Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

72 come back after being pretty JAZZED about having authority over demons.  Authority that had been allowed and authorized by the ultimate authority Himself, Jesus.  He is the inventor of authority and invites us to share it in the home, in the politic, and in the workplace.  perhaps it is fitting that He shares authority over demons too.

How can they possibly be rebuked for that?  Perhaps not exactly rebuked, but re-oriented.  Jesus says there is something BETTER than that.  This has to be about a better perspective.

Rejoice not over that you have subjected the demons.
DO REJOICE:

• that you get your name written in heaven
• that you get to be rescued
• that you get ME
• that you get this abundant life with me now and later
• that your name is in the BOOK OF LIFE

Listen and be re-oriented with these 72.

Today we think about NEARNESS to the kingdom.  The Kingdom of God that is.
Generally, being NEAR TO THE KINGDOM is a good thing.  It is our only hope for dealing with our sin problem and our death problem.  It is our help for living in the now. 

But, if your heart is hard, then be prepared for judgment if you reject the Kingdom when it comes NEAR.  Greater proximity means greater opportunity and revelation, but it also means greater accountability and judgement.  To emphasize the seriousness of this warning, I think the scariest word in scripture is used:  WOE to you.  That is a word you never want to hear with your name attached to it.

The 72 are send out with a "portable Kingdom" of good news.  The KINGDOM BECOMES NEAR for those in certain cities.  Some believe.  Some reject.  The Lord proclaims then, "Woe to you, Omaha, you blew it when the Kingdom came near to you".  Oh, my prayer and plea today is to not let the Woe of nearness come to you when the Kingdom of Nearness comes to you.  Listen and be careful.

The KINGDOM has come NEAR.  

Ahhh.  The sweet gift of spiritual PROXIMITY.  
Ahhh.  The sweet gift of a peace offered but not forcefully bestowed.
Ahhh.  The sweet gift of miraculous HEALING and other confirming signs
Ahhh.  The sweet gift of choice, faith, belief, "free-will", and agency
Ahhh.  The sweet gift of JUSTICE
Ahhh. The sweet gift of OPPORTUNITY.

Good news:  The Kingdom will be swinging by later today and you have the opportunity to get on board with it.  There will be lots of blessings and some difficulties too.  You can hop aboard this Kingdom by faith and belief and agreement.

Bad news:  It is a Limited-time offer.  This Kingdom won't always be available.  The opportunity has an expiration date.

Listen and see if this is something you are interested in.

Jesus sends out an advance team of Kingdom expanders to the towns he is to visit.  He warns them that they are lambs sent out in the midst of WOLVES. Therefore, I am going to send you out UNSUPPLIED ( No moneybag, sandals or knapsack).  

So today is about what the Lord DID supply them with.  He gives them partners, He gives them a new VISION, He gives them a charge to PRAY and communicate; He gives them a WARNING about the wolves; and He gives them this gift of the Kingdom.

What struck me today is that He gives them the gift of HIMSELF.  It is my kingdom and It is my harvest but I want you to see it and participate in it.  The coolest thing is that he gives them a NEW NAME for Himself.  Humanity had been waiting what seemed like forever to hear about this.  We didn't even know that we didn't know this aspect of God.  God says I want to be KNOWN.  I want to be known IN THIS particular way.  Here it is:  I am LORD OF THE H _ _ _ _ _ _.  Listen and hear this unique, timely, and forever name of God.

There is a whole lotta revelation of God in John Chapter 10.  So what?  For just head knowledge?  For just conquering the chapter and getting it under our belt so we can move on? 

I'm pretty sure it's there not so we can "move on", but that we can be "moved upon" by it.  The purpose of reading the Bible is not to get through the Bible, but that the Bible can get through me.

Join me as we wonder in awe at the bigness of John 10. Here you'll find: Protection, presence, voice, unsnatchability, SCBB Scripture cannot be broken, Belief, salvation, being chosen, distributing justice and authority through us, even the ability to listen, and of course the Good Shepherd. 

I'd imagine there is enough here for an entire seminary course, though I don't know much about that.  What I do know is that there is enough here to wonder and worship and stand with my spiritual heart and mouth agape.  Flumoxed by John 10.  Gobsmacked by John 10.  Enjoying John 10.  Probably being enjoyed by God while I enjoy John 10. Listen and do this today with me.

Psalm 82:6 says, "I said, "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.""

The term "gods" in reference to humans is a little sticky. 

Look with me today at Psalm 82, all 8 verses, of it as we ask what might the Lord have for us in this gem? 

