John 5:41-47

John 5:41-47 “I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

John 3:31-36 “The one [Jesus] who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Breakfast today courtesy of Mom with a few bits and pieces left on the counter by Dad as he left for an early appointment.

In a commercial for chicken nuggets some years ago, two little old ladies compared the difference between whole chucks of chicken and pieces compressed into pieces. Their conclusion resonated: Pieces are pieces. We might say, "People are people." Every human is unique in personality, style, and abilities; yet similar worldly distractions, circumstances of life, fleshly inclinations, and inappropriate choices plague us all. Prior to the Genesis account of the flood, we read: The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. (Genesis 6:5) While extolling God's greatness, Moses declared: He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. They [God's people] have acted corruptly toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation. (Deuteronomy 32:4-5) Jesus made similar indictments, especially regarding the religious elite with their stubborn and unregenerate mindset in rejecting God's plan through the Son. Had Jesus come in in his own name as an insightful teacher or passionate leader of men, they would have listened. Coming in the Father's name as Messiah, speaking only God's words, Christ faced abuse and total rejection. He rightly concluded: I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

Our world also elevates people rather than God, even in the "Christian" realm. Followers of Christ ignore scripture while proclaiming the wisdom and insights of mere humans over the wisdom of God expressed through the mouths of his prophets and servants who often faced death for their faith. In the flesh, humans hold onto their rights. We elevate our wants and needs over others: our spouses, children, friends, and strangers in need. We fail to love, cherish, and prefer others over ourselves. We prefer human wisdom when it confirms our own selfish desires and our false view that our terrible tragedies and circumstances validate our lack of faith and trust. Of course, as earthly beings, we falter, temporarily wander astray; yet God constantly calls us back to the sheepfold: to hearing his voice, receive his wisdom, follow his will, and accept his mercy and grace as sufficient for anything and everything.

What breaks the heart of God and brings confusion and chaos to the church is when believers perseverate in their stubborn belief that they are different and special compared with all of creation. Other Christians are more than conquerors through Christ; others find peace like a river in the desert and joy unspeakable in the midst of any situation; others believe faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; others have crooked places made straight and rough places made smooth through the great power and glory of our resurrected Lord. "God does that for others," we say, "but as for me, my pain is too great, my hurt is too deep, my situation is too impossible, and my struggle to intense for me to make it by faith." These are all wicked lies of the enemy to keep God's beloved children from rising out of the ashes of sin into the glorious light and love of God, into the kingdom of the blood-bought children of God who walk in the light as He is in the light: shining for him, speaking for him, loving for him, REGARDLESS!

I offer this profound bit of wisdom gleaned from the defunct comic strip, "Pogo": WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND IT IS US! If you think your troubles are so bad today that you might not make it, you are listening to a voice other than God's voice of triumph, hope, freedom, and victory through Christ's shed blood. When Jesus said, It is finished, He announced: the battle was over; there will be no more war! We have victory over all sin, death, dysfunction, pain, and sorrow. Read Romans 8: NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. All things are possible to those who believe; and nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible for God. Stop saying, "I know the Word says Jesus is the answer, BUT. . ." Eliminate the word "but" from all those statements of doubt, fear, and unbelief. Do not elevate yourself and your problems over the grace revealed through Christ our Lord. Do not frustrate the grace of God. He will keep loving you, seeking you, and speaking to you through the Spirit and the Word, but only YOU can enter into his rest by faith in his finished work. Today, Is it finished? Shout, YES: the victory is yours now and forever. Amen!