Transcendent Praise

Matthew 28: 18 – 20 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This is the voice of the risen Lord Jesus. At this point he was no longer the babe of Bethlehem, no longer the one who became flesh and walked among men; no longer the one who made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant who humbled himself and became obedient to death on a cross. (See Philippians 4) He spoke now as  the one who through his resurrection had taken back the authority he had with the Father in the beginning.

He gave this command to “go” and make him known to all nations just before he returned to heaven. He said we should do this “until the end of the age.” This was an affirmation that things will not remain the way we see them today. There will be an end. He had also taught his disciples earlier: “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John14: 2 – 3). He has gone as he said he would.

When will Jesus return?  He said: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24: 14, but do read the entire chapter). You and I have work to do and there is a sense of urgency.  To those who scoff and contend that the Lord’s return has been long delayed, the reason is: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

As you have become a follower of Jesus, you have also been commissioned. You have to catch the vision that there is a time limit to the present state of affairs and many are lost because they know nothing about Jesus. We are living in what I call the parenthesis of grace. Right now anyone can call on the name of the Lord Jesus and be saved, but how can they do that if they do not know that God loves them and paid the price of his Son’s life to redeem them?

In the same way you learned that fact from someone and responded, you now share in the responsibility for getting that good news around the world. Begin at home and in your sphere of influence.

John 21: 9 – 12 When they landed they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

John records for us an interesting series of events. He and his fellow disciples went fishing and toiled all night and caught nothing. At daybreak the risen Lord Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them enquiring whether they had any fish. They said “No.”  They did not recognize him at first. Then he gave them instructions to throw their net on the right side of the boat so they could catch some. They obeyed and immediately their net was filled almost to the point of breaking. Something suddenly clicked for John and he exclaimed to Peter “It is the Lord.” This situation really spoke to me about our tendency to try to accomplish everything in our lives without God’s help, resulting in total exhaustion and nothing to show for it.

To the disciples surprise when they came ashore dragging the net, they saw a fire of burning coals with fish on it and some bread. Jesus had said to them “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” But they had not brought it yet so how come Jesus had breakfast ready and waiting so he could say to them: “Come and have breakfast.” I see a principle here – God has his own supply. So when he asks us to give, it is really just a test of our obedience. And he only asks for “some” of our harvest. When I read this passage about two years ago, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said:

“Know you not that the Lord God has his own supply? When you give, you give not to enrich the Lord God but to free up in yourself the ability to love freely and give so that the kingdom may spread in the earth. It is so that men may see that as a follower of God you have a different set of priorities. The order of the kingdom becomes important to you and the purpose of God for your life begins to take preeminence so that you may begin to shine for his glory.”

Luke 21: 1- 4 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

“You mean God is asking me to give away all my money and go hungry?”  I wish I knew what was going on in this poor lady’s heart and mind when she released her last two pennies as an offering in the temple. Maybe she thought surely someone would take pity on her and give her money for food at least. After all she was in her community, someone must know her circumstances! Maybe it was an act of faith or gratitude. But look what Jesus thought of her act. He interpreted it as an act of love. You protest – “that’s not in the text!”  Yes it is. It was an act of sacrifice! That resonates with God! Love is costly.

In my own life, I have discovered that sacrifice is the only synonym for true love. As a believer, you will learn that there is room for duty in your giving but there is additional room for sacrificial giving. It is one way of obeying, honoring and loving God.  Think about this – if there is someone in your circle of friends who is always saying “I love you” but has never given you even a toothpick, shouldn’t that make you wonder?

The beauty about giving to God’s work is that it comes with the promise of abundance. Did the widow just get a hold of that truth and set out to test it? In Malachi 3 the prophet admonished the Israelites about their stinginess towards God. In verse 10 he challenged them: “Bring the whole tithe (1/10^th) into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” You protest again and say “that was then!” But look at what Jesus said: “Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with what measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38). This is God’s blueprint for financial stability in the lives of those who follow him.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

We all want to be comfortable in our environment. But many things in life make us uncomfortable: excess heat, excess cold, unpleasant odors, ugliness as in dingy and dark, or people that are difficult to be around. Many of these circumstances we have the power to change or extricate ourselves from. But the people in our lives, that’s not so easy. How to love the unlovely?

