Walking with God…

9.27-36.  I imagine that Jesus didn’t demand an audience with Moses and Elijah.  But as he prayed, His father reminded him of how he was the one to fulfill the law.  And that Elijah HAD already come (John the Baptist)…  that all was set for him to complete the task that He and the Father had planned together. The complete redemption of mankind form the tyranny of sin and death.  HE would fulfill the law, he would bring a new kingdom – encouragement, and focus was brought to Jesus as he faces a most difficult season.  Being misunderstood, judged, and killed – by the very people who had received the ministry’s of both Moses and Elijah.  the very people who had been called out by he Father… who had been Invited into covenant relationship.  Little did everyone know, that the Invitation was to go our way beyond the nation of Israel… but to all mankind.

9.37-45.  In this section on the disciples, we are shown here that the disciples had not yet moved into the place of their relationship with Jesus, or their understanding of the kingdom, that could affect things in the spiritual realm.  This does not surprise me.    What does surprise me is Jesus frustration with where they are at.  (If He is completely sovereign, in the sense of all knowledge and all power, then it’s suprising.  But… if Jesus is also fully human, it is not.)  Again, the immediate next passage deals again with Jesus explaining his path over the next weeks.  In contrast with his path, that he has fully recommitted himself to, he expresses his wish that the disciples were filled with faith, and made straight in their thinking, and in their hearts.  I guess this is nothing different from the heart of God expressed in the Old Testament… many times does God express His frustration with his people.  About their faithlessness.. their corruption of heart.  This actually links Jesus, to me, with the heart of the Father in the OT.

Jesus is already living in the truth of the kingdom.  His frustration has to do with the fact that his closest followers are not.  not yet, anyway.

9.46-50.  If there was any doubt about the disciples lack of comprehension about the kingdom, Luke gives us 2 more examples.  they are still sthinking in terms of greatness.  Jesus invites them to reassess greatness – to be the ones who look out for the smallest, the weakest, the least powerful.  And love them.  Serve them.  An invitation to spend your life on the ones that the world says are the least important.  And becuase the children provide the opportiunity to serve this way, they become the greatest.  They are the ones who usher us into living the way that Jesus  lived.  Who are the ones that provide the barometer of our spiritual comprehension.  They are the greatest.  Jesus was about to make himself the “least of these”… and identifies himself with the children. The small, the unrecognized, the disrespected..

And then he deals with the “in vs out” mentality of the disciples.  ’They are not one of us!! We should stop them!’    Anyone not against us, us for us.  We should not spend our time criticizing, prohibiting, pressuring others, who are NOT in our group, to stop.  Especially if what they are doing they are doing in the name of Jesus.  And I wonder, if Jesus looks with incredulousness at his own disciples – THEY could not cast a demon out.  But this guy, who is not even a part of the group, IS.  This other guy – he is living in the authority of the new kingdom… but those who would claim to be closest are not.  And John, in his passion to be the “special ones”, asks to shut the outsider down.

9.1-6  The disciples were sent out to declare what they understood, what they had already observed in Jesus life.  Power over demons, power over disease.  Jesus asked them to publicly own what they had seen in him.  In this he was preparing them to enter His kingdom, and preparing the people who heard the disciple’s message to receive the full message of the kingdom.   For people to  be able to respond to the Invitation, they need to be in a position to know that there IS an Invitation.  John the Baptist’s message – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.  Jesus message – “The kingdom is here, and I am here to inaugurate it… as evidenced by my power over evil, nature illness and brokeness.  And I invite those who follow me into the this kingdom also, and I share it freely.”   To the degree they understood, they were involved.  Jesus had still to bring them to the point to where they could even understand what the Invitation was… or Who was Inviting them.

Part of living in the reality of this new Kingdom is a reliance on the provision of the King.  (“Don’t take anything with you”).

