Who knows WWJD?

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Luke 9:51-56
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. (Samaritans and Jews disliked each other based on their religious pasts.  Samaritans felt true worship should be at a location in Samaria so anyone going to Jerusalem was not welcome.) When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”  But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.
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While I love the idea behind the WWJD concept (in every situation ask yourself “What Would Jesus Do?” and then do that) I find it interesting that the very men who walked with Him, talked with Him and lived with Him were often clueless as to what He was going to do. James and John were following a Biblical precedent of calling fire down on those who oppose the Lord (2 Kings 2:12-14) but they were rebuked for their suggestion.  Perhaps they asked, “WWJD when insulted like this?” and, based on Scriptural precedent, they decided He would destroy these evil people.  They accurately understood the Word of God but they totally missed the Heart of God.

Like a bird needs two wings to fly, if we are to WWJD (can I turn that acronym into a verb?) we need to understand not only the Word of God but also the Spirit of God.  They aren’t in opposition but balance requires both. Truly understanding our Heavenly Father requires both insight into the Word but also insight into the Spirit of God.  Those heavy into just the Word can tend toward harshness and legalism as James and John demonstrated. Those who lean on  sensing the Spirit but neglect the Word can veer into gushy sentimentalism and trying to follow God based on every fleeting emotion.

As has often been said:
If you have the Word without the Spirit you’ll dry up.
If you have the Spirit without the Word you’ll blow up.
But if you have the Word and the Spirit you’ll grow up.
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John 16:13; 17;17
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. … your word is truth.

Rude Jesus

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Luke 8:19-21 – Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”  He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
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What kind of son would not even help his family get through the crowd to be able to talk to Him? Sounds pretty rude and inconsiderate, doesn’t it. But this didn’t come as a surprise to the original readers. They knew something that Luke doesn’t record here. We have to go to Mark for the surprising explanation.

Mary and the brothers of Jesus thought he was crazy!  They had come to take him by force and get him out of the public eye. He was an embarrassment to them. Later Mary and at least some of his brothers became believers (the book of James and the book of Jude were both written by his brothers.)

If you have unbelieving family that think you are crazy, be encouraged. Those that saw Jesus grow up, saw His life and saw His miracles thought He was crazy, too. But eventually God was able to change their hearts and they became believers. Keep living faithfully for the Lord, love them, bless them, pray for them and let God work on their hearts.
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Mark 3:20-21
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

John 7:5
For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

 

What will people think?

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Luke 7:31-34 – “What can I say about such men?” Jesus asked. “With what shall I compare them? 32 They are like a group of children who complain to their friends, ‘You don’t like it if we play “wedding” and you don’t like it if we play “funeral'”! 33 For John the Baptist used to go without food and never took a drop of liquor all his life, and you said, ‘He must be crazy!’ 34 But I eat my food and drink my wine, and you say, ‘What a glutton Jesus is! And he drinks! And has the lowest sort of friends!’
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Though it was not His main message this reminds us of the futility of trying to please people. No matter what you do some will complain you did too much and some will criticize you for doing too little. “You should have danced when you were mourning” or “You were mourning when you should have been dancing.” You can’t please all the people all the time.

“What will people think?” You can’t control that. “What will people say?” You can’t control that either. Even if you always do the right thing people can still think and say you are a scoundrel. So should we just live for ourselves and not be concerned with others or what they think? No, that is most self-centered choice of all.

Instead, live to please the Lord. Live your life for an audience of One. Constantly trying to please man, the fear of man, is a snare (Proverbs 29:25) but “the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death”. (Proverbs 14:27). Ultimately, when we stand before Him, it is only His opinion that will matter for all eternity.  So live for that day.

Live to bring a smile to His face and let the chips fall where they may.
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Psalm 147:11
The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Proverbs 14:26-27
He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Cut this chapter out.

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Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
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Luke 6 starts great but I would like to cut out the last half of it. Most of us have a desire to have a little money, be able to eat regularly, enjoy life and have friends. But Jesus says “woe” to folks like that. The blessed ones are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, ostracized and insulted.

The rest of the chapter is a study in opposites, too. Love folks who hate you. Bless those who curse you. If hit, don’t hit back but invite a second blow. Give to get. If someone takes from you give them even more. Then he says this, “”Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”  UGH!

I have never met a single Christian nor even read of one who, by this standard, could call Him Lord. I certainly don’t live like that. Then He pours more salt in the wound: Can the blind lead the blind, indicating that if we live just like the world (blind) how can we lead them to Christ?

