February 26, 2013

"But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ." Mark 8:29

 

I have one final thought for this week one focus on self-centeredness.

 

It really bothered me that these disciples (who I have always admired) could be so dense in regard to Who Jesus was and what He had come to do.

 

Over the past two Sundays I have shared examples of how these men had followed Christ exclusively for two years and didn't seem to grasp Him. It becomes obvious that these guys are NOT minded like Jesus and that there is a wide gap between the nature of their souls. Jesus keeps trying to reveal to them how He will suffer and die to provide the atonement for their sins. But, each time they interrupt Him and try to make this about them.

 

You have to ask yourself, "Why did they not want to know about His impending suffering? Especially since it would have a significant impact on them?"

 

That question haunted me for a couple weeks as I have studied this. Last night during our discussion at LIFE Group it dawned on me, this was another expression of their selfishness.They were so focused on what they wanted Him to be they were blinded to Who He actually is! Their version of a Messiah would be One who rides into Jerusalem as a conquering hero to vanquish the might Roman army. It explains why they were so focused on what their role would be once they were in charge.

 

It wasn't that they were totally stupid - just totally selfish! Being selfish can cause you to look stupid!

 

The pleasure of being a Christ-follower is getting to know Him for Who He REALLY is and conform to His image to accomplish His purpose.

 

Contrast the attitude of the disciples to that of the Apostle Paul:

 

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."  Philippians 3:7-11

 

As you compare the attitudes of the disciples and that of the apostle you have to ask ourself who had a "soulshift" and who didn't?

 

I think you know the answer.

 

Which attitude is yours? Are you trying to squeeze Jesus into your image of Him or are you allowing Him to shape you into His?

 

Afterall, that could be the ultimate test of selfishness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 25, 2013

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy."               II Timothy 3:1-2
 

Wow! These few verses say alot about the attitude of gratitude and what causes people to be thankful - or not thankful.

First, it tells us that the day will come when thankfulness will be a rare commodity. What was once a common courtesy will someday become hard to find.

That begs the question, "Why?"

People will be lovers of self. How does that blunt thankfulness? People who are self-centered tend to believe that they deserve what they get, so when they get something good they feel it was owed to them and when they don't they feel cheated. It is hard to satisfy them.

People will be lovers of money. What's wrong with that? Loving money often leads to greed. Greedy people seldom experience feelings of gratitude. Greed and gratitude rarely occupy the same space.
 

When selfishness and greed rule your life, you are not a very pleasant person - "boastful, proud, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy." May I add - unhappy, unfulfilled and miserable?

 

Thankful people, by implication, are not self-centered, not greedy, humble, obedient, grateful and holy.

So, are such people thankful because they possess these characteristics or do they have these characteristics because they are thankful? The answer is, "Yes!"

Make life about Him and not about you and He will develop within you an attitude of gratitude.

February 24, 2013

^"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35

 

Today marks the unofficial start of Spring - the 2013 NASCAR season!

 

43 cars will roll out onto world-renown Daytona International Speedway for the prestigious Daytona 500 race. 42 of those cars will line up on the starting grid behind a girl for the first time in history. Danica Patrick will sit on the pole when the green flag drops.

 

Starting in first place is very important and impressive. But if you were to ask each of the 43 drivers where they want to finish at the end of the race they would say, "First place!"

 

Race car drivers race for one purpose - to win! Second place is just the first loser!

 

I think Jesus was being a little facetious when He made the statement, "IF anyone anyone wants to be first". EVERYONE wants to be first! Jesus knew that everyone of us is wired for self-promotion. We want the best for ourselves and we want to be at the head of the line.

 

So, the disciples were arguing over which of them was the greatest among them. I am going to venture a wild guess and say that they weren't nominating each other for greatness. When Jesus got wind of their jostling for position He called then together and then He "sat down".         

In the Hebrew culture, when a Rabbi sat down, something significant was about to happen! What happened was they got confronted about their selfish ambitions. Wanting to be first would require them to be willing to settle for last.

So the question arises, "How do I get from wanting to be first to being willing to be last?"

Let me share four ways that are inferred in His "sitting down" speech:

First: Wake Up

Recognize and repudiate your self-centered ambitions.

Wake up calls often come in the form of broken or strained relationships with a significant person in your life.

Second: Become Interested In Others

Here is an acrostic that might help: 

Take an interest in another

Hear their hearts and words

Empathize with their concerns

Meet their needs as able

Third: Become A Servant

 

You can take an interest in people BUT still not truly be a servant.

 

How is that PB?

 

When we take an interest in others – WE ARE STILL IN CHARGE and WE DECIDE how our help is appreciated or effective. BUT when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. We make ourselves vulnerable. We do small things behind the scenes with nothing to gain for ourselves.

Four: Lift Other's Burdens

 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” MT. 16:24

 

There is no time when we are more like the Trinity than when we carry each other’s burdens and enter their lives. We absorb their flaws and failures and still stand with them. We stand in the gap for each other, we pray for each other’s kids like they were our own, and we lose sleep over other’s needs as we would our own.

 

THE JOURNEY FROM “ME TO WE” IS HARD!

 

IT HAPPENS IN STAGES AND EACH STAGE IS HARD!

 

“ME TO WE” GOES AGAINST OUR NATURE. IT IS SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENT. IT IS LIKE FINGERNAILS ON A CHALK BOARD. IT IS A SOULSHIFT!

What are you going to do about it?

