Invoking the Kingdom

We read in Scripture that God designed, and created, the world and people. And people were designed to live a life of completeness, fullness, and wholeness.

We have discussed the spiritual fuels that man needs to live in wholeness. A relationship with the Father being the main one. Love, community, beauty, and purpose are others.

Because God designed man to need purpose, he embedded the means for man to achieve purpose within creation. Scripture says, whe God created man, he told man to exercise dominion over the earth. The words in the original language indicate that God was giving man authority to form the world for good.

First, the world was designed so men would make significant, meaningful choices, that would produce real effects in the world.

Second, God intended that man would produce, not only, farms, cities, and, even, factories to provide for man's material needs, but also parks, museums, and natural preserves, to provide for man's spiritual needs. (Not to mention, that the farms, cities, and factories should enhance, not detract from, man's physical, spiritual, health, and wholeness.)

Of course, man chose to walk away from God; and while living in separation, man chose greed, pride, and selfishness. He chose to bring destruction, and death to the world.

Moreover, it resulted in man losing his authority over creation. The world became part of the kingdom of the enemy. And he acted to maximize death, destruction, and human misery.

So, man chose separation. And God began a plan of restoration. God made a plan to restore:

• fellowship between God and man;
• fellowship between people;
• man's authority over the earth … practiced in the right way.

And God defeated the enemy, on the cross, and restored the world back to his kingdom.

I have heard the present situation compared to Iwo Jima, during World War II. The Allies had two objectives concerning Iwo Jima. One, to successfully invade, land soldiers on the island, and capture the beach to use as an easy way to supply future operations. Two, to capture the airfield, preventing its use by the enemy, and facilitating its us by the Allies.

The Allies successfully invaded, capturing both the beach, and the airfield. The objectives were complete, and the battle won. And if the enemy had ceased hostilities, that would have been the end of it. But they didn't. They continued to fight, resulting in some of the fiercest action of the war.

Our enemy has been defeated, but he hasn't surrendered. He continues to work to produce as much death, destruction, and misery as he can.

And God's family, like the marines on Iwo Jima, are charged with rooting out the enemy, and installing God's kingdom.

Insistent Prayer

Scripture says that each person, who gives his allegiance to Jesus, God has granted that person the authority to live as his children. Authority is delegated power. We are not born with it. We cannot earn it. It is granted. Jesus earned it for us on the cross. And it is given to us based on our faith response to him.

There are several places where being God's child overflows into our daily living.

How often have you been in a store, and saw a mother and child, and the child is going:

            "Mommy, can I … ?"

            "Mommy, can I … ?"

            "Mommy, can I … ?"

I suppose a lot of us wonder why that mother doesn't keep the child quiet? Or why isn't that child better behaved?

Often, the parents will have a talk with the child, and say something like: "I heard you the first time. You don't need to keep asking. You only need to ask once."

The child keeps asking, because:

            (1) he hasn't received answer;

            (2) he is secure in his relationship with the parent.

He is confident of his parent's love, and in his parent's desire to bless. What does the above parental lecture say to the child? Maybe it says the child is not as secure in the parent's love as he thought.

Jesus assures us that our Father is different. He says to keep asking, to keep seeking, and to keep knocking. He says, be like that child.

It is the good, and loving, nature of the Father that assures he will listen, and that he will answer. Human parents do love their children. (Although, their love is not perfect. Hence, the impatience with being asked, and asked, and asked.) Even with imperfect love, they will not give their children something that is bad for them. God's love is perfect. He has perfect patience. He will only give what is good.

And not only is he willing, he is more than able. Too see the Father, one needs only to look at Jesus:

• Who raised the dead; (Even someone dead for four days.)
• Who fed 15,000 people with one person's lunch;
• Who reconstructed human bodies beyond what human science can do. 

To see the Father, one needs only to look at his works:

• The human eye — which can detect over 7,000,000 colors;
• The sun — although, it is approximately 93,000,000 miles away, it has enough power to keep all things functioning, and all things growing.
• The earth — which is situated perfectly, the correct distance from the sun, the correct composition, the correct processes and functions, to be the perfect home for mankind;
• DNA — which not only contains all the "recipes" for creating all the structures and processes in the human body, but also each process to complete the recipe, and instructions for getting the building blocks, and instructions for what to do and where to send the completed product, when it is finished.

Our Father is motivated to respond to our prayer. He encourages us to "bother" him. And he is fully, and completely, able, and ready, to respond. He invites us to approach, to seek him, and to open our hearts.

