Author: Terry Wil Robinson

Learn about me at jonahzsong.blog.

I Hold No Cherished Outcomes–Celtic Vow of Friendship part five

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3 ESV)

Continuing with the Celtic Vow of Friendship, let’s look at “I hold no cherished outcomes.” Why not? one might ask. Should we not have at least the cherished outcome of seeing all people saved, seeking the opportunity to speak our mind and heart about our Lord. Jeremiah wrote: “If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”

Then again, it is not us that affect salvation. Charles Spurgeon wrote: “Salvation is the work of God. It is he alone who quickens the soul ‘dead in trespasses and sins,’ and it is he also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life.” Our responsibility is to respond to our Lord through His indwelling Spirit. We approach others without our own agenda, without a cherished outcome that we, in our flesh, might impose upon another.

We do this by maintaining a proper perspective. We: love G-d, yielding in dependence and submission; delight ourselves in Him (Ps 37:4,5); and love others, looking toward their interests (Phil 2:3) rather than only our own. This perspective yields contentment, as we no longer look to this temporal world, but seek Eternal blessings.

A sign of maintaining an Eternal perspective is Gratitude (Phil 4:11), which is being thankful for our circumstances, our possessions, and the people we encounter. We then are able to look forward (2Cor 4:18), beyond what is seen, toward the unseen. We become grounded, continuing to study The Word, developing our agility with the Sword of the Spirit. We also maintain our prayer life, and continue in fellowship with other Christians.

In all this, we live well, deny ungodliness and worldly lust, live soberly and righteously, godly in this present age as we look to the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great G-d and Savior Y’shuaJesus The Messiah. (Titus 2:12,13) We follow advice found in the Billy Graham Training Center Bible

“No matter what happens in your life, if you seek to live in G-d’s Will, He will grant you an understanding of His perspective to help you through your pain, fear, stress, suffering, or persecution.”

Finally, as we develop this proper perspective, this Eternal perspective, we begin trusting G-d, seeing and perceiving that truly He meets all our actual needs. Then we are free then to consider the needs of others, to look at others as more significant than us. We are able to be a friend and extend ourselves to others in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Y’shuaJesus.

Help us, Oh Lord, to hold not our own cherished outcomes in our relationship with You and also in our relationships with others. Grant us the talent of seeing others as more significant than ourselves, seeing other’s needs as greater than ours, and grant us a proper perspective that we might truly live well. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Our Meeting Place–Celtic Vow of Friendship part four

“[Abraham] lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth.” (Genesis 18:2 ESV)

The recent topic has been friendship based upon a Celtic Vow of Friendship. In the last column we began looking at “I bring an unprotected heart to our meeting place.” We examined an unprotected heart. Today, let us think about “our meeting place,” and those meeting places as divinely ordained and inspired.

In the scripture today the LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. Abraham recognized a holy encounter was taking place and responded appropriately by running to the meeting place and bowing to our Lord. Of this encounter, Charles Spurgeon wrote: “God graciously visits those in whom he has first raised the expectation of him, and manifests himself to those that wait for him.” Abraham might have been awaiting the opportunity to do good to any stranger that came by, not having hotels or inns in which they might stay. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews might well have been thinking of Abraham’s meeting place with G-d when he wrote: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2 ESV)

We can see this principle played out in Y’shuaJesus’s encounter with the apostles on the shores of Lake Kinneret (John 21:1), with disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13), and with Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3). Thus, this principle is that G-d chooses to meet us where we are, and chooses to have us meet others if we are open to Him.

Charles Spurgeon encourages us to look expectantly for opportunities. “Religion does not destroy, but improve, good manners, and teaches us to honour all men. Decent civility is a great ornament to piety. [Abraham] was very earnest and importunate for [the angel’s] stay, and took it as a great favour. It becomes those whom God has blessed with plenty to be liberal and open-hearted in their entertainments, according to their ability, and (not in compliment, but cordially) to bid their friends welcome. We should take a pleasure in showing kindness to any; for both God and man love a cheerful giver.”
We can discover another principle of meeting places in the events leading up to Elijah’s encounter with G-d on top of Mt. Horab told in 1Kings 19. Elijah’s discouragement after Jezebel’s threats propelled him to the wilderness where he wanted to die. But the Lord sent an angel to assist him and direct him. “And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, ‘Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.’” (Kings 19:7 ESV) Once at Mt. Horab, Elijah is directed out of a hiding place, into an encounter with G-d. Thus, this principle is that G-d brings to us those He chooses to direct us to encounters with Him.

