Category: Life

LIFE: eternal

February 15, 2011
LifeTrinity
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Of all the biblical writers, it is the Apostle John that references life most frequently. He refers to life as we know it in the universe (John 1:3-5) and life eternal with God in heaven through the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus, God’s one and only Son (John 3:16). In both instances, Jesus, the Word of God, is the source of life. Furthermore, Jesus referred to Himself as living bread (John 6:51ff) and living water (John 4:10,14). He even goes so far as to say, “I am the life” (John 11:25; 14:6). It is in Jesus that believers possess the life of the age to come in the present and in abundance (John 10:10b).

In focusing on eternal-everlasting life, John’s use of the word life in the book of Revelation reveals much. In Revelation, the word life is used in relation to the “tree of life” (Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14), the “crown of life” (Revelation 2:10); the “book of life” (Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27; 22:19); and the “water of life” (Revelation 21:6; 22:1,17). As Dr. Ed Murphy states, “Man’s association with these sources of life brings him into union with God’s gift of eternal life” (Revelation 1:17,18; 2:7,10,11; 11:11; 21:6; 22:1-12,17). Again, eternal life is a future eschatological blessing that all believers have to look forward to, but it is also a believer’s present possession.

If there is one thing that we can conclude from the Apostle John is that Jesus = life. So, in order to embrace life to the full, a person must look to find it in Jesus and in Jesus alone. He is our abundant life, “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself” (John 5:26 ESV). In following along on this train of theological thought, if the Father and Son have life in Themselves, it goes to reason that the Holy Spirit Who is part of the Trinitarian Godhead also has life in Himself. As Paul states, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead he will give life to your mortal bodies by his same Spirit living within you” (Romans 8:11 NLT).

One of the most amazing blessings from the Father is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13) Who indwells all believers (John 4:13,14; 7:37-39; 14:17; Romans 5:5). It’s through His presence that all believers experience eternal life in the here and now; He is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). The more we lean into the Holy Spirit, the more we will experience the joy and peace of Heaven, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17 ESV). All believers carry the kingdom of God within them (Luke 17:21) because all believers are indwelt with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), Who reminds us that we are children of God (Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6).

So this is my prayer: Father God helps us Lord to fully trust in Your Word that tells us that the abundant life You have for us is found in Your Son Jesus and that this life includes receiving and living out our eternal inheritance both in the here and now and in the age to come when we will finally get to see Jesus face-to-face. Fill us overflowing with the Living Water of the Holy Spirit, so that we may experience the joy and peace of Heaven each and everyday. Thank You Lord for sending the Holy Spirit and for pouring Him into our hearts by Your love. In Jesus Name, Amen.

LIFE: love II

February 3, 2011
Body of ChristLifeLove
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“Ordinary people have the power to change other people’s lives. This power to meaningfully change lives doesn’t depend on advice, though counsel and rebuke play a part; nor on insight, though self-awareness that disrupts complacency and points toward new understanding is important. No, this power to change lives comes from connecting, on bringing two people into an experience of shared life” (25). Hence, one of the many reasons why in the very beginning, God said that it was “not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Now, a “Gospel community is built upon the shared lives of believers who have given their lives to Jesus Christ and now live for Him. What stands at the center of a New Covenant community are forgiven people who have caught a glimpse of Christ, and in whom the Spirit now uses that glimpse to create goodness within them, a goodness that defines who we are” (11). No longer does our sinfulness define us, because Jesus has taken our sinfulness upon Himself at the Cross and in return has imputed (accredited) to us His righteousness. This is the Gospel.

Simply put, we have traded our sinfulness for Jesus’ righteousness and in the process have been fully forgiven. “When God forgives us for violating His design, He pours His life into us; and that restores our capacity to connect, first with Him, then with others. He makes us alive with the actual life of Christ, so that the impulses that energized Jesus’ life on earth are actually in us. This is what being alive in Christ means” (29). It is no longer we who live, but Jesus who lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20). “When believers can offer one another a taste of the delight of Christ that lives within them, they begin to impact one another in a profound way and they start to change for the better because they touch one another with the transforming power of the love of God. When believers make meaningful soul connections with one another their love grows and deepens because we were designed to connect, first with God and then with each other” (45).