God's Favor (6)

God favors those who are persecuted. But he does not just favor the persecuted, he favors those who give him their allegiance, who become a part of his family, and are persecuted for that.

There are places in the world, where giving allegiance to Jesus, means a life of trouble. Because God's children choose to follow him, they usually begin to move in a direction that is different from the flow of the surrounding culture. And those in that culture will either view them as weird, or as traitors.

The world has always been hard on those who seek to know God. And the enemy pushes hard to promote this attitude. He considers it to be in his best interest, if no one seeks for God, or lives for God.

And if he cannot keep people away form God, he will try to keep them quiet.

And by quiet, I do not mean he is trying to stop God's children from yelling "The world is bad! The world is bad!" The world will just pay no attention to that. He is trying to stop people from yelling "God is good! God is good!"

He is trying to stop faith. He is trying to stop love. He is trying to disrupt God's relationship with his people, and their relationship with one another. He is trying to prevent God's children from accurately demonstrating God's character.

What if, in the midst of being treated badly, God's children persist in:

• Walking with the Father;
• Engaging in practices that expand the Father's influence in their lives, and through them to the world;
• Loving each other;
• Loving those who do not have a relationship with the Father … especially those actively engaging in persecution;
• Seeking God's best for society, and the world. 

In a world, where such practices run counter to every instinct that humanity has, but copies Jesus' lifestyle, and follows God's way of love, is it any wonder that God favors, and delights in his children.

God's Favor (5)

God favors those who make peace. The English term "peacemaker" gives a connotation of someone, who is an intermediary between people, who have some sort of dispute. The word in the original language could be stated more like "to produce peace."

In all these declarations of who God favors, Jesus is drawing a contrast between the Pharisaic understanding of keeping rules, and marking boxes on check lists, with having a relationship with the Father.

God does not favor rules keepers, or check box markers. The relationship between God and man is broken. No amount of rule keeping will fix it.

Even if rule keeping could fix it, no human being keeps the rules sufficiently well enough. The rule breaking far outdoes the rule keeping.

Let's bear in mind here, God is not against rule keeping per se. If sin had not come into the world, and people's lives, people would have lived like Jesus. They would have "kept" the rules as an expression of their nature. God inspired the Biblical writers to write down the rules, so people would realize that they do not keep the rules. Or they could see what a person, who pleases God, looks like. We would know how we were designed to live.

God sent Jesus to build the bridge, so people could return to him, create a relationship with him, and be restored in their core, so they would begin to live as they were designed.

So, God favors those who choose to cross the bridge, and begin that relationship with the Father. They have made peace with him. They are no longer rebels, or enemies. And they are living a life of peace, because they are living in agreement with how they are designed.

And God favors those who show others, where the bridge is … helping someone else begin to have a relationship with the Father, to cease living as rebels, and enemies, and to begin living as they are designed.

God's Favor (4)

God favors the merciful. Recently, I compared mercy and grace. Mercy is like:

Imagine, you are driving 80 mph in a 25 mph zone. A policemen pulls you over. You deserve a ticket of many hundreds of dollars , and suspension of your driver's license.

Instead, the policeman says: "Good morning, sir. I noticed that you were driving in excess of the posted speed limit. This is a residential area. The posted speed limit was chosen to make sure that pedestrians in this area are safe. So, the next time you drive this area, please, reduce your speed to the posted speed limit. And have a good rest of the day."

Mercy is not getting what you deserve.

This is God's intention, and plan. In Christ, we receive mercy. We do not receive the punishment we deserve. And God favors those who have his heart.

The news is full of people, who deserve punishment. And, often, we are with the rest of the world, hoping these people get what they deserve. Yet, even they are designed to live in relationship with the Father. And it is the Father's desire to redeem, and restore, even these. Murderers. Thieves. Dictators. Mass murderers. Human traffickers.

The scribes and the Pharisees worked hard to please God, according to their system. And they condemned, and rejected, those who fell short, those who did not work like they did.

God's heart was for restoration. The Pharisee's heart was for rejection, and condemnation. This was why Jesus was hard on the Pharisees. They thought they were pleasing God. They thought they were God's favorites. First, all of God's kids are his favorites. But, he is especially pleased, and favors, those who heart follows his.

God wants a relationship with all … even Pharisees.

Those who understand mercy, are the most likely to give it, and the most likely to seek. They will turn to their Father, the giver of mercy.

