"Know Thyself" is a famous ancient Greek aphorism attributed to at least six Greek sages and philosophers including Socrates. It was such a part of the Greek belief system that it was chiseled into the Temple of Apollo. Even though it has the tone of wisdom and we should try to understand who we are, it is also impossible to a large degree.
As a Psychology major in college I was fascinated by how powerful, yet mysterious the mind, will and emotions of a human being truly are. We possess great strength and hold great weaknesses all at the same time. Basic Protestant teaching is that man is totally depraved due to our sin nature. The Catholics on the other hand teach that man is basically good because he was created in the image of God, but sin has wounded mankind. Either way, we know we have within us the ability to think and do shockingly horrible things.
Peter, with all of his bravado, was a man who thought he knew himself, yet was self deceived. Jesus with his closest friends at His side says in Mark 14:27, "You will all fall away." To this Peter responds with such emotion that it caused the others to rally as well when he says, "Even if all fall away, I will not." Then he makes a statement that had to have made Jesus smile at least on the inside, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." With this boisterous statement Peter is setting himself up for a great failure.
Like Peter we are often filled with good intentions to follow the Lord in every way. Our emotions carry us along after we hear a passionate sermon only to see our commitment dissipate over time. We make a pledge to ourselves to read His word daily and find that our will is not as strong as we thought it was. To understand how our mind, will and emotions all work together I would highly recommend the works of Dallas Willard, especially Matters of the Heart and The Spirit of the Disciplines. These two books have been a great enlightenment to me.
Peter's emotions were not enough to keep his intellect and will from turning away from Jesus. The amazing thing is that Jesus knew and predicted that Peter and the others would fall away. And for Peter, Jesus told him exactly how it was going to happen. To me the most wonderful aspect of this passage is the fact that Jesus told them that even after they fell away He would come back to them. Two thousand years later Jesus is still doing the same thing for us!
Let me make a distinction here between what Jesus calls "falling away" and what Scripture calls rebellion against God. There is a difference. The words that Jesus used to describe the upcoming failure of His friends come from the words "to bait" or "to lure." It literally means to be "entrapped." Peter's heart was in the right place, but he forgot that the devil and his own sinful nature could easily set a trap for him. Bravado yes, wisdom no!
You and I must always remember that evil is patient! Never forget that truth. You can have victory after victory and evil will patiently stand by for the right moment to spring. Peter was with Jesus when he made such a bold statement, and evil was standing by just waiting for the right time to take him down. We have all fallen away from the Lord as we have been entrapped by our sinful nature, the schemes of demonic activity and the lure of this world. Like Peter we have quickly learned that the very sin we say we will never commit is the very sin that can easily embarrass us.
Jonathon Edwards one of America's greatest theologians of the early 1700's wrote,
"How ready are we to go astray! How easily we are drawn aside into innumerable snares, while in the mean time we are bold and confident, and doubt not but we are right and safe! How much do we stand in need of the wisdom, the power, the condescension, patience, forgiveness, and gentleness of our good Shepherd!"
Peter fell away while Judas walked away. We see this over and again in Scripture and in life. David fell away, and Saul walked away. Mark fell away and Demas walked away. Jesus knows that we will stumble and fall. When I fall physically it takes me by surprise. I don't plan on tripping over raised concrete on the sidewalk, nor do I plan to stumble backwards by stepping back on something out of place in my garage. The falling that Jesus mentions to Peter and to us is the kind that comes as a surprise.
There is a huge difference between falling and a calculated walking away. As Paul tells us of his once trusted companion Demas, "Demas having loved this present world has forsaken me." There are many who contemplate their next sinful action because their heart is in rebellion against the Lord. They really want salvation on their terms. They want a life that is filled with the junk of this world and just a bit of salvation so they can escape eternal punishment.
Because we have both the ability to "fall away" and "walk away" from the Lord we must draw closer and closer to the Lord. As we grow older we should grow our roots deeper with Christ. Satan is organized in every way, just like an army. He has those who work on keeping people from the Gospel. He has others who work on tripping up new believers. And, he has those who work to bring down those who have been walking with Jesus for many years. Think of the hideous laughter in the demonic realm when a Christian that has been walking with Jesus for years, and now in the later part of their life walks away from the Lord.
