Matt. 1-3

What stood out to me was the fact that God is often unconventional. The linage of Jesus was spotted with people who didn't exactly do everything right. Then there was the birth, or rather the pregnancy. It had to happen that way but think about Joseph. Your fiancée is pregnant and you didn't do it. Then an angel tells you God did it. Then move here, then move there. Couldn't God had done it another way? Surely there was a better plan than Egypt? I think I would have been asking, "what in the world is going on here?"

Have you been there? Wondering, "why not take the direct route?" I pray for $1000 to fix my car and, viola, $1000 shows up in my bank account. I pray for direction and a letter is on my night stand with instructions. That is what I want..., or do I? God has His way and my question to myself is, will I submit to it? Will I be okay with how God does things. Is His way superior or not? There really is no choice, but our attitude is a choice. Our submission too. Does He know best or not?

Confidence and arrogance seem so close sometimes. The person with a higher degree may have confidence in their learnedness, or they may be arrogant, thinking that their degree gives them the edge over others. The same could be said for knowledge in any field, or a fit body, or even closeness with God. Sometimes it is hard to maintain confidence without arrogance.

Arrogance often comes out in an attitude that is express in word or action. It is the look of disapproval or the words of criticism.

Romans 14:1 (NIV84) Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.

"Passing judgment" in the Greek really means; don't get into an argument over a difference of opinion. Contextually it is talking about matters that are up to each individual person to decide. What day you worship, what you eat and what you drink are discussed here, but we could include a list of things from TV and movies to clothes and everything in between. The Word says to accept him or her. Welcome them. Love on the (Rom. 12). This isn't to say that you can't talk about something, but don't dispute over it.

Romans 14:10 (NIV84) — 10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

The argument continues that Christ died for them. Why judge? Why despise? Why criticize? Why give an attitude? Why talk behind their back? Why even talk to them in their face? The answer to me is pretty clear, we think we are God and sit in the judgment seat. Ouch! We have all done it. Our confidence in our living has slid over to arrogance. Who are we to judge? If someone says let's get drunk and have an orgy, judge away! Stand and say that is wrong and evil and will only end in death. But if someone is watching a movie you wouldn't or drinking something you wouldn't, well, that is what we are talking about here. People aren't going to like this, but I think we should leave that up to God.

May I offer two more thoughts? True discipleship is a place where these "disputable" or "non-essential" things are discussed. Maybe we should consider loving that person so much that we would disciple them and not mention that "thing" that bugs you for at least two months. Number two, love God and love one another. If it isn't love, don't do it or say it. 

Acts 26:14 (NIV84) — 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

Who was Saul persecuting? How can that be? Jesus was and is in heaven - right? As if coming from the mouth of a confused person, "yes and no".

Jesus did ascend and resides in heaven, however the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of God resides in us, his disciples, here on the earth. There is more to that picture, but let's look at the question of Jesus. "Saul, why do you persecute me?" To persecute is to harass or to systematically harass. How was Paul doing this? It was Stephen who was martyred and many others dragged into prison. You see where this is going.

Jesus said, if you give a cup of water to someone in my name, you have given it to me. So that would mean that if we harass someone, speak ill of someone, without love reprove someone, we are doing it to Jesus. After all, Jesus didn't drink the water, the person did. This would strictly apply to believers, however the image of God is in everybody.

Paul in the last few chapters has been beaten and almost killed several times precisely because of what He believed. The Jews are trying their best to silence the voice that is disagreeable to their own by killing him. We may not physically kill, but how about our words? What are they designed to do, bless or cure, encourage or defame?

It is so easy to criticize. So easy to disagree without grace. In a world that is full of harassment let's all rise above it. Let's resist harassing anyone - which is no easy task. Some are so easy to harass! But you can do it. You were made to love.

Jesus says something completely astounding. It is the fulfillment of what John the Baptist said some three years ago at the beginning of His ministry. Even Jesus spoke of it as an incredible future event. Jesus gives them instructions to get the promise. They must have been thinking about something else…

Acts 1:4–6 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Maybe it isn’t as bang-bang in real time as we read it here, but still. Were they thinking that the promise only had to do with the restoration of Israel? Were they singularly focused on that restoration? We don’t know. What we do know is that the disciples are people and we people want to know the answer to, “when” question.

