Is it me, or are there a lot of scarecrows standing in pulpits of formerly mainline churches, that are now sideline churches at best, pointing their congregations in all kinds of directions, with the assurance that all ways lead to the Emerald City?
I don't know about you, but I don't live in Oz, my goal is not the Emerald City, and my path is no Yellow- Brick Road. And I find it deeply disturbing that so many folks are getting direction in life from scarecrows. No offense, but a head full of straw hardly seems qualification for proclaiming the Word of God. But then, scarecrows very rarely, if ever, actually proclaim God's Truth.
Last week I had a Certified (Or is it certifiable) Presbyterian Lay Preacher proudly describe the "pulpit" he built at a Boy Scout camp complete with a cross, a Star of David, and "Allah" written in Arabic. Only someone with straw for brains could conclude that Allah and Yahweh are one and the same. And, with a head stuffed with fluff, why stop with the so-called "Abrahamic" faiths? Did that scarecrow mean to insult Buddhists, Hindus, and Zoroastrians, or was it an oversight?
I realize I come across as extremely arrogant and exclusive when I answer the question, "After all, don't we all worship the same god?" with "NO!" I have no use for inter-religious activities which in reality amount to irreligious activities. There is nothing reverent about reverence directed to that which is not to be revered. And, sorry, you fans of three "Abrahamic" faiths, Yahweh has made it quite clear that there are no other gods beside him.
People may find the idea of a Yellow-Brick Road of their choosing that goes wherever they want to go appealing. But for any who want to make God the Father their destination, there is but one way, Jesus Christ the Son (See John 14.6).
Jim
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Jesus Everlasted
What Did Jesus Do?
The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the LORD endures forever.
Isaiah 40.8
I got to see The Book of Eli last night. The violence and the f-bombs turned off the rest of the family, and, I confess, were it not for a friend’s assurance that the film had a very important message I too might have shut it off and gone to bed. But the Fahrenheit 451-type ending was worth it. In a day when the whole earth was withered and humanity had faded God enlisted Eli (Not the fat old priest of Israel who tutored Samuel) to help see that the Word endured.
A long, long time ago the Father entrusted his Word to the Son. Every word the Father spoke the Son not only heard, but, even more, embodied, brought to life, incarnated. The Son is all about the Word because, well, the Son is the Word. And, even if all the rest of creation should fall and pass away, the Son is going to assure the Word of His Father is everlasting. In fact, the only hope of a creation that withers and fades is the everlasting Word.
When an “economic downturn” throws millions out of work, their hope is not in the government’s plans for economic recovery. Or hadn’t you noticed that all kinds of government-type experts have been announcing the end of the economic slide while the millions still have no jobs? When a tornado flattens a town in the Midwest, their hope is not in the Weather Channel’s forecast of clearer skies to come. Or hadn’t you noticed that even the most silver of linings is inevitably followed again sooner or later by dark and destructive clouds? When death claims a family member our hope is not in this life. Or hadn’t you noticed that all who are born into this life one day die? The best of economic policies will always leave some out of work (The poor will always be with us; see Matthew 26.11). Accurate forecasts can only warn of storms, they never prevent them. (Hail and destructive winds, and overflowing floods cannot be turned back; see Isaiah 28.2). Death claims all who draw breath, as Man returns whence he came (Those formed of the dust of the earth return to the dust of the earth; see Genesis 3.19). It is enough to make a preacher despair (See Ecclesiastes 1.)
But all is not in vain as long as the Word lasts, and the Word is everlasting. From eternity past, through this present world, unto eternity future, all things have their beginning in Jesus, the Alpha; and the end of all things (As in their purpose and destiny) is in none other than Jesus, the Omega. (See Revelation 1. 8, 18) Our help in ages past, Jesus everlasts; He is our only hope for all the years to come:
“From everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same.”
--Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past
To people who are perishing, living in a world that will itself one day pass away, the Father has sent the Son, that his everlasting Word should be our hope. Though the world thought the cross and the grave had made an end of Him, the everlasting Word rose in glory and in victory, bringing everlasting hope to the world. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the LORD endures forever.
Isaiah 40.8
I got to see The Book of Eli last night. The violence and the f-bombs turned off the rest of the family, and, I confess, were it not for a friend’s assurance that the film had a very important message I too might have shut it off and gone to bed. But the Fahrenheit 451-type ending was worth it. In a day when the whole earth was withered and humanity had faded God enlisted Eli (Not the fat old priest of Israel who tutored Samuel) to help see that the Word endured.
A long, long time ago the Father entrusted his Word to the Son. Every word the Father spoke the Son not only heard, but, even more, embodied, brought to life, incarnated. The Son is all about the Word because, well, the Son is the Word. And, even if all the rest of creation should fall and pass away, the Son is going to assure the Word of His Father is everlasting. In fact, the only hope of a creation that withers and fades is the everlasting Word.
When an “economic downturn” throws millions out of work, their hope is not in the government’s plans for economic recovery. Or hadn’t you noticed that all kinds of government-type experts have been announcing the end of the economic slide while the millions still have no jobs? When a tornado flattens a town in the Midwest, their hope is not in the Weather Channel’s forecast of clearer skies to come. Or hadn’t you noticed that even the most silver of linings is inevitably followed again sooner or later by dark and destructive clouds? When death claims a family member our hope is not in this life. Or hadn’t you noticed that all who are born into this life one day die? The best of economic policies will always leave some out of work (The poor will always be with us; see Matthew 26.11). Accurate forecasts can only warn of storms, they never prevent them. (Hail and destructive winds, and overflowing floods cannot be turned back; see Isaiah 28.2). Death claims all who draw breath, as Man returns whence he came (Those formed of the dust of the earth return to the dust of the earth; see Genesis 3.19). It is enough to make a preacher despair (See Ecclesiastes 1.)
But all is not in vain as long as the Word lasts, and the Word is everlasting. From eternity past, through this present world, unto eternity future, all things have their beginning in Jesus, the Alpha; and the end of all things (As in their purpose and destiny) is in none other than Jesus, the Omega. (See Revelation 1. 8, 18) Our help in ages past, Jesus everlasts; He is our only hope for all the years to come:
“From everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same.”
--Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past
To people who are perishing, living in a world that will itself one day pass away, the Father has sent the Son, that his everlasting Word should be our hope. Though the world thought the cross and the grave had made an end of Him, the everlasting Word rose in glory and in victory, bringing everlasting hope to the world. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Jesus Starred
What Did Jesus Do?
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3.29
No, the above does not refer to the Lord having “top billing” in the Bible, nor to His place as the principle character around whom the entire biblical narrative is built. Rather, the Son was the one who delivered on the Father's promise to Abraham, that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. (See Genesis 15.5) The host of Abraham's offspring might not twinkle in the night sky, but they nonetheless shine, as we would expect “children of light” to do. (See Ephesians 5.8)
Of course, Jesus does have top billing in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Greek. Israel's Messiah is the Gentile's Christ, and though there are many fine “actors” who have a part in the Bible, there simply would not be a Bible, nor anything else for that matter, without Jesus; His name is rightly above all other names. (See Philippians 2.9) Jesus starred.
Were it not for Jesus the Bible would be merely an anthology of religious writings, an admirable literary collection, worthy of study along with the works of, say, Shakespeare. It is the Lord who makes the Bible the “Holy Bible,” the Word of God, the repository of all Truth, and the sacred history of God's redemptive plan for a fallen humanity. Jesus starred.
But for today I want us to consider what Paul wrote to the Galatians about the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. Abraham was “as good as dead,” and the womb of his aged wife Sarah was as barren as the desert (See Romans 4.19); the opportunity to have even one son was gone, making the promise of offspring as numerous as the stars and the sand of the seashore (See Genesis 22.17), seem unlikely to ever be fulfilled. Yet, Abraham believed, which the LORD accounted to the patriarch as righteousness. And so it was that a righteous seed (singular) would descend from Abraham, so that the promise of seed (plural) too numerous to count would be fulfilled. Jesus starred.
When Jesus told His followers they were the light of the world (See Matthew 5.14) they didn't realize that the Lord was making them “stars,” shining children of Abraham, who, by faith, would illuminate a world lost in darkness without the light of Jesus Christ. Well, it is not as if it was the first time Jesus starred. After all, who do you think it was who created the myriad of lights in the night sky that Abraham stared up at as he wondered how it could ever be that his descendants should ever be so numerous.
