Waiting on Jesus, part 10: the Power of the Telling

But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me." When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:46-48 NASB)

The woman had been sick for years. She'd tried cure after cure, only to realize that they took her money without helping her at all. Her family and everyone who loved her had given up hope. Healing would not come by mere human hands. That was obvious from the fortune that had been spent trying to be healed. 

She might be down to the last hope, but she wasn't quite ready to give up yet.

Jesus, however, had raised the dead, given sight to the blind, wholeness to the lame. Jesus was not just a man. He was filled with the power of God. He was God made flesh. Jesus could heal her; she was sure of it. 

It was her intent to escape notice. This woman who had spent the last twelve years unclean because of her hemorrhaging must have planned her move so carefully. She was going to slip into the crowd, move up behind Jesus, touch His fringe, receive healing, and slip away. No one would ever know. Even if she accidentally touched them in the crowd, even if she made them unclean by her touch, they wouldn't have to know, would they? She had suffered enough, and she was going to try. 

When she touched the fringe, it was like a hot wave moving through her. She knew something was happening. She knew she was healed. No doubt about it. She wanted to shout for joy, but she had been unclean so long that she knew better. She was going to slip away as quickly as possible. 

Then, Jesus spoke. "Who touched Me?" He asked. Her heart began to sink. What would happen next? She knew she was healed. Would He take it away? Would those she brushed against turn on her because she had touched them? She was shaking like a leaf as she fell at the feet of Jesus. "Me. It was me," she confessed. When she looked up, those eyes full of compassion and love met hers and she lifted her head and began to speak. A hush fell over the crowd as she told her story for all to hear. She spoke of her illness, all the failed attempts at healing, her hope that Jesus could make her whole, and the miracle of healing she had experienced. 

She told it all and everyone heard her. Her body was healed when she touched that fringe, but in that instant of telling, her spirit was healed as well.  At the feet of Jesus there was no condemnation. All she found there was an outpouring of grace, mercy, and love. She had told a crowd about her healing. After that, she could tell anyone. Everyone. 

When hope and help were gone, all that remained was Jesus. It turned out that He was all she needed. 

Are you in a weary place, desperate for circumstances to change? Take your need to Jesus and let Him do what only He can do, in whatever way He sees fit. With a heart filled with gratitude, tell your story of grace to all who will listen. 

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Link to last night's post is here and includes our prayer guide for the persecuted church: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/08/friday-night-with-friends-radical.html

The Son of Man, part 4: Redeemer

Not only did Jesus refer to Himself as the Son of Man, but with every reference, He explained the Son of Man.  Through His explanation, He explained the gospel, because He IS the gospel.  Here's a summary of what He said about the Son of Man.

descended from heaven

friend of tax collectors and sinners

came to serve and not to be served

came to seek and to save that which was lost

Lord of the Sabbath

authority to forgive sins

came to give His life as a ransom for many

will suffer

will be delivered into the hands of the authorities

will die

will be three days and nights in the earth

will rise from the dead

returning in glory when least expected

authority to execute judgement

commands the angels

seated at the right hand of God

The Son of Man, fully God yet fully human, left the riches of heaven for the meagerness of earth and loved the very worst of us with His life blood.  He came to seek us out, ransom us, and save us, and He is coming back for us when we least expect it.  As we prepare to enter the Lenten season, may we lift up our heads with anticipation and live in accordance with our Redeemer who is coming again.  

Pray today that our loved ones will grow so tired of being lost that they will long to be found by the One who loves them most, and that they will live as those who have been redeemed.

The Builder: part 4 (Luke 6:49)

But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:49 NASB)

When we've followed Christ for a long time, we have a tendency to become comfortable in the relationship and accustomed to the dependability of our Lord. With that comes a forgetfulness about life without Christ that robs us of our desire to share Christ with those around us. We would do well to review exactly what Jesus said about the one who heard His truth but opted to reject it. 

Their life has no anchor. When the storms of life come, they have nowhere to turn. Think about the storms you've faced. Things like the death of a loved one, the rebellion of a much-loved child, financial losses, a marriage that faltered or failed, a parent with dementia or other devastating illness, your own failing health, all present challenges and heartache that are enormous and, at times, all-consuming. Can you remember how your faith sustained you in those difficult times? Can you imagine navigating those storms without Jesus?

