World Impact

Through the mail, TV, the internet, there are commercials about all types of works/ministries, doing all types of things … good things. Things we can work for, or give money to.

I am aware of a charity in East Africa formed to combat a parasite, that is prevalent there. Because many people go barefoot there, the parasite embeds itself in the soles of people’s feet. The parasite grows, lays eggs, and effected people have difficulty walking. So, they can’t work, or go to school.

The charity has clinics to remove the parasite, hygiene classes about prevention, and they give away shoes. People in the US cut the pattern for the uppers out of old blue jeans. The soles are made from old tires. The “raw materials,” and a little money, are sent to Africa, where the shoes are assembled. The money is used to pay people to assemble the shoes. Shoes, and a job.

I is amazing how a pair of shoes can transform a person’s life.

This is an example of one of a multitude of good things, people can do to positively effect the world. But did you ever feel like there was too much? There are a lot of things – honorable, beneficial, God-honorable, people loving, Every one of them insistent of your support. And there are some that you want to support, but can’t afford, are too far away, or without the necessary skills to help.

We do need to keep several things in mind. God does indeed have a mission in the world. But the mission is given to his family, who is also his army. And like a modern army, there are many roles: pilot (fight, bomber, rescue), mechanic (plane, truck, tank), infantry, cooks, doctors, and generals. And everyone needs to do their job to make the mission successful.

In God’s army, there is one main general, who is over the entire operation. And he gives each one their job. Sometimes, understanding one’s orders can be confusing. But each one does have a place. And it may not always seem so, but each place is vital, and important. Someone not doing their job leaves a gap in the line. The mission is hindered. And someone is not living as designed, and there is a loss of joy, and love, in the world. Most jobs are part of the Kingdom, but they may not be a formal part of the church.

And we need to remember that each, and every one, has direct access to the Commander in Chief, all day, every day. There is no time, day or night, that he is not available, able, and willing, to act on our behalf. Indeed, the most powerful weapon in this army’s arsenal is the General’s presence, act active involvement, in any particular phase of the battle. So, if someone has a heart for one particular 5 year old in Uganda, with foot parasites, he can call on the Commander. And the Commander can direct his attention, energy, and involvement, half-way around the world to that 5 year old. And the world’s love meter pegs to the maximum reading.

There ae some of God’s army, whose main job is “artillery spotting.” The call God’s attention, and involvement, to situations around the world. All of God’s family are given, in part, the job of artillery spotter. They may have another job, but his family needs to give much more attention to this part of their job.

Not only is it with prayer that we invite god into our lives, and into the situations we face, but some believe that God limits himself to act only if we pray. In other word, the all-powerful One, the One that nothing, and no one, can stop, puts limits on himself. He does nothing, unless it is in partnership with his people, who are praying.

There is a picture, in the last book of the Bible, of an altar in heaven. On the altar is a container of incense. Scripture says the incense is the prayers of the saints. God waits until the container is full, then he pours out the incense of heaven over the world. The aroma of heaven, the presence of God, fills the world, when his army prays.

I don’t know if it is proven that God never acts on his own initiative. But for his family to impact the world, two things need to happen. Each of God’s children need to fill their place. And each of god’s children need to invite God to be present, attentive, and active in every situation, as it presents itself.

Freedom. Maturity. Love.

Jesus died to complete all of God’s laws for us. We could not complete them, so he did it for us. So, we really do not need to be concerned about keeping the laws any longer.

But, again, that doesn’t mean Father is not concerned with how we live, and what we do. In Father’s original design, mankind was designed to be like Jesus. To love – because love fulfills the law – naturally, and instinctively.

Some recognize this, and live with a tremendous freedom. They live according to the Great Command – love God, and love people – and not sweat the rules churches set up.

There is the usual, unspoken, but expected church rule: attend the meetings. Scripture does say that it is good for God’s family to gather. People are designed to function as family, as community. There is benefit, and opportunity, to serve, to encourage, and to love. Those who are wiser, and more mature, can build into others. People were designed to love. Love needs givers, and receivers.

There are churches where one’s commitment, maturity, and life effectiveness are judged by the attendance chart. There are people, who judge their own worth to God by the attendance chart. Plus a host of other organizational rules.

I do not condemn organizations for having rules. Large numbers of people, sharing the same resources, and space, need something to direct traffic, maintain open lines of communication, and ensure that needs don’t get lost in the shuffle. But if God does keep a gradebook, I doubt any of these sorts of rules are recorded in it.

But there are people, who have given their allegiance to Jesus, genuinely, and truly, and believe that God expects them to keep these rules. And there are people in the same local family, who think that’s crazy. And thus, we have the potential for disunity, discord, and dis-harmony. What’s a body to do?

The mature, and the strong, must realize that love is on the top of God’s list. And unity is an important component of love in God’s family. So, it is up to them to love, and serve, those given to the minutiae of rules. And, by this love, all may grow in relationship to God and others, may grow in love, and may grow in understanding.

Again, organizations with lots of people may need rules to operate efficiently, and effectively. But keeping organizational rules, or cultural expectations, do not mean worth, or maturity, in God’s economy. Human worth is derived from God’s love of each person – demonstrated with the cross. Human maturity is derived from each person’s love of other people.

