Commitment for Time and Eternity
The Jewish morning begins with the “Modeh Ani” (“I thank”) prayer, which expresses the worshiper’s gratitude for another day of life.
Translation: “I thank Thee, living and eternal King, for Thou hast mercifully restored my soul within me; Great is Thy faithfulness.”
The presumption here is that worshipers entrusted their spirit to the Almighty for safe-keeping the previous evening. Many observant Jews use the phrase, “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Psalm 31:5) at the end of their evening prayers. The entire Psalm reads:
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
Be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
It is interesting that verse 5 is the same verse that Jesus cried out while dying on the cross (Luke 23:46). It is highly likely that Jesus, in his agony, was reciting this part of the psalm from memory as He faced the greatest challenge of His incarnate life.
The Hebrew word translated “commit” in verse 5 has a meaning that is much closer to “I deposit” – which necessarily signifies a future “reclaiming” of the thing deposited. In Hebrew the unequivocal meaning of this verse is the temporary submission of one’s spirit into the hands of God – giving it into “His custody,” with the definite intention of receiving it back.
It makes perfect sense that Jesus would quote this particular psalm while hanging on a Roman cross.
The original verse from Psalm 31: 5 Jesus was reciting from Hebrew, gives a simple, but significant insight into the words of Jesus on the cross. The words Jesus uttered were nothing less than a declaration of His great Israelite faith. He was confident that as He deposited His soul into the hands of His Heavenly Father, He would surely get it back at his resurrection. What happened three days after His death proved that Jesus did not hope in vain.
Learning the Language of Love – Part Two
Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. I John 3: 18
The language of love is a sign language.
Jesus, “the Word,” was full of “grace and truth.” Every grace act and every truthful utterance is spoken in the language of love.
Grace is God’s kindness and favor shown to people who don’t deserve it. Are you willing to do kind deeds and bestow favor on persons you know don’t deserve it?
Kind words are the music of the soul. They have a power which seems to be beyond nature, as if they were some angel’s song that found its way to earth. No person has ever been helped or corrected by sarcasm — crushed yes, if the sarcasm is clever enough, but never drawn nearer God.
One of the greatest things you can do for your Heavenly Father is be kind to some of His other children.
I John 3: 17 precedes our text with this explanation of showing kindness and favor: “Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
The active language of love demands we share our substance.
Visual grace needs to be complimented by verbal grace. Do you know how to speak the language of love with grace? So many people don’t know how to pay a compliment without including in it a barb. Others don’t know how to comment without having a cut in it. I speak to many hundreds of people a week and find few know how to be gracious.
Jesus was the “Word … full of grace and truth.” The Bible tells us to “speak the truth in love.” Sometimes this mandates silence. Love prompts us to remain silent at times.
Linus asks Lucy: “Why are you always so anxious to criticize me?”
Lucy: “I just think I have a knack for seeing other people’s faults.”
Linus: “What about your own faults?”
Lucy: “I have a knack for overlooking them…”
We speak the language of love when we reverse that and overlook the faults of others while working on our own.
Often the spoken word is intended to deceive while contrary action is planned. Jeremiah 9: 8 describes this: “Their tongue is an arrow shot out: It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he sets his ambush.” Speak the truth in love.
“I love you,” can be one of the most encouraging and motivating expressions uttered.
“I love you,” can be one of the most deceptive and damnable lies spoken. As a lie it is a plea and ploy to lower the drawbridge of our heart to allow a traitor entrance.
“A flattering mouth works ruin” (Proverbs 26: 28).
Most problems in life are caused by the tongue. There is no easier way to sin than with speech. The tongue is in a moist place where you can slip easily.
Learning the Language of Love – Part One
Little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. I John 3: 18
Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13: 35). This was His litmus test for love.
The Bible or New Testament has been translated into all of the world’s major languages. The entire Bible is translated into a total of 293 languages spoken by 90% of the world’s population. The New Testament is available in another 618 languages. However, there are still 300,000,000 million people with no portion of Scripture in their language. Currently 3,000 Bible translators are working on 1,400 translation projects hopefully to be completed by 2033.
However, there is a strategic translation that needs to be made by you which only your friends will read. It is the language of love.
Therefore, “…let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (I John 3: 18).
Let that reverberate in the echo chamber of your heart.
“A light that doesn’t glow,
A spring that doesn’t flow,
A seed that doesn’t grow,
All are analogies of a faith that doesn’t SHOW.
The Bible says, “God is love.” That might have been doubted until “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us””(John 1: 14). That was show and tell time. Jesus told us of the love of God and then went to Calvary and showed us the love of God. Like Jesus we must combine words and deeds.
“In this is the love of God manifested toward us, that God sent His Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (I John 4: 9)
With reference to Jesus the Scripture says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (I John 1: 14)
The Greek term translated Word is “Logos.” Logos was a term used at the time by Philo which meant “all that is known or knowable about God.” That is Who Jesus is. He is “all that is known or knowable about God.” He made it known by grace and truth. Grace was His style and truth His speech.