As we age, we must guard our hearts from pride, bitterness, envy, jealousy, greed, and lust. These are the sins that will make our hearts turn away. We are all capable of great good, but also of great evil. Guard our hearts Lord!
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded MinistriesAll rights reserved
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
It’s More Than You Think
It is called “The Lord’s Table”, “The Lord’s Supper”, “Communion”, “Holy Communion”, and “The Eucharist”. Most Christians know immediately what these words imply. We have heard the passage in Mark’s Gospel so many times that if often runs off of us like water off of a ducks back, having no impact on us whatsoever.
The setting was the Jewish Passover meal that Jesus was having with his closest friends. It was the most sacred time in the Jewish calendar year. It was the tradition that allowed all Jews the opportunity to relive the amazing work of God in securing their deliverance from the Egyptians so many years earlier.
In the midst of this meal Jesus, speaking of the bread says, “Take it; this is my body” and of the cup he states, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” The disciples sitting there with him that evening caught the imagery even if they did not understand the whole message. It was a powerful evening that two thousand years later still causes us to reflect on the condition of our own souls.
We live in a world of “contracts” that require our signatures on pieces of paper. Every time we sign a credit card slip we sign a contract. We sign contracts for work to be done, homes to be purchased and cars to be leased. A contract is for the exchanging of property and business transactions. Jesus did not say to us that His blood was given as part of a contract. No, Jesus says that His body and blood are a “new covenant.”
According to those who are much brighter than me, a covenant does not deal with property, but deals with people. A covenant is the exchange of persons. An example of this can be found in the wedding ceremonies I perform. There are two people exchanging vows and making a covenant of love and faithfulness between them. They are giving their lives away in pledge to each other.
Jesus is telling us that He is giving us His life and is asking that we give our lives to Him in return. He has made a covenant with us and every time we take the bread and cup we not only remember His sacrificial death, but we renew our convent, our vows.
If you ever take the opportunity to read early church history either online or in a book, you will be amazed at how much emphasis is placed on “The Lord’s Supper.” I often hear people mock the Catholic Church for putting so much emphasis on this aspect of their service, yet we often make it almost obsolete in our Protestant churches. We have made church so “hip” that we have forgotten the sacred, the holy, the reverence.
Jesus made it very clear that the taking of the bread and cup was to be a “big deal” in His family. He did not say to His church that every time we gather we should have a Bible study or sing songs, or have a potluck. Jesus said that when we come together we should renew our vows to Him in a covenant relationship with bread and cup.
Personally, I think it’s a sad day when a church tacks Communion on at the end of the service. Sometimes you get the feeling that it is something that “we have to do” so that the older people won’t get upset. It can come across when done in haste in the earlier part of the service like something we “have to get through” so we can get on to the more important part of the service-the preaching. Funny, Jesus did not say anything about the preaching of great sermons, but He did tell us to honor Him and our covenant with Communion.
In what are often called “High Churches” like Episcopalian, Lutheran, and others, the word used for Communion is “Eucharist”. The Catholics also use this second century expression, which simply means, “Thanksgiving.” An attitude of thanksgiving is certainly the need of our day. When the bread and cup are passed to you what is your attitude? Are you thankful for the amazing covenant that Jesus has made with you?
Justin Martyr was born about the same time that the Apostle John died. He was executed for his faith, but not before he wrote much in defense of Christianity to the Roman government. Today we still have many of his lengthy writings and can see the seriousness and commitment of the early church. Regarding The Lord’s Supper he writes,
“We call this food the thanksgiving (Eucharist), and the only people allowed to receive it are those who believe our teaching and have received the washing for the remission of sins and for regeneration; and who live according to the commands of Christ.”
May I encourage you the next time you celebrate Communion at your church that you focus on the vows you have made to the Lord Jesus. You have asked the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of your awful sin and to come into your life as you submitted your very being to Him. This is the vow you made through an act of prayerful repentance and confession. Now, are you keeping those vows you made to the Lord? Are you faithful to Him, are you growing in love for the Savior and for others, are you being obedient to His leading?
Blessings to you,
Dan Owens
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Way
The following is an excerpt from Who Is This Jesus? by Daniel Owens (pages 115-119). Visit the bookstore at www.eternityminded.org to purchase Who Is This Jesus? or other books written by Dan Owens.
