Jesus: The Chief Cornerstone and The Way, The Truth, and The Life (Delivered May 3, 2026 at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church)

 

Response To The Word: Jesus - The Chief Cornerstone; The Way, The Truth, The Life (1 Peter 2, John 14)

Pray:Father open the eyes of our hearts so that we can understand your Word. Holy Spirit come! Amen

Would you Buy House with a bad foundation?  At some point in hopefully the next 5 years, we will be in a place to engage in the construction of new buildings on our property. We will first want to hire a geotechnical engineer who is the professional responsible for analyzing the ground, soil, and rock on a property before construction begins, and who will assess the physical and mechanical properties of the earth to determine if it can safely support a building's foundation. Before housing can be built similar analyses for any impurities in the foundation's cement that will eventually cause the cement to weaken must take place. Years ago a townhouse complex in DC began collapsing because it was on a sink hole, which was once a landfill that was now decomposing.    Thus, the critical need to determine what the building will be supported by. 

That brings us to our texts for this day. In this Eastertide we have seen Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, The Door, and we have seen Him as the Good Shepherd who protects the sheep. In today’s texts in Peter’s letter and the Gospel of John we are presented with matters related to building the Church and our relationship with Jesus. In Peter’s first letter he writes via the H.S. to those chosen or elect of God, metaphorically depicting Jesus as The Living Stone and Chief Cornerstone.  He is also portrayed in the Gospel of John as The Way, The Truth, and The Life. So we have this grand image of The Church and what relationship with Christ looks like, where Peter illustrates the building of the Church spiritually living stone by living stone: that is - us. The Church is not a physical brick and mortar structure – it is the people, those chosen of God, the communion of saints who Peter is likening to living stones being built into a spiritual house and holy priesthood – we are the living breathing organic Church whose calling is to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus. But what is the Church’s firm foundation?

Let us refer to scripture to determine the answer. If you have a Bible or a Bible app, turn with me to Ephesians 2. Paul is led to write about the relationship true followers have with Christ by being in Christ. In the latter half of verse 19, Paul writes about these Christ followers: READ THE BIBLE through 22. Ask the question: Paul also identifies Jesus as the chief cornerstone. In Him – in Jesus – the whole structure is joined together. Yet, upon what is the Church built according to verse 20? Apostles and Prophets And what does that mean? What it doesn’t mean – it does not mean that any apostle, nor any prophet, can claim to be the one upon whom the Church is built. No – the Holy Spirit through Paul is saying that the oracles God gave to the apostles and prophets by God, which they proclaimed, wrote, prayed is the foundation. What do we call those words today? 

 

Yes, the Bible, GOD’S WORD is THE sure foundation. Like a precious letter from a loved one; in it are the Triune God’s revelations of Himself, His will for us which is following Jesus as our only Way, the only Truth, and the source of all Life; Jesus prayed to God the Father in His high priestly prayer in John 17 to sanctify those who have been chosen to be in Christ with the truth, for His Word is truth. And still, as many as 50-65% of professing Christians do not believe Jesus to be The Only Way, and they reject the Bible as God’s infallible Truth.  Even now, some denominations carve out/ignore certain parts of the Bible so that what the Bible calls sin is now not sin, thus rejecting God’s standard of holiness. This is the fulfillment of the false teaching of carnal Christianity. No holiness, no moral standard, also means ignorance of who God the Savior is. They claim to be Christian, but their lifestyles and rejection of God’s Word prove to the opposite. One of the new sayings going around in church circles now is that all humans who were born were born children of God. That statement does not agree with scripture; we are called children of creation, children of nature, children of wrath. Becoming a child of God is not our decision or our birthright. In Acts 17 we read about Paul and Silas being sent away by the leaders of the church to Beroea. What do you think they did when they were out of harm's way? Did they go to the local pub and have a few snorts to 'chill'? NO! They went straight to a Jewish synagogue to worship and proclaim Christ. While doing so, some of the Beroeans who were listening took out their scrolls to fact check Paul's statements. Unfortunately, many professing Christians take things at face value - like the infamous, "God helps those who help themselves." Noooo! Dragging out the earlier metaphor, the did not check the roof and foundation to see if the house could stand up for a long while, so bought into a house with a failing foundation, where the walls are shifted off the damaged base, pulls away from the cornerstone; that house will eventually become a collapsed structure unless some very expensive repairs are done!

Go to the font where the experiment is. As I was studying this passage, I sought from God how I could make this lesson more visual – i.e., what happens when the foundation that faith or belief was built upon fails because it has impurities or other causes towards weakness, separates from the Chief Cornerstone. Let’s see. There are two structures here: one is built on "sugar sand" with sugar cubes representing what the foundation sits upon. The other is a structure that has a steel foundation, and is sitting on a rock. I am pouring water on both of the structures - let's see what happens.

Within moments the house structure on the sand begins to sink, while the structure with the foundation that sits on a rock is unmoved. Upon what kind of foundation are we individually building upon? Will it hold up? Will it connect us to the Chief Cornerstone which joins the whole structure together? Is our foundation set on stable bedrock? In Matt 7:24-25 Jesus says: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” The psalmist cries: “Truly God is my rock and my salvation, my fortress – I will never be shaken.” The Church and the ‘living stones’ that are its structure are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and set down on stable bedrock – that Rock is God. Is our faith tied to the firm foundation set on bedrock that is Christ? Bible scholars for centuries have debated that in Matthew 16, Jesus says that Peter is the Rock, the head of the Church. Unfortunately due to time constraints I would fully unpack this, but let me go to scripture again for us to briefly explain what Jesus is saying.

