Jesus strolled into his hometown synagogue with His building prominence. He had been making quite a name for Himself throughout the region with His teaching. He was asked to speak out of courtesy or perhaps curiosity. After all, He was the son of a carpenter turned rabbi. He asked for the scrolls from Isaiah and began to read from chapter 61, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD." Then He told the crowd listening, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Jesus' proclamation about this Himself and this passage tells us that this chapter is prophecy about promise of God's Messiah. Not only did Jesus make this assertion, the religious leaders and others in the synagogue believed this passage was about God's Deliverer as well. They were so incensed by Jesus' claim to be the Messiah that they wanted to throw Him off a cliff.
If everyone in Jesus' day understood this passage to be about God's promise to deliver His people, then it only makes sense for us to interpret these verses in light of God's promise. Look again at the words Isaiah uses; bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. They are promises regarding the victory Jesus brings to our spiritual state.
The message of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection is good news to us who are struggling in our own humanity. He brings hope for those who have no hope. He releases us from the burden and captivity of our sinful nature. The favorable year of the Lord is a reference to the Year of Jubilee when all debts were forgiven and things restored to the original owners. The favorable year of the Lord is symbolic of God's forgiveness of all our debts, sins, or as the KJV Bible says, trespasses.
If this passage is about the deliverance God brings through Jesus, then the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness referred to in verse 10 is a direct parallel to Galatians 3:27 which says, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." When I accept Christ and are baptized into Him, God puts on us the garment of salvation or the robe of His righteousness. That means that when God looks at us, He no longer sees our guilty, sinful lives; He sees Jesus. No wonder God remembers our sin no more.
God, thanks for doing for me what I can't do for myself. I'm trapped in my own sinful, corrupt, human nature. There's no way out except for you. Thanks for healing my spirit. Thanks for opening the locks to the fetters that hold me down, that enslave me. Thanks for your wonderful forgiveness. Thanks for the renewal and restoration.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Daily Reflections for Isa. 57:14-21 (From Mourning to Praise)
As the leaves begin to turn and fall enters the scene, lining up a put gets a little more challenging. The greens are still manicured as usual, but the wear and tear of of all the ball marks, traffic, new hole placements begin to take their toll. On top of that, the leaves don't stay on the trees and come floating down onto the once smooth verdant surface. And with the falling leaves often come various other debris like twigs and acorns. It makes putting a little more difficult.
I have often thought about bringing a leaf blower with me to the golf course in the fall, but that means I would have to take the chain saw out of my bag that I normally use to get rid of inappropriately placed branches and trees. The little things on the green that cause your ball to hop, change directions or even stop are an irritation at best. They can cause your score to go up and in fact make it difficult to get the ball in the cup. The only chance you have of making the put is if you remove the obstacles.
That's exactly what God does for us through Jesus Christ. He removes the obstacles that lead to Him and lasting relationship with Him. God really isn't into punishing they way many people think. Yes, God will and does punish us for our sin. He has to because He is just. But God's desire is to restore, to renew, to create.
According to Isaiah 57, those who are contrite of heart and return in complete dependence upon Him, God will revive their hearts, forget His anger toward them, heal them, guide them, comfort them, create an inner joy for them, renew their hope, bring inner peace to their life. If we show an inkling to come back to Him, God makes it possible. And when we do come to Him in full surrender, He embraces us with His fullness, love, mercy, grace and riches.
God, I don't want to be like the wicked who can't find peace. I want to experience your renewal and refreshment and peace in my life. Remove the obstacles that keep me from you. Prepare the path that leads to you. Look deep into my heart and see my contrition. Remove my curses. Show me your face. Heal my heart. Turn my mourning into praise.
I have often thought about bringing a leaf blower with me to the golf course in the fall, but that means I would have to take the chain saw out of my bag that I normally use to get rid of inappropriately placed branches and trees. The little things on the green that cause your ball to hop, change directions or even stop are an irritation at best. They can cause your score to go up and in fact make it difficult to get the ball in the cup. The only chance you have of making the put is if you remove the obstacles.
That's exactly what God does for us through Jesus Christ. He removes the obstacles that lead to Him and lasting relationship with Him. God really isn't into punishing they way many people think. Yes, God will and does punish us for our sin. He has to because He is just. But God's desire is to restore, to renew, to create.
According to Isaiah 57, those who are contrite of heart and return in complete dependence upon Him, God will revive their hearts, forget His anger toward them, heal them, guide them, comfort them, create an inner joy for them, renew their hope, bring inner peace to their life. If we show an inkling to come back to Him, God makes it possible. And when we do come to Him in full surrender, He embraces us with His fullness, love, mercy, grace and riches.