THE WAY
Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my father's home. If that weren't so, would i have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready. I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."
Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?"
Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me." (John 14:1-6)
There are many people in our world today who think they know the way to God.
Some people claim the way to God is through enlightenment or through doing good works. A few cults even believe they can get to God by killing themselves.
Jesus makes a bold claim when he claims to be the only way to the Father. Jesus explains to his disciples in Josh 14 how to find him in the future. He leaves a forwarding address. That's why we worship him. Our worship of Jesus is not just for the here and now; it's a worship that will last forever.
John 14:6 is one of the most frequently quoted and memorized verses in the Bible: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The way, the truth, and the life. Those three words contain so much meaning that they merit our focus for this entire section.
The disciples were concerned because Jesus had recently spoken about leaving them. So he comforts them by telling them that he is going to prepare a place for them and that he will come back again. Is is a passage that we read often at memorial services and funerals because it gives us great hope. If the person who passes away was a follower of Jesus, we know we will have a joyful reunion someday in heaven.
Of course, Thomas was not satisfied. "Lord, we don't know the way," he said. The disciples were certainly upset. Jesus was going to leave them, and they wanted to know where he was going.
As I read that passage, I think that Jesus must have been a wonderful person to "hang out with". The disciples wanted to be with him, and not just because he could turn water into wine or feed multitudes from a couple of loaves and fish. They wanted to be in his presence.
I can't wait to get to heaven and hear about what it was like to spend time with Jesus here on earth. I wonder if he joked with his disciples. Perhaps he teased them a little bit. I wonder what it felt like to watch him do miracles.
Thomas expressed a concern that all the disciples felt at Jesus' statement. None of them wanted him to leave. But Thomas was the pessimistic one, always a little doubtful, and he was going to make sure he knew where Jesus was going. The look on his face must have been priceless as Jesus replied, "I am the way."
The Way Is an Offense
While the words of Jesus in the beginning of John 14 are full of hope, when we get to verse 6, they take a little turn. He goes from talking about mansions and rooms in his Father's house to a very select statement: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That's strong language, and it is offensive to many people.
In 2003, news correspondent Peter Arnett los his job with CNN because of his critical statements about the military in Iraq. However true his statements may have been, they offended a lot of people. At about the same time, the singing group Dixie Chicks made some negative comments about President Bush and found themselves facing the disapproval of country music fans.
Words can be offensive. The words of Jesus have offended people for centuries, and they will continue to be offensive to those who choose not to face the truth. Many of Jesus' claims did not sit well with the leaders of the day. " I am the Bread of Life." "I am the Light of the Word." "I am the resurrection." "I am the Good Shepherd." But John 14:16 may top them all. "I am the way . . . . No one comes to the Father except through me."
One of the biggest reasons his claim is so offensive is that it leaves them without a choice. We don't like being told that we have only one viable option. We are a country of consumers who like choices -- many choices. We want choices about the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the churches we attend, and on and on. With so many religions, each claiming to lead people to God, Christianity stands alone in its declaration: "There is only one option. There is only one way. Jesus is the way."
We Americans have choices in just about every area of life -- airlines, cars, mortgage plans, restaurants, or marriage partners -- and we like it that way. But Jesus says there's only one choice when it comes to how to get to heaven.
Some people will say, "Don't tell me how to find God. I will do it myself and in my own way. Don't tell me I have only one choice, because I will find God on my own. I'm smart enough. I can figure it out." The message of the cross is an offense, just as Paul wrote: "We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles" (1 Cor. 1:23).
Those words are hard, strong, and unbending. That should prompt a couple of responses from us. First, because the message can be offensive to unbelievers, we need to pray. We need to pray that the Lord will open their hearts to receive it. Second, we need to be careful how we say such things. We need to give the message, without diminishing the meaning, in a spirit of love. Otherwise it comes across as arrogant and obnoxious.
One of the tellers at my bank knows I'm a Christian, and she likes to bait me. Whenever I tell her she is doing a great job, she makes a snide comment to see what I'll do. I don't give her a speech on Christianity or "Genesis to Revelation in ninety seconds" or anything like that. But we are building a friendship, and I am planting spiritual seeds. She is used to aggressive, offensive Christians who bludgeon her with their message. I want her to know that I am not pressuring her.
