Category: Jesus

What does Jesus say makes life excellent?

June 19, 2009
GospelJesus
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Jesus often taught about the Kingdom of God/Heaven (cf. Mark 4:26-32; Luke 13:20-21; Matthew 13; 20:1-16; 22:1-14; 25) . Now, from what I understand about the Christian faith and the blessed hope that awaits all believers is that we will all one day stand firmly in the Kingdom of God where everything that we have come to know and experience of our place within the Kingdom of Heaven will become crystal clear (1 Corinthians 13:8-12), where God is at the very center of all that we know (Revelation 21:1-5). So, what this tells me is that, if the end goal is living with Jesus as a citizen in His Kingdom, then the more ground that the Kingdom of Heaven takes in my present life while I live here on this earth, the more blessed and excellent my life will be. Jesus inaugurated the coming of His Kingdom with His life, death and resurrection. So, we are currently living in the Kingdom of God, but it will not be fully realized until His return.

 

But, even so, Jesus promises us an abundantly full life (John 10:10). In hearing this, it is real easy to get caught up in the trap that earthly riches or a life of fame denotes an abundantly full life, even an excellent life. But, believers need to realize that the Kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom that has values that are oftentimes at odds with the world’s values. In God’s Kingdom the first will be last and the last will be first (Matthew 19:30). Jesus further elaborates on this concept when He overhears the disciples arguing about who will be the greatest (Mark 9:33-34). On one hand, you have the disciples arguing about position in the Kingdom of God and, on the other hand, you have Jesus saying that status should be the last thing on your mind because the one who wants to be first, must be a servant of all (Mark 9:35). Jesus modeled a life of servanthood which He further punctuated with the act of washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:12-17). And then, ultimately, by giving His life to be a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28) by dying on a cross for the sins of the world, in order to save those who believe in Him (John 3:16-18).

 

So, living as a citizen of God’s Kingdom means following Jesus’ example of living a sacrificial life (Luke 9:23-25). But a sacrificial life is only part of the story. A sacrificial life needs to be motivated by love (John 15:9-12). Now a sacrificial life of love that pours itself out for another (John 15:13) can really only happen when a person is eternally impacted by the unconditional love of God (John 3:16). When this happens, there will be no mistaking the unconditional love of God that pours out of a believer’s life (John 13:35). This incarnational Christ-like love will manifest itself in acts of kindness (Luke 6:27-31, 35), in generosity towards the poor (Matthew 6:1-4), in not judging others (Matthew 7:1-5) and in standing up for justice (Luke 4:18, 19). But, I believe what truly captures the makings of an excellent life is the Beatitudes because they fully encapsulate what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. The Beatitudes describe the character of Jesus Himself. In many ways, they are the fundamental laws of the Gospel.

 

Jesus began His ministry purposefully, thronged by a great multitude, He called people to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17b). Immediately, following this announcement of the Kingdom, He sets the foundation for all of His teachings with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) by describing the citizens of God’s Kingdom. A child of God, who is a servant of the King, will be marked by certain characteristics. They will have a character of brokenness (v.3) that mourns over sin (v.4) with a meekness that is not weak, but gently subdued (v.5). They will have a hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness (v.6) that shows itself by being merciful to others (v.7). While striving to have their hearts cleansed by God, they will gain discernment of God (v.8) which will help them be agents of peace (v.9) who willingly suffer for the Kingdom of Heaven (v.10).  

 

What makes a life excellent is one that embodies the values of the Kingdom of God. “All the virtues of the Beatitudes character are intolerable to an evil world. The world cannot handle somebody who is poor in spirit, because the world lives in pride, in a state of self-promotion and ego substantiation. The world cannot tolerate mourning over sinfulness. It wants to bypass sin altogether and convince itself that it’s all right. The world cannot tolerate meekness; it honors pride. The world cannot tolerate someone who knows he is nothing and seeks something that cannot be earned. The world knows little of mercy, about purity, about making peace. These characteristics flagrantly counter the system [MacArthur, “The Beatitudes,” 185].  

