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http://bible.us/r/3a.X Today I am reading day 33 of Old Testament – The Books of Moses:

There are some absolutes

John 14:6 NLT

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

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We live in a world of many uncertainties and less and less it seems we can express confidence in authorities. People want to say all roads lead to Rome. You find your way to happiness and let others find theirs. Multifaith ideology wants us to embrace the logical impossibility that it doesn't matter if you are Buddhist, Catholic, Mormon, or Spiritualist as long as you are sincere and a "good" person then you'll be Okay. You can be an agnostic, atheist, fundamentalist, humanist, pagan and you'll be reincarnated to a pleasant well remembered part of the great God of the evolved native American pan-spirit in the sky. And if you don't have it figured out and actually you're a rather unpleasant person who nobody wants to be around well at least you invigorated good conversation among those you disappointed, hurt, ignored, steamrollered over or harassed so you'll be okay too. You can be selfish, lecherous, unkind and completely disingenuous and you'll probably at least be better off after you kick the bucket.

Jesus didn't teach vague noncommittal generalities or nicities.

Jesus said, he was the only way.

Full stop. Period! Unquestionably there was a God. Jesus was claiming to be one with God the Father and thus in fact God's Son. And he said unequivocally that to make it with the one and only almighty God you had to go by way of Him, Jesus and no other way at all.

Jesus claimed this as a exclusive absolute. And so all other ways we're not going to get you to God. You'd not pass go. You'd not collect £200!

In effect and in context the Bible says Jesus is the only way. There were no other ways. All other claims to be the way were in fact wrong and false.

So if in fact this is what Jesus said (I believe very much this is what Jesus and the whole Bible does in fact teach.) then you and everyone else needs to respond to what Jesus said.

Was he crazy? Deluded? Well intentioned but wrong? Self obsessed?

Was Jesus a liar? Was he aware of what he was saying and embellishing? Was it a wilful untruth? Was Jesus deceiving people and misleading them?

Did Jesus know what he was talking about? Was he telling the truth? Is it an accurate account of an exclusive way to the one and only eternal God?

If Jesus is the only way, what way are you going?

Do you know what you are?

Matthew 9:13 NLT

Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

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I don't need any convincing. I know I'm a sinner. Do you?

Most people think they are righteous, but they'd be mistaken. I'm not a good man. You are not a good person. You would not achieve betterment of you had more education. No one would develop a greater love for God or a higher moral calibre if they were put in a better environment. Our problem isn't or parents or our income. We wouldn't become more saintly if we deny ourselves more by emptying our mind of desire. We can not give ourselves into the black and out of the red.

We are sinners. We love to sin. We hate to be told what to do. We want our own way. We do not want God ruling our hearts. We think we know best. We think that given the right circumstances we'll improve. We're not too bad actually, is a falsehood we cling to.

Oh and we want to be worshiped. We want to be noticed, thought of as wise, clever, beautiful, strong, good, or desirable.

We want to be God!

We are not God.

We, you and I are sinners.

We hate. We kill. We lust. We're selfish. We're lazy. We're proud. We're insatiable. We're greedy. I'm self obsessed. I want to be heard. God is the word of life. I want to be clever and thought of as clever. God knows everything. I know very little and much of what I claim to know is a lie.

Do you know what you are? Or do you deceive yourself?

You and I are sinners.

You can't not be a Christian if you don't know you are a sinner. You can not follow Jesus of you maintain your pride. You can not be saved of you continue to believe a lie.

Do you know what you are?

When you read the Bible or you hear the word of God it should strike a chord. The truth should be refreshing because if you agree with God, then you are free.
No more lies.

Read the Bible and you will see the truth you've tried so hard to hide. Tired of trying to be something you know in your heart of hearts you're never going to be left to your own devices?

The Bible says you are an enemy of God.

God loves his enemies.

The Bible says you are a moral failure because you care only for yourself.

Jesus becomes our righteousness.

The Bible says we are liars just like the Father of lies, Satan.

But we can be made new and have a new Father and be in the family of Jesus, who is truth personified.

Do you know who you are?

Do you know who God wants to make you?

