Wednesday, June 21, 2017

For Giving the Great Gift!- The Master Teacher- Matthew 6:12-15

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37
Are you carrying a grudge? Is your pride more sacred to you than your relationship to other people? Do the words “I’m sorry,” and “I forgive you,” seem like a foreign language to your soul? Sorry seems to be the hardest word to say, but forgiving an offense can be the hardest action to take. We all have trouble at times forming the words, “I forgive you.” Pride gets in our way. “Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “But seventy times seven!” Matthew 18:21-22. Peter asked the question because he really wanted to hold the grudge. Maybe he’d just turned to Andrew and said, “I’ve had it up to here with you, Andy! That’s the eighth time today!” Andrew might have run around the back of Jesus for protection, and so Peter asked the question, hoping that as an oldest brother himself Jesus would have moved to the right so that Andrew would have been exposed and Peter could clobber him.
Yet Jesus stands his ground, like the Master Teacher He was, and tells him, (paraphrasing is mine) “innumerably more times more than your precious pride wants you to. It’s necessary for you to be wronged for the sake of the kingdom.” It was not the first time Peter had been taught about forgiveness. The Master Teacher held class on it for the masses, and he was there that day, with his brother, and many of those who had hurt and injured his pride. Many people had made that trip to the top of that hill, and probably along the way had carried the burden of a grudge up with them. When Jesus is teaching them to pray, He spends a lot of time on forgiveness, so it must be right up there with the sovereignty and power of God.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
 Matthew 6:12-15
I’m going to ask that you give me a little lee-way here, brothers and sisters, and allow me to paraphrase the Lord’s prayer in this passage because sometimes we hear it so often that we don’t really hear the words that coming out of our mouths unless we stop and reword them. Jesus says, “Forgive us the way we forgive those that have wronged us, and don’t allow us stray into the ways that got us there to begin with so that we are in the wrong that leads to sin, against ourselves and others, because evil is enticing and ensnaring, so we need You to keep us from it. Ultimately, You are God, and we are not and You have the power and dominion over us, because we are members of Your Kingdom. So it is and will ever be.”
There is only one choice to be made when you’ve been wronged by someone. You either pick it up and carry it, with all the hurt and anger, or you don’t. At times, when things are rightfully causes of hurt and anger, you can’t help but carry things for a while. It’s human nature to be hurt. When someone dies, when someone leaves you, when someone injures you or someone you love, or when some other injustice occurs in your life, it is the human condition to be carrying some grievance against another person, but a grievance and a grudge are two different things. A grievance is a result of an unfair act or injustice requiring an act of arbitration or retribution so that it’s made right. A grudge is a feeling of resentment and bitterness that can lead to hatred, envy, jealousy and even murderous thoughts. We are warned about bearing grudges because they are so heavy. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” Lev. 19:18 & Eph.4:30-32, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you.”  God is such a good Father that He does not want us to carry a load we were not meant to carry, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. The stress created by unforgiveness is intense, and God knows just how it interferes with the joy He intends for us. The unforgiveness is what gets in the way.
Practically, what does forgiveness look like? Well, it’s hard! That’s why Jesus had to repeat it so often. Think about all the times He told people their sins were forgiven. Isn’t that the message of the Gospel? Forgiveness? Wasn’t that what the life Jesus lived all about? Our forgiveness? So yes, it’s hard! It’s very hard to walk in forgiveness when we are being continually wronged. We are judged by people who don’t live in our skin, don’t think our thoughts, and haven’t walked in our steps, and yet we do the same to them as well. And it’s so hard! So what’s the answer?
