The Stone of Stumbling 2

Last week we began to consider some of the harder things that Jesus said - things that threaten our carnal nature and our self-centredeness, and thus become offensive to us. We saw that these sayings of Jesus caused many to turn away from being His followers, and increased the opposition to His ministry

Most of these hard sayings are a challenge to deeper discipleship. Jesus in effect is saying:
“I’m not interested in being just a figure in a holy book. I’m not satisfied in being someone around whom people gather for a theological discussion. I am not content to be seen merely as a moral example or a great teacher. I want you to be so taken up with Me, so indwelt by Me, so captivated by Me, that you will be willing to die for Me. I want your life to be intertwined with Mine. I want you to be drenched by My love, saturated by My energy, to live in such a close relationship with Me that nothing shall be able ever to pull us apart. I want there to be no rival in your life. You are all in all to Me, and I want to be all in all to you.”

The entire message of the NT is dedication to the living Lord. It is a symphony built around one single word – commitment. If we are not prepared to commit ourselves 100% to Christ, we have no right to call ourselves disciples. Last week we looked at the passage where Jesus said that unless we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, we have no life in us, but those who do have eternal life. Now we look at another hard saying of Jesus that must have deeply shocked His hearers: Luke 14: 25-27: Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them He said: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.”

Now, how about that? On the face of it, these words seem to contradict the whole of the teaching of Jesus. They seem to go against the law of love towards one’s neighbour which Jesus emphasized and promoted. What could Jesus have meant when He asks us to hate our families in pursuit of discipleship? To find the answer to this seeming contradiction we need to move carefully and step by step.

Jesus is concerned that His disciples allow nothing to come between Him and them – particularly family ties. The interests of the Kingdom of God must come first, and everything else, including one’s family, must take second place to them. But there are other passages in Scripture that make it clear that our families and loved ones are a priority in our lives:
1 Tim 5:8: If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

In order to try to understand this paradox, let’s look at another Scripture, this time from the OT:

Deut 21:15: If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated…

In the Biblia de las Americas, the text says the following: Deut 21:15: Si un hombre tiene dos mujeres, una amada y otra aborrecida…

Having seen these two versions, now let’s look at the way the text is translated in the NIV:
Deut 21:15: If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other…

Or in the NASB: Deut 21:15: If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved…

It seems pretty clear by looking at the different versions, that the word “hate” in the context used does not mean hatred in the literal sense – it means “to love less” .

On another occasion Jesus presents the same issue in a way that might be clearer to us
Matt 10:37-38: Anyone who loves his father or mother more then Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

Which begs the question: Why did Jesus say the same thing in such a shocking manner? It was meant to be shocking. Although Jesus commends those who have a deep concern and interest in their families, He is against them being so preoccupied with family matters and interests that they have no time for things related to the Kingdom of God. Luke 9:59-60: (Jesus) said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Jesus said to him “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” By using this strong language, Jesus is making a point: He is emphatic in saying that the Kingdom of God is to be Number 1 priority in our lives – nothing less than that is acceptable. The way He said it was designed to shock His hearers into a sense of the imperious demands of the Kingdom of God.

Our Lord knew full well the natural resistance to what He was emphasizing. So He made His point in the most surprising and challenging way possible. The comforting Christ can also be the shocking Christ. But His shocks are not just for effect; they are meant to challenge and change.

Let us look at another hard saying in Matt 11:11-12: I tell you the truth: among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist…From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”The NKJ version puts it this way: “The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it b y force.”

Again, what Jesus is saying here seems to run counter to his general teaching. Christ clearly rejected brute force and violence as a means of advancement of the Kingdom. He talks about humility, about turning the other cheek, about returning good for evil, about being servants, about going the second mile, about being like little children, etc. What can He mean when He talks about the Kingdom of God being taking violently - by force?

Some people (Liberation Theology) have argued that Christ actually advocated physical violence in the cause of His Kingdom. They say that Jesus was a violent revolutionary and that the early Christians refrained from talking about this side of His ministry in order to not threaten the Roman authorities. They also point out to other Scriptures that seem to point to violence:
· He instructed His disciples to sell their clothing and buy swords (Luke 22:36)
· With a whip He drove the moneychangers out of the temple (John 2:15)
· He said He came not to bring peace, but a sword (Matt 10:34)

Of course, the Scriptures show that Jesus was a revolutionary – of sorts. He defied the ruling religious, political and economic powers. His clear teaching that the law of love superseded the dictates of human institutions was revolutionary, but he was hardly a violent one:
· Purging the temple of money changers was a measured response to the profiteering that was going on, and a reminder to what the temple was all about.
· Jesus severely rebuked Peter for cutting off the guard’s ear at the time He was arrested in Gethsemane.
· Jesus dealt with the despised tax collectors instead treating them of as traitors who swindled Jews under Roman oppression and therefore worthy of death.

