Spirit or Law

Where does your strength come from? Where do you turn for guidance? Do you turn to written rules and laws to know what is right? Do you look to split hairs to determine what you get away with or follow the spirit of the law? Do you turn to the Spirit of God for guidance?

We all follow some form of rule, law, or principle as guidance for our lives. We begin learning rules as early as a baby in our mother’s arms. As we begin toddling, we are told what we are not to touch. We continue learning rules, laws, and principles as we grow older.

By and large, rules, laws, and principles are good. Sure, we know there are some laws that are discriminatory. Yet, in order to have a functioning society, we need laws. Why? As humans, without laws we would live in utter chaos because we don’t follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Those of us who are followers of Jesus, who have been gifted the Holy Spirit to guide us, should follow the Holy Spirit rather than the law. No, this doesn’t mean purposely disobeying the law. It does mean purposely doing the right thing. What is the right thing? Doing God’s will.

Jesus told us all the law hangs on two commands—love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). Going about our lives solely living by the law makes for a harried life. We push the edge of the envelope to determine how far we can go, while also looking over our shoulder with anxiety to determine if we are going to be caught doing something wrong. This becomes so engrained into our being and we are so filled with worry and anxiety that we don’t even recognize it is there anymore.

We would be much better off to take Paul’s message from today’s passage and apply to our daily living. As he rebukes the Galatians for trying to abide by the law rather than the Spirit, so we should accept this rebuke and change how we go about our lives. As we increase our following of the Spirit, we increase our peace, joy, and contentment.

For far too many of us, this appears to be foolish advice. Yet, we know that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:25). By following the Spirit to do what is right, we no longer need to worry about the law. We don’t need to remember all the laws, if we remember to love God and love neighbor, and treating everyone based on that.

I pray we all choose to follow the Spirit. I pray we choose to love God and love neighbor. I pray each one of us begins to feel the peace, joy, and contentment from doing so. Follow the Spirit. Love God. Love your neighbor. Find peace. Experience joy. Be content.

Galatians 3:2-3 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

Overjoyed

What has been the happiest moment of your life? When have you been so happy that you cried? Have you been happy to the point of falling on your knees? Can you imagine the pure happiness of Mary Magdalene when she saw Jesus alive on the third day?

We all have experienced days of happiness. Perhaps it was winning a championship. It might have been the day you were married. Your highest point of joy may have been when your child was born. You may have some other achievement or event that comes to mind.

As I look back over my own experiences, though I’ve experienced championships, I was never overwhelmed with happiness by them. Marriage and seeing my son born were at the top of the list, until….I will get to what topped those.

If you are a person who is seeking the filling of a void, might I suggest filling it with Jesus. Would you listen to a bit of advice from someone who has been around the block a few times? Chasing the world’s dreams and expectations end in an empty reward. Only a close relationship with Jesus can truly fill the void. Only He can complete you with that final piece. Otherwise, you live your life like a puzzle with a missing piece in the middle. The picture isn’t complete.

So, what was the moment that I experienced the most joy? When I was baptized. I was thirty-six years old. I had been raised in the church as a child. I had wondered out on my own and chased what I thought the world wanted of me. Though I had achieved more than most, I wasn’t truly satisfied. When I was baptized, it was like a heavy weight was lifted from my shoulders. I had a joy that could not be explained.

Now, don’t misunderstand. There were trials to come, heartache to experience, and a lot to learn as I walked with God. What I found is He is true to His Word. He has carried me through the bad and lifted me even higher in the good. I have found over time that the closer I walk with Him, the more content I am, the less anxious I am, and the more joy I experience.

The biggest difference, aside from baptism itself, has been understanding the miracle of Jesus rising on the third day—coming to believe it in a deep place in my heart rather than superficially acknowledging it in my mind. Oh, I still pursue living the life God has granted me to the best of my ability, but now I also live for eternal life, knowing He has given me a life with Him forever.

I pray we all experience the joy of baptism. I pray we come to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. I pray each one of us seeks to grow closer to God, allowing Jesus to fill the void inside us. If you haven’t been, be baptized, accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Seek a closer relationship with Jesus. Be amazed by Jesus’ resurrection. Know that He wants you by His side.

