Commandment, Comprehension, Commission

 

Exodus 20:3 (NET) - You shall have no other gods before me.

These words are taken from the Ten Commandments.

In fact, this is the first commandment of the ten and its language is unmistakable.

There must be no confusion,

This is not a suggestion. 

This is a command directly from God.

God makes it truly clear that He demands to be first in our lives.

And the moment we put any person, thing or even idea above God, we practice idolatry.

Recently, we observed Trinity Sunday.

This celebrates the triune God.

But does this celebration violate God’s first commandment?

The simple answer is no.

For God exists in three persons.

God, the Father, has always existed and has created all things.

We are redeemed by Jesus who is God, the Son.

John 10:30 (NET) - The Father and I are one.

Working together, they sent us the one who makes us holy… God, the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 (NET) - But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.

Many heard the teaching of Jesus.

But some found His teaching difficult and walked away.

He then turned to the disciples who remained.

Jesus asked, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

John 6:68-69 (NET) - Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!”

Peter spoke for the disciples.

I like to think that he spoke for us as well.

Jesus is the word of life.

And it is the triune God that created, redeemed, and now continues to work within us daily.

And thus, we are equipped to fulfill our role in the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NET) - Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 1, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, July 8, 2022

God’s Will and New Life

 

I am posting this a bit early as I have one final class to teach on Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian who refused to take the oath to Hitler.

He also refused to support the state’s takeover of the church.

Initially, he and a few likeminded pastors created a new and independent church.

He was even asked to teach at one of its seminaries.

In time, this illegal church was shut down by authorities.

Through his brother-in-law, he learned of the atrocities being committed,

After much prayer and consideration, Bonhoeffer chose to become active.

He joined this resistance group.

This was not an easy decision to come to.

But Bonhoeffer did more than ask tough questions, he asked the right question.

“What is God’s will?”

He understood that the will of God might lie hidden within layers of possibilities.

Still, the will of God must be sought regardless of the complexity of the task.

Eventually, Bonhoeffer and his fellow conspirators were arrested.

When their roles became clear, the regime sentenced them to death.

Convicted of high treason, Bonhoeffer was executed on April 9, 1945.

Prior to that, he delivered a sermon to his fellow prisoners based on two verses of scripture.

Isaiah 53:5 (NET) - He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. He did this because He knew we could not accomplish this on our own.

1 Peter 1:3 (NET) - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

On the day of his execution, Bonhoeffer prayed.

He faced death calmly.

His final recorded words were: “This is the end – for me, the beginning of life.”

Like Bonhoeffer, we too must seek God’s will, even when the search proves difficult.

And we must share his view of eternity.

For death is not the end, rather, it is a new beginning.

A new beginning paid in full by Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 17, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, June 24, 2022