9.10-17  Jesus displays more of this kingdom.  That He is the source.  The disciples were willing to use their own resources, their own efforts to serve the people… but Jesus said “No!  I’ll use what you already have, and you will see that all you need, you already have.”  The One who Invites displays again more of who He is.

9.18-27  Jesus now reveals Himself to them.  ”You are the Christ”.  So His identity is revealed.   but they have no idea what this means.  So, he begins quickly, by letting them know that part of being in this kingdom is the journey of giving your life away.  And He will go first.  Then he will Invite “anyone who will follow me” to the same path.  The Invitation is to find life by choosing to give it away.  Surrendering your right to rule your own life… instead discovering the joy that is ours if we allow God to be everything.

JEsus also gives a foretaste of the fullness of the Invitation.  That in the end, there will be a glorious consummation where the Invitation will be seen in it’s fullness.  It’s almost like Jesus can’t wait to see the day… and can’t wait to tell his followers about it.  But still, they cannot understand.  It is Jesus grace, that precludes full revelation.  He reveals to us what we are able to understand… step forward by step forward.  Leading us by a trail of breadcrumbs,, using the light that we already have, to expand our journey with Him.  Calling us to share what we know, and depend on Him.  And to rejoice with the opportunities that we have to give ourselves away, because these opportunities take us further down the road in His Kingdom… a deeper look at the Invitation.

1-3  Look who was following Jesus!!  not just the 12… but a group of women.  And these women not only followed, but provided for the ministry!  Jesus invite into his world, even those that were prohibited by religious law.  Not only following, but contributing.

4-15  We see 3 different players in this story.  God, the human heart, and satan.  The word of God, the gospel, is the same in every situation.  But it’s ability to produce life is completely dependent on the state of the heart that it encounters.  It’s not a problem with the seed… but a problem with the heart.  A distressing part of this story is that Satan takes away the seed from the heart that is hard.  The hardness of this heart makes it impossible for the see dto produce anything at all.  Another distressing part of this story for me is that the ability of the seed to produce what the gardner intended is directly dependent on the state of the heart that it encounters.  note however, that the seed is scattered everywhere.  Even though some will not respond.  God is not prejudiced to give it to some, and not to others.  He shares it with all.  The response of the soil to the seed, indicates the type of heart that is present.

The parable itself has the function of dividing the listeners.  It affirms the position of the listeners heart simply by the hearers ability to receive the teaching of the parable.  If the listener is unable to understand, then they are a part of this parable.  the hardened path.  If is a story of clarification.

16-18  I don’t fully understand these verses.

19-21  Jesus defines his family as those who respond to hearing the word of God with action.  These are his family.  His orientation is not pointed primarliy towards his father, not his earthly family.  He now derives his identity from his father in heaven.  And those who do the same, are his family. Because these also have his Father as their Father.  Jesus has become not just my Savior, but my older brother.  He is not just Lord of all,  he is family with me.

Jesus now begins to teach them about who he is.

22-25  Lord over nature, and creation.  The disciples have no idea who they are dealing with.  Who they are in the boat with.

26-39  Lord of the spirit world… including demons.  And the people’s response?  ”Please leave!”.  Fear.  How crazy that God incarnate would bring freedom to a man in the bondage of demonic possession, and the people would not want to know more about this.  That this man, Jesus, restores people to their right mind, and frees them from satanic oppression.  Interesting to note that it was the demons that Jesus rebuked… not the man.

40-56  Lord of illness. Lord of death.  The people (Jews) believed that illness like this was a sign of God’s judgement on them, or their family, for something.  And Jesus restores this woman.  He heals her, so that she may no longer have to wonder if God loves her… if she could worship Him with others.  She was no longer isolated.  She reached out in faith, and hope, and I’m sure, some fear.  Jesus wanted her to own it.

And Lord of death.  Jesus did not raise all the dead people…. but one day He will.  All of us will hear his voice, commanding us to rise up.  Jesus expanded their understanding of who he was.  Not just the Lord of the human body, dealing with illness.  But also Lord of death.  Able to command dead people back to life.

