Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts

Loving + Learning = Living!

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 8:15 PM

This morning I was reading my Life Journal reading plan reading - Philippians. This may be my favorite book of the entire Bible. It's full of joy! But it also tells us some incredible things about Jesus Christ. In fact, I'll be focusing on some of this in Philippians 2 in my Sunday messages on the Incarnation this month.


But this morning I found something else that really caught my attention. I would usually journal this in my Life Journal, but I felt this was something I wanted to write out and share.


"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return." (Philippians 1:9-10 NLT)


Vs. 10 caught my attention first - Paul wants us to understand what really matters. Isn't that what we all want, one way or another? And how do we discover that? Paul tells us in the previous verse/sentence. He points to two things: (1) overflowing love, and (2) growing in knowledge and understanding. It's learning and loving, and loving and learning - back and forth. It's not one or the other - both are the key to living! Loving + Learning = Living!


Love grows out of increasing knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Love grows out of realizing God has loved us unconditionally and sacrificially through Jesus. And as I love more, I want to know even more about Jesus and our Heavenly Father. It's back and forth - loving and learning. 


To me this becomes a picture of what the maturing follower of Christ looks like - both loving and learning. They go hand-in-hand. And the outcome is a life worth living, a life that makes a difference, a life that fulfills God's purpose for him or her. 


Too often in my life I have drifted to one extreme or another. Learning for learning's sake, and developing a faith life that really doesn't make much difference in anyone else's life. In fact, it becomes a very self-serving life. Or serving others, because we're supposed to love our neighbors, but not really understanding why. After a while, I found it became pretty senseless. Doing good so others would notice and in some small way applaud. And once again it became pretty self-serving.


I have been out on both extremes, and neither was very satisfying. What I see here from Paul is that to live the way we were created to live, to live "pure and blameless lives," requires loving and learning. It's the secret to living. Living for the sake of others, because we've spent time learning about Christ and his love for us. It sounds simple, yet at least in my life it's a continual struggle to get the right balance. We really need the Holy Spirit's help on this. I hope and pray you've been doing better than I have - it's definitely worth it!


Loving + Learning = Living!

The 59 "One Anothers"

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 10:20 AM

During August 2011 I'm preaching a series I've entitled, "Every 1 Matters." I think it's one of the most important series I've ever preached. I feel like God has been showing me things for over a year now, and it's amazing to me how all these separate pieces keep coming together and confirming the vision God is giving us.


Every ONE matters because every single individual matters to God. You matter to God. I matter to God. There are no exceptions - He loves us all and cares about our lives.


But, God didn't create you and me to focus on ourselves. He created us to love God and love our neighbors. Love is the defining characteristic of a life committed to Jesus Christ. And love is a verb - it always plays itself out in our interactions with others, in our relationships.


So, Every ONE Matters for a second reason. Not only do each of us matter, but so do the people around us. People to whom God calls us to reach out to, care for and love. In fact, this is the point - to love others!


One of the clearest ways this has come to me is through a list found scattered throughout the New Testament that someone along the way titled the "One Anothers." In the New Testament, the Greek work allelon is found one hundred times, but 59 of those times it is used as a command toward another. Allelon essentially means "one another" or "each other." Throughout these 59 references we see so many ways we are to demonstrate that Every ONE Matters. All these actions are typically one person to another person. They are individual and personal, rather than a scatter shot aimed at a whole group. In fact, love is typically best expressed and best received when it is personal and individual. 


I think too often we try to defer to a group to love others or be the church. But, I am the church, and love is real and genuine when I express it toward another. It's not simply up to others to love - it's up to me to love individuals. To come alongside others and invest in them and express the love of Christ to them. To be the tangible hands and feet and voice of Christ to another. The tragedy of our time is that we (and I include myself here) think or hope or pray that someone else will do to another that which God has called us (me) to do. Following Christ means to love each one, every one, as one, because that is how God has chosen to love us - by loving each one of us.


