The Word

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

As I thought of this passage of scripture today, I was taken by the completeness of it. Everything we were in need of, creation, life, hope…were all summed up in this announcement from John found in the opening of his Gospel. So what I want to do today is embellish upon this passage and cause us to consider the complexities of its depth and reach of its completeness.

In the beginning was the Word, and guess what, the Word will be there at the end as well. One of the amazing truths of scripture found here is that God is, has always been and will always be. We know that this reference to “the Word,” spoken of here, is, in fact, speaking about Jesus Christ. He was with God from the beginning; all things were made through Him. In Him is life and light, and the light shines in our dark lives.

These seven ideas contained in this passage give us a complete life and work of the person of Christ. Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Conqueror--these form the basis of everything Jesus is doing. No wonder John writes that in verse 9, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” After all the darkness, now the light has shown and Christ is come.

It is complete in that Jesus was Creator and ends with Him being the Conqueror which nothing can overcome. It is complete in that He provides everything we need to live; life in Him is provided. Light and life, hope and forgiveness--all these are found in Him because He created everything that is.

I love the phrase from time to time said in our churches, “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” It was in His goodness that He created us and gave us everything we needed, and it is in His goodness that He sustains us and provides for us living faith. It is in His goodness that He will bring us to Himself at the end so that nothing will overcome that which He has created.

In the beginning was the Word; always has been, still is and always will be. Thanks be to God.

Blessing, Rip

Come

Luke 19:5-6 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

Perhaps this is one of the better known and best loved short stories in all of scripture. Who among us growing up in Sunday school has not sung the song relating to this story of Zacchaeus, the wee little man? And yet, this story has amazing power in its teaching about giving up everything and following Jesus. That really is the purpose of the story, you know--not that Jesus was going to his house but that Jesus was calling him to change his life.

Change his life it did. If you follow the story, you will see that Zacchaeus made a radical life change which started that very moment with his Jesus encounter. He gave back things he had wrongly taken; he restored over and above what he had stolen and he gave half of everything to the poor. Significant for sure! However, I think the greatest thing he did was after this first encounter. Jesus said it this way, “Today salvation has come to your house.”

What was the core change in Zacchaeus? Was it how he handled money or power? No, I think it was how he lived from that moment on. For many of us, it’s easy to make a declaration of change at the moment of encountering Jesus, but the proof is in how we finish the course set before us. Quick change rarely finds its completion in lasting and significant things. It is only in sustained living the Jesus Walk that we sill find at the end of the journey the life of fulfillment and joy that we were seeking.

This radical call from Jesus to Zacchaeus is the same call to each of us. “Come down; I’m coming to your house today.” It’s the same call each and every day in the life of a Christ follower. The way you choose each day is directly related to your joy and obedience in following the life Christ has planned for you.

Zacchaeus could have ignored this call from Jesus. He could have said, “Not me, not now.” Yet he came down and the passage tells us, “welcomed Him gladly.” Salvation came to Zacchaeus because he responded and in so doing, his life was changed.

Jesus calls each of us to come, follow, and receive.

Blessings, Rip

Write it Down

Luke 1:3-4 “It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

One of the things I have learned to do over the course of my years in ministry is to write things down. I forget stuff. Not the big stuff; in fact, I still remember places and people from my past with clarity. I still have fond memories of meals together with friends and loved ones. I can still recall phone numbers and addresses of places where I lived, but sometimes I can’t remember what to pick up at the store.

I don’t think it is an old age problem (perhaps it is); I think it is a priority problem. Some things have a greater priority to be remembered. Luke, in this opening to his gospel, gives a very good reason for the practice of writing things down. He says, “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” God has a way of bringing certainty to the things He has done so that we may have no fear in believing.

Here it is in white and black. These things are true; you can trust the authenticity of this writing. I remember when I first started buying Microsoft products and there was a seal of authenticity on the package and still is. This gave evidence that the product inside was indeed a Microsoft product.

The seal of our Christian walk is the Holy Spirit; the Spirit gives certainty to our turning from the old nature to the new, while at the same time giving us the tools we need to walk this walk. We have this written down so that we can come to this place from time to time and be reminded of who we are and to whom we belong.

I have discovered as well the importance of having something I can turn to when things get difficult. When I can’t seem to find my way forward spiritually, I am reminded in scripture that God is my guide. I can return to His book, the Bible, and remember that He spoke to me there. Perhaps, what I need is to be reminded of this from time to time because there is certainty in these writings for the living of my life.

So write it down.

Blessings, Rip

Abundance

Mark 44 "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

We put value on many things--our possessions, our children, our spouse, our jobs and even our religion. Possessions take time to care for and to manage well. And the mandate from scripture concerning our wealth is that we are to be stewards of all that we have been given. So what do we do when it seems like we have less than needed?

I think the answer is found in this simple act of the widow in this story. We continue to give. It’s not really an option; it is a life choice. Giving is easy when you have abundance and plenty to share around. I enjoy that type of giving; however, I have discovered that you can’t really judge the results of giving when you give in this way. Some will respond because you are able to make a change in their lives and this ultimately leads to displaced dependence. The focus is on your ability to give and not the heart intent of why you give.

Real giving is when you make a life choice to give regardless of the outcome. You give because you know it is the right thing to do and your thoughts are not based upon reward or return but upon the joy that is part of giving.

This week I have been working at my sister’s home, not for reward, even though she did take me out to eat a few times, but because I love to give. I receive an inner joy from doing what I can to help others, and sometimes, I even like to give money.