Jesus will constantly do this in our lives.  We have our limited understanding of him.  And  throughout our lives, if we will watch, with open eyes, we will understand more and more.  Be a,azed more and more

7.1-10  ”Not even in Israel have I found such faith…”  This guys wasn’t even a Jew!!   Interesting to note that in this case, it was the man who invited Jesus.  He approached Jesus with a sense of his own unworthiness… he understood Jesus authority, and he knew that Jesus was his servant’s only hope.  In many ways, this man embodies the faith that Jesus had hoped would arise in Israel.  Even now, I believe is possible, the Father is showing the Son that the gospel is for all peoples.  And showing the people that the Savior is for all people.  And the Son, responds to what the Father is doing, and recognizes faith.  This time, the Son responds to the man’s invitation.  JEsus goes where he is welcomed.  This story foreshadows Cornelius’ invitation to Peter (acts 10) where Cornelius invites Peter to tell him the gospel.  God heard the prayers of Cornelius.  Rev 3.20 also comes to mind.  Where Jesus is waiting to be invited into the church of Laodicea.  Standing at the door, knocking.  And again, where Paul is invited in a vision (acts 16) to come to Macedonia and share the gospel.  People, inviting the activity and good news of Jesus Christ into their lives.  Finally –  us – me – who remembers on a train almost 30 years ago, inviting Jesus to come and take residence within me.  Invitation.

7.11-17   Jesus now, reveals himself as  more than just a messenger to the gentiles.  More than just an authority over illness.  He has authority over death.  Interesting to note that Jesus response to the situation was one of compassion. Jesus reveals himself as a lover of people who are at the end of themselves.  (THe widow now has no means to be supported or protected in this culture, except for the mercy of the people around her – now that both her husband and her son are dead).  Jesus is not scared to touch what is ceremonially unclean.  For grace and power flow FROM him to overcome death and sin.  While we are overcome with sin and death, He is not.  Life is to be found in Him.  Without Him, there is only death.

7.18-23  John asks Jesus to soothe his doubts.  And Jesus does it.  JOhn asks Jesus to validate himself… please.  He needs hope

7.24-35  And now Jesus validates who JOHN is.  His role, his mission.  But the only ones to respond to John’s message were the ones who were considered the outcasts.  The Pharisees and the lawyers “rejected God’s purposes for themselves”.  interesting to note that God’s purpose for them was not destruction, but to be the shepherds of his people.  caring for them until the true Shepherd arrived.  God’s purpose for them was not destruction.  THey too were invited.  but the only ones to respond were the outsiders.

7.34-50.  The Pharisee evaluates Jesus.  The woman NEEDS Jesus.  The person who knows that they are desperate, finds a way into the presence of Jesus.  The one who evaluates, never knows their soul touched.  They are only offended.  The woman is cleansed by her proximity to Jesus. Remember – life flows FROM him. Uncleanness does not infect him.   Echoes of the cross are found here.  When the sin of the world is placed on Jesus, He overcomes it.   His life overcomes sin.  Sin does not overcome Him.  ANd today – whatever Jesus touches, is redeemed.  Whatever heart is touched by Him, it is given new life.  Whatever brokeness is addressed by Him, it becomes whole.  Thank you Jesus.

We have again the protector of the things of God… vs the one who invites the broken to experience the love of God.  the one  who is curious, vs. the one who is desperate.  The one who converses ( in order to validate) vs. the one who cries. A woman,  a sinner… unclean.  Her proximity, and knowledge of her need, were enough to move Jesus to declare that she had been forgiven of her sins.  Her shame was dealt with.  Her isolation from God was dealt with.  the things that stood in the way of her boldly and joyfull entering into the presence of almighty God was now removed.

She was invited.