Love and Truth

It has been posted here, more than once, that God designed the universe. He designed all of its laws: physical, and chemical. And he designed people, and all the laws that affect them: biological, psychological, social, and spiritual.

Of all these laws, the strongest, and most important, is the law of love. There is too much Scripture indicating its importance, and its place as God’s family defining feature.

But there are other laws, that should be kept. All of these laws are also part of the definition of what people, and life, should be like. They are part of God’s design, and ideal life.

When the first people rebelled against God’s reign, there was only one law. People kept all of God’s law naturally, instinctively. Breaking the one law really wasn’t about the apple. (Or whatever fruit it was.) It was about trusting God, what he said, and his intentions toward us. It broke the relationship between God, and people.

Those, not in God’s family, often only see obedience to rules, that they probably don’t agree with, maybe not even understand, and no expression of love. (Love may have a different definition too. To Father, love is giving, and wanting the best for others. In the world, love may also be wanting the best, but it is the individual, who defines what is best. And everyone should accept, and tolerate that.)

Some in God’s family are also fixed on God’s laws. It can be a form of modern pharisaic philosophy, where Father’s approval comes from checking off boxes on a list. Jesus died, because no one can ever check off enough boxes.

So, what is the bottom line? Paul prays that God’s family might express more love — with greater time, energy, and resources — but expressed with greater insight, and understanding. Having a greater realization that God’s laws reflect God’s character, love is filtered through God’s word. But it should be recognized by the world as love, as God’s love. God expressed his love to draw the world into relationship — a loving, trusting relationship. Love, expressed through God’s word, should also draw people into relationship. Which also means relationship with God’s family. Expressing love, but living more in God’s image. Jesus gave love to the outcasts of society, but did not compromise God’s law. And he drew people to God. He motivated people to give love, trust, and allegiance to the Father, and to uniting with his family.

Sufficiency

The core of Christianity is: God dies to demonstrate his love for rebels, and sinners, and prepare a way for the selfish, the hateful, and the arrogant to become a part of his family.

God’s purposes were not just to provide a “get out of jail free” card. God has invited each person to share life with him. He has invited each person into restoration, living life as designed, and partnership, representing him with proclamation, and demonstration, of his message.

God’s mission is the increase, and restoration, of his family, and his kingdom. And Jesus demonstrated the means to accomplishing his mission:

• Proclaim truth.
• Practicing love.
• Inviting God to act in every circumstance.
• Giving thanks for all of God’s gifts.
• A life of obedience. 

What would be an impossible task, if it were not for God’s active involvement. But we also need to remember God’s invitation. If he did not think we were sufficient for the work, he would have chosen a different way. Yes, he works to complete us, but we are enough, just as we are.

The fact that he died for us, and told us to go, shows that we are enough. The fact that he chose twelve ordinary men to start his revolution, shows that we are enough.

Hope

Paul reminds us of a passage from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah proclaims that God will reign over  the gentiles, and they will put their hope in God. Scripture says that there are only three things that will last forever: faith, hope, and love. Of these, the least talked about is hope. Most people regard hope as wishful thinking.

Love is taking small bits of ourselves, our time, our energy, and resources, and giving them away. Faith is holding Father’s words, and treating them as true truth. And hope, in the Scriptures, is more than wishful thinking. Hope is holding Father’s words about the future, and treating them as true truth.

Human beings live in the present, but they yearn for the future. They seems to live better, if there is something positive to work towards.

Scripture says that God created people with eternity in their hearts. People were designed with this space in their cores, and a motivation to fill that space. It is a soul hunger for meaning, significance, fulfillment, and rest. It is a signal that something is missing.

There could be a number of things missing. In some parts of the world, it is rest provided by security, safety, and enough to eat. For others, it is coming to that unique place that only they can fill. Ultimately, it is relationship with Father. The hole in our hearts cannot really be filled, unless we find a way back to the Father.

So, Paul prays: as we choose allegiance, because we trust Father, and Jesus, becoming a son, part of his family, accepted, forgiven, redeemed, then joy, and peace, will fill the emptiness. The Holy spirit makes his home in our core, teaching, encouraging, and connecting us to the Father’s love, and grace, and enabling us to move into the future with confidence.

Paul's Prayer (5b)

Again, Paul is reviewing his life, and his violent stance against Christ, God’s family, and the revelation of God’s grace. He, mistakenly, believed that God approved of his Pharisaic system. And he remembers God’s acceptance of him, even after his opposition. Even putting him into fruitful work, proclaiming God’s message, and demonstrating his character. And he stands amazed, and thankful.

We have looked some at thankfulness, and the effect it has in someone’s life. We all have a story of brokenness., and rebellion.

Some, like Paul, believe their lives work for God. He believed he was righteous according to the Law. But the Law does not give righteousness. So, when Christ broke through, his eyes were opened to what God wanted, and what Jesus did.

Some are like my friend, who knew right from wrong, but lived a lifestyle of breaking all the rules. And he didn’t care. But when Christ broke through, he eyes were opened to what God wanted, and what Jesus did.