 

When someone is living as citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, the glory of God will rest upon them and they will shine as the light of the world by their deeds (Matthew 5:14-16); deeds that are contrary to what the world values. The way that they live their lives will reveal to the world that their eternal inheritance is far more important than anything that this world has to offer (Matthew 6:19-21) with their greatest joy in life being bringing glory to God the Father through obedience to His Word (John 15:8-11). Remember the Christian faith is not about following rules and regulations, but about having a vibrant relationship with Jesus that is both life-giving and life-changing. A citizen of God’s Kingdom has been and is continually being transformed by the Gospel everyday and is then impacting the world around them for the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s what being a citizen of God’s Kingdom is all about. It’s about being a Kingdom building world-changer for Jesus. This is what makes life excellent.

What does Jesus say is part of an ideal life?

June 5, 2009
EternityGospelJesusTruth
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Right from the get go, let me say that: the way Jesus views the world is very different than the way that an average person does. Everything that Jesus did was redemptive. When He walked the earth, He was more concerned about being about His Father’s business (Luke 2:49), making Him known (John 14:7, 10) and bringing Him glory (John 14:13), than anything else. Now, this meant of course moving in signs, wonders and miracles throughout His life on earth. Jesus always had an eternal view of the world. His encounters with people reveal this as He was constantly proclaiming truth and compassionately healing people and forgiving sins. I believe a major part of an ideal life is making an eternal impact in people’s lives by following Jesus’ exemplar life of redemption (John 14:12). Now we cannot die for sin, but we can do all we can to deny ourselves, in order to follow Jesus (Mark 8:34). What was Jesus’ mission? to preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18, 19). Jesus was a missionary. He came into this world to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 10:19), meaning people. So, when we think about the components of an ideal life, being on mission for Jesus is central.

 

Now being on mission for Jesus does not necessarily mean going off to some foreign land, though some people are called to overseas missions. Being on mission means impacting those around you, wherever you are with the light of the Gospel. It means looking at the world through a redemptive lens. The more this happens the more you will begin to see the world as Jesus sees it. When Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few (Luke 10:2), He meant it. Jesus is constantly challenging me to press into His Word and Spirit, so that I will be able to more readily see the brokenness, lostness and depravity of this fallen world. It is when I am filled with God’s Word that I will be able to stand more steadfast for Jesus and not be tempted away into sin (John 8:31, 32). And the more filled with God’s Word I am, the better I will be able to discern and understand the voice of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15). It is when we are following the leading of Holy Spirit that we will begin to see more readily the underlying brokenness of people which will, only by God’s grace, move us towards compassion rather than pride and judgment.

 

Bottom line, an ideal life includes: loving God (Matthew 22:37), loving others (Matthew 22:39) and serving the world (Matthew 28:19, 20). These are non-negotiables when it comes to living an ideal life because an ideal life isn’t about accomplishing our own selfish ambitions, but about following in the footsteps of Jesus (John 13:14-17) and making an eternal impact in this world for the glory of God (John 17:4). An ideal life is one of servitude (Matthew 20:26) which will include storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20), loving our enemies (5:44), forgiving people and not judging or condemning them (Luke 6:37), giving to those in need (Matthew 6:2-4), trusting in God (Matthew 6:26, 30) and seeking His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33). A good plumb line in gauging an ideal life is the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10), spend some time meditating on these following verses. Let them shake up the very foundations of your value system by replacing them with a kingdom value system.

 

3Blessed are the poor in spirit,

     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are those who mourn,

     for they will be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek,

     for they will inherit the earth.

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

     for they will be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful,

     for they will be shown mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart,

     for they will see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers,

     for they will be called sons of God.