I see people almost every day who face enormous difficulties, and you probably do, too.  Those without Christ break my heart. Just as Jesus said, a "storm" is too much for them, and they collapse rather than trust Christ to help them through. When what must be done is more than humanly possible, they lack the resources to accomplish it anyway through Christ. That's when I begin to hear, "I can't..."  and I think, "Oh, but Christ can." Having heard of Him but rejected Him, not everyone wants to hear again. Just as He said, the ruin is great. The destruction is a tragedy. 

We live in a nation that is ostensibly Christian yet filled with people who know Christ by name by not by heart. When the hard times come, they will bring collapse and destruction, unless someone shares the love of Jesus with those who need Him. 

Will you be the one to bring the hope of Christ into a desperate situation? Evangelism has been described as one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. We have the Bread of Life. Let's share it. 

Pray today that the destruction our loved ones have already faced will leave them searching for truth and that their search will not end until they find their truth in Christ alone. Pray too for a heart filled with compassion for those facing the storms of life with Jesus. 

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Here's the link to last might's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-impact-bahamian-blogging-13.html

The builder part 2 (Luke 6:47, 48)

Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (Luke 6:47, 48 NASB)

In this passage, Jesus addresses the life of the one who is obedient. "He is like a builder who builds on a solid rock foundation," he told His listeners. 

The house with the solid rock foundation may look like all the other houses in the neighborhood. It may be simple or elaborate, large or small.  It is not the costliness of the decor or the beauty of the landscaping that makes the difference in this house. It is the foundation. 

What matters about this builder's house may only be apparent when storms come. They will come, of course. There is no avoiding them, and when they do, this house is so anchored that neither the rain nor the wind shake it at all. The house holds firm. 

That is exactly how our lives should be. In fact, the way we handle the storms of life reveals our foundation. When a horrible thing happens (a storm comes), we respond to it in one of two ways. When we put our trust in God alone and seek to be obedient in every area, it reveals our firm foundation. If we put our trust in anything other than God, it reveals our foundation, as well. 

When we thank God for allowing the adversity into our lives because of what He is going to do through it, bless our enemies, forgive offenses, have peace in the midst of turmoil around us, we show the world our firm foundation. Those are not easy responses to trouble, but they come more easily to one who is accustomed to obedience already. It is one of the reasons why daily obedience is so important. 

What does your response to the trials of life reveal about your foundation?  What does mine?  

Pray today that God will reveal our foundation clearly, and that we will make any changes needed. Pray, too, that our response to the storms of life (as well as that of the believers in the lives of our loved ones), will be so startling different to those we love, so powerful, that they will want our peace, our Solid Rock for their own. 

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Here's the link for last might's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/community-development.html

Saying and Doing: two very different things. (Luke 6:46)

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46 NASB)

What a perfect verse for Easter morning! As I write this, I am listening to the symphony of birds singing praise to our Lord. Wise birds. So should we also break forth in joyful song on this glorious morning! He is risen!

The question Jesus raises here is an important one. Why do we profess Christ but do not obey Him? Exactly. It makes no sense to claim to follow Jesus yet fail to follow Him. 

Can we be a follower of Christ if we don't actually follow?  

Selah. Pause and consider. 

I know the answer to the question Jesus asked. I don't like it, but I have first hand knowledge of the answer. Why don't we obey Him when we call Him Lord? We don't obey because we don't want to obey.  

Another reason we don't obey is because we don't know what He said in the first place. That is not an excuse, of course. The words of Christ are not hidden away. We can know what He said. If we don't obey because we don't know Scripture, it is because we have chosen not to know it. Even for passages that seem inscrutable, understanding is available through the help of the Holy Spirit. 

If the only verses we understood and obeyed were the Greatest commandment, "And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' (Matthew 22:37 NASB) and the second greatest, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' (Matthew 22:39 NASB), we would be able to please Him with our obedience. Obeying those two verses could change the world. Why don't we obey them? We choose not to obey. 

In the end, a simple choice separates us from calling Him Lord and making Him Lord  it is a choice we make on a daily basis. Will we obey?

As we celebrate the victory over sin and death that the Resurrection brought, let us not lose sight of the fact that victory over sin means we are not controlled by our penchant for sinning. We have a decision to make this fine Easter morning. Will we follow Jesus or just talk about Him?

Pray today that our words and actions match so completely that, when our loved ones see us, they get a clear picture of the One we say we follow. 

