Monthly Archives: July 2015

From Hothead To Beloved

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FROM HOTHEAD TO BELOVED

‘Teacher,’ said John, ‘we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop because he was not one of us.’

‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said. ‘For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah, will not lose his reward (Mark 9: 38-41).  

John – Boanerges. Son of thunder! Hothead! Together with his brother James, John certainly earned the nickname. Without consulting the Master he, together with the other disciples, poured cold water on a would-be disciple of Jesus who was casting out demons in His name. John was not going to have any Tom, Dick or Harry do what they, the disciples exclusively were appointed to do! After all, they were the chosen ones. They were “in” and everyone else was “out” and they were not about to let any outsider in on their privileges.

How one earth did John change from being a hothead to calling himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved”? Did Jesus love him more than the other disciples? Was he the favourite out of all the others? That’s not what he claimed. By using this description of himself, he did not say that Jesus loved him more than the others. All he knew was that Jesus loved him.

What was even more amazing was that not only did John’s nickname change but also his disposition. From hothead, he became the disciple of love. One only has to read his letters to realise that this was no hothead speaking. In his years with Jesus something profound happened inside him. The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent on the Day of Pentecost to be His own presence in His people, radically changed John. How is it possible that a person’s character and disposition, inborn and formed during his childhood, could be so transformed the he was no longer the same person?

There is only one answer – the power of God working within. People can change for a little while if they have a mind to, but it is usually only cosmetic. They will revert to their old disposition when the pressure is on. But not John. And not anyone who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and is determined to follow Jesus.

God created the first man in His image. He put His stamp of ownership on him by making him like Himself. Humans are the only creatures who have the capacity to be one with Him by choice because that’s how He made them to be. The rest of creation was also created to be one. However, unlike man, it functions by instinct, not by choice. Natural creation was also affected by the Fall and is out of harmony because of sin.

God has promised that all of creation will be restored to its original purpose when Jesus returns. In the meantime, He is at work in those who believe in Him, who have His Spirit in them and who are submitted to Him.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Rom. 8: 28-29).

How does this happen? It will happen to us as it happened to John and to the other disciples.

And we all who, with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3: 18).

John could not watch, listen to and follow Jesus for three years and be loved by Him, and then be invaded by the Holy Spirit without being changed by His love. Neither can we. The secret of transformation lies in our contemplation of the Master. That is the purpose of worship. We become like the thing we worship. Gaze at the world and what the world says and does and we will embrace the world’s standards and behave like the world. Keep gazing at Jesus and we will become like Him.

John was transformed from Boanerges to “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” When we realise in the depth of our hearts how great is the love of God for us, we will be transformed, just as he was into those who know that we are deeply loved by God. .

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

Time Out To Teach

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TIME OUT TO TEACH

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were because He was teaching His disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.’ But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it (Mark 9: 30-32).

Time was getting short for Jesus. He needed to get the message across to His disciples. He was going to die at the hands of the authorities but they needed to know that it was all planned. It was urgent that they understand so that it would not take them by surprise. However, death would not be the end for Him. It would be part of the process. Unlike any other person before Him, death would not hold Him in the grave. With all the earnestness He could muster, He assured His disciples that He would rise again.

But they were deaf to His words. Uncomprehending. It was not His words that they did not understand but the very thought that anyone would rise from the dead. This was such an important message that He took His disciples somewhere out of reach of the crowds so that He could have time out with them, alone. But they just didn’t get it!

They came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they argued about who would be the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and servant of all.’ He took a little child whom He placed among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, ’Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.’ (Mark 9: 33-37).

Here are some loaded statements. It is glaringly obvious at this stage that the disciples were just ordinary men. They were still without the Spirit. They lacked understanding and the old nature was still very much at work in them. In spite of every effort Jesus made to get them to understand that He did not come to get rid of Rome and set up a renewed Davidic kingdom in Israel, that’s what they believed and that’s what coloured their thinking. Everything He taught them was filtered through this expectation.

Of course that meant that they were the favoured ones who would hold high office in this new regime, or so they thought. They continually squabbled over the same thing – who would hold the highest office under Jesus? Their thinking was worldly; they wanted to go up, not down. Underneath the surface of this band of “followers” a power struggle was going on, and Jesus was well aware of it. It was His passion to promote unity among them by teaching them to submit to one another, but they had other ideas. Not even His patient teaching and example would shift this pernicious ambition from their minds.

In this atmosphere of constant competition, Jesus made a shocking statement – shocking because it cut across everything they believed at that moment. From the lowest rungs of society He had called them. They were catapulted from being nobodies to being somebodies because they were the disciples of the most powerful and popular rabbi in all Israel. It must have gone to their heads, especially when He taught about God’s kingdom. Now He informed them that the most important people in this kingdom were those who served. That was something they did not want to hear.

To crown it all He called a small child to Him. If they didn’t understand His words, He would give them a visual aid they would not easily forget. Picking up the little one, He made another startling statement. “Do you see this child?” He asked them. “If you want to be really great in God’s kingdom, you will need to get down on his level and accept him. Yes, even become like him.”

