Lifted up

There are many serpents in the Bible, one in Genesis that sets a lot of things in motion and many others…

However there is only one that seems to link to Jesus – and that is the serpent in the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites. This is the story we hear in Numbers 21:4-9.

I think it is interesting that this passage is partnered with John 3:14-21 where we hear tell of God loving the world so much that he gave His only son to die for us…

It is interesting in the passage from Numbers the response of God. And to that one could say which response of God…

You see the people are grumbling to Moses that he brought them out of Egypt to kill them off in the wilderness. So after their grumbling God sends poisonous serpents among the people to bite them and kill them. God does this, this is His first response to the situation. They start grumbling and God send poisonous snakes to kill them…

Then when the people get it and go to Moses, Moses goes to God and he tells Moses…

“Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.”

He tells Moses to make a serpent and set it on a pole and allow people who get bite to look upon the snake that has been raised up and they shall live. Could not God have removed the snakes all together and gotten rid of the suffering of the people. He after all sent the snakes to them, so why didn’t he just get rid of them? Why make a snake and raise it up?

It is like something else that is raised up for people to behold and allow them to be healed. Jesus – the one and only Son who was raised up because God so loved the world that he gave His only Son so that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life, because God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved. Look upon Jesus lifted up and be healed…

God never said our lives would be without suffering, but he has given us Jesus to behold and to heal us through our trials and tribulations…

Nicodemus – Man of Growth

John 3:1-13 tells us the beginning of the story of Nicodemus…

And while it is the beginning, it is a wonderful story and one that should be the basis for all of our lives.

What can we learn about Nicodemus from this passage?

He is:

A Pharisee (v. 1)

A member of the Jewish Council (v. 1)

Jewish religious Leader who believed Jesus

A Teacher of Isreal (v. 10)

Nic (I’ll call him Nic for short – takes a lot of time to type Nicodemus…) is a Jewish Pharisee, a member of the council and someone who believes in Jesus.

He has to come to Jesus under the cover of darkness because he can not be seen coming to Jesus or someone might turn him in as a follower and not worthy to be on the council or a Pharisee anymore…

we also know he is a teacher but it seems he still has a lot to learn.

What in particular did Nic not understand about Jesus’ teaching? Jesus said a man must be born again… And Nic had a hard time comprehending this. I wonder if we understand what this means? There is a lot of emphasis put on baptism and faith and being born again, but really what does all of this mean?

Is it necessary to be baptized to enter the kingdom of God? Martin Luther said yes, and so do many in the church today. Yet I ask you were the disciples baptized? There is no biblical witness to them being baptized. And what about the thief on the cross, to whom Jesus says, “Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise.” Was he baptized? We do not know, but Jesus told him he is going to be in paradise.

So what does it mean you have to be born again? Maybe the word is not born again…

The word translated again in the original Greek means of place from above or of future time, indicating repetition anew, again…

So maybe it is You must be born from above, or you must be born anew… It is what we Lutherans like to refer to as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever…

Maybe when Jesus says you must be born of water and spirit this is what he is referring. All of us are born of water, there is water involved in our earthly birth and the spirit seals us when God moves in and through our lives with the gift of Faith that manifests itself in the way we live to point others to Jesus. Yet I digress… This is suppose to be about Nic and how he is a model fro us all…

Nic did not understand this, but he questioned and sought to understand.  But is chapter 3 of John the last time we see Nic?

No…

Where else is the story of Nic told to us? John 7:50-52 Nic asks a question of the Jewish council trying to arrest and put him to trial. He makes a stand for Jesus in the Jewish Council. He stands up for Jesus publicly. He goes from a person seeking under the cover of darkness to a person who defends Jesus.

And again Nic comes to us in John 19:39-40 Nic with Joseph of Arimathea go and get Jesus’ body from the cross to bury him Here he is risking a lot coming and doing this. He shows a steady growth over the story of his life in the gospel John.

And you see that is what God wants from all of us, to seek him under darkness if we need to, to showing our faith out load in our daily lives, to openly living out our faith and showing the world how much Jesus means to us.

God seeks steady growth and not instant perfection!