Here's the thing, stars are still being made, and I am not speaking of Hollywood or American Idol. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, births children of Abraham every day. Carl Sagan declared in Cosmos that we are all “star stuff,” meaning that there is one chemistry, and one set of elements, from which all tings in creation are made. Sadly for Sagan, he refused to believe that, more than “star stuff,” we can be “stars”; children of light who are offspring of Abraham, and who reflect the light of the Father by virtue of their faith in the Son. Shining the Light of God's glory and grace, his majesty and mercy, his word and will, upon those who otherwise live in darkness, can transform lost sinners into stars. That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3.29
No, the above does not refer to the Lord having “top billing” in the Bible, nor to His place as the principle character around whom the entire biblical narrative is built. Rather, the Son was the one who delivered on the Father's promise to Abraham, that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. (See Genesis 15.5) The host of Abraham's offspring might not twinkle in the night sky, but they nonetheless shine, as we would expect “children of light” to do. (See Ephesians 5.8)
Of course, Jesus does have top billing in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Greek. Israel's Messiah is the Gentile's Christ, and though there are many fine “actors” who have a part in the Bible, there simply would not be a Bible, nor anything else for that matter, without Jesus; His name is rightly above all other names. (See Philippians 2.9) Jesus starred.
Were it not for Jesus the Bible would be merely an anthology of religious writings, an admirable literary collection, worthy of study along with the works of, say, Shakespeare. It is the Lord who makes the Bible the “Holy Bible,” the Word of God, the repository of all Truth, and the sacred history of God's redemptive plan for a fallen humanity. Jesus starred.
But for today I want us to consider what Paul wrote to the Galatians about the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. Abraham was “as good as dead,” and the womb of his aged wife Sarah was as barren as the desert (See Romans 4.19); the opportunity to have even one son was gone, making the promise of offspring as numerous as the stars and the sand of the seashore (See Genesis 22.17), seem unlikely to ever be fulfilled. Yet, Abraham believed, which the LORD accounted to the patriarch as righteousness. And so it was that a righteous seed (singular) would descend from Abraham, so that the promise of seed (plural) too numerous to count would be fulfilled. Jesus starred.
When Jesus told His followers they were the light of the world (See Matthew 5.14) they didn't realize that the Lord was making them “stars,” shining children of Abraham, who, by faith, would illuminate a world lost in darkness without the light of Jesus Christ. Well, it is not as if it was the first time Jesus starred. After all, who do you think it was who created the myriad of lights in the night sky that Abraham stared up at as he wondered how it could ever be that his descendants should ever be so numerous.
Here's the thing, stars are still being made, and I am not speaking of Hollywood or American Idol. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, births children of Abraham every day. Carl Sagan declared in Cosmos that we are all “star stuff,” meaning that there is one chemistry, and one set of elements, from which all tings in creation are made. Sadly for Sagan, he refused to believe that, more than “star stuff,” we can be “stars”; children of light who are offspring of Abraham, and who reflect the light of the Father by virtue of their faith in the Son. Shining the Light of God's glory and grace, his majesty and mercy, his word and will, upon those who otherwise live in darkness, can transform lost sinners into stars. That's what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Jesus Perceived
What Did Jesus Do?
But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them,
“Why put me to the test?”
Mark 12.15
Because I used to rise at five a.m. and shower, shave, dress, and eat breakfast without turning on any lights, my wife used to joke that I could see in the dark like a cat. Actually, I don’t even see very well in the daylight anymore, much less in the dark! But, at least in the familiar surroundings of our home, I am able to perceive, without actually seeing, where things stand. Jesus perceived where people stood. When it came to faith, hypocrisy, the thoughts of the mind, and the feelings of the heart, Jesus perceives with 20/20 “vision.”
Jesus saw right through the group of Pharisees and Herodians, who tried to slyly trap Him with a question they thought He could not answer without their being able to use it as evidence that He was either an anti-Roman insurrectionist or a traitor to the LORD. His answer shut them down so completely that the Sadducees had to take the next crack at Jesus. A question about the arcane laws of Levirate marriage, arising from the Sadducees belief that there is no afterlife, permitted Jesus to show that He perceived both their lack of knowledge of the Scriptures, and their lack of belief in the power of God. (Mark 12.18-27)
Lest we think that His insight was limited to the hearts and minds of His adversaries, it is important for us to note that Jesus “knew all people” and “what was in man.” (John 2.24-25) The Lord’s perceptive power is no less today than it was in the days when He walked this world during the Incarnation. Our every act He sees; but He also perceives our every intention, motive, and thought. He thoroughly “searches and knows” each one of us, “discerning our thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139.1-2) Not even the deepest darkness, physical, or in the recesses of our heart, can turn away His searching gaze, for darkness is as light to Him. (PS 139.12)
Understanding this, we have two choices, we can follow the example of the Pharisees and Herodians and the Sadducees, and try to conceal from the Father and Son what is in our heart and mind; or we can, like the Psalmist, openly invite God to both search and try us, to expose any and all evil in us, that He might then lead us in the one everlasting way. (Psalm 139.23-24)
Jesus’ perception cautioned Him to not trust himself to man, even those who believed in His name. (John 2.24) The critical question is, are we perceptive enough to not just believe in His name, but to put our trust completely in Him? Even if we struggle with that question, and the mastering of our own heart and mind, Jesus perceives the truth about us which the Father has ordained from before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1.3-10) Only the Son, who truly perceives the Father’s will , who knows us, better than we know ourselves was willing to die for us. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministrie.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them,
“Why put me to the test?”
Mark 12.15
Because I used to rise at five a.m. and shower, shave, dress, and eat breakfast without turning on any lights, my wife used to joke that I could see in the dark like a cat. Actually, I don’t even see very well in the daylight anymore, much less in the dark! But, at least in the familiar surroundings of our home, I am able to perceive, without actually seeing, where things stand. Jesus perceived where people stood. When it came to faith, hypocrisy, the thoughts of the mind, and the feelings of the heart, Jesus perceives with 20/20 “vision.”
Jesus saw right through the group of Pharisees and Herodians, who tried to slyly trap Him with a question they thought He could not answer without their being able to use it as evidence that He was either an anti-Roman insurrectionist or a traitor to the LORD. His answer shut them down so completely that the Sadducees had to take the next crack at Jesus. A question about the arcane laws of Levirate marriage, arising from the Sadducees belief that there is no afterlife, permitted Jesus to show that He perceived both their lack of knowledge of the Scriptures, and their lack of belief in the power of God. (Mark 12.18-27)
Lest we think that His insight was limited to the hearts and minds of His adversaries, it is important for us to note that Jesus “knew all people” and “what was in man.” (John 2.24-25) The Lord’s perceptive power is no less today than it was in the days when He walked this world during the Incarnation. Our every act He sees; but He also perceives our every intention, motive, and thought. He thoroughly “searches and knows” each one of us, “discerning our thoughts from afar.” (Psalm 139.1-2) Not even the deepest darkness, physical, or in the recesses of our heart, can turn away His searching gaze, for darkness is as light to Him. (PS 139.12)
Understanding this, we have two choices, we can follow the example of the Pharisees and Herodians and the Sadducees, and try to conceal from the Father and Son what is in our heart and mind; or we can, like the Psalmist, openly invite God to both search and try us, to expose any and all evil in us, that He might then lead us in the one everlasting way. (Psalm 139.23-24)
Jesus’ perception cautioned Him to not trust himself to man, even those who believed in His name. (John 2.24) The critical question is, are we perceptive enough to not just believe in His name, but to put our trust completely in Him? Even if we struggle with that question, and the mastering of our own heart and mind, Jesus perceives the truth about us which the Father has ordained from before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1.3-10) Only the Son, who truly perceives the Father’s will , who knows us, better than we know ourselves was willing to die for us. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministrie.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Jesus Survived
What Did Jesus Do?
Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forth day…
he ate nothing during those days.
Luke 4.1-2
I have never watched any of the Survivor series that keep recurring on television, all I know of them is what I have seen on the promos. As best I can understand it, a group of men and women survivor wannabes are dropped off in some exotic, sometimes quite desolate, but always challenging location with the goal of determining who will be the last man (or woman) standing. Then they proceed to vote each other out of the wilderness. If you are a Survivor fan please forgive me, but I just don’t get what is so fascinating about the whole premise. If you want to marvel at some real survival skills, take a look at Jesus.