Jesus was a revolutionary of an upside-down revolution which replaced force with suffering, and violence with assertive love. And the paramount example of His non-violent attitude was the way he handled His death on the cross. Though violated, he refused to retaliate. In terrible pain, he chose not to hate. Instead He asked for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him. Having said all of this, we now need to come to grips with what Jesus meant when He said that the Kingdom of God is taken b y violence or by force.

Going back to the context of Matt 11:12, we can see that the passage is to do with John the Baptist. John the Baptist was in fact the last OT prophet. He died before the New Covenant was established with Christ’s crucifixion. When John’s public ministry was forcibly ended by his imprisonment, that was the signal for Jesus to set out on His ministry in Galilee and proclaim the Kingdom of God. The words of Jesus have to be seen in the context of this statement:
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence.
Since the ministry of John the Baptist had ended, the Kingdom of God was on the march in a way that had never been seen before.
· Devils were being cast out in a way that had never been seen before
· And within the kingdom of Satan (darkness) a beachhead was being established by the Lord, which would grow and expand until one day nothing of that kingdom would be left.

Clearly, Jesus was using the word violence in the sense of forcefulness and aggressiveness. What he was saying in effect, was this: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been advancing with great power, and those who are determined and filled with courage are the ones who are laying hold of it.”

It takes determined people to make good disciples. Tough issues face those who decide to come over to the side of Jesus Christ. Discipleship demands determination, courage, conviction and perseverance. The agenda of the Kingdom of God contains issues that only the truly committed can handle. When we are able to believe without seeing, trust without needing to know all the why’s and wherefore’s, Have an unshakeable confidence in what God says simply because it is He who says it, we are on the way to real discipleship. The Good News is still being made known throughout the world. Now, as then, it calls for determination and courage to be a disciple of God.

Discussion question: Inasmuch as it is clear by these sayings of Jesus that the interests of the Kingdom of God are to be first, what challenge does this present to us today?

The Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:7-15

Our Father, in the heavens, hallowed be your name. (1)
Your kingdom come. (2)
Your will be done, as in the heavens, also on earth. (3)
Our bread, the ______, give us today (4)
And forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors.(5)
And do not put us to the test, (6)
But deliver us from evil. (7)

There are 7 passive, third person imperatives which implies not only that we ask God for something, but also indirectly that we ask ourselves to do the same thing. The 1st imperative asks for God’s name to be made holy. The 7th imperative asks that we be freed from evil = made holy. Both bring about the Kingdom of God. 2nd & 6th imperatives tell us that when the Kingdom of God comes we will not be subject to testing or trials as these things don’t exist in God’s Kingdom. In the 3rd & 5th imperatives we are asking for God’s will to be done (passive imperative) on earth as it is in heaven. The 5th asks for God to restore our relationship with Him as we restore our relationships with others. Both bring about the Kingdom of God. The 4th imperative can be translated in different ways because there is no agreement on what the _____ means. It can be translated as asking for physical bread or it can be taken as asking for spiritual bread.

“Our Father in heaven,
May your name be honoured.
May your kingdom come
May your will be done
As in heaven, so on earth.
Give us today the bread we need now;
And forgive us the things we owe,
As we too have forgiven what was owed to us.
Don’t bring us into the great Trial,
But rescue us from evil.”
Translation by NT Wright

It is interesting that the disciples asked Jesus how to pray!!
We will look at each one of these imperatives and at the words used by Jesus:

THE FATHER HEART OF GOD

Our:
What a thought! God is our Father. Jesus began his teaching on prayer with “our”. It is plural. It implies relationship with others who are like us, equal to us. We cannot pray to God as if we were alone with no-one else on the planet with us. It also implies belonging. We are not isolated and unwanted.

Father:
1. One from whom one is descended and generally at least several generations removed, forefather, ancestor, progenitor, forebear:
2. One who provides moral and intellectual upbringing, father
3. The supreme deity, who is responsible for the origin and care of all that exists, Father, Parent
When we think of God do we think of him as loving, protective, warm, tender, forgiving, and involved with us? Oftentimes we think of him as isolated from us, up in heaven and not interested in our lives. That cannot be further from the truth.