In each of these encounters, these meeting places with G-d, is the critical element of an open, unprotected heart. Abraham extended himself, looking beyond his immediate self, to entertain strangers. Elijah, fleeing to the desert wanting to die, remained open to the Lord’s guidance and assistance from an angel.

This week as the Lord allowed me to see various meeting places in scripture, He also led me to see some of the results of these meeting places. In Acts 16, Luke tells us that Paul was prevented from going to Asia, and directed to go instead to Macedonia (v 10). Luke also tells us (Acts 8) of Philip being directed into the desert where he encounters, and the Lord saves, an Ethiopian court official. Thus, another principle of meeting places is that the Kingdom of G-d is enlarged.

Are all meeting places holy and ordained? Check out the report in Judges 16 of Samson’s meetings with Delilah. This is a case in which Samson’s heart should have been greatly protected, for opening it to Delilah had grave consequences.
Oh, Lord, most merciful and holy, grant us appropriately to open our hearts to encounter You and do all You desire. Grant us the wisdom to guard our hearts appropriately, too. Grant us peace in our journey with You. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

I Bring an Unprotected Heart to our Meeting Place–Celtic Vow part three

“Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms. . .” (Micah 7:5 ESV)

Today let’s speak only about having an unprotected heart, reserving ‘meeting place’ for next week.

I understand an unprotected heart as being exposed, even vulnerable, to others. How can this be? How can we possibly open our hearts? This contradicts the teaching to guard one’s heart that I’ve heard in the last few years. Even Micah lamented that in a wicked and perverse world there is to be no trust, no exposure. He looked critically, rationally, at the world around him, at the loss of the godly, at the rise evil, and admonishes to trust no one, for no one is righteous.

In my last column, I spoke of treating even enemies as friends. We are to let our actions speak sermons, to encourage those who are in need of G-d’s salvation, to treat all as friends. This means we speak the truth that is within us. This means we expose ourselves to others. We come to people with an unprotected heart. Really? Are we truly to do so, in an evil world? Should we not guard our hearts. Yet, despite the evil in the world, John wrote “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 ESV)

A protected heart lowers its walls, exposing ourselves to another person. From out of the heart, as Y’shuaJesus said, pour rivers of living water (John 7:38) to nourish a thirsty–even if evil–world. We are to walk blamelessly and do what is right and speak truth from our hearts. (Psalms 15:2 ESV) And perhaps you will say you’ve opened yourself and now feel that reproaches have broken your heart so that you are in despair. You’d like some pity but no one provides. You’d like a person to comfort you, but find none. (Psalms 69:20 ESV)

Y’shua knew we would face difficult times in an evil world. He said, “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10:3 ESV) Paul admonished us to “. . .not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)

When we are willing to love, to expose ourselves, we act as our Lord who was willing to suffer to reach those that He may. And we are rewarded in our suffering. In our suffering we become more like our Lord. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalms 51:17 ESV)

We let the Holy Spirit guard our hearts in His wise way. Micah realized that among people there is no help, no righteous fellowship, yet boldly states: “But as for me, I will look to the LORD: I will wait for the G-d of my salvation; My G-d will hear me” (v7). Let us go forth today, boldly trusting in our G-d, in the salvation we have though His Son Y’shuaJesus, through the power of His Holy Spirit. Let us be willing to open ourselves as led by the Spirit, willingly risking rejection and reproach. Let us rest in the Lord and in His peace.

