Blessed You Are if You Do Them!

John 13:1-17 ESV  

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.  (2)  During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,  (3)  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,  (4)  rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.  (5)  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

 (6)  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?"  (7)  Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."  (8)  Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me."  (9)  Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"  (10)  Jesus said to him, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you."  (11)  For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "Not all of you are clean."  

(12)  When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you?  (13)  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.  (14)  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  (15)  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.  

(16)  Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  (17)  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

I Surrender All!

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

• Refrain:
  I surrender all,
  I surrender all;
  All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
  I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896

All Many Want for Christmas....

....is health insurance they can pay for.

Yes, I have to rant a bit.  What is happening right now in our Nation is just stupid.

Personal friends of mine I've spoken to in the last two days:

1. Person 1: Previous monthly premium: $500.  New premium: $1200.
2. Person 2: An extra $530 per pay period in new insurance costs.
3. Person 3: A 26% increase in health insurance costs for him and his whole staff.
4. Person 4: Struggling to find a doctor now, and a slight increase in premium.
5. Person 5: A $300 increase in premium.

These people aren't theory; these are personal friends I see all the time.  And they are NOT happy.  For most families, these are budget wreckers.

This is what happens when government get out of its jurisdiction.  Government is designed by God to "bear the sword" and provide basic justice (Rom 13:1-7).  When it gets involved in commerce and taxes/takes private property (Deut 19:14; 1 Sam 8:14), it disrupts an individual family's ability to buy, sell, trade, and make decisions to care for the household (1 Tim 5:8) and take dominion (Gen 1:28).  When it goes beyond taking a basic tithe type tax for jurisdictional responsibilities, begins to tax progressively, and sees as its responsibility to take from one to give to another, it steals and violates God's Law (Ex 20:15).  All of these things discourage voluntary generosity and care for the poor: God's design for provision (Lev 23:22; Jam 1:27, 2:15-16).

If we don't get back to a more biblical worldview, this is just going to get worse.  

Rant over.

Thank the Lord He still provides and helps us in difficult times.  Let's continue to be thankful for what God has given AND reform our thinking.

Amen.

IN the World, not OF It!

John 17:11-21 (ESV) says:

 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.  (12)  While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  (13)  But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.  (14)  I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  (15)  I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  (16)  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  (17)  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  (18)  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  (19)  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.  (20)  "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,  (21)  that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Last Sunday, I made a comment that some of us have at times, been afraid of what the Bible teaches in some areas.  It was a comment meant to help us continue our journey away from fear and towards righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17)…towards true, biblical love…towards Christ!

In the vein of moving away from any ungodly, unbiblical fear, I’d like to remind you all again that as believers, we are IN the world (the natural, physical, sin-spoiled earth), but we are no longer OF it.  Indeed, we are citizens of another country….

Php 3:20-21 ESV  But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  (21)  who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Even the word “church” gives us a clue that we are IN and of OF.  In Greek, it is the word “ekklesia.”  It comes from “ek” meaning “out of” and klēsis which means “a calling.”  So when Christ introduces us to the word church in Matthew 16:18, He implies that He is, based on Himself being the Rock and Chief Cornerstone (Eph 2:20 KJV), calling a people out of the world and to Himself.

As we said last Sunday, the final, glorious result of this calling is eternity with Him in Heaven…

Joh 14:1-3 ESV  "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  (2)  In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

So friends, I’d like to encourage you to live as though you are IN and NOT of! :)  Christ prayed that not only the disciples, but that we too (those who believed through their teaching) would be “kept” in His Name.  As He guarded them, He guards us.  As He prayed their joy would be fulfilled, He prayed ours would be too.  He didn't ask for them to be taken out of the world; therefore we aren't taken out.  However, since Jesus prayed they would be kept from the evil one, we too can have this confidence!  Hallelujah!

The disciples were not of the world (except Judas of course) and neither is any true believer.  Christ prayed they (and subsequently, we) would be sanctified by the truth of Scripture.  To be sanctified means to be set apart and is a part and parcel characteristic of the true church around the world and throughout the ages.

So then the set apart, called-out church is sent by Christ into the world....not to assimilate but to emancipate others from the world!

Dear friends, we must become more comfortable with this precious calling.  True believers are different.  We sound different.  We look different.  We think different.  We ARE different because of the work of Christ in us.

Don’t be afraid of the testimony and finished work of Jesus.  Don’t be afraid of the words and commands of Jesus.  Remember Paul’s words to the Galatian Christians…

Gal 1:10 ESV  For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 Amen! :)