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 23, 2013

^"They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were,  because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” Mark 9:30-33

 

Jesus and His disciples were headed to Jerusalem together. For Jesus this would be a one way trip. They thought He was going to establish His reign He knew He was going to die.

They were on the road together but they were in different worlds. They were not "minded" like Him. Nor were they "souled" like Him.

 

While you are shaking your head over the obvious disparity between how Jesus was wired and how His chosen followers were wired.

 

As you wonder how they could have followed Him so closely for two years and still be so far away, let me ask you, "How is it with your soul?"

 

"How can I know?" you ask.

 

Honestly consider these soul-searching questions:

 

What do I do when no one is looking?

 

What do I think about when I am stopped at a red light?

 

Why am I thinking about that?

 

What should I be thinking about?

 

How do I treat the people I live with?

 

How do I treat people who can do nothing for me?

 

What do I fear most - and why?

 

What do I protect most fiercely in my life?

 

Why do I do that?

 

After you have given prayerful consideration to those questions, and once you have opened some windows into your soul and after you are satisfied with your answers then you can go back and criticize the disciples.

 

 

 

 





February 22, 2013

“He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”  Mark 9:31

 

Have you ever taken a risk to make yourself very vulnerable to someone only to have them respond in a very inappropriate insensitive way?

 

That is what happened here!

 

As Jesus was trying (for the second time) to tell the disciples about the selfless suffering He was soon to endure they were arguing over who would be the greatest.

 

How selfish is that?

 

About as selfish as you and I are capable of being and sometimes are!

 

But it gets worse!

 

^“They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise. ”Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”  MARK 10:32-37

 

Come on, guys! Get a clue!

Consider this – Peter, James and John had been with Jesus for the Transfiguration! They even made THAT about themselves.

 

JUST AS PETER PROVED IT IS POSSIBLE TO FOLLOW JESUS CLOSELY FOR TWO YEARS AND BE “MINDED” LIKE HIM - NOW THE DISCIPLES SHOW THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE ON THE SAME ROAD WITH JESUS BUT IN A DIFFERENT WORLD!

 

Here's why, Martin Luther said that man is born “cor incurvitas ad se”, meaning that his heart is curved inward upon itself. If you have or ever have known a small child you know we are born with a self-centered nature.

 

See if you recognize any of these symptoms:

 

 - A critical spirit – You think your ideas are much better simply because they are yours.

- Looking out for no. 1 – Look at a group photo that you are in and who do you look for first? Why?

- Arrogance – Thinking too highly of yourself and your opinions OR covering up for feelings of inferiority.

- Inability to forgive self – Even though God has forgiven us, we hold on to our opinion of self.

- Overly competitive – Need to win in order to prove self to others. Losing is too hard on insecure self-image.

 

- Talk about self too much - When you aren't talking about yourself you are getting ready to.

 

- Holding grudges – Can’t get over things done to us or against us.

Jesus is not like that – AT ALL!

 

He is 180 degrees different! He is curved outward and everything He does is focused on others. Everything He thinks is for the interest of others and everything He does is to benefit and enrich others.

 

February 21, 2013

^"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Mark 8:36

Imagine you had a car with an engine that, with mininal maintenance would run forever. In fact, with that routine amount of attention you know your engine will outlast the body of your automobile. Would you neglect that engine and devote all your energy to making the exterior of the vehicle look good?

 

I doubt it! That would be foolish!

 

You may not have an eternal motor, not even a Toyota lasts forever, but you do have an eternal soul! That soul is the core of your being and it is what keeps your body up and running. Your soul is eternal because it was placed within you by an eternal God.

 

So, how is your soul?

 

How is your maintenance record?

 

Are you devoting more time, money and energy on your exterior or on your soul?

 

In your natural vain flawed judgment you will focus on the temporary and neglect the eternal. Even one as spiritual as the Prophet Samuel needed to be reminded, "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." I Samuel 16:7

 

Many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day were caught up in this foolish priority of looking good while neglecting their eternal souls and Jesus had a graphic description for them, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." Matthew 23:27

 

I think you get the point!

 

So, what are you going to do about it today? Will you spend AT LEAST as much time with God in His Word and in prayer as you do with your grooming?

 

Spend more time on the eternal today.

 

 

 

 

February 20, 2013

^"He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27

 

Selfishness is your default setting.

 

That is true because your operating system is S-I-N (Selfish Infected Nature) and you process everything from the code of "what's in it for me".

 

Your operating system is incompatible with the programs God desires to download to you. In fact, it has compatibilty problems with all other users and servers. It would much rather use than serve!

 

Every program that has been downloaded into your soul is contaminated with the viruses and malware that attach themselves to self-centered living. Your system has some fatal errors and is due for a crash.

 

So what are you to do?

Download new virus protection software?

Press "control", "alt", and "delete"?

Do an uninstall of some programs?

I am afraid it isn't a matter of programming or reprogramming or a system restore, it is the need for a whole new operarting system.

That new operating system can only be applied by God through His Holy Spirit. In fact, the new operating system IS the Holy Spirit! He can only be fully downloaded when you have rejected the old operating systen and He has scrubbed your harddrive with the blood of Jesus.

In Scriptural terms, you cannot love yourself or others in a healthy way until you love God with all your SOUL (heart, mind and spirit included).

Are you tired of your default setting?

Are you weary of your incompatibility with God and others?

Do you live in fear of a systems crash?

Would you like a new processor?

Maybe it's time for a new operating system.

Why not decide to put God in charge of your IT (Internal Transformation) needs?