God, I don't want to be like the wicked who can't find peace. I want to experience your renewal and refreshment and peace in my life. Remove the obstacles that keep me from you. Prepare the path that leads to you. Look deep into my heart and see my contrition. Remove my curses. Show me your face. Heal my heart. Turn my mourning into praise.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Daily Reflections on Eph. 4:17-32 (Sensuality, Selfishness and Sense)
Barak Obama's recent comment of putting lipstick on a pig reminded me of the statement Jesus made about casting pearls before swine. The implication that Jesus was making was that pigs have no appreciation of something so valuable. Their only concern is is it eatable. They are only interested in satisfying their basic instinct.
The point Paul makes in Ephesians 4 is similar. He tells followers of Christ not to live like unbelievers anymore. There is a stark difference between the world's way of thinking and God's way of thinking. And as a child of God, my thinking should resemble that of my heavenly Father. The world's way of thinking is similar to that of the swine described by Jesus, who cannot value the things of God and are only interested in pursuing their own basic desires.
It seems that the world has three basic desires; self, sex and cents. That's cents as in money not as in common sense. All of life is centered on those three things. Nothing seems to stand in their way. Morality has simply become what feels right to me in order to get what I really want.
God calls us to a higher standard than that of the world. Since we've been made new in Christ and have God's Holy Spirit living in us as followers of Christ, the natural desires of our old life have to be put away. Even though we still live in a world that has lost all sensitivity, we must allow God to transform our minds and practices by immersing ourselves in Him. As a human being, my fleshly nature wants to take over. As a new creation in Christ, God's Spirit is forging me. The battleground is my heart, mind and attitude.
Putting off the old self with all its desires and tendencies is a daily challenge that I can never accomplish on my own. The only way that will happen is for me to give in to the Spirit. I must live my life in submission to, under complete control of the Holy Spirit. That's what it means to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
God, I struggle daily with my old self. Just when I think I'm getting a handle on it, my old self presses through. I need your Spirit to seize me. I need to immerse myself in your Word and thoughts. The corruption of the world tries to desensitize me to your values and truths. Renew my thinking daily, Lord. Draw me to your presence. Allow me to taste of your righteousness and holiness.
The point Paul makes in Ephesians 4 is similar. He tells followers of Christ not to live like unbelievers anymore. There is a stark difference between the world's way of thinking and God's way of thinking. And as a child of God, my thinking should resemble that of my heavenly Father. The world's way of thinking is similar to that of the swine described by Jesus, who cannot value the things of God and are only interested in pursuing their own basic desires.
It seems that the world has three basic desires; self, sex and cents. That's cents as in money not as in common sense. All of life is centered on those three things. Nothing seems to stand in their way. Morality has simply become what feels right to me in order to get what I really want.
God calls us to a higher standard than that of the world. Since we've been made new in Christ and have God's Holy Spirit living in us as followers of Christ, the natural desires of our old life have to be put away. Even though we still live in a world that has lost all sensitivity, we must allow God to transform our minds and practices by immersing ourselves in Him. As a human being, my fleshly nature wants to take over. As a new creation in Christ, God's Spirit is forging me. The battleground is my heart, mind and attitude.
Putting off the old self with all its desires and tendencies is a daily challenge that I can never accomplish on my own. The only way that will happen is for me to give in to the Spirit. I must live my life in submission to, under complete control of the Holy Spirit. That's what it means to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
God, I struggle daily with my old self. Just when I think I'm getting a handle on it, my old self presses through. I need your Spirit to seize me. I need to immerse myself in your Word and thoughts. The corruption of the world tries to desensitize me to your values and truths. Renew my thinking daily, Lord. Draw me to your presence. Allow me to taste of your righteousness and holiness.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Daily Reflections on Isa. 43:18019; Eph. 3:14-21 (I Can't Change)
"That's just who I am. I've always been this way." "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." These are among the phrases I've heard throughout my years of ministry regarding why people can't change. I could give you an endless list of excuses and rationale many people use for staying in the same destructive pattern of behavior. Any objective observer sees through facade.
Yet many of us are so shaped by our past or are so haunted by our past that it makes it hard for us to enjoy or even to live in the opportunities of the present and future. I love this passage from Isaiah 43:18-19. God tells us to forget the former things and not to dwell on the things of our past. He says that He is going to do a new thing. He tells us that He is making a way in the desert and refreshing streams in the wasteland.