What? Become like a child? What did He mean? What is the most glaring characteristic of a child? Humility? Not really. Trust? Perhaps. Spontaneity? Maybe. Dependence? Absolutely. Whatever other characteristics a child might have, every single child from birth is absolutely dependent on someone else for survival. Left to himself he will die.

Strangely enough, it is dependence that cancels out pride. Children are taught to become independent so that they can grow up and leave home. In the kingdom of God, the opposite is true. It takes a lifetime to learn to be utterly dependent on God. That’s true humility, and when you do that, you will be able to bend down and accept a child as your equal.

Jesus taught His disciples, on the eve of His death:

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 (John 15:5).

If unity with His disciples was His goal, then dependence was the way to that goal. To be one with Him means to be utterly useless without Him.    

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

Done And Dusted!

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DONE AND DUSTED!

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the impure spirit. ‘You deaf and mute spirit,’ He said, ‘I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.’ The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can come out only by prayer.’ (Mark 9: 25-29). 

Where did this happen? Possibly in Capernaum, Jesus’ hometown. Perhaps Jesus had left the other disciples there while He took Peter, James and John on an excursion to the mountain where He was transfigured. Wherever it happened, there was a large crowd of people, always ready for a sensation.

Jesus refused to make this boy and his troubled father another cause for entertainment. This child must have been well-known in the town. No sooner did the father seek out the disciples for help in the absence of Jesus, than the crowd began to gather, looking for an opportunity to watch another miracle if they could. When Jesus arrived on the scene, they were delighted. Now they were about to see something spectacular because this boy had a demon big time.

So vicious was this evil spirit that it threw the boy around like a rag doll. Imagine the father’s distress when he watched his son being tormented over and over again, and he was powerless to help him. When he heard that the healer’s disciples were in the vicinity, he lost no time in getting his son to where they were. He figured that, if they were disciples of this rabbi, they must surely be able to do what He did. Imagine his disappointment when they were as powerless to deal with spirit as he was.

When Jesus and His three “specials” arrived back in town, He took action quickly. People were flocking from all over to watch the spectacle and He was not about to provide them with something to talk about for weeks to come. With the voice of authority He commanded the demon to leave and never to return. Imagine the cheek of this tormenting spirit! It didn’t go quietly! It made sure that everyone there knew that it belonged to the dominion of darkness. If it refused to heed the command of the disciples of Jesus, it was forced to obey the Son of God, but not without resistance.

Screaming, shrieking and flinging the boy about like a dog with a rat, it finally left. The boy was so exhausted by its terrible strength that he lay pale and limp on the ground. The people said he was dead. Perhaps he was dead. Perhaps the demon had had the last laugh after all. But Jesus was there. He would complete what He started. Nothing but perfect healing was His goal. He took the lad by the hand, lifted him to his feet and returned him to his father alive, sane, whole and well.

As feeble as the father’s faith was, it was enough to achieve what he craved He wanted his son back, a normal, healthy boy who would grow up by his side like the other members of his family.

The disciples were puzzled. Still smarting from Jesus’ rebuke, they questioned Him afterwards, when the excitement had died down and the crowd had dispersed. “Why couldn’t we do that?’” they wanted to know. After all, hadn’t Jesus given them authority to cast out demons? Hadn’t they done just that on other occasions? Why were they so powerless with this one? What did Jesus mean by His reply, “This kind can only come out by prayer?” What kind?

This was not a tame spirit. Its response, even to Jesus, indicated that it was a particularly defiant and stubborn spirit, resisting authority and acting with vicious intent. It was a killer spirit, doing all in its power to destroy the boy. It certainly resisted the disciples and even Jesus, giving way reluctantly and with a last attempt to do as much damage as it could.

What did Jesus mean by prayer? Did the disciples immediately connect what He said to what they knew of Him – many hours spent in prayer, during the night, in the early morning, out in the hills, in solitude away from the crowds? Prayer – Jesus’ connection to the Father, strengthening the bond, seeking the Father’s will, learning to be a son through submission and obedience to the Father? Is this what they lacked – the authority that comes from personal and intimate interaction with the Father, the authority that flows from humility and submission?

They still had a lot to learn on this journey to becoming true followers of Jesus, and so do we.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

 

Failure

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FAILURE

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet Him. ‘What are you arguing with them about?’ He asked. A man in the crowd answered, ‘Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.’ (Mark 9:14-18).

Jesus’ disciples weren’t doing very well, were they? The ones with Him up the mountain were hopelessly uncomprehending and the ones down below were out of their depth with a demon-possessed boy. They were supposed to be practising to be disciples but all they could produce at this stage was failure.

Imagine the disappointment and exasperation the father of the boy must have felt! Of course he understood that these men were followers of Jesus and that they, therefore, should be able to do what He did. But they couldn’t. The evil spirit just would not obey them. Didn’t the spirit know that he was supposed to get out when they told it to? Apparently not.

