Location. Location. Location.

What is Jesus telling us in his conversation with the woman at the well?

There are a lot things to be discussed and said about this portion of scripture, found in John 4.  Read for yourself below, and then I'll share my thoughts.

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Deep stuff right?

Now I can't break down all the original language and things, but I believe the main idea translates.  What I read here is that location doesn't matter.  She is discussing a mountain that her people have worshiped at for generations.  While the Jews worship at the temple in  Jerusalem.

Jesus says there will be a time, and it's here now, when you won't worship on the mountain or in Jerusalem. 

What does that mean for us?

I mean, I've never been to Jerusalem, or this mountain.  But I have worshiped God.  So, if it's not in either of these once ascribed holy places...where is it?  Jesus says God will be worshiped in spirit and truth.  Because these are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

So he seeks those who worship in spirit and truth.  How do we do that?  Well, this isn't a step by step.  You have to work out your own faith.  However the Church, the body of believes, can help encourage and challenge each other on in their faith.

So let me offer this simple challenge:  follow where the Spirit leads.

Imagine you've been praying for a co-worker.  Is that all you do for them?  Or do you open your heart, your ears, and listen to them.  See what they are and are not saying.  Pay attention and learn to discern.  God will guide you.

Let him.

Worshiping God is spirit and truth is not restricted to sacred music and cathedrals.  Worshiping can happen in a club to rock music, if a person's spirit is open to God.  It can happen in the middle of a forest, an office cubicle, or executive board room.  It can happen on the dock of a grocery store, the parking lot of a movie theater, or a tattoo parlor under neon lights.

Be open to the Spirit moving in your life.  It won't always be a miraculous sign.  It can be in a smile.  A kind word or time spent with someone hurting.  Discipleship isn't about scoring conversions.  It's about teaching others to be like Jesus.  I think the best teaching is observed, not heard.

So keep your heart and mind open for the Spirit to move in you!  Look for the little things, the compassionate things, and just serve God with all your heart, soul and strength.  He'll fill in the rest.

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse

The Salvation Incantation

Saving Private Ryan is a brutally realistic view into the horrors of war.  It is the story of an American squad sent on a rescue mission.  A mission to save one person, the titular Private Ryan.  They do not know where he is, and most of the squad don't want to be on the mission.  Why should they risk their lives to send one schmuck home?  But they follow orders and after a long search, they find him.

By the end of the movie, most of the squad has died in the course of their mission.  Including their captain, played by Tom Hanks.  As he lays dying after a vicious battle, he waves Ryan over and rasps to him, "Earn this."

That floors me every time I see it.  Earn this.  How?  How can you live a life knowing that others died so that you can live?  How do you ever live up to that request, to earn their sacrifice.  Well, Ryan clearly struggles with that thought for the remainder of his life.  The scene fades and we see the elderly Ryan at the captain's grave, and he says to his wife, "Tell me I'm a good man."

He lived his whole life wondering if he lived up to the lives that were given so he could go home.  Even though he didn't ask for it.  His salvation ate at his mind his whole life.

I'm glad Jesus did not have the same mind set.  He did not ask us to earn the salvation he purchased for us.  He said, "It is accomplished!"  Done.  Finished.  Salvation was delivered to us.  We just have to accept it.

But salvation is not a once and done thing.  There is a moment.  An instant when someone believes and salvation begins.

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10

 We are also told to "work out our own salvation," (Philippians 2:12)  Think of it this way.  You train to be a doctor and graduate med school and eventually say the Hippocratic oath.  You're a doctor now  Yay!  What happens if you never show up for work after that?  You never practice medicine for the rest of your life.  Are you still a doctor?  Were you ever really a doctor?

Now, I'm not saying to question your salvation.  If you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, and have confessed Jesus is Lord, you are saved...but it doesn't stop there.  If you truly believe that Jesus is Lord, you will behave and live a certain way.  Bearing fruit that comes from having Jesus in your life.  Remember his analogy about the vine and the branches?  (John 15)

We need to remain in him.  So we can bear fruit.  Fruit that comes from God, through Jesus, and out of us.  "Jesus is Lord," is not just a statement of fact.  It is a declaration of your devotion to him.

Salvation is not just an incantation at the end of a church service.  It is not an emotional response at a conference or retreat.  It's not just a moment in a small group or home gathering.  It very well may happen in one of those places or come out of situations like that, but it is so much more. 

It is a clear decisive choice that Jesus is Lord of your life. 

There will be changes in your life.  Some might be instant.  Others will take the rest of your life.  But they will come out of your love for him.  How you grow with him in your life and with others who follow him.

Unlike Private Ryan, we don't have to wonder if we earned it.  Because we can not earn the salvation that Jesus won for us.  Only he could.  But the good news is, because he won it, we don't have to wonder if we can have it.

It's already accomplished.  Salvation ≠ Recitation.  Saying the Hippocratic oath does not make you a doctor.  Saying the sinners prayer doesn't make you a follower of Jesus.  You have to actually follow him to be a follower.  And that is discipleship.  Learning about Jesus.  Who he is.  What he has done and taught.  Then, you go and teach others about Jesus.

grace, peace + hope-Bear

Suit Up - Part 4

Part 4.  We're almost there.  Today we break out the big guns if you will.  Everything to this point has been defensive and protective.  Today we look at our offensive weapons.  We have two of them.  So let's get into it!

