Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Welcome to a WAR OF DISRESPECT.  The people in this parable choose to go to war with God.  Then they ratchet it up to DEFCON 1 with more disrespect.  Then they ratchet it up to DEFCON 2 of disrespect.  Then they ratchet it up to DEFCON 3 of disrespect.

Finally, it is the LORD who ratchets it up to DEFCON 4 and destroys the bad guys.

When the people of the day heard this, they said of God, "SURELY NOT!".  In other words, they  said that "God is not like that," even though it was God telling them what God was like.  Whenever you hear of a DEFCON 4 story of God, the teller conveniently forgets the four ratchet steps from the bad guys to get there. Always.

So this is a story that asks, "Who do you think you are," and "Who do you think God is?"  It does reveal some truths about the real God, which we should worship and RESPECT Him for.  Let us listen respectfully.  Then follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BeWithMe.Us/?view_public_for=103915334842701

Two things charmed me about this passage.  The first was wondering about Jesus "preaching the gospel" to those hanging on His words in the temple.  I wonder what that was like.  I wonder what passages He used from the Old Testament.  I wonder what quotes He recalled from Himself and the years of His earthly ministry.  This is going to be one of my conversation questions in heaven:  What did you preach that Tuesday in the Temple?  Tell me that story!

The formal Jewish authorities called Jesus' authority into question.  Jesus addresses the heart of the matter by a question, as He so frequently does.  He recalls John the Baptist's authority and its source outside of formal channels.  They get the crux of the matter:  If Jesus really is an authentic AUTHORITY, or even the AUTHOR, then everything changes.  One owes Him allegiance, obedience and appreciation.  If He is regent, then we are His subjects. 

But here is my second charming:  Though the authorities had their undies in a crumple about RULES, what the AUTHOR is offering is RELATIONSHIP.  Who is this God who offers Himself in such a way?  Why does He care for and favor we the sons of men and women?  It makes me want to hang on His WORDS, and onto His Person too.  Join me please.

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The Lord introduces the possibility that we could do impossible stuff with our prayer life.  Or, should I say, our prayer RELATIONSHIP, because for me today, that was the key.

I'm picturing the relationship of the little Kid and the Iron Giant.  The point isn't can the KID lift a car.  The point is can the IRON GIANT lift a car, and what is the RELATIONSHIP of the Kid and the Iron Giant?  There is a lot of this picture in today's passage.

• having faith in the right object:  our IRON GIANT, God Himself
• being CONFIDENT in the relationship with the GIANT
• not doubting His abilities
• not doubting His character
• knowing He WANTS to give good things
• knowing He is SOVEREIGN and sees a bigger picture than me
• knowing Him well enough to be asking in the right way for the right things
• demonstrating that I understand my standing with Him by forgiving my neighbors

We will ask our IRON GIANT to move a car.  Join me in enjoying seeing the movement of the mighty arm of the IRON GIANT, I mean God. 

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Unfortunately, man is not "basically good".  If so Christianity would be unneeded.  The fact is we are all fallen.  We are all already and in the future under judgment and are on a "Highway to Hell."  We love the darkness.  We gotta get off this road!

Fortunately, you have come to the right place.  We have beautiful exit ramps today.  Jesus says it seven-ways-to-Sunday.  Receive. Don't Reject. Hear my words. Keep my words. Believe in me. See me. 

Today is a Mission Statement that reflects the core of Jesus' purpose.  It is a summary of the purpose of Jesus' life:  He is on a RESCUE MISSION to get these beloved off the Road they are on that leads to judgment of them.  Believe in Him.  Receive Him.  Hear Him.  See Him.  Then HE TAKES THE JUDGMENT.  We get rescued.  This is an amazing story.  Join me in awe.

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the glory of man > the glory of God

You gotta just love a Bible passage with a math equation in it.  (It is not the only one)

This is an uncomfortable reality for a group of people that we often 'give a pass' to:  BELIEVERS.  Right off the bat, we are told that the group that concerns us most today is BELIEVERS. 

They believe.  Then they do some wrong things.  Then they THINK some wrong things.  Then they TREASURE some wrong thing.  Then they do MATH wrong.  I am glad I don't know anybody like that.  JK.  I do, and I am.  You might be too.

We will be called to cherish the RIGHT glory today.  Revelations pictures this perfectly.  If you have a "crown", CAST IT DOWN. If we stand proudly, bow down.  Better yet, FALL DOWN.  Please listen and consider with me today. www.bewithme.us

Jesus is doing all kinds of fancy things.  Miracles.  The New Testament calls them SIGNS.  The Old Testament refers to the ARM OF THE LORD.  The point is that people are called to account for what they HEAR; for what they SEE; for what has been REVEALED to them.