Below is the entire list, as compiled by Carl George in his book Prepare Your Church for the Future (Revel 1991; pp. 129-131). 


The 59 “One Anothers” of the New Testament

1.         “...Be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50)
2.         “...Wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)
3.         “...Love one another...” (John 13:34)
4.         “...Love one another...” (John 13:34)
5.         “...Love one another...” (John 13:35)
6.         “...Love one another...” (John 15:12)
7.         “...Love one another” (John 15:17)
8.         “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love...” (Romans 12:10)
9.         “...Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)
10.      “Live in harmony with one another...” (Romans 12:16)
11.      “...Love one another...” (Romans 13:8)
12.      “...Stop passing judgment on one another.” (Romans 14:13)
13.      “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you...” (Romans 15:7)
14.      “...Instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)
15.      “Greet one another with a holy kiss...” (Romans 16:16)
16.      “...When you come together to eat, wait for each other.” (I Cor. 11:33)
17.      “...Have equal concern for each other.” (I Corinthians 12:25)
18.      “...Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (I Corinthians 16:20)
19.      “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (II Corinthians 13:12)
20.      “...Serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)
21.      “If you keep on biting and devouring each other...you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:15)
22.      “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:26)
23.      “Carry each other’s burdens...” (Galatians 6:2)
24.      “...Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
25.      “Be kind and compassionate to one another...” (Ephesians 4:32)
26.      “...Forgiving each other...” (Ephesians 4:32)
27.      “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” (Ephesians 5:19)
28.      “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)
29.      “...In humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
30.      “Do not lie to each other...” (Colossians 3:9)
31.      “Bear with each other...” (Colossians 3:13)
32.      “...Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.” (Colossians 3:13)
33.      “Teach...[one another]” (Colossians 3:16)
34.      “...Admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)
35.      “...Make your love increase and overflow for each other.” (I Thessalonians 3:12)
36.      “...Love each other.” (I Thessalonians 4:9)
37.      “...Encourage each other...”(I Thessalonians 4:18)
38.      “...Encourage each other...” I Thessalonians 5:11)
39.      “...Build each other up...” (I Thessalonians 5:11)
40.      “Encourage one another daily...” Hebrews 3:13)
41.      “...Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)
42.      “...Encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)
43.      “...Do not slander one another.” (James 4:11)
44.      “Don’t grumble against each other...” (James 5:9)
45.      “Confess your sins to each other...” (James 5:16)
46.      “...Pray for each other.” (James 5:16)
47.      “...Love one another deeply, from the heart.” (I Peter 3:8)
48.      “...Live in harmony with one another...” (I Peter 3:8)
49.      “...Love each other deeply...” (I Peter 4:8)
50.      “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (I Peter 4:9)
51.      “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...” (I Peter 4:10)
52.      “...Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another...”(I Peter 5:5)
53.      “Greet one another with a kiss of love.” (I Peter 5:14)
54.      “...Love one another.” (I John 3:11)
55.      “...Love one another.” (I John 3:23)
56.      “...Love one another.” (I John 4:7)
57.      “...Love one another.” (I John 4:11)
58.      “...Love one another.” (I John 4:12)
59.      “...Love one another.” (II John 5)

Angels - Part 4: the Ministry of Angels

Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 12:01 AM

I'm continuing my postings on angels, related to a series we've been offering at Gateway on Heaven. I began on Sunday offering an overview of angels. On Monday we looked at what we know about the origin and nature of angels. On Tuesday I listed the various kinds of Bibles as found in the Bible. And today, Part 4, we're looking at the ministry of angels, again as detailed in the Bible.

Angels minister in both heaven and earth, but what are some of the specifics that they do? We’ll look at their ministry in three areas: in relation to God, in relation to Christ, in relation to Christ followers.