The passage in Isaiah 61 speaks of the mission of the Lord Jesus. He accomplished his purpose in the earth because the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord was upon Him. Every believer has access to the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who enables us to do things which we would not otherwise be capable of doing in order that God can be glorified. So we have to pray for that ability. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Only then can you begin to minister to others with the humility that serving demands.

Be compassionate to someone who rubs you the wrong way.  Seize an opportunity when alone to ask how he/she is doing. Let them talk while you listen. Often that is the best gift. Find out if there is something concrete you can do to help. If not, promise that you are available if the need arises and mentally commit to fulfilling that promise. Become a helper/friend instead of a critic. The person who is constantly lashing out has a problem but it is not you. You just happen to be nearest. So the next time you are in the line of fire, respond with kindness or humility and affirm the good you see in them. See what happens. In time, you may have an opportunity to share the good news of the gospel.

Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Short of the ultimate expression of love in sacrificing your life for someone, there is perhaps nothing more like Christ than the ability to forgive, and nothing pays greater dividends for the one who forgives and the forgiven. For you the freedom is inexpressible and for the person forgiven it will be as though someone pulled back heavy drapes and let the morning sunlight in … a chance to let guilt roll away.

So often the malice which exists is born of misunderstanding and lack of communication and requires humility by one of the parties to resolve the issue.  The follower of Christ is the one who has to make the first move. “What? But it’s not my fault!” I hear you, but one of Jesus’ disciples named Peter wanted to know whether it was enough to forgive his brother seven times.  Jesus answered:  “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18: 22). The KJV says seventy times seven. The point is: as often as necessary.

Husbands and wives know, or eventually learn, that unless forgiveness becomes a habit their relationship does not stand a chance for survival. The need for forgiveness extends to immediate family members and other relatives as well as friends, co-workers and acquaintances. It pains me to hear of a child not having spoken to a parent in years, or siblings estranged from each other for extended periods. I can’t understand it. Is the pain worth it? To be a Christian means you have been forgiven by God. What has that meant to you? Now your Savior is asking you to make this your first act of grace. Forgive someone today. Pick up the phone or better yet, meet with them.

Jesus once asked his audience “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). The unforgiving spirit is a fertile soil for all kinds of negativity. It not only impacts relationships but is corrosive to the mind and kills your joy if left to fester long enough. Learn to see events in your life through the lens of the cross of Christ. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

John 14:26  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Before Christ went to the Cross, in the most intimate of settings, he sat down with his disciples and communed with them. He explained the degree to which he loved them. He explained that he would be leaving them soon but that when he was gone, God the Father would send them someone in his name who would be with them to teach and remind them of everything he had said to them. That someone is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also referred to as “the Holy Ghost” or the “Comforter” or “Counselor” and sometimes as the “Spirit of Truth.” These names are simply the embodiment of his character and work so no need to be confused.

There is no truth apart from God. The Holy Spirit helps you to discern what is true. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14: 6). So if someone is teaching you something about God that does not line up with what Jesus taught in the New Testament or does not correspond in principle to what is written in the Old Testament in the Bible, then you must question it. That is why you must read the Bible through for yourself as early as you can and find a place to worship where the Bible is being taught, book by book or better yet, line by line. That is not as easy as you might think.

In John 16: 8 – 11 Speaking about the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus also said: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world (Satan) now stands condemned.” So the Holy Spirit is the representative of the Father and Son to carry out their agenda both in the lives of those who believe in God and those who reject him.

If you are now a believer, you have experienced the work of the Holy Spirit already. He awakened in you the consciousness of sin and your need for the Savior. He gives you the hunger to want to know more about God’s Word and his love for you. Cherish his presence and respond to his guidance.

Matthew 3:15: Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

John the Baptist had been sent by God to preach repentance from sins and to baptize those who believed his message. (Read John 1: 6 – 27). One day while fulfilling his mission, Jesus showed up among his audience at the river Jordan. John had been told beforehand that he would be able to identify Jesus because there would be a sign: “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit’. I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” (John 1: 33 – 34).

Although John had been expecting Jesus to show up at some point, he was in awe of him and at first protested on the basis of what he considered his own unworthiness to baptize the Son of God. (See Matthew 3: 13 – 14). Jesus, however, insisted pointing out that it was proper for him to be baptized to “fulfill all righteousness.” Remember, Jesus’ motivation for everything he did was to do the will of his Father.  Likewise, we who believe in him should find it liberating to follow his example in water baptism. It is an act of righteousness.

We are not saved by works, but once saved we should begin to do as he did. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

Luke 12: 8 – 9 I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

Jesus was speaking to his disciples. Your new life in Christ is not a secret to be kept.  You know there has been a change in you. And by now someone in your circle of influence would have remarked about it. What was your response?  Maybe you just smiled or mumbled something inaudible and moved on.  Not good enough. Make a conscious effort to think about what you want to say the next time. Keep it conversational as in “I have made a decision to follow Christ and I’m so happy!” or “My life has changed because I now believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and I have peace with God.”  You may get follow-up questions and maybe not, but you have just “witnessed” about your faith in Christ. This should become normal for you because Christ’s final instruction to his disciples before he went back to heaven was that they should go and tell everyone about him. So this is a first step in that direction.

Of course you need to understand your salvation enough to explain that you finally know that Christ died for your sins. Because you now believe and accept that as true, you know that your sins are forgiven and that gives you access to God whom you can now speak to as your Father. You may cite 2 Corinthians 5:17 as the basis for your certainty that change has taken place within you.

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”  (1Peter 3:15 – 16).

Mark 1:35: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

The purpose of your new found faith in Christ is to keep you connected to God. Jesus the Son would repeatedly separate himself from the company of his disciples and the crowds to do just that. He would go off to a quiet place to pray. As a follower of Christ every believer must do the same.  There can be no growth in a relationship where there is no communication.

The reaction of the disciples to this habit of Jesus is so interesting. They would go looking for him and exclaim: “Everyone is looking for you!” Of course they are! (Men you can make your own list, but here I’m partial to women). I know the drill. Everyone in your household needs you to know where every item of his/her clothing for the day is; the children need to be fed and need help getting dressed and their lunches packed; you must remember to pull something from the freezer for dinner, and to top it all off there were 3 e-mails from the boss overnight!!!

So when is there time to get alone with God? Early in the morning! As a working Mom, my time was between 5 and 5:30 a.m.  It was tough at times, because I rarely got to bed before 11p.m. But it made the difference in the quality of my days if I would meet with my Father first. Evenings or lunch time work better for you? Then by all means! One possibility is to do an inventory of how you spend your time now. Is there an activity of little benefit that you can curtail or eliminate?  Just make the time to read the Bible and meditate on what you read – it is food for your soul. Let the characters come alive in your imagination – see how God dealt with ordinary people. Pray for insight and understanding as you read. Confess your failings and ask to be forgiven, ask for strength and for wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide you throughout the day. Lay out before God everything that is causing you pain or anxiety.  God delights in full disclosure.  Soon you will begin to view your circumstances in new light and come to realize that your God is with you.

Hebrews 4: 14–16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may find grace to help us in our time of need.

One of the most fundamental rights of a child is access to his father. Since you are now a child of God, you have that right. You speak to your Father through the Son. If you have listened to Christians pray, you will often hear them say something like this: “Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus…” or they will conclude a prayer with: “In Jesus name, amen.” That is an essential principle… our standing with God is not based on our own goodness or worthiness, it is based on the righteousness of Jesus, the Son.

Soon after Jesus selected his disciples he taught them how to pray. The discourse is found in Matthew 6: 5-15. The Lord’s Prayer itself is in verses 9-13. Volumes have been written about this prayer over time but, to me, it is simple and profound at the same time. It acknowledges the Father and honors his name. It sets out his divine purpose that his kingdom and will be done in the earth as it is already done in heaven. It asks for our daily needs to be met. It teaches that our sins (the daily acts of self-will, wickedness, or the good we omit to do) will be forgiven on the basis of our forgiveness of others. And it asks for strength to resist temptation and for deliverance from the power of the evil one (Satan).  Yes, him again! That Jesus would pray like this, is proof positive that this enemy is real.

Life has challenges. God knows that. As Jesus’ ministry on earth was coming to a close, he alerted his disciples to the difficulties they would face and then said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16.33). So learn to pray to your Father. Learn the Lord’s Prayer and use it as a pattern. Greet your Father through the Son, give praise and thanks, acknowledge your willingness to have a part in the work of his kingdom in the earth and to forgive those who offend you. Then make your needs and those of your circle known and ask for his help. Pray for the ability to resist temptation and protection from Satan’s meddling.  And when you pray, believe that your prayers will be heard because Jesus is interceding for you.