From Gary... Just like DADDY

The thing about being a parent is that you learn about what you are really like by watching your children.  It is obvious that this little guy has learned something things- just look at him!!! He wants to be "Just like DADDY".  What a concept, what a challenge!!!  Just think for a moment what the world would be like if all of us could turn from our baser natures and be like our heavenly father?  How would we even begin to go about it?  Jesus tells us in what is commonly called "The sermon on the mount".  He says...

Matthew, Chapter 5

  1 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,  

  3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

      for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

  4  Blessed are those who mourn, 

      for they shall be comforted. 

  5  Blessed are the gentle, 

      for they shall inherit the earth. 

  6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after      

      righteousness, for they shall be filled. 

  7  Blessed are the merciful, 

      for they shall obtain mercy. 

  8  Blessed are the pure in heart, 

      for they shall see God. 

  9  Blessed are the peacemakers, 

      for they shall be called children of God. 

10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for 

      righteousness’ sake,  for theirs is the Kingdom of 

      Heaven. 

11  “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.   12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

13  “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.   14  You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.   15 Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.   16 Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 

17  “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.   18  For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter  or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished.   19  Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.   20  For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

21  “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.’   22  But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. 

23  “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you,   24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  25  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.   26  Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.  

27  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’  28  but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.   29  If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 30  If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.  

31  “It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’  32  but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. 

33  “Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,’   34  but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God;   35  nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.   36  Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can’t make one hair white or black.   37  But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. 

38  “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39  But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.   40  If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.   41  Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.   42  Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 

43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ 44  But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,  45  that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.   46  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?   47  If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?   48  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 

The term "blessed" means- "Oh, the state of the man" and if we just really, really follow the first few verses of this chapter how different our lives will be!!!! Jesus has a lot to say in this chapter and frankly whole volumes have been written on the teachings given here.  BUT, look at verse 48 above.  If I were to paraphrase it after looking at the picture above, I would say... Gary, be a true follower of God in heaven- be like HIM in every way possible!!!!!  Oh, what would my "blessedness" be if I were perfect???  Today, I intend to think about both the picture and the text and really try to both internalize the words and live the truth!!!  Anyone else feel the same way?????  Only thing is... I could never get the Groucho Marx walk to work for me; but hey, anything is possible!!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... With Christ once more

With Christ once more

Due to illness—emotional or physical—life can feel dreary and sometimes we’d be happy to be done with life here. I’m not suggesting that this is a gift from God but I am saying that it’s one of the realities of human life in the world as it is.

I suppose something of that is seen in Paul’s Philippians 1:21-23 (NRSV). "For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you."

To be "with Christ" is to not be "away" from him. While he is "in the flesh" (that is, living in this present phase of human life) there is some sense in which he is not "with" Christ; but were he to die we would be "with" Christ. We’re well aware that even while living in the flesh Paul is with Christ and Christ with him (Matthew 28:20 and elsewhere) but there’s no mistaking his meaning here; dying adds a dimension to his being "with" Christ that he doesn’t experience while he’s in the flesh.

So here Paul speaks of his post-mortem state as "far better" than his present "with" Christ experience. Caution is fine in working with texts but sometimes we try too hard to "prove" what is perhaps plain enough to be rejoiced in. Paul isn’t talking about geography or spatial proximity when he says he wants to go and be "with" Christ. Questions such as, "Would he be sitting next to Christ?" or "Did he think he would be walking around with Christ as the apostles did in the days of Christ’s flesh?" are asking too much. If Paul even thought about such things we have no way of knowing but he clearly wants them to know that his present experience of Christ would be deepened and enriched if he experienced death.

I think there’s more in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 than appears at first glance, but he does speak of being "away" and about being "at home" with God. And being "at home" or "away" from God is related to his life now in the flesh and to being absent from his body. My suspicion is that Philippians 1:21-23 carries that same sense of "with" and "not with," of being "at home" and being "away".

Now here’s a text that expressly speaks of a post-mortem state for Paul that would leave his readers without his immediate assistance. He’d like to taste the "far better" but is loathe for them to experience loss at his gain. This is not talking about the day of resurrection because his readers would not then be experiencing loss or needing his assistance—they’d be glorified along with him. No, Paul is speaking of an immediate post-mortem joy of deepened fellowship with Christ.

Let me repeat, I think there’s no doubt that Paul has a relational situation in mind where he is "with" Christ in a way that is better than being "with" Christ in this present phase of living. This is a passage that explicitly deals with life after death for a believer and it describes that situation in terms of our being "with Christ." Is that vague? Does it lack assurance and promise? I’d have thought it was the opposite! Clearly the truth isn’t developed in the text but why would that mean it was vague or somehow insubstantial or lacking in warm comfort? He says, "Dying and going to be with Christ is better than this!"

