
As He spoke that final Word

He spoke the Incarnation
And then so was born the Son
His final word was Jesus
He needed no other one
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed
And make a way Divine
And so was born the baby
Who would die to make it mine

And so the Light became alive
And manna became Man
Eternity stepped into time
So we could understand

He spoke the Incarnation
And then so was born the Son
His final word was Jesus
He needed no other one
Spoke flesh and blood so He could bleed
And make a way Divine
And so was born the baby
Who would die to make it mine
And so was born the baby
Who would die to make it mine

The Final Word – Michael Card

God with us! We have visited the idea of God’s desire to dwell with us. It is no small thing to consider, and then to recognize, that He has come by the Holy Spirit to take up residence in the likes of you and me, and to make us His abode. Place of abiding. I am mesmerized by the following discourse between Jesus and his disciples –

¹⁶“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; ¹⁷[that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. ¹⁸“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you [will] see Me; because I live, you will live also. ²⁰“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. ²¹“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” ²²Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” ²³Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.John 14:16-23

I will not go into deep exposition here. Not sure I could anyway. But consider it. Jesus made it possible for the Holy Spirit, who is very God, not to just abide with us, but to be in us. Consider further that there is an understanding that we can know, understand, rest in, that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, is in the Father, and that we are in Him, and He is in us. We have been made one with Him. And finally, that as we love Him, keeping His word, the Father and the Son come to abide, dwell, live with the likes of us.

Note verse 21 that love and obedience are inextricably linked. As we comprehend the fullness of the Father’s love in Jesus, it draws us into bending the knee, not out of being forced into obedience, but from being loved into it. In the Kingdom, submission is gained by love. As we love Him we desire to submit and do what He asks/commands with the outworking result being that we are loved by the Father and the Son, and Jesus is revealed/disclosed to us. It is a blessed circle of loving and knowing Him more and more. He is ever dwelling, abiding, with and in us by the Holy Spirit who indwells us.

⁹However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

…
¹¹But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.Romans 8:9, 11

¹⁶Do you not know that you are a temple of God and [that] the Spirit of God dwells in you?1 Corinthians 3:16

There is a place in your spirit where Christ dwells. A place where the Holy Spirit abides. Heaven touches earth, the mortal the immortal. You are not saved because you “accepted” Christianity and its tenets. No, you are saved because you have been baptized into one body, Jesus, by the Spirit and Jesus has baptized you/gifted you with or in the Holy Spirit who indwells you. It is in, by, and through Him you are able to, and have, come to God. And dwell with Him.

Read and consider John 14: 16-23 often. Know you have not been left as orphans in the world. No! Your Lord Jesus, Savior and master, has been, and continues to be, disclosed and revealed to you as you abide in Him and under His Lordship. Your Father is nearby abiding with you. The Holy Spirit dwells in you. You are not alone.  God is with us!