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Posted on July 2, 2021 by beverlyeash

The book of Hebrews has always fascinated me. Written by an unnamed author, he (or she) writes to convince Jewish Christians living in Rome that Jesus is superior to the old way. Specifically, living according to the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant.

While I don’t want to write a commentary on Hebrews, it is important to have a bit of context. In short, Jews in Rome heard the good news of Jesus and turned to him as the Messiah. When they did that, the status they enjoyed as Jews was gone because Christians didn’t enjoy the same tolerance as those who practiced Judaism. Judaism didn’t threaten Rome, but Christianity did. In essence, these Jewish Christians contemplated turning back to Judaism and the worship of God through the Mosaic laws and customs rather than suffer for being Christ followers. The author writes to show them the superiority of Jesus to Moses, the New Covenant to the Old Covenant, reminding them there is no other way to God if they reject Jesus.

In chapter four of Hebrews, the author says this:

 3For only we who believe can enter his rest.

Hebrews 4:3

Toward the end of his letter, he references “the sin” that trips us up. He didn’t say “sins,” rather singular, “sin.” It is my understanding that the sin the writer seeks to expose is unbelief. These people were considering turning away from knowledge of Jesus and belief in him, to turn back to the forms and shadows of Old Testament worship, because life had gotten really difficult.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2

How do we do it? How do I keep going when life is really tough? By keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus! Notice what the writer says in the previous chapter regarding Moses’ strategy to keep going when life was difficult.

. . . He (Moses) kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. 

Hebrews 11:27c

Not only do I focus on fixing the wrong problem, I focus on the wrong solution. The problem is what I believe and the solution is Jesus. Fixing my eyes on what I cannot see to faithfully live in a world that is hostile may not be easy, but it is the only way to LIFE!

How about you? Does it seem possible that belief is the problem and Jesus is the solution? Have you fixed your eyes on Him?

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Posted on July 1, 2021 by beverlyeash

7But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

John 16:7-11

I have read this passage regarding the work of the Holy Spirit more times than I can count. I could quickly tell you what the Spirit’s role is according to this passage: convict the world of sin, of God’s righteousness and of coming judgment. But to be completely honest, I didn’t ever connect the next three verses with verse 8. Sometimes I am amazed by what I don’t see.

Jesus said the role of the Holy Spirit is to convict. Convict is to find someone guilty or to convince of error. He is convicting the world — showing them it is wrong regarding sin, righteousness and judgment. I am specifically interested today in the Holy Spirit’s role in exposing the sin of the world.

It stands out to me that the sin of the world is singular. Jesus didn’t say the “sins” of the world. There is just one. That is, the world refuses to believe in Jesus — refuses to believe he is God’s son; refuses to believe Jesus is salvation.

It also stands out to me that it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convince the world. It is not mine. Absolutely, I play a part in God’s work on earth. But I am not the Holy Spirit. Specifically, Jesus said we are to love one another.

34So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

John 13:34-35

Jesus never told his disciples to point out the sins of the world. He simply said we should love. It seems at times it would be so much easier to be the Holy Spirit than a disciple. It is my love for others that will prove I am his disciple, not any strong stand I take against something.

Besides that, I think I am too often concerned about the wrong thing. I want to fix the symptoms of the core issue. Lack of belief is the problem. The other issues are symptoms.

24“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

John 5:24

There is a song by Zach Williams that comes to my mind as I write. Perhaps it will help you on your journey today to live more like Jesus.

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Posted on June 30, 2021 by beverlyeash

As I ponder what it means to BELIEVE that Jesus is who he says, I am bombarded with emotion. First, I feel joy bubbling up from the deepest part of my being. He truly is who he says and he means what he says. I am rescued from darkness and secured for eternity! And I do a little dance around the kitchen!!

Right behind the joy, there is a sense of alarm. You see, I am reading a book entitled, “The God-shaped Brain.” It is fabulous and so intriguing. The author emphasizes how our beliefs not only inform our actions, but they impact which part of my brain works best and create pathways through that gray mass up there.

As I thought on that, I felt a sense of urgency to more carefully guard what I believe. Did you know that you don’t have to actually do something for it to impact your life? The same effect happens when you think it! Let me give you two examples. First, if a musician plays a piece of music in his mind, it will have the same impact as if he played it. Secondly, and Jesus said this, if a person thinks lustfully in her mind, it is the same as committing the act.

Astounding!! I cannot emphasize how important it is to guard your thoughts!

But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.

John 3:18-21

I will be honest. These verses have always bothered me. Perhaps I feel scolded when I read them. Whatever the case is, I want to see them in the way Jesus meant for me to understand. Applying my belief that Jesus is the Son of God and sent because I am deeply loved AND believing that Jesus did not come to condemn but to save AND believing there is no judgment against me when I believe — what is this saying to me?