What's in your storehouse? Part 3 (Luke 6:45)

Part 3:

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. (Luke 6:45 NASB)

We look now at the last portion of this verse. The first two sections dealt with the good or evil residing in our hearts and spilling over. The next section deals with an especially difficult part of this problem. Our mouths. 

Jesus made this unmistakably clear. The words we speak come from what we have in our hearts. No matter what we "hide" in our hearts, it is almost certainly going to spill out eventually in our speech. The converse is also true, and I hate it. The words we speak do not just fly into our mouths randomly like a passing gnat. The words we speak spill into our mouths from what we have allowed to hide in our hearts. Whoa! That bears repeating. 

The words we speak spill into our mouths from what we have allowed to hide in our hearts. 

Selah. Pause and consider. 

Words. They matter more than you think. Unkind words, gossip, critical or judgmental words, cursing, sexual innuendos all come from our hearts. In fact, those around us can get a fairly accurate picture of our hearts by consistently listening to what we say. Eventually, the truth of our heart condition will spill forth, and clarify for those around us that which we have stored deep inside. What we reveal is not always flattering, is it? It is not always glorifying to God, either. 

What are we to do? The most important thing we can do is to so fill our minds and hearts with Christ that there is no place for the vileness of evil. The things we say may draw a laugh from those around us, but they are not likely to draw a laugh from Almighty God, who also hears what we say. When our speech reveals what should have no place in our hearts, we must stop and ask for forgiveness and cleansing from the One who is faithful and just to provide both in ample measure. 

Pray today that our words will reflect a heart for God that will draw the ones we love the most to our beautiful Savior. 

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Here's the link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/blood-red-moon-part-3.html

What's in your storehouse? Part 2

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. (Luke 6:45 NASB)

In the previous post, we looked at what should not fill our hearts. Today, we look more closely at what should fill our hearts. In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul wrote about this very topic of what should fill our minds, and as a result, our hearts. "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:8 NASB)   We are to dwell (or consider or deliberate) on what is good. Our standard for "dwelling" should be, "Is it true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good reputation, excellence, worthy of praise?" It's not hard to recognize good, is it?  

Sometimes it's a little harder to recognize the bad.  That morsel of gossip shared as a "prayer request", the "righteous anger" after we have been hurt by a friend, the disapproval of a loved one's behavior can all look fairly benign, and may be. It is easy, however, to move from concern about someone's poor choice to a judgmental, critical spirit toward them. 

How do we make the distinction and keep our minds and hearts "pure"?  The first step is to ask for God's help. He wants our hearts pure and is happy to help us. The second step is to do what 2 Corinthians 10:5 recommends.  "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB).  We destroy our silly speculations by taking our thoughts captive. 

Once we have "captured" our speculations, what do we do with them? We can cage them in our minds, where they will be constantly trying to escape, or we can give them to our God and ask Him to remove them completely. Giving them to God is, of course, infinitely more desirable. 

In case we didn't quite recognize this, filling our hearts and minds requires one thing of us. CHOICE. We have a choice about what we use to fill our hearts and minds. If we want a heart that pleases God, we need to choose accordingly. We can't have it any other way. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones will choose to fill our hearts and minds only with that which pleases our Lord. 

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http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/blood-red-moon-part-2.html

What's in your storehouse?

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. (Luke 6:45 NASB)

Here we move from the examples of specks in eyes and of fruit on trees to the heart in man. The good (or righteous) man stores goodness or good things in his heart. To store only good things sounds simple, but it's harder than you might think. To have a heart-storehouse filled with good means that you cannot store the bad things. No anger, bitterness, or unforgiveness are allowed. If someone hurts you, immediate forgiveness is imperative, lest you hold on to the wound and contaminate your heart. 

There is no room for fear or doubt in this heart-storehouse of goodness. God's perfect love can banish fear and doubt, and it must be allowed to cast them out, lest they contaminate your heart.

There is no reason for lust in these hearts of ours, and it must be avoided. 

What we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and think with our minds all can easily find a resting place in our heart. We would do well to remember (and live) the old adage, "See not evil, hear no evil, do no evil."  Avoiding evil is the best way to keep our hearts pure and our heart-storehouse filled with goodness. 

We will look at the good we need to store tomorrow. For today, spend a few moments considering your heart storehouse. What do you find stored in your heart?  Is it only good?