In Matthew 16, God reveals the truth of who Jesus is to Simon – that’s the name Peter was most commonly called. Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One who was foretold by the prophets. In His response to Simon, Jesus says “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (also see 1 Corinthians 10:4 ) The context is about identifying who Jesus truly is. Peter receives the truth of Jesus' identity from the Father - that He is the Messiah, the Anointed One. Jesus continues based on that revelation that on that rock or petra I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Peter's name "Petros" translated means a small stone - something you can pick up in your hand and toss without effort. The word "petra" when translated refers to a humongous boulder, so large that it is immovable, cannot be shaken. That was not Peter. The "rock" or petra would not be overwhelmed or overcome by the gates of Hades. Most assuredly Peter was not the rock because he died. The petra upon which the church foundation sits and clings to is an eternal rock. That was not Peter; if it was Peter, he would be almost 2,000 years old. The Roman church doctrine teaches that Peter was the first pope, which is also problematic, as Peter died around 67-69 AD; the Roman Catholic Church was formalized nearly 11 centuries later. Peter was an undershepherd, as were the other apostles, all of whom died during the first century or within less than a handful of years into the second century. The only one who could be the Rock is Jesus as the Holy Spirit identifies in 1 Corinthians 10:4.  

Here is how we can know for our own individual assessment where we stand by discussing with God: Is God’s Word a sacred treasure in my life – more precious than gold? AMEN? Is it the foundation I acknowledge and believe it to be? Is it the basis for how I learn to approach God? Does it shape my worship? Does it inform my prayers? Can I claim as Paul does in Romans 1 and as Peter says in John 6 that God’s Word—His Gospel truth, is the power of God for salvation to those who have received faith from God, and the words therein words of eternal life? Do I really study the Bible regularly – which is different from reading a devotional – but rather like the example of the psalmist David who meditated on scripture day and night seeking God’s wisdom and understanding?  Jesus says very succinctly that if we love Him, if we are in Christ – in growing union with Christ – then we will obey His commandments. And what are His commandments? The Word of God. Last Sunday, during Bible study, Mercy quoted Hosea 4:6. which tells us that people perish - which means they are eternally dead - for lack of knowledge of God and His word.We cannot duck this responsibility - while a faith leader can provide some knowledge on God and His Word, it is our singular responsibility to learn, know, ingest and digest God's word, to know Him intimately, and to live like Christ. WHY would we want to neglect so great a salvation? The Bible is God’s means of grace for our salvation and sanctification. If we are neglecting it, then any faith structure we are attempting to build will suffer damage. If we do not get it repaired, if we do not commit to Jesus as Lord and fail to reconnect to the chief cornerstone, we will disconnect ourselves. So it comes down to relationship – which is more precious and more appealing to us – an eternal relationship with the bedrock, the Rock and the Chief Cornerstone, or striving to make a way in the world’s culture and becoming honored by people, and making God and His kingdom a 'something' that we will get around to? We are commanded to "Seek first the kingdom and its righteousness"- the righteousness that God has provided through Christ and sustains by His means of grace – His Word. Friends, God is calling you to seek Him, and He is looking for those who willingly worship Him in spirit and truth! Is that how He sees us?

(The experiment concluded as it should have because of the faulty foundation and base the one structure collapsed, while the other remained unchanged and unshaken.) 

Oh, by the way, does anyone know where our building's cornerstone is located? That is your challenge for this week! 

Let's conclude by singing the first verse again, of "How Firm A Foundation" and thanking God for His amazing grace of the Church.   

 

Letting Go of What We Know to Step Into the Unknown By Faith - Part 2

We return to our journey with Luke and the disciples as they follow Jesus. Luke next records in chapter 8 other events that would, indeed, necessitate a faith from God to understand. 

After crossing the lake, Jesus and the disciples arrive at the country of Gadarenes in the south and southeast and, as they go on shore at the place Jesus tells them to dock, they are met by a dreadful sight - a naked man, crazed by demon possession, grimy, bruises over his body, face twisted, eyes that looked like they were being strained open and bulging, sweating, raging with ungodly sounds, feet blistered, ankles having the remnants of broken chains. Luke gives us a bit of background about this man - that for a goodly amount of time in this man's life he had been indwelt by demons, who took control over the man's life and being, breaking restraints that city officials had installed to keep him from doing harm to others. The demonic possession made it impossible for him to live in society - the demons drove him to despair and isolation, and to dwelling in the tombs near the sea waters of that area. The demons - alerted to the fact that the Son of God was in their midst - forced the man forward to where Jesus was; they were afraid of what Jesus would do to them because they knew who He truly was. (Can you imagine what the disciples were doing at this instant? Were they like the people of the city scared out their wits, and going to the safety of the boat, or finding this man's dilemma a source of crude entertainment? They had only hours before saw another dimension to this rabbi - that He had control over 'nature', but this situation - inflamed by demonic madness - could have left them doubting as what Jesus would do or could do.)  Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man and asks the demon his name. The demon says "Legion" because there are so many in and with him. The demons beg Jesus not to put them into the abyss (for they knew what their ultimate fate was to be); Jesus sends them into a herd of unclean animals and they drive the animals into the sea and drown them. Upon learning of what happened, the people of the city came out to where Jesus was to see with their own eyes the 'crazy demon man' no longer inhabited by the destructive demons, but dressed and calm. The people are seized with fear because of the power of Christ (flashback to when the Israelites were fearful of Moses after His encounter with God on the mountain), about what His presence could do to their way of life, and, therefore, strongly tell Jesus to leave! As Jesus and the disciples leave, the now delivered man asks to go with them, but Jesus tells him to stay and tell all the people what God has done for him. Then Luke says that the man went about telling everyone all Jesus had done for him. He had not only seen - he had experienced the faithfulness of God.

Upon their return to Galilee, a crowd welcomes Jesus and the disciples, and we reach a compelling pinnacle in Jesus' travels in this chapter of Luke. A man named Jairus who was a leader of the local synagogue reaches Jesus and falls at His feet, begging Him for the life of his daughter who was ill unto death. (picture the scene - a respected leader of the synagogue, in his fine robes, falls to the ground at Jesus feet; his actions illumine for any paying attention, that this Jesus was from God, a special prophet unlike any they would have known) Jesus accompanies the man as they make their way through the crowds, but the crowds are dense and Jesus and the man and the disciples are bumped about in a stop and slow-go motion as they determinedly make their way forward. And then it happens, right in the middle of Jesus' slowly moving through the crowd. "As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not remain hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him, she declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Strict observation of Jewish Law and interpretations by the Jewish priesthood would make them aware of the scriptural backdrop to this story. In the Law of Moses, a woman's menses were considered unclean because of the flow of blood. Leviticus 15, beginning at verse 19 presents the ritual she had to pursue: ritual washing of anything on which she sits and sleeps; those touching anything on which she sits or sleeps - even her clothes - would render them unclean as well. That she had this flow of blood beyond her menses for twelve years would have made her living in society impossible. Laundry day would be every single day. She would have been isolated to a great degree because she could not visit and sit on their divans, and there was always a possibility of blood leaking past her efforts to contain it. As one faithful to the law, she was both compliant and trapped by its regulations because of her unique situation, and yet she persevered to obey - keeping herself 'socially distant', which was not an easy task in a village or community. 