In my book, both greater relational capacity (1 John 1:7) and love (1 John 2:10) are sure markers of life. I know I say this a lot, but love is a relational concept. In order for love to be fully realized there needs to be a relationship in place. God created us out of love, for love and to love, which from my perspective means He created us for relationship. “Connecting is life. Loneliness is the ultimate horror. In connecting with God, we gain life. In connecting with others, we nourish and experience that life as we freely share it. Believers have the capacity to enjoy the wonder of a relationship built on grace that no angel has ever personally experienced because fallen angels are not forgiven and unfallen angels don’t need to be” (45). It’s within this eternally redeemed community that believers experience the love and joy that comes from a loving Savior who calls them beloved. As the old saying goes, “to love is to live.” But, I would add to love one another is to truly live.

So this is my prayer: that the Lord would increase our ability to love, that He would grow and mature us in understanding the Father’s love and that He would place in us a courage and boldness to love in any and every situation and with everyone. Help us Lord to fully embrace the reality that we are Your beloved in whom You delight and are well-pleased with. In Jesus, Amen.

 *excerpts from Larry Crabb, Connecting (1997)

LIFE: love I

February 2, 2011
GODLifeLove
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The more I experience life with God, the more I am caught up into His love. Life and love go hand-in-hand. I don’t believe you can truly know God without experiencing both because God is both. God is love (1 John 4:8) and God is life (Genesis 1, 2; Exodus 3:14; Psalm 139:13-16; John 1:4; 8:58; 14:6; Thessalonians 1:9). It is within love that life gets released. When Jesus came down from Heaven to Earth, He said He came to give us life abundant (John 10:10b). I believe there is much confusion in what most believers understand as being a child of God and what it means to be in Christ. For those in Christ there is no more punishment from God, only discipline (Hebrews 12:10, 11). Because Jesus took upon Himself the full wrath of God for sin (Romans 3: 23-25; 1 John 2:2), citizens of the Kingdom of God no longer have to fear judgment or punishment.

“All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because He loved us first” (1 John 4:15-19 NLT). What this says to me is that the more we know and experience God’s perfect love in Jesus, the more we will understand that we no longer have to fear judgment or punishment from God because through Jesus we can approach the Father with confidence (also cf. Hebrews 4:14-16). Even more, it is God’s love that fuels our love (v.19). Love and life go hand-in-hand, “all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them” (v.16), what an amazing truth.

But, one of the more effective schemes of the devil is to trick people into believing that God’s heart towards us is to do us wrong and that He cannot be trusted. Isn’t that what happened in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and what the devil tried to do during Jesus’ testing in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)? If the devil can skew our perspective on the goodness of God than in many ways he has succeeded in driving a wedge between us and God because he has stolen our confidence in approaching God for love and care. The Scripture verse that continually helps me to reorient myself in understanding God’s heart towards me in contrast to the devil’s schemes is John 10:10 “The thief [devil] comes to steal, kill and destroy. I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV). We must never forget that God’s desire is that we should live! His heart towards us is to bring more and more life (and love) into our lives.

So this is my prayer: that the Father would pour out His grace upon our lives and that He would heal our minds by replacing any distorted views we have of Him with the truth of what His Word and Spirit testify to Who He Is. That through the living presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us He would release more of His love and life, so that it literally overflows into every area of our lives and into every relationship. In Jesus Name, Amen.

LIFE: light

January 31, 2011
GODJesusLife
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What comes to mind when you hear the word light? For me, I associate light with life. When I think about light, the sun naturally comes to mind; the sun whose life giving rays nourish all life on earth. Without the sun, life as we know it would end because the sun provides both energy and warmth to all of creation. But, we are not solely just natural beings who have only natural appetites and desires. No, we are also spiritual beings who have spiritual needs and desires. Just as the sun gives nourishment to our bodies, so the Son gives nourishment to our spirit. As Jesus tells us “Yes, I am the vine; and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NLT). Remaining in Jesus gives us the nourishment we need to produce fruitful lives.

Furthermore, the bible says that “God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all” (1 John 1:5). When light encounters darkness, two things happen: 1) it reveals what is hiding in the darkness and 2) it drives the darkness back. God is not intimidated, confounded, anxious or worried over the darkness of the world. Just as in the beginning when He created the universe and everything in it, He is still speaking into those who are formless and void by creating life with His words. “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:6, 7 NLT). The great treasure in us is Jesus; He is the light of the world that shines in the hearts of those who put their faith in Him. “Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12 ESV). Having the light of life means followers of Jesus are now living in God’s light which empowers believers, connecting them in fellowship as the blood of Jesus cleanses them of sin (1 John 1:7) while also increasing our capacity to love one another (1 John 2:10).

