Who is the Inspiration of Christ Revealed To You?
Good Morning Friends,
Part of the answer is related to our personal history we live and part is related to our collective history that we observe. But to fully see we need to have faith in the story of our lives being part of a larger story…the story of Jesus. So if we have any hope of getting it right we must have both a personal and profound experience that is played out internally as well as externally. It is not good enough to feel love, we must demonstrate it and tell others about it. For in the telling of stories common memories are formed and we begin to see with new eyes. We begin to reason with our hearts. Friends, there are many things to be revealed but most important is who is revealed. And who it is, is you in a relationship with God. Who is the Inspiration of Christ Revealed To You?
Scripture: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (NRSV)
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NRSV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (NRSV)
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10-11 (NRSV)
Message: God speaks
to us in different ways. Even the
belief in the Trinity has always been a revelation. The point is that sometimes we need a revelation that we cannot possibly deduce ourselves. We need to be in relationship with a power and insight that is not ours alone. We get part from our family and part from our friends but there is a time when our faith must converge with the part of our life that is to be in relationship with the power of the Paraclete. There is a time we must learn by doing. And what Christ has entrusted to us in the person of the Holy Spirit is exactly that relationship that opens the door for us act out the love inside of us. Paul had a revelation on the road. Who are you? Peter a revelation on a lake. Do you love me? John had a revelation in a cave and wrote not about himself but of a vision of what God will ultimately do. And all of the revelations and visions in the Bible are connected to Jesus. All of them are connected to the revelation of Jesus we share in prayer and preparation to receive and share the truth. I have found that prayer is a process of first relationship, then respect, and reverence and reflection on God that ultimately results in a revelation. When Peter wrote today’s scripture, with the help of Silvanus, he was thinking and praying that Jesus, the sacrificed Messiah, the King of Kings, would be returning soon… very soon. We are to have that same sense of anticipation and immediacy in our life today. We are to live expectantly, responsibly… live to glorify the Lord. If you read all of 1 Peter it is clear that this epistle has a wonderful spirit that attests to the reality of the unity of believers in faith, hope, love, and good works. The writer also wants to let us know that we have a limited time to respond to the God initiated revelation made known though Jesus Christ. Once activated by the Holy Spirit we have a deadline to meet. This urgency focuses us on Jesus and helps to free us to pursue what God wants in our lives instead of us being tyrannized by our personal emotional demands. Nobody on earth knows all the details of what is going to happen when Jesus returns. Peter wanted us to know that, as we are waiting, everything good from God could be ours if we learn to think like Jesus. Listen to His message. God wants us to have it all, but to have the life abundant we need to be generous with the things God has given us. We need to be committed to each other. We are called to share God’s bright presence that is in us, loving each other as if our life depends on it, living as if there is no tomorrow because some day in this earthly life we will be right. Friends, Jesus is coming so, as we wait for Him, lets experience our unity as we serve each other with our God given gifts and talents inspired by the Spirit of Christ revealed in each of us. By God’s grace we are called to have Jesus Christ revealed in our life, from faith to faith as a way of life in relationship with Jesus…that we might be in God’s will. Only in seeking relationships of faith will we find revelation. Friends, doing without revelation is pretty worthless but understanding without doing may be worse. Choose the better way and discover the inspiration of Christ revealed in you. You have been blessed to be a blessing. Never forget the way is already in you so arise this morning and walk in it.
Pray we remember that revelation is more history than theology. Pray therefore we embrace the traditions and scripture of our faith emotionally and creatively. Pray we share our God given gifts and talents before it is too late. Pray we realize that both our internal nature and external experience of nature wants to announce that the revelation of Christ cannot be contained, chained or controlled. Pray we experience the true nature of Christ that sustains us,
illuminates our dark world, is the passage to the discovery of good things and cares for us just the way we need. Pray we are in relationship with the giver of life and the way of truth leads us through all of life’s difficulties and
connects us to the possibility of being unbelievably productive. Pray we realize that the Kingdom of God… Jesus… is the revelation upon which all revelation is based. Pray we are made though the testing, trial, blessing and revelation more like our Lord each day. Pray that we learn to love God, pray that we learn to love one another… responding to His revelation in our life with obedience to His law of love. Pray we know the tradition but live in the revelation.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 