We are not told how much adherence to this law impacted her 'norm', e.g., how did she obtain items from market? How did she maintain her house? Did the physicians come her door and drop off some compounds or other remedies in front of it, being careful to be contactless? How did she or could she bring her sacrifices to the priest? Her condition would have kept suitors away - a husband and family was beyond her hopes now. Can you imagine living in a small town or village, being sick or potentially always on the verge of making others unclean before God, so that you are prevented from interacting with others in any meaningful way? (Of course you don't have to think hard about that: we've been through some highly difficult months of isolation and limited socializing. Multiply that by 12 years in the same place.) 

Her prayers for twelve years had been seeking God's healing and blessing, perhaps for God to send a special prophet as He had done through Elijah and Elisha to provide such healing. To remove this curse from her. Perhaps she had prayed Psalm 3:8, Psalm 4:6, especially Psalm 5:3. Maybe even Psalm 51. Perhaps all of the deliverance prayers she had learned of in holy scripture.  But her pleas were seemingly answered by silence. She sought out physicians who claimed to have a remedy, but all of them failed - so much so that she was financially spent seeking a cure. She could not puzzle out why her obedience to the law had not resulted in deliverance by now, or even an easing of her dilemma. Even the priests were not able to heal her, even though she may have been able to presented an offering to the priest for forgiveness of sins and God's favor. So this woman, for twelve years, having once long ago known the freedom of living under the law, now lived captive to the impact of Adam's sin in her body and restrained by that same law to living an imprisonment and captivity that no one could save her from. 

And then she heard about Jesus - the Great Prophet and Healer. Still, she was caught in a cycle of doing the 'right thing' and believing her righteousness would result in a deliverance. That God would be so pleased and moved by her faithful self-imprisonment, and gradual impoverishment as a result of legal obedience, that He would release her from her circumstance. Then she learned that Jesus had left Galilee. Had her hopes become so narrowed, her commitment to 'play by the rules' her focus, that she had missed what could have been God's answer to her years of difficulties and pain?

Did her prayers now change? Did she now pray, 'God - if you would have me step out of all I have known for these many years to risk it all, please give me a new kind of faith to do it. O God, please let me see Jesus!' 

Was God moving her in this new hope? Yes! She dared to believe that God would answer her twelve years of prayer, her twelve years of isolation and shame, her twelve years of being faithful, her twelve years of hoping against hope. That in this Great Prophet and Healer, in Jesus God would answer her. O God! She felt a new hope rising in her. But - and for her this was a big 'BUT' - in order to see her Deliverer, to receive His healing, she would need to step out in faith, literally - leaving her hiding place to stand in the brightness of the day. 

She had to seek and believe God's mercy. She had to leave the legalities of restraints in the law and of the priests, and step out in faith trusting in God's grace and mercy that were inherent in the law but not often taught (see Matthew 12:6-8). She had to let go of her rigidity of following the rules, of the fear and shame that narrowed her vision and thinking, and which kept her isolated and stuck on that expectation. She had to listen to what God was offering to her - something far beyond what she thought was the correct thing to do, and to actuate the faith God had sprouted in her. She had to seek Jesus at all risks to herself and her future in that place. So, determined, yet with fear and trembling, she clothes herself to obscure her identity (not realizing possibly until later that God's hand of protection clothed her) and skulks through the crowd - afraid that at any minute someone will recognize her and thus block her way to her Savior. And then she sees Him! She sees Him! She moves stealthily, and ever so carefully, but with an increasing urgency as she inches towards Him. She reaches out, straining to get near enough to the Great One and, finally, her hand touches His robe. And right there, right there in the middle of the noisy crowd a silent peace comes over her as she feels the healing taking place inside her body. A glorious warmth envelops her and she is filled to overflowing with gratefulness and joy as twelve years of strain leave her, replaced by a feeling of wholeness that she had not felt in so long, and of a Godly love that takes her by surprise. Then the silence is broken by His voice. "Who touched me?" The fear and trembling return - He knows what I have done! He knows that this unclean, unworthy woman has touched his garment and received His holy power in her inmost parts! It had been a glorious moment, one that would never leave her memory. Even if it was to be temporary, if He removes the miracle she just experienced, she will understand she tells herself. I haven't done anything for Him, so why should He allow me to keep this gift? Yet, He is now calling for her, He is now seeking her! He says, "someone has touched me because I felt my power leaving me." She did not know emotionally and spiritually until that moment that this Great Healer is the Anointed One. She would not know yet that her illness and suffering had been a gift, a sacred instrument, that had been planned for her from before time, that God's timing of her encounter with Jesus was intentional, and that her unique deliverance divine, and salvation came by God's grace. Jesus came back to Galilee for her and for those whom the Father had foreordained. That even while she suffered all of those years, God was moving heaven and earth to bring her to this point in time, to a point in her life that she would step into the unknown by the saving faith that God would give her. A faith she had received from God to risk what she thought had been the reasonable thing to do because she had done it for so long, that the possible reward of healing had become of more importance to her than the Healer, and to let that go so that she could, even with fear and trembling come to Jesus with a faith that saw who He was. 