When am I getting that promotion? When is the money coming in that I need? When am I going to get married? When is it going to stop snowing? If I were there I might ask, “When are we going to be baptized with the Spirit?” Still, it is a when. Jesus gives an answer that we should pay attention to.

Acts 1:7–8 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

It’s not like we can’t know when anything is going to happen, but this does seem to be one of those Jesus switch the subject to the more important thing, the Holy Spirit, what will happen with us, what we will do. Come on somebody!

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭20-21‬ ESV)

There seemed to be a preoccupation with unity.  It ranked pretty high on the scale of Jesus because he prayed it a few times in what is called the High Priestly prayer.  When I was looking at this prayer, for the first time I saw the heart of Jesus in it.  I have always seen the content, but I must have missed the heart of Jesus.  There was some passion flowing in John 17.  This wasn't a "prayer", this was a heart to heart conversation with Dad.  Jesus was close to His end and He had a few important things to say.  One of them was unity.

I wondered why "being one" with God and being unified with one another was so important to Jesus.  It is obvious why it is important, but why so close to God's heart.  I think it must bring such life to us as individuals and as a group that it pressed on Jesus heart.  Moving with God as one and moving together as one has such impact, that Jesus was preoccupied with the subject as He poured out His heart to Dad. "Bring them to unity Dad.  Like you and me. Give that to them. They just have to have it."

I fear that we are unified together because we are supposed to be and one with God in some sort of religious sense.  Seriously, what does that even mean - one with God?  Me in Him and Him in me.  Instead of asking what that looks like, because we default to behavior, what does that feel like?  When does God's heart leap?  When is God's heart saddened?  What is it like to have God's love flowing through our hearts.  Further, what if we all were there - flowing with love or joy or peace or..., as one with God.  Dream about that today.    

Sometimes we don't notice miracles.  I am not talking about the normal miraculous that goes on inside your body or in the universe, like the planet is spinning at just the right speed or your cells have a communication system.  I am talking about God interposing Himself into our life.  We pray, we ask and then He delivers.  Sometimes we miss it.

John 6:26 (NIV84) --Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

It seems that some people missed the fact that Jesus fed 10,000+ people in the middle of nowhere.  Many followed Jesus because of the miracles and the healings, but this group, at least some in the group followed for another meal.  They missed it.  They missed the point.  They missed the miracle.  It became about satisfying their appetites or other issues other than awe at the miracle of God. 

It is the same group that asked: 

John 6:30 (NIV84) --So they asked him, “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?

Ah..., how about the loaves and fish thing?  Was that not good enough?  How about the healings?  Not sufficient?  What is happening here?  Does that same happen to us?  Maybe so. 

What have you done for me lately Jesus?  We forget so quickly how Jesus got us out of the last jam.  We are unaware of all the jams that we have avoided.  Also, are we looking for miracles to be satisfied?  Needing healing and seeking it is for us.  It does satisfy.  But is that the only reason we seek miraculous interposition?  Is our faith centered around us?   Do we want His presence solely for our own sake?  My challenge to you is to answer the questions:  Why do you want what you want from God?  Why do you follow Jesus?  What is your motivation?  Take some time and think about it.

How do you make decisions?

Luke 23:22 (NIV84)  For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

Pilate wanted to let Jesus go.  If is obvious when reading the text that he did not want to kill Jesus.  The above was the third time that he tried to convince the Jews that he didn’t deserve death.  They would have none of it.  They wanted Jesus dead.  So Pilate gave in to their demands.

How about us?  Do we, when we have the authority and power to do, to act, to decide, have the strength to say no to the demands of others?  Are we swayed by fear?  Is fear of rejection, fear of trouble, fear of being wrong factors in our decision making?  We all have power to decide things.  Whether you are in management at a company or parents of children or maybe you have nobody who is “under” you, but you have to decide for yourself, do you do what you know to be right or are you swayed by demands?  Your teenager wants to go with friends you don’t like, your spouse wants you to give into their point of view, your body is craving a half gallon of ice cream which is on nobody’s diet plan, do you stick to what you know is right? 

