Abiding Isn’t Complicated

Jesus Christ said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [lifts up]; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15:1-5).”

 When we think about what it means to abide in Jesus, if we are a technical/mechanical kind of person, our temptation is to ask for a checklist. But abiding isn't a program. Abiding is a relationship. We live in an electronic world and we want to treat abiding in Christ like charging an electronic device. How long do I have to be plugged into Christ through a quiet time of prayer or reading the Bible to get the charge I need to then go out and do my thing?

 But Jesus doesn't say "I am the power cord you are the cell phone." He says, "I'm the vine. You're the branch." If you want his power in your life there can't be any disconnect! Abiding is living in a constant awareness of total dependence. Abiding is what realistic people do who realize that they have no spiritual life or power in themselves.

 When thinking about abiding some other people can make it overly mystical. But it's not a special spiritual state that we work ourselves into. More than anything abiding is an attitude of heart. It's the opposite of self-reliance, of the "I can handle this myself" kind of thinking. It is dependence and child-like faith that says, "All I have is Jesus Christ: his life, death, resurrection, exaltation, and power is all for me. And without him I have nothing."

 As Scripture declares, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [i.e. by faith, by trusting him to save you]  “so walk in Him,  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.  Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:6-10).” [my emphasis]

 Here's the truth: you and I know how to abide. When there's someone in our life that we know we can't live without, we know how to stay close to that person. We talk to her. We listen to him. We don't go on long vacations away from that person. We remember to call. We do the things that please him. We give up other things and relationships to make her our first priority.

 That's what Jesus tells us to do in John 15. If you want to abide in Jesus read the Bible. Let his words shape your attitudes and actions. Pray. Seek to love what he loves. Ask him to do in you the things that will please him and bring him glory. Abide in his love by keeping his commandments. Obey him even when it's costly. Remember who you are and what you have and what you are called to do in Christ. As the old song says,

 Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Abiding isn't complicated. The secret to abiding is simply being desperate for Jesus. The secret to abiding is truly believing that apart from Jesus you can do nothing.

Pray for Stephen Hawking

On January 8^th Cambridge University celebrated the 70^th birthday of renowned scientist Stephen Hawking. But the guest of honor was not there. Hawking suffers from what is commonly called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease began when he was 21 years old and it usually leads to death within 3 to 4 years. The fact that Hawking is still alive is testimony to the grace of God.

 Why do I say that his length of life is due to the grace of God? I’ll tell you in a moment. Hawking is a cosmologist, someone who studies the universe: how it began, why it began and where it is going. He is a brilliant scientist. He was elected as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge in 1979. To understand how important this appointment was, Sir Isaac Newton once held the post. After retiring in 2009 Hawking took up a new role as director of research at the Center for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge. The institute was created to house his studies.

 As a cosmologist Hawking asks the right questions such as “Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing (The Grand Design)?” But then he concludes that “Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than nothing (The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 3, 2010).”

 Scripture is clear why the universe exists. We are told “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1).” This glorious display of the universe points us to God. The Bible says we can know God because, “…since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they [those who gaze into the heavens] are without excuse (Romans 1:20)” in not knowing Him.

 The fact that there is a universe that we can see and study means that people are without excuse in knowing and trusting in the one true God. The universe makes it evident that there is a God. Hawking and others like him are without excuse and he and they need to stop suppressing “the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).

 So a choice needs to be made. The universe is the result of “spontaneous creation [for no reason and from nothing]” or “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)? Hawking sees no reason for God at all. This is why I said the length of his life is by the grace of God (Psalm 139:16). God, the Creator, is giving Hawking time to discover the truth. There is a day coming when everyone will have to stand before God and answer for their faith or unbelief. That day has not yet come, but it is coming. Don’t doubt that it will come because it has not yet arrived—this is due to mercy. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise [of judgment] as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).”

 Since the universe exists to declare God’s glory so that we might find Him, pray for Stephen Hawking that in the time he has left he makes this life changing discovery. In fact pray that God opens the hearts of many scientists and other people as well so that they might discover the truth and be saved. Pray—and then speak the truth in love.

Christopher Hitchens Was Right

Famed atheist Christopher Hitchens died last month. He was 62 when he lost his fight against esophageal cancer. Hitchens was relentless in his attacks against the concept of God. After the release of his bestselling book “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” he toured, promoting his book and debating religious leaders.

 In an interview in Portland, Oregon, Mr. Hitchens was questioned by Unitarian minister* Marilyn Sewell.** The following was a part of their early conversation.

 Sewell: “The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian and I don’t take the stories of Scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make a distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?”

 Hitchens: “I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re not in any meaningful sense a Christian.”

 Ms. Sewell didn’t want to travel down that road so she replied, “Let me go someplace else.” It’s funny and also terribly sad that an atheist grasped this rock bottom truth of Christianity more than a liberal Christian minister. Hitchens was absolutely correct in what he said to Sewell. We should believe what the Bible says about Christ if we desire to be a Christian. In fact we should believe what the Scripture says—period. The truths of Scripture, especially the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our salvation, needs to be proclaimed with love and conviction from the pulpit, in the home and out on the streets. You can’t just pick and choose truth to fit your religious taste buds. Christianity is not an “a la carte” religion.