So the account today is a group of people who wallowed in unbelief despite seeing the ARM OF THE LORD being in action.  They saw the power of God in action and...wait for it...nothing.  Or, perhaps even worse, all this revelation of God's hand and God's arm and God's Character and God Himself could result in a HARDENING in response.  Do people sometimes just plain REFUSE TO LOVE THE TRUTH?  Yup.  Happens every day.  Let's not let it be that day.

Sometimes the Lord can harden a heart and blind an eye to see truth.  Do you understand it?  Neither do I .  The part we can understand is what should my response be?  I think humility, and worship, and gratefulness, and trust, and mostly put my hand over my mouth.  He is sovereign.  He is good.  He is just.  Repeat after me.

Mostly though, the Bible speaks of willful, accountable, agency of people.  So today, if the arm of the Lord, or should I say WHEN THE ARM OF THE LORD is revealed, let's see it!  My response:  I LOVE the truth.  I HONOR His work. I TRUST His activity.  Listen for it now.

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Cam Jansen is a delightful early-reader series.  She is a young sleuth that has a photographic memory.  Early in each story, she "CLICKS" her photographic memory to remember details that will become important later in the story. 

That is exactly what happens in today's account about Jesus.  ⅔ of the way through the passage the crowd asks, "Who is this Son of Man"?  Ironically, the question is being answered as they speak by the Cam Jansen "CLICK" that they are already in.

In this image 5 days before his death, we find Jesus TROUBLED.  It might be my favorite part.  This detail shows us that Jesus is real.  Of course He is unsettled, there is a crucifixion ahead.

We also find Jesus, prayerful, decisive, purposeful, educational, prophetic and intimate.  The veil between the worlds is lifted and the Father speaks.  I suppose the Father often or always speaks, we just don't hear it.  In a future glory, this won't be weird at all.  He will always be speaking, and this very unusual for scripture event will be I hope daily.  I am impressed as to the BE WITH ME relationship of the Father and Son in this passage.

Finally, there is a call.  Believe.  Become.  Move.  Don't let the darkness overtake you.  Apparently, stationary spiritual objects are overtaken.  Enlightened spiritual objects move, walk and GROW.  To that end, come back tomorrow after you listen today.

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Today's Bible event reminds me of a kooky book THE RELATIVES CAME by Cynthia Rylant and with fantastic illustrations by Stephen Gammell.  It is a "Children's" book that adults will laugh out loud reading.  Distant crazy relatives come to visit and are warmly welcomed.  You are part of the family!  Welcome home! (The sleepover page is just visually HILARIOUS)

In the Bible, distant, different, distinct, scared, respectful relatives come to do what they are obligated to do in Jerusalem.  They WANT TO SEE JESUS.  Is He the Son of the God they have come to worship?  Apparently, their quest is taken sincerely by both the disciples and Jesus.  "I am here this week to save the world by dying the worst death possible, but I will have an audience specifically with these non-Jews."

So if you feel like some crazy relative visiting this foreign land of God, WELCOME HOME.  You are not the first to feel its strangeness.  You are not the first to request and entry into a kingdom that is quite "other."  The children's book is $4.79 on Amazon and is recommended.  The real story as distant relatives of Jesus are welcomed is PRICELESS and is HIGHLY recommended.  Get the book.  Get the "welcome home" you've been longing for by visiting God today. 

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Jesus cleanses the temple early in his ministry and then again during the last week of His earthly life.  This visit is one of judgment ...and insight.

Jesus claims to be God today by referring to the praise being given to God in Psalm 8 as being given to Him.  In fact he opens our imaginations a bit by saying INFANTS and under three year olds praise me.  Well, I happen to know a 2 year old and it is mind blowing that he and his junior partners in the nursery are praising Jesus to His great pleasure. Once again, children are our teachers.  Specifically, 2 year olds.

His temple is going to switch from being in central Jerusalem to being inside every believer.  I still think he is wanting that residence to be "a house of prayer."  At your funeral, will they say, "that gal was a HOUSE OF PRAYER."?  Let's shoot for that.  I think it would make God happy.

Finally, the scribes.  They specifically see "the wonderful things that Jesus did".  And then what?  Wait for it...INDIGNANT.  Wrong answer.  I think we could find a better answer than that.

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At the end of this podcast we will ask, "What GROWTH in me might PLEASE GOD the most?" We are going to give God the job of being an inspector and also being the judge.  Perhaps by the end of this podcast you will have something that is "on your heart" in conviction.  This is the fun part of being a Christian, for the Lord tells us HE HIMSELF is involved in that process.  Let's be cooperators with Him in it.

Some candidates for conviction could be love, joy, patience, self-control, gentleness, prayer, service, kindness, or generosity.  There are others.

And here is the greatest thing:  God could be pleased with our efforts and His workings.  God-could-be-pleased.  It is staggering to wonder about.  If we move today from a fruitless, cursed FIG TREE to the PLEASURE of GOD, then this will be a GREAT DAY.  

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