What Is God's Name? (Part 5)

Have you ever understood the Bible's names for God, about how and why God is called Father, Son and Holy Spirit?  Have you ever wondered -- or doubted -- whether we can trust

Immanu-El, part 1

Humans have always had a sense of something greater than ourselves.  "Primitive" civilizations

Living in the W

It's been a tough year for a lot of us.  My dad had a pacemaker put in, then had complications.  Several of my friends have

Ekenosen

In a classic passage in Philippians 2, Paul describes Jesus, who "though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up

What Is God's Name? (Part 4)

We've been talking here about God's name as Father (we'll look at God's other names later).  We said that we can let God, as a perfect Father, define

What Is God's Name? (Part 3)

Is God a male person?  Why do the descriptions of God in the Bible seem male instead of female?  Why is God called a "father"? Can we use feminine concepts

What Is God's Name? (Part 2)

Last week we introduced some of the questions about how God is named in the Bible, and whether we should add

What Is God's Name? (part 1)

If you want to get in trouble fast, try calling a loved one by the wrong name.  Those of us from large families sometimes got called a sibling's name by Dad or Mom, especially if we were in trouble -- and that just made it worse.  But what do you call God?  In the Bible, he's

Can the Gospel Change Your Life?

Romans 12:2 - Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn

Politics, and Real Answers

My friend Jack and I got into a discussion about politics the other day.  Being the reasonable person I am, as soon as he started telling me his opinions about the parties and candidates, I had to tell him my opinion too.  That's when

Where You Really Live

Where do you live?  Some people live in a house, some in an apartment or a trailer or a condo.  Some live in huge refugee camps, some in shanty towns, and some out in the open.  But the Bible says everyone lives in

Jesus: Expert Consultant

The Lovely Joanne, in her systems-auditing business, sometimes visits client companies that have very complex manufacturing processes.  Sometimes she hires

Two Ears and One Spirit

My mom used to tell me I had two ears and one mouth for a good reason.  She tried many times to help me understand

The Bull's-Eye

Target shooters like to be able to hit the center of the target, called the "bull's-eye" or bullseye.  And if they get especially sharp, they can hit the center of the bullseye.  So if you wanted to know what the exact center

Even a Little Light

We've all heard about the speed of light, but as my friend Kyle Bowen asked once, what's the speed of dark?  Darkness is just the absence

Giving Grief to the Holy Spirit

It's easy for me to make my wife, The Lovely Joanne, upset.  All I have to do

The Love of the Holy Spirit

The greatest human need is to know we are loved.  And most of us try to love others as well as we know how.  Most of the time.  Unless

Time for Change? Good News!

This morning, I heard a flock of geese flying by, headed for winter south of here.  Their honking brings a smile to my face -- I think geese are magnificent creatures -- but it makes me realize

The Power of the Holy Spirit

Are you struggling with something in your life, and want the power to overcome it?  The ultimate source of power is God himself, and God gives us

Spiritual Experiences vs A Spiritual Life

The curriculum at last week's summer camp, SEP Rockies, was "Rooted" and was beautifully delivered by our chapel speaker, Anthony Mullins.  He talked about the life

This Is God Speaking...

Jesus said the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, will "teach us all things" and "lead us into truth."  So, how does the Holy Spirit communicate?  How do we know what he is saying? 

The Holy Spirit of the Love of God

Do you live every day with worry and fear over what disaster of money, health, or relationship might happen to you next?  Do you fret over politics, international tensions and the threat of famine, weather or disease?  If so, you've not yet recognized the power of the Holy Spirit to help you live by love.  

The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

I come from a tradition that didn't emphasize the Spirit's work except as extra power we used to avoid sin.  But the more I study, the more I realize that sin-avoidance only one small part of what the Spirit is about.  The "Third Person of the Trinity" as the Spirit is called by theologians, is the mind

The Freedom of the Holy Spirit

This week, Americans celebrate the official declaration of our nation's independence from our mother country, England.  (For some in England, because of the trouble the colonists were causing and the loss of a certain small amount of tea

Walking Around with the Holy Spirit

I want God to be pleased with my life in Christ, don't you?  In 1 Thess 2:12 we read "live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory."  Continuing on our series on the Holy Spirit's work

The Holy Spirit of Love

I've been writing the last month or so on the Holy Spirit, and how he works to draw us to God and to help us understand the mind of God.  Today we're looking at how the Holy Spirit creates God's love in us.

Hearing the Voice of the Holy Spirit

Even though The Lovely Joanne and I live in the same house, sometimes we have trouble communicating.  Then she and I have to stop and focus on

The Mind and Voice of the Holy Spirit

The Lovely Joanne was trying to tell me something this morning, but I was in the other room and had noise coming in the window.  Guess what?  She didn't get through -- but it wasn't because she didn't do her part! 

Lately I've been writing about the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and who teaches us the mind of Jesus Christ because he is the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).  As we see in scripture, the goal of God from before creation is to draw us into a relationship of mutual love.  Despite our continual detours and sins, God has continued to pursue us, even sending the Son to be a human along with us and create the way back to him, and sending the Spirit to draw us toward the Father (even when we don't believe in him yet), creating and deepening that bond of love.

How does the Spirit draw us to God and build the relationship?  Jesus said in John 16:8-9, the Spirit "will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me." So the Spirit is "the advance man" so to speak, chipping away at our refusal to believe in God.  Once we believe the Spirit's message of our acceptance with the Father, we can gain a stronger bond with God by deliberately living, every day, within the Spirit's influence.  Jesus said the Spirit will "guide you into all truth...tell you about the future...bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me."  So when we can hear the Spirit, look how much God gives us! 