God's Favor (3)

The next quality that Jesus used to describe people, whom God favors, is often rendered into English using the word "meek". But "meek" gives the wrong connotation in modern usage.

The English word "meek" has a connotation of weakness, with spirit, or courage. The word in the original language is associated with humility, which is the positioning of one's self below, to push up, and honor. But there is a feeling of calm strength, receiving what God says in quiet confidence.

With the first, and second, traits, we have a person, who realizes his need for God, who yearns for completeness, and who also realizes his total inability to attain, and maintain, that completeness.

With the third trait, the person hears God's words of judgment, and accepts them as just. But he does not despair, because he also hears God's hear for, and his promises for, redemption, and restoration.

"You have been thrown into the pit. And it is totally fair, and just, for you to be trapped there. But I did not create you to end up in a pit. I created you to be with me, to receive my love, and my blessing. So, I will rescue you from the pit."

The person hears, and trusts, God's words. And he responds in faith. To walk through the battlefield, with bullets buzzing past, and bombs exploding all around, without fear, and in calm and peace, is a response of faith. The person gives more credence to God's words, than he dos to the circumstances.

I don't think this necessarily means that we ignore the circumstances. But we need to actively take into account another powerful reality at work. The words, and the spirit, of God are active, and profoundly influential in our lives, and the world. The world ignores God's words to its detriment. And God's family does not take  them into account enough.

Fear, worry, and a lack of prayer demonstrate taking the circumstances, and principles, of the world more seriously, than the entire reality that God has created. Whereas prayer, obedience, love, and the fruit of the Spirit demonstrate a healthy grasp, and practice of God being eternally present, active, in our lives, and the world.

God's Favor (2)

Jesus continues to describe those who God favors.

God favors those who grieve a loss of personal hope, or a relationship. given the context of our inability to gain right standing with God, perhaps the grief Jesus  is referring to is a person's response to his\her lack of relationship, or lack of right standing, with the Father.

A person, who recognizes that life's ultimate bases for worth, meaning, and value, is a relationship with the Father, and recognizes that, because of his choices in life, that he is God's enemy, there is not hope. Life has ceased to have worth, or meaning.

Human beings are designed to live relationship with the Father. Value, and significance, in life is directly proportional to how close, how strong the connection is. Sin breaks the connection. It is sin that causes all the brokenness in the world. It is sin that causes all the problems, and misery.

So, it is in that prevents someone from establishing the most significant, and important, relationship in existence.

Without this relationship, we cannot live out, or come close, to connecting to the Father, and fulfilling what we were designed for. If we realize, and understand this, we could mourn our separation, loss and inability to get right, and connect.

But Jesus' purpose is to re-establish this connection, and to enable people to begin a process of living as he designed.

Jesus came to extend invitation to return to god, and a life of worth, meaning, value, and significance. Such an invitation could bring incredible comfort to those who hear it, and accept it. That was Jesus' purpose. To give people a way back to God, and hope to the hopeless. To reveal how much God loves, and cares for people.

God's Favor

Jesus began his ministry by announcing what type of people receive God's favor. People, generally, thought it was people — like the Pharisees — who were serious, and worked hard, at obeying the Law.

So, Jesus turns the world upside down. Those, like the Pharisees, thought they were earning right standing with God. But, Jesus knew that no one can earn right standing with God. Those, who God favors, recognize, and accepted, this truth.

All people stand as beggars before God. Ones, who have learned that wisdom, accept their poverty stricken status. They accept that, before God, they have nothing to give. They can only receive.

It is pretty dumb to strut around, like one has it all together, like one is self-sufficient, with need, and one is dressed in rages, without sufficient means to feed one's self. Yet, that was precisely the position of many Pharisees and priests.

"We are accepted, and blessed, by what we do. God thinks we are better than the tax collectors, sinners, and gentiles."

And that is precisely why God did not give them his favor.

There were tax collectors, sinners, and gentiles, who saw the worth of the God of Israel, and sought to know him. And God favored them above the self-righteous ones.

God values those who realize that the do not have the power to stand before on their own merit. They are closer to him, than those involved in lots of religious activity. They are more ready to turn to Jesus, and walk across the bridge he built for them. They are more ready for a relation with the Father of creation, because they have a true view of reality, and a true understanding of their standing before God.

Jesus as Model in Temptation

Jesus' mission in the world had two parts. First, he came as the bridge for people to gain access to God. He built the bridge, when he died on the cross.

Second, he came as the model for what life was intended to be like for a person to truly walk with God.