Again, it is other reading that helped me cross this hurdle. I am also reading “Healing Care, Healing Prayer” to understand the journey from woundedness to wholeness. It is my experience and the position of this author that when we are wounded and hurting, we respond with dysfunctional behaviors that kill the pain, but are also most often sinful (evil). It is the design, desire and plan of the enemy (who is evil) to keep us in these behaviors, away from the light. At my darkest moments, I did not want to shine any light on what was going on inside. It was too scary. So, I hid. And the enemy helped me do that. He kept me afraid for a long time by affirming the shame I felt.

It was only when I came into the light that the darkness dissipated and I could see my way back into loving relationship with Jesus. Considering that Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, who was a religious leader and teacher, it is likely this had specific meaning to him. Sometimes it is religion that pushes me back into the darkness. The light is bright and we are accustomed to living in the shadows, if not the dark.

Jesus invitation of love is to come into the light. Don’t be afraid because, contrary to what the enemy is telling you, there is no judgment for those who believe! So grab my hand, let’s expose the lies and step into the light Jesus offers!!

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Posted on June 29, 2021 by beverlyeash

17God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.”

John 3:17-18

Yesterday we read that “everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Belief — that is the necessary ingredient.

Jesus goes on to tell Nicodemus he didn’t come into the world to judge it, but to save it. Then he shines the light on belief again. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him.

Belief. It is the key to eternal life. It is the key to skipping the judgment line. But what is it exactly? Is it mental assent that Jesus is an historical figure? Is it agreeing that Jesus lived a good life? The brother of Jesus, James, writes a short letter to the Jews who are scattered throughout the known world. He says this about mental assent —

19You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20How foolish!

James 2:19-20a

Obviously, it is more than agreeing there is one God or that Jesus existed sometime in history. Belief that Jesus lauds is be convinced, confident, trust in — an intellectual evaluation that changes the trajectory of a person’s behavior.

As I meditate on these verses, I ask myself one question. How does my belief in Jesus as the Son of God, here to save me not condemn me, change the way I think, speak, act — ultimately, live?

I met a man once who was convinced, he believed, there were aliens on earth. He told me how to find articles about it, he shared things he experienced. I read the material. I thought about his experiences. I believed that he believed there were aliens. But that belief did not change the way I live or think or act.

Imagine for a moment you are drowning. Gasping for air, you come to the surface and notice a boat coming toward you. Help is on the way!! The boat approaches but rather than helping you, the boatman criticizes you for being in the water at all. Judgment for drowning fills your ears.

It seems that is how I live sometimes. I think Jesus is here to condemn me, not save me. This scripture makes it plain that Jesus is here to save and all it takes is belief — confident trust — that he is the Son of God.

Take a moment today to mediate on this powerful truth. Jesus came to save you, not to condemn you! It’s the best news you will hear all day!

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Posted on June 28, 2021 by beverlyeash

If there is only one verse a child learns at some point in Sunday school, it is John 3:16. Considered to be the essence of the gospel in one concise statement, it is the gold standard.

16“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

John 3:16

Take a moment to notice the all inclusive, absolute words Jesus’ used in his concise statement of the gospel. One and only son – God didn’t have a dozen and Jesus was an extra. He was his only son. Everyone who believes – everyone means every, all – no one is excluded. Will not perish – another absolute phrase signifying that this is the result of believing. Eternal – something that goes on and on and never ends, another absolute.

We are encouraged to avoid absolute statements because, we are told, very few things are absolute. I do believe this is the exception. Jesus absolutely meant that he died so that everyone has the opportunity to live eternally in relationship with God.

There is more to what Jesus said that day to Nicodemus and it is equally powerful and yet dreadfully under utilized. Come back this week as I unpack a portion of Jesus’ teaching that evening. It will be encouraging and liberating. It might just change your life.

17God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 18There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.

John 3:17-21

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Posted on June 25, 2021 by beverlyeash

Here is one last question for you to consider this week. Perhaps it is the most important one of all! Jesus asked his disciples and he asks it of us as well.

18One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 19“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.” 20Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Luke 9:18-20

Who do you say he is? A great teacher? A compassionate man? A prophet? The Messiah? Lord? Savior? Friend? There is a quote from C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity, that challenges me to the core, causing me to step back and examine closely what I am believing and saying about Jesus.

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

In John the Apostle’s first letter, he writes concerning anti-christs – those who are against Jesus and say he is not the son of God. He uses strong language as he commends the truth to the young believers. Here are his words:

22And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

1 John 2:22-23

On more than one occasion, Jesus said he was God, was equal with God, came from God, that he was I AM. Prior to this, only Yahweh identified himself as I AM.

Again I ask, who do you say he is? Will you accept Jesus’ testimony about himself? Acknowledge him as God? Because there is nothing else left for us to do.

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Posted on June 24, 2021 by beverlyeash

There are times in my life when I’ve known something isn’t right. At one time it was my emotional well-being, other times it was my physical health requiring attention and sometimes I was in a bad spot spiritually. In every one of these situations, there was a juncture. Would I continue in a state of dis-ease or seek healing? It was a choice I had to acknowledge and make.

Jesus knew the importance of making that choice. He didn’t push his will or desire on anyone, even if it would be for their best.

1Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 2Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 3Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

John 5:1-6

Sometimes a person chooses to stay in her state of dis-ease. The road to health and wholeness seems long and riddled with complexity. The man at the pool of Bethesda certainly felt his healing was completely impossible. Yet, Jesus saw beyond the process to the end possibility. He was willing to do the impossible, if the man desired to get well.

I think he regularly asks us the same question. “Would you like to get well?” So how about it, do you want to be better? Are you tired of the dis-ease in your life? Ready for something better?

We all have the choice to make. What will you say?

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Posted on June 23, 2021 by beverlyeash

29As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31“Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Matthew 20:29-32

Do you think the blind men were tempted to answer Jesus’ question with a question? Something like, “Well, what do you think we want you to do for us? We are blind after all!”

I have a friend who is a quadraplegic. She was in a car accident when she was only 17 months old so she doesn’t remember ever walking. It has happened that well-meaning individuals, assuming they know what she desires, lift her from her wheel chair while praying for her healing and the restoration of her legs.

While it may be difficult for me to understand, she doesn’t yearn for strong legs as much as I think she might. She is a talented, independent woman who gives of her time, energies and resources in ways that amaze me. Her willingness to go to difficult places is inspiring.

Perhaps Jesus’ question isn’t that odd. Perhaps he knew something we don’t. Perhaps giving these men an opportunity to articulate what they wanted from him was more important than I realize.

What do you want him to do for you? Is it healing that you need? Or is there a deeper need unobservable from the outside? Give it some thought and then join these two men in crying out, “Lord, son of David, have mercy on me!”

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Posted on June 22, 2021 by beverlyeash

Anyone with children experiences a time when they encounter a mess – perhaps it’s a shattered dish on the floor, a bag of flour emptied in the pantry or a small child in the living room covered in baby powder. My favorite was the day I found my toddler son in the bathroom surrounded by feminine products that he had sytematically taken apart.

Most likely these findings spurred a question on the part of the mother (or father) that went something like this, “Son (or daughter), where are you?” “Why are you hiding?” “What did you do?” None of these questions required an answer because you, as the omnipotent one in the family, knew what happened. You didn’t need the child to answer the question for your sake. The child needed to answer the question for his/her sake. It’s a part of the healing process.

In Genesis, Adam and Eve have this same type of encounter with their Father God.

25Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame….7At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked.

Genesis 2:25; 3:7-10

I always marvel at this passage. God clearly asks Adam and Eve questions for which he already knows the answers. And yet, there is an important lesson to be learned. This is what I immediately notice in this passage.

God created us free from shame. Adam and Eve stood in a completely vulnerable state before God and did not know shame. Notice how their disobedience affected their relationship with Father God — they hid because they felt shame.

God still wanted relationship with them even though they chose autonomy over obedience to him. He sought them out, he gave them opportunity to come clean, he initiated an ongoing relationship even when Adam and Eve chose hiding.

His question, “who told you that you were naked?” reveals something about God. In essence he says, “I don’t condemn you. So who is doing this?”

It is human nature to hide when we choose our own way over obedience to parents or others in authority, including God. Shame comes along and encourages us to hide, telling us we are no longer safe. It tells us that we are a mistake rather than that we made a mistake. There is a huge difference.

Jesus does the same thing with the woman caught in adultery. Listen to his questions for her.

10Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11“No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

John 8:10-11

It’s the same scenario just a few thousand years later. Jesus asks the woman, “Isn’t anyone condemning you? Well, neither do I!”

Perhaps you are hearing the Lord call your name from the hiding place where you huddle down. Shame at your nakedness overwhelms you, so you’re afraid to answer. Be assured, he’s just going to remind you that he has already taken care of your guilt. He isn’t condemning you; he needs you to see who is. Go ahead! Answer his call. Take his questions. It will be the best thing you do today!

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Posted on June 21, 2021 by beverlyeash

9If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

Psalm 139:9-10

She was a daughter of the King. Her crown was in place, maybe just a bit crooked. The last few months had been tough so she took a rest by the sea. After all, He said even if she goes to the farthest ocean he would guide and support her. So she took Him at His word and set out.

One afternoon, while sitting by the sea, she wandered into the water. The day hadn’t been a good shelling day and she did love shells. So she prayed, “Jesus, can’t you send me just ONE conch shell?” After all, this beach often provided dozens!

Reaching down into the water, lifting out whatever came to her feet, she drew up a handful of shells. In her hand, there lay a conch shell. But it wasn’t colorful or shiny, rather worn white and dull by years of exposure to the salt, sand and sun. She immediately thought, “Well, you could have sent a pretty one!”

Just that quickly she heard His reply, “You didn’t ask for a pretty one.”

How often have I asked for something and, after receiving it, thought the very same thing … wishing for something different, wishing I had been more specific?

What does this say to you? How does Jesus want you to be more specific in what you ask for in prayer?

4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalm 37:4

14And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

1 John 5:14-15

Jesus often asked questions that seemed obvious. Yet he still asked the question. Join me this week as we explore the questions of Jesus. What do they teach you? How do his questions expose what is truly in my heart?

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