That does it! I’m going to cut this chapter out of my Bible. Leaving it in will force me to be reminded, when I think I am doing pretty good as a Christian, that I am just as messed up as others, that I still fall short of God’s goals for me. It will keep me humbled because it will continually remind me that even though I may not indulge in some of the evil practices I so relish to condemn in others, neither do I live at the level of the cross – sacrificing myself for the sake of others. I will be reminded that even as a Christian I am still daily in need of a Savior, daily in need of His mercy and forgiveness.

Gotta go get my scissors.
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Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Islam in the Bible

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Galatians 1:8
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
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Mohammed declared an angel appeared to him and revealed the Koran. Joseph Smith proclaimed the Book of Mormon was shown to him by an angel. Others make similar claims to divine inspiration and revelation.

Today another “gospel”, not a new one, just a revived one, is slithering into the Body of Christ. The “good news” that God is only a one dimensional God of love. He has no anger, wrath or justice within Him, in spite of the Bible’s many clear declarations (Old and New Testament) to the contrary.

The vilest wretch of a human and the most precious saint will both ultimately live forever in an eternal reward. Obviously this is not how the lie is sold but the idea of universalism is another gospel, certainly not one taught by Jesus or Paul.

Did Mohammed and Joseph Smith really communicate with angels? Does the revelation of God’s universal salvation really come from a supernatural source? I believe the answer is clearly, “Yes.” But not all angels are sent by God.
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2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.

Matthew 24:24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.

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Devil on The Run

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Luke 4:13 – When the devil had finished every temptation, he left (Jesus) until an opportune time.
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You know Satan wanted to stay on top of Jesus 24/7 tempting and attacking Him.  But after a period of intense temptation Satan left Him alone.  Clearly Satan didn’t want to leave Jesus alone but the Bible promises that if we will do two things the devil has to get out of our face – 1. Submit to God and 2. Resist the devil (James 4:7)  . Certainly he doesn’t do that by choice but he must flee.  If the devil is constantly knocking at your door and never goes away, something is wrong – either on the submission side or on the resisting side.

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Identify Yourself

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John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
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We have developed lots of ways to let the world know we believe in Jesus. Bumper stickers proclaim our faith. Scripture passages on checks, greeting cards and refrigerator magnets; profile descriptions on Facebook; jewelry with crosses, a fish and WWJD all tell the world we are followers of Jesus. Jesus said there would be another way they would know but this seems a little strange to me.  Let me explain.

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Will Everyone Be Saved?

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Luke 3:6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’”
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This passage says, “All flesh will see the salvation of God.” Does that mean, like a couple of well known Christian leaders proclaim, that there is no hell and all will be saved? Or could it be proclaiming something totally different?

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Cross Words #6 & 7

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John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Luke 23:46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
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At the end Jesus committed His Spirit to the hands of the Lord.  I have found there are times when I have come to the end – the end of my ideas, my own resources, my plans, the end of myself.  At those times, when all I can do is give up or commit it to the Lord, I have discovered God is faithful with the things I commit to Him.

How much better it would be for me if I would commit it to Him before I get to the end of myself.  An old song says it best:
Oh what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.*

In His hopeless and helpless situation Jesus committed His Spirit to the Father and God raised Him from the dead.  When we commit things to God we can trust He will take good care of the things that belong to Him.  As long as we retain ownership they remain our problem and responsibility.

Commit that problem, fear, concern, need, weakness, whatever it is, to Him right now.  It only takes a second to give Him ownership of it all.
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Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

* What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1820-1886   Music: Charles C. Converse, 1832-1918

 

Cross Words #5

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John 19:28
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
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All was now completed.  His life, His work, His mission and His pain would soon end.  In your dark times remember, no matter how hard the trial, it too will end.  The  sun will rise again.  Don’t give up hope.  Don’t quit.

An old farmer said his favorite Bible verse was, “It came to pass.”  When asked to explain he replied, “When problems come I remind myself this trouble didn’t come to stay, ‘it came to pass’.”

But don’t waste your pain. There are lessons in life that we cannot learn on the mountain top.  Character is forged in the fire of affliction.  Be “thirsty” for God in the dry places.  It is God’s desire that when you emerge from the flames you will have been changed.  That to a greater depth you will “know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”  Philippians 3:10  On the other side of the cross is great joy, victory and resurrection life.

I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When sorrow walked with me.
 -Robert Browning Hamilton
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Hebrews 12:2-3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.