Thus, feeling a courage that she didn't know could be in her, with all fear and trembling she comes up to the Master and falls at His feet, sobbing with a heart full of gratefulness and thanksgiving, in a flood of tears prostrate before Him in all humility, she publicly confesses her identity and what she had done to Jesus, at first expecting to be reprimanded, or even worse, for Him to take back His healing. But then, she heard Jesus' compassionate voice, His comforting words, wrapped in divine love that shattered the fear and dimmed the years of pain - calling her Daughter, and telling her that it is because of her faith she was healed. Jesus did not say that her gift of healing was due to her twelve years of prayer focused on the reward of following the law was what healed her, He tells her it is her faith, a trusting faith in God and not in rewards. That the God-Man Jesus, had not only healed her condition - He had changed her heart and the course of her life and blessed her with a faith that would be enduring and based on grace and not the false precepts that the religious establishment had tacked onto God's covenant law with Israel that eroded faith in God.

She acted on the gift of faith from God. It had been a long, debilitating twelve years, she had exhausted her finances and her spirit looking for the reward, yet somehow continued to wait on the Lord - even if from the wrong perspective. In His grace and in His timing He gifted her with the faith and confidence to trust and let go, and step out into the unknown in a new revitalized faith, based on belief and trust in God's Son Jesus, on His love, mercy and grace. She looked up at Jesus in deepest gratitude and awe, words hardly coming from her mouth. She looked into His eyes and saw the face of God.  

After blessing the woman, Jesus continues with Jairus despite their receiving the message that his daughter had died. Jairus, dejected by the news, hears Jesus tell him, “Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved.” In his mind and heart no doubt Jairus was at a crossroads - how can she be saved? She is dead. Yet, I will believe. And Jairus takes Jesus home with him. The mourners were already gathered for the bereavement rituals. Jairus wife was probably inconsolable, and upon seeing Jairus may have said, why did you trouble the teacher, our daughter is dead. The community has begun gathering outside here. Jesus tells the parents in the hearing of those present at the house that the young girl is just 'sleeping', and the people who had seen the girl die, nervously laughed at such a supposition. The door of the house closes leaving the mourners outside, and Jesus takes into the house Peter, John, and James, and the father and mother. The parents look to this God-Man and Great Healer, in faith as He touches the dead child's hand and says "Child, get up!" (a touch that would have rendered Him unclean under the law). Jesus speaks life back into her body to the astoundment of all, the parents awestruck yet filled with thanksgiving and so lost in the moment of this miracle, Jesus needs to instruct them to give her something to eat, to rejoice because they did believe, and their faith by God's grace, changed the direction of their lives in those few moments.

It does take faith to step into the unknown. We sometimes stick with what seems the reasonable thing to do, looking at those material supports that a reasonable person would look at. Praying for miracles and stymied by human reason, we cannot see the miracle that is already there. We are sometimes called in difficult and trying circumstances to let go of what we know - of what our reason tells us is the right thing to do, and to trust God in a different way. That new faith and trust takes us into the unknown, into the unseen, where God is free to execute His plan for us. It is in that unseen and unknown place where the faith in God and from God brings true victory.

What He has planned for us is sometimes waylaid because we are confusing and fusing trust in God with our own human reasoning. Look at Abram and Sarai. God had promised them a son, an heir, through whom God would bless all peoples. Well, they waited, and they waited, and finally reasoned that such a thing would happen if we pay it forward and have a child through a young female slave so that God's blessings can come to fruition. Yet the stepping out in reason led to unforeseen difficulties, a disruption in the household, and bitterness - a rift between two peoples that continues even unto this day. Yet God, who does not promise and not fulfill, places a new covenant between Himself and Abraham, a new faith to believe that Abraham's wife Sarah would become pregnant and bear the true child of promise. That through that child a there would be one born who would have the power and authority to bless the world. That child would be the Author and Perfector of our faith who tells us to lay down all those self-imposed things and human reasoning as supports and lean on Him instead. Listen to Him for He alone can open doors that no one can shut.

 

Our Jealous God

"Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
(Exodus 34:14)

As humans, we often experience a jealousy that is tainted with an unreasonable and suffocating expression of emotion by another over our self/person. Or, we may be the one who obsesses to a level of madness that grips us like a spell that cannot be broken. We have read about so-called 'love' relationships where a partner says he or she loves the other but it is a selfish, obsessive driving emotion that seeks to control and dominate in such a way that it edges onto or crosses the border of sanity. While we would like to think that this is 'love' at its most passionate expression, it is not. The One who created love says this about what true love is: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

Too often, this jealous madness that is obsessed with controlling and dominating the other person results in harm to the other and/or to those perceived to be encroaching on the jealous one's turf - a harm that potentially becomes deadly. The song of the jealous is, "if I can't have you no one will." 

I have been in such a relationship. 

My then husband more than once threatened my life at gunpoint and took our children hundreds of miles away as leverage. When a person is victimized to such an extent, you experience your own type of madness; your reasoning becomes warped. You walk in fear and shame - especially when the outbursts and threats become public and/or on your job. I was asked to leave my employment because of the risk to other employees. I felt like less than nothing at that point. While he claimed to be religious, and put on a religious face when attending services or around members of the church, his obsessive jealousy and need for control over me was exhibited behind closed doors. He had no fear of God in his heart. His kidnapping of the children, and unrelenting search to find me after I escaped his terror shattered every aspect of my life, estranged me from my family as I did not want to put them in jeopardy. Yet, ironically, they would distance themselves from me because of the shame I had brought on them, as I became known in all our circles as the one being chased from place to place by a crazed husband.  One day he found a way to contact me because he had won the lottery but, due to state law, had to share it with me as we were still legally married. I bargained with him for the children, telling him to keep the money and let me have the children. He signed them over to me for money. We fled immediately hundreds of miles in the other direction. Jealousy clothed with the label of  "Love" was spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically damaging so much so that only a merciful God could repair what was broken, distorted, and restore my scarred my relationship with Him. He had to teach me to forgive. He had to teach me perfect love.

Jealousy that leads to strong desire to control and manipulate others is a product of our sinful nature that we inherited from Adam. God created humankind in His image; our sin mars that image, damages our personhoods, minds, souls, bodies. Sin destroys relationship with God. Our inherited sin - aided and abetted by the evil one and the moral and spiritual darkness of his evil world system - impairs our ability to perfectly express anger or jealousy. We have no pure starting point within our natural selves to provide the perfect expression of such powerful emotion. Our human anger and jealousy has no righteousness attached to it because it emanates from a place of damage and brokeness. Within our human power, we cannot even love as we ought. Within our natural selves, this lack is a critical and chronic disability that is also self-deceiving - it permeates all we do. Because our natural selves suffer in that way, when we come across a scripture like the Exodus passage quoted above, or Deuteronomy 4:24, or 1 Corinthians 10:22, we are challenged in our sin-shaped hearts and minds to understand this jealousy of God - which is a perfect expression and sovereign right.

