Gems -- verses that inspire us

We humans have a saying, that something is like a "diamond in the rough;" a gem that is somehow not easily seen. It can be obscured by dirt on its surface, or it can be only partially exposed in a vein within a mine.

Each time we "mine" for verses in the Bible, we find gems. They may not be easily visible to us, or they may not be completely exposed to us, but with the Spirit's help, we can know these verses for what they are. They may exhort us to do better in some aspect of our lives; they may comfort us in a time of peril or stress. They may give us words when we are so joyful that words don't come easily.

Luke 17:20-21 was a gem for me recently -- here's the thought: He is with us!  Now!

                      Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would
                      come, He answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming
                      with signs to be observed, nor will they say, "Look, here it is,"
                      or, "There!" for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of
                      you.

Have you found a gem lately that you can share with us?

John 16:1-15

"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.
2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.
5 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ’Where are you going?’
6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.
7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;
10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;
11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

This is a passage that speaks much about the Holy Spirit . . . there's a lot to learn here!

For many Christians, the Holy "Spirit" is interchangeable with the Holy "Ghost." Others are puzzled by the words.
After all, do you believe in ghosts?
I do.
The Bible tells us there is a spirit world, and it is composed of both good and evil spirits. The good guys are called angels, and the evil are called demons!

But, back to our story . . . in many translations we find that the Third Person of the Trinity is referred to as the Holy Ghost. And those translators may be just right on the money, since the word "ghost" in old Saxon (you know, the folks who came just before the King James who is famous for having the Bible translated) was actually the same as the word for "guest." No kidding! So I guess you could say that the Holy Spirit is the guest in our souls, or the Holy Guest. He will come to our souls without being asked, but He will not come IN unless we invite Him. He doesn't force Himself on anyone; He waits in love, and gently seeks admittance. His mission is one of mercy, peace, and joy, and His aim is to exalt Jesus.

Those are things the Spirit of God is. There are some other things that He is not:

He's not an "it." He has a distinct Personality, and He can be lied to, grieved, and hurt.
He's not a substitute for God, for He is God!
He's not imaginary. He is real, and very relevant, and oh, so important.

Sometimes people think that if they can't see or touch something, it isn't real, and it isn't important. I beg to differ. (Grin)
We can't see air, right? We can't touch it, either, not really feel it. We can feel it touch us, though. It can hold huge aircraft aloft. It can snap a tree into matchsticks. If it's pressurized, it can stop a semi-truck, break up slabs of concrete, and tighten the lug nuts on your car.
But you can't see it. You can't feel it. You can't even smell it, unless it is polluted. It's just air.
But it keeps us alive every minute of every day. If we were to be deprived of it for just five minutes, we would either be brain-damaged or we'd be dead. We simply can't live without it!

Well, the Bible calls the Holy Spirit the "breath of God."  And wind is used as a symbol for Him. Just because we can't see the Holy Spirit, it doesn't mean that He isn't here, or that He isn't real. In fact, He has important work to do. He is very active, and involved. He works with Christians, and with non-believers, too.

So, this week, let's study and see what Jesus says the Holy Spirit will do.

Friday slowdown

Our studies this week have touched on the hatred and persecution that we Christians must be ready and willing to suffer for our Lord. I could not find this hymn in a video, so I have included the words here. Blessings to all who stop, read, and ponder.

 

 

Father, in the name of Jesus,

hear our prayer for those in pain:

Scattered through the hostile nations

many suffer for Your name.

You have promised to Your people

opposition from the world.

Now sustain them, yes, protect them

by the truth found in Your Word.

 

Satan uses persecution

to instil a frightening fear,

threatening to destroy the body,

telling them that death is near.

Give them courage, noble courage,

never to deny Your name.

In the footsteps of the martyrs

may they spread abroad Your fame.

 

Raise up leaders in Your Church, Lord, 

people of integrity,

who will lead by their example

as You, Lord, want us to be.

May Your people in each nation

work in loving harmony.

Change the hearts of the oppressors,

break the yoke of tyranny.

 

Words: Hugh G Wetmore (c) 1999 (written for the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church)

 

John 15:18-27 continued

I hope you will look over our passage again, and then rejoin us. Go ahead. We'll wait!

Now we're ready . . . we are discussing Jesus' words describing how the world would react to us -- even though we are carrying the most wonderful message and gift the world has ever known, they will hate us. They will hate us because we are so different.
And because we insist on an absolute standard. Black and white -- with no shades of gray. Let's dive in!