Granted, the Holy Spirit was with Him, but then those Survivor contestants have all those cameramen and the production crews around them. And there were angels ministering to Jesus. (Mark 1.13) But Jesus had to face something more daunting in the wilderness than the T.V. contestants ever do. Oh, for sure they have to deal with snakes and scorpions and the like, but Jesus had wild animals to contend with as well. (Mark 1.13) Still, none of the modern day Survivors, to my knowledge, has had to endure a one-on-one confrontation with Satan.
The truth is, from what I have heard about it, the television program reveals that all the contestants give in rather quickly to the temptation to be rid of rivals and eliminate losers from among the group. On Survivor it’s “dog eat dog.” When Jesus was tempted the only one who faced “elimination” was the Lord himself, and it wasn’t so much a matter of Him besting Satan; that truly would have been no contest—Jesus had to master himself.
First, Jesus had to prove his hunger would not get the better of Him. Though He had to have been insanely hungry, the temptation of bread made from stones He refused, conquering His physical hunger by “surviving” on the spiritual food of every word of His Father. (Matthew 4.4)
Next, Jesus showed, unlike the driven Survivor participants, that He worshiped and served not His own interests or that of anyone but one master, the Lord God, His Father. Though all the world was in effect laid at His feet, Jesus passed up the opportunity for glory and power. (Luke 4.5-8) The one thing that makes Survivor work is the desire of each candidate for fame and money, two masters among who knows how many, that they desperately serve.
Finally, Jesus refused to show off how much His Father loved Him by throwing himself off the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. (Luke 4.9-12) Not so much as His heel would have been bruised, but God is not to be tested; and besides that, Jesus had nothing to prove to the devil. Survivor is nothing but showing off and proving yourself, and, if you will, putting God to the test continually by willingly undergoing one risky scenario after another.
I am not saying that everyone should stop watching Survivor; but we would all do well to spend more time with Jesus, taking a close look at all He did and said. Jesus mastered temptation, endured a brutal trial, suffered the cruel cross, experienced death itself, and He rose from the grave; and all to glorify the Father and save us. So much more than a mere survivor, Jesus alone is our Redeemer! That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forth day…
he ate nothing during those days.
Luke 4.1-2
I have never watched any of the Survivor series that keep recurring on television, all I know of them is what I have seen on the promos. As best I can understand it, a group of men and women survivor wannabes are dropped off in some exotic, sometimes quite desolate, but always challenging location with the goal of determining who will be the last man (or woman) standing. Then they proceed to vote each other out of the wilderness. If you are a Survivor fan please forgive me, but I just don’t get what is so fascinating about the whole premise. If you want to marvel at some real survival skills, take a look at Jesus.
Granted, the Holy Spirit was with Him, but then those Survivor contestants have all those cameramen and the production crews around them. And there were angels ministering to Jesus. (Mark 1.13) But Jesus had to face something more daunting in the wilderness than the T.V. contestants ever do. Oh, for sure they have to deal with snakes and scorpions and the like, but Jesus had wild animals to contend with as well. (Mark 1.13) Still, none of the modern day Survivors, to my knowledge, has had to endure a one-on-one confrontation with Satan.
The truth is, from what I have heard about it, the television program reveals that all the contestants give in rather quickly to the temptation to be rid of rivals and eliminate losers from among the group. On Survivor it’s “dog eat dog.” When Jesus was tempted the only one who faced “elimination” was the Lord himself, and it wasn’t so much a matter of Him besting Satan; that truly would have been no contest—Jesus had to master himself.
First, Jesus had to prove his hunger would not get the better of Him. Though He had to have been insanely hungry, the temptation of bread made from stones He refused, conquering His physical hunger by “surviving” on the spiritual food of every word of His Father. (Matthew 4.4)
Next, Jesus showed, unlike the driven Survivor participants, that He worshiped and served not His own interests or that of anyone but one master, the Lord God, His Father. Though all the world was in effect laid at His feet, Jesus passed up the opportunity for glory and power. (Luke 4.5-8) The one thing that makes Survivor work is the desire of each candidate for fame and money, two masters among who knows how many, that they desperately serve.
Finally, Jesus refused to show off how much His Father loved Him by throwing himself off the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. (Luke 4.9-12) Not so much as His heel would have been bruised, but God is not to be tested; and besides that, Jesus had nothing to prove to the devil. Survivor is nothing but showing off and proving yourself, and, if you will, putting God to the test continually by willingly undergoing one risky scenario after another.
I am not saying that everyone should stop watching Survivor; but we would all do well to spend more time with Jesus, taking a close look at all He did and said. Jesus mastered temptation, endured a brutal trial, suffered the cruel cross, experienced death itself, and He rose from the grave; and all to glorify the Father and save us. So much more than a mere survivor, Jesus alone is our Redeemer! That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Friday, June 11, 2010
Hypocraticus.6
hypocrisy--Condemning someone's "joyful noise" unto the Lord while sitting in glum silence because you are sure God doesn't want "contemporary" and "worship" used in the same sentence.
-Hypocraticus
-Hypocraticus
Jesus Kept
What Did Jesus Do?
He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion
Mark 4.38a
I doubt if any of have never had, for one reason or another, a sleepless night. Though our bodies, and minds, and souls as well (See Matthew 11.29), definitely need rest, there are times when rest is hard to come by. Anxious parents spend a night waiting for a son or daughter to come home from a date that has gone way past curfew. Students pull “all-nighters” cramming for exams. Doctors and nurses maintain bedside vigils with critically ill patients. Truckers run all night on coffee to get their loads delivered on time. Jesus had his sleepless nights too: consider his night of travailing in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. But, like the rest of us, Jesus also slept, for His body, mind, and soul required refreshment and rest just as ours do. A Jesus who was not fully human would not have needed to sleep.
But God has no need to take naps, much less turn in for the night. Indeed, the LORD “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121.4), but is ever wakeful, ever watchful, keeping (guarding, protecting) the lives of those he loves 24/7. Baal might have been slumbering when his priests desperately sought to call down fire to consume the sacrifice (1Kings 18.27), but the LORD who kept Israel answered Elijah, as no false idol such as Baal ever could.
Now, when Jesus, quite fatigued from the work of His ministry to the crowds, fell sound asleep in the stern of the small fishing boat He and the disciples were using to cross Galilee, it was amply evident He was giving in to the necessities of mortal flesh. The disciples were incredulous; they could not understand how someone could lie asleep in the midst of a storm that threatened mortal peril. (Mark 4.38b) Jesus to them was still “Teacher”; the many works they had witnessed had still not convinced them that He was more than a man. But no mere mortal man could command wind and wave with a word, and calm a storm in an instant.
Again, they could only wonder, just who was this who a moment before had been soundly asleep, and now caused the tempest to obey Him? (Mark 4.41) Clearly, He was a man, as human as they; but, just a clearly, He had to be more than fully human. Could it be that He was also fully divine? Could it be that he who slept in the stern of the boat, was He who kept Israel? This was more than the poor disciples could yet grasp with their minds, their faith had not caught up with all that they had seen and heard.
Many still question, “Who is Jesus?” Was He a man? Was He God? Could He have been both man and God? The brief passage in Mark 4 supplies the evidence that, as orthodox Christianity has affirmed against all challenges and heresies for two millennia, Jesus is fully human and fully divine. No one less than fully human could have atoned for humanity’s sins. No one less than fully divine could have risen from the grave.
Jesus, sleeping or waking, kept His disciples; just as the LORD kept Israel night and day. Waking or sleeping, we abide still in the care of the Son, who, just as the Father does, keeps us now and forevermore. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion
Mark 4.38a
I doubt if any of have never had, for one reason or another, a sleepless night. Though our bodies, and minds, and souls as well (See Matthew 11.29), definitely need rest, there are times when rest is hard to come by. Anxious parents spend a night waiting for a son or daughter to come home from a date that has gone way past curfew. Students pull “all-nighters” cramming for exams. Doctors and nurses maintain bedside vigils with critically ill patients. Truckers run all night on coffee to get their loads delivered on time. Jesus had his sleepless nights too: consider his night of travailing in prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. But, like the rest of us, Jesus also slept, for His body, mind, and soul required refreshment and rest just as ours do. A Jesus who was not fully human would not have needed to sleep.
But God has no need to take naps, much less turn in for the night. Indeed, the LORD “neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121.4), but is ever wakeful, ever watchful, keeping (guarding, protecting) the lives of those he loves 24/7. Baal might have been slumbering when his priests desperately sought to call down fire to consume the sacrifice (1Kings 18.27), but the LORD who kept Israel answered Elijah, as no false idol such as Baal ever could.