 It’s been rumored that Christopher Hitchens may have had a death-bed conversion. His own writing in the last year before his death has caused some to raise an eye brow about what he believed about God and Christ. There is no certain way for us to know what was in his heart however. Only God knows.

 But here is what we can know. God is very merciful and gracious. He does allows fox hole conversions (Luke 23:39-42). We also know that God, the Judge of all the earth, will do what is right and just (Genesis 18:25). It is true that we also reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7, 8). It has been said that the way you live is the way you die—in hope or without it (Ephesians 2:12, 13).

 This new year will provide many opportunities for us to share the love of God and the good news of Jesus Christ with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Let’s “always be ready to give a defense [or answer] to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).” Be ready to love people and offer truth and hope to those who desire to have both.

*This is the Unitarian Universalist church, a very liberal, non-biblical denomination. It should not be confused with the concept of Biblical Unitarianism which promotes the Scriptural teaching that there is only one God, Yahweh, who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.

**For the full interview see http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/category/books-and-talks/articles/christopher-hitchens/

What Will the Year 2012 Bring?

What will the new year bring? This past year was a tough one for many reasons. You can guarantee that there will be political unrest around the world in the new year. In the United States as the presidential election draws near the mud slinging will grow worse. Some people are expecting the Occupy Wall Street protests or other protests to intensify.

Economically things don’t look that good either. The new manager of the International Monetary Fund warns that the global economy faces the prospect of “economic retraction, rising protectionism, isolation and. . .what happened in the 1930s” (i.e. an economic depression). Some sources see the Europe Union imploding both economically and politically. Sorry for the bad news before the new year even begins.

But there are things that you can do to have a blessed new year no matter the circumstances. First, make a commitment to read Scripture. An ancient psalmist wrote about Scripture, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).Allow the light of God’s Word to give you wisdom, insight, comfort and courage for all of life.

Second, trust God. The writer of Proverbs said, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him,  And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5, 6).” No matter what the new year brings trusting in God to direct your path is wise counsel.

Third, be generous in your charitable giving and serve others with the love of God. The New Testament proclaims, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).” And “through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Galatians 5:13, 14).”

Finally, share the good news of Jesus Christ and the coming kingdom of God with others. The Bible proclaims “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).” There are people looking for love and hope and answers to life’s questions. “You are an epistle of Christ (2 Cor. 3:3).” In other words, you are Christ’s love letter to someone out in the world.

So read the Bible daily, trust God in all you do, cheerfully give, serve in love and make known the good news. Have a very happy and blessed new year!

The Branch: The Son of God

The last prophecy concerning the one called “The Branch” is found in Isaiah 4:2. “In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious.” The day spoken of is the future day of Christ’s reigning as the King of kings upon the earth. At that time Jesus will be seen in all his glory.

We learned in previous blogs that the Branch is revealed as a king, as a servant and as a man. He is now revealed as “the Branch of the LORD.” And as the phrase “a Branch shall grow out” from Jesse, David’s father, indicates that Jesus would be the son of David, so “the Branch of the LORD” indicates that Jesus is also the Son of God. Matthew’s gospel reveals Jesus as the king, Mark as the servant, and Luke as the man. John’s gospel shows that Jesus Christ is “the Branch of the LORD” the Son of God.

Like Mark’s gospel the gospel of John has no genealogy for Jesus. He simply writes “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:1-3).” The Greek pronoun translated “He” and “Him” are impersonal pronouns in the Greek and therefore should be translated as “it” when referring to the “Word.” Every English Bible before the King James Version of 1611 translated the pronouns this way. The following is an example. “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God: and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by it, and without it nothing was made that was made.” [my emphasis]

 The word translated “Word” is logos and it means a plan, purpose, saying, expression of thought, a message, or an intention. And so when we read “the Word was God” the original intent of the Greek is to convey the idea that the “Word” was fully representative of God. The “Word” is not Jesus, it is the thoughts and intents of God’s heart and character. If we understand God’s Word we know what God is like. In other words the logos fully expresses God’s purpose, mind, heart and will. Therefore you could very accurately paraphrase John 1:1-3, like this, “In the beginning God had a creative and redemptive plan. And this plan or purpose revealed His heart and was fully representative of all that God is. All things were made through this plan and without this divine plan nothing was made.”

With all of this in mind John 1:14 reveals a wonderful truth. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The word, the logos, God’s plan, His purpose, became flesh and dwelt among us. With the coming into existence of Jesus Christ at his conception and birth, the full plan and heart of God was expressed in a human being. Jesus Christ was full of divine “grace and truth (John 1:17).”

What became flesh in John 1:14, was not a preexistent or eternally begotten Son of God. What became flesh was God’s final revelation of what He is like revealed in the Man, Jesus Christ. This is why John went on to write “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18).” The Son revealed the Father. And so John wrote his gospel showing the many signs and wonders Jesus performed so “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31).”