 

 

Hope in Christ

Ephesians 1:7-14 says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory. ”

There is a lot of really good stuff in here…

We have redemption through the blood of Jesus to bring us the forgiveness of the sins we have committed. We are set right with the Father because of the relationship we have in Jesus. And that is great news, but it’s not the best thing this passage tells us…

With wisdom and insight He has revealed to us Hos plan that is a mystery. We can know the plan and mission of God the Father through our relationship with Jesus, and that is a wonderful thing, but not the best thing this passage tells us…

In Christ we have an inheritance and we have been destined through Him to accomplish all things according to His counsel. We have an inheritance given to us that is greater than anything you could ever possibly imagine. And we will be able to do all things through Him. But this is not the best thing here…

The best thing in this passage is “who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.” We who have set our hopes on Christ get the pleasure of living our lives for the praise of His glory, so that all who see us will not see us, but will see Him and be drawn to Him. You see it is not about us and what we get from Christ, it is always about Christ! He gives us wonderful things and redeems us to stand with Him before the throne of the Father, but it is all about the redemption of all creation, and the things we get are meant to help us live out our lives in a way that points to Christ, so that we show forth Him and not our selves.

So live your life so that others see Jesus and are drawn to Him.

Rainbow = promise

How many of you have ever seen a rainbow? It is a wonderful surprise when the water and light in the air hit in the right way so the light refracts and the colors in the light can come forth and show the beauty of creation…

But do you stop and think about what that rainbow actually is when you see it? Or is it only the beauty of it?

Genesis 9:8-17 says:

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth.11  I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15  I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Here is the reason for the rainbow – or the bow in the sky. It is a reminder to us and to God of the covenant we have, that God made with Noah and his offspring, that the world would not be destroyed by a flood again. It is a beautiful wonder of nature that reminds us that God loves us and makes and keeps promises. The love the creator has for each of us is greater than anything else and there are clues through out all of nature to remind us…

So the next time you see a rainbow remember how much God loves you and that all of the promises He has made He will keep, this is a sign for us!

What is the temple for…

Mark 11:15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and  began to drive out those who were selling and those who  were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables  of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 11:16 and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through  the temple. 11:17 He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house  shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?  But you have made it a den of robbers.” 11:18 And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they  kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid  of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 11:19 And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out  of the city.

This is a passage if you are like me we don’t like to think about…

I mean really who wants to talk about a Jesus who forms a whip from cords and then drives animals and people out of the temple, and overturns the tables of the money changers, and here in Mark he won’t let any one carry anything through the temple.

Were not these animals needed for sacrificial worship? These things that were happening here had been happening for a long time. The selling of animals for worship was not a new thing. People traveled long distances and did not want to bring or could not bring animals with them for worship. Maybe even Jesus’ mother and father when he was presented with their 2 turtle dove sacrifice bought them in the temple.

And the money changers were necessary because they were not allowed to have graven images and the coins most people had would have had the image of the leader of the country they were from on them, so it had to be exchanged for money that could be used in the temple.  This was all nothing new…

So why does Jesus do this?

Because Jesus sees deeper than the surface, and the reasons people say they do the things they do. Jesus sees the heart and the intent. Jesus sees our motivations…

It is not that the system is not needed, but it has been corrupted by human greed and desires. It is no longer being handled in the right way or done for worship. It is now done for profit.

What is the motivation in our lives and what makes us do the things we do? Do we do it to make a dollar, or to show forth the love of God?

Called to minister

“do not now be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence to minister to him, and to be his ministers and make offerings to him.”  2 Chronicles 29:11

Here Hezekiah is speaking to priests and Levites as he is preparing to put the temple back in order. It has fallen into disrepair because the nations have fallen away from following God. Hezekiah is trying to restore the temple and focus people back on God and not their own selfish wants/desires/notions…

And isn’t that what God calls each of us to do every day of our lives? To point others to Him…

We are called by God and given the example through Jesus’ life of how to live and love others. Jesus went to those on the fringes of society and showed them that they had value. Jesus went and sat with the outcasts, he partied with the prostitutes, he ate with the tax collectors. He showed those who the religious elite said were worthless and not loved by God that they were loved by God. He lived in a way that showed God’s love and calling to all. And that is our example. God calls each of us to minister to and with him.

What are you doing to point others to Jesus? Are you living in a way that shows others His love for all of creation?

One Day…

What would you do if today was your last day?

If you knew that today was the last day you would be alive, what would you want to do?