To be honest, from a spiritual standpoint, I know for a certainty that God's jealousy is beyond my comprehension. There was a time when that lack of 'sight' was a struggle because I lived by logic. Logic can sometimes get in the way of faith, as I had to learn. Awareness of God those aspects and attributes of God's character that I cannot fully comprehend is a reason to rejoice because why would I want a God I can control and manipulate? No, instead of dampening my faith, I more and more desire for it to be stronger so that even though I cannot comprehend every iota of knowledge about our Almighty God, my growing faith becomes growing trust in Him, gratitude for His perfect jealousy over what belongs to Him. That includes me.

How must we look at this part of God's character from a Biblical viewpoint - how He has revealed Himself in scripture?

• God's perfect jealousy is based in His holiness. He is Adonai ha'Elohim Hakkadosh - the Lord the Holy One. As sinful humans, we are unable to fully grasp the Holiness of God. It is like asking a person blind from birth to describe the sunrise or sunset, or the colors of the rainbow. -Joshua 24:19; 1 Samuel 2:2
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His justice - no jurist in the flesh can render up decisions in their repertoire of law and principle that can compare to the depths of God's justice. He is Yahweh Tsidkenu - LORD our Righteousness and Elohei Misphat (God of Just/Righteous Law). His law is perfect, His judgments are always right. -Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Isaiah 5:16
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His being El Olam - the Everlasting God. the Ever-Present God Who Dwells in the Eternal Present. He owns time. As owner and Creator of time, God has the sole right to use it as He sees fit. -Psalm 90; Colossians 1:15-17
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His being a Creator God, Elohim, The Hashem - the Great I AM WHO I AM. God owns all that He created, He has invested in us beyond our comprehension. He is our El Shaddai - our All-Sufficient Sustainer God. He has always been the Potter to our being the clay - what say do we have in what He does? -Exodus 3:14; Romans 9:20-22; Psalm 104
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His Almighty Power and Wisdom. There is no God of Power like our God. His Wisdom exceeds all the brightest 'geniuses' ever born all together. In His perfect expression of jealousy for His people, God will execute His wrath against those who desire to harm them.  -Daniel 2:20; Jeremiah 10:6; Revelation 1:7-8; Jeremiah 51:15
• God's perfect jealousy is based in His perfect love - a covenant love (Hesed) that is also sacrificial (Ahavah, Agape).  -Psalm 103:17; John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:9-10  This is not a love that we can grasp because that was destroyed by Adam's sin in us: we cannot grasp it nor express it in our human capacity. We must let the Holy Spirit create within us the love reflective of God.
• Finally (at least on this list instant), God's perfect jealousy is based in His Sovereignty. He owns all things. He controls the heavens and the earth, yet He has given His created beings the freedom to choose between His Sovereignty or theirs. (And we so deceive ourselves into thinking our choice of self-lordship is going to have a different result than it had for a perfect man and woman.) He is the author of all things, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. We cannot live for a moment if God removed all oxygen from us, and yet we presume to know better than He. As Sovereign, God has the right to act, choose, give or take away, create or destroy. This perfect rightness can often ring unfair in a nonbeliever's ear, for he or she has never known a righteous, perfect Creator and Owner; his or her experience and knowledge, or lack thereof, cannot bring him or her to comprehend that kind of Sovereignty that emanates from the love described above. He has the right to set destinies, to save whom He chooses, and allow the hearts of others to harden against Him. This question of Sovereignty has been raised against God for eons, and this challenge is eloquently described in Isaiah 40-44 and elsewhere in God's testimony as recorded in Isaiah. The book opens with a declaration of Sovereignty in chapter 1 of Isaiah where the LORD God describes the wickedness and rebellion of the people against His Lordship, in verses 23-24 He says: "Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause does not come before them. Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies, and avenge myself on my foes!" God our Sovereign reserves the exclusive, absolute right to be worshiped - on this point there is no gray area. -Psalm 8:1, 9; Daniel 4:2-3; 1 Timothy 6:15; Psalm 24:1-2; Isaiah 66:1; Deuteronomy 5:9; Deuteronomy 10:20; Romans 1:18-25  

The foregoing is but a glimpse into the perfect holiness and righteousness of the Only True God, a perfection that is expressed through a jealousy that we cannot understand, but which acts in agape love - a sacrificial love - for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. He desires the best for His people, and places a guardrail and hedge of jealousy around them. He has vowed to never leave nor forsake them, to not let them be snatched from His hand by the enemy. God's people are His possession because He created them to become His people through the poured-out sacrificial blood of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:6-7; Ephesians 2:12-14)

Our God of love, of Might, our Wise and All Knowing God wants our complete devotion - He deserves it! He is jealous for it! When our God Incarnate - the Son of God - walked on this earth, He constantly spoke to and taught such allegiance to God. "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." That we can serve only One master; that our God supplies all our needs when we put Him first in our lives. His beloved Sermon on the Mount overflows with admonition of relationship with God and how He would have us live. (Matthew 5-7) The parable of the prodigal recorded in Luke 15:11-32 illustrates God's love for us - that He does not force us into relationship with Him, that He is forgiving beyond our capacity to understand, that He desires our heart worship - our whole lives to be lived in Him and with Him; that to do so brings an inner joy unimaginable. His final earthly hours were filled with prayer and pleadings for all who would believe and obey, whose hearts were to be tied to His and to the Father, who would be one with Him and with the Father. (John 14 to 17) In Matthew 10, we hear Christ's strong implication of God's sovereign right of worship and devotion - His jealousy over His human creation - without using the word jealous. He spoke to the desire of the Father for our worship to be exclusive - not divided among other interests or gods. Christ's very presence as God in human form was to begin the gathering of those whom the Father, in His sovereign will, would set aside for salvation: His coming would set a sword, a plumb line, a line in the sand to separate those who would receive Christ and thus receive the Father and those who would choose to be their own lord or to worship the devil (as noted in scripture above - there are only 2 masters: God and the devil). He would anoint and appoint those that the Father would choose to serve Him and to carry out the work He began. In His last week on earth He foretold that there would come a time when He would, in God's righteous jealousy, His perfect love demonstrated, return for those whom He had chosen, who love Him with all their whole heart, mind, and soul, whose lives are committed to Him and are awaiting His return. That He would make known to all in an astounding set of events and acts His fierce love for those who love Him. (Matthew 24-25) O what a God! Isn't He wonderful! -Isaiah 25:19; Psalm 9:1.