John 20:19-20 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

A Dark Day

What do you know of the Easter story? Do you only look at Sunday? Do you only focus on Jesus rising up? Is it the miracle of overcoming death that draws all of your attention? Perhaps we should all focus a little time on the events leading up to the crucifixion and the crucifixion itself.

A lot happens in the final week leading up to the crucifixion. But let’s just focus on those last couple of days. Let’s start with Jesus instructing His disciples to prepare the Passover meal for them to share on Thursday. Jesus gives specific instructions for where they will eat it.

While they were eating the meal, Jesus states that one of them will betray Him. He knows that Judas has already made the agreement and already been paid for the deed. He also institutes the new covenant through the giving of bread and wine, which we call The Last Supper. We commonly call the reenactment of this The Lord’s Supper, Communion, or The Eucharist.

Jesus then leads His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane and prays. His soul is troubled. He doesn’t want to face the brutality of what He knows is coming. He prays so fervently that He sweats drops that appear like blood. Yet His Apostles could not stay awake with Him.

Judas leads a contingent of priests, Pharisees, and Roman soldiers to arrest Him. He is taken away to Anas (a priest), then to Caiaphas (the high priest), and finally to Pilate (the Roman Governor). This all happens throughout the night and into the early morning.

Pilate attempts to release Him. The Jewish leaders continually accuse Him and demand Him to be crucified. Pilate sent Jesus to be flogged and brought Him before the crowd in an effort to satisfy the crowd while not sentencing Him to death. They were not satisfied and continue to demand Him to be crucified. Pilate relents and gives them what they want.

Jesus is sent to Golgotha (the place of the skull) to be crucified alongside two criminals. He is jeered, mocked, and spit on. One criminal joins those who are mocking Him. The other criminal demonstrates his belief in Jesus. Jesus forgives him while on the cross.

The soldiers divide up His clothes. The sky turns dark for three hours. The curtain that separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple is miraculously torn in two as Jesus breathes His last. A Roman soldier pierces His side to verify He is dead. Jesus is taken to a new tomb and buried.

I pray we all spend time thinking about the horrible death of Jesus. I pray we come to realize He did this for us. I pray each one of us are sorrowful for our part in causing Him to die. Recognize your sin. Realize you are a reason for Jesus’ death. Repent of your sin. Be truly sorrowful for it.

John 19:28-30 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Whose Will?

Whose will do you follow? Do you follow the will of someone you know? Your boss? Your spouse? Someone close to you? Your own? Are you willing to submit to God’s will? Do you know that is what is expected of you?

We all follow a will of someone, whether our own or someone else’s. We all submit to some form of guidance and direction. Our desire comes from the will of the person who dominates our heart and mind. Who dominates yours?

As stated in the earlier question, God desires us to follow His will. He wants us to follow His guidance and direction. He desires us to return His love. God has given us wonderful guidance and direction in His Word. He provided a perfect example in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Our dilemma is to decide to follow Him or not. Far too often, we decide not to follow. We go about our lives believing we are in control. We chase after our dreams. We allow others to tell us what we are to do or to desire. Our desire is worldly rather than Godly. Our number one priority is to satisfy our human pleasures.

On the other hand, Jesus showed us what it means to follow the Father’s will. Though He did not want to go to the cross, He did in order to please the Father. He asked that it may not come to pass but submitted to what the Father desired.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we will have to die on a cross! It does mean we likely will need to do some things that we don’t particularly want to do. We may be called to go into an uncomfortable situation to minister to people. God may ask us to perform tasks we would prefer not to. He may even desire for us to go on a foreign mission trip. There are any number of requests that may come from God to us.

We can decide to go where He wants us to go, do what He wants us to do, or decide to go our own way. To follow Jesus, we must do what the Father asks us to do. God would never put us in a situation in which we would be harmed. He loves us too much. Yet, He will put us in difficult and challenging situations so that we learn to rely on Him.