Now, when Jesus, quite fatigued from the work of His ministry to the crowds, fell sound asleep in the stern of the small fishing boat He and the disciples were using to cross Galilee, it was amply evident He was giving in to the necessities of mortal flesh. The disciples were incredulous; they could not understand how someone could lie asleep in the midst of a storm that threatened mortal peril. (Mark 4.38b) Jesus to them was still “Teacher”; the many works they had witnessed had still not convinced them that He was more than a man. But no mere mortal man could command wind and wave with a word, and calm a storm in an instant.
Again, they could only wonder, just who was this who a moment before had been soundly asleep, and now caused the tempest to obey Him? (Mark 4.41) Clearly, He was a man, as human as they; but, just a clearly, He had to be more than fully human. Could it be that He was also fully divine? Could it be that he who slept in the stern of the boat, was He who kept Israel? This was more than the poor disciples could yet grasp with their minds, their faith had not caught up with all that they had seen and heard.
Many still question, “Who is Jesus?” Was He a man? Was He God? Could He have been both man and God? The brief passage in Mark 4 supplies the evidence that, as orthodox Christianity has affirmed against all challenges and heresies for two millennia, Jesus is fully human and fully divine. No one less than fully human could have atoned for humanity’s sins. No one less than fully divine could have risen from the grave.
Jesus, sleeping or waking, kept His disciples; just as the LORD kept Israel night and day. Waking or sleeping, we abide still in the care of the Son, who, just as the Father does, keeps us now and forevermore. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Hypocraticus.5
Hypocrisy--Saying, "This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you" when your intention really is to hurt rather than to heal.
-Hypocraticus.5
-Hypocraticus.5
Jesus Testified
What Did Jesus Do?
The world hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
John 7.7
Why is it that most of us find it so easy to hurt the ones we love, but so hard to love the ones who hurt us? If that observation stings you as it does me, then you and I can both affirm that the truth does indeed hurt, and that’s not a bad thing, if, being hurt by it, we nevertheless love the truth; for it is the Father’s will that only the painful truth can truly heal us.
Now the world, well, it does not care all that much for the truth, especially about itself. Go around telling truths about the world (Its ethics and its mores, its people, its politics, its values), and you will quickly earn its enmity. Why? Because the truth about the world is, not to put too fine a point on it, that it is driven by evil. Whoa! If those aren’t fighting words, I don’t know what would be! The world runs on evil? That hurts! How dare anyone say such a thing? Well, Jesus dared because testifying to the truth about the world, and about each one of us, was the reason He came into the world (John 18.37). Since He was, and is, THE Truth, Christ’s entire life was, and is, a painful, convicting, and, thanks be to God, redeeming testimony.
For doing nothing but good deeds, and testifying to nothing but the truth, so help us God, Jesus was punished with the punishment that all of us deserve. His good deeds could not go unpunished in order that we, for all our evil deeds, could. And the only way to bring about the divine act of grace and mercy was by Christ’s unflinching testimony to the truth about the world.
It wasn’t because the Father was seeking a quarrel with the world that he sent his Son, it was because he loved the world so much that the Father sent the Son to testify (John 3.16). For the only hope for the world, and for you and me, is to hear and believe the absolute, if absolutely painful, truth of Christ’s testimony.
Now, before I advise any of us to start going around pointing out the world’s evil, I need to state two qualifications that must be met: (1) we first confess, apologize for, and repent of the all evil we personally have done, and (2) we love the world and everyone in it enough to let the world and everyone in it hate us for telling the truth, and we keep on loving it though it hates us, hurts us, even kills us. Jesus didn’t have to meet the first qualification, because He alone out of all humanity was without sin (Hebrews 4.15); and He alone out of all humanity satisfied the second qualification (See Luke 23.34 for the proof). The rest of us must accept that our testimony is impugned by our very sin nature, so that our only avenue of testifying is to proclaim nothing more, nor less, than Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, as Savior and Lord.
Even so, testifying about the truth is risky business. The world still hates to hear the truth about itself, though it needs nothing so desperately as to have someone testify to the truth. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
The world hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.
John 7.7
Why is it that most of us find it so easy to hurt the ones we love, but so hard to love the ones who hurt us? If that observation stings you as it does me, then you and I can both affirm that the truth does indeed hurt, and that’s not a bad thing, if, being hurt by it, we nevertheless love the truth; for it is the Father’s will that only the painful truth can truly heal us.
Now the world, well, it does not care all that much for the truth, especially about itself. Go around telling truths about the world (Its ethics and its mores, its people, its politics, its values), and you will quickly earn its enmity. Why? Because the truth about the world is, not to put too fine a point on it, that it is driven by evil. Whoa! If those aren’t fighting words, I don’t know what would be! The world runs on evil? That hurts! How dare anyone say such a thing? Well, Jesus dared because testifying to the truth about the world, and about each one of us, was the reason He came into the world (John 18.37). Since He was, and is, THE Truth, Christ’s entire life was, and is, a painful, convicting, and, thanks be to God, redeeming testimony.
For doing nothing but good deeds, and testifying to nothing but the truth, so help us God, Jesus was punished with the punishment that all of us deserve. His good deeds could not go unpunished in order that we, for all our evil deeds, could. And the only way to bring about the divine act of grace and mercy was by Christ’s unflinching testimony to the truth about the world.
It wasn’t because the Father was seeking a quarrel with the world that he sent his Son, it was because he loved the world so much that the Father sent the Son to testify (John 3.16). For the only hope for the world, and for you and me, is to hear and believe the absolute, if absolutely painful, truth of Christ’s testimony.
Now, before I advise any of us to start going around pointing out the world’s evil, I need to state two qualifications that must be met: (1) we first confess, apologize for, and repent of the all evil we personally have done, and (2) we love the world and everyone in it enough to let the world and everyone in it hate us for telling the truth, and we keep on loving it though it hates us, hurts us, even kills us. Jesus didn’t have to meet the first qualification, because He alone out of all humanity was without sin (Hebrews 4.15); and He alone out of all humanity satisfied the second qualification (See Luke 23.34 for the proof). The rest of us must accept that our testimony is impugned by our very sin nature, so that our only avenue of testifying is to proclaim nothing more, nor less, than Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, as Savior and Lord.
Even so, testifying about the truth is risky business. The world still hates to hear the truth about itself, though it needs nothing so desperately as to have someone testify to the truth. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Jesus Filled
What Did Jesus Do?
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10.10b
There are few things more tragic than a suicide note stating that the victim killed himself because there was no more reason to live. It is hard to imagine how someone can believe life is so devoid of meaning, so purposeless, that she would end it. Jesus looked upon the crowds with compassion because they were as sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9.36), but no sheep ever threw itself into the jaws of a wolf because life had lost its meaning; sheep may be notable for their ability to get themselves lost, but only man can be so lost as to lose his life at his own hand. That’s why Jesus came to be our Shepherd.
Few of us have never had at least one or two moments of doubt and questioning about our life’s meaning and purpose. And I am pretty sure that more than a handful of us have despaired that our life was so empty at one point or another, that we asked ourselves if there was any sense in it continuing. The sad truth is, as fallen sinners in a fallen world, our search for a reason to live can come up empty. But not once we have heard the Shepherd’s voice calling us, and calling us by name! Jesus, the Good Shepherd, brings life, life full and overflowing with meaning and purpose, to all His sheep. Any and all others who might claim to be “good” shepherds are ultimately proved false, their ultimate purpose only to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10.10a). Ever hear of a Christian suicide bomber? We never will, because bringing and blessing life, filling up lost sheep, was the mission of our Lord, and it is at the center of our faith.
Jesus, our “All in all” picks us up when life lets us down; He fills us with living water whenever life seems most desolate and parched. Our jobs may be unrewarding; our hobbies may grow boring; even our families can disappoint us, and our friends desert us. But Jesus promises never to leave or forsake any of His sheep (Hebrews 13.5); He is always there to fill us up when life and the world seem empty.
