Trinity

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Dana

Paul was called to do many things after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus in Syria… a country still very much in the news. Establishing and encouraging churches, addressing specific problems, warning of Satan’s strategies… were objectives of this man who the Lord called His “chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.” (Acts 9:15) “Carrying Jesus’ name” was Paul’s main goal. How did he do this?

When he visited cities and towns, Paul did not want his talents or abilities to be the focus of attention. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and preaching were not with persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (I Corinthians 2:1-5)

Paul constantly pointed to the Father, Son, and Spirit; he was Trinity-centered. In the first three chapters of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul mentioned God fifty-two times, Christ or Lord thirty times, and the Spirit twelve times. In seventy verses, the Persons of the Trinity are mentioned ninety-four times.

Paul clearly wanted all readers to know that his message is from God, the Creator of all, who planned to save His children through Jesus, His Son. And the promised Holy Spirit is the essential gift we must have to live an abundant life in Christ.

So what does this mean for us today? Though we live two thousand years later, we have as many problems as did Corinth… and our hope is the same. This hope is not found in an elite education or amassed wealth or a political movement or any type of human plans… the hope is only in Jesus. Christ is the Answer and, as in the days of Paul, the world will reject this message.

Wherever we live, whatever our occupation, no matter what our status… God wants us to be Trinity-centered. “You yourselves are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you.” (3:16) “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1:22) “Jesus Christ has become our wisdom from God – that is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” (1:30) “We have the mind of Christ.” (2:16)

We might say, “A person will be laughed off the stage if he constantly points to Jesus.” But Paul concluded: “So be it. My message is Christ because that’s God’s message. There is no hope in man. I trust the Holy Spirit and I do not mind being a ‘fool’ as long as I am in Him.”

“Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a ‘fool’ so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.’ So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” I Corinthians 3:18-23

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boasting

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Dana

“Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father… Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in Me? The words I say are not My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me…” (John 14:9-11)

Just as Jesus attributed everything good to His Father, so we are to attribute everything good to Jesus. Joy, peace, love, self-control, kindness… any fruit evident in our lives comes from above. Such thinking perhaps sounds boastful, but our boasting is in the Lord. When we know we cannot generate godliness on our own, we can honestly say: “What you see is Jesus!”

Perhaps it should be normal for believers to give testimonies and explanations that give all credit to the Father, Son, and Spirit:

I do not reflect Him perfectly, but if you knew me before, you would see there has been a change of heart. That’s what God does… He gives us a new heart. Jesus lives in me. I cannot explain this fully, but it is the mysterious way God has chosen to work: “Christ in us – the hope of glory.”

Jesus taught that a disciple could do nothing apart from Him. So the secret for the believer is simply to be a branch who abides in the perfect Vine. “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the Vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Don’t you see? Anything good is because of Christ. Jesus not only forgives us; He changes us! The “old me” is dead, but I am now truly alive. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

He gave Himself for you too! He gave Himself for the whole world so that every person could have a relationship with our Father in Heaven. This is God’s heart of love: He gave the most precious gift – His Son – so that anyone who puts faith in Him will be saved. I just wish everyone could understand this good news.

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” I Corinthians 2:12

“It is because of Him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’” I Corinthians 1:30-31

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love

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Dana

Who can self-generate joy and peace when the world is falling apart? I can’t… and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who can. But I’ve known people who have displayed unbelievable peace and joy through incredible trials. Jesus offers what we cannot produce. “I want to give you My joy… in full measure. And I want you to have My peace… I am the Prince of Peace so I can give it. You are going to have trouble in this world, but take hope! I have overcome the world!”

Who can self-generate the ability to love God with every part of mind, soul, heart, and strength? And who really loves his neighbor as himself? And how many followers of Jesus always follow His greatest commandment… to love others the way He loves us?

Only God loves this way. So without Him, the supernatural love this world needs does not exist. Jesus prayed that the Father’s love would be in us. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:25-26) We need His love to love!

It is our sinful nature that prevents us from loving well, but Paul revealed that when Jesus died, we died. ”For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin… Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:6-7, 11)

The hope for any of us to love the way God loves is to live in Christ. We can love because His Spirit lives in us. “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:5)

What does such love look like on earth? There is care for the poor, the sick and afflicted are helped, the grief-stricken are comforted, those in prison are visited, the hungry are fed, the orphans are rescued, wrong-doers are forgiven, prodigals are welcomed, families thrive, mercy and kindness rule… God is seen.

“My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12

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peace

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Dana

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Not only does Jesus want us to have His joy, He also wants us to receive His peace. This peace is beyond what the world can give. Treaties, agreements, and compromises can have positive impacts on society, but Jesus knows true peace takes place in the heart.

In the same conversation with His disciples, Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me.” (John 14:1) God is the source of true peace. We can trust Him to be greater than our fears, greater than our circumstances, and greater than the enemy of our souls.

Paul even said that we can rejoice and give thanks in the midst of anything. Writing from prison he encouraged: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

I need God’s peace to guard my heart and my mind! God wants us to know He is present. We can trust Him; we can talk to Him and ask for help; we can thank Him for everything He gives us; and we can let His peace rule our hearts.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one Body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

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joy

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Dana

Jesus experienced joy on earth by bringing honor to His Father. Shortly before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed for Himself and His disciples. “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began… I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them.” (John 17:4, 5, 13)

Earlier, Jesus told His disciples that He wanted to give them His joy… a joy found in the love of His Father. “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15: 9-12)

The world has different understandings, but Jesus’ joy could not be separated from His Father. “In My Father, I have joy. My purpose is His purpose; My life is His life. In Me, you will have joy. Let your purpose be My purpose and your life be My life.”

Such joy allows us not to be controlled by our circumstances. No one experienced more pain or injustice than Jesus during His last days. But Jesus remained in His Father. “You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for My Father is with Me.” (John 16:32)

When the writer of Hebrews encourages us to fix our eyes on our Savior, joy is a part of the story. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

May the joy of the Lord be our strength.

“This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

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