The New Testament is full of references to the point that we are to put others ahead of ourselves. We will look at this principle a little closer in this blog entry.
John the Baptist gave us a good example of this attitude when he realized that Jesus had to be put ahead of himself. He was asked if he was the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet. His answer in John 1 was "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."
There is a very powerful passage in Romans 12 that reads like this: "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another......Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another...."
In Philippians 2, "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
We see the servant attitude throughout the teaching of the NT; Jesus taught us this many times, but certainly with the washing of His apostle's feet. The Christian must live this attitude to be a true follower of Jesus.
Thank you for reading again. May God bless you.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Vision Into Heaven
The Bible is amazing in many ways. I couldn't name all the ways, wouldn't even try. Certainly it is amazing in that it is the only book ever written that gives all the answers to life: where we came from and where we are going....and why; and who created it all, and sustains it all. But for sure, the Bible is the only Book ever written that gives a glimpse into heaven.
If we want to see what heaven is really like, the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation does that. And there are a number of places in the book of Revelation where we could look; but I love the 4th and 5th chapters, and we will center our focus there in this blog. Remember that the book must be read in an apocalyptic way. It was not intended to be literal. There are physical descriptions throughout that are trying to give us some idea of what spiritual looks like. But heaven is not a physical place.
Chapter 4 centers on God Himself. There are 4 living creatures around the throne, saying without ever stopping: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Then "twenty four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being." In this chapter it is all about God; and we see worship going on continually.
Chapter 5 talks about Jesus. He is described as a "Lamb, looking as if it had been slain..." And 4 living creatures and 24 elders "sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.' "
"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: ' Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!' "
And when we read all of this, realizing that we are looking right into heaven, looking right into this glorious scene, we must say "Wow!" No other book gives us this kind of look into heaven, gives us the hope of salvation, a future life with our God. Wow!
Take the time to read all of chapters 4 and 5 and you will again be amazed. Thanks for reading.
If we want to see what heaven is really like, the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation does that. And there are a number of places in the book of Revelation where we could look; but I love the 4th and 5th chapters, and we will center our focus there in this blog. Remember that the book must be read in an apocalyptic way. It was not intended to be literal. There are physical descriptions throughout that are trying to give us some idea of what spiritual looks like. But heaven is not a physical place.
Chapter 4 centers on God Himself. There are 4 living creatures around the throne, saying without ever stopping: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Then "twenty four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being." In this chapter it is all about God; and we see worship going on continually.
Chapter 5 talks about Jesus. He is described as a "Lamb, looking as if it had been slain..." And 4 living creatures and 24 elders "sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with your blood You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.' "
"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: ' Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!' "
And when we read all of this, realizing that we are looking right into heaven, looking right into this glorious scene, we must say "Wow!" No other book gives us this kind of look into heaven, gives us the hope of salvation, a future life with our God. Wow!
Take the time to read all of chapters 4 and 5 and you will again be amazed. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
The Church is the Bride of Christ
There is a great deal in the New Testament about individual commitment, individual responsibility for our actions. But there is a lot also said about the collective, the church. The term "church" in the Bible simply means a collective, a group, a congregation. But in Bible terms it refers to God's group. For sure, it is not the physical building, but rather the people, the followers of Jesus; and as followers, we are described as His children.
There are many places where the church is described as the bride of Christ. We see this in Revelation 19 and 21. There is symbolism given for Christ as the bridegroom and the church as the Bride. And there is great love between the two.
Ephesians 5:25-27 says: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." The verses following this show the great love that Jesus had for the church, giving up His life for it. This is powerful symbolism showing the comparison of a groom to his bride like Jesus to the church.
C.S. Lewis, a leading Christian writer in the 20th century, wrote these words in his "Membership" (The weight of Glory): "No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as 'what a man does with his solitude.' It was one of the Wesleys, I think, who said that the New Testament knows nothing of solitary religion. We are forbidden to neglect the assembling of ourselves together. Christianity is already institutional in the earliest of its documents. The church is the Bride of Christ. We are members of one another."
Thus we see the importance of the collective. Yes, we will be saved by the grace of God and by the actions of our individual selves. But we must realize the importance of our part in the collective, the church. After all, Jesus gave His life for it.
Enough for today. Thanks for reading. Have a great week!
There are many places where the church is described as the bride of Christ. We see this in Revelation 19 and 21. There is symbolism given for Christ as the bridegroom and the church as the Bride. And there is great love between the two.
Ephesians 5:25-27 says: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." The verses following this show the great love that Jesus had for the church, giving up His life for it. This is powerful symbolism showing the comparison of a groom to his bride like Jesus to the church.
C.S. Lewis, a leading Christian writer in the 20th century, wrote these words in his "Membership" (The weight of Glory): "No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as 'what a man does with his solitude.' It was one of the Wesleys, I think, who said that the New Testament knows nothing of solitary religion. We are forbidden to neglect the assembling of ourselves together. Christianity is already institutional in the earliest of its documents. The church is the Bride of Christ. We are members of one another."
Thus we see the importance of the collective. Yes, we will be saved by the grace of God and by the actions of our individual selves. But we must realize the importance of our part in the collective, the church. After all, Jesus gave His life for it.
Enough for today. Thanks for reading. Have a great week!
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