GRACE!  The answer is grace. Grace is giving what you don’t have to give, yet it seems to abundantly come from God because it’s so sweet and so good it couldn’t come from anywhere else. Grace is giving what is undeserved to those who don’t deserve it, unexpectedly. In our world today there seems to be a misunderstanding of grace. People either swing from one end of the pendulum to the other. They either believe it is earned, like a grade, and only those who meet certain qualifiers will receive it, or everyone gets it and its blanket grace and covers everyone, everywhere, simultaneously, regardless of whether or not they want it. The people in the first category comfort themselves by viewing grace as being something that their good works will merit them. I like to call them competitive gracer. They want to be in first place when it comes to receiving grace, but giving it? They don’t like giving away the prize to just anyone; it should be awarded to those who are truly deemed worthy by working out. The second camp of grace believes in a form of universal grace, where everyone wins regardless of their eternal perspective. Grace is a blanket that falls from heaven and covers or ‘smothers’ everyone.  This form of grace comforts believers in this concept because then everyone goes to ‘a better place’ when they die. They believe there is no need for adherence to God’s laws because of this free-flowing river of grace. The issue with both points of view is that grace is a gift, and like all gifts it’s not reliant upon the receiver, but upon the giver. Imagine if you were to go to your bed tonight and there was a gift there for you. It was something you always wanted and needed, as if the giver had been in your mind all along and knew you so well, better still it was unique to you, and no one else had anything like it. That’s what grace is like. Grace is not being super strong; it’s being weak and finding the strength within the weakness to know it's okay to be weak. It’s not for everyone, because it is a choice for the Giver. “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Cor.12:9
God is graceful, as we know, but how do we become so graceful that we can forgive those who do wrong to us? The world would tell you to assess your feelings and decide how to best express them in some conflict resolution model in which you and the other party could arrive at a resolution which may leave you both feeling that you had lost something by compromising. Sometimes you’d give a lot, and at other times you’d give a little. It’s never a fifty-fifty split. With forgiving it always puts the forgiver in the driver’s seat giving them full power and the receiver in the position of getting a gift of great value. If you’ve ever been a victim of someone, and you forgive them, you’ve taken the power back from them. They can no longer victimize you. In that sense, forgiveness is of great value for the one who forgives. If you’ve ever been the one who has wronged someone and been forgiven, you do know the value of a restored relationship and the liberty that comes when the guilt is released from your consciousness. Forgiveness is a win-win for everyone because it’s God’s grace distributed through His children.
One last issue in forgiveness is the emotional investment that it requires. The truth is there are times when it’s easy to forgive an offense, and there are times when it is extremely difficult to forgive someone. I have been truly touched and brought to tears by the family members of murder victims, or other victims of brutal crimes who forgive the perpetrators in open court.  I believe they do it for themselves, because if they don’t these people will continue to hold power over them for the rest of their lives. The more difficult it is to forgive someone due to our emotions the more we need to bring it to God for healing. It’s usually our wounds that need the healing from the injury inflicted, but forgiving them will heal that too. God created us with emotions, and sometimes we do get angry. It is what we do with our anger that can get us into trouble. “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still.” Psalm 4:4 We must check our emotions in the forgiving process and vent them to the One who can hold them for us, not as the world tells us to do and vent them at every opportunity. “A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back.” Prov. 29:11 So if we don’t entertain our feelings of being wronged then it is easier to forgive.
If God, who we have wronged repeatedly, who we have denied and refused in our rebellion and sin, could forgive us our sins in such a manner as to make atonement for us through Jesus, who are we to hold anything against each other?  I pray this blog has caused you to think of those you have been carrying a grudge against. I pray you now recognize how heavy a load you’ve been carrying, and you are ready to lay it down. If so, you may have to make a call or send a simple text that either says those hard things, “I’m sorry,” or “I forgive you.” If you do it, and you don’t hear back you did your part and the Father knows it. You have done well. God will work on it from there.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.” Ps. 32:1