There is a story about Jesus, which began with the Spirit leading him out into the wilderness.

God's children live their lives hearing his voice, and going, or doing, what it says. The Father is always speaking to his children. He will not speak to lead any of his children astray. We can trust him, when he speaks.

So, it seemed a little strange to me, that the Sirit was leading Jesus into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil.

Each child of God will be led by God's voice. And each child of God will be confronted by temptation. And God felt it was important for Jesus to give us all a demonstration of how to deal with temptation.

Jesus had just completed a forty day fast. He was physically, and probably mentally, fatigued.

The devil came to him, and attacked Jesus' physically, mental, and spiritual needs. And Jesus responded each time: "It is written."

So, not only was Jesus familiar with the voice of his Father, but he was also familiar with the written message from his Father. So, in dealing with temptation, he reminded the devil of his Father's standards.

But it is not enough to know the Father's words. One has to obey the Father's words. Knowing is important. Saying, and reviewing, is important. But it is doing that makes what is known, and said, a part of life. It is doing that brings the power of the Spirit into you actions. It is doing that trains your thinking, speaking and acting back into alignment with God's design.

But there is not one correct way of doing what God requires. For Jesus, it was sufficient to review with the devil what God's standards were. So, perhaps to stand against temptation it is sufficient to recite God's word. Recitation may position God's heart to walk rightly. But perhaps one needs to position the whole person. If one is tempted to indulge an addictive behavior, perhaps one should move away from the places of addiction. (Like an alcoholic should not stand in a bar. Maybe he should move several miles away.)

I do not believe that there is a formula for everyone to walk with God. We do need to know his standards. We need to hear his voice, and practice what he says. But as God has given each one a unique place, we also have a unique way to walk in it.

Get What You Deserve?

I woke up several days ago, with an incident on my mind, that happened several years ago, and my response to that incident. To this day, I don't know what I should have done, but I don't think it is what I did do.

As a result, I was feeling kind of guilty, and inadequate. And the thought popped into my head: "You get what you deserve."

And I began to consider how God gives us, just what we deserve. Just like that guy in the Bible, who was responsible for a persecution of the church, and the death and imprisonment of, possibly, thousands of God's children.

God treated him as he deserved:

• God appeared to him, and spoke to him audibly.
• God blinded him, forcing him to slow down, and really who Jesus was.
• God miraculously healed the blindness.
• God forgave, redeemed, and saved him.
• God used him as a catalyst of a huge expansion of his kingdom.
• God used him to write half of the New Testament. 

No, God does not deal with us, as we deserve. First, God deals with us in mercy.

Imagine, you are driving 80 mph in a 25 mph zone. A policemen pulls you over. You deserve a ticket of many hundreds of dollars , and suspension of your driver's license.

Instead, the policeman says: "Good morning, sir. I noticed that you were driving in excess of the posted speed limit. This is a residential area. The posted speed limit was chosen to make sure that pedestrians in this area are safe. So, the next time you drive this area, please, reduce your speed to the posted speed limit. And have a good rest of the day."

That's mercy. Not getting what we deserve. But God does not just give mercy. God gives grace.

Grace is not only mercy, but the policeman also says: "And here's a gift card to one of my favorite restaurants. Please, enjoy a meal on me with a friend. And here's another gift card. Please, give it to another friend, so they can enjoy a meal on me. And have a good rest of the day."

God gives grace. We don't get what we do deserve; we do get what we don't deserve.

Jesus Begins

John is preaching, and baptizing, by the Jordan. Jesus presents himself to John for baptism.

John says Jesus should baptize him. He recognizes Jesus as Messiah. He is humbled by his stance with God, and recognizes Jesus' superiority.

Jesus assures John that everyone needs to complete what God desires.

Jesus did not need to repent from sin, because he had none. Jesus did not need to turn to God, because he never turned away.

When Jesus comes out of the water, a dove settles on him, and a voice proclaims, "This is my beloved Son."

There has been speculation as to what is going on here. The Old Testament prophets woulds anoint the new king. Is John "anointing" Jesus?

Or are Jesus and the Father coming into full agreement about the mission? In baptism, Jesus fully agrees with the mission he is about to begin, and the "baptism" that will end it. And the Spirit, and the Father, reach out to Jesus, and communjicate their love, and commitment to him, and the mission.

Jesus could not complete his part of God's mission without the active support of the Spirit, and the Father.

And we must come into agreement with completing our part of God's mission. We need the active support of the Spirit, and the Father.