His very actions were the expression of the heart of God the Father. In essence, our actions are a language. What we do is what people hear. What people see is what they hear.
Love is a language which the blind can read and the deaf can understand.
You speak the language of love without opening your mouth when you write a note of encouragement, help someone perform a difficult task, bake a cake or cookies, take in the neighbor’s paper when they are away, open a door, give a cool drink on a hot day or a warm drink on a cold day, share a mutual sorrow, or give a love offering to meet a spiritual need.
A kind look, a thoughtful act, or a warm smile can be ammunition for a friend fighting his unseen battle. Observers of speech estimate that approximately 75% or more of our message is communicated nonverbally or in the tone of our voice.
Walk the walk and talk the talk.
God Bless America
A reporter for the New York Herald sat on a ridge overlooking a strategic battlefield at Cedar Creek in the un-Civil War. General Grant had named General Philip H. Sheridan to lead the army cavalry of the Potomac to defend the area. Little Phil, as he became known, was eleven miles away in Winchester when the battle broke out at Cedar Creek. Observing what appeared to be shaping up as a rout by the Confederates, the reporter wrote, “I am witnessing the awful disillusionment of the United States of America.”
Sheridan rode at a gallop the full eleven miles to the conflict. As he rode onto the field of battle, at his side he had a simple banner with a star thereon signifying his command. As he rode, he shouted, “Here is Sheridan. Sheridan is with you. Follow me and we shall save the Union,” They did, and they did.
As painful as it is to say it, there is no more whistling in the dark, we are again “…witnessing the awful disillusionment of the United States of America.” I can’t believe I am saying that. Neither can I believe it is true, but without a dramatic turnabout it is looming. It has happened to many great nations throughout history. The pallbearers that carried away the corpses of many great societies await another. The Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Hyksos, Greeks, and Romans have all ruled over one great nation, Egypt.
Apart from a great social, political, cultural, and spiritual revival our destiny looks bleak. We are divided into so many special interest groups, whose own interest is preferred to our national interest, that we are coming apart. We are polarized without bridges of understanding. Distrust, bitterness, hate, and deception are the norm.
As in a dark hour in the life of ancient Israel every person does that which is right in his own eyes.
As on that battlefield at Cedar Creek a leader is needed on our battle field. It must be a man of the Lord’s own choosing. Historically He has on occasion used as His principal agent a person not of faith in Him, but one who endorses principles that are of Him.
Nations reach a tipping point. At times the tipping point and the end have been synonymous. At other times they have been separated by time. America appears to be reaching the tipping point. Are we civil enough to perpetuate a civil society?
May the yeast of innate goodness in the heart of America rise as never before. From sea to shining sea may the chorus rise as a prayer, “God bless America,” knowing He will when we profess He is the “Great God our King.”
Change Can Be Constructive
Jesus specializes in new creations. I know, I am one. Change is vogue. No generation has seen more change faster than ours. It is said human knowledge doubles every 17 days. In that environment don’t plan on maintaining the status quo. Especially when the status is nothing to “quo” about.
All of us are instinctively resistant to change for two reasons. One is explained by a Greek word and the other a well known English word.
The Greek word is homeo/stasis. “Home” means the same. “Stasis” means “to stand” or “be the same.” Put together they mean “to stand in the same place,” or “I do not want to change.”
The Lord has built into every one of us a clock. When we reach a certain age we don’t want to change. Between the ages of 17 and 20 the body clock goes off and an inner stubbornness to personal change occurs. It is clinically called “internalization of identity.” At that point in life we become resistant to change.
The English word describing why we are reluctant to change is emotions. Emotions are feelings that are loyal to past experiences and decisions. Emotions are an enemy to change.
Change, even from worse to better, causes inconvenience. It is impossible to make people secure amid change. You can only help them feel less threatened by it.
Amid such sudden and dramatic change what is a person to do?
Resolve to develop your core values.
Raytheon is a company that developed many of our high tech guided missiles. Their theme is: “Excellence begins with fundamentals.”
In the Christian life contentment and character begin with fundamentals. In an era characterized by a crisis of emptiness the reason can be found in an absence of core values among people. Inconsistency and uncertainty result.
Memorize Scripture so you can apply it in times of crisis. Often people say, “I can’t memorize well!” Oh, yes you can if properly motivated. How would you respond to the request to memorize a meaningful chapter of Scripture such as the Sermon on the Mount? How would you respond if told you will be given $10,000 if you memorize the Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps, “Ex-cussse me, I’ve got to start my memory work.”
If you know the value of Scripture memorization you will do it. Base your core values on the Word of God.
Start by memorizing and resolving to live by such as these: John 3: 16, Colossians 3: 23, II Peter 2: 5-8, Psalm 23, Numbers 6: 24-26, Philippians 2: 5 – 8.
Start slow, but stay with it. You can do it.