6.12-16  Jesus invites 12 men into his company.  to walk intimately with Him.  To spend their energies and their time following Him.  And then, even within the 12, there were 3 in particular that Jesus invited into a deeper intimacy with Himself.  Jesus draws sinful people to himself, and invites them to follow him.  The 12 he picked were not the “best” that religion and culture had to offer.  But rather men who were outside of the established religious structure.

6.17-19  The people knew that they needed what Jesus had.  And he didn’t with-hold from them.  Inviting them into a taste of wholeness, as they sought him out.

6.20-26  When life is not all you hoped it would be, you become aware of a greater Invitation.  It opens your eyes to a different reality.  So – those who experience this need, are indeed blessed.  In contrast – those whose lives are going well are worse off.  Because they become unaware of their need to respond to this Invitation to kingdom life.  When you are rich, you don’t know you are poor.  When you are full, you don’t know you are hungry.  When people speak well of you, you don’t look to God for approval.  But rather are satisfied.  You miss the Invitation.  It’s completely the opposite to what everyone thinks.

6.27-36.  And then the Invited life – it’s also completely the opposite of what everyone thinks.  It actually looks a lot like the way God treats us, before we even  know that we are Invited.  ”Because you will be children of the Most High God”.  In other words – when you live like this, you are displaying family traits.  Our security is in Him.  Our needs are met in Him.  No on else has power over us.  Our lives will be firmly rooted in God-Invited-reality.

6.37-38.  This is not a way to manipulate God.  rather, it describes his discipline upon us when we stop acting like the Invited.    His judgement upon us is meant to bring us back in to the Invited life.  He kindly shows us when we have stepped out.  He works in and around us to keep us in the space of the Invited life.  He loves us.

6.39-40.     Be careful whose invitation you accept.  Be careful who you follow.

6.41-42  The Invited life is a life lived with a sensitive awareness of its own faults.  Then we can also invite others – but not from a position of pride or having “arrived”.  But rather, the Invited invite others into a better place from a heart that is humbled, and aware of it’s own need.  Not from a place of imagined superiority.

6.43-45  You can tell who is living the Invited life.  It’s pretty obvious.  Listen to their words.  Watch their life.

6.46-49   At some point, life itself will be our teacher.  If we have sensed our Invitation, responded in kind, then living form this foundation brings a security that even the disasters of life can’t shake.  But when we build on something else, some other foundation, then the disasters of life will have graced us with another invitation.  the Invitation to build on who Jesus is, what he has done for us.

In context – Jesus here meets and affects a paralytic, a leper and a tax collector.  All 3 despised by their culture.  Two for being “cursed” by God by something they or their parents did.  The third is despised because of personal choices he had made.  The leper, in particular, is special becuase he has the ability to make “unclean” whatever he touches.  It’s also the basis for the Pharisees problem with Jesus hanging out with ‘sinners and tax collectors’.  In the old covenant - these guys were right.  For whatever these unclean people touched, became unclean.  Uncleaness always flows to whatever it touches. Except for whatever touched the altar.  The purity and power of the altar (representing the presence of God) would overcome the uncleanness of whatever or whoever touched the altar.  Jesus is demonstrating His deity.  At the same time, he is opening the doorways to the outcast (leper, paralytic and tax collector) to intimacy with God.  His healing of these people, and his fellowship with them, displays the heart of God for those who are outside.  Jesus very life  displays the Invitation.  His healing power is an expression of who he is – the One who opens the door to intimacy with God… the Invitation.

The Pharisees saw themselves as the guardians of the law – protecting IT from abuse, bringing people into compliance with IT.  Jesus saw himself not as a guardian, but as a walking Invitation.  He looked at people – as harassed and helpless – needing to be IN.  The Pharisees looked at people as a problem, because they kept diluting the precious law.  Jesus, saw people as the object of his affections…  And because of his love of people and love of God, sought to bring people in (Invitation); the Pharisees, from a law centered world, did their best to keep people out.  The object of their affection was the law.