Some are frustrated with their work; others are tormented by their inability to find a job. Some are desperately lonely; others have family and friends who cause them much despair. Some are constrained by illness, injury, or disability; others abuse or neglect their bodies. Some are miserably poor; others are wealthy and miserable. All of us, regardless of our condition or station, come up empty sooner or later, and need our life to be filled up with that which is enduring, meaningful, and true. Thankfully, Jesus filled and Jesus fills life with meaning. What is this life so abundant that it is eternal? To know the true God, and Jesus Christ whom he sent. (John 17.3)
As for us, we sheep who have been filled are commissioned to go to lost and empty sheep and share with them the One who fills us. When you have abundant life there is plenty to give to others; and it all comes from Him who gave His life for us. Divinely, life is more abundant the more we give it to others. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
John 10.10b
There are few things more tragic than a suicide note stating that the victim killed himself because there was no more reason to live. It is hard to imagine how someone can believe life is so devoid of meaning, so purposeless, that she would end it. Jesus looked upon the crowds with compassion because they were as sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9.36), but no sheep ever threw itself into the jaws of a wolf because life had lost its meaning; sheep may be notable for their ability to get themselves lost, but only man can be so lost as to lose his life at his own hand. That’s why Jesus came to be our Shepherd.
Few of us have never had at least one or two moments of doubt and questioning about our life’s meaning and purpose. And I am pretty sure that more than a handful of us have despaired that our life was so empty at one point or another, that we asked ourselves if there was any sense in it continuing. The sad truth is, as fallen sinners in a fallen world, our search for a reason to live can come up empty. But not once we have heard the Shepherd’s voice calling us, and calling us by name! Jesus, the Good Shepherd, brings life, life full and overflowing with meaning and purpose, to all His sheep. Any and all others who might claim to be “good” shepherds are ultimately proved false, their ultimate purpose only to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10.10a). Ever hear of a Christian suicide bomber? We never will, because bringing and blessing life, filling up lost sheep, was the mission of our Lord, and it is at the center of our faith.
Jesus, our “All in all” picks us up when life lets us down; He fills us with living water whenever life seems most desolate and parched. Our jobs may be unrewarding; our hobbies may grow boring; even our families can disappoint us, and our friends desert us. But Jesus promises never to leave or forsake any of His sheep (Hebrews 13.5); He is always there to fill us up when life and the world seem empty.
Some are frustrated with their work; others are tormented by their inability to find a job. Some are desperately lonely; others have family and friends who cause them much despair. Some are constrained by illness, injury, or disability; others abuse or neglect their bodies. Some are miserably poor; others are wealthy and miserable. All of us, regardless of our condition or station, come up empty sooner or later, and need our life to be filled up with that which is enduring, meaningful, and true. Thankfully, Jesus filled and Jesus fills life with meaning. What is this life so abundant that it is eternal? To know the true God, and Jesus Christ whom he sent. (John 17.3)
As for us, we sheep who have been filled are commissioned to go to lost and empty sheep and share with them the One who fills us. When you have abundant life there is plenty to give to others; and it all comes from Him who gave His life for us. Divinely, life is more abundant the more we give it to others. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Hypocraticus.3
Hypocrisy--Denying the visual impairment caused by the redwood sized lumber in your eye, while loudly denouncing the sliver in your neighbor's eye. You have to see yourself clearly before you can take a good look at anyone else.
--Hypocraticus.3
--Hypocraticus.3
Jesus Relaxed
What Did Jesus Do?
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…
Is not the body more than clothing?
Matthew 6.25
Have you ever fretted about what to wear? Come on, you know you have. From what to wear on a first date, to what to wear for a job interview, to what to put on for church Sunday morning, most of us have stressed out sometime or another about our clothing. Jesus didn’t. And He advised us not to. From what I can tell from the Gospels, Jesus was pretty relaxed about such things as wardrobes and menus.
This is not to say that the Lord intended in the least to be disrespectful, especially towards His Father. But having such an intimate, personal relationship with the Father, Jesus approached him not only with respect, but with an ease and familiarity produced by love.
And, as far as high priests go, Jesus was definitely not into vestments or baubles of office. As a man, and a Jew, Jesus likely prayed with His head covered. But as Son He prayed to Abba, “Daddy,” and in encouraging us to approach God in like manner, the Lord wanted us to know our Creator as family. And if you can’t relax with family, who can you relax with?
Don’t get me wrong, Jesus hardly suggested that the laws and protocols God had established be altered. (Matthew 5.17-18) But God had never intended his laws to be fetters that constricted life, but rather the fabric of a free life lived in loving relationship to the Father and with our neighbors. And so, to a people who had been all but bound up by the laws imposed by their religious leaders, Jesus said, in effect, “Relaxed doesn’t mean irreverent. Look to your Father and his Kingdom, and he will supply just what you need, righteousness and salvation most of all, but clothes to wear, as well; fancy or plain, it doesn’t matter to him, so don’t let it matter to you so much.”
Here’s a radical thought, next time you are getting dressed for church, why not put on something you would wear when you go home for a visit with your folks? Your Father wants to see you, not judge the style of your outfit. But when you get to church, be sure to greet everyone as your brother and sister, and let your Father know how much you love him. And relax! That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…
Is not the body more than clothing?
Matthew 6.25
Have you ever fretted about what to wear? Come on, you know you have. From what to wear on a first date, to what to wear for a job interview, to what to put on for church Sunday morning, most of us have stressed out sometime or another about our clothing. Jesus didn’t. And He advised us not to. From what I can tell from the Gospels, Jesus was pretty relaxed about such things as wardrobes and menus.
This is not to say that the Lord intended in the least to be disrespectful, especially towards His Father. But having such an intimate, personal relationship with the Father, Jesus approached him not only with respect, but with an ease and familiarity produced by love.
And, as far as high priests go, Jesus was definitely not into vestments or baubles of office. As a man, and a Jew, Jesus likely prayed with His head covered. But as Son He prayed to Abba, “Daddy,” and in encouraging us to approach God in like manner, the Lord wanted us to know our Creator as family. And if you can’t relax with family, who can you relax with?
Don’t get me wrong, Jesus hardly suggested that the laws and protocols God had established be altered. (Matthew 5.17-18) But God had never intended his laws to be fetters that constricted life, but rather the fabric of a free life lived in loving relationship to the Father and with our neighbors. And so, to a people who had been all but bound up by the laws imposed by their religious leaders, Jesus said, in effect, “Relaxed doesn’t mean irreverent. Look to your Father and his Kingdom, and he will supply just what you need, righteousness and salvation most of all, but clothes to wear, as well; fancy or plain, it doesn’t matter to him, so don’t let it matter to you so much.”
Here’s a radical thought, next time you are getting dressed for church, why not put on something you would wear when you go home for a visit with your folks? Your Father wants to see you, not judge the style of your outfit. But when you get to church, be sure to greet everyone as your brother and sister, and let your Father know how much you love him. And relax! That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Monday, June 7, 2010
Hypocraticus.2
Hypocrisy--Preaching that God does not care about our raiment, then sitting in a pew wearing a suit and bow tie (Hand tied, never clip-on!), and fussing about the pastor who leads worship dressed in chambray, dockers, and topsiders.
--Hypocraticus.2
--Hypocraticus.2
Hypocraticus.1
Hypocrisy--The internal and external tensions that result from our espousing one reality and living another.
-Hypocraticus.1
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
-Hypocraticus.1
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
"Hypocraticus"--a Nom de Plume
Reading a KD (Faithfully forwarded by my friend RRK) this morning, I was hit smack between the eyes by the pervasive, and quite unattractive, hypocrisies in my life. Contemplating this, which is an upgrade from my usual contemplations of my navel, it occurred to me that a little (Actually, more than a little.) confrontation of my personal hypocrisies, which, I am guessing might often turn out to be corporate or at least shared hypocrisies, is called for from someone who is so brassy as to write as much as I do.
By way of confession, I think it might be good if I occasionally (Meaning as often as the Spirit prompts me) jot down and launch into the ether, some observations/revelations on this issue of hypocrisy, which, if you check out what Jesus had to say about it, is a HUGE issue for any who aspire to spend eternity with Him and His Father.
But, so I can hide a little from having my personal hypocrisies completely outed, I will write under the Nom de Plume of "Hypocraticus."
If you, who are on the dE-votions list, would rather not receive the occasional reflection of Hypocraticus, just let me know. Otherwise they will show up in your Inbox, as well as appear in my blog, and on my Facebook page.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
By way of confession, I think it might be good if I occasionally (Meaning as often as the Spirit prompts me) jot down and launch into the ether, some observations/revelations on this issue of hypocrisy, which, if you check out what Jesus had to say about it, is a HUGE issue for any who aspire to spend eternity with Him and His Father.
But, so I can hide a little from having my personal hypocrisies completely outed, I will write under the Nom de Plume of "Hypocraticus."