                   Remember the word that I said to you, the servant is not greater than
                   his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if
                   they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. (Verse 20)

In some areas of the world today, the church is undergoing persecution. In some areas it is not. If not, it may be because there is very little difference to be seen, between the church and the world!
Some surveys show that there are few differences between the lifestyles of those who attend church, and those who do not. Church members wear the same styles of clothing, watch the same movies, get divorces just as often, buy just as many lottery tickets, have affairs and use unethical business practices. The world has so invaded the minds and hearts of Christians that the world sees little that is worth persecuting. How sad.

                   But all these things will they do to you for My name's sake, because they
                   don't know the One Who sent Me. (verse 21)

Jesus says that they hate Him because they don't know the Father. And they will hate us because they don't know Jesus. Let's dig deeper:

                   If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of 
                  sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. (verse 22)

We can see that if Jesus had simply gone about healing and helping people, there would not have been any trouble here. But He did more -- He exposed their sin.
And then:

                   He that hates Me hates My Father as well. (verse 23)

We can't have the Father without the Son, or the other way 'round.

                  If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they
                  would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have
                  hated both Me and My Father. (24)

They heard what He said. They saw His lifestyle.  Both revealed their sinfulness. Now there was an absolute standard -- everything is to be measured against the standard that Jesus set. No grays, or shades of right or wrong will be allowed; it's black or white now. When we live a life that imitates Christ, it will remind the world of their own sins. They don't want to see a Christian who reflects God's holiness. They would rather hear, "we all sin. It's OK, you're trying hard."  If our lives reflect Christ, we are confronting them with a higher standard. That hurts. It reminds them of their shortcomings.

                 But this is to fulfill what is written in their law: They hated me without
                 reason. (25)

Remember when we were in school, and sometimes the teacher would say that they graded a test "on a curve"? The highest grade became a 100, even though there were mistakes on that paper. It created a whole new (lower) standard.
Jesus kinda messed up the curve -- He graded at 100 percent, and then everyone else had to be compared to Him. And that's what the world doesn't like. Being reminded of their sin makes them mad, and they can't take out their anger and hatred on Christ, so they will take it out on us.

                 When the Advocate (Comforter) comes, whom I will send to you from
                 the Father, the Spirit of truth Who goes out from the Father, He will
                 testify about Me. (26)

How can we make it in this hostile world? How can we survive the anger and hate that we will experience if we are reflecting Christ?  The Comforter will give us the endurance and staying power.

                 And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the
                beginning. (27)

The Holy Spirit witnesses, and we witness. We can have a strength far beyond ourselves to keep moving forward in our Christian witness. And a witness is someone who simply tells what she (or he) has experienced.
Just "up the road" from me is The Cove, a place set aside by the Billy Graham organization for Christian retreats and studies. Billy Graham is now very old, and has Parkinson's. A few years ago, he told this story that reveals he understands that this world is not our home:

"I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honore by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his trousers pocket. It wasn’t there. So he looked in in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn’t find it.
The conductor said "Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it". Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, "Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one."
Einstein looked at the conductor and said, "Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going."
Having said that Billy Graham continued, "See the suit I’m wearing? It’s a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I’ve gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion.
You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I’ll be buried. But when you hear I’m dead, I don’t want you to immediately remember the suit I’m wearing. I want you to remember this:
I NOT ONLY KNOW WHO I AM...I ALSO KNOW WHERE I’M GOING."

This is the message that you and I are called to share with the world. The world, that is lost in sin. We know who we are in Christ, and we know where we will spend eternity. And we know how they can have the same assurance!

It's not a popular message. Most who hear it will reject it. Sharing the message may make us very unpopular with people. But we will be popular with the Christ who first brought it and received an even worse reception.
Let's endeavor to make this new year the year that we reflect Christ and witness to that world, that they, too, can know where they will spend eternity. With Christ, in glory!

John 15:18-27 Really? They hate us? Oy.

We have a gift for the whole world!
Seriously, we do.
And nowadays, the world is all about self-esteem, warm and fuzzy feelings, and tolerance, right?
Wrong.
At least, not toward Christians.
And Jesus told us it would be that way:

                 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you
                 belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do
                 not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That
                 is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is
                 not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute
                 you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They
                 will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the
                 one who sent me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would
                 not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever
                 hates me hates my Father as well.  If I had not done among them the
                 works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have
                 seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill
                 what is written in their Law: They hated me without reason. When the
                Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of
                 truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you
                 also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
                 (John 15:18-27)

Something that confuses many Christians is the prevailing attitude of many non-Christians toward them. We'd like to think that since we are reaching out to the world with the most awesome message in all of history, that the world would applaud, cheer, and accept that message.
But most people are not waiting for the message with open minds and open arms -- in fact, Jesus told us that the world will not want us or our message. Take a deep breath here -- they hate us.
Hate?
Really?
Really. That is what Jesus said.
But why?
One reason that the world hates Christians is because we are different. Look back up at our passage.