Or like me, who chose to follow Jesus at a young age. I had no understanding of sin, or my own condemnation. I did not see myself as a sinner. But I did know that the Triune God was the Creator, and Lord, of the universe. I did know that all people should enter his Kingdom, and his reign. And entering was volitional. So I chose. And God opened my eyes to what he wanted, and what Jesus did.

I learned about my sin, and my brokenness, afterward. And the layers of my sin continue to be uncovered. And the reasons for gratitude continue to be uncovered.

God, ultimately, wants to transform our cores of being, our hearts. And thanksgiving is a large part of that transformation. We align ourselves, and move toward, those things that we are grateful.

Religion vs. Relationship

One of the things that someone will hear Christians say is that Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship.

What does that mean?

What people usually mean is:

• Religion is a system of rules that people need to follow, in order to be OK with God.
• Christianity frees people from following those rules, because Jesus died for us. In effect, Jesus has fulfilled the rules for us.

Does this mean God is no longer concerned about our behavior? We don’t need to go to church? Pay tithes? Read the Bible?

I have written fairly frequently about my conception of God designing his creation, so people naturally live lovingly, joyfully, and peacefully. And when mankind chose independence from God, the world broke. Now, we need to choose to move back into dependence on God, into relationship, and living out God’s design. So, in a very real way, we need to re-learn how to live.

The religion\relationship question flows along two paths. On one path, we observe from the passage of Scripture, that says, since God’s Spirit makes his home in your heart, there are certain fruits, or results, that grow out of a person’s life. If these fruits are the results of God’s Spirit, then they are characteristics of God. And one of those fruits is discipline. So, God is not against making choices that produce things consistently, to build good habits, and life patterns.

It is good to meet with others in God’s family for mutual encouragement. It is good to be regularly renewed, and reminded, by God’s values, intentions, and priorities. It is good to give. Love is giving. It is good to release things that can controls, other than God’s Spirit.

The other path happens when we see that discipline is good, so everybody needs to be disciplined … in the same way. Many have written, and taught, about disciples that helped them. And there is a natural tendency to think, it works for me, it should work for everybody else. Well, it probably would work for lots of people, but probably not everybody. One size does not fit all.

So, we need to choose our disciplines wisely. Including when to abandon one for another. Including an alert, and receptive, heart. Including a practice of listening to God.

Scripture show God as a communicator. And Scripture shows God as immutable. Meaning he does not change. Meaning, if he was a communicator, he still is a communicator. So, we need to listen.

Scripture uses the analogy of family to give a picture of what the relationships with God, and other believers, should be like. Not that we don’t know dysfunctional families, that no one should belong to. Not that we don’t know dysfunctional churches, that no one should belong to.

We need to re-create our picture of what this relationship looks like. Father intends that this relationship should look like the ideal parent-child relationship. There are formal occasions: weddings, Christmas dinner. There are informal occasions: playing catch, getting ice cream, helping with homework.

Maybe the difference between religion, and relationship, is the realization that Father gives, moment by moment, attention, involvement, and communication. And we need to learn to be moment by moment with him.

Paul's Prayer (5a)

Paul begins by reviewing who he was before giving his allegiance to Jesus. He opposed the followers of Jesus, and tried to stop them by persecution, arrest, and harassment. He marvels at God’s grace, and patience. And he winds up praying — giving thanks for God’s nature. God’s nature motivates, and activates, God giving attention to, and involvement in, the world.

We may not have opposed God’s word, and God’s people., like Paul did., but God has revealed himself to each one of us, and has involved himself in our lives, acting for us every day.

And, since God is active in us, with us, and through us, every day, combatting the world, the flesh, and the devil, by demonstrating, and proclaiming, his nature, his message, and his mission, then every day, there is something to be grateful for.

And giving thanks is one way of aligning our hearts with God. We are agreeing with God in his battle against the misery the enemy wishes to create. We agree with faith, hope, and love.

Giving thanks sees, and acknowledges, God’s active involvement in life, and events, big or small.

Paul's Prayer (4)

Paul prays for genuine transformation, and a perfect life-style. Not that we would ever reach perfection. But it is God’s heart for his image, and nature, to be indelibly stamped on his children.

We have described how God created his children to follow his design. Life works best when we keep to his pattern. Paul is recognizing that greater peace, harmony, unity, and connection with God is possible, if we walk according to God’s design. God’s love, and grace, flow more freely to our hearts, if we do not block him by our acts, words, thoughts, and attitudes.

Resumption of the flow comes from turning away from the wrong. Repentance is a turning away from whatever is contrary to, or denies God, and turning back to connection, fellowship, and obedience.

Genuine transformation means that the connection with God will, at least, be broken less. And love, and joy, will increase. God’s kingdom, and glory, will increase.

Out of the Flood Came the Rainbow

Every once in a while, a memory floats up out of the past, and I get ambushed by a failure. Sometimes, it is something that happened 30 years ago, and I didn’t realize that anything was wrong until 10 years ago. Or last year. Or last week.