In Relation to God: 
Angels’ primary ministry seems to be that of worship and praise of God (Isaiah 6; Revelation 4:6-11). Much, if not all, of this praise is in the form of song. Angels serve God and His purposes and are His messengers. Angels seem to carry out certain aspects of God’s government, including controlling nature (Revelation 7:1, 16:3, 16:8-9) and guiding nations. Angels protect God’s people, delivering them from wicked works (Psalm 34:7; Isaiah 63:9). God uses angels to execute His judgments, as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1, 12-13), or bringing plaques on Egypt (Psalm 78:43, 49), or destroying many Assyrians in answer to Hezekiah’s prayer (2 Kings 19:35).

In Relation to Christ: 
While all that was said about God above would apply to Christ, there appear to be some special ministries of angels in relation to Christ. Angels predicted his birth (Luke 1:26-28) and announced his birth to the shepherds (2:8-15). They protected Christ as an infant when they warned his parents to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath (Matthew 2:13-15). They strengthened him after Satan’s temptation (Matthew 4:11). Angels announced Christ’s resurrection. Once he was resurrected the angels worshiped and served him. Angels have predicted his return (Acts 1:11). Angels will accompany Christ when he returns (Matthew 25:31).

In Relation to Christ Followers: 
Angels minister to Christ followers as signs of God’s love. They are “sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). God uses angels to reveal His will to people. They guide people, as in the case of the angel who told Joseph to take Mary as his wife and virgin-born son as his own (Matthew 1:20-21). On a few occasions the Bible shows angels providing for the physical needs, such as food, of people (Hagar and her son, Genesis 21:17-20). Angels protect people from physical danger, as in the three youth in the fiery furnace (Daniel 6:20-23) or when Israel’s king sent an army to capture Elisha at Dothan and an army of angels protected Elisha (2 Kings 6:16). Angels encourage, as in the case when an angel freed the apostles from prison and then encouraged them to continue preaching (Acts 5:19-20). Angels are sometimes agents in answering prayers.

An important distinction, however, is necessary. The ministry of angels is “primarily external and physical, whereas the ministry of the Holy spirit is internal and spiritual. Angels minister for us; the Holy Spirit minister in us (John 14:16-17; Hebrews 1:13-14). They guard our bodies and pathway; He guards our spirits and guides us in the right way. They may be agents to answer prayer, but He is the Prompter and Director of our prayers (Romans 8:26-27; Jude 20).”

What Angels Do Not Do: 
Though we’ve looked at many of the things angels do, we need to also say a few words about what angels do not do (from Angels: Dark and Light, Gary Kinnaman, pp. 78-80):



  • Good angels never try to change Scripture. Messages of angels never change or contradict the Bible. 
  • Good angels refuse to be worshipped. Good angels can be respected, but never worshipped. Neither are they objects of prayer. They may help God answer prayer, but nowhere in the Bible do we see any suggestion that we are to pray to anyone but God. Good angels always point people back to God, never to themselves. 
  • No one in the Bible ever initiates conversation with an angel. Pay particular attention to this. People may talk to angels, but angels always talk first. Some new age authors suggest you are to call on your angels like calling on a friend on the telephone. Good angels are always there, but they don’t answer our calls—only God does that! 
  • Angels are not omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent. They are not all-powerful, though they are very powerful. They are not all-knowing, though they are very intelligent. They are not everywhere at once, though they can be at any one place immediately. 
  • Angels do not violate the free will of humans. Angels play an important role in the purposes of God and affairs of people, but they do not control people or violate their free will.
Join me tomorrow as we look at the organization of angels and a little more about how they work in our world today.

    Intentional Times of Teaching our Kids - Part 5

    Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Friday, May 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM

    This week I've been sharing some information from Reggie Joiner in his book Think Orange that help parents be intentional about how and when they teach their kids. These times are based on Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
    "'Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.'"
    Everything I've shared up through yesterday (4 posts/4 days) was primarily aimed at parents. But, if you look more closely at this passage you'll see that it wasn't addressed just to parents who had children in their home right then and there. Moses said, "Listen, O Israel!" He's speaking to the family of Israel and not just the parents.