When we witness to an unbeliever, it is so important to communicate in loving words. In fact, it is impossible to communicate the love of God in non-loving words. When we tell someone how wonderful it is to know Jesus Christ, and we share Jesus' words, "I am the way. There is no other way to the Father," it shouldn't be with an air of superiority. We don't have to shout. We don't have to push. All we need to do is calmly put it out there and let the Spirit of God do the rest. You and I can't bring anyone to the Lord. Only the Spirit of God can do that.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, speaking of Christianity, "I like their Christ. I don't like Christians." Why? Because he had observed a spirit of harshness and a spirit of arrogance. He waited to see the spirit of love that Jesus said we, as his followers, should have.
We cannot change the message that Jesus is the way. There will always be those who find it offensive. But we can present our message in a loving and kind way that demonstrates how Jesus desires everyone to find the way to the Father.
God bless you,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
THE WAY
Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my father's home. If that weren't so, would i have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready. I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking."
Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?"
Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me." (John 14:1-6)
There are many people in our world today who think they know the way to God.
Some people claim the way to God is through enlightenment or through doing good works. A few cults even believe they can get to God by killing themselves.
Jesus makes a bold claim when he claims to be the only way to the Father. Jesus explains to his disciples in Josh 14 how to find him in the future. He leaves a forwarding address. That's why we worship him. Our worship of Jesus is not just for the here and now; it's a worship that will last forever.
John 14:6 is one of the most frequently quoted and memorized verses in the Bible: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The way, the truth, and the life. Those three words contain so much meaning that they merit our focus for this entire section.
The disciples were concerned because Jesus had recently spoken about leaving them. So he comforts them by telling them that he is going to prepare a place for them and that he will come back again. Is is a passage that we read often at memorial services and funerals because it gives us great hope. If the person who passes away was a follower of Jesus, we know we will have a joyful reunion someday in heaven.
Of course, Thomas was not satisfied. "Lord, we don't know the way," he said. The disciples were certainly upset. Jesus was going to leave them, and they wanted to know where he was going.
As I read that passage, I think that Jesus must have been a wonderful person to "hang out with". The disciples wanted to be with him, and not just because he could turn water into wine or feed multitudes from a couple of loaves and fish. They wanted to be in his presence.
I can't wait to get to heaven and hear about what it was like to spend time with Jesus here on earth. I wonder if he joked with his disciples. Perhaps he teased them a little bit. I wonder what it felt like to watch him do miracles.
Thomas expressed a concern that all the disciples felt at Jesus' statement. None of them wanted him to leave. But Thomas was the pessimistic one, always a little doubtful, and he was going to make sure he knew where Jesus was going. The look on his face must have been priceless as Jesus replied, "I am the way."
The Way Is an Offense
While the words of Jesus in the beginning of John 14 are full of hope, when we get to verse 6, they take a little turn. He goes from talking about mansions and rooms in his Father's house to a very select statement: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That's strong language, and it is offensive to many people.
In 2003, news correspondent Peter Arnett los his job with CNN because of his critical statements about the military in Iraq. However true his statements may have been, they offended a lot of people. At about the same time, the singing group Dixie Chicks made some negative comments about President Bush and found themselves facing the disapproval of country music fans.
Words can be offensive. The words of Jesus have offended people for centuries, and they will continue to be offensive to those who choose not to face the truth. Many of Jesus' claims did not sit well with the leaders of the day. " I am the Bread of Life." "I am the Light of the Word." "I am the resurrection." "I am the Good Shepherd." But John 14:16 may top them all. "I am the way . . . . No one comes to the Father except through me."
One of the biggest reasons his claim is so offensive is that it leaves them without a choice. We don't like being told that we have only one viable option. We are a country of consumers who like choices -- many choices. We want choices about the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the churches we attend, and on and on. With so many religions, each claiming to lead people to God, Christianity stands alone in its declaration: "There is only one option. There is only one way. Jesus is the way."
We Americans have choices in just about every area of life -- airlines, cars, mortgage plans, restaurants, or marriage partners -- and we like it that way. But Jesus says there's only one choice when it comes to how to get to heaven.
Some people will say, "Don't tell me how to find God. I will do it myself and in my own way. Don't tell me I have only one choice, because I will find God on my own. I'm smart enough. I can figure it out." The message of the cross is an offense, just as Paul wrote: "We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles" (1 Cor. 1:23).