The usual result of such a memory is a wave of depression, emptiness, and lack. Because of the consequences of my actions, or inactions, I view myself as a failure, and not having much worth.

I don’t know if you have ever noticed, but a person, who sees himself negatively, begins a wave of negative momentum. Any effort focused through a lens of “I’m a failure. I can’t do it.” will not succeed. Any “project” that is worth anything has set backs. Negative focus saps a person’s resiliency, which is needed to overcome those setbacks.

Some time ago, I posted about a shift that happens in a person’s spirit when he gives thanks.

Thankfulness is an agreement that something is good. Thankfulness to God is an agreement that something God did, is good. The word in the original language has roots in both “grace” and “joy.” Being thankful receives grace, which activates joy.

Recently, I experienced one of those memories from the murky depths. Negativity began to cloud my vision. Self-recriminations. Blame games. Just quit!

I took a walk, and began to look for something — anything — to be thankful for.

I began to think about the brokenness of the world, and how I was a part of that brokenness. It’s a wonder anything goes right, that there is any light at all. And it seems to be getting darker. The only reason I have any hope at all is because Jesus loves me, and died for me.

And then, I realized — Jesus knew at the foundation of the world, that I was broken, and he went to the cross for me. He knew I wasn’t going to be perfect. He knew I was going to fail again, and again. And he went to the cross.

Father created the world to be whole. People chose brokenness. So, Father adjusted the plan. He invited broken failures to be his children. He knew they were broken. He knew they were never going to be whole — until glorified in heaven. But he chose them anyway. And he hinges the whole plan on his broken children.

Followers of Jesus often feel they need to through a period of restoration before they can properly represent Jesus. But that’s not the case. Father made the broken his agents, his ambassadors, his priests, and his family. We don’t become these things after a period of purification, and training. We are these things when we give allegiance to Jesus.

We will continue to grow, and become more whole. And we will represent him better. But Father knew you, weakness, warts, and all. And invited you into his family, made you his agent, his priest, and his ambassador now.

He knew the failure you were then. He knows the failure you are now. He knows the failure you will be. And he chooses you, To proclaim him. To show him. To invite him into you life, and the situations around you. To love people for him.

Thank you Father, that you knew I was broken, that I was going to continue to fail, and you chose to die for me reguardless.

Paul's Prayer (3)

And Paul prays for anther part of God’s family. Another man has motivated a group of people to give their allegiance to Jesus, and the news has reached Paul about the birth of this new part of God’s family.

So, Paul prays that they might have complete knowledge of God’s will, in wisdom and understanding. Whole books have been written about knowing God’s will, with processes of discernment and verification.

Christianity is a relationship with the Living God, Creator, and Father of all. And it is important to know the right path, how to walk in it, and how to be able to cooperate fully — physically, mentally, and spiritually — with God’s will. But God’s will is not a long list of check boxes. “Check box” living, and thinking, is not relationship; it is religion.

If we know, and understand, God’s will, we can make decisions that honor, and please, God. We will produce good fruit. We will grow in knowing him. We will create patterns in our lives, that agree with his design.

But the heart of his design is love. Where is the check box for responding in patience, when someone cuts you off on the Interstate? Where is the check box for expecting, and wanting, God to work positively, to work miracles, for those who hate him.

The core of Christianity is: God dying for rebels, traitors, rapists, and murderers — as well as, those of us, who are just self-centered, and error-prone — because he loved each one of them, and that they might become family. His family.

Check boxes might be necessary to get things rolling. God is for discipline. But a changed nature is better. Love flowing from people, as naturally, as easily, and as habitually, as breathing.

Paul's Prayer (2)

Paul was reviewing God’s revelation of his plan to a group of God’s children. Reminded them, that God intends to reveal himself to the world, first, through his chosen nation, Israel, and, second, through the church, that is, people who have chosen to stand with God, and his family.

And it motivates Paul to pray for these people.

He prays that God would apply his unlimited resources, and God’s “dynamite” would plant itself in the heart of his children. Then, Christ would make his home in their core.

God wants to reveal himself to the nations. He will reveal himself through his family. He may reveal himself through the miraculous. But, most of the time, he will reveal himself through the changed lives of his people, and their revolutionary group dynamics, where love and service have first priority.

And he prays that what we cling to most is God’s love. That fact that God’s love stands with us, and for us, should motivate, and enable, us to stand with him, and press on to greater obedience, toward lives that represent him more openly, and vividly, and move into greater alignment with how he designed people to be.

And, not only cling to it, but wade into it up to our chins. To grasp how strong, and how vast, it is. Throughout our lives, and throughout eternity, layer after layer will be removed, and we will see God’s love more fully, and truly. And it is this love, that as we grow in understanding, and we interact with, that touches us deep in our cores, heals us, and completes us.

Paul's Prayers

When Paul wrote his letters, it was often in response to news that he learned about God’s family in other cities, and provinces. He wrote to encourage, to help, and to enlighten.

As part of these letters, he would often write about his prayers for them. Paul, and the early believers, had all learned from Jesus, how important prayer was. Jesus demonstrated how much attention, and involvement, God gave to the prayers of his children. Jesus demonstrated how much God listened, and acted, on the prayers of his children.