Thanks be to G-d, who guards our hearts with His Peace. He spoke though his psalmist, telling us even if an army attacks us, our hearts should not fear; though war come against us, we may be confident. (Psalms 27:3 ESV)

Furthermore, we are encouraged to be like the psalmist who says to our G-d, “I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. (Psalms 40:10 ESV)
Praise be to G-d, our strength and our shield. Amen.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

I Drink from your Well– Celtic Vow of Friendship part two

“All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds, were 212. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer established them in their office of trust. So they and their sons were in charge of the gates of the house of the LORD, that is, the house of the tent, as guards.” 1 Chronicles 9:22-23 ESV

Trust. Those chosen to guard the house of the tent were trusted men. To be a friend to someone or chose a friend, this friendship must include trust. Last week I shared a Celtic vow of friendship. The second vow is “I drink from your well.” When we drink of another’s well, we trust that person with our lives. This is true, too, of our well, the well we share. We must be trustworthy for we hold that person’s very life in ours.

There are many elements in this vow of trust. In Acts 15:36-41 Paul and Barnabas disagree over taking Mark on the next journey. “. . .a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. . .” (Acts 15:39 ESV). Barnabas supported, sided with, Mark and willingly separated himself from Paul. A friend supports a friend, provides opportunities for a friend to make up for failures. A friend believes in a friend.

Another element of drinking from a friend’s well is suffering, or at least being willing to suffer, with a friend. When Y’shuaJesus announced his desire to journey to Jerusalem, Thomas passed a test of friendship when he said “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16 ESV). To truly be a friend means a willingness to walk a friends walk with him. It is a willingness to suffer for a friend if called.

We are called to be a friend to those whom we don’t know. When we have little to give, we give what we can. We share our well as Peter did. “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”(Acts 3:6 ESV)

We are taught to do good to our enemies, to befriend our enemy. Wonderful things happen when we follow this way of friendship. In Acts 16:25-30 Paul and Silas are in prison when an earthquake struck and “all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.” Paul did not run, did not take the opportunity for freedom. Rather he called to the jailer “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” The outcome of this selfless action on Paul’s part is that the jailer fell down before Paul and Silas and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Thank You, LORD, for Your Word, written through Your breath, preserved for us through the thousands of years. Continue to give us insight through it, that we might learn, that we may be transformed, that we may live Your promised abundant life. AMEN.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

I honor your path–Celtic Vow of Friendship part one

HOLY SPIRIT - FOIX
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“The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.” (Psalms 25:14 ESV)

A friend and fellow minister/writer wrote about the importance of traveling life with friends and the great friend we have in our Lord, who is always with those who will look to Him. As I thought about friendship, I thought about my responsibility toward the Lord and toward His people.

There are a number of ways we can be a friend to our Lord Y’shuaJesus. Among them are these ways: Seek G-d’s truth and direction daily; Maintain a humble and submissive attitude; Remain always fully Committed; Give thanks in all circumstances; Be morally upright; and Seek G-d’s council.

Likewise, there are many ways to be a friend to others. Among them are to love: At all times (Proverbs 17:17); Without hypocrisy; In honor giving preference to one another, (Romans 12:9, 10). Additionally, we are friend to others as Paul tells us. We are to “owe no one anything except to love one another, for he how loves
another has fulfilled the law, (Romans 13:8). He also tells up that we are to “receive one who is weak in the faith, but not dispute over doubtful things, (Romans 14:1).

I see in “The Celtic Vow of Friendship,” essential ingredients for our journey as a
Messiah’s friend. These are from a poster my wife once had posted on our bedroom wall:

I honor your path
I drink from your well
I bring an unprotected heart to our meeting place
I hold no cherished outcome
I will not negotiate by withholding
I am not subject to disappointment

Let me address, today, the first, “I honor your path.” What does it mean to honor another’s path? The following illustrates one way.

“While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:10-15 ESV)

In this discussion, the people of Caesarea are disagreeing with Paul’s path—Paul’s journey to Jerusalem. Paul explains his desire to follow Y’shuaJesus to Jerusalem. Even if the people would prefer that Paul did not go, they consent, they honor Paul’s path, saying, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” I see this as a lovely display of friendship.