Where would you want to go?

What would you want to eat?

Who would you want to be with?

Would you want to do as the Psalmist says in Psalm 84:10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.

If today was your last day would you want to spend it in the courts of the Lord? To be a doorman for the Lord?

It seems like this is really the place to be. Because 1 day in the courts of God are better than 1000 days somewhere else. That is impressive! And the Lord’s house is a lovely dwelling place, a place that is wonderful to be. Image how wonderful life would be, if being a doorman for the Lord was the best thing you could image…

Rules…

Have you ever had a moment in life where there are no rules?

There probably isn’t a time in your life you didn’t have rules of some sort. And you always felt repressed by these rule probably. Even if they were meant to keep you safe, or protect you from something.  Like I remember my father telling us when I was young, “Go out and play in traffic, but don’t go out of the yard.” He allowed us to go and play in traffic, which us really insane, but we could only play in traffic if we could do it with out getting out of the yard. This was a rule that kept us safe.

We find rules in the Bible, in fact some would say it is full of them. We find the 10 Commandments at Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:4-21. A list of 10 rules for us to follow.  And these to the other laws/rules in the Bible and we get more than 613 rules for us to follow… How would you like to try and remember all of these rules and try to keep them everyday?

But what are these rules for? Are they a way for us to be right with God? Are they a way for us to get grace or faith, or buy our way into heaven? Only the grace of God which is a gift can get us right with God, not following rules or keeping a list of laws that will get us there, or in a right relationship.

These rules are not something we have to strive to keep in order for us to be right with God, they are a list that shows us we are not God and why we need God. They help us realize it is not all about us, but we are in need of someone much greater than we will ever be.

So strive not to follow, but realize that you are loved and by letting go into that love freely flowing over you you will keep the rules with no problem…

What motivates you?

Mark 11:27-33 ESV

And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say,’From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

In these verses the Pharisees question Jesus about His authority to do what He is doing. Jesus returns the question with a question about John the Baptist’s baptism. They then do not know how to answer, because either answer will make someone or some group mad. Isn’t that always the case though?

Why do you say and do the things you do? Is it to make people like you, because you are giving them the answer you think they want to hear? Or are you motivated by something deeper?

In the book Insurrection Peter Rollins talks about a girl who asks a friend to take her picture by a piece of art at a museum because she wants to put the picture on Facebook.  She thinks it will make a good impression on people and wants to portray an image she thinks this picture will portray. It is a fares and not her true self…

Why do you do what you do and say what you say?

Do not answer a question because you think it is the right answer but speak your feelings and thoughts in love…

Know your words will not be what everyone wants to hear all of the time but you do yourself and others a huge disservice by not speaking your thoughts and feelings.

the third day…

“When Moseshad told the words of the people to the LORD, the LORD said to Moses: “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and prepare for the third day, because on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful not to go up the mountain or to touch the edge of it. Any who touch the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch them, but they shall be stoned or shot with arrows; whether animal or human being, they shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they may go up on the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people. He consecrated the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, “Prepare for the third day; do not go near a woman.”” Exodus 19:9b-15

What is the significance of 3rd Day?

Here we see Moses on the mountain, and God is talking with him. He tells Moses to go down the mountain and prepare the people because in 3 days He was going to visit.  Moses goes down the mountain and washes the people – Moses consecrates them. He does this day one down and day two down… But notice he doesn’t tell them God is coming. He consecrates them and tells them to Prepare for the third day, and do not go near a woman. Why not go near a woman? and How do they prepare?

Reminds me of another 3rd day… I’m sure it is not a coincidence… Jesus said destroy this temple and in 3 days I will rebuild it. Those who heard thought he meant the actual Temple, but he meant his body… He meant His death and resurrection. How do we prepare for that? The disciples had 3 years to hear the message and learn what was going to happen, and how did they prepare for it? Peter denied Jesus 3 times, the others ran away, they did not get it, and I wonder if we would have gotten it? Would we have been there with Peter, and deny Jesus? Would we run away to save our own butts?

How do we prepare for the 3rd day? Some say we are living in the in between of Good Friday and the Easter that is to come when we all will be with God in the great by and by… If that is the case how do we prepare for the 3rd day when God will come to us on the mountain?

Are we waiting for the 3rd day or ?????