Hallelujah! Praise our Jealous God who loves us with a fierce love of protection, of blessing, of provision of all things good and enduring. Who loves us forever and will never abandon those He loves. Who walks with us and lives in us. May we all cling to Him in this life and rejoice in His glorious and righteous jealousy in the life to come. Amen.

The Spirit at Work in Believers, Part 6

~~~~~~~~~In The Last Days, I Shall Pour My Spirit Out on Men and Women and They Will Prophesy

Acts 2 - the account of that first Pentecost two thousand years ago following Jesus' ascension to heaven - the startling outpouring and indwelling of The Holy Spirit on worshipers at Jerusalem recalls God's promise from Joel that He would bathe believers - men, women, sons and daughters, in His Holy Spirit and empower them to prophesy and carry out God's will. When believers became moved by the Spirit, lives were changed and people were saved.

Our last story also comes from Laurie Kehler's book, This Outside Life - Finding God in the Heart of Nature, chapter 5, "Wind". She ends the chapter with a story from 1949 in The Hebrides. She describes The Hebridean islands as a "remote, wild, and wooly place" located off the northwest coast of Scotland. She says that they are "battered by the bitter North Atlantic weather," causing those who live in the islands to be of resilient character and not easily impressed. Yet, she talks about two senior citizens - sisters - who had "soft hearts." They had lived in their community during their lives and were at that time in their 80s - one of them blind, and had seen their community change and not for the better. The youth were drinking and partying as a lifestyle. The once Christian community was living outside of who they were - the sisters remarking that they had even abandoned the practice of regarding the sabbath day. Compared to today, Laurie notes, the 1949 era community seems kind of not so bad, maybe even typical. "But," she adds, "that doesn't mean it didn't concern God." 

Being stirred and moved by He who is in them, the sisters began praying in earnest. These elderly women would get down on their 80+ year-old knees twice a week from 10pm to 2am and pray for God to restore the people in the community. Just two old women who in the scheme of things were powerless. Yet they believed and trusted God to act.

And act He did. He poured out His Spirit upon that community in an awesome way. Laurie says that "people who had never darkened the doors of a church" were now compelled to come at all hours. These revived believers would worship hours at a time (and we balk when our service goes over 90 minutes!). The church would be filled to the rafters with persons at three o'clock in the morning, and those who couldn't fit into the small building worshiped outside. She says that even people gathered "in the fields or walking along the road" were overcome by the presence of God. Even those who were unable to travel to church were bathed with the Holy Spirit. (Like in the camp in the wilderness as recorded in Numbers 11:16-29, when God poured out His Spirit and anointed the leadership) The work of the Spirit in the community was true revival, restoration, and sanctification. Their lifestyles changed willingly, they repented and returned to the God who saves, and the results were in closing of the bars and changed habits, behaviors, and commitment to God's purpose. Some members of the community even became missionaries or 'ambassadors' of God's grace throughout the world.

Laurie tells that the minister who was called to preach when the Spirit was changing hearts and minds confessed that he had nothing to do with bringing revival to the island, that God the Holy Spirit was the One moving in the community. He reports, that "he knew it was God's work, not his. He states, 'The Spirit of God was moving in such a way that I couldn't preach. I just stood and gazed upon the wondrous movings of God.'"

The people of the Hebrides were not clergy people, they were not Bible scholars, no – they were teenagers, they were young adults, they were middle-aged adults, they were elderly people living from day to day. Just regular people. But upon being filled and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, they willingly surrendered to the awesome work He had purposed to do in their lives, and in the lives of countless others around the world because of the obedience of the Hebridean people to the Spirit’s call.

Can God the Holy Spirit move in our lives like He did in the lives of first century Christians? Like He did in the lives of the Ten Boom sisters? Like He did in the wealthy businessman’s life? Like He does in the lives of the pastors and Christians under trials and persecution? Like He did in the lives of the wayward community in The Hebrides?

As He has in the lives of persons in our own worship community?

His promise is to lavish the Father’s children with love and spiritual riches beyond our ability to comprehend, yet He will not force His way. Now seriously, pause and think.

 But what if many, if not most, within a worship community like ours were to invite the Spirit into their hearts and humble themselves like Jesus did in willing surrender to the Spirit’s ministry, what if? Can you just imagine what He could do in such a community as that?   

The Mystery of Salvation

Romans 10:9 “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”                                    

Ephesians 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”                       

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Mystery of Salvation. At first glance, these scriptures appear at odds with one another. Yet when we consider the work of the Holy Spirit, His deliberate involvement in our lives before we have fully formed or have been fully informed, it makes sense – yet it is still a Divine mystery. John 16 tells us that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will convict the world of sin and of righteousness, and that when He comes, He will guide those predestined by God into all truth, speaking on the authority of the Father. Through God the Holy Spirit’s work in us as the truth speaker, and the author of the gospel of our salvation, we are sanctified – set apart for God’s use. (2 Peter 1:21; John 17)

By God’s plan, the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts (that is, those who God has predestined for salvation) and makes us ready to receive the gospel of truth, the gospel of our salvation (Romans 1:16). And by His grace implants the seed of faith within us and moves in such a way that we can declare with our mouths, or the better word, confess with our mouths Christ as Savior and Lord, since we are regretting our sinful lives and desire to repent or turn around from that life. Part of the mystery is that with each individual who has been saved, there is a uniqueness in each instance of salvation. We don’t all experience that moment of salvation at the same age, in the same place or circumstance, etc. Salvation does not result from a confirmation or catechism class, or even a baptism, but by God’s will. Otherwise, it is a human intervention or effort -- not God -- doing the saving. And, yet, in His grace and goodness, He allows us to choose or affirm what He has worked in us. He allows us to covenant with Him. In the very best sense, we put ‘skin in the game’, that is, we surrender ourselves to His sovereignty and Lordship over us in our confession. We are allowed to make ourselves a living sacrifice to God, based on the work of the Cross – Christ’s sacrifice that covers us. (Romans 12:1; Ephesians 2:15-17)

