Freedom

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

What price would you pay for freedom? We make the decision all the time, every day, When someone else gives his/her life defending freedom, there is a price that is paid. Whenever we get free from debt, there is a price that had to be paid. Whenever we choose to live free from sin, there is a price to pay. The reality is this: freedom has a cost. The opportunity of complete freedom is not something you get just because you want to be free; it comes with a high cost.

In the passage above, Jesus sets the cost for becoming free. If you want real freedom, Jesus says, then abiding in His word is the cost. I speak with people all the time who say to me, “I’m just not where I want to be in my relationship with God, or I can’t seem to make it through the day without thinking a wrong thought or saying a bad word, or my marriage is falling apart and we can’t seem to work things out. Here is the key--abiding in the word of God.

Think for a moment why this would work. If our minds are centered on the truths found in scripture, then we can face the lies of this world with something of substance. Here’s the reality; we face daily problems with what we know. It’s our knowledge base that enables us to make it through problems, (and of course faith helps as well). However, if our knowledge base of what we know to do is not based on scripture, then we are not really equipped to overcome life’s problems. In fact, the opposite is true. We fail because we do not know the truth of scripture--God’s answer for the living of life.

Knowing the word of God and even more, abiding in the word of God, means that we are spending time learning what God has to say about life and how this life should be lived. Just like this passage says, “Abide in my word and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” How simple is that? And the kicker is this: Jesus is speaking to His disciples. Incredible, all of us who call Him Lord, He says to us, “abide in my words.”

So here’s the question. How often do we abide in His words? I find it is easier at times to ignore His words, to think I can do it on my own, and to claim that my way is better. Yet, each time I follow my own course of action I usually end in defeat and the end result is less freedom.

Practicing this tactical approach abiding in scripture and applying scripture to life is the only way to be free Jesus says. Anything less ends in bondage. Wow, that’s the truth!

Blessings, Rip

It’s a Hard Life

John 6:66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

One of the realities of walking the “Jesus Walk” is that at times it becomes difficult. The Christian life is difficult alot of the time. All of us are faced with challenges in this walk, which can either make us stronger or cause us to give up in despair and disappointment. Each of us face choices, which if followed, will move us forward, or cause us to drift back to old ways and bad actions.

The reality is that it is a choice. We have the freedom to choose. God gave that to us as agents of free will, to discover the power He can have in our lives. Strange as it may sound, God wants us to choose, because in the choosing we demonstrate who and what we have become. I know this sound simplistic; however, what we choose determines who we are and what we are. Wrong choices can result in wrong actions; right choices can produce right actions. What we need to learn is how to know the difference.

God wants us to choose because it is the only way we can fully understand the call He has for our lives. The Christian life is a series of difficult choices that will separate us from what the world is expecting and calling us to follow. Here is something to ponder. If our Christian choices don’t differentiate us from the rest of the world, why be a Christian? The life of a Christ follower has always been different than what this world expects. That’s the draw of Christianity, a higher call to a different life, a life of sacrifice and service.

And herein lies the problem. When faced with the choice that causes us to be different, which will separate us from the rest of the world, we draw back. It’s hard to be different, to live for others and not for self, to see things from a different perspective, and to love God above anything else. No one said it was going to be easy, only that it is possible. Yes, sometimes things get tough in the Christian life and we want to give in and give up, but the choice we make at that point will demonstrate what we are made of.

That is what is so sad about this passage above. Even the people of Jesus’ day, when faced with a difficult teaching decided to fall away and to turn aside. How easy it is to give up, to think that what we do makes little or no difference, to get caught in the lie that following Jesus is not worth it. On every side we are bombarded with the lies and desires of this life, which pull at our hearts to draw us away from Christ. Jesus knew it was going to happen, and Jesus knows today that people will fall away. But the call is still there. Come, follow, and believe.

Our answer should be the same as given in the next passage of John 6-69. So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

The Christian life is hard…welcome to the ride of a lifetime.

Blessings, Rip

Worshipers

John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

What were you created for? What is your purpose? How do you glorify God? These questions should be on the minds of Christ’s followers every day. Here is the good news. We all are created to worship God--plain and simple. That’s it in a nutshell. Worship is the core of living in authentic devotion to God.

How about a definition of worship? First let’s start with what worship is not. Worship is not about what I get out of it. It is not self-gratifying or self-serving. Worship is not doing or going to a worship service at a church, or singing hymns or praise courses. Worship is not listening to a sermon or receiving communion. Worship is not gathering together to support one another and even offering prayers. That’s not worship. That is what we do to get to worship.

So let me ask the big question. Are you a worshiper? By definition, a worshiper is one who is in relationship in an intimate way with God. It is about putting God first in everything and looking to Him for our source of strength. It is about forsaking all and taking up our cross to come and follow. Here is truth: worship services are easy, worship of God is difficult. It is difficult because it diminishes how we do things and places the importance on why we do things. Worship, my friends, is about God, and our relationship with Him.

So how do we get to this place where we become worshipers instead of just doing worship? The key is found in the passage of scripture we started with from John 4:23 on spirit and truth. Spirit is the attitude of worship, yes enhanced by the work of the Holy Spirit, but primarily the extent of where we need to go in our life of our self-surrendering everything to God. We do this so that we can stand before Him unconstrained in our purity of worship. Another way to say that is, we have come to the place in our life where nothing else matters except knowing God.