Living in the mistakes, circumstances, oppression of our past can make us feel like we're in a desert. We feel trapped and worthless. It saps our dreams and leads us to depression, anxiety, guilt and probably a myriad of other emotions and mindsets. It's really hard for us to imagine how God could do anything significant in our lives or how our lives could be anything different.
If anyone understood the imprisoning power of past life, it had to be the Apostle Paul. He like many of the Bible heroes had his fair share of skeletons in the closet. There were plenty of dark moments that Paul would have just as soon faded away into oblivion. I'm sure the echoes of cries and screams of persons and family members he put to death haunted him each night as he placed his head on the pillow. As he closed his eyes he could see the faces of desperate mom's, wives, children of the men he ordered to die.
Yet, Paul found relief, hope, direction, refreshment in Christ. Perhaps that is one of factors that drove him to share the message of the Good News of God through Jesus. In Ephesians 3:14-21 he shares a prayer of restoration and relief and hope for others. He prays for us to find that inner strength that comes through the Spirit of God. He prays that we would discover the incredible depth, width, breadth of God's refreshing, forgiving, redeeming, restoring, empowering love. The kind of love that truly transforms us.
For those who say, "I could never change," or "I could never amount to much," or my situation is hopeless," Paul proclaims, "Now to Him is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
God, you said that if anyone be in Christ Jesus he or she is a new creation, that the old is gone, that we have been made new. But it's hard for me to escape my past. It's filled with disappointment, devastation, blunders, pain that keep me chained and burdened. It's hard for me to see anything but that. I want to see your new thing. Give me a glimpse. Work your change in me. Free me the old things of my past that hold me down and prevent me from enjoying life with you.
Yet many of us are so shaped by our past or are so haunted by our past that it makes it hard for us to enjoy or even to live in the opportunities of the present and future. I love this passage from Isaiah 43:18-19. God tells us to forget the former things and not to dwell on the things of our past. He says that He is going to do a new thing. He tells us that He is making a way in the desert and refreshing streams in the wasteland.
Living in the mistakes, circumstances, oppression of our past can make us feel like we're in a desert. We feel trapped and worthless. It saps our dreams and leads us to depression, anxiety, guilt and probably a myriad of other emotions and mindsets. It's really hard for us to imagine how God could do anything significant in our lives or how our lives could be anything different.
If anyone understood the imprisoning power of past life, it had to be the Apostle Paul. He like many of the Bible heroes had his fair share of skeletons in the closet. There were plenty of dark moments that Paul would have just as soon faded away into oblivion. I'm sure the echoes of cries and screams of persons and family members he put to death haunted him each night as he placed his head on the pillow. As he closed his eyes he could see the faces of desperate mom's, wives, children of the men he ordered to die.
Yet, Paul found relief, hope, direction, refreshment in Christ. Perhaps that is one of factors that drove him to share the message of the Good News of God through Jesus. In Ephesians 3:14-21 he shares a prayer of restoration and relief and hope for others. He prays for us to find that inner strength that comes through the Spirit of God. He prays that we would discover the incredible depth, width, breadth of God's refreshing, forgiving, redeeming, restoring, empowering love. The kind of love that truly transforms us.
For those who say, "I could never change," or "I could never amount to much," or my situation is hopeless," Paul proclaims, "Now to Him is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
God, you said that if anyone be in Christ Jesus he or she is a new creation, that the old is gone, that we have been made new. But it's hard for me to escape my past. It's filled with disappointment, devastation, blunders, pain that keep me chained and burdened. It's hard for me to see anything but that. I want to see your new thing. Give me a glimpse. Work your change in me. Free me the old things of my past that hold me down and prevent me from enjoying life with you.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Daily Reflections on Isa. 4:2-6 (Personal Devastation, Disaster, and Restoration)
Facing disaster is demoralizing. Last night a friend and former co-laborer in Christ shared with me the devastating news with me that he had a form of bone cancer. My heart sank. I saw the deep grief in his eyes and felt his emotional pain as we embraced to pray. Most people, at some point in their life, will face a disaster of their own. It may not be cancer, but it most certainly will be just as demoralizing. It could be anything from a broken relationship to a lost job to the death or ill health of a loved one to a rebellious family member. It could be a natural disaster like Katrina or a tornado. It could be a financial collapse or a foreclosure. No matter the personal disaster, our joy of life and hope are drained from us in those moments.