    There are a couple of things in here we all need to notice. First, we're all commanded to love God with our entire being. Jesus quoted this very passage often as the first part of the Great Commandment, along with loving neighbor and self (which are also found in the writings of Moses). All of us in God's family are called to totally commit to these "commands," or the teachings of God. 

    But Moses also understood how easy it is for any of us to forget God as we get busy in our daily lives. I know I do - it's easy, even when I'm working at the church. So, Moses tells us a second thing we need to work on - do things to keep God and His teachings in front of us all the time. It's the old "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" problem. I certainly suffer from it, and I suspect most of us do. So, we have to constantly do things to remind us of God's presence with us. Certainly a daily time with God is a great remind. But it might also include listening to Christian radio or music in the car and even at work. It might include reading a daily devotional booklet. Maybe you put a note on your mirror or computer screen to remind you. Wear jewelry that reminds us of God. These are just a few ideas - I'm sure you can come up with more.

    This is important for all of us, but Moses tells us it's particularly important for parents. If we're constantly watching for what God is doing and where He is working in and around us, we'll find plenty of teachable moments not only for ourselves but also for our children. We'll have opportunities while we drive and while we're sharing a meal together and lots of other times. It's the same principle for our children as it is for us, except that we need to actively help keep God "in-sight" for our kids. We have that responsibility.

    We can't give what we don't have. So, if we want our kids to become more loving, more like Jesus Christ, ideally it needs to begin in us. If we're going to be more intentional with our times with our children, we've got to begin by being more intentional for ourselves. Then, as opportunities arise at meal times, while we're driving, when we're going to bed or when we're waking up, we can share the wonder and majesty and glory of God with our kids. It's the old saying, "Killing two birds with one stone!"

    Love and Disagreement

    Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 12:01 AM

    Chapters 21-23 focus on Paul's journey to Jerusalem and the events that will eventually lead to his imprisonment and travel to Rome. Along the way Christ followers worry for Paul, and he is confronted with prophecies that he will be jailed. Yet, Paul will not back down and continues on to Rome.

    Paul had begun his ministry to Jews, but he soon discovered that his greater calling most often was to Gentiles. He had seen many Gentiles come to faith in Jesus Christ. And following the instructions from the earlier Jerusalem council (Acts 15), he had not required these Gentile converts to take on any of the religious requirements of Jews. This would have turned salvation by grace through faith into salvation by doing the right works, and this was not what Jesus or the apostles taught. Yet, this angered many Jews who thought he was subverting Judaism. So, they badgered him, beat him, ran him out towns, and even tried to stone him to death.

    Now in Jerusalem, Paul was trying to demonstrate, as a Jewish follower of Christ, that he still fulfilled the Jewish Law, when Jews from what is modern-day Turkey arrived and stirred up a mob against him with lies. Paul is eventually arrested by the Roman authorities. When it is discovered that more than forty Jews had taken an oath to kill Paul, the Roman commander sent Paul west to the Roman city of Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea. There, Governor Felix would hear Paul's case, alongside the complaints of the Jews.

    It's interesting to me just how zealous these Jews were, yet how little love they show. I'm not saying false teaching should ever be completely ignored, for several places in the New Testament are warnings against false teachers. But, in the early church there was no sense of killing these false teachers - turn them out, absolutely, but don't harm them, for they were still called to love them. Sometimes making too much of false teachers actually gives them a platform to advance their cause.

    The great Jewish teacher and Pharisee Gamaliel had cautioned against these very actions regarding the early Christians in Acts 5:38-39 (NLT): "'So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.'"

    And now the Jews really were fighting God, though they didn't realize it. I've found it wise to never rush to quick decisions regarding the faith of others. God doesn't just work in and through me, and His ways are not my ways. The Bible calls Christ followers to unity, but not uniformity. I don't want to major on the minors. That doesn't mean there aren't beliefs and doctrines worth fighting for, but too often we try to make mountains out of molehills. Doctrines establish the foul lines - what's inbounds and what's out-of-bounds - but they leave a fair amount of room for discussion and even disagreement that don't compromise overall unity. Love is still the underlying motive in everything.

