The Presence of Jesus

So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, (John 4.40)

Jesus spent two days with them. What do you suppose He did? We aren’t told. What do you suppose He said? We aren’t told. What we are told is that the Samaritans wanted to be with Jesus. How often do we have that desire?

We also know that he stayed, but not forever. He gave them his presence, but then he left.

Here is a lesson:

The Christian life does not exist in a constant state of the experience of Jesus’ presence. (Even as I write this, I hear my cat coughing up a hairball and immediately do not feel the presence of God…I feel angry that the cat can’t find it in herself to vomit somewhere other than on the carpet!)

Historical Nativity and Theological Nativity

Reading the nativity story in Luke 2, we find familiar people and events: Caesar Augustus, taxes, Bethlehem, Mary & Joseph, swaddling clothes, Angels, shepherds and etc. But there is another nativity. This one is found in John 1 and I am calling it the Theological Nativity. In verses 1 through 18 of chapter 1, God reveals the theological side of the Historical Nativity.

• Instead of Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome, we find Jehovah God, Emperor of the Universe.
• Instead of the collecting of taxes, we find the collecting of disciples.
• Instead of Bethlehem where a baby was born, we find the world where a Lamb was born.
• Instead of Mary and Joseph as parents of a child, we find God the Father of the Son.
• Instead of Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, we find Jesus clothed in light.
• Instead of Angels announcing His birth, we find John the Baptist announcing His death.
• Instead of shepherds witnessing His arrival, we find all of humanity beholding His glory.

The Theological Nativity illuminates the Historical Nativity. It reveals not just what happened, but why and to what end.

God bless your Christmas and the whole Christmas season!

The Gospel

John 33:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

The deeds of one who practices truth are the willingness to let God see.

That is the essence of the Gospel. Open exposure of a sinful heart to a righteous God.

Charles Dickens

I’ve read a lot of Charles Dickens. I started when my son began reading to me from David Copperfield on a trip between Memphis and Notre Dame. I fell in love instantly. I loved how he painted pictures in my head of characters and events that, even though sometimes dreadful, connected with my soul.

I feel more human when I read Dickens.

Some people, especially people who have read much of Dickens, might laugh at that. They might accuse me of not realizing that Dickens probably never wrote about a truly human character in his life. He was romantic in his portrayals of every person in his stories. Good, bad, happy, sad, rich or poor, his characters were not representative of real life. They were exaggerations and caricatures.

All I know is that when I read Dickens, I am motivated to be more honest, more transparent, and more accepting of my own flaws, as well as the flaws of my fellow man. I feel more gracious and more tender. I feel more able to connect with the people in my life.

How can this be? How did Charles Dickens write such fantastic tales about fantastic people and at the same time engender in me an appreciation for the mundane human experience?

I don’t know. (I do have an idea, but it’s not formulated well enough to put in writing) So I’m going to think about it and write more later.

Being stretched

Conversation between my wife and my daughter:

W: You’re just being stretched, sweetie.

D: I don’t like being stretched.

W: Well, sometimes that’s the only way to get the wrinkles out!

God and Blood

God takes blood very seriously.  (See Lev. 17)

Why? For at least two reasons: 1) life is in the blood, 2) “the function of shed blood is divinely appointed for the atonement of man.” (Deffinbauch)

First, God values life very highly and “life is in the blood”. In fact, nothing else really matters. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE…” Mankind has reflected this in stories, in movies and in books. How many stories can you think of that emphasize that only life, filled with immaterial blessings, is worth living? (The Grinch Stole Christmas, Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful life, Nicholas Nickleby…)

Second, what else matters if, when life is over, your sins are not atoned? Just imagine all your hopes and dreams. Think about it. What do you want in this world?

Now imagine you got it all. You lived a long, healthy life with friends and family and wealth and adventure (if you want that!). Then you die, un-atoned. SO WHAT!

That’s how important BLOOD is! Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin, Heb. 9.22

Devotional on Devotion, Part 2

So what do we learn about our devotion to our God from these warriors’ devotion to David?

1. Listen to God’s heart.

When you are devoted to someone you don’t ignore what they say, feel, need, want. You are quick to see if you can do what it is that they want. And although it’s not always safe to give another person what they want, it’s always safe to give God what He wants!

2.  Want nothing less than to give Him what He wants.

I do not have a formula for changing your motives. I know I have always struggled with mixed motives when it comes to giving God what He wants. I want to, but I don’t want to. But I do believe two things will help. 1. Ask for it! Pray for God to increase your desire to love and serve Him. 2. Don’t stop asking until you get it! Be like Jacob in Gen. 32 and don’t let go until God gives you what you ask.

3. Don’t stop to make sure you understand when you clearly understood.

More often than not, when we stop to make sure we understand what God wants, we are just looking for an excuse to disobey or to postpone obedience. We can be legitimately confused and in those cases we may need to wait for further instruction/clarification. But like the case with David’s warriors, they knew. None of them said, “Oh, maybe he was thinking allegorically. And what he meant was that his soul needs hydration…”

4. Just do it

5. Risk your life.

What difference does it make if you are comfortable, healthy, or safe? When you are devoted to God, (or to anyone!) you don’t care about the cost! My wife may need me to take out the trash, change the laundry, or wash her car, all inconveniences. But if I’m devoted, so what?