Much of the church in the West has lost a sense of the supernatural. God’s work is being done using modern business practices: advertising, entertainment, glitz, and celebrity star-power. The first century church was built by faith, love, prayer, unity, gospel proclamation, and gospel demonstration.

Paul’s prayer also give us a look at God’s priorities.

For one group, Paul prayed that they might have a spirit of wisdom, and revelation. It was not only important to understand the right path, and how to walk in it faithfully, but to be open to new communication from the Father. All of which should result in growth of the knowledge of God.

The word “knowledge” in the original language did mean information, and understanding, but it also included experience. Many people have information, and understanding, about war. But the mean, who splashed ashore at Normandy, on D-Day, have tastes, smells, sights, and sounds, engraved into their memories, because of what they experienced.

He prays that we might understand the positive future, God has invited us to participate in. We partner in a mission to reclaim God’s kingdom, of world transformation. We move into an eternal relationship with the Father, and his family.

He prays that we might grow in grasping how much god values his people. His death to redeem us proclaims it. His moment by moment attention proclaims it.

And he prays that we might realize the power that God is ready to wield on our behalf. He exerted that power, when he raised Jesus from the dead, and turned the world upside down.

The Most Important? (2)

We discussed in the last post, how the writers of the New Testament encountered God's love, and discovered that it was different than any other understanding of love. So, they took a little used word for love, and gave it new meaning.

There is a famous passage in Scripture, where Paul tries to give a picture of this "new" understanding of love. So, I am going to spend some time, using this passage, to paint a picture of this love. Since, a number of these characteristics of love were expressed negatively — "Love is not this …" — I am going to try to express it positively. And since, we have given a simple definition of love — "giving without expectations" — I am going to try to express it in terms of what is being given.

Patient

This is when somebody does something dumb, and you want to hit him, but don't. Human nature wants to retaliate. Love takes a deep breath, and gives mercy, and grace.

Kind

Love does something beneficial, or something to help. Love gives time, energy, and, maybe, resources.

Not Envious

The word translated "envious" in the original language is defined as: "to set one's heart intently on." Setting our hearts intently can be good. If we set our hearts on being kind, that's good. If we set our hearts on another's property, position, or relationship, that's not good. Humans get caught up in what others have. And the fact that they don't have whatever it is. Love gives thanks, and rejoices, when good happens to other people.

Not Boasting/Not Proud

These are two separate traits, but I am combining them, because they seem to be two sides of the same coin. One side promotes one's self. The other side demotes toers. In each case, the message is: "I am better. I am first,"

Love removes the hierarchy. Love gives a humble, honest assessment. This is not say: "I am beneath everyone." This is saying: "We are the same. I am better at some things. You are better at others. I can go first. Or I can go second."

Not Dishonor

If we are "not dishonoring," then we must be "honoring." I understand "honor" to mean: "to act in a way that shows something has value." In cultures, that are charactorized more by honor and shame, people show honor by maintaining connection, and relationship. The show dishonor by cutting off connection, and relationship. So, love gives attention, and involvement, in people's lives. Love gives time and energy.

Not Self-seeking

If "not self-seeking," then we must be "other seeking." This does not mean, it is wrong to take care of ourselves, or, even. to treat ourselves. It does mean love does not get totally absorbed in one's self. Love gives attention to others' needs. Love gives acts of kindness toward others.

Not Easily Angered

This is similar to patient. Sometimes, something happens, and people explode. We need to allow time, and room, for appropriate responses. We do not always see the whole situation, or understand all the motives. Love gives a slow fuse. Love gives time for understanding, and restraint in assigning blame.

Keeps No Records of Wrongs

Love gives forgiveness. Which means we surrender the right to retribution.

Suppose someone borrows money from you, saying they will repay you right away. And they don't. Forgiveness means:

• You surrender your money.
• You surrender getting angry.
• You surrender legal action.
• You surrender not doing good in other ways.

Maybe you don't give them any more money. And maybe, you find out why they haven't repaid you.

Does Not Rejoice with Evil, But Rejoices with the Truth

Goad created the world. He created the physics, the chemistry, the psychology, the sociology, and the anthropology. God also created healthy living: physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Love gives thanks, and approval, when god's design is followed. Because people will be better off.

These next four traits speak about love's commitment. Love gives attention, and involvement, for the long haul.

Protects

"Protect" in the original language means "to cover." It reminds me of an umbrella. Love gives cover. It works to keep bad things away. But, besides that, if someone does something foolish, Someone could say: "Boy! Did you see that? That was really dumb!" And spread information about the failure to everyone. Shame, and embarrassment, could remove the heart from someone. They could stop pursuing good things. Love gives commitment by covering from exposure to ridicule.

Trusts

"Trust" in the original language is the same word as "faith." Faith is, in part, "agree with", and, in part, "stand with." People do not always do the best things. But if we stand with them, and we know them, we believe that they are trying to do the best. Love gives commitment by putting the best interpretation on behavior.