The greatest mystery in salvation is that God has chosen us – as the Spirit has Paul write so well at Ephesians 2, we who “were dead in [our] transgressions and sins,  in which [we] used to live when [we] followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” I cannot comprehend that, but accept by faith what He has done in me, what He has done in all of us whom He has called. A great mystery, indeed.

Are we Growing in Christ?

Are We Growing in Christ? Special Bible Study beginning June 13.

--A Follow-up to Tuesday, May 9 Bible Study (and May 7 sermon!)--

Dear Friends,

A recent Bible study had Daniel 9 as a basis for its discussion. The passage reminded us not only of the importance of prayer, but the kind of prayer God will hear. As we fleshed out those principles, we were reminded of the key avenues or means of grace that God works through for growing up His children ‘in Christ’, that is, to enable us to be transformed to be more like Christ in attitude, perspective, and behavior (in another Bible study we learned that this process is called    ‘sanctification’). We are informed by God the Holy Spirit in Paul’s letter to the Romans at    chapter 12, verses 1-2 (NRSV) concerning that will of God: 
   
“1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your    bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.    2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,    so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and    perfect.” [also see 1 Peter 2:5, Romans 8:9-11, and Ephesians 1:3,4 and 2:10]    

It was reiterated to the Bible study group what these key avenues or means of grace are that God uses in growing His children (these are not necessarily listed in order of primacy):    
1. Prayer    
2. Bible study    
3. Worship    
4. Stewardship    
5. Service    

During the Bible study, we were invited to do as ‘homework’ finding scriptural    passages that inform us and instruct us concerning each of these means of grace.  We are called by God to grow up and grow into Christ, as noted in Acts 2:37-47, where the passage outlines principles for growing the Church and growing individually ‘in Christ’. 

We were invited to a special study on these means of grace via a different approach from how we studied them before. To stimulate our thinking on these things, here are some optional questions for each item as we search for Biblical support for each item. A study Bible, a Bible concordance or index,    biblegateway.com, biblestudytools.com, and similar resources, may prove helping in finding answers . To frame one’s mind and heart for this activity, why not pray for guidance to find what God desires for us personally, and as a Church.    

#1 – Prayer. What is prayer? Why do we pray? (people often ask this question when they    reason that since God knows everything why should I pray?) What kind of prayer pleases God?    (The answers can be found in the Bible)    

#2 – Bible Study. A former bishop in the church noted that there was a    significant level of Bible illiteracy within the church community. During Sunday morning comments a while back, it was also related that during a particular youth retreat a few years, youth were not able to differentiate the Bible from a prayer book.  Indeed, in many churches, persons do not bring a personal Bible to church services to follow the Bible readings, notate, or follow along in a sermon. Others opine that the Bible is either too hard to understand, or outdated-- not relevant for today. Each of the fundamental points of the issues raised herein, of being Biblically literate/illiterate, knowing what the Bible is, and the authority and    relevance of the Bible – are described within the pages of the Bible. What priority does Bible study hold in our lives? Why should a person who identifies him/ herself as a Christian study the Bible? What can happen if a person chooses not to study or rely upon the Bible, or even rejects its absolute truth? Answers are in the Bible.    

#3. Worship. ‘Worship’ is viewed many different ways – but, how does God view worship? What is worship according to God, and what is the worship that God desires? What worship will    God not accept? All of these can be answered in the Bible.    

#4. Stewardship. Many churches schedule ‘stewardship seasons’ to encourage persons’  financial support for the church or to learn about tithing. Yet, how does God view stewardship, that is, what does He say stewardship is? The answer is in the Bible.    

#5. Service. In many churches, there is a perception of great challenge for and/or reluctance on the part of many churchgoers to become persons with a ‘servant’s heart’ – some are convinced that service is only for ‘certain people’ in the church, or that one must be personally asked by a religious professional or by clergy to be a servant or take on a service role. Believers who are ‘in Christ’ are called by the Lord to serve. Yet, what does it mean to be a servant of Christ? What might service look like within a church fellowship setting like St. Christopher’s (or elsewhere),  that is, in what roles might lay persons serve to support the church and the community surrounding the place of worship? How does this coincide with the spiritual gifts that believers receive when they are saved, or does it? Are Christians only required to serve ‘at church’?  Answers to these questions can be found in the Bible.    

Conclusion. The Gospel of John, chapter 10, identifies Christ as the Great Shepherd. He says His sheep hear His voice. He further says that He came so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly. A shepherd leads by voice, words and by action. The sheep respond to the voice and to the words and action. Christ’s words have life in them. He is reaching out to us to follow Him. How will we respond to that call? And what happens after we come to Him, after we accept His call to us to be His followers and for Him to be our Lord?  Namely, what is God’s will for you and for all of us called by Him, what does He call us to be  and to do? The answer is in the Bible! That is what it looks like to ‘grow in Christ’.    (2 Peter 3)

From the Handbook for Successful Living

Dear Friends,

                           Psalm 119:9-16 

I read today a devotion that cited the passage above, and wanted to take the thought and share with the group here.

When my children were growing up, like any other children they liked testing their limits, aka ‘exploring’ to a little child. The whole sensory thing – touching, seeing, tasting, hearing, etc. – is a vital part of a young child’s growth. However, as a parent, I knew that there were things that the children should not experience – things that could prove harmful (even back then there was a movement to give children free rein of their lives – to be ‘free range children,’ which I did not subscribe to!). Harmful things like going under the sink where cleaning products were kept. Touching the stove or fiddling with the knobs. Playing too close to the stairs. And for loving parents the list goes on. I recall only once when I had to truly demonstrate to my children the consequences of a hot stove, which lesson proved beneficial because they never fiddled with a stove again until they were old enough to safely cook – that is another story! I placed physical barriers to certain areas of our home – like guardrails – that were designed as warnings and security tools to keep the children from danger and the very unpleasant consequences of fiddling with things that could damage them. As a parent, being the ‘police’ was exhausting, was not fun, nor was it always a popular thing to do; however, because I love my children, I knew I had to do those things to ensure their safety and protect their lives.

