Authority

Jesus said: "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me."

This verse appears right before the Great Commission, at the end of Matthew. Many have taken it to mean that Jesus is promising his enabling power to finish the task. I certainly do not want to argue against a Jesus, who promises us to help us. But is that all there is?

If he has authority in heaven, and on earth, then he has the ultimate control. If he has the ultimate control, then he is the one we need to obey, to listen to, and to take with complete, and total, seriousness.

Given that it is state right next to the Great Commission, then we need to be totally serious about making disciples among every people group in the world. Not just evangelize, though that is important. Our commission is more than making a proclamation. We should also instruct, motivate, and demonstrate how to follow Jesus, so those receiving our input grow, change, become proficient, and motivated, to please all that Jesus commands.

Which means believing, giving and being generous, loving, and becoming part of the process to make disciples.

Jesus has ultimate authority. He commands us to be a part of this building process. All of his family are pastors, evangelists, and church planters. All of his family are called to pray, to love, to encourage, to build up, and to multiply life in the lives of others.

There is a lot of discussion about how this should be done. Jesus gave knowledge. Jesus demonstrated. Jesus also gave homework. When he sent out the Twelve, and the Seventy, he was giving them the assignment to go, and do, what he did.

Whatever method we use, it must produce the fruit of people up, and moving. It must produce the fruit of people changed by the life, and message, of Jesus. It must multiply one person's life into another. And it must affect, and grow, the character of people, so they resemble Jesus more and more.

New Creations

Paul wrote: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things passed away. New things have come.

"He is a new creation" is present tense. A person yields his heart to follow Jesus, and the process of redemption, reconciliation, and re-creation are done at that moment.

God has worked, and completed, the process of heart re-generation. He has infused new spiritual-DNA (sDNA) into your heart. Yes, sin is present. Yes, he has begun a process of complete renewal. But, yes, a new life, and a new saint, has been created.

Saints are normally considered to be people who have completed astounding works of love, and faith. That's not how the Bible defines saint. Paul writes his letters to the "saints" in a particular church. A saint is anyone, who follows Jesus. He is new. The Holy Spirit fills his heart.

God wants us to understand this change, so that we live that perspective of ourselves. If the new sDNA comes later, we will not make the every day decisions to live in faith, and love, until later. It is important that the perspective of ourselves, our lives, and our abilities, change, so we change.

So, God makes our hearts new now, so we will live new now.

Suffering As Jesus Follower

Because of the presence of sin in the world, there is suffering. Some suffering comes from one's own sin. Prison, addiction, and disease are some results of a person's sin. There is suffering that comes from these results.

But suffering can come from other people. There was a lot of talk about bullies recently. Some children were being picked on by bullies at school. One set of children were suffering, because of the attitudes and actions of other children.

Suffering could be a result of being different. At one point in this country, one type of person enslaved another type of person, because of differences, and economic gain.

Generally, when people suffer, it is something we should be sad about. But Peter points out one exception. If a person suffers, is bullied, because of being a follower of Jesus, it is something to be glad about.

Peter makes an assumption. The person, who is a follower of Jesus, who is being bullied, or persecuted, is living in such a way that demonstrates Jesus' character. If people can see Jesus in your life, and Jesus is being broadcast to the world, and you suffer as a result, rejoice that God is working in you, and through you, and people are against you, because you are more loving, more generous, more peaceful, and joyful. God's work in your life is a good thing.

If we respond in anger, cursing, and other fleshly actions, God's character is not moving in us. Not something to rejoice in.

Godly Interruptions

In the beginning of Luke, God sends the angel Gabriel to two different people -- Mary and Zechariah -- to announce that a baby -- Jesus and John -- was coming to their respective families.

And Zechariah and Mary had the same response: "How can this be?"

In Mary's case, Gabriel calmly answered Mary's question. In Zechariah's case, Gabriel was a little irritated. Zechariah should have believed and accepted what Gabriel said.

What was the difference? Mary pointed out that she was a virgin. A virgin, getting pregnant was without the involvement of a man, has never happened. This was the first time.

In contrast, Zechariah should have been very familiar with an old couple, with a history of fertility issues, having a baby. Abraham and Sarah having a baby, Isaac, was a very famous story in Israeli history. Zechariah should have been very confident that God could do something that he had already done.

We, of course, are often the same. "This person needs a miraculous healing. But these circumstances are totally unique in history. So, God cannot do anything in this case."

"God needs to move in a miraculous way to restore a correct respect, and love, for him and people. But the attitudes, perspectives, and lifestyles, are so turned away from God, that it is never going to happen."

There are numerous examples of healing in their faith, and love, Old Testament, New Testament, and secular history.

There are numerous examples of God revolutionizing culture, in a good way, in the Old Testament, New Testament, and secular history.

God is totally able, and totally ready, to launch a 500 megaton nuclear explosion of his Spirit. It is, maybe, his family that is hindering it by their lack of love, and lack of faith. 

Zechariah was rebuked because of his lack of faith. We need to behave in ways -- prayer, evangelism, and, maybe, prophetic acts -- that agree with God's ability to move.

It was God's love that motivated him to move on our behalf by sending Jesus to create a bridge back to God. He demonstrated that love by going to the Cross.

We are called to love mankind also. We may not do it in the same way. We maybe will be engaged in prayer, in evangelism, in ensuring justice, and providing for others in service and generosity.

God has chosen to interrupt the course of history a number of times in the past. We need to be his partners by preparing for future interruptions, and living in faith, and love, as demonstrations of who God is, and who we are created to be.

What is Bad Comes From Rejecting God's Way

We tend to assume that we are experiencing God's favor, if circumstances are favorable. But there are a number of places in Scripture that say circumstances are not necessarily in indication of God's favor.

Peter writes to a group of people who are experiencing bad times. He reminds them that God does not necessarily display his favor in circumstances. Sometimes life is good. Sometimes life is bad.

But God does always share what he thinks of people in Jesus. Everyone is, at one time, God's enemy. We say we do not need him; we say we do not want a relationship with him; and we do not want him in our lives. He is King of creation, and we do not accept him as King. We may strive to be moral, and accepting of people, but this rejection of the King leads to the worst of circumstances.

But Jesus came to re-establish peace with God, and relationship with God. Jesus did this by his death. He was punished in our place, for our rejection.

There is wrong in the world. And it is derived from this rejection of God. Even though God told people what was the best for the world, people either ignored what God said, or decided they knew better, and chose that. In either case, the world now has a type of pollution, which produces what is bad.

No matter how bad today is, we can be confident, and grateful, for tomorrow, and eternity. Because God wants to make eternity good. For those who believe Jesus' death deals with all our bad stuff, and trusts God to act in agreement with Jesus, for our best. we can begin to experience the peace and joy God wants to give all people.

God loves mankind. And he wants to know, and to bless, mankind. It is people's response, saying "no" to God, that blocks this good.