Hopes

Hope has positive expectations of the future. So, love sees the best in people, and expects the best from people. Love gives commitment by envisioning a positive future of growth, maturity, and success.

Perseveres

Love does not surrender to circumstances. We could see people's ongoing failure, or slow progess, and give up on them. We deal with failures, and move on. Love gives commitment by not fixing on failures.

Never Fails

This does not mean that "love always succeeds", or "love is always right." This is more like "love never runs out." There is always enough love. It never runs out, because love comes from God.

This picture of love is how God wants people to love. And it is how God does love. God is always committed to people. He is always gracious, always wanting the best. He gives attention, involvement, time, energy, and, quite often, resources.

The Most Important?

If one were to ask, what is the most important thing in Christianity, it could be argued that love is the most important thing.

When someone ash Jesus what was the greatest — therefore, the most important — command, he answered by quoting two Bible passages. The first said to love God. And the second said to love people.

That being said, can we come to an understanding of what love is. In English, we talk about: loving our wives, loving our country, loving our sports teams, and loving strawberries.

Then, there is love in the original language. It has four words that mean love. There is a word for love for that which one has natural connections to, like: family, country, etc. There is a word for love of common areas with: friends, co-workers, maybe. There is a word for love for that which overwhelms us. The "wow!" factor. It is usually connected to romantic love between men and women. But, the people used this word for love of the gods. So, the "Wow!" factor could be something other than physical beauty.

The word, the Bible uses for God's kind of love, in other literature, usually meant a fondness for one's wife and children. I didn't see this anywhere in my brief research, so I can't prove it, but I have a hypothesis about this.

During the time of the New Testament, arranged marriages were a little more common. So, if someone's parents picked out a good match for them (good character, hard worker, excellent family, beneficial business connection) he\she might be exactly "wowed" by their future spouse. But, they go along with their parents, and get married. And their new spouse might actually not be a horrible person. They might even be kind of nice. So, they develop a mutual respect, and, maybe even, fondness.

So, the writers of the New Testament seem to have taken this kind of nebulous word, and repackaged it as the kind of love God has.

Which is …

There are several passages, where it states that God loved people, so he gave his Son. And Jesus loved people, so he gave his life.

A simple definition of love could be: to give without any expectation of receiving anything back. Which would fit the picture of the Cross. God gave us — in Jesus — right standing with him, acceptance into his family, redemption, and justification, knowing there was nothing we could give in return.

And Scripture says we should follow God's example. We should love like he loves. We should give, and not expect anything back.

How would that look?

Jesus: God's Eternal Solution

Once a year, Israel celebrated the Day of Atonement. The High Priest would wash, and sacrifice a bull for his personal sin, and the sin of his family. Then, he would enter the Holy of Holies -- the heart, and core, of the temple. The place where God would reside among his people. And he would bring with him two goats.

He would sacrifice one goat, and sprinkle the blood on the Ark of the Covenant. The sacrifice would satisfy God's judgment, and turn his wrath away from Israel for another year.

Then, he would pray over the other goat, and symbolically, lay all the sins of the people on the goat. Another man would take the goat away, and release it into the wilderness. Thus, sin was removed from among the people. 

Israel was required to perform this ritual, year after year, or the wrath of God would rest on the people. The contamination of sin would sit in their midst.

This was the Law's means of dealing with God's condemnation, and sin's corruption.

But God revealed a way to accomplish this outside of the Law. God gave his family a blameless, forgiven position in his presence. He gave it to anyone, who believes (give allegiance to) Jesus. Because Jesus redeemed his family, justifying them. Because of Christ's sacrifice, the eternal Judge declares: "the penalty is paid in full."

This sacrifice covers everyone. Jew and gentile. All have sinned. All have God's grace, and mercy, available to them.

Jesus was the sacrificed goat, because he satisfied God's judgment, and God's condemnation.

Jesus was released goat, because he removed sin from among God's family. And, rather than one year, his sacrifice is effective for all eternity.

God was just with the sin of the past, because Christ, and the Cross, spans all eternity. God is just with the sin of the present, because he gives room in the family to everyone, who comes to him now on the basis of Christ's blood.

Sin's penalty is broken. Sin's power is broken. We stand with God, because Jesus stood for us. We can know the Father. We can be -- really be! -- his sons. 

Full Life In Christ

God designed the world, and the people in the world. When we think about design, we tend to think mechanics, formulas, physics, and machines. But the genius behind God's design is that he has moved beyond machines, and formulas.

It is not that he above making machines. Mapping the human genome has uncovered dozens of cellular "machines" that facilitate, and cooperate with DNA, in the manufacture of proteins, and other processes.

I have posted in the past about the "fuels" a human being needs to live optimally. A person can function without joy. A person can function without beauty. But to function optimally, a person needs love, joy, beauty, purpose, and peace. 

And followers of Jesus say that a person was designed to have a relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. Love, and joy, are completed in that relationship.

It is not that love and joy cannot come from other sources. Love, and joy, from other people is part of wholeness. But there is a qualitative difference in love, and joy, from the Father. It models what love, and joy, among people was intended to be.

