Proverbs 15:22-23
Everybody needs somebody, sometimes. Mary expects the truth to be spoken to her by all within her intimate circle of friends. She would love to have everyone in the world tell her the truth with each message, at least messages to her. However, she is old enough to know that even her dearest friends may not always speak the truth. At issue is her emotional strength, and her own consistent voice in speaking the truth.
People tend to be guarded. They guard their emotions, and try to protect the emotions of their friends, especially those with whom they share love. Mary is like many persons in the world, who want the truth, but crumble in it. Things go wrong, when we crumble. With every lie uncovered more truth is needed. It is not the truth of the matter of the lie that will heal and cure the issues caused by the original untruth. No. What is needed in the uncovering of a lie is the emotional truth and mental unveiling of thoughts in the moment of discovery. How do you feel? What do you think? When and how are you going to respond? Truth cannot be gained from evidence of the past, no matter how many facts are given. Historical facts are like drapers on a baby, they may be changed to clean up the necessary. The importance of truth is in the currency of the moment. Where do we stand on this matter now? Truth is to be found in the actuality of honesty bathed in righteousness on the spot of reality lived before us.
This is not to say facts are to be ignored. It is to say that we can never be assured of facts we have not personally lived. We live the facts we are making. We walk by faith in revealed facts others have lived. Facts are always left to interpretation. The current moment requires speaking the truth, so that each moment of living carries with it the essentials of living in the times we are living. Mary wants the truth, but Mary in the moments of time, too often holds the truth within and speaks in silence what needs to be spoken in verbal voice. Mary is you, and very much resembles the me in female form.
We hold on to our feelings and thoughts often to prevent hurt and pain. We appear to others to be passive, when we are actually loading our guns for an aggressive attack. There are ways to prevent the onslaught of war. One way is through the intelligent means of education. Another is what former President of the United States-George W. Bush called "The Intelligent Design." Whatever will get you there, take the leap of faith, and come to appreciate assertiveness over passive aggressiveness or aggression.
The founder of the lay caring-giving ministry named Stephen Ministries wrote a book titled - "Speaking the Truth in Love." In his book, he elaborates on assertiveness, and the need to be trained in the use of "speaking the truth in love." Christians are encouraged to follow the teachings of Christ, which has to do with doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Mary wanting the truth spoken to her, must be willing to not only speak the truth to others, but she has to be able to handle the truth spoken with the same love she desires to impart. There is the matter at heart. Can we be honest with each other with sacrificial love? Sacrifice our need for facts, and accept our need for honest relationships in the here and now.
Facts are needed for courtroom lawsuits. Love is need for faithful relationships. May we receive the wisdom of counsel that enables us to speak truth without harm to others or ourselves. May we have the serenity and courage necessary to accept the unchangeable and ability to change the changeable. The rule of thumb is to speak what is helpful, and flush the harmful. Speaking the truth, be it Mary or Luonne, requires love, in order to be Christian.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, help us to care for one another with love. Amen.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Living In Denial, Saved By Grace
Mark 14:66-72
The likes of him she thought she would never meet. He had mastered the teachings of the Master Teacher and Redeemer. His words flowed with the truth of agape. It got her attention. She knew he was the one. So, she called him out.
He could not escape, but he could deny. He denied their relationship. Right there on the spot, he denied their relationship. A relationship so intimate. A relationship so divine. A relationship create, not made. A relationship for the ages, not the moment. He denied even knowing the One who had given life to his loins and new birth to his soul. Why?
What was the nature of his fear? What was there to fear losing? Oh, right, he would lose his right to speak of a relationship he denied? He would lose his work, and life occupation that soared beyond imagination from the power of the love he denied, right? He would lose his so-called friends or fellow ethnic buddies, whose love had already saved him, right? Oh, may be he would lose he historic witness or his precious now or anticipated coming fame, right?
She called him out. Witnessed as being one of them by others, he still denied the greatest love of life. You may be vain enough to think this is about you. Are you? I admit, it sounds a lot life me. But its not a story of you or me. Yet, it is the story of every Peter, who denies Jesus, the lover of our souls. Peter denied him. In denying his relationship with Jesus, Peter placed at risk his earthly life, and his soul. Human beings are risk takers, for sure. However, denial is not the end of the story for Peter, and may it not be for us.
True love forgives. In fact, true love warns us of our pending need to deny the relationship. True love even desires the denial for the sake of a purpose greater than our willingness to die. More important than affirming or confirming the earthly relationship is the need to give affirmation to the eternal relationship. No matter how much we love on earth, our love is finite. God, alone, is infinite. We are to live as we live for God, Players.
That is right. We live as live for God. In God is the one true and undeniable relationship. It is the one for which true love forgives, when our soul is at stake. We are too often living in denial. Thank God we are saved by grace. This grace undeserved is so divine.
Can you hear Peter? Can you hear me? Can you hear you saying: "Oh Love of my life, forgive my denial?" Can you hear love saying: "Forgiven, for you know not what you do?"
Saved by grace, living in denial! Living in denial, saved by grace!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, forgive the souls of denial. Amen
The likes of him she thought she would never meet. He had mastered the teachings of the Master Teacher and Redeemer. His words flowed with the truth of agape. It got her attention. She knew he was the one. So, she called him out.
