Glorious Transformation

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:1-3)

In my study this week I will be preparing for a couple of messages from the book of Acts. How is it possible to describe the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers who lived in the wake of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus? In Acts, Luke continues his account of the power of the Gospel in the early church. Men and women began to live out the “Great Commission”. The book of Acts inspires and challenges me. The book of Acts helps me understand what it means to live for Christ no matter the cost and no matter the challenges. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Claude Payne and Hamilton Beazley released a book entitled “Reclaiming the Great Commission”. Their words summarize my thoughts today:

“In a world beset by trials and tribulations, the promise of personal transformation, which will enable one to surmount and even embrace such difficulties, is much to be desired. Glorious transformation puts the individual in touch with eternal spiritual values that satisfy rather than with temporal and materialistic values that disappoint. Spiritual growth and centering and a release from the traps of false idols are all aspects of the glorious transformation that a life in Christ provides.”

Is “glorious transformation” the main theme of my life? Is it the central message of my life story?

Wedding Vows

Thus says the Lord: “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.  (Jeremiah 2:2)

On Saturday, I stood before my niece and her husband-to-be and led them in prayer and the exchange of their vows as they entered into a marriage covenant. It was a beautiful night and I must confess that I conducted the entire ceremony with a bit of a lump in my throat. There’s nothing like a wedding. It’s no wonder that God illustrates His love for His people throughout the Bible as a marriage covenant.

As I reflected on the wedding, I thought of the words of Jeremiah. The prophet refers to the love of God’s people with marriage terminology.  Our love for God is described in terms of devotion, faithfulness and pursuit. One of the phrases included in the marriage ceremony I conducted Saturday night remains pressed in my memory. I asked both the bride and groom to affirm their willingness to “forsake all others and remain true to him/her as long as you both shall live”. These words provide a pattern for our relationship with God. The Scriptures make it clear that any time we elevate anything or anyone else to the place only God deserves, it is idolatry. This week, turn your eyes toward our faithful God and renew your vow to remain true to Him as long as you live.

The Way

I am the way, the truth and the life.

Jesus

Thomas a´ Kempis shared the message of Jesus this way:

“Follow thou me. I am the way and the truth and the life. Without the way there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living. I am the way which thou must follow; the truth with thou must believe; the life for which thou must hope. I am the inviolable way; the infallible truth; the never-ending life. I am the straightest way, the sovereign truth; life true, life blessed, life uncreated.”

I like to think of life as a journey. My journey has a beginning and an end. It has a path that leads to a destination. In my mind, I equate the “way” to the path that is cobbled together with choices, decisions and life-experiences. The way is before me and evident in my rear view mirror as well. But Jesus adds a completely different dimension to my thinking. Jesus is more than a traveling companion. He is more than a divine guide. It’s not as though He merely points and says, “Go this way.” Jesus boldly declares, “I am the way.” Kempis emphasizes our utter dependence on Jesus. We need Jesus because “without the way there is no going.” Whether I am thinking about my entire life or just today, Jesus is the way.

Gratitude

So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

Luke 17: 17-18

Michael Zigarelli has researched and written extensively about developing Christian character. In an article entitled “Gratitude: Pathway to Permanent Change”, Zigarelli provides the following perspective:

“Of all the possible explanations for why some Christians look more like Jesus than others, one explanation, one characteristic clearly stood out above the rest: gratitude…Centuries ago, the philosopher Cicero argued that among virtues, gratitude is ‘the parent of all the others,’ a virtue that begets other virtues. Want more inner peace? Work on gratitude. Want more patience? Work on gratitude. Want to be more compassionate? You get the idea.”

When I read about how Jesus healed ten lepers as recorded in Luke 17, I notice a number of messages about the importance of gratitude. Luke’s account of the miracle makes a distinction between the Samaritan (a foreigner) who returned to give thanks to Jesus and the nine who did not. It’s a surprising end to a beautiful story of compassion and healing.

The question that Jesus asked is troubling. Jesus asked, “Where are the nine?” If I listen carefully to Jesus I can hear him ask me, “Where are you?” “Hey Paul, are you grateful 10 percent of the time? Do you possess an overwhelming attitude of thankfulness 10 percent of the time? It’s easy to chastise the nine lepers for their negligence until I look in the mirror.

Perhaps my description is a little too dramatic. After all, do I really need to have an “overwhelming attitude of gratitude”?  According to Luke 17, the Samaritan leper who was healed “returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.” His actions portray a mixture of humility, unbridled joy and thanksgiving. I can only speak for myself. Jesus deserves this and so much more from me.

Orange Tree

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Today, I was talking to the preschoolers about the "fruit of the Spirit". For the past couple of weeks I have been asking them to tell me their favorite fruits. One little boy has been adamant that his favorite fruit is an orange. He will not waiver. It's orange. I'm kinda on the fence myself. Some days it's an apple. Some days I lean toward blueberries. So, I guess I don't have a true favorite.

Today, as I began to talk to the children about the fruit of the Spirit, I started with the first in the list: "Love". I would say that it is the favorite "fruit" in this list. It's not a surprise that most people think it's good to "grow love" in life. What is a little puzzling is that most people have a least favorite fruit. No doubt about it - I don't hear many people say how much they crave "longsuffering". How about you? Yet, it is listed right alongside of love, joy peace and the others. By the way, self-control is probably toward the bottom of the list as well. A quick survey in my life would not diminish my appreciation of the value of "love". But, if I'm honest, it will also require me to appreciate how the Spirit of God has helped me to develop a patient trust. My love of patience is a little like my love of broccoli. The older I get, the more I appreciate it. Now, communicating these lessons to preschoolers over the next few weeks will test my creativity...and my patience! Thank you Lord.

Digging Deep

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

Luke 6:48

Life is like a man building a house. So begins the teaching of Jesus. What’s the difference between those who hear the words of Jesus and “do them” and those who hear and “did nothing”? One is like a man who builds a house with a rock solid foundation and the other skips a step and builds a house without a foundation. It’s not difficult to predict what will happen when a storm gathers. Jesus confirms what you might expect. One house stands, the other falls.

The message of Jesus is hard to miss. If I want to build a life that is strong enough to withstand the storms of life, then I must listen and obey. However, I believe there are a number of subtle messages that are easily missed. Jesus began by saying that the man “dug deep” and laid the foundation. It’s a reminder that much of the work required to build strong character takes place beneath the surface. After a house is built, the foundation doesn’t show, much less the effort and investment required to prepare for the foundation. Few of us would argue against the fact that we live in a world that where veneer competes with substance. Far too often, charisma trumps character. The words of Jesus remind us that Christ-like character grows beneath the surface and then yields a fruitful life. “A good man out of the good treasures of his heart brings forth good fruit” (Luke 6:45). 

 So how do I respond to the pressure to build my house without digging deep? The Bible is filled with practical instruction about building strong character. Psalm 1:2 is one of my favorites. “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” It’s a great place to start. Meditation takes place beneath the surface of my life. No audience. It is the process of “digging deep” and treasuring long-term investment while living in an instant gratification world. “Delight” in God’s word is a cultivated delight. And, yes, some days the digging is more difficult than others. But, my love for God’s word has grown as I have spent more time meditating on God’s word.