Sunday, June 11, 2017

Want versus Need- Master Teacher- Matthew 6:11

 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”
 John 6:35
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re not a needy person. You probably have a lot more than most people in the world, and you don’t really think about it that much. You may own more than one pair of shoes, have a closet full of clothing, in your home that is not made from substandard materials, and you may even be enjoying a delightful beverage that you paid an amount that someone in a third world nation would consider a day’s wage. You might not be as blessed as many in the society around you, but you know in your heart that God has provided abundantly for you, and you’re grateful for it…sometimes. Yet, most of the time you don’t really stop and think about it because of the business of life. There may even be some among us that are dissatisfied with what they have, and maybe they want more and don’t understand why they can’t have it. Why hasn’t God favored them in abundance?
Maybe you’re looking at it all wrong. Remember: “No temptation has over taken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor.10:13  To paraphrase that verse, God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, even when it comes to wealth and material possessions. We can squander what He does give us, or we can invest it for Him in the eternal Kingdom. This is what we see as the Master Teacher continues His lesson on prayer on the Sermon on the Mount. One simple sentence is loaded with such wisdom. This week we’ll look at this simple statement and see how it is like a thermometer that takes the temperature of our spiritual well-being with God.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matt.6:11
Our dependence on God is our blessed position with Him. Like a child in the arms of a protective parent, our needs are met when we look to Him for the provision. God is a good Father. He does provide for His children. He provides for what they need, when they need it, and how they need it.
 It is difficult to understand how that works when we live in a world where children do go to bed hungry while others enjoy feasts. We do suffer even though we are His beloved. We are not impervious to the consequences of the sinful world. Remember that the prophets were not immune to the suffering of the people they were called to prophesy to. Daniel went into the lion’s den. Isaiah was killed by being sawn in two, Jeremiah was dropped into a cistern by his adversaries and Ezekiel was carried into the Babylonian captivity. Those called by Jesus suffered martyrdom in the first century. The church today is suffering persecution in record numbers. And we comment that we need a cup of coffee? No, we want a cup of coffee. We need to wake up.
So, what is it that we should be asking God for when we ask for our ‘daily bread’?
As human beings we have physical needs. We must have those needs met so that we can function and complete the work God has ordained for us to do. When you’re going to run a marathon you have to carb load to fuel up for the race ahead. We have to do the same when we pray. We have to ask God to meet our physical needs, but be aware of when we’re asking with the wrong motives. What we need is what scientist would call homeostasis. That is a perfect state of equilibrium so that we can fully function without physical, cognitive, or social hindrance. If our physical and mental needs aren’t met we can get bogged down and not be about God’s business.  
Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more of value than they?” Matthew 6:25-26 We are of so much more value to God than anything else in creation. He loves us. He loves us so much that He paid the ultimate price for us, as we know. He has redeemed us with the atonement of the cross. “The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3 Because of this great love, He provides all that we need for us on a daily basis.
God loves to provide for us, and He has been doing so since the beginning. He provided the garden as a place of fellowship for Himself and Man, then when Man fell, He provided a covering for the shame Man felt. (Genesis 2-3) When the relationship was broken God gave the Law as a means for man to come into covenant. In our rebellion, we seek to break the law, even reveling in our lawlessness. Still, God pursues us, continuing to provide even when it cost Him all.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”John3:16-17 Therefore, God is not just our provider, but the provision as well.
Yet, we remain unsatisfied, and the sin of covetousness remains at the core of our being, spurring us on to jealousy and envy, making us prideful, greedy, and materialistic. We trade away our Creator for possessions. What we were meant to have dominion over ends up having dominion over us. We wrongfully assume that having more stuff gives us more status, and more status gives us more power. In reality we have no power. We control very little outside of the space we occupy. In our arrogance, we can assume that we do hold the ability to rule over kingdoms of our own creation. We can even create gods for ourselves that will agree with the way we feel the world should be, but at the end of the day we find ourselves as unhappy as ever. Even Solomon, who had everything the world could offer, fame, fortune, and the world’s admiration, said, ”Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: ‘Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing.’” Ecc. 12:13-14 We long for what we had in Eden, face to face communion with our God. Until we have that, we will not be fulfilled. Only God can fill us.
Jesus is what we need every day, but have you considered what He needs? What is it that God needs? God obviously doesn’t need us. He doesn’t need us to fulfill any lack He has in himself. He is sufficient in Himself. So, why us? That is what is truly amazing about God. Even though God doesn’t need you, HE WANTS YOU! God has a desire for you and me to be with Him. His amazing love for us consumes Him.  
If someone loves you that much, how can you ignore that love? It requires action on your part. So what does Jesus ask in return? He asks that we love Him too, and that love becomes a passionate motivator encompassing our lives. He doesn’t want our love to be something we take for granted. So, when we ask Him for our daily portion, we are coming to Him expectantly, depending on Him to meet the day’s needs, and trusting that He has our best interest at heart. 
“Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:3-4