Our gang: Lessons from lists.

LUKE 8:1-3 ESV

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

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Jesus was a radical! He was completely sinless and in all ways then pleased God the Father. But social conventions just were not important in his values compared to pleasing God the Father and loving people.

Jesus first priority was to declare God's word, to spread the good news, to proclaim the gospel, to preach the Kingdom of God. See by simply informing people of God's rule and by raising awareness of God's intentions Jesus was implementing that rule. People hear and they are then responsible. Simply to tell the truth reveals lies. It isn't clever or complicated. See I'll prove it; I'll declare a fundamental truth with no clever explanation and you'll see the implications of "bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God."

Jesus Christ the Son of God is the creator of everything that is and all that is has been made by him. Or as John put it in the Gospel according to John,

" All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:3 ESV

See the implications of this simple declaration of truth?
Even if you don't understand it all. You can understand it is the equivalent of God saying, "It's Mine!" 

You may not fully grasp all this means, I'm sure I don't but it does call us to a halt. It begs is to reconsider everything.
So what might this simple declaration of truth and good news mean?

Indeed everything is God's. He made it. He owns it. He determines it purpose and usage and future. It is not random. It is not up for grabs. You can't take it all for yourself. You have no right to hoard it. You have no right to deny any thing of anyone. It's not yours. You didn't make it. In fact God made you. Therefore you are not your own and do you have the right to possess anything unless of course God choose to share what is his.

Listen to everyone.  "I saw it first. I worked for it. I was given it by my father. I want it. You don't deserve it. Give it to me."

To all that Jesus declares, "It's Mine!"

Now you have to negotiate with God. Claim it as your own and you are a thief and a liar.

But this passage goes on to then further undermine ideas of class, propriety, and common sense.

Who are Jesus partners in the confirmation of God's Kingdom intentions? Well, it was the twelve and a group of dodgy women with questionable backgrounds.

I can't tell you how excited I am by this royal kingdom of God decree as it were.

Every government sets out how it will rule in its manifesto and then confirms those intentions by appointing a cabinet or some other distribution of power and authority. These are the people the ruler is sharing his power with. These are the ones who are going to help him get it done.

So who is Jesus associating with? Who are the appointees in the Kingdom of God?

Uneducated, unknown, people of no account are Jesus' choice. He picked men and women both. He wasn't afraid of people with potted pasts or people ill equipped and unqualified.

And how was this enterprise going to get off the ground? Well it appears as though the creator of the universe and owner of heaven and earth was going to get things going by relying on the financial support of a few women who were until recently a bit loopy and slightly dangerous. Possibly worse yet one of them is funneling wealth from the treasuries of a rival ruling house.

Jesus wasn't worried about how people would spin things. He didn't need a PR person. Jesus confirms God's Kingdom by telling the truth and inviting anyone to be part of the gang who follows God's rule.

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Thoughts from a very encouraging friend, Kevin Bonardt

Hi Wm

 

These women had had their lives touched by Jesus. He had healed them and they were changed. And you can tell they were grateful.

 

It was unusual to have women follow Rabbis, but these women are not just following in terms of walking after Jesus, but are expressing their thankfulness in using their finances to support Jesus and his disciples. They are doing it without coercion. They are doing it as a sign of love and support and thankfulness. Their financial gifts are a sign of their worship, of their new-found relationship with Jesus, with the God who made them and has healed them. Their encounters with Jesus, and their listening to his word, have brought about a reaction that costs them, but it is a cost they gladly offer. And such is their example that Luke purposefully mentions them at the beginning of ch8.

 

And then, at the end of the section, we read...

 

 "Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”"
(Luke 8:19-21 ESV)

 

Jesus' family are those who hear the word of God and do it. And who are the examples of this? The women mentioned at the beginning of the chapter I think (in sharp contrast to the Pharisees, teachers of the Law, or Israel)

 

Kevin

(Kevin,)

I may not have expressed it well , but this is what makes me so happy about this passage! I agree entirely with what you have said about the passage and would like to include it as a addendum my blog today if that is ok with you, giving you credit of course.

Wm