live2bless

“Christ never promises peace in the sense of no more struggle and suffering. Instead, he helps us to struggle and suffer as he did, in love, for one another.” -Frederick Buechner What is it “to struggle and suffer as he did, in love, for one another”? The writer doesn’t explain it so I’d like to offer the following. If we define love by substituting the word helpfulness I think we get a better ide...

In Isaiah 11:1-3 (NIV)  we read this wonderful prophetic statement regarding Jesus:  1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;  from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him —  the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD — 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.”   ...

Imagine being so responsive to Jesus that you could say to others, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Those are the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:9 (NIV). Clearly, he understood that Christ had transformed his life and with all his heart he sought to walk with Jesus. So with him as our...

In my life I’ve likely heard many comments in sermons if not whole sermons on Peter’s betrayal of Jesus on the night of his trial. You will remember that Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him three times that night and in spite of Peter’s vehement disavowing of such a possibility, sure enough. Terrified as he was of what could become of him if he identified himself with Jesus, he proceeded to...

If we would draw near — as much as we possibly can — to the true meaning of anything we read in the Scriptures or experience in life, here’s a principle that I think must serve as our guide. We have to think the matter through until it becomes as clear to us as it can be that — within the enormous amount of latitude God has given us (and all sentient creatures) to do as we please — God is always b...

Are you familiar with the idiom, “like a deer in (the) headlights”? I found this definition on the internet: “In a state or manner of paralyzing surprise, fear, or bewilderment.  Likened to the tendency of deer to freeze in place in front of an oncoming vehicle.” It is relatively easy and common for those of us who are Christians to be baffled by how blind unbelievers are to the good sense found i...

I have been advocating for what I consider to be the best synonym for the word love, that is, helpfulness. God is helpfulness by nature and since he cannot deny himself he could never help anyone any more or any less that he does. But I don’t mean to imply that God has no tender affections and feelings associated with his love. He does. Think of it this way: while God’s helpfulness is indiscrimina...

I mentioned in my last podcast that the best synonym I can think of for the word “love” is the word “helpfulness.” One reason I think that is on account of the Lord’s teaching in his Sermon On The Mount. He said this: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your...

The best synonym I can think of for the word “love” is the word “helpfulness.”  When we read in 1 John that “God is love,” I’m persuaded that he could have just as well written “God is helpfulness.”   Listen to how paraphrasing the following passage along these lines sheds light on it:   1 John 4:7-12, paraphrased:   Dear friends, let us help one another, for helpfulness comes from God. Everyone w...

In yesterday’s podcast I read a passage in which the apostle Paul gave us the goal of why he proclaimed Christ: “so that we may present every person mature in Christ.” Let’s see if we can flesh that out a bit by asking, what is a mature Christian? Two indicators come to mind: A mature Christian is someone who no longer questions his or her preciousness to God — the conviction has become as solid a...

In Colossians 1:28-29 (NET) the apostle Paul sums up the content of his preaching, his methodology, the goal of his preaching, and what he relies on to do it. All that in just two verses. Listen to what he wrote: referring to Christ, “We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ. 29 Toward this goal I also labor, strugg...

I took time today to write the following parable and I’d like to share it with you. When Jesus told parables, on occasion he would explain it to his disciples after he told it. However, I’m going to do some explaining before I tell this one so that you can piece it together more readily as I read. THE RIVER stands for the helpfulness of God — his love, which is pure and everlasting adventure. It’s...

In yesterday’s podcast I said, in effect, that all of us who claim to follow Jesus must live in such a way as to be able to say, Jesus is always at his work and we also are working.  And by that I meant working with Jesus in creating optimum conditions for everyone in our lives to experience more of their preciousness to God through us. Now the question might be, how do we know how to create such...

In John 5:19-20 (NET) we read these words from Jesus. “…I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does.” So Jesus, the Son, does only what he sees the Father doing. That brings up the question, what is the Father doin...

In yesterdays podcast I highlighted the importance of learning from our mistakes. The day is coming when we will each give an account of our lives to God so we do well to not waste anything but turn everything into an opportunity to learn and grow. But have you ever asked yourself what — more than anything else — you want to learn in this life? If on that great day of accountability Jesus were to...

One high schooler in our youth group asked a question about coping with mistakes we make.  I gather he was referring to poor moral choices, the kind of things we greatly regret having done. I would first point out that there is perhaps no more important aspect of self-awareness than knowing we have made many serious mistakes in how we treat others and that we have no one to blame but ourselves.  N...

I cannot sufficiently emphasize the importance of this one thing in spiritual development. In fact, it is so vital to such growth that it is well nigh impossible without it. What am I referring to? In a word, repetition. It may not be that apparent in our English translations, but in the greek it is indicated many times over by virtue of a verb in the present tense. That tense calls for continual...

Here is question for you: how are you doing in considering the trials you are presently going through as pure joy? “My brothers and sisters,” writes the apostle James, “consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials…” James 1:2 (NET) He goes on to explain that these difficulties test our trust in the Lord, help us learn to stay focused when things are hard, and result in spirit...

In somewhat of a response to my question, “what is it that you most want out of this life?” someone came forward with the word, authenticity. In yesterday’s podcast I gave 5 hurdles that I think a good answer must clear, and being authentic seems to clear them all. The definition of authentic that stood out to me in Webster’s dictionary was, “true to one's own personality, spirit, or character...

Here’s a question for you: what is it that you most want out of this life? And here are 5 hurdles that it seems to me have to be cleared in arriving at a solid, worthwhile answer: 1 — It has to be the highest and noblest good you can see yourself doing. Why would aim for anything short of that? 2 — It has to be pursuable regardless of your age or the state of your health right up to your last day...

Lord, remember me not for all the wrong I do and the helpful things I fail to do, but for the good work you still manage do in me and through me.  Help me be less distracted by my self-serving interests, and more joyfully alive to what you would show me is delightful in those I meet each day.

In Revelation 2:17, we read of Jesus’ message to the church in Pergamum where he said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” You may know that names in the Scriptures are far more than...

In Matthew 23:37-39 (NIV) we read Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate!” And in Luke’s gospel we read that, “As [Jesus] approached Jerusalem and saw the city,...

In Colossians 3:1-4 (NET) we read, “1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.” Notice how the k...

In John 18, we read of Jesus’ interrogation by Pilate. “Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on...