This morning, in order to hear Joanne, I had to go in the other room where she was standing.  So how can we hear the mind and voice of the Spirit?  By getting more serious about listening.  Sometimes, to hear the Spirit, we have to shut off the noise --turning off the TV or the XM satellite radio or the music or the video games, or the cellphone and text messages and Facebook.  Sometimes we have to stop the continual march of food and drink into our mouths, because fasting from the physical helps us focus on the spiritual, which is the only real thing anyway.  Sometimes we have to change locations, getting away from all the ordinary in order to hear God in a fresh way.  

What one thing could you do today, in the routine busyness of your life, to stop and hear the Spirit better?  What's stopping you from doing that?  Will you make the decision to change it, so you can receive all God has for you? 

The Mind of the Holy Spirit

I've been writing recently about the Holy Spirit, as Jesus told his disciples, living in us (John 14:23) as a new gift from God, part of the New Covenant between God and people initiated by Jesus (see Matthew 26:27-28).  God has always wanted a relationship of love and trust with people.  He created Adam and Eve, gave them the garden to live in and seems to have spent time with them regularly (Genesis 1-2, and especially 3:8-9).  It was our own rebellion and short-sighted selfishness (Genesis 3:1-7), failing to trust God, that broke the relationship.  We've had trouble trusting and following God ever since.

God pursued that loving relationship with us (that's the story underlying the whole Old Testament), and re-started the personal contact by coming to us personally.  The Son of God, whom we know as Jesus, "became human and made his home among us" (John 1:14).  As Jesus came to the end of his earthly ministry, he said that the Holy Spirit would continue God's presence with us:  "But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you" (John 16:7).  Jesus taught the disciples in person, but it was time to greatly expand his impact by sending out these men, and many others like them, to preach and serve others in the name of Jesus.  

How did that work?  Through the mind of God in them.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2  that he trusted in the power of God rather than his own ideas:  "My message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God" (verses 4-5).  Further on in that chapter, Paul explains that "God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets."  And "we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us."  And "we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths."  And "we have the mind of Christ" which of course is also the Father's mind, since God is one. 
 
So, what is the mind of the Holy Spirit?  His driving purpose is to initiate and deepen a personal relationship in each of us with our Creator.  Some call that 'evangelism' and 'discipleship' and 'growth' but it's the same thing -- we humans coming to know God and follow him out of love.  The Holy Spirit is the initiator and conduit for that relationship, in all of us.  How can we hear and follow better?  We'll start looking at that next time.

The Holy Spirit's Work

Last week I wrote about the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ, whom Jesus said would come to live in his disciples (John 14:23).  That was a new thing, because in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit rarely came upon anyone; and sometimes the Spirit left again, like in the case of Saul:  "Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear" (1 Sam. 16:14).  This may have led to David's plea "don’t take your Holy Spirit from me" later, in Psalm 51:11.

In the New Covenant, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would come to live in his disciples, and he and his Father "will come and make our home with each of them."  How is it that by one Person coming to live within us, the other two also live within us?  It's because (in ways we can agree with but not really understand) God is one, and yet God is three, Father Son and Spirit.  The three-ness of God never creates any division or separation in the one-ness of God, and the actions of either Father, Son or Spirit are always the actions of the one God.  (Like I said, we can agree, but it's hard to understand.)  

But here's the mind-boggling truth: in the Person of the Holy Spirit, the one God has come to make his home in us, as a natural next step in his love for us -- the love that he showed us in his Son, whom we know as Jesus, coming to live with us, to die for us and be resurrected for us.   And when the Spirit of God comes to live in us, being active in our minds, then we have "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16) by which we can understand the things of God.  So Peter can tell us to "be of one mind" (1 Peter 3:8) -- not that Christians are in lockstep, but that we all have the mind of God in us.  

Having the mind of God in us, then, we are able to perceive the love and intentions of God, not just for us but toward those around us also.  (One might ask, how could we have the love of God for someone, unless the mind of God resides in us?)  So the challenge is to discern and surrender to the mind of God in us, and the spiritual disciplines are an important tool.  You can learn more about applying them on this blog, or by reading from Henry Nouwen, Richard Foster, Dallas Willard and many others.  Let's keep exploring that.  Are you ready to hear from God?

The Holy Spirit of God

Pentecost is in just a few days (May 27).  This celebration, which started out in Israelite life as a harvest festival (Lev. 23:15-21) came to full life in the New Covenant era when the Holy Spirit was given to the assembled disciples:  "On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:1-4).  It was clear that a whole new era was beginning, and the church continues to celebrate the Holy Spirit's person and role on this day.   

But the Holy Spirit seems mysterious to us.  There are only a couple of dozen references to the spirit of God in the Old Testament, and none of them is very clear as to what's going on.  For sure, this spirit comes from God, and when the spirit appears, God's will gets done (see for example 2 Chronicles 24:20).  But there's not much more until Jesus talks about the Spirit in John 14-17, and quite a few more descriptive comments in Acts and in the epistles.  So today, let's look first at some of what Jesus said.   

In John 14:16, Jesus says "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you."  The Greek phrase used here is allos paracletos.  The word "allos" means “another (in this case, Advocate or Helper) of the same kind.”  Jesus had been teaching them, correcting and encouraging them, helping them know the Father, for three years or so.  Now he would send another just like himself to the disciples -- which includes you and me, of course. 

In John 14:23, Jesus continues "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them."  And in verse 26, "But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you."  The Holy Spirit's role is to continue teaching, leading, correcting and encouraging us, by bringing the Father and Son to us in a living, ongoing interchange of love as they make a home in our minds and emotions.  We gradually learn to "hear the voice of God" and follow.  

There's a lot more, but let's remember:  the Holy Spirit is "another one just like Jesus" and is "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16).  So it's important we learn to recognize and follow his voice.  We'll keep looking at that for awhile. 

