NOTE: While I am off to Dads Kids Camping I offer you a treat. I hope this week of reflections from CS Lewis inspires your thinking and life of devotion to Jesus Christ. Jeff


Vague Guilt?

For various reasons, many people find it hard to maintain a consistent prayer life and closeness to God. One cause for this is what C.S. Lewis described as a “vague cloud of unspecified guilt feeling,” which leaves a person feeling unforgiven and distant from God. Below is one of Lewis’s letters of spiritual direction written to an American lady who suffered from this problem:

Dear Mary,
(1.) Remember what St. John says, “If our heart condemns us, God is stronger than our heart”. The feeling of being, or not being, forgiven and loved, is not what matters. One must come down to brass tacks. If there is particular sin on your conscience, repent and confess it. If there isn’t, tell the despondent devil not to be silly. You can’t help hearing his voice (the odious inner radio) but you must treat it merely like a buzzing in your ears or any other irrational nuisance. (2.) Remember the story in the Imitation, how the Christ on the crucifix suddenly spoke to the monk who was so anxious about his salvation and said “If you knew that all was well, what would you, to-day, do, or stop doing?” When you have found the answer, do it or stop doing it. You see, one must always get back to the practical and definite. What the devil loves is that vague cloud of unspecified guilt feeling or unspecified virtue by which he lures us into despair or presumption. “Details, please?” is the answer. (3.) The sense of dereliction cannot be a bad symptom for Our Lord Himself experienced it in its depths—“Why hast thou forsaken me?” 
Of course we will continue to pray for you.

A tripos at Cambridge is an examination: so called for the tripos (compare tripod) or 3-legged stool on which the candidate used to sit when the exam was still, not written work, but a disputation.

Joy and I have just been for a lovely fortnight in Ireland. She, and my brother, are  both well. We send out loves and blessings.
Yours,
Jack 

Unlike true guilt, which Lewis regarded as healthy and from God, he saw this vague sense of guilt as a scheme of the devil to separate believers from God and plunge them into despair. Lewis insisted on specificity and details because he knew that the Holy Spirit only convicts people of specific sins and with the goal of repentance and restoration of fellowship with God.

Although Lewis does not here address the separate issue of false guilt arising from emotional problems in one’s life, the remedy is still applicable. If you are not guilty of specific instances of sin - violation of God’s law - there is no reason to think your relationship with God is impaired. You should pray as if all is well unless shown otherwise.

"...for whenever our heart condemns us,
God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God..."
I John 3:20-21 (ESV)

Chapter 31 Revelation
The End of Time

The End Game
 
”Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, 'Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.'  

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”  

And then he said to me, 'Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.' 6 And he also said, 'It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.' " Revelation 21:1-7 (NLT)

Wow, Wow, Wow! So we come to the end of the Story!!!!  

We see the new world coming down to us!!! The New Creation will take place here! The old heaven and the old earth may themselves face total destruction, but they will be restored and renewed, not simply replaced (see Acts 3:21,” the restoration of all things”). This world is not a “throw away”. It matters to God, as you do. So much so that God won’t dispose of it, rather he’ll resurrect it.  

Face it. The world and all in it will be restored and it and you will live forever and there’s nothing you can do about it!!!!!!!  

Yet one little matter still requires settling.  

It is the matter of Revelation 21:14 and 15. Each human being has the option to live forever outside the New Creation or within it. It’s your call. Everyone in the New Creation will have chosen to be there. Everyone outside (hell) will be there of their own volition. All who live forever in the New Creation are those who have said to God , “Thy will be done”. All those who live forever outside (in hell) are those to whom God has said, “thy will be done”.  Which describes you?

Prayer
 
“Lord, I fear and despise death. It's an enemy along with sin and evil. Yet you have destroyed all three. Death, the final enemy has been defeated. Death is itself only a tool in your hands to usher in "heaven". Incredible. So I now pray as you've taught me. 'Thy Kingdom come.' Amen and Amen"

Chapter 31 Revelation
The End of Time

A Lot of People Will Be in Heaven
 
”Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth.   

After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a mighty shout,  
'Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!'

