Jn 17.6-19

Psg: Jn 17.6-19 (link)
Date: 6/4/12

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John 17:6-19 NET

“I have revealed your name to the men you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. Now they understand that everything you have given me comes from you, because I have given them the words you have given me. They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I am praying on behalf of them. I am not praying on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me, and I have been glorified by them. I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I set myself apart on their behalf, so that they too may be truly set apart.

Record

Keep them safe (in your name, from the evil one). (NASB: Keep them)
Set them apart. (NASB: Sanctify them.)

Reflect

• Sifting through the long, amazing prayer, these are the things Jesus is asking for.
• The first "keep safe" is in the context of giving us truth and then leaving this world.
• The second "keep safe" is in context of opposition.
• The "set them apart" is in context of sending us out.
• We will need to be kept by God because:
• He will not be walking among us physically (although "I am with you always").
• We will have opposition.
• We are sent into that opposition without Jesus physically there doing most of the talking, as he had been.
• If we didn't have opposition and if we didn't go out, we wouldn't need to be "kept" much at all.
• Jesus prays this out loud for the benefit of his disciples (including us).
• He wants us to know (it seems) that this is the kind of communication he has with the Father on our behalf. Elsewhere, Scripture says he is our perpetual advocate.
• He perhaps also wanted them to know what their life was going to be like as his disciples, and where our help is going to come from.
• Also possible is that he wants us to know how to pray as we go forward.
• Jesus also takes on an active role for the same goals as this prayer.
• If we are not kept by God, we are not kept at all.
• We can go out (being sent) into the opposing world because we are kept in God's name.
• We will always be as safe as he needs us to be if we are "being sent."
• Even if they kill the body, we are totally, completely kept.
• Therefore, we can be completely bold.

Respond

• I lose too much of my life because I try to save it. You have sent me. You will keep me in your name. What can man do to me? He can do a lot of unpleasant things ... but that's it. That's all man can do to me. You are my protector, keeper, and strength. You are also the message I need to bear to them.
• Teach me more what it means that I am kept in your name. Not just that you keep me, but specifically in (or "by") your name. Your name in Scripture is described as a powerful force, a monicker of your very attributes. Make me to know how safe that name is for me to find my true safety in.
• Forgive me for all the ways that I seek to be kept by anything else: my knowledge, my skills, my community, things. May I truly live in a manner where my only real protection is your name, but with the trust knowing that your name is the safest space in the universe.
• Your name is like an impregnable tank - perfect protection allowing me to mobilize across enemy lines.

1 Chr 29.10-14

Psg: 1 Chr 29.10-14 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1Ch29.10-14)
Date: 6/13/12

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29:10 David praised the Lord before the entire assembly:*

“O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! 29:11 O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign* over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler* of all. 29:12 You are the source of wealth and honor;* you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all.* 29:13 Now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your majestic name!

29:14 “But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a position to contribute this much?* Indeed, everything comes from you, and we have simply given back to you what is yours.”

Record

NET: You possess strength and might to magnify and give strength to all.
NASB: and bin Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.

Reflect

• He’s the provider of what my soul needs and wants, because he owns what my soul needs and wants.
• He’s the only provider because only he owns these things.
• Therefore, it makes no sense to look for these things elsewhere, from people and things that don’t possess it in the first place. Furthermore, it makes all the sense in the world to seek them from him, since he owns it all.
• God is pleased to give these things to those who seek them.

Respond

• Whenever I feel a “want,” may I first check it with you to see if it’s a godly want, and then seek it from you, since you possess all that my soul needs.

What are the chances?

Ever since I got involved with ministry in Kenya, one huge barrier for us has been that we can't ship anything over the reliably and affordably. It's expensive, for sure, and there's no guarantee that whatever we spent on shipping would actually result in the items making their final destination. I once sent four used books to a pastor friend, all properly labeled and showing that there was no commercial value to the contents, and it still took 18 months for the books to reach him. We've heard worse stories.

This, of course, makes it more difficult to help in tangible ways. We can't ship school supplies, uniforms, materials, lessons, electronics, or any number of things that would benefit the ministry there. We can bring money in and buy materials there, which can work well, but sometimes the options of what is available in country are limited.

We also continually struggle with the lack of reliable electricity at the ministry sites. Some buildings have none at all, some use noisy generators that require fuel, and some have electricity, but it's not reliable and it can be expensive.

So, what are the chances of coming to Kansas City and connecting with a Kenyan pastor (based on a conversation with a waitress) who has a member of his church who owns a shipping business that ships items to Kenya reliably? What are the chances that this man offers to that pastor some of the container space for each shipment? What are the chances of that pastor offering to us use of some of that space for free? And what are the chances that this arrangement has never failed to get the shipped materials through customs and to the final destination in a timely fashion?

Furthermore, what are the chances of getting connected with a professor at JCCC (basically across the road from our house) who has lived around the world installing solar power in developing areas? What are the chances that this professor has a Kenyan student with years of electrical experience and a passion to install solar power in Kenya?