A Balanced Diet

I like hamburgers.  And ice cream.  And carrot cake.  And coffee.  I can justify eating them because after all, hamburgers supply protein, ice cream supplies calcium, and carrot cake and coffee are both made from vegetables.  Right?  Well, although that is true, these are not necessarily the most healthy way to get those nutrients in my diet, and if I only ate those, I would be unhealthy.  I have to conquer my temptations to just eat what appeals to me today, in order to have a more balanced diet. 

Isn't the same true in our spiritual diet?  It might be simpler and easier to read only books about the Bible instead of the books of the Bible. It is tempting, and easier, to read only the books of the Bible I am more familiar with, rather than working my way through genealogies or psalms or the more obscure prophets, to see the lessons they have for me.  And it's easier to read some scripture, pray a little, and pretend I've done my duty -- but that is hardly a balanced or complete diet.  

I was taught as a youth that "prayer is when we talk to God, and Bible study is when God talks to us."  But I've learned that prayer can be a time of stillness before God, and that he sometimes talks to me when I'm listening for him.  (If you want to see an example of that in the prayer life of the apostle Paul, you could read 2 Cor. 12:8-10.)  I've also learned there are many different ways to surrender myself to God's work in me than just prayer and Bible study. 

Here is a partial list of spiritual practices from the book "Spiritual Disciplines Handbook" by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun.  These are a few ways of presenting ourselves before God, so he can form us into the image of Christ:  Celebration; holy communion; rule for life; worship; contemplation; examination of consciousness; journaling; rest; retreat; self-care; simplicity; slowing; teachability; unplugging; confession; discernment; silence; solitude; submission; accountability; chastity; community; discipling; hospitality; and the list goes on and on. 

One way to expand our ways of relating to God would be to explore one new discipline a month, for the rest of this year, and see what God teaches us.  Once your personal portfolio of disciplines is expanded, you'll have a much broader way of being taught by God, or of stopping during a difficult time and regaining your spiritual footing.  Why not give it a try?  And please let me know how it changes your life.

Fatigue and Rest

Life seems like a never-ending list of projects, chores and work sometimes.  Now that the taxes are done, I'm behind on the lawn and garden, and there are several home projects I wanted to finish last year...maybe I'll get them done this year!  Yesterday's chores tired me out, and it makes me tired just thinking about everything I have stacked up ahead of me.

Jesus had a lot of demands on his time.  As I've said sometimes, even his interruptions were interrupted! (See Mark 5:21-43.)  I guess preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and casting out demons can keep a person busy.  But even when he had a lot to do -- probably because he had a lot to do -- Jesus took time out to rest and to spend time with his Father.  He told the disciples to do the same:  Mark 6:30-31 tells us "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'”  They went off in a boat to "a solitary place" but the crowds followed them and they didn't get as much solitude out of it as they should have.  

Later that day, after teaching the people and feeding at least 5,000 of them, he "went up into the hills by himself to pray" (v. 46).  It was hours later that he finally rejoined the disciples.  What was he doing?  Praying.  For hours?  Well, why not?  We have a hard time imagining that these days because our lives are so hectic.  But praying for hours would be a refreshing spiritual journey, an encounter with God that would change our thinking.  

This Saturday, a bunch of us are gathering to practice prayer and other spiritual tools.  It's going to be a time of refreshing, of challenge, of growth and of new joy in following Jesus, surrendering ourselves to him and being "formed in Christ."  In the meantime, I need to go pray.  Will you join me?

Lessons from Levi

Matthew -- also called Levi, and that's what I'll use here today -- was a disciple of Jesus, and wrote the gospel account that comes first in the New Testament.  Many people don't know the details of who he was and how hard it might have been for him to follow Jesus.  Here are a few background details that help bring the picture into better perspective.  Much of this is found in Luke's gospel, chapter 5.

1.  Levi was from Capernaum, a town of a few hundred inhabitants on a narrow plain off the beach on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee.  He became a tax collector for the Roman occupiers, maybe because it offered a good income, but certainly at the expense of relations with his own people.  (This would be like becoming a narc or a snitch, in a small town known for not liking the sheriff.)  Some of his own people said it was impossible for a tax collector to repent -- so Levi may have been told he was doomed to whatever sorry fate God gave him after his death.  Regardless, Jesus didn't call him because he was righteous.

2.  Peter and Andrew, James and John (two sets of brothers who were called by Jesus) also lived in Capernaum and were fishermen.  How long had they known Levi?  Had they paid taxes onto his table?  Had they resented paying those taxes, and more so, paying them to one of their own people now turned traitor?  When Jesus called Levi into his inner circle of twelve, we don't know if there was friction between Levi and the others, but it must have felt awkward.  Levi could have had many excuses not to follow Jesus, but to his credit, he kept going.  Others Jesus called weren't nearly as dedicated (see Luke 9:57-62 for some examples).

3.  Levi "left everything" to follow Jesus.  Many people with big incomes and lots of personal possessions are focused on keeping what they have, and acquiring more.  But when Jesus called, Levi answered.  He must have been focused on something besides shekels.

I'm sure there are more details from Levi's life that would give us good lessons to consider.  But to summarize these, let's say Jesus doesn't save us because we're already righteous, but because we need saving.  Like Levi, we may not fit the "righteous" profile, and others who come to follow Jesus may not either -- maybe they could use some encouragement from us.  And whatever else you believe, following Jesus will, sooner or later, mean leaving everything else behind.  Are you up for that? 

I will get to meet this disciple of Jesus one day, and I plan to thank him for giving me some valuable lessons in following Jesus.  Will you?

How to Get Empty, or Full

This weekend I preached from Mark 16:1-8, about the empty tomb, and the state of mind of the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, women who were so "shocked ...trembling ...bewildered...frightened" that they couldn't tell anyone, at first, what they had seen.  I compared that to how unstoppable all the disciples of Jesus were, after they had seen the risen Lord and were absolutely sure of his resurrection and filled with the Holy Spirit.  The early church was unstoppable because the people were full of their Savior, and empty of anything else.  Then I challenged everyone to ask God to help them surrender whatever was making them feel empty, or not letting them be emptied of their burdens.  But how do you surrender all that?  Here are a few tools.

1.  Confess it to someone else and ask him or her to pray with you.  James 5:16 tells us "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."  Sin and doubt only have power over you if you keep them secret.  When a loving brother or sister in Christ is praying with you, and encouraging you in times of weakness, the power of the old habit will be broken.  (Simply asking someone to "pray for me" isn't going to get very far, though, because that's still not admitting that you're not perfect, is it?  You'll probably have to get pretty specific.) 

2.  Ask God for clarity on why this doubt, sin, worry, unforgiveness -- or whatever -- has persisted.  (Your prayer partner may be of help here.)  Sometimes we find a false validation of our existence by holding on to anger at someone who has hurt us in the past.  Sometimes we don't want to let go of control because we don't see how much God has provided for us, so we don't trust him to continue to work out the problems in our lives (you know, those problems you can't resolve anyway...).  Clarity helps us let go.   

3.  Forgive other people, and yourself.  Sometimes I "kick myself around the block" because of something I said or did forty years ago -- and God forgave it, in Christ, long ago!  I can't go back and make it right, and I now have a loving relationship with the other person, so what's the point?  And God has forgiven the other person, so as Paul writes, "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (Col. 3:13). Forgiving is a daily, sometimes a moment-by-moment choice, to release the other person to God, who alone can heal and help them; and it frees us to live in God's love. 

4.  Accept God's forgiveness and peace.  This is a form of surrender too.  It includes all the above, plus a deliberate decision to believe that what God has said and done for us is absolutely true, which means all our ideas to the contrary are false.  It can help to keep a list of scriptures that remind you who you truly are in Christ, such as John 1:12, 2 Cor 5:17-19, Eph. 2:10, Eph. 4:24, Col. 1:22, Col. 3:3, 1 Thess. 1:4, 1 Pet. 2:9-10, 1 John 5:18 etc. 

If you're struggling with doubt, fear or any other sin, try using these tools -- with all your might -- for 30 days and see what difference God's power makes.   And let me know how it goes.  I'll be praying for you!

Full, or Empty?

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, many of us celebrated the resurrection of Jesus.  We saw that the empty tomb proved Jesus had told the truth about himself and that he was, truly, alive forever (Rev. 1:18).  The tomb being empty, that was good!  If Jesus' body had been found there, still dead, it would have been the end of the story.  He would have been, as some claim today, "just a great teacher."  But it was empty, and that gives us the positive assurance of eternal life -- and even more, a great life right now.  Why? 

The story of the women visiting the tomb early on Sunday morning to find the tomb empty and Jesus resurrected, according to the testimony of the angel (Mark 16:1-8) showed them "shocked ...trembling ...bewildered...frightened."  They were "full" of fear, anxiety and doubt.  They were also "empty" of faith, assurance and the power of God.

Sometimes we are just like them.  We feel empty, but Jesus tells us that he is the source of true food (John 6:32-35) and living water (John 4:10-14).  So why, then, do we spend so much time trying to fill ourselves up with other things?  We use food, alcohol, drugs, entertainment, books, video games, sports, power and prestige, sex, porn, or just busyness, to try fill the void that is inside us.  We try to numb the feelings of emptiness and uselessness, so we don't have to admit how empty we feel.

Or we are full of anxiety and pain that we don't want to let go of.  We gain some perverse sort of identity from being angry at someone for an offense from years ago, or from the way our parents treated us.  We are so worried about how life is going to turn out, and trying to control everything so that life will look like we think it should, that we can't let go our fears.  But Jesus tells us not to be afraid -- that was one of his most frequent commands -- and simply to believe (Mark 5:36).  He tells us to come and give all our junk to him, to stop carrying it around and find rest  (Mat. 11:28-30) by trusting him to take care of it all.

So, dear reader, what's it going to be?  Empty or full?  Continue the frustration of attempting solutions on your own, or giving up and letting Jesus provide every thing you need?  Holding on to pain, guilt, anger and blame, or forgiving and letting love from Jesus flow through you?  He's already cleared the way for you.  Your sins no longer hang over your head (or the heads of those you refuse to forgive...) but it's still your choice whether to live in peace or in pain.  Give up, surrender to his grace, and you'll be filled with overflowing joy and peace.

"It Is Finished!"

The sky was dark and brooding, as if responding to the horror happening below.  Three men had been hanging on their crosses for hours now, but in typical Roman cruelty, they could be there for days, twisting in agony, begging for mercy and gradually slipping away into death.  The middle of the three, Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee, had been beaten so badly by a Roman scourge that he had not even a palm-sized patch of skin without lacerations and bruises over his entire body.  He was sinking fast.  "I am thirsty" he rasped, and a soldier dipped a sponge in sour wine and held it to Jesus' lips. 

Jesus' thirst was physical, because he was fully human and was thirsty from the loss of blood and lack of water; but it was also a reference by Jesus to Psalms 42:1-2 and 63:1, where the writer has a spiritual thirst for God comparable to being physically parched.  Various commentators point out the irony of the Source of Living Water (John 4:14, 7:38-39) being thirsty in death.  The soldier's response was an unwitting fulfillment of the betrayal listed in Psalm 69:21, "they offer me sour wine for my thirst."  