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,  

'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and strength
belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.' "  
Revelation 5:6-14, 7:9-12(NLT)

I love, love, love these verses. God, the Creator of the Universe (multi verses??)/Cosmos/everything that is, is pictured as a slaughtered lamb!!! And a “vast crowd” worships Him! People from every demographic group on earth are there!!!!!!  

We Americans worship American Idols, Dance Stars, Celebrities and LaBron James. But if we end up in heaven we need to switch to worshipping a slaughtered baby sheep! It seems to me that we will need some really good humility lessons in this life before we’re ready for the next one.

 Wow. Just think of it. “Glory, wisdom, honor, power and strength” are attributed to a slaughtered lamb (alluding of course to the Passover Lamb and Jesus ,the Lamb of God) 

One other quick note. Although I LOVE to sing the song from vs 12, I also know that worship is living a life that honors God (Romans 12:1,2). Heaven is way more than one long church service. Maybe we should practice living our Monday thru Saturday lives in such a way that our attitudes and behaviors reflect verses 5:6 and 7:12. Allen Iverson saw no value in practice. God, however, does.

Prayer  

“Father, I can't get this image out of my mind. Where, outside of the Gospel, is there anywhere on earth that the greatest power in the universe is worshipped and honored because he has become the lowest. Lord, please infect my entire being with this truth. Amen."

Chapter 31 Revelation
The End of Time

Jesus' Letter to the Church in Laodicia
 
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.

I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 2

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 3:14-22(NLT)    

In contrast to his letter to the Philadelphians, Jesus’ letter to the Laodicians is harsh. Apparently Jesus has a strong aversion to lukewarm.

This makes me cringe. You and I are the world’s one percenters. We're rich yet we want more. Could it be that we, like the Laodicians, are “naked and poor and wretched and miserable and blind”? Ouch!

The gold Jesus offers has been through the fire. Peter wrote about this saying, “I shall come forth as gold”, referring to a life of being refined by God. God’s love refines. Everything you and I face on this earth is some aspect of God’s refining fire. Our job is to allow what happens to us to refine us bit by bit, more and more into the image of Jesus himself.

Can you say, ‘Lord, I accept everything that you allow into my life as having been filtered through your hands and allowed to come to me with the express purpose of refining me into something new and precious’?

Prayer
 
“Lord, you discipline those whom you love, I accept your discipline and thank you for it. Have your way, Lord, until you have remade me into the person you want me to be. Amen."

Chapter 31 Revelation
The End of Time

Jesus' Letter to the Church in Philadelphia
 
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open."
 
“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love. 10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world."
 
"I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name. 1" 

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches." Revelation 3:7-13(NLT)

Jesus “dictated” one letter each to each of seven churches located in what is today the nation of Turkey. The letter to Philadelphia is encouraging and it’s the only of the seven without a criticism for the church members, which is cool since we’re a Philly ‘burb’! 

There’s a lot to learn from this letter: vs 8 - no one can undo what God is doing. Even weak and imperfect obedience is effective. Vs 9 - imposters exist, yet the truth will be exposed. vs 10 - Perseverance is rewarded. This world is a testing ground. Vs 11 - all of us will one see “soon” as actually having been soon. Vs 12- more astonishing promises of reward for those who don’t give up.
 
And, did you notice, it’s not that we go “up” to heaven, rather it is that the New Jerusalem “comes down” to us and that (here) will be our new dwelling place in the new creation.

Prayer
 
“Lord, thank you for the reminder that I don’t need to be perfect or sin free, rather that you have already overcome sin. Our task is simply to trust and obey and persevere, even if very imperfectly. Thank you Lord. I will not give up. Amen."

Chapter 31 Revelation
The End of Time

The Apocalypse!
 
“Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen! 8 'I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,' says the Lord God. 'I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.'
 
I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.
 
Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, 'Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.'
 
When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest." Revelation 1:7-13(NLT)
    
Apocalypse is a word from the Greek language meaning to reveal something, thus the translation “Revelation” (not Revelations).  

There is nothing in Revelation that is not in the Old Testament. In Verse 7 John is alluding to the imagery of Daniel 7:13. I think it is a huge mistake to reduce images like clouds to literalism. Daniel and John were describing visions far greater than mere images can describe. Those reading this letter would understand it in the light of their scriptures. In a sense the language of Revelation became a kind of “code language” that only Jews would understand. Romans who intercepted this letter, for example, probably would not have noticed that it clearly describes the overthrow of the Roman Empire.  