Why, then, do we sometimes expect God to be any different from a loving parent, or would even want Him to be? After all, He is the one who created the capacity for parenthood, and provided the template and instructions. As a loving Parent, He’s not just a provider. Our Father Who Art in Heaven knows all things about us – He can see from the beginning to end and beyond in our lives. He knows every millisecond about us. He knows our needs better than our own human parents. He knows what will make a mess of our lives, what decisions will have never-ending consequences, what impact the things we see and hear will have on us, what impact the people we hang around will have on us, and even knows the number of hairs on our head that we will ever have in this life. (see also Psalm 103:8-19; Psalm 121:8 in conjunction with Deuteronomy 6:24-25 and Jeremiah 29:11-13; Isaiah 55:6-11; Matthew 10:29-31) He has given us the Handbook for Successful Living for this life and beyond. This Handbook, God’s Word the Bible, sets forth guardrails for our success and protection, and like toddlers, we sometimes try to get over them, stamp our feet in defiance, or have a tantrum because we think those guardrails are preventing us from enjoying something good or fun, or popular. When we ignore those guardrails, those protections and guides that God Who Knows All Things has put in place for us – His children – we get into trouble; unfortunately, some of the consequences can last a lifetime, or result in irreparable harm or even death. (compare Galatians 6:7-10)

Please know that when I speak about these things, I’m not talking from a viewpoint of a Pollyanna or as someone just repeating what I have heard. I have seen the ‘back alleys’, and I know the consequences of going against God’s successful way – and please believe me when I say, as the Galatians universal warning above states, the resulting consequences of going against God is no respecter of persons. That is, yes – if you choose to not follow God’s provisions for a successful life, you will have consequences. There are no Teflon people or exceptions to the Galatians rule – none! And I repeat – there are no exceptions. Not even for ‘smart’ persons, church-going persons, or really nice persons. God illustrates that over and over again in His Word as a warning for us. Even His most devoted servant and child David – the same David who believed God and slew the giant, proved that rule to be true: when David chose a course of behavior that rebelled against God’s successful guide for his life – i.e., he ignored, did not find applicable to him – God’s successful guide for sex, David suffered irreparable and devastating damage affecting his family, and his kingdom that he never fully recovered from. Even though God forgave David of his rebellion, David still had to face the very sad consequences of his bad choices; the universal rule did not skip over him. So please, take God’s provisions at Psalm 119 above (and the other scriptures) as His expression of His love for you, instead of something depriving us of fun, or denying us of something that we think feels good, looks good, and that we cannot do without.

 

Oh, what a sad day it is when a person looks back on his or her life and knows that rebelling against God resulted in a life-long difficulty – one that God had wished for us to avoid, and one that grieved Him because He knew the pain and complications we would face. The God Who Sees All Things knew the path our choice would take us – one that caused us great heartache and difficulty. But what rejoicing to know that God forgives us through the blood of Christ, and that because He is the All Powerful God He can use the painful consequence of our bad choice and thoughts, when you and I have repented, to bring about something good! (compare Romans 8:28-39) [Because the Bible is written for each of us, one way to ‘get it’ is by adding our name in place of the first-person pronoun or where the text is being directed generically to a person or persons.]  

May “all these blessings come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God…”; “the Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.” (Deuteronomy 28:2; Numbers 6:24-26) – hugs. ms jo

 

Living Trophies

When I was in my early 30s, my friend and I signed up for a tae kwon do class. Little did we know how much we would enjoy it, and also be extremely challenged by it, and grow in confidence and in skills we did not realize we had. As the only two females in the class, we made every effort to keep up with the guys and were successful. Plus, we were two of the oldest members, which presented its own challenges. Yet, despite these and other ‘handicaps’, we worked very hard to accomplish our goals of reaching the black belt level. Part of the opportunities along the way included entering tournaments where we competed in forms and sparring contests. I am pleased to say that most times we took home trophies and medals – testaments to our hard, focused training and discipline.

In an excerpt from our dear brother Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest, regarding the cross in prayer, he notes that the true meaning of the ‘cross’ – what it truly represents – is  ‘complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ— and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.’ He goes on to relate that ‘our spiritual irritation [with what we sense as unanswered prayer] shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.’ [emphasis added]

We who are saved through the blood of Jesus on the cross, and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, are beholden to God to yield ourselves fully, to allow Jesus’ life to be lived through us, to be walking Gospels (Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 9:23). To be truly united to and in union with Christ – being in Christ – is living yielded (a life-long disciplined journey), focusing on the cross and He who placed Christ on it (Hebrews 12:1-2), joining in prayer with Christ to the Father (John 16:26-27), growing in an intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Galatians2:20), learning how to identify His voice and promptings. 

When we strive to do so, when our wills submit to God’s will for us (Luke 22:42; Philippians 2:5-8), we become living trophies of grace that God can use to show the world His love, His offer of forgiveness through the acceptance of the sacrifice of Christ for us, His holiness, all of which reflect His Grace and mercy. As living trophies, we are God's handiwork, His evidence of His salvific work in us, and His visible prize to a world that is in desperate need of God. (compare 1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:14; 2 Corinthians 3:1-3) 

The trophies and rewards I won during my years in martial arts are packed away somewhere or hanging out of the way - I'd need to give locating most of them a lot of thought. I don't wear them or display them as part of my day-in day-out attire - unless I tell someone I am a black belt it is a secret. As living trophies of an Almighty God, our presence and interaction with others speaks in volumes,  As Paul wrote the Corinthians (recorded in the second letter, chapter 3), let this be true of our trophy ministry: "You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

We are compelled, then, to ask ourselves, do others see us as God’s trophies of grace? Take it to the Lord in prayer!