Have you been WITH Jesus?

I love to study words. Sometimes even the smallest word can be loaded with meaning. Such is the word “with.” There are two words in the Greek language for “with.” One is functional, indicating accompaniment.  For example, “I am going with you to church.” But a second Greek word with expresses association, fellowship, and intimacy: the union of belief, convictions, actions and experiences.

When Peter and John healed a crippled man (Acts 4), the Pharisees became quite disturbed that Jesus’ name was being used and He was being glorified. And they were especially angry that they were losing control over the nascent, fast-growing, Christ-follower movement.  The Scripture says the Pharisees knew that Peter and John had been WITH Jesus (Acts 4:13).  By using this word with, Luke is saying the Pharisees were admitting that the disciples’ intimate relationship with Jesus was the source of their power.

Spending time alone, shut in your prayer closet, studying Him in the Scriptures until you really know Him: these are the ways we are WITH Jesus. Wouldn’t it be great if people would look at us and say “you have been WITH Jesus, haven’t you!?”

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen!”

The European stock market has taken a nose dive in the past few days. Not only worried about the U.S. economy, they are distressed by fiscal instability of two of their EU member nations—Greece and Italy. The need to bail out these countries has crippled Europe. Has it occurred to you, as it has to me, that these two ‘people groups’ (the Greeks and Romans) were at one time the most power nations on the earth? And now, not only Europe’s weakest, they could topple the entire European (and global) financial system!

Winston Churchill said "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Similarities between Ancient Greece and Rome and the United States are alarming. Historians contribute a number of factors to their decline. What happened in each of these empires is they became such huge world powers and started to take over so many territories and so much land that they spread their forces too thin, which effected financial instability. And—get this— the rise of Islam is thought to be one of the reasons for Rome's Fall.

Today, there is an ideological war going on in our country, the outcome of which could determine the future of our nation and the even the planet’s destiny. What happens in our Nation’s capitol by August second could be cataclysmic. This world has never been at this place before. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:27).

Who is Mother Nature and Why is She doing This?

Extreme weather has become the lead story on the “evening news” this year—hasn’t it! With unprecedented floods along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and the worst tornado season since the 50s, Mother Nature’s name is evoked more and more. This female personification of nature is rooted in pagan worship. From Greeks to Aztecs, every culture had its earth goddess. That begs the question: For Christians, where does God fit in the picture? Well, the answer to that formidable question would take more than a blog post. But here’s something to ponder on your next rainy day.

When God created the world, it was perfect—it was all good! But when sin entered the world, things began to work differently, the way a body deteriorates from cancer. The Fall of man affected the earth. Paul says as much when he writes that we humans are not the only ones in bondage due to sin. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. (Rom. 8:19-21 NLT)

So there you have it: the earth is waiting to be released from the affects of sin! So Satan, who is called the god (or goddess?) of this world, is behind these destructive forces in nature (that doesn’t mean, however, that God doesn't use it for His purposes—Romans 8:28). I find it very interesting, then, that when people make Mother Nature responsible, they really are putting the blame right where it belongs: on the goddess of this world!

The Naked Runner

[I thought the title of this 1967 Frank Sinatra movie might grab your attention! The movie has nothing to do with my thought today, as I am led to continue the theme: God's Gymnasium.]

In the 23 years of being a member of fitness clubs, I have never employed a personal fitness trainer. Having a personal trainer is just too…well, too personal! I don’t want anyone looking that closely at my body!

As I said in my earlier post (“Are You Spending Enough Time in God’s Gymnasium?” May 18, 2009), the word for training is “gymnazo.” This Greek word is derived from the word "naked," referring to how the Greek athletes stripped down in the ancient games.

By using the Greek word “train” (Hebrews 12:11) the author pictures God as our “Personal Trainer” who knows our spiritual needs intimately, seeing “everything” about our spiritual condition— “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

In God’s Gymnasium, you have a Personal Trainer. And He knows exactly what exercise you need to be built up in your faith. And not only what 'muscles' you need to exercise, He knows exactly how much resistance is necessary to increase your spiritual strength! (See yesterday's blog post)