We need to have a good understanding of who God is if we want to understand him and to love him. We cannot worship and pray to someone we don’t know and if we don’t know Him we will give him attributes that he doesn’t have. So we need to settle the question, do we belong to him or not, are we a part of His family or not, do we accept Him as father or not? If we do, then we need to get to know Him as He is and as He says He is:

Ø He loves & persues us: Hosea 11:1-4
"When Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from Me. They sacrificed to the baals and they burned incense to images. It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them."

Ø He is Abba: Mk 14: 36;
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you.”
Rom 8:15-17 “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Gal 4:6-7 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”

Ø He is Compassionate: Ps 103:13
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;”

Ø He carries us: Deut 1:29-31
“Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

Ø He is Provider: Mt 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Ø He is the giver of good gifts: Matt 7:7-12
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Ø He is forgiving: Luke 15:20-32
“So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

Ø He is Faithful: Matt 28:20
“I am with you always even until the end of the age.”
Heb. 13:5 "I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you...”

Ø He is Generous: Psalm 37:3-5
"Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it."

Ø He is Protective: Deut
"You shall dwell between the shoulders of God

Ø He is interested: 1 Pt 5:7
"Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."

Ø He gives unconditional acceptance: Zeph 3:17
"He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing."



HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME

The Lord’s Prayer and The Lord’s supper are part of today’s Liturgy that is the equivalent of Jewish Temple theology. God was viewed as present in the world but beyond it; present to celebrate with His people and to grieve with them; to bless them and rescue them. The Lord’s Prayer is an invitation from Jesus to us to join with him in announcing the Kingdom of God and also in His prayer life. It is necessary to view the Kingdom of God as they did, if we want to understand and participate in this prayer.

The 1st Exodus took place from Egypt and the 2nd Exodus takes place when the Kingdom of God impacts our lives and we are set free from sin and false gods to return to worship our God in our new land (Kingdom).

. Crossing of the Dead Sea - death & resurrection of Jesus
. The Passover - Last Supper
. The wilderness experience with the pillar of cloud & fire – Romans 8 (guided by the Spirit)
Exodus 8: 17-19 “They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. - Luke 11:20 - “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” God sees us as an Exodus people.

4:22-23 introduces the idea of God as Father. The Israelites were no longer to see themselves as slaves but as sons!! This isn’t just about intimacy but about revolution, release from slavery, freedom, and hope. This freedom was to be brought about by the Jewish King and Messiah – 2 Samuel 7:14; Isaiah 55:1-3

When Jesus prays “Our Father” the disciple’s minds would be going straight to the idea of freedom from the Romans, a free land, liberty, God’s people, and identity. This freedom would come when the Exodus and the Messiah finally came. The Jews celebrated it every Passover and when they read the Psalms. In our lives this is seen in being delivered from evil, returning to God, having enough bread, and God’s Kingdom coming here on earth as it is in heaven.
In Jewish culture the son was his father’s apprentice. To be an apprentice requires learning, watching, imitating. Jesus did all this and now he calls us to do the same. To call God Father is an apprenticeship for us, a continual learning experience. Even in Gethsemane, when God seemed far away, Jesus asked if this was what He wanted, continual submission and oneness of purpose – the Exodus.

This Exodus brings freedom from sin and in communion we celebrate this freedom and remember it until he comes again (1 Cor 11:26). We proclaim it and long for it to be so in our lives and in the lives of others. In this way we are asking for God’s name to be made holy.

How do we make His name Holy? Jesus would seem to be echoing the Jewish Kaddish which begins: “Magnified and hallowed be his great name in the world … And may He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and in your days … quickly and soon.”

ἁγιάζω
① set aside something or make it suitable for ritual purposes, consecrate, dedicate
② include a person in the inner circle of what is holy, in both cultic and moral associations of the word, consecrate, dedicate, sanctify through Christ
③ to treat as holy, reverence of person
④ to eliminate that which is incompatible with holiness, purify

When we did the series on the names of God we saw that someone’s name is “the essence of who they are”. In the ancient Near East, great significance was attached to personal names, for they revealed character and identity and signified existence. The revelation of a divine name and its continued use were of substantial importance for a people.

God first revealed His name to Moses (Exodus 3:13-16), it was here that God “called” Moses to free the Israelites, and this freedom was confirmed by giving Moses his name. To make Holy God’s name has to do not only with God’s reputation but also with His commitment to the covenant that he made with his people. When we pray that his name be made holy we are praying that the Exodus be brought to its conclusion – freedom from sin and slavery and to leave “Egypt” and be brought into the promise land. We can trust God to be faithful as he was to the Israelites. Our part is to obey His commands and to live lives that are congruent with a Holy God.

As we pray “Make your name Holy” the logical outcome is that this will be seen in our lives, in the way we act but we must be careful and not make the goal “our being holy”. The whole emphasis here is on God’s name, or reputation, being glorified.

It’s interesting to see how Jesus sets the scene of prayer. First we focus on God as Father, and not exclusively ours but also the Father of others. We recognise his greatness and our need.
Faith: If we see God as anything other than Father, how do we approach him? I feel free to go to my parents and tell them what I need, I do not feel so free to go before a Judge, stranger, neighbour etc and tell them my needs. When I share my needs my parents are interested and correspond. The Judge, stranger, neighbour etc don’t. Before we bring our needs before God we need to recognise that he is interested in us, more than we are interested in ourselves.
Boldness: Jesus went before God with boldness because he knew who he was and who God is. He is calling us to go before God with the same boldness. Almost like we are imitating him, dressed up in his righteousness, being made like he is we go before God with our petitions.
Gods’ name:

Meaning of some of the Names of God:
ELOHIM - means God, God who creates, Creating God - God as creator of all that is good.
YHWH ELOHIM - means Lord God - God who brings into existence, God who originates, YHWH - the Lord - He causes to be, What took place was, What happened was, What is happening, as cause of what happened.




YOUR KINGDOM COME

The Bible uses the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven interchangeably. Oftentimes the Kingdom of Heaven was used so as not to speak the name of God. The Kingdom of God appears over 100 times in the NT, mostly in the Synoptic Gospels where it portrays Jesus’ mission.

The Old Testament:

1. Ps103:19; 145:11-13; 22:28; 45:93, 96-99; Dan 2:44; 4:3, 34; 7:27;
· Glory, everlasting, joy, singing, the roar of the sea, hills singing, the earth rejoicing.
· A celebration of God as King over all creation

2. God’s Kingship was 1st seen in his relationship with Israel in Egypt, and in particular to his freeing them from the hands of the Egyptians.

3. He was seen as their God and King and Israel viewed their relationship with God in terms of the Temple and Zion (Ezek 19:6; 1 Chron 28:5)

4. He was also seen as their Warrior and subsequently more powerful than the gods and kings of Egypt. (Ex 15:1-8).

5. God withdrew his “kingship” from Israel when they went into exile (Ezek 10:18-19). Israel longed for a return to God’s kingship and to be free from his judgement. The prophets spoke of this from the visions God gave them showing this return bringing God’s kingship again to Israel and Zion (Is 2:2; 52:7-10). Also Is 59:15-21; Ezek 43:1-7;Zech 2:4-12.


The New Testament:

1. When Jesus says that “the Kingdom of God has come, or ….is like the Kingdom of God” he is invoking Old Testament imagery. He was speaking into the Jewish belief of redemption and freedom for Israel. They were looking for a political and religious redemption. For the Jews, if God is King then Caesar is no longer King.

2. Jesus draws attention to the fact that his Kingdom is not “visible” in the sense that the Jews were expecting it to be. Luke 17:20-21 shows that it is “in your midst”. Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

3. Romans 14:17 – not of food or drink but … It is not about laws and regulations. We should obey God’s commandments but it isn’t all about that or only about that. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

4. Luke 6:20-26 it is yours. Do you see life like this? It needs a change of perception. Looking at his disciples, he said:

· Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
· Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
· Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
· Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
· Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
· But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
· Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
· Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
· Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
· But I tell you who hear me:
· Love your enemies,
· Do good to those who hate you,
· Bless those who curse you,
· Pray for those who mistreat you.
· If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.
· If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.
· Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
· Do to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.
· And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.
· But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.
· Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
· Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
· Do not judge, and you will not be judged.
· Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
· Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
· 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 the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

5. Entrance into the Kingdom is for those who repent and produce good fruit. Matt 21:28-32, 43 "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Matt 21:43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

6. You need to give up all other attachments Lk 9:59-62 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

7. There will be problems. Acts 14:22 Also the Beatitudes. Matt 11:12; Lk 16:16 Acts 14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

8. Now and not yet. Acts 1:6-8 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."


What is our responsibility?:

1. The coming of the Kingdom of God to our lives is us putting ourselves under His rule. It means a reordering of your lives, a change in priorities and direction.
2. What are God’s priorities? What is His will?
3. If we are going to pray this prayer then we have to align ourselves with God’s will and work at ushering in His Kingdom. It means to seek God’s power to work things out. The Messiah has come and His power is available to achieve His will.
4. To pray this prayer means we need to see the world as Jesus sees it and to live reaching for it’s redemption.
5. We can only pray this prayer if we are willing to be represent and live a kingdom life, if we are prepared to bring healing and to push back the darkness, to bring victory over sin and freedom from oppression.
6. What place does this prayer have in our lives? Do we depend on God totally as Jesus indicates we should?
7. How are you advancing God’s Kingdom: in your life and in the world?
8. We need a change of heart. It’s all about Him (Matt 6:33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
9. Jesus told us to pray for God’s Kingdom before praying for God’s will therefore it is essential that we know what this Kingdom is if we are to proceed.

YOUR WILL BE DONE IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH

Two parallel facts are true of every Christian.

1. God's determined will MUST be fulfilled in our lives.

2. Yet WE must surrender to Him to experience it. Romans 12:1-2
What would it look like for the Lord’s will to be done and His Kingdom to come in your life?

Three things stand out if I am asking for God’s will to be done:
I need to study the bible carefully
I need to do what I find
I need to be asking God what He wants

Submission is what God desires:
1. God’s desired will is for all to be saved
2. God wants our sanctification – 1 Thess 4:3
3. Romans 12:1-2 shows us that it is God's will and desire for us to be fully surrendered to His control. This pray requires a complete rethinking of our way of life. We are really asking God to reign in our hearts and that things be according to His standards.
4. Everything God allows in our lives is His will and desire for us - 1 Thess 5:18
5. Obedience - Do we really mean that we want God’s will over our own? To pray this requires that we turn our lives around to do what would further His Kingdom, not necessarily our best interests.
6. Courage to do His will. Do you look like someone who furthers God’s Kingdom, do you smell like one? To pray this way requires total commitment, it doesn’t require your physical death but it does require death to one’s own way
7. The standard is perfection.
8. What frightens you about praying this in specific areas of your life?

· God’s will in your spiritual life
· God’s will in your emotional life
· God’s will in your rational life
· God’s will in your volitional life
· God’s will in your physical life
· God’s will in your marriage
· God’s will in your relationships
· God’s will in your job
· God’s will in your free time
· God’s will in your finances




GIVE US THIS DAY OUR BREAD

Today we are looking at “Give us this day our daily bread”. This petition can be looked on 2 ways: Actual bread and “the bread of Life”.

The starting point for this part of the prayer is complete dependence on God and trust in who He is. After placing God first he then directs us towards praying for our own needs. As we have seen in the other verses, Jesus has set the scene basing everything on: Who God is and our identity in Him and Our alignment with His purposes on earth and the submission of our wishes to his.

Now it is the turn of us remaining faithful until he comes again and takes us to the promise land.
The Kingdom of God and what the Israelites would have understood from what he said. They would have immediately remembered the Exodus and God providing manna in the desert.

A few thoughts arise. We recognise that we cannot even provide the bread that we need and that God can and does provide. We recognise that what we have does not belong to us but is given to us from God. We recognise that we can be specific. Let’s look at our hearts. Do we really depend on God for everything or do we think that we ourselves can supply certain things. Are we satisfied with the level of provision that God has given us?

1 Tim 6:8-11 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and  a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteusness, Godliness, faith , love, perseverance and gentleness. What is your heart running after?

Jesus doesn’t want us to be anxious. Are we anxious? Luke 12: 24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor  barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? “If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. “For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for  your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “

Mark 4:19 “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

These are strong words!! What is choking the work of God in you?

Let us look again at the Kingdom of God. The Jews criticised Jesus for being a glutton and drunkard (Matt11). This was a direct reference to Deut 21 “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. “They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.”

Jesus replied in Luke with the fact that he is the bridegroom and that it is correct to celebrate with the groom, also that he came to bring freedom to sinners. His mission was to bring in the Kingdom of God to the sinners. He was celebrating the great banquet that God has prepared for His people. (Ps 23, Is 25:6-8)

The Jew’s problem was that he was celebrating with the sinners, not the righteous people! In the process he talked about finding lost coins, sheep, and sons. He was translating the Kingdom of God into a party, even the angels celebrate. He was saying that God is interested in our needs, he sees them, and he will respond to them just as he saw the needs of the Israelites in Egypt and rescued them. Can you imagine this?

If we look at a lot of Jesus ministry it revolved around food and provision. He is more than interested in our needs. When we see his interaction with his disciples he was responsible for them. He is responsible for you.

The early church had this also very much a part of who they were. They met together and had all things in common, they provided for each other. This attitude came out of their relationship with God. It also moved into the Lord’s Supper. Every meal for them was a celebration of Jesus. The secular and the spiritual become one and the same thing. The Kingdom of God is a celebration. Asking for our needs is part of that celebration. God providing is also part of the celebration.

Getting back to our needs, what do you need God to provide? What are you asking Him for? Are your needs aligned to the will of God? Let’s ask Him. Let’s depend on Him. Our everyday needs are important to God.Be specific. As we ask we need to remember that the prayer says, “Give us ….” Ask for others also.

There is also the spiritual aspect of bread. Jesus is the bread of life and all who eat of Him will have forgiveness of sins. As we take communion and eat the bread there is healing for our souls. We receive healing for emotional problems, physical problems and spiritual problems. God is bringing his Kingdom to bear on our lives, we need to celebrate this. Let’s ask God for our needs.


FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS,

AS WE ALSO FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS

Christianity is the only religion where there is forgiveness, where one cannot appease God by good works, or bad works as the case may have it. The only way to God is through repentance and receiving forgiveness. Forgiveness is a huge topic and essential to Christians. It should be a daily part of our lives. It is essential to our faith, without it we are still in our sins. But it is also very difficult. That is the nature of forgiveness.

“As we also” is causal. As the prayer progresses, Jesus’ plan is that we become more like the Father. Part of the Father’s nature is forgiveness and grace, and Jesus expects us to be changing in nature to become more like the Father. So forgiveness is rooted in God’s character.

This verse implies that we are guilty. We can do several things with guilt: deny it, suffer with it, or deal with it. If we deal with it we will know the freedom in the deepest part of our souls and it will change us. But what are we guilty of? We are guilty of not loving God as he deserved to be loved, and of not loving our neighbour as ourselves.

There are 3 aspects to forgiveness:
Asking for it
Receiving it
Giving it

Asking for it:
Must realise we need it
Must realise God can give it

The word is actually used to cancel a debt. To be forgiven we must be aware of the wrong done. Our first sin is before God. This is where it all starts. Luke 1:72 “To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by  the forgiveness of their sins.”

When David sinned with Bathsheba he refers to it in the Psalms as “against you God have I sinned” How? He broke the first commandment to love God with all his being, and then he broke the second, to love his neighbour as himself.

Do you see your sin as against God?

Receiving it:
We can see from the Matthew 18 that the first slave had trouble believing he had been forgiven. Why would that be?

Matthew 18:21ff Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord,  how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and  forgave him the debt. “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

He is a debtor. This man had been stealing for years= a talent is worth @ 15 years wages for a labourer. He thought he could pay it back! = pride & lack of repentance. He was ashamed because he got caught not because he sinned. He is a creditor, the other slave owed him a fraction of what he owed = 1 denarius is @ 1 days wages. He didn’t show the same mercy he asked to be shown to him. He viewed his situation as less than that of the man who owed him. Where do we do this? He ended up a prisoner, physically, emotionally, rationally and spiritually bound by his own lack of forgiveness – bitterness etc . Do we do the same?

What lies do we believe that prevent us from receiving God’s forgiveness? Do you find yourself trying to “forgive yourself” when what really needs to happen is to receive God’s forgiveness?
Are you looking for justice instead of being glad you didn’t receive justice? Do you feel your sin is too big for God to forgive? Let’s ask God to show us where we do not believe in his forgiveness.

Giving it:
It isclear that to be able to forgive we have to have been forgiven. It is also obvious that Jesus regards forgiving others a hallmark of Christians! If we are to see God’s Kingdom progress we have to act as He does. Luke 7:47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

When we stand before someone who has offended us we need to be aware of whom we really are before God, of what we deserve, and of who He is. To be able to forgive we need to be aware that we have been forgiven. It is also a sign that we want to put an end to the cycle of sin, of lack of grace, and of blaming everyone for what goes on in life. It puts a stop to this cycle and helps us walk away from guilt and shame.

When we don’t have a grip on God’s forgiveness of us we don’t love well, there is a direct relationship to our level of love and our level of receiving forgiveness. If we don’t forgive we are actually in a bad place spiritually. To not forgive is to say in essence that you don’t believe that the Kingdom of God has come, that it hasn’t impacted your life and that your beliefs are just empty rumblings.

Where are you not living in the good of God’s forgiveness to you?

Let’s ask God to show us where we need to repent and ask for forgiveness?

Let’s ask God who you need to forgive?

The Stone of Stumbling 1

We are going to get into a series that deals with the hard sayings of Jesus

We like to talk about the attractive part of Jesus’ sayings:
· Jesus is risen from the dead
· Jesus offers peace and joy and Comfort and reassurance when we need it
· The promise of heaven to those who believe
· Healing for all
· Jesus loves us so much
· Jesus accepts us unconditionally

These items are very popular in churches today. But Jesus also had a number of things that are hard, even offensive to say, which turn general ideas about life on their head, such as:
Dying in order to live
Losing in order to find
Going down in order to go up
Freedom in the midst of slavery
Success through failure

Focusing only on the attractive side of the gospel may fill the pews, but leave the heart half empty. Before we begin, we need to ask ourselves the question: “Why is it that these other parts of the gospel are ignored or overlooked?” It is because these sayings of Jesus contain thoughts that challenge our self-centredness, and threaten our carnal nature, and thus become downright offensive to us? That is what occurred when Jesus was teaching in his hometown. Listen to what happened:

Matt 13:54-57: Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers.?”, they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him.

So we are going to focus on these hard sayings of Jesus in the next few weeks, because they are equally important truths, which will add depth and meaning to our discipleship, and strike at those things which encumber our lives and prevent us from being the kind of disciples Christ wants us to be. If we refuse to face these issues, although we may call ourselves Christians, we cannot really call ourselves disciples.

1Peter 2:6-8: For in Scripture it says, “See, I lay a stone on Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” And “A stone that causes men to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.”

It’s interesting that the Greek word for stumble is Scandalon, from which come the word scandalize, which means “to be offended”. We find passage after passage in which after Jesus has spoken, the people are offended. One time Jesus went to the temple to teach, and the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and began to question him. Jesus told them a couple of parables and then said to them:

Matt 21:41-44: Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’ Therefore I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Notice this last verse:
If we fall on Him we will be broken to pieces
If we don’t fall on him we will be crushed.

There is the alternative: either way, we are going to be broken! But the first part of the text says that if we stumble because of Christ and are broken, then we are in a position to be made truly whole. Jesus is the only one who can break us thoroughly when we come to Him by faith. Stumbling, or falling, becomes the occasion for faith.

The second part of the text speaks of judgment. There are those who never respond in faith to their fall over that stone. We might say, then, that a lot of these sayings constitute the demands of discipleship.

The Bread of Life
John 6 starts with the episode of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000.
And the people were delighted. They followed Jesus everywhere. This was a good deal. Politically, it was a great move, to feed the poor and the hungry (and themselves, too, incidentally). Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, with drew to a mountain by himself (V15). The disciples got into a boat and crossed over to the other side of the lake. Jesus came to them walking on the water.
When the crowds realized that Jesus was no longer with them and one of the boats was missing, they crossed over to the other side and found Jesus. They began to ask for more miraculous signs, and for more bread and fishes. Then Jesus announced to them that He was the bread of life, and that whoever came to Him would never go hungry or be thirsty again. The people began to grumble among themselves, because He said that He was the bread from heaven.

John 6:43-58: “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus said “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day…I tell you the truth: I am the Bread of Life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that came down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.”

In the verses that follow the passage we just read, many of the disciples remark that this was a hard teaching, and a little further along it says that many of them turned back and no longer followed him. What they stumbled on is the same thing people stumble on today: the fact that more is required than just hearkening to the words of Jesus. We must be united with Him by faith. We must let our lives flow into Him, and His life flow into us. This is what he meant by the eating of His flesh. We nurture on His spiritual goodness. We receive His righteousness, and thus we are saved.

A little while after the episode that we just read, Jesus makes clear to His disciples that this statement of feeding on His flesh is not to be taken literally: John 6:63: The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

Of course the Communion is the best enactment of this concept. Matt 26:26: While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying “Take and eat; this is my body.”

The powerful metaphors Jesus uses of eating His flesh and drinking His blood was designed to convey the idea that a share in the eternal life of God is granted to those who come to Jesus by faith, enter into union with Him, feed on Him, and draw their life from Him.

The Anglicans and Episcopalians Book of Common Prayer sum up this concept beautifully in their readings for Holy Communion: “Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee, and feed on Him in thy heart by faith with thanksgiving.”

To feed on Christ in one’s heart by faith with thanksgiving is to eat His flesh, drink His blood, and so have eternal life. Do you feed on Jesus? Are you willing to share in Jesus’ eternal life by faith? Are you willing to feed on Jesus in your heart with thanksgiving?

I Have One More Day

I have one more day to be grateful.

That I was able to opened my eyes this dawn.
And that you have never from me, your grace withdrawn.

I have one more day to bless.

With whatever you direct me to write.
How sweet if by your grace, the love of you, in someone these words could ignite.

I have one more day to proclaim.

That Jesus went willingly to the cross. And for us, his blood he shed.
Jesus is alive, he is not dead.
And this good news, we all should spread.

I have one more day to remember.

That, your love, must be shared.
That we must take hold, of what you for us, have prepared.

I have one more day to acknowledge.

That, your love for me, is real.
And that your truth, to me you reveal.

Ana Cecilia Petersen
Thank you for the gift of life!
June 21, 2007

Redifining "I"

Galatians 2:20:
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.


“I have been crucified with Christ.”
We have a holy and a just God who has created us with laws in place. One of those laws is: the wages of sin is death (Romans 6.23). In the old Covenant that law was taken care of by a daily ritual of sacrificing animals. The presence of God was in the Temple within the Holy of Holies. In the new Covenant the ultimate sacrifice was made once and for all by the death of the Lamb of God. The presence of God is within us, for the Scriptures declare that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. (Col 3:3)
The Scripture says that the old self is dead, but he feels very much alive! Read Romans 7:16-24 NASB (Notice the times Paul talks about “I” “Me” & “My” – 20 times) (16) But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. (17) So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. (18) For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. (19) For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. (20) But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. (21) I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. (22) For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, (23) but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
As we contemplate these words we see that death is not the goal. The goal is to live the resurrection life – now and in eternity. How do we live dead to sin but alive to Christ (Rom 6:11)? We need to see that God has provided another law that overthrows the first! In the natural world we see how the law of gravity is superseded by the law of aerodynamics.

“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”.
Read Romans 8 (The word “I” is there TWICE, but Spirit is there 21 times). Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.
Read Col 1:27 “The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
These Scriptures are telling us clearly that we must learn to focus on HIM. He (Holy Spirit) lives His life through us. Look at the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. David comments about Goliath twice, but he comments about God nine times. Where was David’s Focus?

In these Scriptures, I see that there are basically three ways to live:

Self Alive
Our eyes are focused on Self who is very much alive (In fact, we are living as a non-Christian). The center of Life consists of looking after Number 1. Our reaction to adversity tends toward self will, anger, hurt and retaliation.

Self Dead
Our eyes are focused on Self who is dead (In fact we spend all our efforts on pushing back the darkness – that which is dead). The center of Life consists of religion and a constant awareness to push out the darkness. Our reaction to adversity tends toward temporary success, frustration, and the “wretched-man syndrome”. The way we pray is to ask for God to “help me” do something.

Christ Living Within Me
Our eyes are focused on Christ living within me (Turning on the Light). Our center of Life is Jesus Christ. Our reaction to adversity is to live out of Jesus’ strength. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. This is the way Jesus lived. He did nothing on His own. He did it all through what the Father indicated.
Read John 5:19-20, Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.

Was this the only way Jesus could live or did he choose to live this way? Can we choose to live this way? How does it apply to us? We must focus on Jesus living in us, and by faith believe that He can do all things. He can overcome temptation. He can love an enemy. He can build an impossible ministry. He can do everything!

How big is your God? Let's look at only two of His many attribues
Might: Gen 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.
Did God say he had all might? NO. He is all might!
Love: 1Jn 4:16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
Did God say he had all love? NO. He is love!

The best resource we have is the source Himself:
He doesn’t want to give me strength; He wants to BE my strength.
He doesn’t want to give me wisdom; He wants to BE my wisdom.
He doesn’t want to give me love; He wants to BE my love.

How can we apply this is our everyday lives? How did we get salvation? By faith! We looked at Jesus & believed in Him for our salvation – FAITH. How do we apply Galatians 2:20? The same as we received salvation. By faith! We look at Jesus and believe HE has the might/love to do the work that needs doing in us – FAITH.

Let us consider three examples, and how to pray for those situations:

Overcome temptation
Colossians 3:1-10 mentions several “groups” of temptations: immorality, impurity & passion, evil desire & malice, anger, wrath & slander, greed & idolatry, and abusive speech. We should pray in this manner: Jesus, I am facing temptation again with __________. I cannot overcome this but I know you can. I have crucified my personal responses and I choose to live out of you. Give me the strength. I focus on you and on what you can do in me.

Love an enemy
Jesus, I am feeling hurt and angry, and have no power to forgive, but I know you are the source of all love and you live in me. Be to me all that I need. Fill me with your love, your forgiveness and your compassion.

Build an impossible ministry
Jesus, you are telling me to do ______________. You know I don’t have the _____________ to do that, but you are the eternal source of might and power and I trust that you can do it in me. I have faith in you and I will walk each step as you lead me.

In closing, we must learn to give Him the Glory: Ephesians 3:20-21 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Fix your eyes on Jesus! For whatever you fix your eyes upon grows within you. Whatever grows within you, you become. When the branch is grafted into the Vine, where does the strength of the branch come from? Where does the life of the branch come from?