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:8 NASB)

Pray today that we and our loved ones will be drawn to those things that are true, honorable, pure, and lovely and they will so fill our hearts that there is no room for that which is not. 

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http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-blood-red-moon.html

Fruit inspection (Luke 6:44)

For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. (Luke 6:44 NASB)

This verse is so important that it needs a second look. 

There is an interesting thing about fruit. The tree that bears the fruit doesn't eat it or see it. Only the people who see the fruit, pick the fruit, or handle the fruit have the opportunity to investigate and evaluate the fruit. So it is in our lives. We may be doing all sorts of things that we view as "good" and have no idea of the quality of the fruit or the lack thereof.  We are dependent upon the Divine Fruit Inspector to bring conviction and direction when we are off track. 

My friend Gene Merkl sent this yesterday, and I thought it was worth passing along: 

"Sometimes fruit that appears to be acceptable is not really what it seems. This is scary fruit, especially for the tree which may not know the quality of what it is producing. This tree appears righteous, but in the end only God knows the difference." (Matthew 7:15-23)

The problem with this "scary fruit", the deceptive fruit, is much like the problem with the Pharisees in Jesus' time. They did many things that were right  and many things that were good. Their motivation, however, was not right, and it turned a seemingly good deed into hay, wood, and stubble. The people who "inspected their fruit " saw good fruit, but they were mistaken. God saw their hearts and found them and their fruit less than acceptable. 

There are two lessons to draw from this. 

1) Only God is qualified to accurately inspect fruit because He sees the heart. We should be very cautious when we are tempted to inspect the fruit of others.

2) Self deception is easy and rampant. We would do well to seek God for confirmation concerning the fruit we bear. Is it acceptable to Him? That should be our only concern. 

Today, pray that God will reveal to us the way He sees our fruit and that we will make any changes needed to make our fruit acceptable in His sight. Pray too that the fruit we bear will be used in the lives of our loved ones to draw them to Christ. 

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Link to last might's blog:

http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/shopping-with-witch.html

Trees and Fruit (Luke 6:43-44)

For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. (Luke 6:43 NASB)

Jesus transitioned here from the "eye" to the heart.   The word translated here as "good" is used to indicate healthy, wholesome, good all the way through. The word translated as "bad" is used of produce to indicate spoiled or rotten fruit. 

When we look at a beautiful, healthy tree, we expect to find healthy, beautiful fruit. We would be surprised to find disease-riddled fruit there. When we look at a diseased tree, however, we would be surprised if we found healthy, beautiful fruit. We expect a diseased tree to have diseased fruit. 

The phrase that comes to mind is "it is what it is".  The tree "is what it is" and can only produce fruit in accordance to what it is. The tree and the fruit are, of course, analogies for our lives as disciples of Christ. The quality of our faith walk determines the quality of the fruit we produce. 

Selah. Pause and consider that for a moment. 

When people see how we act and the choices we make, they can know what our relationship with Christ is like. In fact, our actions do more than tell people about our hearts. As believers, our fruit, our words, our actions should paint a picture of Christ for the world to see. 

How accurate is the picture of Christ that you are painting with your life?  

Selah. 

Pray today that we will lives of such purity that those around us will see Christ in us with clarity and accuracy.  Pray that our loved ones will be drawn to Him because of the fruit they see. 

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Link for last night's post is here: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/puppy-prayers.html

Pupils and teachers part 2 (Luke 6:40)

A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40 NASB)

We looked at this verse yesterday and saw that the word for "trained" can also mean repaired or mended. The objective for the disciple of Christ is to allow Him to heal all our broken, hurting places and make us like Him. 

It is important to understand that Jesus is not the only teacher we, as pupils, have the option to follow. We can also follow one or more of our fellow humans, or even the evil one. The training we receive depends on the quality of the life we follow. The person we become is totally dependent upon the one we follow, as well. 

That is the very reason parents are so concerned about the friends their children choose. We become like the people with whom we associate. We begin to speak like the people to whom we listen.  

What good characteristics have you learned from your friends? What negative (or less than godly) characteristics have you learned from them?  How have you become more like those with whom you spend the most time?  Are you more like Christ because of the time you spend with them?

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will make wise choices about friends and associates. Pray that we and our loved ones will grow so much in the ways of Christ that we will have a positive influence on those around us. 