With healing the paralytic, Jesus authenticates himself.  And then with Levi, states his missions, “I have come to call the sinner”.  Invitation.

Grace-based invitation does not fit into law based righteousness.  People who Invite, will not fit well with people who protect.  In fact,  to try and dwell together in the end goes badly.

The response of law protectors is usually anger when their law is broken.  Galatians says that the law was meant to protect the people until the time of the Invitation.  And now it is time.  The people who are outside are entering into wholeness, by the touch of Jesus.  The things that kept them out are being healed by Him.  He reaches out to them.  He makes a way for them (in their own eyes) to see that they are now acceptable in God’s sight.  He removes the thing that stood in the way of them knowing that they are loved.  The previously excluded, are now the Invited.  And now, those who exclude, are refusing the Invitation.  But they are invited too.  (Luke 15)

Jesus declares his ministry “open”.  Quoting Isaiah 61, he states clearly that he understands himself as the Messiah.  It will be a ministry of declaring freedom, granting wholeness/healing… a declaration of the Lord’s favor.  And this message starts in the synagogue – right after his time of temptation in the wilderness. He apparently had been to the synagogue many times before.  Yet today was the day of declaration.  Today was the day where it begins.  How many times had he sat there and wanted to say something,  but did not?  Maybe hundreds.

The invitation is clearly stated.  It is an invitation that includes inclusion (the poor are always marginalized), freedom, healing,  and blessing.

Isaiah 61 ends with God’s stated intention that this blessing be for the whole world – not just Israel.  And in fact, Jesus here says that his invitation is more likely to be better received by those who are not of Israel.  The declaration of this made them furious.

Interesting to note that the very next line in Isaiah 61 declares God’s judgement – “the day of vengeance of our God” – and Jesus does not include it.  It is not yet a day of making things right (the essence of judgement) – but rather a day of declaring that God’s invitation is now being issued.  In the end of all things, God will make all things right.  His judgement is just, and can be trusted.  This current ministry of reconciliation is something that we have been invited into by Jesus.  The church, as God’s people, are to be a group that embody the life and ministry of Jesus.  A redeemed community, authorized, empowered, to declare the day of the Lord’s favor.  To seek and save that which is lost.

Luke then describes Jesus authority – over the spirit world, and over illness.  He has the right to say what he is saying!

Jesus calling of Peter – an amazing display that had Peter convinced that Jesus was someone special, someone holy.  And he started with an awareness of his own sinfulness.  A humble, needy man, that Jesus reached out to, and invited to his mission.  And his mission was to bring many people into his kingdom.  Even in Peter’s call are the seeds of his understanding of Jesus mission.  And Peter was just a fisherman.  Not a learned scribe, or Pharisee.  Jesus invitation would start with common people.  Peter recognized something incredible, someONE incredible, and left everything, and followed Jesus.

Jesus heals a leper – and now this man can be included in the community worship.  He is no longer isolated.  The thing that excluded him has been removed.  Jesus passion is not just the mans healing, but his inclusion in the covenant people, that he too may worship.  Leprosy was a sign of some sin in the eyes of the people.  And Jesus healing demonstrates his ability, and desire, to reach out to those who had been outcast by society.

Jesus withdrew to desolate places to pray. This ministry of invitation, of opening up access to the Father for those who were excluded, came from a place of fellowship WITH the Father.  He was inside the Father’s affection.. and the scandal now is that Jesus invites others to join Him.  The Invited, becomes the Inviter.

