"Lord..what about.."

"Lord...what about...?"

"Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

James 4:15

Even if we do not understand what God’s will is, we need to respond to that direction. In fact, when we don’t understand it is even more imperative that we do exactly what he directs us to do in the scriptures. This though can become hard, because it seems repetitive and feels at times like we have to wait forever for an answer. Sometimes, God asks us to make the choice to do his will before we know the specific details of his plan. That’s because part of God’s plan is to develop trust. This is where many of us get into a battle of wills with God, wanting him to reveal his plan to us first and then will we decide whether or not to do what he tells us to do. But this isn't the way it works.

One reason God doesn't give us the full picture of his plans for your life is that you may actually be overwhelmed by what you would see. Peter records, "Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully..(1 Pet.1:10)." We do not know why it was not revealed to them, but it wasn't. Perhaps it may have been difficult for them to complete what God had in mind, if they had known. Perhaps God simply wanted their faith and trust. But that’s the point—there’s no way you can fulfill what God asks without God empowering us to do so. Even Peter was in a constant battle with Jesus over what to do. Just knowing Jesus what he did of Jesus at the time, the one time that Jesus begins to reveal some of what is about to happen to Him, Peter jumps in and says, "Not so Lord." Satan took occasion of Peter's not knowing and desire to anticipate, to try to stop through Peter what Jesus had just revealed was the will of God! Jesus states then, "But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man (Matt 16:23)."

It is a wondrous thing to know without doubt, what God's will is! That is why on some things, we have the Bible - so that we can "the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:17)." Yet, we must also be content with what God has revealed to us, and learn to leave to the will of God in trust that He knows and is preparing what is best for us those things that have not been made known. On another occasion after the resurrection, Jesus was talking with his chosen apostles, Jesus revealed to Peter a portion of what his future would behold (Jn.21:18). Yet, Peter as impetuous as ever, wants to know what is not meant for him to know - "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus responds to Peter, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me! (Jn.21:22)"

These then, are the things that we must remember. What is written in God's word, is there for my learning, my faith, and to DO! Outside of this, we must simply revert back to one principle - "YOU FOLLOW ME." Don't worry about what you do not know, don't fret because you do not know where certain things are going to lead you in your life.

Where ever you go, whatever you are doing - FOLLOW the Lord and trust that God will bring about His will in your life in His own way and own time.

Jim

Happy to Get DUMPED ON!

Of all of the most perplexing of Jesus' statements, Matt.5:11 "How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me!" is one of the most baffling at times. This statement goes totally contrary to human nature, because when I get hurt, I want to hurt back. Honestly, my first impression when I read this is HOW CAN A PERSON BE HAPPY WHEN THEY'RE GETTING DUMPED ON?!

Now, I know that there is some biblical scholar, or Monday Quarterback Scholar out there that would say, "..well if you would just read verse 12, it would tell you." This is true. But, heaven after is little consolation NOW! And I'm supposed to be happy about it? Give me a break! It is hard to be happy about getting dumped on - period! Yet, it is the Lord's will that I do so.

The Bible is replete with illustrations of men such as Paul and the other apostles and brethren that died for their faith. Men who suffered much greater angst and anguish than I will ever endure. Jesus, suffering most of all, with much more horror than I will ever face. And the scripture states to me, "You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in the contest against sin. (Heb.12:4)."

So, how can I learn? What can I learn - when I'm being dumped on and every instinct in me cries out to lash back? Oddly enough, the church at Ephesus stands to teach me. While starting out and perhaps for a while continuing to be a strong church, Ephesus by the close of the first century had reached a point of callousness. Yet, this is not to say that they had not done some pretty amazing things spiritually. Let's look at some things in Rev.2:3 that GOD HIMSELF says about them, that HE observed in them that stood out:

1. They had “borne” This word means endured or sustained under pressure. In other words, the had lasted things out and seen through to the other side of whatever it was they were having to go through. This is a good quality to learn, that often, we can outlast what is coming at us.
2. They had “patience” This word means constancy. Synonyms for this are steady, firm, reliable, dependable. God had seen in them, that when Satan threw everything at them, that they would be the ones to come through. They would be the ones NOT to cave in. A good quality to have, especially when someone else is depending upon me and my reaction to base a decision upon.
3. They had “labored” Ok..here is life lesson #whatever. Nothing good ever comes without hard work. Even in trial, there is work, sometimes even more work than when I'm not going through trial. This also teaches that going through something will often depend on what type of work that I have done to prepare for it. Living in Florida has taught me that going through a Tropical Storm or light Hurricane often depends on what you have done to prepare for it and what it brings. Lesson here is preparedness.
4. That had not “fainted” This word means sickened or grown tired. When things had gotten tough, they didn't call in sick, they didn't party all night and then called in and said, I'm too tired to make it. They had engaged the race and made the finish line. Lesson? Don't be a wimp! If you're engaged in the race, then finish the race.