In verse 12 the lampstands are the churches (see Zech 4) and the stars in verse 14 are the pastors of the churches. John sees the action of God in the world taking place through the churches, which are the Body of Jesus Christ. In the middle of the action, right in the midst of all the activity of the churches, stands the risen Jesus. John sees him at the center of all things. And he now reveals himself to John so that John can pass on this message to believers across the Roman empire who are suffering persecution.
 
The Message? Jesus is on his Throne and regardless of the challenges you are facing, all suffering is temporary. Hang on. Jesus has overcome the world.
 
Prayer
 
“Lord, when all around me is dark and overwhelming I am grateful for the reminder that you are on your Throne, competently reigning over the entire universe, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, even to me. Unbelievable. I accept what is before me believing that you are in it and through it you will have victory. Amen."

Paul's Final Days
Chapter 30

Paul’s Final Words, "Come Before Winter"

“Timothy, please come as soon as you can. 10 Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
 
You come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done. 15 Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said.
 
The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. 18 Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
 
Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living in the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters. 22 May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you” 2 Timothy 4:9-22(NLT)

It turns out that in Paul’s last letter he concludes with people. People whom he loves, those who have let him down and those who have encouraged him. In these verses alone he mentions 19 people by name and alludes to still more.  

When all is said and done, when we face the end of our lives on earth, there are those two things, God and People. And Paul wants to see Timothy, his special friend and disciple, in person before he dies.  

This is a poignant and powerful reminder to each of us. After the all the brilliant world changing teachings that Paul delivered and wrote, perhaps all of it becomes real as it is fleshed out in the love of God and each other that Paul and Timothy experienced together. As the end was approaching, what was the one thing Paul wanted? To see Timothy face to face. “Come before winter” he wrote. By winter he meant more than an approaching season.

Prayer  

“Lord, thank you for the people you have put in my life. Help me today to be "all there" for them, especially for the ones you have placed closest to me. Thank you for the gift of their lives. Amen."

Paul's Final Days
Chapter 30

The Anchor of Paul’s Life

“Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.  

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.

That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 2 Timothy 1:8-12(NLT)


Paul spent his final days in Prison in the 60’s in Rome. Tradition tells us that he died by beheading probably/perhaps during emperor Nero’s persecution about 64 AD. There is some speculation that Paul was imprisoned in Rome in the early 60’s, was released, made his way to Spain, returned to Rome where he was re-arrested and then executed. But this is speculation.

Paul’s final correspondence (we call his correspondences epistles, Romans through 2 Timothy of the New Testament) was to the young man he mentored, Timothy. In this letter Paul encourages Timothy not to quit, to never give up, to stay on task with The Message.

Prayer
 
“Father I wonder what my final words to my loved ones will be. May you so guide my life that my words will echo those of Paul, 'I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I know the One whom I trust, and I am sure he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.' Amen"

Paul's Final Days

Paul Responds to His Critics

“Are they  servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger? 2 Corinthians 11:23-29(NLT)    


Why would anyone choose this kind of life for no pay, constant rejection, ridicule and very little to show for all for all of it?

Paul must have thought what he was doing was important, so important that he gave up the life of comfort, prestige, and power that he was headed for as young aspiring “prosecuting attorney”.

Everything that Paul records in today’s passage was experienced simply because he was absolutely convinced that everyone in the world needed to hear the Message that God in Jesus Christ has come to rescue the world. The destiny of every person hung in the balance.

How then do you and I reconcile our complacency with Paul’s urgency? How is it that I live without the urgency of Paul? If what Paul was teaching is true, how can I possibly live knowing that many around me are living their lives on a sinking ship, don’t know it, yet I have the same message to offer that Paul had?

Prayer
 
“Lord, give me passion, a deep concern for the salvation of others, and a willingness to do very, very uncomfortable things for the sake of the eternal destiny of  those around me. Amen”

Paul's Final Days

The Amazing Claim of the Apostle Paul
 
“Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
 
13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
 
15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.
 
17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus." Galatians 1:11-17(NLT)    


Believe it or not, most Christians base what they believe on what the apostle Paul taught (particularly in his letter to Rome) more than on what Jesus said.
 