If you, who are on the dE-votions list, would rather not receive the occasional reflection of Hypocraticus, just let me know. Otherwise they will show up in your Inbox, as well as appear in my blog, and on my Facebook page.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
The Mortality of My Flesh
My first really serious encounter with my mortality came in the summer of 1980 when, biting into a delicious deli-sandwich at a conference in NJ I suddenly found myself chewing in something too hard to swallow and digest. Upon expelling and examining the object I discovered it was a part of one of my teeth, which was replace a few days later by my first crown (Yes, I have have a couple more over the last 30 years.).
Well, it was at that moment, staring at the little broken piece of enamel in my hand, that I realized that this body of mine wasn't going to last forever. Kind of sobering. All of 27 and I had lost a piece of my original equipment and had a replacement part installed. As I said, I've had a couple of other parts replaced, as in the other crowns in my mouth. I have also had failing parts propped up by pills, eyeglasses (Progressing from single lens, to bifocal, to tri-focal, to progressive), and various wraps and supports for joints. Three years ago I even gave away one of my more important parts, gladly surrendering one of my kidneys for our son Dan to use (I would encourage any of you to do the same, should the opportunity offer. I can't say that I miss the kidney, and hey, removing major organs is an easy way to lose a little weight.).
Back to the summer of 1980. Confronted with the irrefutable evidence of my mortality, I was a bit shaken. You see, I was still several years from embracing Him who died to guarantee me, not just immortality, for God has created us all immortal, but an unimaginably joyful, peaceful, and sweet eternity in His Father's house. Though I can hardly imagine what our spiritual bodies will be like, I know that none of their parts will ever break or wear out. That's good new for those who will be spending eternity with the Father and the Son; it's not so good news for those who will suffer forever in their spiritual bodies, cut off from Father and Son, and subjected to unspeakable torments.
I guess the point of this reflecting, and I am not sure what put it in mind today, is that sooner or later all of us come to the realization that, even if we don't lose a tooth, or have a part removed or replace, the days of our flesh in this beautiful world are numbered. What matters at that point is that we don't shrug our shoulders as if the end of our flesh means the end of us, and that we understand that one of two distinct eternities awaits us. Jesus has given us the way (As in, He is THE Way) to be 100% assured of a glorious eternity, and the sooner we have that assurance, the more we can both enjoy and make the most of the remaining days of our mortal flesh.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Well, it was at that moment, staring at the little broken piece of enamel in my hand, that I realized that this body of mine wasn't going to last forever. Kind of sobering. All of 27 and I had lost a piece of my original equipment and had a replacement part installed. As I said, I've had a couple of other parts replaced, as in the other crowns in my mouth. I have also had failing parts propped up by pills, eyeglasses (Progressing from single lens, to bifocal, to tri-focal, to progressive), and various wraps and supports for joints. Three years ago I even gave away one of my more important parts, gladly surrendering one of my kidneys for our son Dan to use (I would encourage any of you to do the same, should the opportunity offer. I can't say that I miss the kidney, and hey, removing major organs is an easy way to lose a little weight.).
Back to the summer of 1980. Confronted with the irrefutable evidence of my mortality, I was a bit shaken. You see, I was still several years from embracing Him who died to guarantee me, not just immortality, for God has created us all immortal, but an unimaginably joyful, peaceful, and sweet eternity in His Father's house. Though I can hardly imagine what our spiritual bodies will be like, I know that none of their parts will ever break or wear out. That's good new for those who will be spending eternity with the Father and the Son; it's not so good news for those who will suffer forever in their spiritual bodies, cut off from Father and Son, and subjected to unspeakable torments.
I guess the point of this reflecting, and I am not sure what put it in mind today, is that sooner or later all of us come to the realization that, even if we don't lose a tooth, or have a part removed or replace, the days of our flesh in this beautiful world are numbered. What matters at that point is that we don't shrug our shoulders as if the end of our flesh means the end of us, and that we understand that one of two distinct eternities awaits us. Jesus has given us the way (As in, He is THE Way) to be 100% assured of a glorious eternity, and the sooner we have that assurance, the more we can both enjoy and make the most of the remaining days of our mortal flesh.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Jesus Opened Prayer
What Did Jesus Do?
Pray then like this…
Matthew 6.9
Have you ever had an adventure in the kitchen? My wife can tell you that I have had more than a few. My adventures result from my tendency to look at recipes more as a jazz musician would rather than a classical one; instead of following them precisely I will often go off and improvise, substituting or adding ingredients of my own. I look at recipes as “open,” in that I feel free to alter them. It makes for some interesting, if not always delicious, results, like the time I dumped a tablespoon or so of ground cloves into some meatloaf. Dinner wasn’t so good that night, but the whole house had a not unpleasant pungency!
In his discourse on prayer in Matthew 6, part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus “opened” prayer, giving us an example, not a strict order or recipe. The ingredients of prayer, and how much of each of them, is not locked down, but opened up; prayer is not restricted to the words of Matthew 6.9-13. And a good thing too, since the other canonical version of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11.2-4 itself varies from Matthew.
Jesus did not say “pray this” or “pray these words only,” but instead “pray like this” or “pray in this manner.” It is somewhat amusing that the words Jesus intended to open and personalize prayer for us all have become the most rote prayer in the world. And don’t even think about reciting, which unfortunately prayer has devolved to for many, the Lord’s Prayer in anything but the words of the King James Version! (I will let you in on a little secret: I have never called to my wife from the living room and said, “O honey, which art in the kitchen.”)
Think of it this way, do you have the exact same conversation with everyone you speak with? Parents, do each of your children all say the same thing to you over and over again without the slightest variation? Then how likely do you think it is that our Father wants our conversation with him to be constrained to the 66 words in Matthew 6 (Which version includes the concluding doxology, (“For yours in the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen”), or the 39 words in Luke 11.
So, when it comes to our teaching others to pray, we can teach others to follow the example of the hypocrites, who recited godly words to impress others (Matthew 6.5), and the Gentiles, who burdened their gods with many and repeated high-sounding but empty phrases (Matthew 6.7), or we can look to Jesus, who opened prayer up to be: (1) addressed to the one loving Father of all, (2) personal, (3) spontaneous, (4) improvised, (5) short, and (6) humble and sincere.
Prayer can keep God aloof and remote, communication confined to cold formality, or empty repetition. Or we can show others that prayer can and should be the means to draw ever closer to the Father in intimate and loving relationship. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Pray then like this…
Matthew 6.9
Have you ever had an adventure in the kitchen? My wife can tell you that I have had more than a few. My adventures result from my tendency to look at recipes more as a jazz musician would rather than a classical one; instead of following them precisely I will often go off and improvise, substituting or adding ingredients of my own. I look at recipes as “open,” in that I feel free to alter them. It makes for some interesting, if not always delicious, results, like the time I dumped a tablespoon or so of ground cloves into some meatloaf. Dinner wasn’t so good that night, but the whole house had a not unpleasant pungency!
In his discourse on prayer in Matthew 6, part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus “opened” prayer, giving us an example, not a strict order or recipe. The ingredients of prayer, and how much of each of them, is not locked down, but opened up; prayer is not restricted to the words of Matthew 6.9-13. And a good thing too, since the other canonical version of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11.2-4 itself varies from Matthew.
Jesus did not say “pray this” or “pray these words only,” but instead “pray like this” or “pray in this manner.” It is somewhat amusing that the words Jesus intended to open and personalize prayer for us all have become the most rote prayer in the world. And don’t even think about reciting, which unfortunately prayer has devolved to for many, the Lord’s Prayer in anything but the words of the King James Version! (I will let you in on a little secret: I have never called to my wife from the living room and said, “O honey, which art in the kitchen.”)
Think of it this way, do you have the exact same conversation with everyone you speak with? Parents, do each of your children all say the same thing to you over and over again without the slightest variation? Then how likely do you think it is that our Father wants our conversation with him to be constrained to the 66 words in Matthew 6 (Which version includes the concluding doxology, (“For yours in the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen”), or the 39 words in Luke 11.
So, when it comes to our teaching others to pray, we can teach others to follow the example of the hypocrites, who recited godly words to impress others (Matthew 6.5), and the Gentiles, who burdened their gods with many and repeated high-sounding but empty phrases (Matthew 6.7), or we can look to Jesus, who opened prayer up to be: (1) addressed to the one loving Father of all, (2) personal, (3) spontaneous, (4) improvised, (5) short, and (6) humble and sincere.
Prayer can keep God aloof and remote, communication confined to cold formality, or empty repetition. Or we can show others that prayer can and should be the means to draw ever closer to the Father in intimate and loving relationship. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Jesus Pointed True
What did Jesus Do?