Get a view of Paul’s mind as he speaks of the glory of his ministry, of the joy and satisfaction he now finds in Christ, of the privilege he feels to be a servant of Christ to the world. For all his troubles he thought life in and with Christ even now was awesome, a triumph and a life-filled adventure. In fact, he looks at his troubles and thinks they are part of the glory (2 Corinthians 4, 6 and 11). Did ever a man live such a wonder-filled life? Get a sense of all that he was and did and felt and then hear him say, "It’d please me to die and go to be with Christ. That’s far better than this."

So what do you think he expected when he died? What did that being "with" Christ have that was better than what he now had? Well, he doesn’t say anything about the specifics but we know he knew it was far better than the present! I'd say that being with Christ post-mortem would certaily include the following.

"With" Christ would speak of a felt security.

"With" Christ would speak of a deepened intimacy.

"With" Christ would speak of a deepened sense of fellowship and communion.

We don’t know and don’t have to know the psychological ins and outs of that. We’re assured that "with" Christ speaks of it all.

The word "with" doesn’t stand alone, thank God! With "Christ"—that’s who he’ll be with, so let your reverent imagination get to work on that.

"Where is he?" a beloved mother asked her daughter about the husband she sorely missed since his death. He’s with Christ and now knows that neither life nor death is a threat to him (see Romans 8:38)—security! He’s with Christ and now is closer to him than when he was here—intimacy. He’s with Christ and now experiences a fellowship and communion that is deeper and more immediate than when he was here. (For a little more, click here.)

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Savior's Sigh

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                      The Savior's Sigh (8:11-13)

INTRODUCTION

1. Have you ever considered the Lord's reaction to your behavior...
   a. When you refuse to believe in Him?
   b. When you do not follow Him as you should?

2. In this lesson I want us to think how Jesus must feel...
   a. When we put off obeying the gospel of Christ
   b. When we fail to trust and obey Him in our daily walk

[In our text (Mk 8:11-13) we read of Jesus' response to those who came
to test Him.  Let's begin by carefully noting...]

I. THE NARRATIVE

   A. THE PHARISEES' DEMAND A SIGN...
      1. Jesus had just returned to the western shores of Galilee - Mk 8:10
      2. The Pharisees began to dispute with Him - Mk 8:11
         a. They had challenged Jesus before - Mk 2:6-7,16; 3:22; 7:1-2
         b. Matthew adds that they were joined by the Sadducees - Mt 16:1
      3. They demanded a sign - Mk 8:11
         a. A sign from heaven, perhaps like Joshua? - cf. Josh 10:12-14
         b. Had they not seen and heard of the many miracles already
            done?
         c. They were testing Him, perhaps hoping He would fail and be
            discredited

   B. JESUS' RESPONSE INVOLVED A SIGH...
      1. He sighed deeply in His spirit - Mk 8:12
         a. The anguish which Jesus experienced came from deep down
            inside him - Hendriksen
         b. Here the word "spirit" is used in a sense not much different
            from "heart" or "inner being." - ibid.
      2. Similar responses on other occasions
         a. Grieved by the hardness of their hearts - Mk 3:5
         b. Sighed as He healed the deaf mute - Mk 7:34
         c. Groaned in His spirit seeing the grief of others - Jn 11:33
         d. Wept over the city of Jerusalem - Lk 19:41-44

[Because of their hard hearts, no sign such as they were demanding would
be given them, except His resurrection (Mk 8:12-13; cf. Mt 12:39-40; 16:1-4).  Now consider whether Jesus might "sigh deeply in His spirit
today...]

II. THE APPLICATION

   A. JESUS OBSERVES OUR BEHAVIOR...
      1. Just as He observed the behavior of Saul of Tarsus - Ac 9:5
      2. Just as He observed the churches of Asia
         a. He knew their works - Re 2:2,9,13,19; 3:1,8,15
         b. He found fault where it was due - Re 2:4,14,20; 3:2,16

   B. WOULD NOT JESUS SIGH DEEPLY...
      1. When we refuse to obey His gospel, time after time? - cf. Mt 11:28-30
      2. When our conduct is not much different than those of the world?
         - cf. Mt 5:20
      3. When our love is no different than that displayed by sinners?
         - cf. Mt 5:44-48
      4. When the kingdom of God is not our priority in life? - cf. Mt 6:33
      5. When tribulation or persecution causes us to stumble? cf. Mt13:20-21
      6. When anxiety or materialism makes us unfruitful? - cf. Mt 13:22
      7. When discouragement leads us to abandon prayer? - cf. Lk 18:1
      8. When human traditions displace keeping the commands of God?
         - cf. Mk 7:7,9
      9. When denominationalism defeats His prayer for unity? - cf. Jn 17:20-21
     10. When love of the world replaces love for His Father? - cf. 1Jn 2:15-17

CONCLUSION

1. From the Savior's sigh we learn that Jesus cared deeply...
   a. For those He was willing to heal (e.g., the deaf mute)
   b. For those He was willing to save (e.g., the Pharisees)

2. In similar fashion, Jesus stands ready...
   a. To save us from our sins
   b. To heal us of our souls' diseases

How will Jesus react to our response to Him?  Will it be with great joy,
or a deep sigh in His spirit...?

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011