                  ...if the world hate you ....

The world is not the earth. It's the physical world that all of us live in. The word used here is "cosmos." It's root means to put in order, so the world we live in is organized, put in order. It's run by an intelligent "top dog" and his name is Satan. His main goal is to get this world in order, and to leave God out of it! So, the word "worldly" means to operate as if there is no God.

                You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world
                 means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a
                 friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  (James 4:4)

The world has a litany of phrases: "forget about God," "do what comes naturally," "leave God out of this," etc.  You can't have that mentality if you are a Christian; you can't have God AND the world.

                 Don't be conformed to this world. (Romans 12:2)

Don't let anyone or anything squeeze you into the world's mold. You are a different-shaped peg than the hole they want you to fit into! Don't let the world tell you what to do.

Ooh. That sounded important to me. Did it strike you that way, too? How do you know?

How do you know when the world is telling you what to do?
Easy.
Can you include God in what they want you to do? Anything that keeps you from including God is worldly, and you need to back away, hands raised. Don't even touch it.

As a Christian, what can I do? Anything that God can do with you. If your Savior has to wait outside the door while you do something, then DON'T!

What we love is what we will spend your time, money, and energy on. If very little of those are going to God, then God is not our top priority, is He?

                   If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you
                  do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That
                 is why the world hates you. 
               
The more we look like Christ, the more the world is going to treat us like it treated Him. We don't act, or talk, or think like the world does; we are so different that we are going to make the crowd uncomfortable. We won't be "one of them."
And we're not; we truly aren't "one of them." God has chosen us out by His grace and mercy. The concept of Christians living in the world, but not being of the world is awfully important. The ones who belong to the world are those who have become "at home" in the world. Life on this earth is all that they live for -- they focus on trying to accumulate the things of this world. Their desires and values are all wrapped up in power, possessions, and pleasure.
Our desires and values are very different.
We'll continue this tomorrow -- hope you'll join us!             

Prayer requests

I'd like to open this post today for comments from anyone who would like to leave a comment and share a prayer request with us.

We are honored to be able to share together and to pray together -- recently there have been some comments of answered prayers, and we can all rejoice in God's mercy and providence. He truly cares about us, and wants to move in our lives. No matter what is happening, He never leaves us. He is faithful.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  II Corinthians 1:3-4

Please let us know if there is a matter that we can join you in praying about. Let us know, too, if you have a praise and an answered prayer. You never know the hearts you may encourage, by sharing with your sisters in Christ.

Let's pray.

Happy New Year!

Lessons learned from a Christmas tree . . .  yes, a Christmas tree!

Since we live not far from the tree farms where many of our nation's lovely Frasier fir Christmas trees are grown, we've come to know a little bit about how they grow, and how much labor and love goes into the growing.

Some of the tree growers are old hands at the business, and they are quite skilled at the pruning that is required to make a lovely tree. And as Christians, we need pruning, too:

              He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch
              that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You
              are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me,
              as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain
              in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine;
              you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much
              fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are
              like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up,
              thrown into the fire and burned.   (John 15:2-6)

It usually takes about twelve years for the trees to reach maturity; they reach a height that is prized by consumers and they are cut and shipped to tree lots for happy couples and families to consider and purchase.
As Christians, it takes many years for us to reach spiritual maturity (personally, I'm not there yet, but I'm still trying!).  And yes, it takes work, in addition to time, in order to grow in grace:

               Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
               of God, unto a perfect person, unto a measure of the stature of the fullness
               of Christ.  (Ephesians 4:13-15)

               You, therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest
               you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
               steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
               Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
               (II Peter 3:17-18)

I've noticed, too, that the trunk of a Christmas tree doesn't have to be perfectly straight, nor does it matter if there are gaps in the branches. When it's decorated, it looks great!
As Christians, when we are "decorated" with the gifts of the Spirit, we look better, too:

               ....the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, good-
               ness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there
               is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with
               its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step
               with the Spirit.  (Galatians 5:22-25)

Christmas trees are a beautiful witness of the day we have chosen to celebrate our Lord's birth. And as His followers, we should be a witness for Him, too:

               In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see
               your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
               (Matthew 5:16)
             
You can learn a lot from a Christmas tree!