Those words are hard, strong, and unbending. That should prompt a couple of responses from us. First, because the message can be offensive to unbelievers, we need to pray. We need to pray that the Lord will open their hearts to receive it. Second, we need to be careful how we say such things. We need to give the message, without diminishing the meaning, in a spirit of love. Otherwise it comes across as arrogant and obnoxious.
One of the tellers at my bank knows I'm a Christian, and she likes to bait me. Whenever I tell her she is doing a great job, she makes a snide comment to see what I'll do. I don't give her a speech on Christianity or "Genesis to Revelation in ninety seconds" or anything like that. But we are building a friendship, and I am planting spiritual seeds. She is used to aggressive, offensive Christians who bludgeon her with their message. I want her to know that I am not pressuring her.
When we witness to an unbeliever, it is so important to communicate in loving words. In fact, it is impossible to communicate the love of God in non-loving words. When we tell someone how wonderful it is to know Jesus Christ, and we share Jesus' words, "I am the way. There is no other way to the Father," it shouldn't be with an air of superiority. We don't have to shout. We don't have to push. All we need to do is calmly put it out there and let the Spirit of God do the rest. You and I can't bring anyone to the Lord. Only the Spirit of God can do that.
Mahatma Gandhi once said, speaking of Christianity, "I like their Christ. I don't like Christians." Why? Because he had observed a spirit of harshness and a spirit of arrogance. He waited to see the spirit of love that Jesus said we, as his followers, should have.
We cannot change the message that Jesus is the way. There will always be those who find it offensive. But we can present our message in a loving and kind way that demonstrates how Jesus desires everyone to find the way to the Father.
God bless you,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
Monday, March 10, 2008
What Is Your Weakness?
Thomas a Kempis was a German Catholic monk who lived in the time of Renaissance from 1380-1471. His name and work have survived hundreds of years due to his exceptional devotional writings. Both Catholic and Protestant clergy find his famous work, The Imitation of Christ on their bookshelf. It is truly a book that every Christian should read as it is easily regarded as a "Christian Classic" like Pilgrims Progress, Mere Christianity, or The Cost of Discipleship.
Thomas a Kempis wrote, "You will never be an inwardly religious and devout man unless you pass over in silence the short comings of your fellow men, and diligently examine your own weakness." Thomas dealt with the topic of self-examination a fair amount. He realized that we are more prone to focus on the faults of others than to look honestly at our own failures.
In today's reading we find Jesus reclining with His disciples while taking the Passover meal. Chronologically we know that the shocking statement to come from Jesus occurs after He washes His disciple's feet. Jesus disturbs the friendly chatter around the table by saying, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me-one who is eating with me." (Mark 14:18) This comes as the proverbial bombshell to His friends. They are in disbelief, yet they know that their Master is "The Truth" so He cannot tell a lie.
Jesus is the Host of this Passover meal. It is His food and they are His guests. In many countries when you are welcomed to someone's home, food is given as a sign of peace and friendship. Here in the west we offer a drink first and not so much food. Jesus as Host is showing honor to His disciples and once again reminding them of the special friendship they share. In the midst of this incredibly special time Jesus says that one of those present, eating His food, will in turn betray Him.
Each disciple responds with question, "Surly not I?" This was a very powerful time for the disciples, well, minus Judas. Jesus did not just blurt out the name of His betrayer; He gave each man the opportunity to examine his own heart. As William Hendriksen commenting on this passage says, Jesus allowed them to experience "wholesome self-distrust".
We should have a "wholesome distrust" of ourselves. Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Pride is our chief sin and it's the launching pad of all others. We therefore must be very careful that we do not become self deceived regarding our own sin nature. We all have the ability to self-destruct just like Judas.
In that brief moment Jesus allowed each disciple to ask the question, "What do I really believe?" Jesus knew that with the cross just around the corner that these men were going to face their greatest test. They needed to wrestle one final time with their personal belief in Him. They needed to examine their hearts, their faith and their motives for following Jesus.
We know that Peter was filled with the inner conviction that he would never turn his back on the Lord. He was confident in his relationship with Jesus and his understanding of himself. Yet, in the darkness of an arrested Jesus he failed to take a stand and swore that he did not know Jesus. If Peter can fail then so can we. Let's be honest, Judas and Peter both failed. One was premeditated and the other was spontaneous, but they both turned from Jesus and walked away.