    I read this week about a church in Virginia that planned to burn translations of the Bible that weren't the King James Version (KJV), as well as works by Billy Graham and Rick Warren, for this church believed these two men had strayed from the Bible. I don't know about you, but I'd love to have just a smidgen of the faith and love of these two great men of God. This church's narrow approach to the Gospel only serves the enemy. When Christians fight among ourselves, we hurt our witness to those outside the faith. Actions like this burning make us look like buffoons. I'm ok if you want to disagree, but can't we disagree agreeably, in the spirit of Christ and his love? Paul would talk about this with the Corinthians:

    "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT2)

    Jesus hung on the cross, but he did not revile his tormentors - instead he asked the Father to forgive them. He always loved, and if we can't love, we aren't followers of Christ. That doesn't mean it's easy, and we definitely require the work of the Holy Spirit in us to move in this direction. And love doesn't mean anything goes. But, the attitude of love should undergird all our actions and attitudes. If the Jews had lived this love, they might have still disagreed with Paul, they might even have banished him from the Temple and synagogues, but no one would be taking a vow to kill him.

    Likewise, today Christ followers are still called to love. We may disagree and even believe that another person's beliefs and teachings are beyond the bounds of Christianity, but that doesn't give us permission to stop loving them. In fact, when it's hardest to love another, when they put us down and seek our harm is the very time we must most love. The kind of love Jesus calls us to is a choice, a decision, not a feeling, and as a choice, it requires action on our part. We're called to choose love and act on it even when we fundamentally disagree with another, even when they have hurt us, or we find ourselves in the same boat with the Jews who badgered and threatened Paul.

    The witness of love has never been overcome. Paul never stopped loving. Jesus never stopped loving. And neither can we! It's radical - I know! But it's also right!

    Meeting People on Their Terms and Turf

    Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , | Posted On Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:01 AM

    Acts is an amazing and extremely relevant book for anyone seeking to follow Jesus Christ. Every chapter is jam-packed with information about how the early church dealt with issues that are just as real today.

    For instance, in our reading today in Acts 17-18, we read of Paul's encounter with the Greek philosophers in Athens. These were men who sat around all day pondering the meaning of life and the universe. They were intrigued by Paul's message about a foreign god. These men were searching for answers and meaning in life, but they hadn't found it yet. Acts 17:21 says that everyone in Athens "...seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas."

    That statement sounds so much like 21st Century America to me. While there are many Christians in our land, there are many others who are searching for answers in all the latest fads and philosophies. Maybe they were exposed to a strange form of Christianity, and assumed that was the norm for all of Christianity. Maybe they're just rebels and want to figure it out for themselves. I'm sure you can think of more reasons why some folks seem to be intent on trying the religion or spirituality du jour.

    Not much has changed in 2000 years! So, Paul's approach to the Athenians may give us some insight into trying to reach folks today who still haven't made a decision to follow Jesus Christ. And the first thing Paul didn't do was antagonize or belittle the Athenians' beliefs. He took them seriously, rather than just dismissing them as wrong. He complemented them and affirmed them, knowing that God cared about these men as much as He cared about anyone else.

    If becoming a Christian were about having all the right facts, then showing the Athenians how they were wrong might have made sense. But becoming a Christian is about developing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It starts and ends with relationship, and that also gives us a great insight into how we share our faith with others - through relationships. We don't win friends and influence enemies by pounding them over the head with a Bible or telling them they're going to Hell because they don't believe in Jesus Christ. We influence people as we share the love of Christ with them, as we demonstrate we care about them. Jesus died for those far from him, just as he died for me and you. We're all saved by grace, through faith, so none of us can brag about how good we are or how much better we are than anyone else (Ephesians 2:8-9).