Let's be honest, those are bitter days that none of us want to face. Nobody looks forward to personal devastation. Yet, in those moments of utter darkness, when we wonder if God really cares, there comes a glimmer of light in the distance. God certainly is aware of our plight and deeply cares. It's in our deepest hour of grief we discover God is there. And it's in those moments the promise of Isaiah 4 becomes so rich.
Isaiah writes about the impending disaster that is coming upon Jerusalem and Judah for their sinful practices. He talks about the destruction and personal pain all will feel when God brings judgment upon them. The devastation will be all encompassing. No one will be spared because of their behavior. And just when all seems lost, God will throw them a life preserver, a branch of the Lord. Isaiah talks about the cleansing and restoration that will occur. He talks about how the presence of God will be seen and felt.
The prophecy appears to be a picture of Christ's redeeming, restoring sacrifice. It's a view into what God will do for us who are hopelessly lost and facing personal eternal disaster. In our moment of greatest distress, God extends to us a branch to pull us from our quicksand through Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
Some of the disasters we face in life, okay, many of the disasters we face in life are because of our own action, attitudes or behavior. We fail to heed God's instruction and warnings and thus end up in the pit of despair. We feel depressed and defeated with no way out. But still He doesn't abandon us. He's still there holding out a branch.
He is willing to rescue us from even the deepest, darkest hole. But we have to seize the branch. Just like Peter had to take the hand of Jesus when he was sinking in the sea of doubt during a life threating storm, we have to reach out to grab the hope of God.
I'm not sure we can really appreciate fully the hope and goodness of God and His presence until we've wallowed in the depths of despair and darkness. It's not until we are able to clear ourselves from the muck by taking the hand of Christ that we experience the true joy of life in Him. Only after a disaster, when God brings restoration to us, do we fully appreciate His grace and redemption and security and nature.
God, sometimes it seems that I go from one disaster to the next. The shoe keeps dropping and it lands on my head. I can't seem to escape. I know, Lord, that some of the devastation is brought on by my own actions, attitudes, and behavior. God give me the wisdom and ability to see the branch you're extending to me. I need you. Restore me. Refresh me. Surround me with your goodness and grace and presence. I long for the light. Help me watch out for the pits and traps that lead to darkness and disaster.
Let's be honest, those are bitter days that none of us want to face. Nobody looks forward to personal devastation. Yet, in those moments of utter darkness, when we wonder if God really cares, there comes a glimmer of light in the distance. God certainly is aware of our plight and deeply cares. It's in our deepest hour of grief we discover God is there. And it's in those moments the promise of Isaiah 4 becomes so rich.
Isaiah writes about the impending disaster that is coming upon Jerusalem and Judah for their sinful practices. He talks about the destruction and personal pain all will feel when God brings judgment upon them. The devastation will be all encompassing. No one will be spared because of their behavior. And just when all seems lost, God will throw them a life preserver, a branch of the Lord. Isaiah talks about the cleansing and restoration that will occur. He talks about how the presence of God will be seen and felt.
The prophecy appears to be a picture of Christ's redeeming, restoring sacrifice. It's a view into what God will do for us who are hopelessly lost and facing personal eternal disaster. In our moment of greatest distress, God extends to us a branch to pull us from our quicksand through Jesus and His Holy Spirit.
Some of the disasters we face in life, okay, many of the disasters we face in life are because of our own action, attitudes or behavior. We fail to heed God's instruction and warnings and thus end up in the pit of despair. We feel depressed and defeated with no way out. But still He doesn't abandon us. He's still there holding out a branch.
He is willing to rescue us from even the deepest, darkest hole. But we have to seize the branch. Just like Peter had to take the hand of Jesus when he was sinking in the sea of doubt during a life threating storm, we have to reach out to grab the hope of God.
I'm not sure we can really appreciate fully the hope and goodness of God and His presence until we've wallowed in the depths of despair and darkness. It's not until we are able to clear ourselves from the muck by taking the hand of Christ that we experience the true joy of life in Him. Only after a disaster, when God brings restoration to us, do we fully appreciate His grace and redemption and security and nature.
God, sometimes it seems that I go from one disaster to the next. The shoe keeps dropping and it lands on my head. I can't seem to escape. I know, Lord, that some of the devastation is brought on by my own actions, attitudes, and behavior. God give me the wisdom and ability to see the branch you're extending to me. I need you. Restore me. Refresh me. Surround me with your goodness and grace and presence. I long for the light. Help me watch out for the pits and traps that lead to darkness and disaster.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Daily Reflections on Prov. 22:26-27 (Getting into a Financial Mess is Easier than Getting Out)
These are depressing times. The economy is slowing down. Unemployment rates are going up. Gas prices are through the roof. The stock market is volatile. Foreclosures are at an all time high. Home values are plummeting. Banks are failing. And today, two of the biggest backers of home mortgages, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, were just seized by the government. Can things get any worse?