‘You unbelieving generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?  Bring the boy to me.’ (Mark 9: 19).

Jesus exploded! After all this time with them, all they could produce was unbelief and failure. What was wrong with them? How long would it take Him to convince these knuckleheads that He was who He was and that He had given them authority to do what He did? Exasperated, He called for the boy to be brought to Him. What was the use of having disciples when He had to do it all Himself?

What was their problem? His outburst, in the words of Eugene Peterson (The Message), reveal their mind-set, still stuck on their circumstances instead of being aware of God.

‘What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this?

In this outburst, Jesus revealed the difference between the attitude of the disciples and His attitude – God-awareness. Adam and Eve lost their God-awareness the moment they disobeyed Him and stepped out of His felt presence. They hid from Him because they were afraid. Why were they afraid? They were aware of their nakedness? What happened to change everything? Because of their rebellion, they became painfully self-aware and their self-awareness took over.

Jesus was so God-conscious, so one with the Father, that He did everything in God. There was no situation too big for Him to handle because He and the Holy Spirit were one. Yes, Jesus was frustrated with His disciples and yet, failure was as much, if not more, their training ground as success. Isn’t it true that we learn more from our failures than from our successes?

Jesus was annoyed but not fazed by their inability to drive out the demon. He knew that when the Holy Spirit fell on them, they would be launched into a new kind of life, filled with revelation and authority way beyond their wildest dreams. This is still boot-camp. They were still battling with the basics, but their time was coming.

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into the fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us. ‘If you can’? said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’  (Mark 9: 20-23).

Now we are beginning to understand why the disciples failed with this boy. This was a particularly stubborn and defiant demon. It even tried to resist Jesus. It had been squatting in this boy for years and was not about to give way without a fight.

The father’s wistful request brought an indignant retort from Jesus. “If you can”? He echoed. Of course He could. He would never ignore a cry for help. But His mercy needed trust. If the father trusted Jesus, it would happen.

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’ (Mark 9: 24).

Now it was all coming together – God-consciousness that made them more aware of God than the circumstances, and the authority that flowed from that God-consciousness; and confidence that Jesus could do it. This was a lesson the disciples had to learn. It was not about them. It was about Him. They could do it because He said so and He had confidence in their confidence in Him.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

 

 

Elijah Has Come

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ELIJAH HAS COME

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. And they asked Him, ‘Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus replied, ‘To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restore all things. Why, then, is it written that the Son of Man must suffer and be rejected? But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.’ (Mark 9: 9-13).

What an unending struggle Jesus had with these twelve men! Their mental block to His talk of His suffering shut them off from understanding much of the prophecies associated with the Messiah.

Malachi’s prophecy is clear.

See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes (Mal. 4: 5).

Of course, Elijah would not come literally because he belonged to another era and he had been dead for many centuries. But God would send another prophet in the spirit of Elijah. Who would not have recognised John the Baptist to be that one? If the disciples had any sensitivity to the times, John’s dress and demeanour would have alerted them to something unusual. They had seen and recognised Elijah on the mountain but they had not recognised his spirit in John.

Yes, “Elijah” had come and, like many of the other prophets before him, he had been silenced for speaking the truth. His was the voice crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Why did Malachi call it “that great and dreadful day of the Lord”? It was the day – the time in history – when God would judge sin once and for all. Every word that came from John’s mouth and from the mouth of Jesus pronounced judgment, and the eventual violent death of both forerunner and Messiah sealed that judgment on all mankind.

Darkness had tried to extinguish the light but Jesus rose from the dead to proclaim forgiveness for all mankind. Sin was finally judged, once for all in the Messiah. Those who killed Him thought that they had silenced Him forever but no one can ever kill truth. ”Elijah” came and Herod shut his up, but he still speaks because he spoke the truth. Jesus came, and the whole world, in those who represented us then, tried to shut Him up but He lives and speaks today.

People may ignore Him, deny His existence, lie about His person, deny that He died and rose again, create their own theories and religious systems and believe the nonsense they have fabricated but, sadly for them, Jesus just not go away. Sin was judged on the cross but those who choose not to receive the forgiveness His death purchased and the real life He offers in union with Him, will face the alternative. Their sin will not go away. It’s Jesus and eternal life or sin and eternal destruction. Everyone has a choice.

People did to “Elijah” whatever they wanted. They took him from the earthly scene but they could not erase him from history or deny what he did. People did to Jesus whatever they wanted but in His dying He paid the debt of sin and overcame death. We can ignore Him, deny Him, ostracise Him, write Him out of our history books, constitutions, governments, schools, homes and lives but He will never go away.

What is the alternative? Submit to Him now and enter into everlasting life or bow to Him as Lord on judgment day and be sent away into everlasting punishment. Whether you are Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, agnostic, atheist or any other variation of God-denying religion, the outcome will be the same.

Who, being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death in a cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father  (Phil 2: 6-11).

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com