...the Sifting

'Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.'

What's that? Jesus acknowledged the existance of a supernatually evil character at work against His own followers?

Satan: 'Satanas' - adversary, evil spirits, name of the prince of fallen angels

In fact - Satan is against all that is good, right, pure and holy. We might assume that those who worship him trust him as a leader and yet Satans deception and hatred knows no bounds - he trusts none, loves none, cares for none...not even those who worship him. His desire is deceit - His joy is in unholy suffering - His future is set to destruction.

Jesus grabbed Simon Peters attention but proceeded to warn the whole group to beware of the evil one. The disciples had been arguing over leadership and greatness - this prideful argument gives Satan an opportunity to sift. Wheat gets sifted from the chaff. Jesus saves the wheat...the chaff is given to the adversary.

taken from Lukes Gospel chapter 22

Shame Game

Shame sneaks in doesn't it. I'm not talking about being ashamed of your boyfriend who hasn't showered in a week, smells like dung, wearing the same nasty sweatpants for a month with that hole in the crotch trying to kiss you with shag-carpet teeth and mocking those who 'dress-up' to go on a date. Be ashamed...very ashamed. No, I'm talking about being ashamed of Christ.

Maybe we hesitate to place our bible on the restaurant table. Or we leave it in our bag while we study at the library. Or shuffle it into our desk at work before a meeting. Or into the glove-box of our work van at the job site.

Shame-Blame: This is when we know we're ashamed but blame the modern church for being such a lousy witness to the public...if they hadn't screwed up Jesus' name, truth and message we wouldn't have to be ashamed to call ourselves a Christian.
OR We blame those who failed to instill in us the right passion, knowledge, courage to stand firm in the gospel and now have to find 'creative' ways to live out the faith.

Shame-Pain: (a fruity-bubbly cocktail of misery) The inevitable end to any form of shame in Christ. Paul urges us to never be ashamed of the Gospel - it's our power, strength and ultimately salvation (Rom. 1). Jesus warns us not to be ashamed of Him...or He'll be eternally ashamed of us (Luke 9). Terrifying.

Shame of Christ sneaks in - it robs us of the Spirits gift of joy - it robs us of opportunities to suffer like Christ. Stand firm then in the Word...for the Lords coming is near.

the Reverse

According to the Apostle Paul Jesus Christ is Lord - the Messiah Yeshua is Ruler over all the heavens and the earth - God Incarnate is Sovereign King.

Jesus himself claimed to be the only way and the only truth and the eternal life emanating from the Father. He is our King Messiah and we can know him and trust his Word.

Now beginning with Jesus one can work in reverse to the creation of the universe (as John does in his Gospel) where this God is in fact working on bringing forth something ex nihilo...or rather from himself.

If one is willing to accept that God has worked throughout all of history - and that Jesus descended from heaven - born prophetically of a virgin in a small town - lived sinlessly in a large polytheistic empire - died atonefully for all on earth who believe - resurrected from the grave - ascended to the throne and interacts holistically in the present...

...Would it still be a stretch to believe that this tiny planet - in the middle of a rather small galaxy - in the midst of an enormously ever expanding space has all been purposefully created from the start? If Jesus is the Creator Messiah...is it rational to believe that he is yet incapable of creating instantaneously with purpose. That he simply must have left the earth to a chaotic evolutionary hodge-podge of possibilities?

Rationale doesn't sit on the bench with a blind faith.The Christian is called to love God with every ounce of his heart, soul, mind and strength (Deut. 6/Matt. 22). One can choose not to believe in Jesus but one is yet left to explain this something from nothing - and isn't the Big Bang Theory simply another way of saying, 'something(someone) pulled the trigger'?

Give All or Most...

To the Young Rich Leader who claimed perfection, Jesus reads his heart and mind and soul - and tells him to sell everything he owns. Not just sell it but give the proceeds to the poor

...and be left with nothing but an authentic trust in the Lord. Genuine Faith.

In Lukes Gospel, in the very next chapter we meet Zacchaeus, a jewish tax collector, seemingly a traitor working for the filthy Romans.

When Zac was acknowledged by Jesus on the road, before Jesus even had an opportunity to personally challenge him, Zac repents.

'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor...[and to those I've ripped off] I will pay back four times the amount.'

To the Perfect Rich Leader, Jesus had to confront with a heavy challenge in order to see Truth.

To the filthy traitor tax collector, Jesus only had to acknowledge him and he was willing to repent.

What's interesting is what each man is convicted to give to follow Jesus. The Rich Leader was externally convicted to give up everything, it's what he needed to do in the deepest recesses of his heart to see Jesus' righteousness and find salvation.

Zacchaeus, however, was internally convicted to only give half of his possessions, not all possessions like the Rich Leader. Sure he would pay back those he stole from 4x over but Jesus never had to challenge him to leave his home, belongings or family. Zacchaeus understood repentance to find salvation.

From the Garden until today, God desires a righteous and willing heart to connect with. Even more - having a pure heart is great but without action the heart never experiences true holiness. Zacchaeus didn't have to give everything up - his heart connected with Jesus' truth and his actions showed this.

Maybe I need to give more than I have.
Maybe I need to search my heart the way Jesus does.
I truly hope the American Dream and all it's economic instability doesn't pull me down to the bloody depths...

Taken from Lukes Gospel 18:18-30/19:1-10

(R)Evolution of a Beard

Can Hate be Good

Should buying property ever take priority over responding to Jesus?

Should business opportunities take priority over living out truth?

Even marriage, does it come before our relationship with God?

'...any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.' (Luke 14)

I wonder if sometimes it just isn't alright to be comfortable. Sometimes it may simply be counter-Christlikeness to be in the world and live as though we're of it as well. How do you need to 'prioritize' in order to be a disciple? What do you need to 'hate' in order to love God and love others?

Taken from Luke 14

Walls

So this wall separating Israel from Palestine,
a wall 3x higher than the Berlin Wall,
separating people from their land,
from their families,
from civilization,
is designed by Israel in an attempt to...hmm.

This is a people, a tribe, a nation that knows suffering. From the calling of Abraham through the hatred of Hitler Israel has experienced unexplainable wealth and inexpressible suffering.

'In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.' (Isaiah 10:20)

These survivors, people that know separation and suffering...have not chosen to rely on the Lord have they? Not only has the Messiah been rejected, but the House of Jacob, instead of reliance on the Lord and faith in His plan and purpose for them, has become paralyzingly fearful. So much so that a cement wall has become the sole banner of protection for a nation once resting in the hands of The Almighty.

Referring to mans ability to see truth, Jesus notes how we're able to map out the weather - predict the rain and prepare for storms etc. And yet here was the Messiah, standing before their eyes performing miracles and speaking a revitalized Truth. Living a fleshed out Divinity. And the self-righteous men were unable to personally experience this truth, weren't even able to see it.

I don't know if the artist Banksy can see the Truth of Jesus, but I do know that he sees the ridiculous nature of the giant cement wall.

This wall in Israel is nothing new. Maybe it's merely the physical embodiment of the spiritual blindness they've experienced over the last 2,000 years.

I believe many Israelis disagree with the wall. Many believe their God has planned something better. Many who read Scripture know that every human is made in Gods image, that He desires reconciliation with all...not just Israel.

What Walls exist in your town, state, country, philosophy, worldview, belief, understanding, attitude? If this Israeli built wall looks this bad...what do your own spiritual, moral, mental walls look like?