To Repent or Not Repent

John the Baptist had a message of repentance. The word in the original language literally means "to know after." The idea is a comparison between what I used to know (or knew before) and what I know now (or knew after.) It is trying to describe a change of mind.

John called for a change of mind about sin, about God, and about a way of life. Most people associate repentance primarily with sin. Repentance comes to mean: don't do that.

John called the Jewish leaders to repent. In the Jews' minds, those needing to repent the least were the leaders, because they kept the law the most. The leaders had developed a religious system. He, who checks the most boxes, wins. The religious leaders felt quite righteous in their system. They felt they were more accepted by God, than the rest of the people.

But what if repentance is not so much what we are turning from, but what we are turning to?

First, if our focus is primarily on stopping certain behaviors, we wind up creating a vacuum. Some other behavior will fill it. Perhaps, one that is worse than the original.

Second, life is not about what we don't do. Life about what we do do. We are designed to live by faith, hope, and love. We are designed for fellowship with the Father. And behavior modification is just another expression of religion.

Please, do not misunderstand. I am not wanting to minimize sin, or God's stand against it. It just seems to me that choosing to give allegiance to Jesus is more important than choosing not to sin.

We do not have the power to stop sinning no matter how much we hate it. It is when we give allegiance to Jesus, that we receive forgiveness, a new identity, and God's presence, which provides the power for transformation.

Identity

"Identity" is a word that is used to describe a person's self-perception. Do I have value, or worth? Am I ugly, stupid, clumsy? Is the world better off with me in it?

I have heard it said that mothers rovide nuture, but fathers define one's identity. The Father made men and women. He defined their identity. He designed them. He created them.

Before creation, he could have spent 2000 years focused on the design of one person. And then, moved on to the next person. Or, because, he is right now, giving each and every person 100%, focused attention, he could have given that same attention to each one … and spent 2000 years designing us all simultaneously!

He designed our identity. He designed the place we would fill. He designed us to grow, to bless the world, to improve the world, to touch it as no one else can.

When sin entered the world, our identities were crushed, and broken. No one matches what God sees in us. But when we give our allegiance to Jesus, the Father still sees the child he designed, and created.

When Jesus rose from the water, at his baptism, a voice called out: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

God saw the one he loved, whose heart was totally entwined with his. The one who had fully accepted God's mission of building a bridge between people and God, of restoring God's family.

Jesus was beginning a new phase of the mission. He, the Father, and the Spirit knew the cost they would be making. And they knew they were accepting the cost out of love for the race of men.

God designed each one of us to fill a place. None of us are doing that. Some are in the place, but not walking in it fully. Some are lost, and have no idea in what direction the place even is. Some of us kinda know where the place is, but aren't too sure how to get there.

God designed each one of us to fill a place. And he hasn't changed his mind, because of sin. He gives 100% focused attention to restoring us to our original design. He gives 100% focused attention to guiding us to our place.

If we give him our allegiance, if we surrender to his purposes for us, if we walk with him in fellowship, we are in a position for his work in us, and through us, to occur.

Whether we find our place or not, whether we walk in it or not, if we return, and cross the bridge, if we give him our allegiance, if we walk in the relationship he has set us in, he views us in the identity he gave us before creation. We are also a beloved son, and he is pleased with us.

Our identity is who God designed us to be. Our identity is who God proclaims that we are.

God's Control

When times get difficult, or troubling, people remind themselves that God is in control. What they mean by that is: God knows what is going on; he doesn't like it anymore than we do; and he is going to correct it to how he designed it to be.

All true. But it seems to me, that he does not always exercise his control like we expect him to. At least, he is not exercising his control now like we expect him to. If you read Revelations about how this world will end, and how he will bring a new world into existence, it seems that, at that time, he will act overtly, and openly, to correct what is broken in the world. But, now, he seems to act in a more hidden, and subtle, way.

In the East, a group of men, who study the stars, see an especially prominent, especially bright, star in the night sky. They study, and discuss it. They decide that it is a sign that a very important king has been born.

If you know that something gigantic, something historic, something that will totally revolutionize the world, was about to happen, would you go to witness it? Evidently, these wise men thought something really big was happening, and they should go and see it.

They planned, prepared, and set out on a long trip. Some estimate it was a two year trip, because of what happens later. But, the star stays in the sky, guiding them the whole way.

They see that the star guides them to Israel, and near the capital, Jerusalem. So, they assume that's where the new king is. They gain audience with Herod, and tell him about the star, and the new king.

Now, Herod is very jealous. He has executed his wives, and his children, because he thought they were plotting to overthrow him. So, he was worried about this new king.

He got as much information from the wise men as he could. And got them to agree to come and tell him about the new king, when they found him.

Now, Jesus, Joseph and Mary are in danger. If Herod kills his own children to "protect" himself, he would have no problem killing someone else's child.

But God is in control. He could put on a size 500 boot, and stomp Herod. He could send an army of angels. He could teleport Jesus, and family, to Egypt. Instead, he warns both Joseph, and the wise men, about Herod, and urges both to escape. And, through the wise men, he provides gifts to Joseph, so he can support his family, while they escape.

Why does God work this way? Maybe, because Jesus, and we have a certain mission, and a particular role, which requires we have particular mind-set, attitude, and life-style? And this mind-set, attitude, and lifestyle fulfills that mission and role, better than a size 500 boot?

God Sometimes Sends Surprises

In Scripture, Isaiah prophecies that God will send his Promised One into the world. And the birth of this Promised One will be a miracle.

Biblical prophecy draws a map concerning the Messiah. We have a map, so when he comes, people will be able to recognize him. One of the more unusual prophecies, the Messiah's mother will be a virgin. In other words, in a world where babies are born all the time, and, in order for a baby to be conceived, there must be a mother and a father … in the case of the Messiah, there will only be a mother.

Or, if you take a step back, the father will be God.

Muslims have a hard time with this. They say that God would never have had physical relations with Mary. I highly doubt that there has been any Christian ever, who believed that was the way it worked. God, who made elephants, whales, and robins, as well as men and woman, is perfectly capable of creating one seed, and one egg, putting them together, and then teleporting the resulting zygote into Mary's body.

What amazes me more than the biological miracle is the sociological, and psychological interactions of the people involved.

First Mary.

Here is a normal teenager, hanging out in her room — maybe listening to her favorite tunes on Spotify, while looking at pictures her friends posted on Instagram — when an angel appears in the room. Imagine the range of emotions racing through Mary: amazement, curiosity, fear, confusion. Or maybe none of those. Maybe peace, calm, and wonder.

The angel tells Mary that God has a job for her. She will be the mother of the Promised One. And the angel gives a summary of what this baby will accomplish. Mary points out that with every other baby in the world, a father is involved. The angel says God has that covered. And Mary believes the angel. There is no confusion, denial, grief, or anger. There is acceptance.

This is an unusual woman. God has just turned her world upside down, and inside out, and she does not flinch, she does not blink.

Then Joseph.

Mary is pregnant with Jesus by the Holy Spirit. And she is beginning to show signs of being pregnant. And, like Mary, like everyone else in the world, Joseph knows that baby making involves one man, and one woman. In that culture, a betrothed couple were considered to be married, just not living together yet. So, logically, Mary had been unfaithful.

That culture took being unfaithful very seriously. Women found to be unfaithful were often stoned. That is, everyone in the village threw rocks at the woman, until she was dead.

So, Joseph, facing what looks like his wife being unfaithful, and all the emotions that involves (sorrow, embarrassment, inadequacy, anger, confusion) and knowing what the rules and penalties of his culture were, has an amazing response. He should be calling for Mary's stoning. Instead, he is seeking a way to end the marriage, but in a way where Mary avoids the anger of the community. He gets sucker-punched by his wife, but seeks a way to give mercy.

Of course, the angel comes back, and appears to Joseph. "Hey, Joseph! You know that crazy story Mary told about the Holy Spirit, and the baby being the Messiah? We, guess what, it's true!"

And Joseph believes. God has just turned his world upside down, and inside out, and he does not flinch, he does not blink. He marries Mary.

We have two people, who, in terms the world understands, were not much. But, in terms God understands, they were two amazing, rare, and unusual people.

The Bottom Line

A scribe asked Jesus how to get eternal life. Jesus turned the question around, and asked the scribe what he thought. The scribe responded: "Love God with all you've got. Love people like you love yourself." And Jesus told him that he was correct.

When gets to the bottom line of Christianity, it is all about love.

Paul writes that a person could be the most accurate prophet in history, speak/pray/sing in tongues, have the Bible memorized, and believe that Mt. Rushmore would be transported to Disney World — and it was, but if all that is not motivated by love, it would be worthless.

And if these things need to be motivated by love, what does that say about any practice that people who follow Jesus do? All spiritual practices should be motivated by love: prayer, reading the Bible, evangelism, going  to church, and giving to support any work.

Spiritual practices should only be an expression of love, but they should also be an arena for growing in love.

We should connect with our Father, who is love, who washes us in love, who will tweak our spiritual DNA, so we will think, speak, and act more with love.

We should read the Bible, so our Father's mind-set, attitudes and values become our mind-set, attitudes and values.

We should be involved in Christian community, because God did not design us to be alone. God did not design us to be transformed by interaction with him alone. We are also transformed by travelling with others on the same, but also different, journey.

He gave us the metaphor of his people being a body to illustrate how people are different, but how each one contributes to the health, well-being, and growth of the whole body. Together, we all benefit form the other parts. God joins people together to further increase love — among his people, and from his people to the world.

God's Attitude About Lost Things

One day, Jesus was challenged by the Jewish leaders concerning how he spent time with unrighteous people. He had this habit of being kind to, and loving lunch with the prostitutes and tax collectors.

In Jesus' day, and culture, sharing a meal with someone was more than being polite. It was an affirmation of relationship, worth, and connection. It was a stamp of approval of the person. So, the leaders were telling Jesus: "These people lead corrupt, ugly, sinful lives. God says what they do is evil, and you are approving of what they do, and who they are."

Jesus, by no means, approved of sin. But he was born into the world to call people back to the Father. He intended to re-connect people with the Father, in a strong relationship, and growing fellowship. Sin was the reason there was no relationship, or fellowship.

So, Jesus told three stories to reveal the Father's heart toward people. All people. His heart is for relationship and fellowship with everyone.

There are times that my children have not made decisions I approve, that I think agree with who God made them to be. Does scorn, shaming, refusing to associate with them, motivate them to change? Why does Scripture declare that it is God's kindness that motivates repentance?

There is Scripture about breaking fellowship with ones in the church, who do not repent. But it is an extensive procedure, with a focus on restoration, moving back into agreement with God's best, and minimizing a bad influence on the rest of God's children.

The first story is about a shepherd with 100 sheep. One of the sheep gets lost. The focus of the shepherd changes, and fastens on the lost sheep. He leaves the 99 sheep, hikes out into the surrounding country, to find the lost sheep. And when he finds it, he carries it back to the flock.

There are a number of things the story does not say. Does the sheep want to come back? Does the shepherd have to chase it? Is it a 20 pound lamb? Or a 100 pound ewe?

What matters is that the shepherd knows that the health and well-being of the sheep is optimal, when it is with the flock. And the Father know that people are at their optimum, when they have fellowship with him. It is best for people, if God pursues them in their lostness.

The second story is about a woman, who lost a silver coin. Since, it is valuable, that is enough to make someone want to find it. But I have heard theories that the coin was part of her dowry, or part of a matched set, and set into a necklace — even a necklace worn around the head. (A lost coin from such a necklace would be very obvious.)

At any rate, the woman lights a lamp, and sweeps the entire house. She covers every inch of the house. She is intense. She is thorough. And she finds the coin.

And the response for finding these two lost things? Relief, joy, exultation. A party is about to break out.

The third story is about a father, and his two sons. The younger son wanted his inheritance … NOW!! And when his father gave it to him, he went away, and squandered it partying.

Soon, he ran out of money, and out of friends, and out of food. He got a job, but even that could not meet his needs.

And then he thought about home, and thought "Even my father's servants are better off that I am." So, he made up his mind to go home, and get a job with his father. So, he wrote a speech, and practiced it all the way home.

And while he was coming home, the father sees him, and recognizes him from a long way away, His father was elated to see him, ran to him, and threw his arms around him.

The son gave his speech, but the father barely listened. Instead, he order the servants to bring the finest robe (whose robe would that be?), a ring, and sandals.

I have heard some say that the robe was meant he was received into the family, and the ring was an awarding of authority.

And then, the father arranged for a party.

When the brother returned home from working, he heard the party going on. And when he learned his brother had returned, and the party was for him, he got angry.

When the father came out to him, he complained to him: "I have worked hard. I have never complained. I have done all you ask. And I got no party!. But when your son (Note: not my brother) returns after wasting your money, you throw him a party."

God calls us to live in relationship with him. God calls us to live in moment by moment fellowship, And people turn away from God, and the world is broken.

Though God is gracious, and generous, some come to God only for what they can get. Their whole attitude is: "Gimme! Gimme!"

Though God is deeply concerned with our lives, and how we live them, what we do does not, and cannot, affect our relationship with him. It can affect our fellowship. We can cut ourselves off from fellowship with the Father, but we cannot do anything to give us closer fellowship.

These were the basic positions of the two brothers. One said: if I have stuff, pleasure, I will be blessed. The other said: If I do the right stuff, I will be blessed. In reality, they were blessed, because they had a relationship with their father.

The world is broken. It will be fixed somewhat by people living right. It will be fixed somewhat by people receiving adequate provision. But, the primary factor in fixing the world is people coming into a relationship with the Father, and living in fellowship with him.

That's why Jesus spent time with people who did not have a relationship with God. So, he could reveal the Father to them. So, he could reveal the Father's acceptance of them.

That's why we need to spend time with such people.

That's why the father replied to the older son: "You have always been with me. All that I have is yours. But your brother has chosen life. He has returned to where he belongs, where he was created and designed to be. And we need to celebrate that."

God is a Family

When Jesus began his ministry, he went to John, and was baptized. And when he came out of the water, a dove flew down, and rested on Jesus, and a voice proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son. I am well-pleased with him."

People have suggested several different things about this incident. Some think that John may anointing Jesus as Messiah, like the Old Testament prophets anointed the kings. (For example, Samuel anointed David.)

And some think Jesus may be giving people the first example of a life, that is intended to be emulated.

But a couple of things are certain:

• God revealed to John, that while he was baptizing, he would see the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descend and rest on someone. That someone was his promised one.
• God proclaimed his acceptance, and approval, of Jesus.
• God revealed that the God-head is family.

There is a Father, and a Son … and a Holy Spirit. These complete the God-head family. And family reveals several important traits about God.

God did not need to create mankind to have some one to give love to, or to receive love from. God is all-sufficient. Love is built into the God-head.

Love and communication are built into creation, because they are already built into God.

And God made people to live in families. Not only their physical family, but also the spiritual family that God is creating.

God created us to be like Jesus in this life. Obviously, we are broken, because of sin, and are not living like Jesus. And equally obvious, God is working to transform us into what he intended, and designed us to be.

Part of that, God wants us to have the same fellowship with him, as Jesus had with him. In Jesus, the ideal father had the ideal relationship with the ideal son. We still have the ideal Father. We are not ideal sons, because of sin. And we do not have the ideal relationship, because of sin.

We learn how to be sons and fathers, through our relationship with our physical fathers. Because of their sin, and brokenness, we don't experience father-hood as God designed it. Our fathers' failures smother our ability to be sons. And they replicate patterns in our lives, so we fail as fathers.

To live as we were designed, God must transform our hearts. (Our thought process, our desires, our motivations, our imagination.) And part of this transformation is a restoration of God as ideal Father in our lives, and ourselves as son. To have the proper relationship with God, we need to open our hearts to him, and because of sin, we learn to close our hearts to our fathers, and we learn to close our hearts to our Father.

So, we need to connect to our Father, who is God, and the ideal Father, to learn who he is, how he thinks about us, how he responds to us, and how he reacts to us. Then, we will learn how to respond and react to him. We will learn our identity in the world. And we will be able to stand, drawing on resources given by a loving Father, who is generous, and faithful, with all that he has.

A Place for Each Man in Christ

God has designed humans. He has inspired the Bible to give us a pattern to follow, to promote joy, peace, and fulfillment of personal potential.

And, as he can give each one of us his eternal presence, his 100% focused attention, he is fully able to design each of us. and I have been feeling for the last couple years, that the Father has intentionally taken time, energy, and thought, to design and form every human being. He gives each one a place, a calling, and a unique message.

It is not always easy to live out of the place God created for us. Understanding the place is one thing. Social, cultural, and personal expectations can also interfere.But our joy, our part of God's mission, our value in God's kingdom lies in flowing out of our unique place.

What may interfere more than the expectations of the world are the expectations of God's family. Leaders, and churches, also have expectations of what a proper follower of Christ looks like.

Don't misunderstand me. If one says: "My place in Christ is to help relieve poverty," it is not OK for that person to rob banks to do that.

Some churches have a more sedate, calmer form of worship. And if a person raises his hands during worship, he is almost regarded as rude. Other churches have more exuberant forms of worship. How is the person, who engages in periods of contemplation during worship, regarded there?

It is often the differences of people, that give them value to their family. And maybe others need to learn to see the differences, to see the niches that God has filled for their good, and their growth, and be thankful for them.