May our Lord grant us the wisdom to walk the path of friendship, and to understand the cost of friendship paid by our Lord in His path to Calvary.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Unstained by the World

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27 NASB)

Unstained: unblemished, without spot. In the Greek it is Aspilos, used as an external blemishes, of being examined and nothing found to base a claim against.

On a trip north across the state of Wyoming, I was stopped at a commercial vehicle inspection station on the northern leg before entering Montana. The inspector requested me to bring all documentation into the office for her to check. She checked my commercial driver license, medical certificate, truck registration, trailer registration, bill of laden for the load I was transporting, and finally my log book. Everything was in order. Then she looked carefully at eight days of logging my time. She checked the time I entered Wyoming, where I registered at the southern inspection station the day before. She looked at my entries of the times and places I stopped, where I stayed for the night, where I ate breakfast. Finally she said, “I just can’t find anything wrong.” She hesitated a moment, made another check, saying she would take another look to see if she could find anything. I felt relieved when finally she hit the computer button that finished the report and printed a copy for me that contained the words “No Violations Found.”

The inspector could find no cause to cite me for a violation. My paperwork was unspotted, unblemished. Not only did I not have to pay a fine for some error in my paperwork, but my company pays $25.00 (USD) for a “No Violation” report.

A commercial driver license comes with the obligation to accomplish certain tasks, such as keeping paperwork in a prescribed manner. At some time in our lives we accepted eternal life through Messiah Y’shuaJesus. The author of Hebrews wrote:

“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to G-d an acceptable service with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28 NASB)

So then, our lives are offered to G-d. What type of life should we offer? Unblemished! Unspotted! “When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.” (Leviticus 22:21 NASB)

We have one another and the Spirit of G-d to bring this about. We act. And if we act wrongly, our brothers and sisters of the Gospel, and the Holy Spirit, are charged with helping us. We confess and turn from our blemishes. This is an act of having our feet washed. Y’shua washed our lives at the time of our salvation, now we need only our feet washed as we walk in the dust of our journey.

Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy toward us. Enable us to live an unblemished, abundant life. Amen

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

There are No Walls, only Sign Posts

“. . . but satan hindered us.” (1Thes 2:18)

In an email I mentioned something about coming to believe there are no walls, only sign posts. When I think about this a bit, I get a mental picture of a person banging his or her head against a wall, then looking at me and saying “So, what’s this I’m hitting?” I might answer, “Well, yes, I suppose it looks like a wall. It’s really a sign. Really.”

In Daniel chapter five, we are told of the handwriting that appears on the wall as a King Belshazzar’s feast. The King is terrified. None of the King’s men are able to translate it. In comes Daniel, again. It is from this story that we get the expression “See the Handwriting on the Wall.”

So, first we must see the handwriting on the wall. In my earlier mental picture, the man or woman must stop banging against the wall and read the writing upon it. And every wall has some writing on it. If it’s not readily apparent, as in Daniel, perhaps the fingers of a man’s hand will appear to write the message. And we ought pray that it is the Hand of the Lord that writes His words on the wall.

While seeing is believing, it doesn’t mean that we understand the writing, does it? In the case of the terrified King Belshazzar, the Lord used Daniel to translate the words on the wall. In the case of each of us, too, the Lord must reveal His word to us, translating the message into a language from which we can make meaning.

The great evangelist to the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul, wrote to the Thessalonians that he wanted to come to them (1Thes 2:18) time and again. Was Paul banging against a wall. Paul says, “satan hindered us.” Eventually Paul’s group “thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy. . .” to establish and encourage the Thessalonians in their faith. (1Thes 3:2)

If it seems that I bang against a wall, if it seems as though no sign of direction appears from the mystical hand of the Lord, might I not take heart from Paul’s own words about his head banging. In perseverance we will receive a word from G-d, we will not only see the handwriting on the wall, we will understand it too.