    When we show love and respect to someone who believes differently than we do, who perhaps is caught up in the latest spiritual fad, we gain the privilege of being heard. As trust grows, we can go deeper and deeper in our conversations. As the relationship grows, we can share our own experiences and understandings of the Christian faith in honest, straightforward ways. We can have genuine conversations where the love of Christ works in us and through us. I've always heard that loving people into heaven is almost always more effective than scaring them out of hell. Jesus always had time for the sinners - what bugged him were the religious elites who thought they knew it all.

    I've been a pastor for over twenty years now, but the more I know, the more I know I don't know. The longer I walk this journey the more the Holy Spirit tries to push that unholy pride out of me. I really am no better than the person far from God, but I am saved by the grace of God - and that makes all the difference in the world. Paul was no better than the Athenians, but he loved them through Jesus Christ, and he tried to meet them at their point of interest and need. Then he walked them along, with integrity and respect. Some laughed at him, "...but others said, 'We want to hear more about this later.'" (17:32) And Verse 34 says, "...some joined him and became believers."

    Paul met the Athenians on their terms, on their turf, and some eventually chose to become followers of Jesus Christ. That model is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. Who do you know that needs the love of Christ in their life? How can you love that person and meet them at their point of interest and need? It may take months, even years, but I know that God honors all our efforts, and no relationship with a Christ follower by a person seeking the truth ever comes back void.


    Last Words, Lasting Message

    Posted by Randy | Labels: , , , , , , , , , | Posted On Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 12:01 AM

    Courts generally consider the dying words of an individual to hold great weight. In Luke 23 we see Jesus saying three things as he hangs on the cross. We can be sure each thing he says is very important.

    After he was nailed to the cross, Jesus says in verse 34: "...'Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.'" After having been beaten, mocked, ridiculed, wrongly accused and nailed to a cross, Jesus offers forgiveness to those around him. Here we see the heart of God for His children, who time after time wronged Him, yet He still loves and forgives. I honestly have a hard time imagining this level of love, yet I know that through Christ in me, God calls me to this as well. I fall terribly short, but this moment on the cross holds out for me the ideal, the goal, the perfection of love that I aspire to, only by the grace of God.

    Luke also tells us that Jesus was crucified between two criminals. One of them taunts Jesus, saying, "'So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself - and us, too, while you're at it!'" (vs. 39) The other criminal, though, responds, "'Don't you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong....Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.'" (vss. 40-42)

    Jesus is suffering excruciating pain as he hangs on the cross, facing his last hours of life on earth, yet his concern isn't for himself but for this repentant criminal. Jesus utters the second thing on the cross, "'I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.'" (vs. 43) Jesus offered forgiveness, and now he offers love and hope to this man dying next to him. Jesus said he came to seek and save those who were lost, and even as he hangs on the cross facing his own death, he never forgets his mission and purpose. In these last minutes, he enables one more man to follow him into eternity.

    If I want a picture of what matters to God, I can't miss it here. Jesus Christ lived and died for us. He never lost sight of his mission, even in his last hours. And he gives us this picture to show us his level of commitment to his mission. We, the church, are the body of Christ in the world today, and his mission is our mission. His level of commitment must become our level of commitment, so that we can remain faithful to him. If he died a horrible death for me, any discomfort I may sometimes experience in seeking those disconnected from God is a small price to pay for all he's done.

    But Luke also records Jesus' last words, a prayer, before he dies on the cross: "'Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!'" These words are a quote from Psalm 31:5, with the addition of the word, "Father." And these words from Psalm 31 were traditionally taught by every Jewish mother to her child as the last thing the child would say at night. This prayer of faith as he closed his eyes, was a statement of faith in the Father. No matter what he had been through, Jesus trusted his Heavenly Father (and our Heavenly Father) to care for him.

    In his last words, Jesus showed his undying love and concern for us and all those disconnected from God, and his complete trust and faith in his Heavenly Father. He models for us the life he calls us to live, as well. By ourselves, we cannot forgive or love or have this level of faith, but when Jesus is at the center of our lives, His Spirit grows the heart of Jesus within us. And by His power, Jesus' words and actions become ours!
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