Judas hung himself in despair, and Peter bolted back to Christ when he realized that forgiveness was being offered to him. I think Peter well understood the words of Thomas a Kempis, "diligently examine your own weaknesses." I am convinced that Peter later asked himself, "How in the world did I do that?" He learned from his mistake.
What are you learning about yourself? We often play mental games and see ourselves as how we want to be, while never dealing with how we really are. Just as Jesus gave His disciples time for self-examination, church history also provides the opportunity for self-examination through the season of Lent.
Most evangelical churches have all but forgotten Lent as well as other wonderful traditions like Advent. Though I do not have time to deal with the history of Lent, let me remind you that it has traditionally been known as a time of fasting, prayer and purification leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and concludes the Saturday evening before Resurrection Sunday, which is forty days in duration.
I only learned of Lent as I began to work with other denominations like Lutheran's, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians while on staff with Luis Palau. My Baptist tradition that I came to the Lord in never spoke of it since it was a pre-Reformation tradition that they pretty much threw out. However, it is a wonderful season that we should use to aid us in self-examination with regards to sin. There is a solemnity to Lent if we approach it with the proper understanding.
Someone challenged me at the beginning of Lent this year to give up eating one day a week until Easter for the purpose of self-examination and prayer. At first I began to make excuses as to why I did not care to accept his challenge and then I had a change of heart. I begin to wonder "What do I really give up for the Lord? Could I use this fast to tell the Lord I want to hunger for you like I hunger for food? Could I use this time with stomach growling to be reminded of all those children I have seen staring to death in the world and to pray for them? Could I use this time to say thank you Lord Jesus for dying for my sin?"
I decided to commit to the Lord to fast one day a week during Lent, not because I am holy but because I am not holy enough. May the Lord show me my weaknesses during this time so that I will rejoice even more deeply on Resurrection Sunday knowing that it is His power that keeps me from self-destruction!
In This Season of Lent,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
Thomas a Kempis wrote, "You will never be an inwardly religious and devout man unless you pass over in silence the short comings of your fellow men, and diligently examine your own weakness." Thomas dealt with the topic of self-examination a fair amount. He realized that we are more prone to focus on the faults of others than to look honestly at our own failures.
In today's reading we find Jesus reclining with His disciples while taking the Passover meal. Chronologically we know that the shocking statement to come from Jesus occurs after He washes His disciple's feet. Jesus disturbs the friendly chatter around the table by saying, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me-one who is eating with me." (Mark 14:18) This comes as the proverbial bombshell to His friends. They are in disbelief, yet they know that their Master is "The Truth" so He cannot tell a lie.
Jesus is the Host of this Passover meal. It is His food and they are His guests. In many countries when you are welcomed to someone's home, food is given as a sign of peace and friendship. Here in the west we offer a drink first and not so much food. Jesus as Host is showing honor to His disciples and once again reminding them of the special friendship they share. In the midst of this incredibly special time Jesus says that one of those present, eating His food, will in turn betray Him.
Each disciple responds with question, "Surly not I?" This was a very powerful time for the disciples, well, minus Judas. Jesus did not just blurt out the name of His betrayer; He gave each man the opportunity to examine his own heart. As William Hendriksen commenting on this passage says, Jesus allowed them to experience "wholesome self-distrust".
We should have a "wholesome distrust" of ourselves. Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Pride is our chief sin and it's the launching pad of all others. We therefore must be very careful that we do not become self deceived regarding our own sin nature. We all have the ability to self-destruct just like Judas.
In that brief moment Jesus allowed each disciple to ask the question, "What do I really believe?" Jesus knew that with the cross just around the corner that these men were going to face their greatest test. They needed to wrestle one final time with their personal belief in Him. They needed to examine their hearts, their faith and their motives for following Jesus.
We know that Peter was filled with the inner conviction that he would never turn his back on the Lord. He was confident in his relationship with Jesus and his understanding of himself. Yet, in the darkness of an arrested Jesus he failed to take a stand and swore that he did not know Jesus. If Peter can fail then so can we. Let's be honest, Judas and Peter both failed. One was premeditated and the other was spontaneous, but they both turned from Jesus and walked away.