It occurs to me that walls are signs and also boundaries that direct us along a pre-assigned course, a destiny. As boundaries, they may not even be visible, as in one of Paul’s adventures, recounted by Luke in Acts 16:6,7: “Now when they had gone through Pyrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” We aren’t told how the Spirit prevented their preaching. But later we are told that they were directed to Macedonia to preach there.

There is one other example of a wall/sign/boundary that might be helpful to think about. Paul, himself, put up a wall to his own freedom. He’d wanted for some time to visit Rome. On his way to Jerusalem, it was prophesied that he’d be bound and imprisoned if he continued on his journey to Jerusalem, and indeed, once there, we was jailed. While in prison, he appealed to Caesar. (Acts 25:11). At his trial nothing was found to hold him. “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (Acts 26:32) So Paul was sent to Caesar, in Rome. Paul got a free ride to the place he wanted to visit, to evangelize, and along the way evangelized onboard the ship and in Malta after the shipwreck. I suppose it wasn’t exactly first-class ticket and accommodations, but some great things did happen along the way.

Walls, both invisible and invisible, provide a channel to guide us along in our life. Exciting isn’t it? The Creator of the Universe, Creator of us all, loves us enough to save us from ourselves and guide us in our new, abundant, resurrected lives. And in all this He takes pleasure in us. What a journey. How awesome is our G-d!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Established in Holiness

“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 KJV)

Prayer time. Set out ‘reminder’ cards. Open Bible. This scripture 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13. The cards remind of specific people for whom I desire to pray. The open Bible represents the scripture as Truth in the prayer. This particular book and the scripture that jumped out of the page deals with Paul’s words to the church at Thessoliki. The Bible subtitle is “Prayer for the Church.” Seems appropriate.

Two sets of keys words are in this prayer: 1) “may the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all; and 2) “in order to establish your hearts blameless in holiness.”
Is Paul is saying for our hearts to be blameless and established in holiness, we have a prerequisite that is love toward one another and toward all? Perhaps. Perhaps this blameless holiness is beyond salvation by faith in Messiah. But isn’t that the trap some have fallen into, then Messiah’s sacrifice isn’t enough to save, but we must do something else beyond that to establish holiness?

In looking at the subtitle, “Prayer for the Church,” it is directed to the body of believers, not to a single person. Individuals are blameless in Messiah through their faith in Messiah. But a church is established in holiness, blameless, through its demonstration of love toward its own and those outside its body, its congregation.

Church members, together as one body of Messiah, are to love one another while also loving all people. The demonstration of this love is what will bring the heart of the church into blameless holiness. I believe this is what makes a vibrant, healthy, joyful fellowship of believers. It is in such a group that the Spirit of G-d is able to work in individual believers and flow outside the confines of that group, drawing others into the flow of divine love and power.

It seems to me such a church needs no membership drive, doesn’t need to preach and teach on giving and tithing, and doesn’t have to beg for help from its members to help at various social functions. Such a church, established in a blameless holiness, has bonds between believers and things just happen; the Spirit, like the conductor of a symphony, works to make the body alive.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Walking, Growing, Becoming

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“For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.” (3 John 1:3 NASB)

“Be it ours today, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men.”—Charles H. Spurgeon

Walking in the truth. I continue to be fascinated by this topic, returning often.

Spurgeon also wrote, “Truth must enter the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value.”

I’ve also been reading “The Pursuit of Man,” by A.W. Tozer. He speaks of the two “Christians” in our churches. On one side are the common Christians that believe and do nothing more. They believe but are not changed. On the other side is the Christian that believes in his/her heart, responds, and is changed. He/she becomes truly a new creature.

It seems clear from the Scriptures that, after we accept the initial offer of salvation, we are saved from eternal condemnation. However, it is equally clear from the Scriptures that once we are saved we must become a new creation. New wine is put into new wine skins—containers that will expand without bursting. So then, we are saints in Y’shuaJesus now, in the eternal scheme, but still we are becoming saints while we remain on Earth. It’s a process of being transformed, and it continues until we leave Earth to be with Y’shuaJesus or He comes to Earth to reign. For only then will we truly be complete.

The process of being transformed is a bit like an ascent up a spiral stairway. Let me illustrate.