John the Baptiser  (JB) starts the ball rolling by preaching a baptism for the repentance of sin.  God, through John, is preparing the way for Jesus to usher in the next phase of this message.  In order for restoration to occur – intimate relationship – then an admission of what “is” must occur first.  Repentance involves an admission of what is, and a confession that things are not what they should be.  Personal ownership of our situation is the key to this critical step. In order to accept an invitation to this new life, we must first start by acknowleging that we are not living in the reality of this invitation.   Jesus always starts here with us.  He knows where we are.  And only asks that we “see” where we are… We cannot start this journey to “living loved” until we are able to admit to the current state of affairs in our spirit.  That we are alienated, and without hope.  Isaiah even helped prepare the nation of Israel for JB.  His was a role of preparing.  (interesting to note that later JB would struggle with doubt about who Jesus was).

The sin of presumption (3.8) will rob us of God’s invitation.  And if we refuse the invitation, then we have forfeited our purpose for living (3.9).

3.10-14.  Repentance looks different for everyone, but it DOES involve generous living (instead of selfishness), honesty (instead of cheating), and integrity (instead of using your power for your advantage)

3.15-17  JB starts them thinking about the coming Christ.  He is doing his job, faithfully attending to what God had given him to do.  And he points to Jesus – Jesus high position relative to himself, and points to Jesus divinity (fire – points to the symbol of God’s presence in the tabernacle in the wilderness).  A part of the Messiah’s mission is to “gather the wheat into His barn”.  He gathers people to himself.  But those who refuse to be gathered will have forfeited their life to judgement. And judgement is in essence, God making things right.

3.18-20.  Being a part of God’s gathering, preparing people for the ultimate invitation, cost John his life.  Just like it cost Jesus his life.  If we are to be involved in sharing the invitation, it will also cost us ours. (Lk 9.23)

3..21-22  Jesus starts his public ministry by identifying with, and authenticating, Johns baptism (repentance).  Then follows a personal validation of love from His Father.  Interesting to note that the Son is approved even BEFORE he does anything.  Anyone wishing to share in this ministry of inviation starts at this point also.  Knowing that they are accepted and loved by God.  As the Son endorses JB’s ministry, so the father endorses the son at the beginning of his ministry.

3.23-38.  It is important to Luke to show Jesus lineage to Adam.  That Jesus is not just the hope for the Jews (cf Matthew who traces it back to Abraham) but that he is the hope for ALL peoples.

4.1-15  The temptation:  So much to say here… but I’m just wanting to reflect on the passage from the perspective of a theology of invitation (TI).  If Jesus stumbles here, he disqualifies himself from being the means of our invitation.  Jesus here clarifies a couple of things:

• A life lived in response to God’s invitation will depend on God to meet his/her needs.  Also – that what really satisfies the human spirit is not physical satiation of need, but the word of God.  Our invitation is to this reality.
• Looking to someone, something, anything, other than God himself for our life anchor (and definition of what’s real) is to miss out on the invitation.  If someone else (ie Satan) really has things in his control, then the invitation of God is not that big a deal.  But an invitation to life from the One who holds all things is an invitation into a truly full life (John 10.10)
• Testing God invalidates the invitation.  For if we need to test Him, we have decided that He needs to prove his trustworthiness.  And an invitation from a God who must prove Himself to us cannot therefore be trusted.  The invitation only becomes EVERYTHING to us if it comes from a God who IS everything, and completely trustworthy.

If Jesus fails here, his mission is lost.  He has stepped out of the life that God intends for all of us to live.  Interesting to note that all of Jesus quotes here are from Deuteronomy – the book that was given to Israel to show what it meant to be God’s covenant people.  Even back in Duet., God had a covenant of invitation in mind that He wished to have with his people.  The blessings of living in this space, vs the curses of not.  God already is defining the space that He wishes His children to live in.

I’m going to follow the outline/structure to the book that is given in the ESV study Bible.  And so we start with the “Infancy Narrative” – Luke 1-2

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Luke 1 :

Zechariah encounters and “angel of the Lord”, in just the [lace that Zechariah would expect to… at the rhs of the altar of incense.  There could be absolutely no doubt in Zechariah’s mind who this was, of who they represented.  God made sure that there was no possibility of mistake on Zechariah’s part… or the people.  Yet even with all of this context, Z still needed reassurance that God could and would overcome the physical limitations that age produced. For all the people were outside praying (not sure what they were praying about) but when he came out of the small room mute, they also had no problem insisting that he had been visited by a legitimate messenger from God.    The angel prepares the way for John… and John prepares the way for the Messiah.   And the Messiah prepares the way for the Holy Spirit to indwell His people.