Nearly all of us do give in from time to time, some more than others.  The question we have to answer is why.  Why do we give in to demands?  What is it inside of us, what is our thinking, what are we trying to avoid, what is the reason for our giving in?  The deep reason.  It’s a question that needs an answer.  

Get rid of the weights.  Not gym weights, but the weights of life.

Luke 21:34 (NIV84) — 34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.

Be alert, use some caution.  Be purposeful and don't let the day take you.  Take control of your day.  Listen to God and do the day like He says to, and stay on guard or your heart will be hijacked.  Boy, we all know that to be true.  You are doing well and before you know it you are stressed out.  What happened?  Some kind of weariness sets over us, whether physical, mental, emotional or a combination, we are out.  Done.  Over it.  Yet we have to push through it.  Or do we?

This list is not all inclusive, but it works for Jesus.  Dissipation (partying) and drunkenness evidently brings your heart down.  They put a weight on you.  Maybe we would think the opposite?  Wouldn't getting drunk and partying make it all go away?  Nope!  It all comes back like a boomerang.  That lifestyle takes us out of what we were created for and thereby weighs us down with a burden that we can't bear.  It is more than addiction, it is the constant need to escape and to experience the next high.  There are a lot of other things that we use for escaping reality, but you get the point. 

For most of us, the anxieties, cares, worries, fears of life, are the real villains in weighing our hearts down.  My question was how can being careful or alert help?  These anxieties and concerns are constant at times.  They can be overwhelming.  The answer comes back to taking charge of your day, really your life.  Anxieties don't get to overwhelm your heart without permission.  You get to decide whether or not you will be taken over or not.  However if you aren't alert, it just happens to you. 

We are not victims of our day or the circumstances that come our way.  

When Jesus asks us to come to a party, are we too busy?

Luke 14:19–20 (NIV84) “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

I know this in context is talking about the ultimate banquet of heaven, but still this principle persists in my mind, am I too busy to enjoy time with Jesus?  

When I think about the oxen I think about tools and toys.  "I am setting up my new iPad," or "I am putting my new rack on my truck."  When I think about the marriage excuse I thought about relationships, friends, girlfriends/boyfriends.  "I have a date tonight," or "my friends and I are going bowling."  It's not that any of those things are bad, but when Jesus calls us to enjoy a banquet with Him, do we come when we want  or when we feel like it?  My goodness, it is a banquet!  Maybe we think we can have a banquet on our own.  We don't need to go anywhere, just make some food here instead.  Most of us are busy people with honest excuses, yet, is there an excuse that works? 

It may be painful for a moment, but take a look at what you decide to do instead of having time with Jesus.  Whether it is a Life Group or a church service or an impromptu prayer meeting, a worship night, or more likely, a time away with Him - alone, what excuses do you use to stay on your own course?  No need to beat yourself up, just admit it and tell Him you want to come to the banquet.  You want to hang out with Him on His terms.  After all, you love being at His banquet table.  You never have come away thinking, "that was a waste of time."    

Luke 11:42 (NIV84) — 42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Doing the right thing but your heart is in the wrong place.  Jesus says something pretty powerful here.  To count even the garden herbs in your tithe was to follow the rules over the "T".  The Pharisees represent people who "do the right thing".  Jesus isn't so impressed with doing the right thing.  That doesn't mean He doesn't want you to do the right thing if your attitude isn't straight, He does.  It keeps coming back to the things of the heart.  They are so important.  More important than doing the right things.

I feel like I have been hitting this "gong" a lot.  I don't know if it is because I have read a few John Eldredge books or I am seeing it more, but I see the heart, the core of us when I read.  Here again is the heart from which this unconditional type of love, God's love, is the subject of what Jesus is talking about.  Doing the right things is good, but don't neglect what is most important, justice and love. 

I encourage you to read with a heart lens.  Find God's heart in the Word.  Hear Him talking to your heart.  It is so easy to read many passages and interpret them as "do this" and "don't do that".  Yet when we read the whole Word, we learn that everything flows from the heart, our speech, our conduct, our believes, the real us.  That is the transformation process I am in.  How about you?  God is transforming His people - from their heart.