Perhaps, things wouldn't be so perilous financially for people today had we listened to the simple advice of Solomon in Proverbs 22. A lot of people today are in a quandary financially because of the failure to heed Solomon's practical instruction. Banks have failed and gone into receivership due to their less than prudent actions regarding lending practices.
In verses 26 and 27 of this chapter, Solomon states that we shouldn't pledge a debt that we don't have means to pay or else we'll lose our bed, or in more modern terms, our house. In other words, if we can't afford something, don't buy it. Don't borrow money you have no way of paying back.
In the past few years, the sub prime mortgage offers enticed a lot of people into purchasing homes they couldn't really afford. Most people reasoned that they could get into a nicer home at a lower payment and then refinance later. That lower payment looked awfully good. But most didn't consider the exploding balloon payment that got there sooner than they expected. When the housing values begin to fall, many found themselves owing more on their house than what their house was worth. And just like Solomon said, "if you lack the means, your very bed will be snatched from under you."
As the amount of foreclosures have risen, the value of homes have been driven even lower. That has put more people into upside down situations and into financial peril. Banks and lending companies, eager to make a profit through seductive offers, are now suffering the consequences of their own greed. Many of them are now over extended and experiencing huge losses.
But this type of mentality isn't limited to mortgage lenders. Credit card debt has long since taken the lead in heaping debt on the average consumer. Many of us buy things or charge things that we have no ability to repay. Now add growing interest and the debt becomes unmanageable. And with new bankruptcy laws taking affect, getting clear of our debt is even harder.
If only we could get a grasp on the wisdom of Solomon in this simple financial matter. Don't borrow beyond your means to pay back. I don't care how good your are at manipulating your cash flow, it will catch up to you and you will always be scrambling. Financial struggles bring on tension. Tension often leads to disagreements. Disagreements sometimes kill relationships. (Did I mention that financial issues are listed as the number one cause of divorce?)
God, please help me live within my means. Credit offers, easy payment plans, makes things seem so enticing. I confess, I have an "I want" syndrome. Give me the wisdom and the discipline to use sound financial and budgeting principles. I don't want to put my family in distress and I don't want to take away from giving to your Kingdom.
Perhaps, things wouldn't be so perilous financially for people today had we listened to the simple advice of Solomon in Proverbs 22. A lot of people today are in a quandary financially because of the failure to heed Solomon's practical instruction. Banks have failed and gone into receivership due to their less than prudent actions regarding lending practices.
In verses 26 and 27 of this chapter, Solomon states that we shouldn't pledge a debt that we don't have means to pay or else we'll lose our bed, or in more modern terms, our house. In other words, if we can't afford something, don't buy it. Don't borrow money you have no way of paying back.
In the past few years, the sub prime mortgage offers enticed a lot of people into purchasing homes they couldn't really afford. Most people reasoned that they could get into a nicer home at a lower payment and then refinance later. That lower payment looked awfully good. But most didn't consider the exploding balloon payment that got there sooner than they expected. When the housing values begin to fall, many found themselves owing more on their house than what their house was worth. And just like Solomon said, "if you lack the means, your very bed will be snatched from under you."
As the amount of foreclosures have risen, the value of homes have been driven even lower. That has put more people into upside down situations and into financial peril. Banks and lending companies, eager to make a profit through seductive offers, are now suffering the consequences of their own greed. Many of them are now over extended and experiencing huge losses.
But this type of mentality isn't limited to mortgage lenders. Credit card debt has long since taken the lead in heaping debt on the average consumer. Many of us buy things or charge things that we have no ability to repay. Now add growing interest and the debt becomes unmanageable. And with new bankruptcy laws taking affect, getting clear of our debt is even harder.
If only we could get a grasp on the wisdom of Solomon in this simple financial matter. Don't borrow beyond your means to pay back. I don't care how good your are at manipulating your cash flow, it will catch up to you and you will always be scrambling. Financial struggles bring on tension. Tension often leads to disagreements. Disagreements sometimes kill relationships. (Did I mention that financial issues are listed as the number one cause of divorce?)
God, please help me live within my means. Credit offers, easy payment plans, makes things seem so enticing. I confess, I have an "I want" syndrome. Give me the wisdom and the discipline to use sound financial and budgeting principles. I don't want to put my family in distress and I don't want to take away from giving to your Kingdom.
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