What fascinates me about this is from where Paul claims to have received everything that he taught. He is emphatic that his information about salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection did not come from any eyewitnesses or any person at all. Rather what he knew and taught came directly from the risen Jesus himself. Notice what he wrote to the Corinthians;
 
“I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. 3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.2 Corinthians 12:2-4(NLT) 

Prayer
 
“Lord, the apostles saw you alive. Paul actually “went to Heaven and back”. Yet I feel so often very far from your presence. Yet all the apostles and Paul agree that each of us live daily surrounded by your presence. Thank you for that reminder, the reminder that you are with us always.  Amen."

The Resurrection

Note: If you would like to read more from the C.S. Lewis Institute go to www.cslewisinstitute.org 

The One Grand Miracle 

C.S. Lewis’s spiritual journey went from childhood belief in God, to atheism, to agnosticism, to theism, and finally to belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. His own search for truth gave him the ability to communicate the key distinctions between Christianity and other religions. In an essay entitled, The Grand Miracle, Lewis gets to the heart of why the miracle of the incarnation and resurrection is essential to Christian faith. Lewis writes:

One is very often asked at present whether we could not have a Christianity stripped, or, as people who asked it say, ‘freed’ from its miraculous elements, a Christianity with the miraculous elements suppressed. Now, it seems to me that precisely the one religion in the world, or, at least the only one I know, with which you could not do that is Christianity. In a religion like Buddhism, if you took away the miracles attributed to Gautama Buddha in some very late sources, there would be no loss; in fact, the religion would get on very much better without them because in that case the miracles largely contradict the teaching. Or even in the case of a religion like Mohammedanism, nothing essential would be altered if you took away the miracles. You could have a great prophet preaching his dogmas without bringing in any miracles; they are only in the nature of a digression, or illuminated capitals. But you cannot possibly do that with Christianity, because the Christian story is precisely the story of one grand miracle, the Christian assertion being that what is beyond all space and time, what is uncreated, eternal, came into nature, into human nature, descended into His own universe, and rose again, bringing nature up with Him. It is precisely one great miracle. If you take that away there is nothing specifically Christian left. There may be many admirable human things which Christianity shares with all other systems in the world, but there would be nothing specifically Christian. Conversely, once you have accepted that, then you will see that all other well-established Christian miracles—because, of course, there are ill-established Christian miracles; there are Christian legends just as much as there are heathen legends, or modern journalistic legends—you will see that all the well-established Christian miracles are part of it, that they all either prepare for, or exhibit, or result from the Incarnation. Just as every natural event exhibits the total character of the natural universe at a particular point and space of time; so every miracle exhibits the character of the Incarnation. 

Do you believe in miracles? Are you captivated by the miraculous work of Christ? To be Christian is to accept the one grand miracle and to believe that the God who was, and is, and is to come, can and will continue to work the miraculous in our lives and in the life of the church. 

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."
I Corinthians 15:13-14 (NIV)

The Story
Chapters 28, 29
What Do You Do After Easter?

You Need Help 

“he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they met together . . . . . . He said to them: " . . . .you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:4-8 (NIV)

Between the resurrection of Jesus and Pentecost, the Spring harvest, 50 days had elapsed. Seven weeks without any significant movement arising from the event of Jesus’ resurrection. Although the disciples had received their marching orders to spread the Good News, although hundreds had seen the physically resurrected Jesus, there was yet no church, no outreach, no “church growth”.
 
Of course Jesus anticipated this which is why he told his followers to stay in Jerusalem until they had received the empowerment they needed. It came. The Holy Spirit came upon them and immediately they were motivated, bold, articulate, and able to speak to other people in their language.  

We must operate in God’s power, not our own.  We must be in prayer frequently, as they were, in the Word regularly, as they were, together with other believers, as they were, and reliant on God, as they were. As we do this we too will be empowered from on high. It is God’s Spirit, not our efforts that draw others to Christ. Yet, without our Spirit empowered efforts the Gospel will not get out.

Prayer
 
“Lord, I need your Spirit. I need your empowerment. I commit to daily prayer, daily reading of your Word, and daily looking for ways to let others know about you. Please guide and strengthen me.  Amen”

The Story
Chapters 28, 29
What Do You Do After Easter?