Love, joy, and beauty have no place in a machine. They have no place in a formula. They are instilled into creation by the Father's creative will, in agreement with his design. He infuses his nature into the design.

Jesus said one of his purposes was to give mankind a full, and complete, life. By giving allegiance to Jesus, people return to a position to receive that fullness.

Life is now too corrupt, too broken, for people to experience fullness. But, we can begin a relationship with the Father, we can began a lifestyle governed by that relationship. We can begin to grow in, and experience, that fullness.

The design of the Father includes a lifestyle that leads to fullness. Love is the primary key to unlock the fullness. Love for the Father. Love for people.

Scripture says that when we give our allegiance to Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes his home in the core of our being. The Spirit includes us in the Father's family. He is the seal, and guarantee, of our relationship with the Father. He is our connection to God. He is the channel of God's love, grace, guidance, ands transformation.

Scripture says that part of the Spirit's work in us, is empowering us to partner with him, in his purposes. He empowers our personality, and character, to give us a place in his strategy. Sometimes, it is a long term placement to serve in some way. Billy Graham's decades long service as an evangelist is one example of this. Sometimes, it is a one time act of service. Praying for someone to be healed from a physical disease, and the person is healed. And it may never happen again.

But Scripture also says it is not this empowering that has God's priority. It is love. If we express God's given power without expressing it in love, Scripture says it is a worthless act. It is love, which gives power to the works of God. It is love, which is the lynch pin of God's design of people. It is love, which motivated creation, the incarnation, the miracles, the cross, and the resurrection.

Following Jesus

After Jesus died on the cross, after he rose from the dead, and just beofre he returned to the Kingdom of his Father, he gave his followers their marching orders. Modern corporations might call this their statement of purpose.

Jesus said, wherever his followers wnet, they should take his message. They should find people, who are open to spiritual things, and share Jesus' message with them. And because he is calling people to him, by his Spirit, they will find people who want to follow him too. When they find someone who chooses to follow him, first, they will immerse him\her in water, as a public, symbolic declaration of their chose to follow Jesus. Second, like parents, they will teach this person how to live.

They will teach him how to "feed" himself. They will teach him how to treat others. They will teach him about his heavenly Father, how to communicate to him, and how to hear him speak back to us.

Men have studied the Bible. The have tried to understand God, and have laid systems to help others understand God. This is good in that it helps people go further, faster. But it can cause problems as well.

Jesus' marching orders were to go, find open people, share Jesus' teaching, and help them to learn, and obey, all of his commands. (Including this one to go, find, share, and help … which usually gets left by the wayside.)

People, no matter how hard they study, how diligent, and conscientious, to avoid errors, miss stuff. And people, who insist on following someone's system, run the risk of missing stuff too.

Moreover, they are following a system, instead of a person. Jesus didn't say: Follow an "ism." He siad: Follow me.

We need to learning how to read the Bible for ourselves. We need to learn to pray for ourselves. We need to learn to hear God speak to us ourselves. Then, we need to learn to practive what we read, or heard, ourselves. These are probably the foremost skills for a follower of Christ to develop.

Scripture says we are Christ's ambassadors. Scripture says his family is a kingdom of priests. We are all God's representatives. We are all intermediaries between God and people. Each one should be able to go, find, share, and help. Each one should be going, finding, sharing, and helping.

In the places where Christianity has existed for centuries, people have been trained to sit. They have been trained to be audiences. But Scripture declares that each person who chooses to follow Jesus is his priest. Maye we should not all be standing up, and doing something, at the same time. That might cause a little confusion. But, sometime, in some place, we all should be doing something priestly.

Being God's People

We are invited to become God's holy people. The word "holy" in English has a connotation of being especially pure, and spiritual. The word in the original language contains more of a though of "separated for," or "dedicated to."

Becoming a Christian is a choice of allegiances We are choosing to step across a line, and dedicating ourselves to a relationship with the Father of All. We are choosing to adopt his priorities, his standards, and his values, as our own. We choose his family as our family. We choose his Kingdom as our Kingdom.

We are not negating our connection to our own personal families, nations, or communities. We are expanding our relationships. We are expanding our commitments.

As God designed the world, and people, he instructions about life are wiser, truer, and more congruent with our design. Living in agreement with his standards brings the world closer to his intentions. It will make the world a brighter, better, and more healthy place.

The world doesn't agree, of course. It has its own ideas. Groups of people band together to promote their view of better. And they opose other groups view of better.

"Civility" was a buzzword circulating in the US a while ago. The political climate had gotten so caustic, even the politicians called for a different way of treating each other. The buzz was short-lived.

God's standard is: "Love you enemies." Which can be parsed as: "Treat everyone with love." Speak about your enemies the same way you speak about your friends, and family. Serve, bless, and encourage without reguard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

Jesus died for his enemies, so that they might be able to be right with God, and become part of his family. Jesus died for those who hate him. We have given allegiance to Jesus, and he has become our model. Not to praise, though we should. No to acclaim, though we should. But to practice. To live, as he lived.