Judas hung himself in despair, and Peter bolted back to Christ when he realized that forgiveness was being offered to him. I think Peter well understood the words of Thomas a Kempis, "diligently examine your own weaknesses." I am convinced that Peter later asked himself, "How in the world did I do that?" He learned from his mistake.
What are you learning about yourself? We often play mental games and see ourselves as how we want to be, while never dealing with how we really are. Just as Jesus gave His disciples time for self-examination, church history also provides the opportunity for self-examination through the season of Lent.
Most evangelical churches have all but forgotten Lent as well as other wonderful traditions like Advent. Though I do not have time to deal with the history of Lent, let me remind you that it has traditionally been known as a time of fasting, prayer and purification leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and concludes the Saturday evening before Resurrection Sunday, which is forty days in duration.
I only learned of Lent as I began to work with other denominations like Lutheran's, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians while on staff with Luis Palau. My Baptist tradition that I came to the Lord in never spoke of it since it was a pre-Reformation tradition that they pretty much threw out. However, it is a wonderful season that we should use to aid us in self-examination with regards to sin. There is a solemnity to Lent if we approach it with the proper understanding.
Someone challenged me at the beginning of Lent this year to give up eating one day a week until Easter for the purpose of self-examination and prayer. At first I began to make excuses as to why I did not care to accept his challenge and then I had a change of heart. I begin to wonder "What do I really give up for the Lord? Could I use this fast to tell the Lord I want to hunger for you like I hunger for food? Could I use this time with stomach growling to be reminded of all those children I have seen staring to death in the world and to pray for them? Could I use this time to say thank you Lord Jesus for dying for my sin?"
I decided to commit to the Lord to fast one day a week during Lent, not because I am holy but because I am not holy enough. May the Lord show me my weaknesses during this time so that I will rejoice even more deeply on Resurrection Sunday knowing that it is His power that keeps me from self-destruction!
In This Season of Lent,
Dan
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
Monday, March 3, 2008
Better Than The Jedi Mind Trick!
I would be the first to confess that I am a day dreamer-always have been and always will be! My teachers used to tell my parents that I was a day dreamer when I was a kid in school. My world was in my head and it was safe there because I could control it.
Today's passage causes me to drift off and let my wander once again. I have always loved this passage and I am sad to see that many people don’t quite see it in the supernatural way that I do. Even as I read it again last week, I thought, "This is so cool." See if you agree with me.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." (Mark 14:12-15)
Our story tells us that it is time for the yearly celebration of the Passover or what is often called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Since Jesus was a Jew he most certainly was going to celebrate the Passover, and knowing this His disciples inquired as to how they could help Jesus find a place to celebrate this event. We will look at this more in depth over the next few weeks, but today I want to turn our attention to the instructions he gave to his disciples.
Jesus tells them how they were to find a place for the Passover and low and behold, it happens just as He said it would. At first glimpse it looks like the Jedi mind trick that Luke Skywalker used in Star Wars. It is an awesome display of power.
Most commentators like to state that the reason Jesus could tell them that they would find a man carrying a jar of water was because Jesus had set this all up ahead of time. Well, that sounds reasonable, unless you are a day dreamer like me and a believer in the ministry of the Holy Spirit!
I was sitting by myself recently when the voice in my head said clearly, "You are going to meet this certain person, and he is going to ask you to call him on Tuesday. I want you do what he asks." About and hour later I bumped into this very person, and in the conversation he said, "I want you to call me next week, call me on Monday. No, that won’t work, call me on Tuesday."
We often forget that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that spoke and influenced Jesus Christ also speaks and influences us! I believe with all my heart that Jesus did not set these details up the day before. I believe that the Holy Spirit told Jesus how to find a place for the Passover and Jesus relayed that information to His disciples. Praise the Lord.
This message had to be of the Lord when you look at how it was to come about. Jesus said to them that they were going to find a man carrying a water jar. What?! In the time of Jesus men never carried water and they never carried a water jar! That was women's work and to be more specific, poor women's work. So the disciples knew right away that they would not have a hard time spotting this man. It would be quite easy to spot a man carrying a water jar on his head because it was so out of place-it was not the norm.
