Bible

Completing Scripture, Entry #6

/ Pastor Bryan Lowe

“And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:21

Jesus initiates the conversation, as He usually does. He is talkative without being irritating or tedious. “He began to say” is just the start, and He intends to penetrate our defenses with His words. As ‘hard-headed’ as we are, we desperately need a spiritual jackhammer. And Jesus promises to keep His word.

The Bible is ‘God-breathed.

It isn’t like any other book, it discerns “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12). There is nothing–absolutely nothing that remotely compares to God’s Word. It is the ultimate authority in the entire universe. By the Lord’s eternal Word all of creation came into existence. By His speech He changes our calloused hearts to be like His.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” 

John 1:1-3 

When Jesus stands up and reads, He ‘bonds’ His ministry to these scrolls. Both He and God’s words are fully connected with each other. He ‘fulfills’ everything that is written down in ink. The authority of Christ and the power of the precepts are fully cemented together. God’s wondrous work is truly seamless.

“I will answer for it, the longer you read the Bible, the more you will like it; it will grow sweeter and sweeter; and the more you get into the spirit of it, the more you will get into the spirit of Christ.”

-William Romaine


Let’s Consider What Jesus Said

/ Pastor Bryan Lowe / 3 Comments

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

John 21:25

Jesus explained the kingdom of God to people who were just like us. He spoke simply and directly, not at all like the Pharisees. He never made it complicated, or mysterious, instead he “simplified” things. He took theology and clarified it. His simple teaching was such that little children understood.

Many publishers print Bibles with everything Jesus said in red.

It’s that conviction that this website has been created–it’s the red ink that teaches God’s Kingdom to us clearly and perfectly. Jesus is talking about the nature of the reign of God. It’s good for us to consider, and put these teachings into practice

Good theology asserts that Jesus Christ is the “God-man.” The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the supreme Creator, and the one who holds all things together (Col. 1:15-17). Christians believe he is the second member of the Trinity. When he was born he still was God–but now with flesh!

I assert that this means that He deserves to be actively listened to, obviously, and carefully. What Jesus said must be considered in the light of who He is–if he’s really who we believe he is, his words are authoritative, and critical. After all, he is the one who guides the stars and planets and holds atoms together.

But it’s not that all the “black” verses are in any way deficient.

They’re not outdated or easily deficent, rather each of them finds a connection to a red-letter principle. The Old Testament promises look forward to a New Testament fulfillment. It’s been said by commentators that the OT is the NT concealed, and the NT is the OT revealed.

The “Sermon on the Mount” is a case in point.

There is simply nothing like this particular teaching in any work of man. (Shakespeare’s words aren’t even a blip on the radar.) Believers are those people who believe that Jesus Christ’s words are completely authoritative.

Moses climbed Sinai to obtain the Law from the Almighty, the Lord Jesus sat in the grass on a mountainside to teach. (Matthew 5:1-2). He opens his mouth and teaches his disciples the Beatitudes–those amazing verses that are the very foundation of God’s active rule in our lives.

He declares salvation and God’s profound love for us. He keeps sharing it over and over. He wants us to understand the Father, to be obedient to the truth, and live the Kingdom. What Jesus says will often shake us up, but they’re God’s clear will for us.

It’s imperative we take a closer look.

Your brother in Jesus,

Bryan

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The Whole Truth, #65

/ Pastor Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32, (context, vv. 31-47)

There’re several ideas in these two verses which absolutely have to be considered. They can’t be ignored, they’re essentially bedrock. I’m convinced the most astonishing things about God’s Word is that it’s alive. It’s far more than stark dark letters of black ink on white pages. It really breathes and moves in each of us who want to follow Jesus.

The Bible is alive–it has a heartbeat. It simply wants us to get out our spiritual stethoscope and listen.

We sometimes get confused about the word “abide.” It seems like a tricky word, and of course we’ll insist on complicating it, but if he is calling us to follow Jesus – the Word made flesh–means we’ll abide, (to live in, to dwell in, to make your home there) –in that Word. Disciples sometimes won’t do this out of fear of man, or they can’t because of unconfessed sin, or politics, or religion, or philosophy. They’ll become confused about this, and it’s painfully obviously to all.

Imagine, you find a lost wallet in the parking lot. Now what?

You open it to find ten 100 dollar bills! I’m convinced at that certain moment, the Spirit will speak what’s true. You really can rationalize it–possibly this is definitely God’s gift to me (!), or maybe we might look for the driver’s license in order to return this lost wallet to its owner. But it’s a moment of truth, and all of heaven is standing on tiptoe to see what you will do next.

“The truth will set you free.” Keeping the money, and ditching the wallet seems like a fine idea at the time, but it’s essentially a seductive trap. If you rationalize this, at this at this point, you’ll fail his test. Your freedom is at stake. What’s true, and what the Spirit is saying, is well on its way of being discarded. (A thousand dollars after all would truly be a blessing? Maybe I’ll tithe off it?)

And maybe the Holy Spirit wants to see what’s really in our hearts, and just maybe a minor angel planted it there, just to show everyone what see what we will do. And maybe it was accidentally dropped, which is probably the case. But what are you going to do? The longer you wait, the trickier it seems to get.

Are you abiding in the words of Jesus? He’s calling you to follow him–and he wants you to become intimate with the real truth, which is really him in the flesh. Disciples who are living out the life of Jesus will act like him. As “abiders” we’ll insist on making his decisions, and becoming truthful people–even if it seems like a disaster.

“Where I found truth, there found I my God, who is the truth itself.”

Augustine

Soul Food, Entry #14

/ Pastor Bryan Lowe / Leave a comment

“But he said to them, 

“I have food to eat that you do not know about.”

John 4:32, (context vv. 28-35)

Jesus states that He draws His strength from the Father’s will. His “food” is exclusively His own (not the ‘disciples’). He gains power from doing all that God is asking Him to do. Jesus’ personal strength comes from accomplishing or fulfilling that which the Father reveals as His will.

Why can’t we be more like Jesus in this? We have the daily option (and it’s indeed ‘optional’) to do the things that the Holy Spirit has laid out for us. Will we fulfill His will or do we decide to go our own way? What is our “food?” Where does our strength lie?

The Spirit reveals what God’s will is to our particular path. The decision to do the things He has laid out for us is necessary for us to grow up, to advance His kingdom, and to reveal God’s glory to a watching world. This is what we have been created to be. This is our truest calling.

His purposes are to be our food.

Doing God’s will can be optional, and a decision has to be made ‘moment-by-moment’ and every single day. Our precious time with Him, through prayer and the Word, quite often will lay out the direction we’re to take. We definitely need to hear His voice, that is critical. Becoming attentive and aware to His purposes reveal a true intimacy with the Lord.

Doing God’s will is the exquisite adventure of a faith that is really alive. Our witness blossoms when we decide that we will obey Him. I don’t think it needs to be dull or tedious. It’s the grand call of the authentic believer. Doing the things He wants for us is to be our “food” for each day. His will is our ‘nourishment.’

I believe this is what Jesus was teaching His disciples.

“If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

John 15:10, CSB