Many years ago, while maintaining communications systems for the U.S. Forest Service, I climbed lookout towers. On many towers the stairway led up one level to a platform, reversed direction, and led upward to the next platform. This continued sometimes over a hundred feet (thirty or so meters). As I would ascend, I’d see tree-covered mountains in the distance. At each level, I’d see farther than I could see at the previous level.

Consider our lives as ascents with many levels where we view the landscape in a different way. Consider those towers upon which I climbed and reversed direction at each level. When looking forward, I’d see the landscape in a particular direction only on every other platform. If I take the tower illustration and apply it to my live, which has often felt as though I’ve changed direction, I begin to understand that it still ascends higher and higher, offering me a better view, a better vantage point.

Thinking about ascents can be applied to all aspects of our lives in Messiah. Take reading the Bible, for instance. We read from the Books of Moses, those of the prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels, the letters of the Apostles. They are not novels we read once and put on the shelf; they are living Words that we read and reread as we ascent the tower of our lives. We read. We walk. We read again. We gain new insight from each reading as we are able to see farther on the landscape of our lives.

Y’shuaJesus is the Truth. May we walk His way.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 NASB)

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

“And into whatever city you enter. . .”

“And into whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, going out into the streets say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to us, we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ “ (Luke 10:10-11 MKJV)

G-d’s Reporters

We, as followers of MessiahJesus, have a responsibility to assess our present world, reporting what we see, hear, feel, as we move through it. We do this reporting in our prayer, in our time with our Lord.

In this particular scripture passage, the disciples are sent out to the villages as laborers in G-d’s harvest. If they are received, they are to heal the sick and say, “The kingdom of G-d has come near you!” But if they are not received, they are to leave, wiping off the clinging dust as they depart and “The kingdom of G-d has come near you!” becomes writing on their graves.

Why is this so? Are we judges of the people of this world? We are children of G-d, citizens of His kingdom. We are like advance scouts, probing territory that one day will be G-d’s kingdom. We are reporters. We are not the warriors who wage relentless battles against the people of this world. We do rage in the Name of Messiah against the powers in dark places, but not against the people of this world. We do mark the people who respond to us, as a gardener who tends his field would mark the plants that require additional care so that they might produce their fruit. Perhaps we won’t return to that plant, but others may follow who will be able to give other nurturing.

This is our gift: that we have been nurtured, and we are able to nurture others. We receive. We give. We are blessed. We bless. And to woe us if we do not receive; woe to those who do not receive us!

Matthew Henry comments:

“Christ’s ministers go into all the world, to say, in Christ’s name, ‘Peace be to you.’ First, we are to propose peace to all, to preach peace by Jesus Christ, to proclaim the gospel of peace, the covenant of peace, peace on earth, and to invite the children of men to come and take the benefit of it. Secondly, we are to pray for peace to all. We must earnestly desire the salvation of the souls of those we preach to, and offer up those desires to God in prayer; and it may be well to let them know that we do thus pray for them, and bless them in the name of the Lord.”

“The general rule which Christ would go by, as to those to whom he sent his ministers: He will reckon himself treated according as they treated his ministers, (Luke 10:16). What is done to the ambassador is done, as it were, to the prince that sends him. [1.] “He that hearest you, and regardeth what you say, heareth me, and herein doeth me honour. But,” [2.] “He that despiseth you doth in effect despise me, and shall be reckoned with as having put an affront upon me; nay, he despiseth him that sent me.” Note, those who contemn the Christian religion do in effect put a slight upon natural religion, which it is perfective of. And they who despise the faithful ministers of Christ, who, though they do not hate and persecute them, yet think meanly of them, look scornfully upon them, and turn their backs upon their ministry, will be reckoned with as despisers of God and Christ.”

Thank You, LORD, for the opportunity to live our lives among Your people, those who know You, and those who do not yet. Thank You for letting us report our findings to You, and to respond to Your Spirit in all that we do and say. Grant us boldness to speak Your Word when You desire, and the wisdom to hold fast our tongue at Your command.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .