Sell Your Soul For A Quick Buck

Here we go again.

There is yet another book coming out disputing the divinity of Jesus our Christ.
I saw an interview with the author of "The Jesus Letters" the other day on a national news program. These letters supposedly support the claim that Jesus not only conspired with Pontius Pilate to fake His death, but He continued to live another 45 years and wrote letters claiming that He was not the virgin born Son of the Living God.

An interesting point: The interviewer quoted the author, saying, "There is incontravertable evidence in these letters." The interviewer commented that that was a very strong statement and asked if the author had ever seen these letters. To which the author replied, "I have never seen them, but was told about them by a reputable Theologian."

1 Timothy 4: 1-2
The Great Apostasy

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron

Clear the Temple!

“In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” John 2:14-15

What are the tables that need to be kicked over in your life? Who are the money changers that crowd the temple of your soul that need to be driven out of your life so that you can make space for God?

I think it is all too easy to immediately go to those negative areas of our “character defects” and think that we must cleanse ourselves of all our impurities.

Perhaps what needs to be driven out of our lives is fear, perfectionism, and worry etc. and from the religious laws and rituals that we attempt to abide by in order to make ourselves acceptable and pleasing to God. Perhaps what needs to be slaughtered and given up to God is our idea that we are unlovable and undeserving of our Creator’s love based on our merits, instead of God’s grace. Isn’t this one of the main messages of Jesus? He begins to break laws and codes that have robbed people of their humanity and dignity and he claims God’s love for all people, especially those kicked to the roadside by religion.

When we cleanse the temple it makes those who want to control God uncomfortable and paranoid but frees us to encounter God in our soul and to loosen our grip and enjoy the ride. Then we can say , "Look God, no hands!"

The Journey

"It seems that Christians have been worshipping Jesus' journey instead of doing his journey. The first seems religious, the second seems human." Richard Rohr

What makes one a Christian?

Depending on who you ask, you'll get various answers. Some would say Baptism as a sacrament makes one a Christian; it is a work of God's grace.

Some would say belief and then have a set of doctrines to follow.

Over the past several years I have been asking myself how Jesus would answer that question. I'm beginning to believe that doing his journey is what he desires.

It seems that doing his journey is being committed to a person-- Jesus. The other seems to be more about religious belief and doctrine. How does our faith impact, not our individual lives, but also the lives of those around us? His message was much, much more broad than an individual, personal salvation.

Many spend a great deal of time talking about why Jesus died but perhaps another relevant question is, why did Jesus live? What did Jesus live for? It seems to me the very thing that he lived for was the reason that some tried to kill him.

At some point we are to walk in his shoes or at least in his footprints.

What do you think?

Giving it over

Luke 18:22 "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow me."

Jesus Christ says a great deal that we listen to, but don't necessarily hear. When we do hear, His words are amazingly hard to take.

Jesus made no attempt to keep the guy with Him. He simply said-Sell all you have, and come, follow Me. Our Lord never pleaded, He never cajoled; He simply spoke the sternest words mortal ears ever listened to, and then left it alone.

Have I ever heard Jesus say a hard word? Has He said something personally to me that I deliberately listened to? Not something that I could expound on or negotiate around, but something un-compromising.

This man did understand what Jesus said, he heard it and he sized up what it meant, and it broke his heart. He didn't go away defiant; he went away sorrowful, thoroughly discouraged. He came to Jesus full of the fire of earnest desire, and the word of Jesus froze him; instead of producing an enthusiastic devotion, it produced a heartbreaking discouragement.

Our Lord knows perfectly that when we have heard His word, sooner or later, it will bear fruit.
We will stay at that point until we give it, release it, reject it, etc. I wonder what we will say when we do make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point?

One thing is certain, He will never cast us away.

Holy Spirit Study 2

It is important that the Old and New Testaments are in synch with respect to the Holy Spirit's deity. In Exodus 31:3, the word Elohim is used for the Spirit of God, while in Isaiah 11:2, the word Yahweh is used for the Spirit of the Lord. In Romans 8:9, Paul makes it clear that the OT refers to the deity of the Holy Spirit.

Numerous Bible texts show that the Holy Spirit is God, since He is ascribed the same qualities as God the Father. He is eternal (Heb.9:14); He is all knowing (1Cor.2:10-11); He is all powerful (Rom.15:18-19); and He is everywhere present (Ps.139:7). The names of the persons of the Trinity are also joined in a way that implies full and complete equality of Being and deity (Matt.28:19; 2Cor.13:14).

The Holy Spirit is the only One who can give inner certainty and assurance of our right relationship with God (Rom.8:16). He bears witness to the truth of Jesus' life and ministry (John15:26). He indwells and gives strength to believers (1Cor.6:19; Eph.3:16). He calls and separates believers for Christian service (Acts 8:29; 13:2; 16:6-7). He empowers believers to proclaim the truth that they have known (Acts1:8).

To deny the deity of the Holy Spirit, as some theologians do, is also to deny His personality, making Him only an influence.

The Holy Spirit Study 1

The writers of Scripture leave little question that the Spirit of God was involved in the creation of the universe. Although the personhood and deity of God's Spirit are not revealed and explained in the Old Testament, Judeo-Christian believers have always inferred His being. Only 3 references to the Holy Spirit by that name are found in the OT (Ps. 51:11; Is. 63:10-11), but other names occur, both covert and crystal clear. The full revelation of the Holy Spirit is found in the New Testament, where there are at least 93 references (per the exhaustive concordance).

The Old Testament word for spirit, ruach, is also translated air, wind, or breath and can mean life, vitality, and storm. This term emphasizes that the Spirit's work is practical. It expresses activity without defining the Spirit's being. Ruach does not imply quiet breath or wind, but a strong motion. The Spirit of the Lord is the mysterious, powerful method of God's activity and dynamic presence in creation. The Spirit is also the animating force of the first man, (He breathed life into Adam).

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, the Executor of the Godhead. This means all that God has done or is doing in the universe is through the Spirit. When we make these statements we are describing God in action, not only in the universe but also in His redemptive purpose for those who choose to accept.