First, He is the big Judge, the big authority, and the big Divine. 
Second, the heart of God is for a certain group of people:  the weak, fatherless, afflicted, needy and destitute.
Third His desire is for justice, maintaining tramped on rights, rescue and deliverance. 
Fourth, men and women are his regents here and charged with special responsibilities.  This is one of the characteristics that separate us from rocks, bushes, and whales.  For a while, we bear HIS ultimate authority while we are here temporarily. 
Fifth, it is in this way of justice, rescue and deliverance that we best bear His image here.  In so doing, we represent God here an in a way could be thought of as 'gods'.
Sixth, God is going to Judge the judges and those holding authority here in His final sovereignty.  God will judge the 'gods'.

Listen to discover if you are a little 'god'!

Jesus is certainly not afraid of referring to the "hard" scriptures of the Old Testament.  Here, He references one of the two times that people are referred to as "gods" (small g).  That will certainly get your attention.

He notes that two things are special about people.  Here, He reminds us that it is we to whom the Word of God is given.  That is a quite special platform.  In addition, we live under and amidst His distributed authority.

So we need to be careful and to see what He wants us to see about being "gods" and being godly.  In what way are we most godly?  In what sense might we resemble our real God?  In what way may we bear a family resemblance to Him; fulfill the family duties; and bear the family's responsibility?  Listen and find out how we could just possibly be thought of as "gods."

Today I leave a Gift to my children, Grandchildren, and Great Grandchildren.  Those of this heritage can be both physical descendants or spiritual descendants.  What can I possibly leave now, that will be shiny, bright and effective and delightful 500 years from now?  

We can hardly even conceive of such a notion because we live in a world of decay and moths, and rust and entropy.  

But Jesus gives us the gift in a lesson that is only four words long:  Scripture CANNOT be BROKEN.  

When He uses its power in John chapter 10, the words He quotes are 1000 years old!  He pulls out a weapon that is 1000 years old.  Will it work?  Will the sword be sharp enough to do its duty?  Apparently, those words are as effective as ever because they STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS in their stoning Jesus desires.  Scripture cannot be broken.  SCBB

So looking forward 47 years from now dear grandchild:  
Are you weary? SCBB
Are you stuck in your sin?     SCBB
Are you marveling at creation and want to acknowledge the Designer?     SCBB
Are you in need of a Good Shepherd?     SCBB
Do you need to know the right principles of marriage or sexual conduct?     SCBB
Do you want to know what is the right relationship to your government?     SCBB
Do you wonder how other men and women have walked in their troubles?     SCBB

Dear Grandchild, trust Him today at His Word.  You will find it as shiny, as bright, as thrilling, as powerful, as effective, and as beautiful as I did in 2020, and as Jesus did in 32AD. Scripture cannot be broken.

Are you discouraged? Weary? Worried?  Then this wonder is for you.   God gives us a rich treasure in just 10 verses.  We find out truth statements about ourselves if we are believers.  (Perhaps if you are not, then today is the day for you to believe!). He tells us these truths:

• I have a shepherd
• My shepherd is GOOD
• I am part of a FLOCK
• I am KNOWN
• I am SPOKEN to
• I hear HIS VOICE
• I am in the hand of Jesus
• I am UNSNACHABLE from the hand of Jesus
• I am in the hand of the Father
• I am UNSNACHABLE from the hand of the Father
• I have ETERNAL LIFE
• I will never PERISH
• I have the only and GREAT GOD
• I am thought of and given in the heavenly places

Listen for this antidote to Discouragement, Weariness, and Worry.

It is always a good thing when the Lord helps you to "get stuck" on a passage.  Likely, He's got something there for you.  How about this one from John 10:10:

I came that THEY may HAVE LIFE...
AND have it ABUNDANTLY.

Step one. Step two.  Stage one.  Stage Two.
Step One I think is to BELIEVE.  Be saved.  Have faith.  Trust Him. Turn towards.
(Step One part B is that you get the PEOPLE of God to share life with)

Most of my thoughts today are in the Stage Two part.  I think this is the most attractive part of being a Christian, if you were to advertise it.  

• How about answering the desire for IDENTITY?  
• Of Belonging to SOMEBODY and to a PEOPLE?   
• How about being PROTECTED?  
• How about being so VALUED that something of infinite worth was exchanged for you?  
• How about being so KNOWN that perhaps He sends little personal treasures right down your Main Street just to delight you?  

Listen and see if this sounds as good to you as it does to me.