I pray we all decide to follow God’s will. I pray we decide to follow Jesus’ example. I pray each one of us learn to rely on God. Go where God wants you to go. Do what God wants you to do. Trust Him. Choose God’s will over you own. Love God as He loves you.

Matthew 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

The Choice is Yours

Do you know where you are from? Do you know where you want to be? What kingdom do you want to belong to? Do you know there is only really two kingdoms to choose from? There will only be two left when all is said and done.

We all talk about where we are from. We talk about where we were born. We talk about where we have lived and where we live now. We talk about our state. We talk about our country. Yet, all of these will have no bearing on where we end up.

We will spend eternity in one of two places. Unfortunately, there are some misperceptions on what those two places are. Most believe the two are heaven or hell. That’s not really true. We will spend eternity on the new earth (Revelation 21:1) or in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

Jesus tells us that His kingdom is not of this world, and that is true. However, many interpret this as His kingdom being in heaven, which is only true until He institutes the new earth. When the new earth is put in place, Jesus will reign forever with those of us who follow Him. True, He reigns in heaven for now. At the end of time, the new heaven and new earth will become one. We will be in the presence of God forever. So, when Jesus states His kingdom is in another place, He is speaking of heaven and the new earth.

Though it is hard for us to wrap our mind around it, Jesus is there right now. We can’t quite understand what it means to live outside of time. Yet, Jesus and God the Father live outside of time. That is how they are everywhere at all times. It is also how they know what is going to happen now, tomorrow, and a hundred years from now.

Jesus’ kingdom truly is in another place, which doesn’t mean He isn’t with us now. In His true kingdom, we will no longer experience sorrow, nor tears, nor pain, nor anger, nor anxiety, nor fear, nor anything that hurts us in any way. Our experience will be pure love, joy, and awe. We will be satisfied beyond our imagination.

I pray we all seek an eternity with Jesus in His kingdom. I pray we seek to live forever on the new earth. I pray each one of us make the right choice now for our ultimate ending place. Seek Jesus. Allow Him into your life. Long for spending eternity with Him. He wants you there.

John 18:36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Heartbroken

What are your thoughts as we approach Easter? Do you observe Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday? If not officially, do you think about the timeline? Do you think about the days leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion? What was He going through?

Some denominations observe the various special days of Holy Week and some don’t. Some people, even if not officially, walk through the sequence of events during the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Some will read the Scriptures and contemplate the events.

When we read those events closely, we see Jesus experiencing deep sorrow. It starts when He rides into Jerusalem in what we call His triumphal entry. True, He came riding in like a humble king, but He also wept (Luke 19:41). Why was He in such sorrow?

I believe Jesus recognized the sad state of humanity. God had made an effort to give us laws, rules, and principles to live by. Yet, as corrupt humans, we failed to follow His guidance. Jesus was required to come to earth to be our perfect sacrifice to bring us back to God the Father.

Jesus’ heart was breaking because of our lack of discipline and failure to take His Father seriously. He was saddened by our conniving, backstabbing, hatred, anger, sniping, arguing, fighting, worry, anxiousness, and simply failing to rely on God for our provision. Jesus saw our human desire to climb the corporate ladder, putting more stock in physical possessions over our relationship with God, our willingness to step on whomever got in our way, our hard headedness, and our maltreatment of one another. Jesus saw all the horrible behavior and attitudes of all time, and it broke His heart. He was overwhelmed with sorrow.

Unfortunately, we continue to cause Him sorrow. In many ways, our attitudes and behaviors are no better today than those of the Romans and Rabbis of the first century. Rather than helping one another, we look to dominate one another. Rather than lifting one another, we put one another down. Rather than turning to God as our provider, we rely on ourselves. We are selfish, ambitious, and down right mean. Even people we call good fall short of God’s expectations. May we all fall on our knees and beg forgiveness from God, expressing sorrow for our sinful behavior. Personally, my heart breaks as I observer our behavior toward one another.