Truth in worship is coming to the place in our life where we can stand before Him without any contamination of self-wordiness. We become transparent before God who knows already everything there is to know about us. Here is the beauty of this statement. God already knows our darkest stuff, so when we come to worship we need to understand that He knows everything already. That’s what makes it authentic. There’s no hiding the truth from God.

One more point of “Good News.” Scripture says that worshipers such as these are the very ones God is seeking. We don’t have the excuse that we can’t get to this high demand on worship because it is too high or unachievable. Our hope is in the fact that God is seeking us to worship Him in exactly this way. Take heart, it is possible to be a worshiper today and every day. See you in worship.

Blessings, Rip

Made Known

Luke 24:35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

It never fails. Jesus always makes an opportunity where He is revealed to His followers. Whether it is in bad or difficult times or in times of joy and success, Jesus is about the purpose of self-revelation for our sake. Why? Because each of us needs to be reminded that life is not about us or our problems, or our lack of understanding. Life is about Him and how we can find real purpose and meaning only in Him.

This short phrase comes after the two men were walking on the road to Emmaus. You recall in the story that Jesus had died and that they were discussing the events of the death and then the news of some type of resurrection. The story tells us that these travelers were caught up in their grief and that when Jesus walked along with them they did not recognize Him. How true that is in our own lives. When faced with insurmountable issues, which overwhelm us, we can’t seem to see Jesus at work very well.

Sometimes life gets in the way; sometimes doubts and fears rush in; sometimes everything looks so bleak and difficult that we can’t see a way forward. At this point in time, it is usual and even acceptable for us to wonder and ask, ‘Where is Jesus in all of this?” I can relate to this problem very well. I go through doubt and distress and worry and frustration and pain and tears almost daily. I say to myself and sometimes even out loud, “Where is Jesus in this?” It’s OK to ask, because in the asking of this question, we are starting the process of discovery. If only then we would open our eyes and see.

You see that is the dilemma; it is easier to dwell on the problem than to see the problem solver. Did you notice that everything became OK again after Jesus revealed Himself to them? Did you notice that faith filled the travelers’ hearts, and they had boldness to return and tell others what had happened? Here is the key. If we remain in our state of despair and discouragement, we will fail to see the world around us and in so doing miss the opportunity of seeing how Jesus is working all things out according to His plan and His will. It is only in looking to Jesus we can find help in times of trouble.

I am convinced that often Jesus is right in front of us calling to us to come and trust Him, to come and share in His joy, to come and believe again that all things are possible, but the world has weighted us down. Satan has discouraged us in our walk, disappointments have robbed us of faith, and life seems to overcome us in such a way that we can’t see anymore. Has that happened to you, my friend? It happens to me all the time. You see, we need Jesus to be made known in our lives.

Here is the key. Jesus is in the familiar things, in the breaking of bread, the singing of a song, the reading of a verse, the walk in the woods, a talk with a friend, and even sometimes just listening for Him to speak. He is ready to do so and has words of encouragement and instruction for each of us.

Where are you on your walk to Emmaus? Jesus wants to meet you there.

Blessings, Rip

Aware

Luke 21:36 “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Oh course, this doesn’t mean to stay wide-awake 24 hours a day. What it means is to be aware at all times about the things around you, which can build you up or bring you down. I think one of the problems we face in life today is the problem of complacency. We have become comfortable with things the way they are, and we lose the intensity and importance of living life to the fullest.

Awareness is the practice of looking for the right things in life, looking for the sometimes-overlooked things, which become the prize worth-giving-up-everything-else- in-order-to-behold. Let me unpack that. Often, I have discovered a small truth that has been overlooked by others. This truth, if left undiscovered, equips no one for faithful living. However, when discovered and shared with others, this very truth becomes the force to ignite the passion of living that sets people free.

Awareness is a biblical practice of looking forward to what is next, and having at the same time, an appreciation and foundation of what was behind. How often do you and I travel through life unaware of the things around us? We miss the tragic consequences of others because of the blindness of our own hearts, at the same time passing up amazing opportunities to be a blessing and to be blessed because of our faithfulness.

Our problem is, because of our unawareness, we tend to have more unforeseen problems. Jesus instructs us to be aware and pray so that we can escape the things that are going to take place. Here is the key: awareness leads to prayer, and prayer leads to strength, and strength leads to the ability not to become involved in things that bring us down.

Jesus says to be awake at all times so that you will through prayer, have strength to withstand, and then to be able to stand before Him complete. I think what this says to me that I need to be aware of, is what God is doing in my life. It is OK to ask the question: What is God trying to teach me in this, or how can I grow from this experience?

The truth of this passage of scripture is found in the ability to know how to be faithful when times get difficult. Jesus stresses that things are going to happen, especially as the end approaches, He gives us clear understanding about what we need to do in order to stand strong. Our challenge is to learn the secret of wakefulness and how this can impact our prayer life in order to stand strong in the Lord. Notice that our strength is not found within us; it is given from God after we acknowledge our dependency and fall on our knees in prayer before Him.

So here is the key. Stay awake, pray and then stand! I think I can do that, come join me!

Blessings, Rip