Mending what is broken (Luke 6:40)

A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40 NASB)

Yesterday, we looked at the parable of the blind leading the blind. Here we see the relationship of the pupil and teacher. The pupil, Jesus said, is not above (or more important) than the teacher. The objective for the pupil is to be trained so that he will be like his teacher. 

This word "katartizō" in the original language is translated here as "fully trained". It is also used to indicate "equipped" or "completed".  My favorite alternate translation, though, is "to mend what was broken". We may not like to admit it, but we are broken people. Our sin has broken us and made us less than we were. It is only by allowing God to change us and remake us in the image of Christ that we are mended and become the complete people we were intended to be. 

Do you feel broken? Have the consequences of your choices or the choices of others left you wounded and hurting? Our Lord understands it all and longs to heal completely. 

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will eagerly, willingly give our broken selves to Christ and allow Him to teach us, lead us, and repair us until we are wholly formed in the image of our Lord. 

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Here's the link to last night's post:  http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/bahamian-blogging-11-road-work.html

Blind leading the blind (Luke 6:39)

And He also spoke a parable to them: "A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (Luke 6:39 NASB)

This verse is also reported in Matthew's gospel. In that passage, Jesus had just argued with the Pharisees. They complained that the disciple/apostles did not follow the "tradition of the elders" because they did not always wash their hands before they ate. Jesus said (Leanna version), "YOU are breaking the law of God by not taking care of your parents! You are a bunch of hypocrites!" Later, the disciple/apostles cautioned Jesus that He had upset the Pharisees by what He said, but He was not worried. He had been headed to the cross from the time He was conceived, and their indignation was just a stop along the way. His response was a less than flattering description of the Pharisees. "The blind leading the blind straight into a ditch!" 

That metaphor is repeated here. Although not physically blind, He was describing them as spiritually blind. They were unable to "see" and recognize the Messiah standing right in front of them. They picked and chose the laws of God they wanted to obey and, at times, created laws of their own that they would prefer to obey. Worse, they presented themselves as knowledgeable and led the unsuspecting crowds down the same hopeless path.  

The Pharisees were the blind leading the blind. Jesus said that a blind man leading another blind man was most likely to eventually stumble into a pit. It should serve as a warning to us to choose wise and discerning leaders, and not ones who only say what we want to hear. 

Whose leadership do you most often follow? What criteria do you use when evaluating leaders? What about your own leadership standards?  Are you careful to obey Jesus or do you, like the Pharisees, pick and choose those things you would most prefer to obey, yet leave the harder things undone?

Pray today that we will be obedient to the entire counsel of Christ and not just the "easy parts".  Pray, too, that our loved ones will see our obedience, find no hypocrisy in our lives, and be drawn to Christ by the purity of our walk of faith. 

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Link to last night's post:

http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/saving-daylight.html

The Giving Measure (Luke 6:38)

Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:38 NASB)

"Give," Jesus said. That should have been enough. Since Jesus said to give to others, we should be willing to give without thought of reward. He knew, however, that we are a people of "What's in it for me?" Despite being created in the image of God, we are not naturally generous. As toddlers, we are selfish to the core and it is often with many tears that we learn that sharing is a part of life.  It is not our natural inclination.  

To give us motivation in our giving, and perhaps to lessen the fear of doing without because we give, Jesus offered an amazing promise. We will receive in direct proportion to the generosity of our giving. If we give unreservedly, we can expect to receive in that same measure. He described the measure with which we will receive: pressed down to make room for more, shaken together to get the air pockets out and make room for more, and running over when the giving-container can hold no more. 

Oddly enough, He promises that we will receive, but doesn't promise WHAT we will receive. If we give our discarded clothes, will we receive more clothes? Not necessarily.  What He promised was not an exact payback, but a proportional return, a like-measure return. We decide what we will give, but God decides what He will return. He looks at our hearts and makes the decision about return based on what He sees. We don't know exactly what measure God uses, but I imagine things like the generosity of our giving, the obedience of our faith walk, the gentleness of our spirit, and the stewardship of our resource management all enter into the measuring. We know He gives good gifts to those He loves. That should be motivation enough if simple obedience was not. 

What measure do you use in giving?

Today, pray that we and our loved ones will have such generosity of spirit that we will give for the pure joy in the giving rather than what God might offer us in return. Pray for the body of Christ to demonstrate such generosity that no need around us goes unmet. 