I believe that everything I have is an opportunity to give, and in the act of giving I am learning that possessions are not important. That was what this widow understood. Her things were only opportunities to choose to give, and she chose wisely. Even Jesus noticed and we all know her story. Interesting isn’t it? We don’t know the stories of the other givers of abundance; we know however the widow’s.

We continue to give; it’s that simple. It is a choice we make based upon our belief that all we have belongs to God and that we have been entrusted with the stewarding of these resources.

So how are you doing with this giving thing?

Blessings, Rip

Choices

Matthew 25: 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.”

Everyone is responsible. Everyone has a purpose. Everyone is involved. Everyone is given something. The issue at hand is what are you going to do with what has been given to you?

I think that more times than not this passage of scripture has been used to guilt people into action. Pastors always point to the last servant who did nothing with his talent with the admonition that you and I don’t want to end up in the same place as he did. Truly this is part of the teaching from Jesus on this subject. Wasted talent is sad to see. Wasted opportunities are never regained; wrong choices are filled with consequences that plague us for a long time. But on the other hand, very little is made mention of the faithful servant.

I have often wondered what made him special? What set him apart from the others? The truth is this. The only thing that made him different was that he made a choice to be faithful. He did not have more ability or talent in proportion to the others; what he had was the right choice. Because he chose rightly, he was blessed. Right choices lead to fulfilled dreams.

I doubt that you and I are any different from the characters in this teaching. Each of us has ability unique into ourselves. That’s the way God made us. We are gifted in certain ways to fulfill tasks that are suited to the call of God in our lives. I don’t think that I am a car mechanic; I have tried and not been too useful. Yes, I can change oil and spark plugs…they still use spark plugs? But, I don’t do major repair. I make the right choice. I trust those who have the ability to do the work well.

This Christ journey that we have been called to walk is filled with opportunities to use the abilities that have been entrusted to us. The only thing that matters now is the choice we will make. I read a good book a few years ago with this title, “You Can Get Better or Bitter.” The author was stressing the power of choice. I think that is true in our lives more than we want to admit. The power of choice is ours. Sometimes choice is for good; sometimes it is for worse.

So what do we do with this choice? I would direct your thinking to the choice of the first servant. It says that he went at once and used his talent--not because he was special but because he decided to go. The choice was his to make; the choice is yours to make.

Choose well.

Blessings, Rip

Simple Gospel

Matthew 22:37-40 “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’"

A good friend of mine who died a few years ago had a profound way of looking at this passage of scripture. He would say, “The gospel is really quite simple; it’s all about loving God and loving your brother and sisters.” I think that not only did he speak these words, but he lived them as well. There is something unique about the person who figures out how simple being a Christ’ follower really is.

Simple gospel is God’s way of providing for us the basics for living life to the fullest extent. I am always somewhat amused by the type of person who makes more requirements for living as a follower of Christ than Christ did Himself. Legalisms have a way of robbing us of the joy of faith and produce very little in return. In fact, Jesus Himself says that, “I have come to bring you life and that life will be abundant and free.” What is it about free that we don’t get?

In reality, when you put everything into perspective concerning the gospel, it really is all about loving God and loving each other. Perhaps that is why for some people it is difficult. Loving God and loving others is the result of being able to fully love ourselves. Therein is the problem; un-forgiven people do not understand the freedom that results when they are fully forgiven through the love of God in Christ Jesus. Let me say that again. The ability to love others results because of the power of God’s love demonstrated to us through Jesus Christ.

That’s not simple, my friends; that is profound. When we realize that God created us as receptors of His love in order to fully love and be fully loved. The mystery of the gospel is that God loved us even when we were unlovely and living in sin.

Now the opposite becomes attainable. We can love God fully and at the same time enjoy the opportunity of loving others as He Himself loves. In fact, this is not an option but a command for the living of life, because according to scripture, everything--the law and the prophets--hinges upon this love relationship with God and with others.

So here is the practice for our living life. Begin today to tell God you love Him; He knows it but you need to reinforce it. Tell others you love them. But watch out for the unexpected.

The simple gospel--not really so simple is it?

Blessings, Rip

Maria

Matthew 19:13-15 “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ And he laid his hands on them and went away.”

I often visit orphanages while I travel around Nicaragua. Children are everywhere with almost half the population under the age of 15. (42% was the last report from the W.H.O.). These are precious children--many hungry, unclothed and in need of care and security. I will never forget the impact one girl had on my life as I visited with her the first time. She came from a family that lived in the city dump of Managua, La Chureca. This dump is home to several hundred people, mostly women and children trying to survive day to day. “For to such belongs the kingdom of God...”

The first time I saw Maria she was a wild-haired and scary-eyed girl of age 8. Life had not been good to her I would soon find out, having been abused and beaten by her aunt and facing the certain sexual trafficking most young girls in the dump will face. I recall how she would not even look at any male adult and would cling to the house parent at the orphanage. “For to such belongs the kingdom of God…”

It was several months later before I returned to the orphanage where Maria lived. She had been in my mind from time to time thinking of her life and how she was rescued just in time to save her from a life filled with despair. I wondered how she was now…but God has a way of changing people. The moment I got out of my car and began to approach the home for girls this wild-haired and scary-eyed girl came and jumped into my arms. She did not know that I was helping support her or that I had been praying for her. What she had discovered was that someone cared and her heart was being changed. “For to such belongs the kingdom of God…”

I have returned to the orphanage many times over the past few years to share with this young girl in her life, studies and playtimes. I rejoiced this past summer when word came that Maria had accepted Jesus as her Savior. “For to such belongs the kingdom of God…”

Maria, like countless others, is a precious child of God, and God cares for each one-- just as He cares for each one of us regardless of our age. You see, we are all His children, and He is seeking us wherever we are.

Blessings, Rip