"It is finished" was Jesus' final cry recorded in John 19:30.  The Greek verb "tetelestai" he used is in the form that means a completed action creating an ongoing state of being.  It's a similar word to "finished" and "fulfilled" in verse 28.  Here, Jesus didn't say "I am finished" to refer to his own condition, but "it is finished" an emphatic, triumphant statement of victory!  The grand plan of God becoming man -- to be one of us and to fully experience our humanity, then in one bold stroke to absorb all our sin, guilt and shame so there will never be any more barrier between God and us -- that plan had now been accomplished with complete success.  There was, and is, nothing left to do to rescue us and reunite us to our Father.  You are now reconciled to God through Jesus his Son (2 Cor. 5:18-19).  It's a done deal. 

Luke records Jesus saying "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands" in 23:46.  It was time now, and okay now, for Jesus to breathe one last breath and die.  Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, fully God and fully human, died.  If he hadn't been human, he couldn't have died for you; if he hadn't been God, he couldn't have died for you.   
 
But the story is not over...

Knowing Who Jesus Is

How do you read the Bible?  Some treat it as the "owner's manual for people".  The result of that view is, they look in the Bible for rules or principles in how to treat others and how to worship God.  And in one sense that's correct, because the principles given in the Bible do point out good ways of living.  But is that the Bible's main point?  There's far too much in its pages that doesn't fit that mold.

A better way to look at the Bible is that it shows us who we are and who God is.  Today, we'll look for an example at the story of Jesus in the Gospels.  If Jesus were just a great teacher, it would make sense that the Gospels were written to tell us what he taught, which of course is radical and challenging.  But seen more fully, they are written to tell us who Jesus is, and why that matters to us.  The many times they show him as the Son of God, someone who is more than just a man and more than just a teacher, is overwhelming.  Have you read them from that perspective? 

This letter from Joseph Tkach lists the four Gospels and tells how each was written.  To summarize his letter, the four Gospels were written to four different audiences to show who Jesus is from four different viewpoints. 

Finally, let's look at the way the four books emphasize Jesus' intentions toward his crucifixion.  Notice how much space in each book is taken up with the run-up to that final encounter and his triumph over death in the resurrection.  In Matthew 16:13, he asks "Who do you say I am?" and follows that with an explanation of his coming sacrifice in verse 21.  Luke's account records the same question in 9:19, moving into Jesus predicting his death, and saying the days were coming close to his being taken up.  Mark's Gospel shows him already being opposed by the Pharisees in chapter 7, and in 8:27 is the fateful question.  John's Gospel has the clues about his upcoming death starting in the first chapter.  Jesus' mission to come into our humanity as the Son of God and rescue us from within our broken humanity is the main idea throughout. 

As we approach the date of our annual remembrances of both his sacrifice and his resurrection, let's be sure we understand what he was really about -- and how he pursued his Father's mission with love and faithfulness (John 1:14-17). 

Pray About...

We've looked at several kinds of prayer in my last few posts, and at why we should pray. What should we pray about?  Here are some topics, from the words of Jesus and others in the New Testament:

• "Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  (Matt. 5:44)
• "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." (Mat. 7:7)
• "So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." (Mat. 9:38)
• "Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"  (Mat. 26:41)
• "Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God" (Rom. 1:9)
• "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words." (Rom. 8:26)
• "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." (Rom. 12:2)
• "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)
• "And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety." (2 Cor 1:11)  
• "We pray that you will become mature." (2 Cor 13:9) 
•  "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called."  (Eph. 1:18)
• "So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should." (Eph. 6:20)
• "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart." (Col. 4:2)
• "So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call."  (2 Thess. 1:11)
• "Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." (1 Tim. 2:2)
• "In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy." (1 Tim. 2:8)
• "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (James 5:16)

With this much to pray about, it shouldn't be a surprise that Paul would write "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion" (Eph. 6:18) and "Pray about everything" (Phil. 4:6) and "Devote yourselves to prayer" (Col. 4:2) and "Never stop praying" (1 Thess. 5:17).  We can pray alone in our own homes, or in a group with others as the early church often did, or while we're stopped at a traffic light, or whenever a need for prayer comes to us (which is often by a prompting from the Holy Spirit). 

Whatever else you do...pray!

So Are You Praying?

I've been writing about prayer lately, and I hope I've been helpful.  But are you praying?  Here's a parable written by Bill Bright that might help illustrate my point:

Bill Bright tells the story of a man who traveled to a certain city one cold morning. As he arrived at his hotel, he noticed that the clerks, the guests-everyone-were barefoot. In the coffee shop, he noticed a fellow at a nearby table and asked, 'Why aren't you wearing shoes? Don't you know about shoes?' 'Of course, I know about shoes,' the patron replied. 'Then why don't you wear them? The visitor asked. 'Ah, that is the question,' the patron returned. 'Why don't I wear shoes?'

"After breakfast, the visitor walked out of the hotel and into the snow. Again, every person he saw was barefoot. Curious, he asked a passerby, 'Why doesn't anyone here wear shoes? Don't you know that they protect the feet from cold?' The passerby said, 'We know about shoes. See that building? It's a shoe factory. We are so proud of the plant that we gather there every week to hear the man in charge tell us how wonderful shoes are.' 'Then why don't you wear shoes?' the visitor persisted. 'Ah, that is the question,' the passerby replied. 'Why don't we wear shoes?'

Bright says, "When it comes to prayer, many Christians are like the people in that city. They know about prayer, they believe in its power, they frequently hear sermons on the subject, but it is not a vital part of their lives.  [Worldwide Challenge]

So do you pray?  If not, why not?  Since the Creator of the universe loves you and gave you life so you could come to know him and love him, why not talk with him and let him talk with you?  Why not give him a larger place in your life, and more influence over you, by more conversation with him?  