Identity(3)

The Pharisees were a group of Jews, who lived during Jesus' day. They took God's admonitions to obey him very seriously. They studied God's law. They memorized whole books of the Old Testament. They developed a list of 614 rules that people should obey. Some of them were laws written in the Bible. Some of them were commentary on those Law.

For example, one of the Ten commandments was to keep the Sabbath holy. God wanted to set apart a day for physical rest, and spiritual rest, refreshment, and reflection. So, God instructed people not to work on the Sabbath. So, the Pharisees defined what "work" was. If it is the Sabbath, and you are a farmer, is it work to feed you cows? If it is the Sabbath, and you have to go somewhere, how far can you walk before it becomes work?

So, they did not have a very high opinion of people, who were not a serious about obeying God as they were. And they really down on people, who did not seem to try to follow God.

Then, there was Jesus.

I can see the Pharisees being both intrigued with Jesus, because of what and how he taught, and disgusted, because he did not follow God like they did.

They watched Jesus spend time with people, who did not try to follow God. He ate with them. In this culture, eating with someone honored them. To "honor" means to act in a way that demonstrates something has value. So, Jesus is saying, these people, who do not try to follow God, are valuable. Which is ridiculous to the Pharisees. Only those who follow God are valuable.

So, Jesus tells three stories.

One story was about a shepherd with 100 sheep. And one of the sheep wanders off. So, when the shepherd realizes he has only 99, he goes and looks for the lost sheep. And when he finds it, he celebrates. But it's only one sheep. What's the big deal? The sheep were his livelihood. He cared for his family, paid the mortgage, and sent his children to college with those sheep. He sold the wool. Maybe he sold the meat. Maybe he got more sheep from the one. And maybe his reputation as a shepherd was tarnished because of lost sheep. The fact that he went to look for the sheep showed that it was valuable.

The second story was about a woman with 10 coins. She discovers one coin missing. so, she cleans the house. And when she finds it, she celebrates. But it's only one coin. What's the big deal? There is a lot of opinion about the coin. Maybe it was part of her dowry. Maybe it was part of a necklace, so missing a coin made it look funny. Maybe it was just money. This particular coin was commonly given for a day's labor. So, it was the amount of money a person earns in one day. Suppose someone gets a temporary job for ten days, at $100 a day. At the end of the day, the boss gives the person ten Benjamins. (Ten 100-dollar bills.) When the person gets home, he puts the money on the counter, washes his hands, and, when grabbing for the money, realizes there are only nine bills. Who would not look for that bill? Check pockets, the floor. They would probably go back out to the car, to make sure it was not left behind. The fact that she looked for the coin showed that it was valuable.

And Jesus told these two stories, because he knew the Pharisees would agree, these things were valuable. If they were lost, we needed to look for them. And Jesus equated these lost things with people who did not follow God. God valued them. God wanted them back. So, he was looking for them.

Then, he goes onto a third story about a family: a father, and two sons. One son asks the father to divide up the property (probably a family farm) and give him his share. So, the father does. The son sells his portion of the family farm, and leaves. Does the son honor the father? Since, it was his inheritance, he is saying to his father: "Your only value to me is when you are dead." He certainly did not value any relationship with the father.

Does the son value the farm? No, he sells it. He could have provided for a family for a long time. He does not value the land. He does not value the lifestyle on a farm. Nor does he value his community, who are also farmers, because he leaves. He rejects everything about his life, and becomes, in effect, an enemy to his community.

He has a wonderful time for a while, but then, he has problems. He runs out of money. He runs out of friends. And he takes the only job he is qualified for to try and provide for himself. And it is not enough to pay the rent, or buy food.

Then, he realizes his best option is to go home, and get a job on his father's farm. So, he heads home.

Jesus say that the father sees his son coming from far away. Some have suggested that the father is scanning the horizon, looking for his son. Possibly true. But, maybe he is checking out the condition of his crops, or maybe he is just enjoying the sunset. But he does recognize his son from far away. And he sees that he is in poor condition. He left with sandals. He returns with none. He left with a pretty good wardrobe. What he has is in poor condition. So, he has compassion. And he runs to meet his son.

Some have suggested that it was undignified for older men to run, in that culture. So, running demonstrates the father's heart. He was so glad to see the son, that dignity didn't matter. Some has suggested that since the son made himself an enemy to his community by rejecting them, that the family's neighbors might express their displeasure for the son, by throwing stones at him. So, the father runs to protect his son.

When the father meets the son, the son begins confessing his mistakes, and his disrespect. But the father doesn't listen. He orders sandals, a robe, and a ring be brought. These are signs of being welcomed, and admitted, back into the father. Then, he orders a party. There is an animal that was being saved for a very special occasion. The oldest son's wedding, maybe. And the father uses that animal to signal it is a very special occasion. In that culture, eating with someone showed honor, value. Feeding someone showed more honor. And the bigger the feast, the more the honor.

The son rejected his family, his life, and his community. He became an enemy. When he returned, he admitted his wrong. And the father initiates acceptance, and restoration.

This is a picture of God's heart, God's value system. He created people. He values people. And he values relationship with them. He is serious concerning their lifestyle and behavior. But it is not his first priority. Relationship comes first. We'll deal with behavior afterwards.