I am the way…No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14.6
I just got back from a week at Boy Scout Camp. There were no Scouts there yet, it was a week of getting ready for the 2,000 boys and young men who will be coming later this month and through July. There are lots of things to do at camp. On brutally hot summer days there’s no better place to be than the waterfront. And, if you want to make something nice to give to mom when you get back from camp, then you want to work on a project at the handicraft hut. For the adventurous there is the 40 foot climbing tower and the high ropes course. Perhaps not as much fun as some of these other activities in camp, but probably more important in some ways is the outdoor skills area, or what we used to call Scoutcraft. If a boy isn’t taught how to take care of himself in the outdoors he can get into all kinds of trouble.
Take knowing where you are going in the woods. If you don’t know the trails and the terrain you can get lost pretty easily, even in areas which are not all that remote. Get into some deep wilderness and you better have a guide, or at least a good compass that points the true way for you. One thing a leader would never give a Scout would be a faulty compass, one that didn’t point true. A compass that points anywhere but north is good for nothing but getting lost!
Now God, the Father, could be likened to a Scout leader who has a strong and abiding interest in the welfare of all his Scouts. Of course, God thinks of us as sons and daughters, but most good Scout leaders come to think of the young people in their troop as family of sorts, so the analogy isn’t so far off. Well, the Father wants nothing more than for his “Scouts” to be able to make it home to him. And he knows that, like the greenest tenderfoot Scout, we don’t have the knowledge, skills, or equipment to make our way home on our own. So the Father has given the world a compass.
Now, do you think the father would give out some compasses that point north, and others that point, oh south by southeast? Why, God would have us all heading off in all kinds of directions, with only the ones who were lucky enough to get the actual working compasses that pointed true, being able to get home. Well, the Father would not play false with any of his “Scouts.” God has not given out many different compasses, but One who could honestly say, “I am the way…No one come to the Father except through me.” In fact, Jesus is at one and the same time both the compass, and the trail, if you will. He not only shows us the way, He is the way; kind of map, compass, and trail all in one.
Some will like to argue that there are “many paths” too God. But, as any Scout can tell you, not all paths lead you home. And any compass that does not point true is worthless. When we encounter someone who is lost, do we tell them they can go in any direction they like and still get to where they need to go. or do we show them and tell them the truth, pointing the true way to the Father? That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
I am the way…No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14.6
I just got back from a week at Boy Scout Camp. There were no Scouts there yet, it was a week of getting ready for the 2,000 boys and young men who will be coming later this month and through July. There are lots of things to do at camp. On brutally hot summer days there’s no better place to be than the waterfront. And, if you want to make something nice to give to mom when you get back from camp, then you want to work on a project at the handicraft hut. For the adventurous there is the 40 foot climbing tower and the high ropes course. Perhaps not as much fun as some of these other activities in camp, but probably more important in some ways is the outdoor skills area, or what we used to call Scoutcraft. If a boy isn’t taught how to take care of himself in the outdoors he can get into all kinds of trouble.
Take knowing where you are going in the woods. If you don’t know the trails and the terrain you can get lost pretty easily, even in areas which are not all that remote. Get into some deep wilderness and you better have a guide, or at least a good compass that points the true way for you. One thing a leader would never give a Scout would be a faulty compass, one that didn’t point true. A compass that points anywhere but north is good for nothing but getting lost!
Now God, the Father, could be likened to a Scout leader who has a strong and abiding interest in the welfare of all his Scouts. Of course, God thinks of us as sons and daughters, but most good Scout leaders come to think of the young people in their troop as family of sorts, so the analogy isn’t so far off. Well, the Father wants nothing more than for his “Scouts” to be able to make it home to him. And he knows that, like the greenest tenderfoot Scout, we don’t have the knowledge, skills, or equipment to make our way home on our own. So the Father has given the world a compass.
Now, do you think the father would give out some compasses that point north, and others that point, oh south by southeast? Why, God would have us all heading off in all kinds of directions, with only the ones who were lucky enough to get the actual working compasses that pointed true, being able to get home. Well, the Father would not play false with any of his “Scouts.” God has not given out many different compasses, but One who could honestly say, “I am the way…No one come to the Father except through me.” In fact, Jesus is at one and the same time both the compass, and the trail, if you will. He not only shows us the way, He is the way; kind of map, compass, and trail all in one.
Some will like to argue that there are “many paths” too God. But, as any Scout can tell you, not all paths lead you home. And any compass that does not point true is worthless. When we encounter someone who is lost, do we tell them they can go in any direction they like and still get to where they need to go. or do we show them and tell them the truth, pointing the true way to the Father? That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Friday, June 4, 2010
Jesus Waited
What Did Jesus Do?
Allow both to grow until the harvest…
Matthew 13.30
Have you ever grabbed up a pile of what you thought was all junk mail, only to discover after you threw it all in the trash that you got rid of something of value? I have. Junk mail can be a pretty annoying nuisance, but sometimes a little more care, and taking time to carefully see what is junk and what is not can save you from making a sometimes costly mistake.
Jesus didn’t make mistakes. He was also patient, quite willing to wait for that which was to be cast away into the “incinerator” to reveal itself. Of course, in the parable about the wheat and the tares Jesus was talking about something much more important than grains and weeds, He was talking about souls.
And, though He had perfect insight into the heart and soul of people, none of us do. So it is a good idea for us to learn the lesson of this parable, and wait. Being too quick to condemn and cast away someone we judge to be a “tare” could mean we cast aside one whom Christ died to save.
Tares were sneaky. They looked an awful lot like wheat. It would be almost impossible to weed a field sown with darnel (a perennial grass thought to be the biblical tare) and with wheat without plucking out some of the good plants with the bad.
A lot of people consider themselves pretty good judges of others; they do not hesitate to comment on who is saved and who isn’t, who is a “good” Christian, and who is a “tare” who only resembles a Christian, but doing so they show more “tareness” (As in tearing down and tearing apart) than “wheatness” (As in “wheatnessing” for the Lord, if you’ll pardon the pun).
Jesus knew there would come a day, the day of the great harvest of souls, when the mature “wheat” and the mature “tares” will be easily identified and separate. There will be good grain (Or fruit, if you prefer) produced by the one, and nothing but barrenness from the other. So the Lord was quite content for all to be revealed in time, and counseled for us to do the same. This means that the “tares” will receive the same care and consideration as the “wheat,” and who knows, there may be more wheat than we would have imagined. For the truth is, without Jesus we’re all tares, worthy of nothing more than being thrown into the fire. But by the grace of God, Christ died and rose again, that many “tares” should become “wheat.”
So next time you are ready to yank some “tares” out of your congregation, or to throw away a relationship with someone who you are sure is a tare, wait, they may yet become wheat of the Lord’s harvest. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Allow both to grow until the harvest…
Matthew 13.30
Have you ever grabbed up a pile of what you thought was all junk mail, only to discover after you threw it all in the trash that you got rid of something of value? I have. Junk mail can be a pretty annoying nuisance, but sometimes a little more care, and taking time to carefully see what is junk and what is not can save you from making a sometimes costly mistake.
Jesus didn’t make mistakes. He was also patient, quite willing to wait for that which was to be cast away into the “incinerator” to reveal itself. Of course, in the parable about the wheat and the tares Jesus was talking about something much more important than grains and weeds, He was talking about souls.
And, though He had perfect insight into the heart and soul of people, none of us do. So it is a good idea for us to learn the lesson of this parable, and wait. Being too quick to condemn and cast away someone we judge to be a “tare” could mean we cast aside one whom Christ died to save.
Tares were sneaky. They looked an awful lot like wheat. It would be almost impossible to weed a field sown with darnel (a perennial grass thought to be the biblical tare) and with wheat without plucking out some of the good plants with the bad.
A lot of people consider themselves pretty good judges of others; they do not hesitate to comment on who is saved and who isn’t, who is a “good” Christian, and who is a “tare” who only resembles a Christian, but doing so they show more “tareness” (As in tearing down and tearing apart) than “wheatness” (As in “wheatnessing” for the Lord, if you’ll pardon the pun).
Jesus knew there would come a day, the day of the great harvest of souls, when the mature “wheat” and the mature “tares” will be easily identified and separate. There will be good grain (Or fruit, if you prefer) produced by the one, and nothing but barrenness from the other. So the Lord was quite content for all to be revealed in time, and counseled for us to do the same. This means that the “tares” will receive the same care and consideration as the “wheat,” and who knows, there may be more wheat than we would have imagined. For the truth is, without Jesus we’re all tares, worthy of nothing more than being thrown into the fire. But by the grace of God, Christ died and rose again, that many “tares” should become “wheat.”