Isn't that just like the Lord? When you read Scripture from cover to cover you see that God just seems to work beyond the accepted norm. Blowing trumpets to bring down a city, using 300 men instead of 32,000 men to fight the Midian army, using a baby born in a barn to save the world. Now He uses a man to do women's work. Yes, I can hear all of you women giving a loud "Amen" to that!
I will say it to you once again, listen for and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life. Test the Spirit so you can grow to KNOW that voice. I would heartily recommend Dallas Willard's wonderful book called Hearing God to help in this area. I did make that phone call on the Tuesday like I was asked and I was so glad that I did. I don't even know where that contact will lead, but I know the Holy Spirit told me it would happen and that I should make the call. I was obedient to His request which I cannot say that is always the case for me.
The fact that the Spirit asks us to do things out of the norm is probably why we don't always want to obey. We are afraid we will look foolish or that we might offend someone in the process of determining the Spirit's voice. However, joy comes from obedience and blessing comes from submission.
As a day dreamer I like Star Wars, but I love the Holy Spirit because He is reality!
Blessings to you,
Dan
Listen to Dan Owens latest podcast message "God - Slow To Anger" at www.danowens.podcastpeople.com
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
Today's passage causes me to drift off and let my wander once again. I have always loved this passage and I am sad to see that many people don’t quite see it in the supernatural way that I do. Even as I read it again last week, I thought, "This is so cool." See if you agree with me.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." (Mark 14:12-15)
Our story tells us that it is time for the yearly celebration of the Passover or what is often called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Since Jesus was a Jew he most certainly was going to celebrate the Passover, and knowing this His disciples inquired as to how they could help Jesus find a place to celebrate this event. We will look at this more in depth over the next few weeks, but today I want to turn our attention to the instructions he gave to his disciples.
Jesus tells them how they were to find a place for the Passover and low and behold, it happens just as He said it would. At first glimpse it looks like the Jedi mind trick that Luke Skywalker used in Star Wars. It is an awesome display of power.
Most commentators like to state that the reason Jesus could tell them that they would find a man carrying a jar of water was because Jesus had set this all up ahead of time. Well, that sounds reasonable, unless you are a day dreamer like me and a believer in the ministry of the Holy Spirit!
I was sitting by myself recently when the voice in my head said clearly, "You are going to meet this certain person, and he is going to ask you to call him on Tuesday. I want you do what he asks." About and hour later I bumped into this very person, and in the conversation he said, "I want you to call me next week, call me on Monday. No, that won’t work, call me on Tuesday."
We often forget that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit that spoke and influenced Jesus Christ also speaks and influences us! I believe with all my heart that Jesus did not set these details up the day before. I believe that the Holy Spirit told Jesus how to find a place for the Passover and Jesus relayed that information to His disciples. Praise the Lord.
This message had to be of the Lord when you look at how it was to come about. Jesus said to them that they were going to find a man carrying a water jar. What?! In the time of Jesus men never carried water and they never carried a water jar! That was women's work and to be more specific, poor women's work. So the disciples knew right away that they would not have a hard time spotting this man. It would be quite easy to spot a man carrying a water jar on his head because it was so out of place-it was not the norm.
Isn't that just like the Lord? When you read Scripture from cover to cover you see that God just seems to work beyond the accepted norm. Blowing trumpets to bring down a city, using 300 men instead of 32,000 men to fight the Midian army, using a baby born in a barn to save the world. Now He uses a man to do women's work. Yes, I can hear all of you women giving a loud "Amen" to that!
I will say it to you once again, listen for and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in your life. Test the Spirit so you can grow to KNOW that voice. I would heartily recommend Dallas Willard's wonderful book called Hearing God to help in this area. I did make that phone call on the Tuesday like I was asked and I was so glad that I did. I don't even know where that contact will lead, but I know the Holy Spirit told me it would happen and that I should make the call. I was obedient to His request which I cannot say that is always the case for me.
The fact that the Spirit asks us to do things out of the norm is probably why we don't always want to obey. We are afraid we will look foolish or that we might offend someone in the process of determining the Spirit's voice. However, joy comes from obedience and blessing comes from submission.
As a day dreamer I like Star Wars, but I love the Holy Spirit because He is reality!
Blessings to you,
Dan
Listen to Dan Owens latest podcast message "God - Slow To Anger" at www.danowens.podcastpeople.com
Copyright 2008 Eternity Minded Ministries - All rights reserved
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