There are many lessons that we can learn from this. For me, overall I learned the following

• It is not the experience that I'm going through, but qualities it brings out that are important and that should make me happy. No one likes going through hardship, scathing remarks, lies, or whatever. What comes out on the other side though when you've endured things like this, will make you a better person.
• That we must take care not to allow our good to become calloused. One of the problems that God points out to the church, was not to leave their first love. Don't allow things like this to get to you and make you a bitter person, or to allow you to become prejudiced and judgmental. Remember, there are those who have gone before you, that have endured much more than you will ever have to!

It was to the church at Ephesus that God said, “…Remain faithful, even to the point of death; and I will give you life as your crown.(Rev.2:10).” He says this to us too! Know that for every hardship you endure, it puts you one step closer to that crown of life. Now that, can make you happy!!

Jim

Rev.3:20 - Inviting Jesus Into Your Heart

Found this on Parchment and Pen's Blog - very interesting article!!

Inviting Jesus into your Heart (Dan Wallace)

~ Dan Wallace ~

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he [will dine] with me.” The crucial phrase for our purposes is “I shall come in to him.” This text has often been taken as a text offering salvation to a lost sinner. Such a view is based on two assumptions: (1) that the Laodiceans, or at least some of them, were indeed lost, and (2) that the Greek εισελεύσομαι πρό means “come into.”

Both of these assumptions, however, are based on little evidence. Further, the resultant notion is anything but clear. To invite Christ into one’s heart is hardly a clear picture of the gospel.

Regarding the idea that those in the Laodicean church were not believers, note that in the preceding verse, the resurrected Lord declares, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.” Here φιλέω is used for “love”—a term that is never used of God/Jesus loving unbelievers in the NT. This φιλέω is applied to the Laodiceans here, for the verse concludes, “Be zealous, therefore, and repent.” The inferential ‘therefore’ connects the two parts of the verse, indicating that the Laodiceans are to repent because Christ loves (φιλέω) them!

The second assumption is that εισελεύσομαι πρό means ‘come into.’ Such an assumption is based on a less than careful reading of the English text. The ASV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, for example, all correctly render it ‘come in to.’ (Note the space between the prepositions.) The idea of ‘come into’ would be expressed with είς as the independent preposition and would suggest a penetration into the person (thus, spawning the idea of entering into one’s heart). However, spatially πρό means toward, not into. In all eight instances of εισοέρχομαι πρό in the NT, the meaning is ‘come in toward/before a person’ (i.e., enter a building, house, room, etc., so as to be in the presence of someone), never penetration into the person himself/herself. In some instances, such a view would not only be absurd, but inappropriate (cf. M ark 6:25; 15:43; Luke 1:28; Acts 10:3; 11:3; 16:40; 17:2; 28:8).

What, then, is this verse is affirming? First, it is not an offering of salvation. The implications of this are manifold. Among other things, to use this text as a salvation verse is a perversion of the simplicity of the gospel. Many people have allegedly “received Christ into their hearts” without understanding what that means or what the gospel means. Although this verse is picturesque, it actually muddies the waters of the truth of salvation. Reception of Christ is a consequence, not a condition, of salvation. Second, as far as the positive meaning of this verse, it may refer to Christ having supremacy in the assembly or even to an invitation (and, consequently, a reminder) to believers to share with him in the coming kingdom. Either way, it is not a verse about salvation at all, for the Laodiceans were already saved.

Does this mean that those who have come to faith in Christ via Rev 3:20 are not saved? This answer needs some nuancing. First, if they have truly put their faith in Christ, and they understand that he alone can save them from their sins, then of course they are saved. The problem is that many people cling to the symbol but never understand the reality it is intended to represent. Hundreds of thousands of people have “invited Christ into [their] hearts,” thinking that a mystical experience is what saves them. Then, they go on their merry way, living their lives as they did before. If you were to ask them, “How do you know that you are going to heaven?” they would respond, “Because I invited Christ into my heart.” But if you probe, there is nothing beneath the shallowness of that reply. They did what someone told them to do, but never really embraced the Savior.

What then should we say when we are trying to lead someone to Christ? I think a better picture is simply what the New Testament uses as its normative word– πίστι/πιστεύω. The noun form (πίστι) can be translated ‘faith,’ ‘belief,’ or ‘trust.’ The verb can be translated ‘I believe,’ ‘I have faith,’ ‘I trust.’ In some contexts the object of belief is emphasized (namely, Christ); in other contexts, the kind of belief is emphasized (namely, a genuine trust, an embracing). Thus, πίστι has this twofold force of content and conviction. To be saved, one must have the right object of faith (content); and one must truly put his trust entirely in that object (conviction).

If it causes us some measure of panic to have to use other than Revelation 3:20 when we share the gospel, keep in mind that the earliest Christians did not have this verse. Revelation is the last book of the Bible to be written. How was it possible for Peter and Paul and James to ever see anyone get saved without this verse? They never had it! But if I read the book of Acts correctly, they had a measure of success in sharing the gospel even in spite of this handicap.