So next time you are ready to yank some “tares” out of your congregation, or to throw away a relationship with someone who you are sure is a tare, wait, they may yet become wheat of the Lord’s harvest. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Jesus Came Down
What Did Jesus Do?
For the bread of heaven is he who comes down from heaven
and gives his life to the world.
John 6.33
I’m not one to worry about making a fool of myself, so I don’t mind telling you about the time I was convinced there was something wrong with our breadmaker. We had one of those machines where you throw all the ingredients in and it kneads the bread, lets it rise, and bakes it, all while you can be busy doing anything else you please. Pour in the ingredients, push a button, come back in a couple of hours, and you’ve got bread!
Well that’s just what I did one time, only to come back and find a doorstop in the breadmaker! I had about a two inch high “loaf” of, well, I couldn’t quite call it bread. Usually the loaf would have been maybe 8-9 inches long. Well, I gamely tried to eat the, well, not bread, but I am not sure what to call it. Unfortunately it was just about as hard as it was dense, so I couldn’t even get a decent bite of it.
It was only a couple of weeks later when I mentioned to a friend that our breadmaket wasn’t working well, that I discovered that brewer’s yeast, while apparently good for making beer, does not make good bread because it doesn’t rise. So, now you know what a dope I used to be (I’d never be so dumb now. Believe that and I have this bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.).
All this is to say that most of us are used to bread that rises. But, in the long run, the bread we really need is the bread that came down. Not that He was the first, of course. The ancient Israelites had been sustained through forty years of wilderness sojourning by bread that came down from heaven. That bread had been manna, manna from God, not Moses. Ironically, all the faithless generation which had come out of Egypt and was fed by the manna perished in the wilderness. While manna could sustain people who were hungry, it couldn’t give life to those who were truly perishing because of their sins.
But the other bread that “came down,” the bread that not only came down, but stood there before the people, he was the “true bread from heaven.” In a rather strange, but gloriously divine, process, the “true bread” had to be lifted up on the cross, then laid low in a tomb, in order that He should do what bread does—rise. Of course, Jesus rose like no bread any of us have ever known. He rose with redeeming power and with life in Him. And, that we might have life, the Holy Spirit makes whatever bread we partake in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, the true living bead in us.
Now most of us are not all that interested in coming down; we’d much rather rise, thank you very much. But life, true life, is only for those who are first willing to give up their life (See Matthew 16.25). That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
For the bread of heaven is he who comes down from heaven
and gives his life to the world.
John 6.33
I’m not one to worry about making a fool of myself, so I don’t mind telling you about the time I was convinced there was something wrong with our breadmaker. We had one of those machines where you throw all the ingredients in and it kneads the bread, lets it rise, and bakes it, all while you can be busy doing anything else you please. Pour in the ingredients, push a button, come back in a couple of hours, and you’ve got bread!
Well that’s just what I did one time, only to come back and find a doorstop in the breadmaker! I had about a two inch high “loaf” of, well, I couldn’t quite call it bread. Usually the loaf would have been maybe 8-9 inches long. Well, I gamely tried to eat the, well, not bread, but I am not sure what to call it. Unfortunately it was just about as hard as it was dense, so I couldn’t even get a decent bite of it.
It was only a couple of weeks later when I mentioned to a friend that our breadmaket wasn’t working well, that I discovered that brewer’s yeast, while apparently good for making beer, does not make good bread because it doesn’t rise. So, now you know what a dope I used to be (I’d never be so dumb now. Believe that and I have this bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.).
All this is to say that most of us are used to bread that rises. But, in the long run, the bread we really need is the bread that came down. Not that He was the first, of course. The ancient Israelites had been sustained through forty years of wilderness sojourning by bread that came down from heaven. That bread had been manna, manna from God, not Moses. Ironically, all the faithless generation which had come out of Egypt and was fed by the manna perished in the wilderness. While manna could sustain people who were hungry, it couldn’t give life to those who were truly perishing because of their sins.
But the other bread that “came down,” the bread that not only came down, but stood there before the people, he was the “true bread from heaven.” In a rather strange, but gloriously divine, process, the “true bread” had to be lifted up on the cross, then laid low in a tomb, in order that He should do what bread does—rise. Of course, Jesus rose like no bread any of us have ever known. He rose with redeeming power and with life in Him. And, that we might have life, the Holy Spirit makes whatever bread we partake in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, the true living bead in us.
Now most of us are not all that interested in coming down; we’d much rather rise, thank you very much. But life, true life, is only for those who are first willing to give up their life (See Matthew 16.25). That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Jesus Withdrew
What Did Jesus Do?
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king,
Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6.15
Right ends cannot be accomplished by wrong means. Jesus truly was King, but not by virtue of the enthusiastic impulse of a crowd, and not of the kind of kingdom the crowd envisioned. Jesus was not a rabble rousing anti-Roman insurrectionist, His kingdom would not come by violence, other than the violence done to Him.
And so, though the compassionate Christ would see that five thousand would be fed by five loaves and two fish, He was not about to allow that crowd, spurred by their misunderstanding of who the One was who performed the miracle, to forcibly take Him and make him a king. Right ends cannot be accomplished by wrong means. Withdrawing beyond the reach of the energized, but misunderstanding crowd, Jesus would continue His ministry until the moment arrived when He would allow himself to be taken by another uncomprehending crowd and be crucified by them. Right ends cannot be accomplished by wrong means; but sometimes seemingly wrong means can be the divine choice of God to accomplish his will.
Jesus withdrew to desolate and lonely places both to separate himself from the throngs who continually jumped to wrong conclusions about Him, and about the kingdom, and to draw closer to the Father. (See Mark 1.35) Knowing when and how to move forward, and when to withdraw makes all the difference in the progress of the kingdom. The kingdom advances in God’s timing, not ours; by God’s will, not ours; according to God’s purposes, not ours. Jesus understood this perfectly; yet He wrestled with His own personal desire to withdraw when the time came for Him to fall into the hands of the mob. (Matthew 26.37-42) Right ends are accomplished when we submit to the means ordained by the Father.
Has your enthusiasm ever led you to run so fast that you got ahead of God, in effect attempting to force the kingdom forward by your striving? I must confess to having been the perpetrator of some high-minded failures by virtue of rushing ahead when I should have withdrawn and waited upon God. By keeping our eyes on the Father, and our mind on things that are above, we can know when to advance and when to withdraw for the good of the kingdom and the glory of God. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king,
Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6.15
Right ends cannot be accomplished by wrong means. Jesus truly was King, but not by virtue of the enthusiastic impulse of a crowd, and not of the kind of kingdom the crowd envisioned. Jesus was not a rabble rousing anti-Roman insurrectionist, His kingdom would not come by violence, other than the violence done to Him.
And so, though the compassionate Christ would see that five thousand would be fed by five loaves and two fish, He was not about to allow that crowd, spurred by their misunderstanding of who the One was who performed the miracle, to forcibly take Him and make him a king. Right ends cannot be accomplished by wrong means. Withdrawing beyond the reach of the energized, but misunderstanding crowd, Jesus would continue His ministry until the moment arrived when He would allow himself to be taken by another uncomprehending crowd and be crucified by them. Right ends cannot be accomplished by wrong means; but sometimes seemingly wrong means can be the divine choice of God to accomplish his will.
Jesus withdrew to desolate and lonely places both to separate himself from the throngs who continually jumped to wrong conclusions about Him, and about the kingdom, and to draw closer to the Father. (See Mark 1.35) Knowing when and how to move forward, and when to withdraw makes all the difference in the progress of the kingdom. The kingdom advances in God’s timing, not ours; by God’s will, not ours; according to God’s purposes, not ours. Jesus understood this perfectly; yet He wrestled with His own personal desire to withdraw when the time came for Him to fall into the hands of the mob. (Matthew 26.37-42) Right ends are accomplished when we submit to the means ordained by the Father.
Has your enthusiasm ever led you to run so fast that you got ahead of God, in effect attempting to force the kingdom forward by your striving? I must confess to having been the perpetrator of some high-minded failures by virtue of rushing ahead when I should have withdrawn and waited upon God. By keeping our eyes on the Father, and our mind on things that are above, we can know when to advance and when to withdraw for the good of the kingdom and the glory of God. That’s what Jesus did.
S.D.G.
Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4
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