The Story of Your Life Paraphrased  

"What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. 16 So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.
 
17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! 18 I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it.
 
19 I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. 20 My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.
 
21 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. 22 I truly delight in God's commands, 23 but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.
 
I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?  . . . . . . . . . . . .

But, with  the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. 2 A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death." Romans 7:15-25, 8:1-2 (MSG)

Do you live in guilt and self condemnation and failure? The above paraphrase emphatically reveals the Gospel’s rejection of that kind of life.
 
“there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
Romans 8:1 (NIV)

Do you believe this?  Your Father wants you to believe this and to believe it deeply. Believing this brings your Father profound  joy.

Prayer
 
“Father thank you for you for loving me more deeply and profoundly than I can right now imagine. It’s so hard to grasp, especially when I fail you. Yet I can’t escape, outrun, fend off, or cancel out your love and faithfulness. Amazing.  Amen”

The Story
Chapter 28, 29
What Do You Do After Easter?

Do you REALLY understand the Gospel?  

“What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit being a "law man" so that I could be God's man. 20 Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. Galatians 2:19-21 (MSG)

I find this paraphrase of Galatians incredibly helpful. I hope you do too.

The apostle Paul had been a legalist who was Chief of Police/Prosecutor who sought to kill Christians because they weren’t doing rules right. He was converted and then “got Grace”. He then traveled from city to city seeking out synagogues where he could preach Jesus. Having returned from Turkey (Galatia), he heard that the new believers in those cities had gone back to rule keeping so he wrote them a letter. That letter, his first, is preserved in the Bible as the “book of” Galatians.

I hope you spend time on today’s passage and ask yourself how much of the Gospel you have actually adopted into your thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, approach to others.

Do you live by Grace or rules?

Prayer
 
“Lord, I want to belong to You in such a way that I serve you because I know you love me not in order to earn your love. Amen.”

The Story
Chapters 28, 29
What Do You Do After Easter?

What Did Jesus Leave Behind? The Church.
 
“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-27    


The Church is what Jesus left behind. It is NOT something we “go to”. It is the family of believers in Jesus Christ worldwide. It is God’s forever family which eats the Lord’s Supper together, studies God’s Word together, loves each other, helps the hurting and worships God. As this happens with sincere hearts (as opposed to going through the motions) God constantly adds new believers.

This is great picture of the church of Jesus Christ. This is what we aspire to be in the Christian Life Center. . . . a family that Loves God, Serves Others and Shares the Gospel freely.
 
In what way will you live out the Great Commission of Jesus which is to share the Gospel freely with others?

Prayer  

“Lord, there is nothing like the Body of Christ when it is working well. Thank you Lord for the men, women and children you have given me the honor to “do life” with. Help me to be for them as a good a brother/sister in Christ to them as they have been for me. Amen.”

The Story
Chapters 28, 29
What Do You Do After Easter?


The Evening of Resurrection Sunday  


“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'"   John 20:19-23 (NIV)  

Through locked doors in His new, physical, resurrected body Jesus visited the cowering fearful disciples. Of course everyone was stunned and happy. Jesus wasted no time. He told what to do after Easter. "as the Father has sent me, I am sending you”. He sent them to tell others about the cross and resurrection, about God’s relentless, sacrificial pursuit of all people. They were to go in the empowerment of his Holy Spirit.

With that command each of us knows our purpose. We must tell others. We must live the kind of life that compels others to wonder what’s different and good about us. We must get the message out. In fact this command is given to us in all four Gospels and Acts. There’s no ambiguity about it.

And, yes, we must set others free from condemnations. We are not permitted to hold others hostage to unforgiveness.

Prayer
 
“Lord, please give me the desire, courage, and motivation to reach others for your sake, just as Jesus commanded. Amen”

Holy Week

In case you didn't read. . . .  


"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."   1 Corinthians 15:58(NIV)
    
Reflection
 
1 Corinthians 15 is maybe the Bible’s best description of what happens when we die. It tells how God resurrects life out of death. It is the death of death as we know it. Death, our final enemy, is defeated. 

First, If you are a believer you can stand firm. The worst that will ever happen can never be the last that will happen. The last thing is always resurrection.  