6. God rewards your devotion.

Mutual human devotion is its own reward. My devotion to my wife is rewarded with her devotion to me and the pleasure we receive from serving each other. But devotion to God is rewarded in ways we might not expect. David poured out the water. We might be tempted to think that was disrespectful. But for him, it was a way of honoring their devotion, by making an offering to God.

Listen to God’s heart, seek to give Him what he wants, when it is clear, don’t wait for further clarification, risk it all and God will honor your devotion.

Devotional on Devotion, Part 1

What does devotion mean?

Dictionary.com says:

profound dedication; consecration. earnest attachment to a cause, person I would contend, therefore, that Devotion is “Commitment with passion; or passionate commitment.” You can have commitment without passion. I’ve known of couples, who have been committed to each other for many years, but to everyone knows who knows them, they are not devoted. There is no passion. You can also have passion with out commitment. Everyone knows how some people find it easy to be passionate, but have no commitment. So the passion fades and the relationship fails. Look at a passage of scripture that models and teaches what devotion is. It’s in 2 Sam. 23.13-17 23:13 At the time of17 the harvest three18 of the thirty leaders went down to19 David at the cave of Adullam. A band of Philistines was camped in the valley of Rephaim. 23:14 David was in the stronghold at the time, while a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem.20 23:15 David was thirsty and said, “How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate!” 23:16 So the three elite warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from the cistern in Bethlehem near the gate. They carried it back to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink offering to the Lord 23:17 and said, “O Lord, I will not do this!21 It is equivalent to the blood of the men who risked their lives by going.”22 So he refused to drink it. Such were the exploits of the three elite warriors. David’s mighty men of valor were devoted to David. How do we know? They were attuned to the wants and needs of David. They listened for his heart They wanted nothing more than to give him what he wanted. They did not stop to make sure they understood what he meant. They left immediately. They risked their lives to give him what he wanted. Their devotion was rewarded. More to follow…

Holistic Health, Part 3

Because God’s personality is housed (if one can think of God being “housed” in anything) in Spirit, He is not bound by such things as neurology, anatomy, physiology, gravity, time, or physics.

Because we are housed in bodies, we are bound by such things. We are bound by laws that govern the functioning of a biological being. We have nervous systems and hormonal systems, particularly, which influence, and are influenced by our mind, will, emotions and relationships. Ours is a reciprocal relationship within ourselves. Every thought, feeling, and behavior is simultaneously biological.

The Bible doesn’t say a whole lot about the body and how to treat it, but we do have hints here and there.

For example, we read in 1 Tim. 5.23 that drinking a little wine can be good for the stomach. We read in Daniel 1 that vegetables were considered better for the body than “the king’s dainties”. And in 1 Kings 19.1-18, God supplies food and water for a hungry, thirsty, and spiritually exhausted Elijah.

So the notion is that taking care to provide the body with proper nutrition is good and appropriate.

We also find that exercise is hinted at. 1 Tim. 4.8 says that, “bodily exercise profits a little”. And in 1 Cor. 9.24-26 Paul uses vigorous physical training as an example of spiritual training.

As for rest, why was Jesus asleep in the bottom of the boat (Matt. 8.23)? Because He was tired. If it is ok for Jesus to sleep when He is tired, I suspect its ok for us.

As for our Nervous and Hormonal systems, the scriptures really don’t address them. But General Revelation has taught us that many of our emotional, cognitive (i.e. thinking), and relationship problems find their roots in chemical imbalances.

If you are having emotional, cognitive, or relational problems, evaluate whether or not you are getting proper amounts of the right kind of nutrition, rest, and exercise. If those are in place and the problems still exist, seek the help of a mental health professional to consider if neurological or hormonal problems might be involved.

Remember that being as physically healthy as we can is not just an option. It is an opportunity to reflect God’s glory to the world…and that is why we’re here!

Holistic Health, Part 2

Special Revelation teaches us that we are creatures created in God’s image. That means many things. But one thing it means is that whatever God is in fullness, we are in part. God has personality and we have personality. Having personality means He has mind, will,  emotion and the capacity to relate to other personalities. Since we have personality, we have mind, will, emotion and the capacity to relate to other personalities.

God is spirit. That also means many things. But for purposes of this discussion, it means that God’s personality is housed in spirit. This corresponds, interestingly enough, to our personalities being housed in bodies. God’s personality can no more be separated from spirit than our personalities can be separated from our bodies (with the obvious exception of Death). In other words, as long as we are alive, our personalities are intimately and permanently interacting with our bodies. We are, therefore, responsible to keep our bodies as healthy as we can to create an environment conducive to having healthy personalities (mind, will, emotion, relationships).

So, being Holistically Healthy, means being healthy in body, mind, will,  emotion and relationships. Over the next several installments, I will discuss ways of being healthy by addressing issues of the body, the emotion, the will, the mind, and relationships, in that order. We will look at both Special and General Revelation to gain insight into healthy living.

Keep watching…