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http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/rwandan-genocide-20th-anniversary.html

Being kind (Luke 6:37)

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. (Luke 6:37 NASB)

In this discourse, Jesus has been teaching about how to treat others, particularly our enemies. This verse deals not only with how we treat our enemies, but others as well. Once again, Jesus has given a general instruction (treat others the way you want to be treated) and now He is giving a more specific description of how to do that. If you don't want to be judged or condemned, don't judge or condemn. If you want to be pardoned, be quick to pardon others. This verse leaves no room for a haughty, prideful spirit, does it? 

The instructions here could be summed up in two words:  Be kind. Now being kind is not quite all there is to this. We must be kind to everyone, and we need to mean it. The attitude with which we act matters greatly to God. It's one thing to ACT in a kind manner. It's another thing entirely to BE kind. Being kind implies that you have a spirit of kindness, free from a judgemental, critical attitude. 

I like the way The Message paraphrases this verse:

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier.” (Luke 6:37, 38 MSG)

"Be easy on people..." It's harder than you might think, but vitally important as you strive to demonstrate Christ to a world without Him. Begin today to "be easy on people".  The best place to start is with those enemies we've been talking about, and not just the people who have wronged you but also those people who irritate you on a regular basis. Be easy on them, and you will find it much easier to "be easy" on everyone else. 

Pray today that we will treat everyone (especially our loved ones) with the kindness that flows from a heart that is kind. 

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Link to last night's post: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-spiritual-encounter-with-dental.html

Becoming Merciful (Luke 6:36)

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36 NASB)

This little verse is jam-packed with truth and challenge. The word translated as "be" is "ginomai" and is also translated as "become" or "arise".  Another translation is "to be made". We are to be merciful. If we aren't merciful by nature, which we aren't, we are to become merciful. That difficult task of transformation can only be done by The One who IS mercy, and it is available for the asking. In a nutshell, we can arise with mercy when we allow God to transform us.  

So, what is mercy? Mercy is not giving us what we deserve.  The penalty for our sin is death and eternal separation from God.  Because of His great mercy, he does not give those with repentant hearts what we so clearly deserve.  

The word in the original here is "oiktirmōn" and denotes a more intense kind of mercy, a "tender mercy".  It can also be translated as "compassionate toward the ills of others".  Just as God is compassionate toward our troubles and difficulties, even so we are to be compassionate toward others. Unceasingly compassionate. 

That is where the trouble comes, at least for me. Because we are made in the image of God, we have the capacity for compassion. We can see someone with difficulties and our heart goes out to them. That's why we give (time and money) when there is a tragedy of some sort. The problem comes when the tragedy is not quickly remedied or when the one in trouble makes no progress. Our compassion begins to fatigue, and the assistance we so freely gave begins to diminish. When the difficulty is one that is self-made, our feelings of mercy abate all the quicker. 

Don't get me wrong. Mercy is not enabling and it does not mean that there are no consequences. Mercy doesn't give us death and damnation when we deserve it. It does, however, give us consequences and conviction. Mercy's desire is always transformation. 

How merciful are you? How merciful is the body of Christ? 

Today, pray that we would willingly be transformed into those who demonstrate the mercy of God and that we will arise with mercy toward all those within our path, especially those we love. 

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Link for last night's post:

http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/happy-birthday-nigerian-style.html

Loving without expectation (Luke 6:35)

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. (Luke 6:35 NASB)

This is the ninth verse in this section on loving your enemy, and there are more to come. You can see from the sheer bulk of words spent on this topic that Jesus meant business about it. When it comes to loving enemies, He was not kidding around. We have it to do. 

The marvelous thing about the God-man Jesus is that He not only told us what to do, He explained how to do it, and then He showed us what doing it looked like. As a little bonus, in this verse He told us what we could expect when we obey. 

There are three parts to this verse. The first is a summary of what we are to do. The second part is a promise for those who are obedient. The third part is the WHY of obedience. 

We will consider the initial section first. As before, we are to love, do good, and lend. There's an added phrase, though, that is vital to our acts of loving. "Expecting nothing in return".  Our tendency is to think that, if we love our enemies, it will bring about a transformation in them, and they will become dear friends. "Don't expect it," Jesus said. Don't expect anything at all. We can be hopeful that God will use our obedience to work in our situation, and He will, but we are not to be motivated by what we expect will happen. We are to obey without expectation.  

Ponder that a bit. We will discuss the promise tomorrow, but for today, think about obeying Jesus "just because He said to do it".  Our children don't like it much when that is our expectation, but it doesn't change the need for their obedience. It doesn't change the need for our obedience either. 