The only way we could ever affordably ship solar devices to Kenya would be to have cheap (or free!) space in a container. Plus we would also need a virtual guarantee that this precious equipment will get through customs and reach its final destination. What are the chances of all of these connections being made in the same week?

That is what is happening before our eyes. And I'm grateful to God for what appears to be an amazing provision for the very things we need.

If the Lord does in fact put all these pieces in place, you will certainly be hearing more about it. In the meantime, please pray that He would make all this happen, according to His will.

A Qualified Yes

Did Jesus ever complain?

Complaining seems like such an ungodly thing to do. You've probably heard sermons about how complainers are just being ungrateful. Complaining sounds like you don't think God is doing enough on your behalf. But if Jesus complained, then these statements about complaining can't be completely correct. So ... did He?

In Matthew 16:8-11, the disciples were arguing about bread (again), and Jesus comes down pretty hard on them. He says they are men of little faith and berates them for arguing. He criticizes them for not believing more deeply considering all the things they have seen Him do, and nails them for their lack of Kingdom priorities. He seems to be complaining. And this is not the only instance. He cuts them down to size about not being able to cast out a demon and particularly for sleeping at the crucial hour He asked them to start alert and to pray.

Some may say that's not complaining, but disciplining them. When He cries over Jerusalem for rejecting the prophets God has sent to them, at least that sounds more like a complaint than discipline. But whether it's a complaint or some other form of expressing discontent, there's one thing for sure - whenever Jesus does it, it's always related to something about the Kingdom of God.

He doesn't complain about bad weather or ugly shoes or a poorly-prepared meal. He doesn't whine about how hard His life is or that He has been treated unfairly. Every time He expresses discontent, it is because someone is rejecting or assailing the Kingdom of God, including those times when His own followers fail to embrace all that the Kingdom has to offer.

Did Jesus ever weep? Of course (John 11:35). But He did not weep because His friend had died, or even that others around Him were sad. He wept because the Kingdom of God was right before these people, and they were ignoring it, instead choosing to embrace a fleshly perspective. They didn't think He was doing things in the right way, and that the circumstances were greater than He is. Yet, His message had consistently been that the Messiah has come, that He is greater than all these things, and that He is ushering in God's Kingdom.

Did Jesus ever pray? Of course He did. He prayed perpetually and fervently. And in a few cases, He prayed out loud and His disciples were able to record the content of His prayer. In every case, Jesus prayed about things related to the Kingdom of God. He did not pray for a less stressful life or for decisions to come easily. He did not pray for healing for it's own sake only, but always for a greater Kingdom-related purpose. He did not pray for the great trial before Him to be taken away, but for it to be taken away only if it did not run contrary to God's plans for His Kingdom.

Whether it's complaining (or whatever it should be called), weeping, or praying, or anything else Jesus really spent Himself on, it was always about the Kingdom of God.

As we grow in our faith, the same thing happens to us - more and more of what we care about, weep about, complain about, and pray about is related to the Kingdom of God and our place in it. We are still very aware of what's going on in this world, but how we see even the things of this world becomes defined by how those things relate (or don't relate) to the Kingdom.

We should invite and embrace that shift in our thinking. The norm for our faith should be a continual transition toward Kingdom-mindedness. We should never stagnate, where we come to faith, adopt a Christian perspective and attitude, and then just continue to let the world dominate our thinking. Rather, we should always be moving toward a complete Kingdom-minded worldview, where we see even the things of this world in terms of the eternal Kingdom.

This is especially true in our prayer life. My prayer life is still much too focused on things quite unrelated to the Kingdom, or things that are important, but that I'm not thinking about them in terms of how they relate to the Kingdom. I want my prayer life to become more about God's Kingdom. I want all of our prayer lives to become completely infused with Kingdom-mindedness.

When we close our prayer with "In Jesus' name," one of the things we should mean by that phrase is, "This is the kind of prayer Jesus would pray."

Jn 10.22-30

Psg: Jn 10.22-30 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Jn10.22-30)
Date: 6/2/12

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10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication* in Jerusalem.* 10:23 It was winter,* and Jesus was walking in the temple area* in Solomon's Portico.* 10:24 The Jewish leaders* surrounded him and asked,* "How long will you keep us in suspense?* If you are the Christ,* tell us plainly."* 10:25 Jesus replied,* "I told you and you do not believe. The deeds* I do in my Father's name testify about me. 10:26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 10:28 I give* them eternal life, and they will never perish;* no one will snatch* them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,* and no one can snatch* them from my Father's hand. 10:30 The Father and I* are one."*

Record

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all.