A Little More about Prayer

Last time I wrote about prayer, describing very briefly two different types of prayer.  We should recognize that some of our prayers are, as M. Robert Mulholland Jr. describes, "an attempt to manipulate the symptoms of our lives without really entering into a deep, vital, transforming relationship with God."  Prayer is a way of bringing -- sometimes dragging bodily -- our stubborn and flighty selves to rest before the Eternal God of all hope, comfort and love.  So today, let's look at two more types of prayer. 

Contemplative Prayer:  This type of prayer helps develop "an open, restful receptivity to the Trinity that enables me to always be with God just as I am" (Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, page 211).  We might think of the sheep lying in the green meadow (Psalm 23) or the weaned child, no longer needing to nurse, but simply resting in his mother's arms (Psalm 131).  This is, as Calhoun describes it, "a way of waiting with a heart awake to God's presence and his Word...in the presence of the Holy Spirit deep in our own spirit."   To practice this type of prayer, you might try sitting quietly, without distractions (I have to leave my office and cellphone behind!) and simply declaring to God, "Here I am, just to spend time with you."  Then wait, and if you like, think about the goodness of God and his gifts, or how his love is expressed to us.  Be ready to express your love to God and receive his in return, not necessarily in audible words but in a peaceful assurance.  The result, if we practice it often, should be deeper awareness of "Christ in you" (Col. 1:27) and a greater trust in his presence.

Intercessory Prayer:  When we pray for others, we are joining Jesus, the mediator between God and humanity, (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us and interprets our words to the Father (Rom. 8:27).  In Eph. 4:6 we are told "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."  So then, intercessory prayer is not a frantic attempt to convince God to do something for us -- that is not necessary, and feeds our tendency to worry!  This is a way of joining with God's concern and love for the person we pray for, and releasing our concerns to God for his solutions.  Intercessory prayer can be done alone or with others, and should be done regularly, not just when we think of some need.  A weekly prayer list, with different topics for each day, could be a good tool in intercession, as it would move us through different needs and help reveal to us any unhealthy patterns such as a narrow focus on our own immediate priorities. 

I am asking God to help you, dear reader, to understand him better through the tool of prayer, and to be blessed in every part of your life with him. 

A Little about Prayer

Many Christians think of prayer as our list of requests, worries and admissions of guilt with requests for forgiveness, given to God in a one-sided stream of words and thoughts, and we hope we get it right.  But that's only part of the Bible's teaching on prayer.  In my reading, I've found more than a dozen different types of prayer, each appropriate for a specific time or use!  Today I want to outline two of them for you.  I am grateful for the detailed descriptions given in Adele Ahlberg Calhoun's excellent work, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook:  Practices that Transform Us.  (The link will take you to christianbook.com where you can purchase it if you like, but I don't get any commission or anything.)

But first, why pray?  Jesus said "your heavenly Father already knows all your needs" in Mat. 6:34 shortly after teaching the disciples how to pray.  So prayer is not informing God of our needs or worries or fears or pain.  To paraphrase many different authors over the centuries, prayer is entering into an intimate conversation with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, where we may freely speak but where God also may freely speak to us.  It includes becoming quiet before God so he can respond to all our temporary concerns with his eternal love.  

Breath Prayer:  perhaps the simplest form of prayer, certainly the shortest.  A breath prayer might consist of breathing in while thinking of one of God's names such as "Lord of heaven's armies" or "Jesus, Son of David;" then breathing out and saying "Hear my prayer" or "You are my God forever" or another term of praise or a request.  It's helpful to do the same prayer several times in a row as a way to slow down and focus, perhaps in preparing for another spiritual activity.

Conversational prayer:  you may have experienced a prayer group, where people take turns praying, often about many topics at once.  In conversational prayer, like in a discussion among friends, everyone takes turns, briefly, praying about a specific topic and listening to one another pray.  It is like a discussion with God and one another, prompted by the Holy Spirit moving within each of us, until we feel prompted to move to a new topic. It's a type of prayer that takes sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's voice in ourselves and in one another. 

These are only two forms of prayer that you may not have practiced.  I suggest you give them a try, though, as they can enrich your prayer life and your appreciation for the Lord's intimate concern for you and others. 

Lazarus, the Rich Man, the Older Brother...and Us?

You might want to read this post from my brother pastor / writer Jonathan Stepp:
http://trinityandhumanity.com/2012/02/16/lazarus-the-rich-man-and-the-prodigal-son/

What do you think?  Tell him, and let me know too.

God's Love, Our Life

I've been writing about how God tells us he has already redeemed us through Christ, and we don't have to earn his love.  So how we can more fully live in that amazing reality of God's love and acceptance?  How can we deal better with everyday life, with its struggles, temptations and failures, learn to "imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1) and show God's power and love to others?  We will find that the answer to all these questions is the same:  a more focused daily walk, using some common and very useable tools.

We were created "in the image of God" (Gen. 1:26) with the capacity for a relationship with God.  But because of humanity's initial and ongoing rebellion against God, we have been wandering around in the dark and subject to death (Rom. 5:12-14).  It took another "Adam" -- Jesus Christ -- to set things right, including restoring that broken image of God in us (1 Cor. 15:45).  Because of Jesus, and only through Jesus, we have a new, clear and open relationship with God.

A few points to remember before we start to talk about specific tools:
First, these are 'tools' not 'rules.'  These help us on our journey, they're not more and burdensome commands (sigh) to remember. 
Second, these are not ways to convince God to reward us; they are part of "a process of involvement in God's gracious work" through the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, according to M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. in his well-written book, Invitation to a Journey.  
Third, we don't change ourselves; we are changed by God in the process of walking with Jesus, caught up in his relationship of love with the Father.  We are not in control, God is; so the best thing we can do is surrender to his plan for us "to become like his Son" (Rom. 8:29.
Fourth, these are ways to remove the veil that is over our eyes so we can see Jesus more fully.  Paul writes in 2 Cor 3:16-18, "But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."
Fifth, it's a process, not something we do just once.  Life with Jesus is a relationship, like two friends taking a long walk together, or a marriage. 
Sixth, being conformed to Christ means new and renewed relationships with others.   As we become more like him, we will be able to relate to others with his love and not our own brokenness.  (Isn't that alone worth the whole journey??)

So as we look at these tools one by one, we will see why each one fits into God's plan to conform us to a whole new Person, Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13). 

Facing Jesus and Reality

Last week I wrote about spiritual reality:  that we have already been given "every spiritual blessing in Christ," and that we can learn to live in those blessings every day, by perceiving and focusing on that reality.  In this pattern of life, when God speaks to us, we actually hear his will for us and are ready to respond. 

The Triune God said "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us" (Gen. 1:26), and we were created as relational people, so God could have a mutual relationship of love with us.  We are, at the core, spiritual beings (1 Thess. 5:23) so having a spiritual connection with God should be a natural part of life.  The Holy Spirit, who is our guide and helper (John 14:16-17) has come to help us perceive and live within that.

Some think that, if they "get more of the Holy Spirit" then they will achieve mastery over life, sort of like a Jedi in Star Wars.  But that's emphasizing our self-will, when in fact, it is God who gives us both the idea of pleasing him and the strength to follow, Phil. 2:13.  Our life with God is a matter of becoming quiet before God and surrendering our will to his; placing ourselves before God, deliberately, day by day, through practical, useable tools of spiritual development.

These tools are not mysterious matters that can only be practiced by monks in a cave somewhere in France.  They are exercises any of us can do, nearly anytime or anywhere, to experience a deeper Christian life:  "And this is the secret: Christ lives in you" (Col. 1:27).  Human life gets chaotic and broken because we neglect this spiritual journey we are on with Jesus.  Wholeness, the repair of our thinking and our emotions, can only take place as we surrender our self-will in the only truly safe place there is:  the arms and heart of the Father, as we are brought there, in Jesus, through the Holy Spirit's guidance.

We're going to continue exploring, slowly and one little piece at a time, what that spiritual journey is like.  This is not something any of us achieves in a short time, dear reader, so as we journey together with Jesus, let's allow him to lead us one step at a a time, being patient with the process and with ourselves.  I believe we will both find spiritual riches as we go.

Already There

"Are we there yet?"  "When will we get there?"  Every parent has heard these questions.  Guess what -- God hears this kind of question from his children all the time!  I used to be told that I was waiting for something called "the Kingdom of God" and until that "came" I just had to wait for anything really good to happen.  I hear people say "Oh, I just can't wait to get to heaven" and they seem to be simply gritting their teeth and enduring physical life so they can be blessed by God after they die. 

Here's the truth:  in many ways we've already arrived!  When the Son of God took on human flesh (John 1:14) and made his home among us, the universe changed.  Instead of being distant from God, as we have perceived ourselves since the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-11) the entire human race, indeed the whole of creation, was joined to God as the Son of God entered the physical world.  The whole universe is now contained in Christ and is sustained by him -- and if it weren't, it would cease to exist!  (Col. 1:17, Heb. 1:3 etc).  Because of the self-sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, and because he was raised from the dead and because he returned, in his human body, to the Father, people are no longer cut off from God, but all of us are brought to God through Jesus:  "through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross" (Col. 1:20).  And Jesus says "I am with you always" in Mat. 28:20 -- not "will be with you" if we pray hard enough, but is with us now. 

In Eph. 1:3, Paul says we have been given "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms."  Note the past tense -- we have been given those gifts already.  But what if we don't perceive the blessings God has already given us?  If we live as if those blessings don't exist, how much are we missing out on?  Yet, sadly, that's how a lot of Christians live -- sadly, as if they are poverty-stricken children of the Most High -- a contradiction in itself!  (No, we're not talking about health-and-wealth, as though Christians are never supposed to have any wants in this life.  Instead, we learn how to take all our wants to Jesus.)   The difference is, we have been given spiritual blessings, and they are spiritually perceived -- not physically, although they do impact our physical lives as a result. 

Paying attention spiritually is the key, then.  Since you are a disciple of Jesus, then it's important to focus on that reality.  How do we do that?  We'll talk about that next time.  Here's a hint:  it's something 'spiritual.' 

Jesus Is on Time

I'm enrolled in a Master's program, and I'm behind in my class work.  Last semester was supposed to be over around the first of December, but I didn't finish the papers I was to write, and now I'm having to do those papers plus all the other stuff I'm supposed to be doing now.  I may procrastinate, but God is never late.  His timing is always "just right."

We Christians have been hoping for the full, visible establishment of Jesus' kingdom for almost 2,000 years now.  His disciples thought it would be right away after his resurrection:  “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6), but Jesus ascended to heaven instead.  Hundreds of people over the centuries have calculated or guessed at the date of his return, and they've all been wrong, (including the ones on television who move the date forward every time the last one passes.)  In Springs of Grace, and Living Grace Christian Fellowship, we'll get to hear a sermon  this weekend, going over some of the detail in Matthew 24 that I think will help with some of those concerns. 

The pressing question is, since we're still here, what we do while we're still here?   One thing we don't want to do is forget that God is with us, and Jesus is continuing to work out his will through us, individually and as his Body, the Church universal.  He encourages us in Matt. 24:45-46, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward."  Our job is to continue doing whatever part of that work God has given each of us to do.  

The warning Jesus gives next, in Mat. 24:48-50 is the reverse:  "But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected" (and this guy is not rewarded).  Why is the master's "return" unexpected?  Because that servant focuses on physical pleasures instead of the joy of serving his master faithfully.  We don't want to make the same mistake.  

We have plenty of distractions in this life, but serving our Lord brings the most joy of all.  And when Jesus appears -- at just the right time -- the reward of having served faithfully will be worth the wait.  He's already promised us that.  What exactly has God given you to do?  Whatever it is, today is a good day to be doing it!

How to Please God

I've spent most of my life trying to please God, working harder and studying more, beating myself up for my failings -- and only recently starting to find out what really does please him.  It's much simpler than I used to think! 

My wife, The Amazing Joanne, puts it this way:  God can do anything he wants for fun, and he decided to adopt us!  That's a paraphrase of Eph. 1:5, which says "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure."  (See Genesis 1:31, where God calls us, as part of his creation, "very good.")  So in that broader sense, you have already pleased God, just by existing!  But how do you know what to do after that?

Imagine you were an orphan living on the streets in the wrong part of town, hungry and dirty and sick and alone, sleeping in your rags at night.  One day an incredibly rich family sees you, loves you that instant, and takes you home to their mansion, where you have more food, clothing and love that you ever imagined existed in the whole world together.  How could you show that family appreciation for their love and generosity?  Would you reject their gifts and insist on earning them first?  You would be wise to decide that, since they've been so good to you, then you should learn their values and ways, and find how to be good to others also.

After describing who we are -- being securely "in Christ"-- in Ephesians 1-3, Paul finally gives us something to do in the latter chapters.  He says in 5:1-2, "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ."  In verses 8-9, "For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true."  And in verse 10, "Carefully determine what pleases the Lord."  There are other commands and cautions in these verses too, but the core is this:  we are God's children -- adopted through Jesus Christ -- so our new family values are love and generosity and light. 

What pleases God?  That, since we are "in Christ," we live by our new family values of light and love and acceptance, loving others as generously as we've been loved by God, and by following the Holy Spirit's lead, "carefully determine what pleases the Lord."  That's enough to keep us fully occupied the rest of our lives until we see God -- when we will finally start to understand just how much he really loves us. 

What Now?

Christmas is a time of tremendous joy for the McCulleys, as we look at the Son of God, who took on human flesh (that's the Incarnation) to join us to God and give us eternal life.  Sharing that joy with others is our main focus during this time.  But, we just finished putting away all the Christmas decorations and took the tree out to be turned into compost.  So, what now?  Mild depression?  Back to business-as-usual?

What now?  What is our response to the great gift of God for us, his only Son, Jesus the Christ?  There should be only one response, if we consider carefully:  to live out, in every possible way,  our true being and purpose in life as God has revealed it.  Here's a prayer from the journal of Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, who grounded them in God in their youth:  "Help me, Lord, to remember that religion is not to be confined to the church, or [prayer] closet, nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but that everywhere I am in Thy presence.  So may my every word and action have a moral content...May all the happenings of my life prove useful and beneficial to me.  May all things instruct me and afford me an opportunity of exercising some virtue and daily learning and growing toward Thy likeness...Amen."  (Quoted by Richard Foster in Streams of Living Water, from Donald L. Kline's book, Susanna Wesley: God's Catalyst for Revival.)

What now?  God has called us with a holy calling as his dear children (Eph 1:4) and is blessing us spiritually (Eph. 1:3).  He is everywhere, at every second, so we know God is in every moment of our lives.  We don't have to "bring God along" as we go somewhere; he is already with us. But if we're not aware of God's presence and power, we end up stumbling around in life, being aware only of our own strength, and tripped up by our weaknesses. 

Let me suggest a simple prayer to remind us of God's presence in every second of our daily living:  "Lord God, help me see you in everything and hear your direction for me.  Let your love fill me so I can love everyone in your name.  Amen."  That's a place to begin. 

What now?  Live every moment of every day being fully aware of God's love and purpose for you. 

The Whole Story, Briefly

The last several weeks, during the Advent and Christmas seasons, I've tried to show from scripture who God is and how he has chosen to relate to us humans.  To begin 2012, I'm writing the same things in summary, with a few supporting scriptures (you can click on the reference to read the scripture online, or look it up yourself):

1.  It was God's purpose from the first, as part of creation itself, to adopt humanity into a relationship of closeness and love (Eph. 1:3-6).  His plan is to be with us forever in a life of never-ending joy (Rev. 21:1-4).  Why?  Because God is love (1 John 4:8) and so he loves us now (John 17:23) as he has from the first.

2.  God's plan for humanity included, from the beginning, a way to bring us imperfect humans into his embrace. (Gen. 3:15, Isa. 7:14, Isa. 9:6-7, Isa. 11, Isa. 53, etc). The nation of Israel set up a 'vocabulary of salvation' with sacrifices, a priesthood, and so forth, to prepare us for the Messiah.

3.  The eternal Son of God was born into human flesh as Jesus (Matthew 1, Luke 1, Luke 2, John 1:1-18, John 4:21-26, etc).  His purpose was to fulfill the Father's plan, (John 4:31-34, John 5:35-40) and he was successful (John 17:1-8, John 19:30).  He brought everything to God in a relationship of peace (Col. 1:19-20) including you and me!  The work of Jesus Christ, in his life and on the cross and in his resurrection, has already removed all sin.  There is no longer anything standing between you and God! 

4.  The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, has the task of inviting us into the loving embrace of the Father (John 16:8-15) and he continues to draw people to believe (Acts 16:13-15).

So where does that leave you, dear reader?  To believe and accept what is already true about you, according to the word of God, and respond to him in that belief.  Our lives now, yours and mine, are about giving glory to the God who has loved us this much (Eph 2:10) and living a life of love (Eph. 5:2) as our response to him.  And if you haven't yet believed that, isn't the start of a new year a good time to begin?