John will be recognized as set apart to the Lord (no alcohol) and will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the task that is given to him.  The people are set up for John – through the prophecies concerning Elijah.

Elizabeth – as reinforced by her culture – was dealing with the “reproach” of being childless.  even though she is decribed as being righteous, in her mind there was a cloud of condemnation that followed her because of her lack of ability to concieve.  And who knows?  it might have actually been a physical problem with Zechariah?!!  Yet poor Elizabeth, becuase of the cilture, and the time, was forced to bear this reproach – even though you and I know that to not be able to have children has nothing to do with God’s favorable disposition towards us.  (A lot I could say here…)

Even mary dealt with a troubled heart when the angel appeared.  Shame?  Guilt?  Fear?  Jesus has changed this for us.    In Mary’s magnificat, we already see traces of the theme that Luke pursues, that this Messiah is to be for those who feel that they have no place at the banquet supper of the lamb… that this Messiah is for the outsider.  that those who feel entitled will actually be brought low, humbled.And those who are already humbled by their circumstances, and are from the place of privilege, will find themselves at the head of the table.

Zechariah describes his understanding of this invitation – deliverance from those that hurt us; serving God without fear; knowledge of salvation; deliverance from fear; demonstrating God’s tender mercies; giving light to those in darkness; guiding our feet into the path of peace.

Luke 2:

God orchestrates circumstances/history to set up the fulfillment of OT prophecies concerning his Messiah.  God sets up the circumstances of our lives that His invitation can be most clearly and appropriately displayed.  So the messiah would be born in a manner that validates his credentials to the Jews.

But the first announcement was to shepherds!!  The outcasts of society.  God is already expressing his invitation, his delight, to those who are outside of the establishment.  ”fear not” are the first words.  Not what you would have expected.  Establishment Jews would have expected possible a lightening bolt to fry these guys.. they were definitely unrighteous, and unclean. And so they respond to the invitation.  The first responders.   the first worshippers.

Simeon was waiting – and the spirit was upon him.  The spirit was theone enabling him to wait.  His declaration (2.32) declared that this child is not only for the jews, but also for the Gentiles.    And others apparently were wiaint also.

Lord God almighty – the God who seeks us out and invites us into intimacy with yourself – thank you that we can trust you to set up circumstances.  That you are Lord of history – and our lives – that you can take our positions in life, and create circumstances so that your invitation to life, to your kingdom, can best be proclaimed.

Just a quick thought on how God doesn’t answer our prayers, but meets our needs…

And I’m not talking about physical needs.  Or emotional needs.  Or financial needs.  But rather our need to know Him more intimately… for our hearts to be more at home in Him, and for Him to be more at home in our hearts  (John 14).  For our life is to found in Him.  The Lord is our Life.

Like the Levites, God is our inheritance.  Not the things that he gives.

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So – when life’s pressures start to build up in certain areas, I will pray.  Actually, I pray best when I’m hurting.  And I might even fast.  :)

I ask God to intervene.. to fix the situation.  And I pray, and I pray.

And God – the sneak – instead of acting upon the situations, and the people that I want Him to… begins to work on me.  And changes the way that I interact with the problems, the people, the situations that are causing me angst.  And changes the motivation behind my desire to see these things change.  And causes me to find my joy in Him, not in the positive  out-workings of my “problem” situations.

1.  Unacceptable situation ———————– > ME

2.  ME  ————————— > GOD ———————- > unacceptable situation

3.  GOD ————————- > ME ———————— > unacceptable situation

Be careful what you pray for!