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

*NOTE: the phrase “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” in verse 3 and 10 form a literary device known as an inclusio which acts like bookends in framing one continual thought. So, how this functions here is that everything listed between verses 3 and 10 describe the values of the kingdom of heaven. Those who are part of the kingdom of heaven will exhibit these traits and characteristics. But, in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven, a person needs to recognize that they are spiritually destitute (v.3) which then culminates with those who are fully committed to God’s cause and are now being persecuted because of this (v.10). The equality of the kingdom of heaven is revealed in these verse bookends (inclusio), for being poor in spirit and being persecuted for righteousness though seemingly at opposite sides of the spectrum have the same reward.

Satisfaction with Life Scale

May 28, 2009
GospelJesus
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How do psychologists study happiness? Using the 1-7 scale, read the 5 statements below and indicate your agreement with each item.

  1. Strongly Disagree                                  _____ In most ways my life is close to my ideal
  2. Disagree                                                  _____ The conditions of my life are excellent.
  3. Slightly Disagree                                    _____ I am satisfied with my life.
  4. Neither Agree Nor Disagree                _____ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.
  5. Slightly Agree                                          _____ If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.
  6. Agree    
  7. Strongly Agree

 

You have just taken the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Now, to find out how happy you perceive yourself to be, add up your ratings. If you are a believer, than hopefully Jesus was an important deciding factor for each statement.

35 – 31  Extremely Satisfied                       What does Jesus say is part of an ideal life?

26 – 30  Satisfied                                          What does Jesus say makes life excellent?

21 – 25  Slightly Satisfied                            What does Jesus say brings satisfaction?                  

20          Neutral                                             What does Jesus say is important in life?

15 – 19  Slightly Dissatisfied                      What does Jesus say about regret and redemption?

10 – 14  Dissatisfied

  5 –  9    Extremely Dissatisfied                 Over the next few weeks, I’ll be tackling each one of these questions.

learning to embrace weakness

May 1, 2009
GraceJesusRedemption
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Since Jesus saved me, He has been saying these words to me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Now on this journey of faith, I haven’t ever really grasped the deepness of these words. Because if I had, I’d understand that wrapped up in this short truth statement is eternal protection and hope and at the core of Jesus’ words is the power of redemption. Now don’t get me wrong, over the years I’ve tried my best to walk these words out, but until recently (by God’s grace) I’ve come to realize that for the most part, I’ve been clueless. It’s funny, you’d think I’d be upset or disappointed, but I actually feel encouraged. Maybe its because I am finally understanding that 1) it’s not up to me to clear the path before me, but only to trust that Jesus is ever before me paving the way; and that 2) He is ever behind me cleaning up the mess that I make of things in my attempts to serve Him; and that 3) He is ever with me guiding me along through life as He prepares me to be with Him for all eternity. The more I embrace my weakness, the closer that Jesus draws me close.

Maybe, it’s just taken 10 years to sink deep enough into my heart where the way I live and plan my life is beginning to reflect this truth. These days, I’m not as worried about things as I was before and I’m especially not as worried of what other people may think of me. This has been so freeing. It’s like I’ve reached this place in my journey of faith where my desire to be faithful to God has grown greater than my desire to be make a name for myself. Let me explain. When I am concerned about making a name for myself I am more apt to: 1) seek other people’s approval; 2) be more concerned about my image; and 3) spend time worrying about the future. But, when my sole concern is about being faithful to Jesus, everything changes because I am then able to be more present with Him and can respond to Him from moment to moment. It’s not that I don’t make plans for the future, but that I entrust my future plans to Him and this makes me more available to Jesus in the day to day. It’s when I am distracted by my own personal ambitions and aspirations that God’s voice in my life fades which is a tragedy. A song that always ministers to me is “Above All Else” by Vicky Beeching. This song helps to bring me back to the reality that at the end of the day: It’s not about what I do for Jesus or about how He blesses or doesn’t bless me, but about Jesus Himself.

  above-all-else-lyrics

It’s in moments like this that the Holy Spirit brings me back to the simplest of truths where He refocuses my attentions back to where they should be: on the joy of spending time with Jesus, our wonderful and beautiful Savior King.