I pray we all turn to God. I pray we turn from our horrible behavior and attitudes. I pray each one of us begs forgiveness and asks God to change our hearts. Contemplate Jesus’ sorrow. Wake up! Recognize your own failings. Turn to Jesus. Beg for forgiveness. Seek a change of heart.

Matthew 26:38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Wise or Foolish

How well do you listen? Do you take time to hear what is being said? Are you more willing to attempt to answer a question before it is fully spoken? Do you value your opinion more than others? Do you think that is wise?

By and large, we think we know more than the person we are talking to. Sure, know a handful of people who are specialists and we value what they say about their specialty. However, in normal conversation, our own opinion reigns king/queen over whomever we are talking to.

We see this belief exacerbated in social media—to the point of excessive offensiveness. We are far bolder giving our opinion when on social media than we are in person. Unfortunately, this a key contributor to divisiveness.

Our human inclination is to provide our opinion without being asked. We have been conditioned by today’s culture to spout off any time we feel like it. We are encouraged to be dramatic and argumentative. The same cultural attitude encourages us to be aggressive in standing against anyone who doesn’t agree with us. Where does that lead us? Into a culture of division, hate, feeling offended, and intolerance.

The wisdom of Proverbs is truly amazing. It can lead us to a society of tolerance. It teaches us to listen before we speak. It teaches us to guard what we say in order to save our self-esteem. I mean, how many of us have said something we later regretted? Don’t be shy. Raise your hand. I have both of mine raised.

If we learn to listen, to truly hear and understand what the other person is saying, before we spout off a harsh retort, we just might save ourselves a lot of heartache. When we understand one another and attempt to see things as the other person does, our own lives become better. When we add in a little consideration for one another, our lives become more peaceful.

A wise person listens before they speak. A wise person is in a continual learning mode. A wise person thinks through the pros and cons before they spout their opinion. A wise person brings about calm and peace rather than chaos and divisiveness. A wise person is willing to debate but unwilling to start a heated argument. Perhaps we all should listen more and speak less.

I pray we all decide to listen carefully. I pray we make an effort to understand one another. I pray each one of us pursues being wise rather than foolish. Listen to one another. Understand one another. Seek wisdom rather than folly. Speak sparingly. Save yourself from shame.

Proverbs 13:3 Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

Proverbs 18:13 To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.

Be Poor to Become Rich

Do you want to become rich? Are you chasing a new promotion? What is it you are working toward? Would you like to be a millionaire? Is money the object of your obsession? Have you taken time to define what rich means to you?

We all want to be able to provide for our families. Many of us want to have enough money saved so we don’t have to work. Most of us plan for retirement by setting aside money in 401K’s or other retirement plans. But how much is enough?

Unfortunately, our world has convinced far too many of us that we can never have enough. There is always one other gadget we “need” to have. Or there is one more luxury we “deserve.” The worst part of it all is, we believe what the world is telling us.

The world’s definition of being rich is more money, more things, a bigger house, fancier cars, and living a continual party. At least that is what we see on our televisions and social media. Yet, when we have interactions with people who have achieved those things, we find they are not truly happy. In fact, those people often suffer from depression, loneliness, and a feeling of being lost.

There is one person who left all His riches behind to become poor in order to allow us to become rich. Jesus left the perfection of heaven to be our Savior. He walked this earth during His ministry with no place to lay His head (Matthew 8:28).

Jesus came to give us the riches of heaven. A far different definition of being rich than we see and hear defined by the talking heads. Being poor here on earth will result in us becoming rich for eternity, though money and possessions has nothing to do with it. Being poor in spirit acquires heaven for us (Matthew 5:3). Being poor in spirit means submitting to God, obeying His commands, and following Jesus.

Having a humble attitude, serving others, and doing good for the glory of God is our mission set by God. When we accomplish that, whether through ministry or in our workplace, we become rich. When we recognize it is only possibly through God’s grace, we begin to understand our position in life. With each step we take toward this goal, we take another step toward the riches of joy, peace, and contentment.