Second, 1 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 indicate that believers will be judged on what they did in this life. Therefore, everything done for the Lord in this life will be, in a sense, used as “building blocks” for the New Creation. Such “works” will not only survive, they will be used.  

A further conclusion seems to me to be at least possible. Perhaps it is true that the part of me that was aligned with God in this life will the part of me that will be resurrected into the New Creation and the rest will be “burnt away”. At the very least, scripture reminds us over and over that our actions now have a direct impact on our place in the resurrection. 

Prayer

“Lord, forgive me for wasting my time, thoughts, ruminations and efforts on things which will won’t last. Help me Lord to major on what is eternal. Amen”

Holy Week

The Resurrection

"He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying."   Matthew 28:6(NLT)
    
Reflection
 
No one in Israel expected anyone, ever, to be individually and bodily raised from the dead. Not the disciples, not the Pharisees, not the Sadducees. No one. (the Pharisees did believe in a corporate resurrection of Israel at some future date) 

Therefore, Jesus’ resurrection and subsequent appearances with a new body was a shock to everyone.  

I have found myself asking myself, “what do you do with resurrection?” I know what to do with the 10 commandments. Obey them. I know what to do with Jesus’ teachings. Follow them. But what do I do with resurrection? 

It happened and there’s nothing I can do about it.  

Actually the Bible does leave one “to do”. Check out 1 Corinthians 15:58

Prayer

“Lord, you went to the cross for me without checking in with me first. You were raised from the dead also without checking in with me. And you have included me in effects of these two events, again without consulting me. Lord, you must think even I am worth it. Amen”

Holy Week

The Event
 
"And they crucified him"   Mark 15:24(NIV)
    
Reflection
 
As I have been preparing for Palm Sunday and Easter messages I keep running into Grace. And then I think, “now what?”

To me this is a very good question and it is also at the heart of what it means to be “saved”.

What do you with grace? What do you do when you’ve been forgiven, no strings attached, no restitution asked for, all sin and sins, large and small, wiped clean from your record. Done, over, completed, finished. What now?

2,000 years ago on the cross, God did this for every person on the planet. That includes you.

The question then becomes, “what will I do with this?” Your answer to this question then determines the trajectory of your life both in this world and in the world to come.

Prayer

“Father, my life is fully and completely the result of your rescue mission on planet earth. I give you all the credit, please forgive all those times and all those ways in which I try to any credit. It’s all you and I’m grateful. Amen”

Holy Week

"Until the Day" 

"Mark my words -- I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom."   Matthew 26:29(NLT)
    
Reflection
 
At the Lat Supper Matthew records Jesus as having hinted that there will come a day when they will all be together again drinking wine in the Father's Kingdom.

The Gospel Message is not that believers escape judgment and go to a place "out there" somewhere called heaven. No, it is that God, in Jesus Christ, has defeated the powers of sin, death and evil. Those dark powers, the ugly residue of which is still hanging around, will one day have finally been removed. Earth and all of nature will be restored and that includes all people who have chosen to align their lives with Jesus as the leader of their lives. "Heaven" will result in renewed bodies, living renewed lives on this renewed earth.  

Prayer
 
“Lord, since the future is assured, help me to live today accordingly. No more worry, complaining and whining. Help me to be different. Help me to be a true believer.   Amen”

Holy Week

The Cross
 
"As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'Take this and eat it, for this is my body.' 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, 'Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.'" Matthew 26:26-29(NLT)    

Reflection
 
At a particular, single time and place in history God took on human flesh and blood and voluntarily chose to be crucified. God did this as His definitive action to eradicate sin and evil and save us.  

Love and wrath go together. To love a person means to hate sin because sin always harms, and love wants to see no harm to the beloved. God, in one conclusive stroke, faced sin, evil and injustice head on. Rather than unleashing his wrath against it, he unleashed his wrath against Himself and forgave.  

Have you ever done something awful to another person only to have that person approach you with total forgiveness expecting no restitution? That’s what God did.  

All true forgiveness takes on itself the pain done by another. God’s forgiveness takes on that pain mulitplied by many trillions. What kind of a God is this? 

Prayer

“Lord, the familiarity of the cross has actually deadened actual familiarity with what happened. Thank you for the biblical record which reminds me anew who you are.   Amen”