So this is my prayer: that the Lord would continue to shine His light in our hearts bringing greater healing, deliverance, redemption and restoration to our lives. Jesus You are the light of the world and we shine for You as little lights within Your glorious light to a lost, hurting and broken world. Help us to live more fully with You basking in Your light and Your love! To the Father’s glory and in Your Name, Jesus, Amen

LIFE: breathe

January 21, 2011
LifeSpirit
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There are two instances in Scripture where God breathes. The first time is in Genesis 2:7 when the Father forms the first man and then breathes life into him. “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (NLT). An important distinction that must be made here is that the man did not come alive until after God gave him the breath of life. This shows us that Humans are integrally both physical and spiritual. I would even go so far as to say that we are souls with bodies, rather than bodies with souls. I know that I’m making a play on words, but I believe it is a subtle but important distinction. Life was not present in the physical body; life was in the neshawmaw (breath). The man came alive through the neshawmaw hakhaheem (breath of life). The spiritual neshawmaw fused with the physical dust and the first man became a living being. So, we must always see ourselves as both spiritual and natural people who were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27) and for His glory (Isaiah 43:7).

On a slight biblically tangent, followers of Jesus, Christians, will experience three types of embodiment. The first is now on earth as embodied souls: Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (NLT). The second will come after physical death in the spiritual realm as a disembodiment: 2 Corinthians 5:8, 9 “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him” (NLT). The third will come after the final judgment where those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be burned in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15) while followers of Jesus will experience eternity in Heaven with God in a resurrection embodiment: 1 Corinthians 15:42, 43 “It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength” (NLT).

Now, the second time where God breathes is in John 20:22 “Then he [Jesus] breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit” (NLT). Not only does this speak volumes of Jesus’ divinity, but it also reveals to us that Jesus is the Giver of new life. When a person puts their faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within that person (1 Corinthians 6:19) and they become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). In meditating on how this new creation happens, I believe when a person puts their faith in Jesus a miracle happens, their spirit becomes eternally fused with the Holy Spirit and in this way they become a new creation. Now in being followers of Jesus, who have been equipped, empowered and commissioned by Him to be His ambassador in everyway while all creation awaits His return, we too are called to breathe life into every person we encounter and any situation we may find ourselves in. Where our prophetic words of Truth saturated with the anointing of the Holy Spirit have the power to release the presence of God, to release life wherever we are and with whomever we are with.

So this is my prayer: that the Lord would continue to demolish the strongholds within us that restrain the flow of Living Water that He has promised will flow out from the very center of our being. I pray the Lord would set ablaze the prophetic words of Truth that we speak, igniting life into people and situations moving them to give thanks and praise to our Father in Heaven because of us. In Jesus Name, Amen.

LIFE: creation

January 20, 2011
GODLife
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I’ve felt moved by the Spirit of God to begin meditating on life. So, in response to His leading I’ve read through the story of creation (Genesis 1 and 2) while paying close attention to signs of life. Overall, what struck me was God’s power over His creation. Never once while reading the text did I ever get the sense that God was really straining Himself to create. No, when I read the narrative, my sense of it is that God was thoroughly enjoying Himself during the creation process: He took great pleasure in creating because God loves life. Not only do I believe that God loves life, but that He also loves celebrating life. I couldn’t help but wonder about the joyousness that must have gone on while God was creating. After all, it was quite the epic event.

Reading through the creation narrative was a good reminder of the truth that God is the Author of life. This means that whenever and wherever we encounter life, we should be reminded of our Creator who is the Giver of life. I don’t know about you, but I spend far too much time gazing at Man’s creation (technology) than I do gazing at God’s creation (all living things). Maybe we can spend the next few days together watching creation while praying that God would help us to see the wondrousness of life and to celebrate creation as He does: “as very good.” This truth has not rung more true to me than now.

Currently, I have been given the privilege to serve the Lord in Tanzania, Africa for the next two months. When I look around at the quality of life here in Tanzania, I am arrested by the pervasive poverty everywhere. It is hard for me to see the goodness of creation because sin has marred creation and distorted the created order. But, the more time I spend being among the Tanzanian people, the more I’ve come to see not only the preciousness of people, but also the goodness of God’s creation as very good. God has blessed me to see that because everyone is created in the image of God, we are all precious, period. He has also blessed me to see the resilience in the Tanzanian people which I see as coming from God who proclaimed at creation that what He created was “good.” God doesn’t ever create junk and because of this, He has built into us a resilience to endure through great hardships. He is after all the master Craftsman.

So this is my prayer: that as we gaze upon creation, God, the Author of life, would bless us with redemptive eyes to see past the sin that mars and distorts all of life, and to see creation from an eternal perspective with the faith to believe that because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, He is making all things new (Revelation 21:5). In His Name, Amen.