I pray we all seek the riches of heaven. I pray we become humble in attitude. I pray each one of us choose to obey God’s commands and follow Jesus. Know that Jesus became poor for you. Know that you can become rich by following Him. Be humble. Follow Jesus. Discover the riches waiting for you.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Eyewitness

Have you ever witnessed something outlandish? Have you witnessed an event that was amazing? Have you witnessed something that you wouldn’t believe if you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes? Have you tried to convince someone else that you actually saw it?

We all have seen something during our lifetimes that stunned us. We have seen someone do something amazing, perhaps unbelievable. We have likely told a friend or relative about it and heard their protestations that it couldn’t be true.

Now, imagine you are one of the disciples who traveled with Jesus for three years. Imagine trying to tell someone about the miraculous things He did. How do you convince someone that Jesus walked on water, raised both a man and a little girl from the dead, gave blind men their sight, healed the lame so they could walk, or cured leprosy? How do you convince them that He was crucified on a cross, buried, rose on the third day, walked the earth for forty days, and was lifted to the heavens on clouds?

This was the task of the Apostles. They were witnesses to the most amazing happenings this earth has ever experienced. Their task was bigger than any task we might face. Yet, because they were witnesses, they believe and would not stop attempting to convince people who Jesus is. Is it any wonder that many of them were martyrs?

In our modern times, many don’t want to believe the Bible. In fact, there are many Christians who are not fully convinced that Jesus is who He said He is. Otherwise, they would give Him the same devotion the Apostles did following His resurrection. We have never seen such amazing things happen and can’t fully wrap our minds around them. We want proof. We want to see it happen for ourselves.

We are called to not only believe, but to testify as witnesses ourselves. True, we may not have seen the events the Apostles did. But we can see Him working in our lives in the here and now. It is our personal experiences with God that convince people the eyewitness accounts by the Apostles are true. It is the personal stories we tell that plants the seed of faith in someone else.

I pray we all believe the eyewitness accounts of the Apostles. I pray we examine our lives to see how God has worked for us. I pray each one of us witnesses to others our experiences with God. Believe the eyewitness accounts. Recognize God working. Be a witness. Convince others Jesus is who He says He is.

Acts 10:39-41 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”

Executed Will

Have you ever wondered why Jesus needed to die? Why couldn’t God simply provide a means for forgiving our sins without the need for Jesus to die? Have you thought about it? Would you like to have a little deeper understanding?

Many of us have a written will. All of us should have one, though many do not. Why do we write a will? It is to document our desires for what happens to our belongings after we die. We understand this concept. It has been in place for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

Let’s look at our questions. First, God did put in place a process by which people could have their sins forgiven—it was the sacrificial system used by the Jews for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, there were some designated times for corporate sacrifices and many of the people only participated at those times. Think of people who only attend church at Christmas or Easter. Therefore, if those people sinned at other times and did not offer a sacrifice for themselves, they died in their sin. That leaves some question concerning whether the persons’ sin was forgiven or not, and whether they were going to heaven or not.

I think we all know God doesn’t want us to guess whether we are going to spend eternity with Him or not. So, His will was to provide a continual covering for our sin, a means for us to ask for forgiveness of our sin at any time, not just at the temple in conjunction with an animal sacrifice. How could He do that? He had to provide a perfect sacrifice that would fulfill His requirement once and for all.

So, why did Jesus need to die? A will is not executed until the writer of the will has died. Since Jesus is God, once He died, His will was executed—meaning the simplest system of all was put in place. We now have the ability to ask for forgiveness at any time, in any place. God’s will is that we seek His forgiveness and He will forgive us. Again, to execute a will, a death must take place.

Here is the best news, Jesus rose on the third day so that we may have hope. He rose as a promise that we will join Him forever. He rose to show us that we live forever, even if we die (John 11:25-26). What does this mean? It means that we have overcome death, just as Jesus overcame it.

I pray we all understand why Jesus had to die? I pray we realize His death was to execute the will of God. I pray each one of us will recognize that we live, even though we die, in Jesus and with Him. Comprehend Jesus’ death. Know that you live forever. Celebrate Jesus’ life. Live for Him and with Him.

Hebrews 9:16-17 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.