Love your enemy. Don't argue. Just do it. 

Pray today that we and our loved ones will have hearts willing to obey without complaints or arguing. Pray that we will " just do it".

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Link for last night's blog: http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/counting-your-blessings-by-dr-christy.html

Loosen the grip (Luke 6:34)

If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. (Luke 6:34 NASB)

This is the third of the examples of what loving your neighbor is not, and involves the lending of money. The practice of "sinners" was to loan money only to those they knew well and were certain could repay the debt. Jesus, however, said that if we lend only to those who are certain to repay, there's no credit in it. It was an astute play on words that indicates we are to loosen our grip on our financial resources and be willing to give to those in need regardless of their ability to repay. 

We want to receive with our hands wide open so that we can receive the maximum. We are to use those same open hands to hold our treasure, so that God can have access to it to do with as He wills. 

How tightly do we hold to our possessions?  Are we willing to give without expectation of return? 

Today, pray that we will loosen our grip on the resources God has placed in our hands and cheerfully allow Him to do as He will with what He has loaned us. Pray, too, that we can have that same freedom toward those we love, allowing God to move as He wills to bring transformative change to them. 

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The link to last night's blog is here; http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/bahamian-blogging-8-gift-of-song.html

Doing Good (Luke 6:33)

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. (Luke 6:33 NASB)

This series of lessons from Luke 6 are focused on the "love your neighbor" teachings. The verse for today's study is one of three that teaches what loving your neighbor is NOT. Jesus repeatedly calls us to love the unlovely, the unfriendly, the unkind. He calls us to go beyond loving those who love us.  We are to love those who not only do not love us, but also those who hate us. It's the most difficult kind of love. 

Today, we see that this very hard love is not simply doing good to those who do good to you. Even sinners, He said, do that. The first thought, on reading this verse, is that we are all sinners. (As Romans 3:23, written years after the resurrection of Christ, teaches us, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God) Indeed, we are all sinners, but the word here translated as sinners is hamartōlos, indicating one who is a chronic sinner, one who is devoted to sin. In other words, even the worst of the worst people are good to those that are good to them. 

We are to go beyond what the one who is not constrained by Christ would do. We are to rise to a higher standard of love. It was while we were sinning, doing the worst that we could do, that Christ willingly died for us. We will not, of course, die on the cross for the sin of the world, for that job has been done once and for all. We are, however, called to love ceaselessly and give limitlessly. Are you loving that way?

Today, as a gift to Christ, make an effort to do good to the least lovely, most difficult person you encounter today, and don't tell another soul. 

Pray that our loved ones will be drawn to Christ because of the great goodness they see in His people. 

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Here's the link to last night's post. Feel free to share it. http://leannahollis.blogspot.com/2014/04/shooting-at-fort-hood.html

Easy love is not enough

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. (Luke 6:32 NASB)

In this passage, Jesus was preaching to a multitude of people. They were assembled on a "level place" at the foot of a mountain. There were people from all over the region, from every socioeconomic level, from every faith persuasion. Some were strictly adherent to the law. Some... well, not so much. 

There was one theme that Jesus was hammering home. He spent a significant portion of this discourse on the subject. Loving your neighbor is the topic, and it is critical if we are to be an effective witness for Christ. This verse is the first of three examples of what loving your neighbor is not. 

To the command to love their neighbor, people were silently thinking, "Look at all the people I love. I love my neighbor." They were quietly tallying the count and feeling pretty good. 

Jesus knew that everyone on their tally list also loved them. Ever the Confronter of Falsehood, Jesus confronted that deluded thinking. "There are no extra points for loving the people that love you.  Anyone can do that."  The overwhelming grace of God is not required to love the people who love us back. That is relatively easy. Jesus was making it very clear that we were not called to easy love only. We are called to HARD love. We are called to love those who are difficult to love. 

Certainly we are to love those who love us in return. He was not denigrating that love at all. He was saying that easy love cannot be all the love you show.  

Think of the people on your "love tally". Are there those on your list who are hard to love? Are there people on your list who do not love you in return? If not, Jesus would have you make some changes. Easy love is not enough. 

Pray today that we will see the most difficult people we encounter as opportunities to love in the name of Jesus, and that seeing our love for the least lovely will demonstrate the love of Christ to those we love the most.