The four Old Testament prophecies concerning the Branch as king, servant, man and Son of God find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ as presented in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each gospel writer was inspired by God to set forth a unique and yet complimentary portrait of the Christ.

As we read the Word of God and come to faith in Christ we find our own fulfillment as well. The New Testament says to us, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:8-10).” Merry Christmas!

The Branch: The Man

In my last two blogs about the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Branch we have seen that one prophecy concerns the Branch, Jesus Christ, as a king. And the second concerns the Branch as the servant of the Lord. Correspondingly we have seen that Matthew picks up the theme of the king while Mark presents the servant. Now we come to the third prophecy again in the book of Zechariah.

Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the LORD (Zechariah 6:12).

The first feature of this third prophecy is that the one called “the Branch” is a man. This may startle some readers but Jesus is not a god/man. He is a genuine human being. There was no eternal being called God the Son (a phrase never found in the Bible). Jesus did not pre-exist in heaven as God and then decide to reduce himself and then pass through time and space and enter Mary’s womb as a baby. An entity like this is not “conceived” or “begotten” (Matthew 1: 20; Luke 1:31; John 3:16) he merely passes through one form of life into another—kind of like a sci-fi character.

In the Old Testament Jesus is prophesied to be the seed or offspring of the woman (Genesis 3:15), the seed or offspring of Abraham (Genesis 22:18) and the seed or offspring of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). Moses declared that the Messiah would be a prophet like himself (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18). Nowhere in the Old Testament is there ever the tiniest hint that Jesus is a god/man; he is presented as a genuine man. 

Luke’s gospel corresponds to the prophecy of “the Man whose name is the BRANCH.” And once again in Luke we have a genealogy for Christ. Matthew’s genealogy shows the royal lineage and it goes forward from Abraham to David to Jesus. But Luke’s genealogy moves backward from Jesus, through some very common people, all the way back to Adam, a real man, who is called “the son of God”!

Adam came into being by a direct act of God. And Jesus is a real man who came into existence by a direct act of God (Luke 1:35). In fact the Bible says that “in all things He [Jesus] had to be made like His brethren (Hebrews 2:17).” The Savior had to be just like the rest of us in every way except that he never gave in to sin.

In tracing Jesus’ genealogy back to Adam, Luke shows us that Jesus is not just a Jewish man, he is related to all mankind. Luke shows Jesus as a friend of publicans and sinners. He shows Jesus ministering to not only Jews but to Gentiles. We see Christ’s emotions more deeply in Luke’s gospel. And we see his dependence upon God through prayer more in Luke than in any other gospel. Jesus depended upon the power of God to do the great things that he did (Acts 2:22; 10:38).

The fact that Jesus is a real human being makes his ministry and obedience to God even to the point of death heroic! He is the only man who has ever loved God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. And he has won the victory that the first man, Adam, lost. Scriptures says, “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous (Romans 5:18, 19).”

The birth of Jesus Christ “the Man whose name is the BRANCH” was to bring about the fulfillment of the promise of Genesis 3:15. This is the promise that the seed of the woman will crush Satan’s head. Through the man, the Lord Jesus Christ, the day is rapidly approaching when “the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. (Romans 16:20).” Praise God!

The Branch: The Servant

In the previous blog we saw that Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied about one who would be called “the Branch” who would be king. This is the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus, the descendant of King David. One day Christ will rule from Jerusalem over the entire world. He will rule in righteousness and there will be everlasting peace (Isaiah 9:6, 7).

Jesus has won the right to rule the world because He is the only person who has been completely devoted to God. Jesus Christ is the servant of the Lord God Almighty. This is the prophetic message given through Zechariah. “For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH (Zechariah 3:8).”

Isaiah tells us that this “Branch” will have the “Spirit of the LORD” upon him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.  His delight is in the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11:1-3a).” Through the Spirit of God, Jesus Christ was able to overcome every temptation to sin. He was able to be humbly obedient to God in all things even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8).

The gospel of Matthew shows Jesus as the Branch: the King. Mark’s gospel proclaims Jesus as the Branch: the Servant. Matthew’s gospel has a genealogy for Jesus showing him to be the descendant of King David. But Mark’s gospel has no genealogy for Christ because a genealogy is not needed for a servant as it is for a king.

You want to see a servant working and being faithful to his Master. Mark’s gospel is action packed and Jesus is the action hero. Jesus is seen teaching, healing and preaching. When you read Mark’s account of the life of Christ you see words like “immediately,” “arose” and “went.” Mark constantly uses the present tense in his writing. There are also several sections on suffering and discipleship, though Mark’s gospel presents the working Jesus more than the teacheingJesus.

Then in the tenth chapter of Mark we have Jesus speaking these famous words: “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45).” [my emphasis]

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Branch: the Servant of the Lord God Almighty. And he calls to us to follow him in loving service to God and to others. This Christmas season rejoice in the truth that the Servant of the Lord has set you free—free from sin, free from guilt, free from the condemnation of God’s holy law. But do not use your freedom to do as you please. Rather “through love serve one another (Galatians 5:13)” just as your Lord did. For you too are empowered with the Spirit of God (Acts 1:8; Romans 5:5).