Reflect

• The visual image here of the hand to convey security is compelling, but it is an image that by itself conveys no causation. What makes security secure is the fact that the Father gave the sheep to Jesus, and that this Father is greater than / superior to all.
• Whatever the Father does, there is no one greater who can forcibly undo it (all undoing is specifically allowed by him).
• So, the only way for someone to lose salvation is if the Father allows it (like he allowed the rebellious angels to lose their place).
• The question of security, then, would be whether God allows it. The tenor of this passage is that he does not.
• The Father gives the sheep to the Son.
• This is a sovereign act.
• This includes the Calvinist debate.
• What exactly is the act of this giving? It seems to be the granting of eternal life, in effect. Those who are given to Christ are the ones who have eternal life, and those outside this group do not.
• They will never perish.
• Jesus sheep have eternal life and they will never perish. Period.
• This statement does not allow for losing one's salvation, nor forfeiting one's salvation.
• Not only is our salvation part of a larger spiritual battle, it is also part of a larger event between the Father and the Son.
• The Son pays a transaction via the cross to the Father.
• The Father gives to the Son glory, honor, and a gift - the flock.
• We are God's gift to God (Father to Son). Not that we're so special and valuable, but that our salvation and sanctification, both works of God, comprise a gift of glory to the Son. We are the result of the work he has done. When we are complete in Christ, holy through and through, then we will be a gift fit for the Christ. Not sufficient, but fitting (he deserves so much more, but we will part of what he deserves).

Respond

• When I ignore you or sin against you, I am not living as an appropriate gift from the Father to the Son. You are at work in me to sanctify me, and you will complete the work you started, but I could be a more appropriate part of this gift. You make available to me all that I need in order to be more fitting - what I lack is total abandon. Because of the security that you give, you will be trustworthy for us as we abandon ourselves more and more to you.

--

Colby E. Kinser

http://gplus.to/ColbyKinser

Psa 16 HQ

Psg: Psa 16 (link)
Date: 5/16/12

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Psalm 16:1-11 NASB

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. I said to the LORD , "You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You." As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who have bartered for another  god  will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips. The LORD  is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. I will bless the LORD  who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the LORD  continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Record

I have no good besides you.
NET fn: My good is not beyond you.

Reflect

• I don't need to look beyond, beside, around, away from, or any other direction relative to God. My good is found only exactly there ... in him.
• We spend a lot of our lives looking elsewhere. It never works. Believing the lie that it will work is how Satan is effective.
• We can be happy, we can be content, we can be settled looking elsewhere, but we cannot find our good anywhere else.
• Will I settle for placated, or will I insist on good?

Respond

• My good is found only in you. Thank you for disallowing my good to be found anywhere else. You have sufficiently provided for me to find my good in you - you have withheld nothing I need to seek it out and enjoy it. I have only to insist on it, persist in pursuing it, and refuse everything less.

Psa 18.1-19 HQ

Psg: Psa 18.1-19 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Ps18.1-19)
Date: 6/1/12

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18:1 He said:*

“I love* you, Lord, my source of strength!*

18:2 The Lord is my high ridge,* my stronghold,*my deliverer.

My God is my rocky summit where* I take shelter,*

my shield, the horn that saves me,* and my refuge.*

18:3 I called* to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,*

and I was delivered from my enemies.

18:4 The waves* of death engulfed me,

the currents* of chaos* overwhelmed me.*

18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,*

the snares of death trapped me.*

18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried out to my God.*

From his heavenly temple* he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help.*

18:7 The earth heaved and shook;*

the roots of the mountains* trembled;*

they heaved because he was angry.

18:8 Smoke ascended from* his nose;*

fire devoured as it came from his mouth;*

he hurled down fiery coals.*

18:9 He made the sky sink* as he descended;

a thick cloud was under his feet.

18:10 He mounted* a winged angel* and flew;

he glided* on the wings of the wind.*

18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness,*

in thick rain clouds.*

18:12 From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals.*

18:13 The Lord thundered* in* the sky;

the sovereign One* shouted.*

18:14 He shot his* arrows and scattered them,*

many lightning bolts* and routed them.*

18:15 The depths* of the sea* were exposed;

the inner regions* of the world were uncovered

by* your battle cry,* Lord,

by the powerful breath from your nose.*

18:16 He reached down* from above and took hold of me;

he pulled me from the surging water.*

18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,*

from those who hate me,

for they were too strong for me.

18:18 They confronted* me in my day of calamity,

but the Lord helped me.*

18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;

he delivered me because he was pleased with me.*

Record

The earth heaved and shook; the roots of the mountains trembled; they heaved because he was angry. (7)

Reflect

• When God needs to act on his anger against sin, evil, and his enemies, he will. And when he does, the firmest elements of the earth shakes and rattles and groans.
• How secure am I that this God is this way? Why do I fear anything?
• If God is not shaking the foundations, he must not need to. I must be secure without him shaking it up.
• Therefore, when he shakes the earth, I am secure. When he does not shake the earth, I am secure.
• How can I live this securely? How would my life be different if I did?

Respond

• You are the rock that does not move. You are the one who shakes all other rocks. You, the one I doubt, are the least to be doubted. You and you alone give me reason to walk forward with peaceful, humble confidence in every circumstance. My peace does not come from meditating on peace, but knowing that you are the one who shakes mountains.