The Sword of the Spirit
"...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Earlier I asked how do we get to know Jesus. The sword is the answer. The sword is the Word of God, Jesus is also the Word.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  'Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

John 1:1-5

The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about God, and His love for us, and the plan of redemption that was laid out for Jesus. The Word is full of instructions, hope, song, stories, and love. And there is only one way to know it...and that's by digging into it. Read it. Let the words of scripture fill your heart, and Righteousness will come. Saturate your mind with the words of Jesus, and Salvation will guard it. Allow your faith to rest firmly on the promises of God that come from the Bible, and he will protect you.


Prayer
"...And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests..."

Prayer. It's how we communicate with God. And communication in a battle is vital. If you can't hear what God is telling you...you can't move, you can't act, you can't fight.

Prayer doesn't have to be eloquent and lofty. It doesn't have to be full of the right words or said in just the right way. Let it come from your heart, your spirit. Jesus tells us how to pray in Matthew 6:5-14. You can also look at the other prayers Jesus makes throughout the four gospels. God knows what you need before ever you go to Him.

Prayer is something we could discuss for hundreds of blogs.  What I'm trying to communicate here is one or two aspects of prayer.  It's God's "Make A Wish" line.  In my experience, prayer from me that is either silent, or for other people tends to go farther.  God will speak to us if we listen and stop worrying about ourselves all the time.

The best way to lose a relationship is to stop communication.  Our enemy would love for that to happen.  For us to stop talking with God.  To stop listening to him.  He is our everything.  Our weapons and armor...don't work with out him.  Faith is nothing without the One the faith is in.  Salvation can't protect your mind if you don't have a savior.  Righteousness comes from God, so with out him...our vital organs are defenseless.  And you can forget about the sword of the Spirit if the Spirit isn't around.

So pray.  Do battle on your knees.  Fight for the brothers and sisters around you.  Even if you don't know them.  Pray for every part of the church around the world reaching out into the lives of others.  Then, get up and get into it yourself.

Tomorrow - The War

grace, peace + hope

-Jesse

Suit Up - Part 3

Still with me?  Fantastic.  Let's look back over the gear we've already discussed:

The Belt of Truth - the Truth of Jesus holds it all together.
Breastplate of Righteousness - living a Righteous life will protect our heart.
Readiness of the Gospel of Peace - not a physical piece of armor...but just as vital.  Know the story.


Today we will look at the Shield of Faith and the Helmet of Salvation.  In the movies Captain America has an amazing shield made of a fictitious metal called vibranium.  It's capable of repelling bullets, energy weapons, and all sorts of devastating stuff.


Our shield is so much cooler.

The Shield of Faith
"...take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

The shield. An ancient weapon known throughout most of history. Some were small, some large but all had the same purpose. To prevent weapons of the enemy from getting to you. Shields would take the brunt of the initial attacks. Be it stones, arrows, swords, or spears...the shield, if made well would deflect these things. Epesians 6 says that it will extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

How cool is that?! Not only does it stop them, it puts out the fire!

Fire consumes.

When used as a weapon fire is devastating. But when you pick up the shield of Faith, the flames are quenched. What did we already establish our faith in? Jesus. Our trust in him as our Savior, our King, our God. It is our faith in Him the creates this shield, this barrier protection. Something God has consistently told us He is.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"

Psalm 91:1-2

Another thing about the shield, it has to go in front of you or it is useless. So, our Faith in Jesus should go before us, otherwise we are vulnerable to attack. Keep your Faith before you, keep Jesus as your goal, and He will protect you.  A shield of faith...think about it.

Now for the helmet.  It can be as practical as a motorcycle helmet or as intense as a Spartan soldier's.  Simple or elaborate.  The goal is the same.  Protect the head.  Some are iconic like Thor and Loki's.  Kids all over can spot Loki based on his golden horned helmet, or Thor with his silver wings.  Once again, our helmet, way better.

Helmet of Salvation
"...Take the helmet of salvation..."

The helmet protects our head. And what is inside out head?

Our mind.

So Salvation is what protects our mind...if we keep it on. When we think, remember what Jesus did. Hebrews 2: 3-4 says:

"...This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord(Jesus), was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will."

When our minds start to wander. When we think of the nasty response. When we think of yelling and swearing...remember Salvation. Remember Jesus. Even when he was dying on the cross for us, bearing all our sin...he forgave us. All wrongs have been righted in his death. All blood owed has been paid. All the things we feel we are justified to have...have already been given.

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation..."

Isaiah 12:2

Not only should we guard our thoughts from evil, but allow it to Trust and not Fear. God has already won. The only things we can loose (if we cling to him) are our earthly possessions, and our earthly body.  The helmet protects more than just our skull, brain and faces.  The knowledge of Salvation guards our thoughts.  Keep it on!  In this, our thoughts will be different.  People will notice this and we will be recognized as followers of Jesus.  It will be obvious.  The same way a kid can spot their favorite helmeted hero.

Tomorrow, the Weapons.

grace, peace + hope
-Jesse