He could not escape, but he could deny. He denied their relationship. Right there on the spot, he denied their relationship. A relationship so intimate. A relationship so divine. A relationship create, not made. A relationship for the ages, not the moment. He denied even knowing the One who had given life to his loins and new birth to his soul. Why?
What was the nature of his fear? What was there to fear losing? Oh, right, he would lose his right to speak of a relationship he denied? He would lose his work, and life occupation that soared beyond imagination from the power of the love he denied, right? He would lose his so-called friends or fellow ethnic buddies, whose love had already saved him, right? Oh, may be he would lose he historic witness or his precious now or anticipated coming fame, right?
She called him out. Witnessed as being one of them by others, he still denied the greatest love of life. You may be vain enough to think this is about you. Are you? I admit, it sounds a lot life me. But its not a story of you or me. Yet, it is the story of every Peter, who denies Jesus, the lover of our souls. Peter denied him. In denying his relationship with Jesus, Peter placed at risk his earthly life, and his soul. Human beings are risk takers, for sure. However, denial is not the end of the story for Peter, and may it not be for us.
True love forgives. In fact, true love warns us of our pending need to deny the relationship. True love even desires the denial for the sake of a purpose greater than our willingness to die. More important than affirming or confirming the earthly relationship is the need to give affirmation to the eternal relationship. No matter how much we love on earth, our love is finite. God, alone, is infinite. We are to live as we live for God, Players.
That is right. We live as live for God. In God is the one true and undeniable relationship. It is the one for which true love forgives, when our soul is at stake. We are too often living in denial. Thank God we are saved by grace. This grace undeserved is so divine.
Can you hear Peter? Can you hear me? Can you hear you saying: "Oh Love of my life, forgive my denial?" Can you hear love saying: "Forgiven, for you know not what you do?"
Saved by grace, living in denial! Living in denial, saved by grace!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, forgive the souls of denial. Amen
Results of Building the Body of Christ
Ephesians 1:22,23
Ephesians is known as the letter of the Apostle Paul to the church of Ephesus. Scholars disagree as to who really authored the words. Still we can rest assure that God had stake in it. Why? Because the ability to communicate is of God, and the wisdom of the message is too divine to be human void of God. Disagree? Well, read your own blog.
I teach from Ephesians as the manual for building the body of Christ - The Church. So, the importance of the author is minimal to the importance of the message. The Christian Church is an institution birthed at Pentecost, according to the New Testament Scripture. It is to be known as consisting of all regenerated souls, each redeemed by the Blood of Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5:25, we learn that Christ loved the Church, and gave his life for it.
Yes, he died that the Church might become His Body on earth, which He heads from Heaven. As members of the Church, we are called out from the system of the world. We are called to be body builders for Christ. Strengthening the body of Christ yields results all may appreciate. We live for the making of the Kingdom of God on earth.
The results of building the body of Christ are:
Ephesians is known as the letter of the Apostle Paul to the church of Ephesus. Scholars disagree as to who really authored the words. Still we can rest assure that God had stake in it. Why? Because the ability to communicate is of God, and the wisdom of the message is too divine to be human void of God. Disagree? Well, read your own blog.
I teach from Ephesians as the manual for building the body of Christ - The Church. So, the importance of the author is minimal to the importance of the message. The Christian Church is an institution birthed at Pentecost, according to the New Testament Scripture. It is to be known as consisting of all regenerated souls, each redeemed by the Blood of Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5:25, we learn that Christ loved the Church, and gave his life for it.
Yes, he died that the Church might become His Body on earth, which He heads from Heaven. As members of the Church, we are called out from the system of the world. We are called to be body builders for Christ. Strengthening the body of Christ yields results all may appreciate. We live for the making of the Kingdom of God on earth.
The results of building the body of Christ are:
- Repentance. The Church was birthed, according to Acts 2:38, with Peter calling for persons to repent and become disciples in the Body of Christ.
- Salvation. Regenerated persons coming by way of the new birth, Acts 2:47, added to the Church. Building the body of Christ yields new members into the local churches, and increase number of saved souls in the world.
- Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, Son of God, who has mercy and grace for the repenting soul.
- Baptism. We baptize in the tradition of the Trinity, Acts 2:38, as a means of grace for the acknowledgement of God's initiative in cleansing us from sin, ushering in justification and sanctification for righteous living.
- Love. Jesus said by this love you have for one another they will know you are my disciples, John 13:35 reminds us. In the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus taught that the disciples who love as He loves are His friends. "What a friend we have in Jesus."
- Continuance. In accord with Acts 2:42, a final result of building the Body of Christ is the recycling of the doctrines. We teach each to reach each. Each generation is to be taught to reach each soul of their day, and baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost from Jerusalem to Samaria to Judea unto the uttermost parts of the world.
There is it. Our exercise in the Spiritual Fitness Center is to turn around from bad habits unto good living. Soaking in the fountain of life, lifting one another, and caring for the soul of all, we march on teaching the love of Christ by faith. We live hoping for a better world on earth as it is in heaven.
I got it, do you have it?
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, and open our spiritually blinded eyes. Amen.
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