Monday, April 11, 2011

The Friendship of God has a Cost

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of Him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.            Luke 9:23-26

A long time ago, I realized the harder I tried doing what Jesus asks of me the more I failed. The more I worked at it the more I saw my limitations and short comings. I finally threw up my hands and said, “I can’t do it. I need help!” I had reached a crisis point in my life. Was I willing to push aside my pride and self-centeredness? Was I willing (as C.S. Lewis wrote) to tell them where to get off.


It was at this juncture (I am broken Lord and need your help) that I opened the doors and windows of my heart and let the wind of God blow through to restore, refresh, and recreate me. Only then, after His spring cleaning, did the Spirit of Jesus come along side to help me succeed where I had failed so many times before.

With His forgiveness, His resources, and His power I could start accomplishing what He asks of me:

a) “Deny yourself.” - His will be done not mine

b) “Take up your cross daily” – literally crucify (put to death) my pride and self-centeredness.

c) “Follow Me” – Do as he would do. See others through His eyes (Sacrificial Love).

We cannot be followers of Jesus until we abandon our self-centeredness and let the wind of God fill our sails. Bruce Cockburn sings, “I’ll be a Child of the Wind for the rest of my days” and from the lyric of Grandma Wickens’ favourite hymn it says, I feel the Wind of God today…”

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

What's in a Name?

My name “Michael” means “Who else is like God?” This is a rhetorical question with an obvious answer. No one else is like our creator!

What’s in the name of Jesus? Some called him Yeshua, (yesh-wa), others called him Eesho (ee-sa), and still others called him M’sheeka. These are just a few of the many names given to Him.

The name “Jesus” according to the Bible means “Savoir” or “God Saves”. “You will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21)

“Yeshua”, based on one author’s research means “Cursed one”. The long version, in Hebrew, is Yemach Shmo w’Zikro. Yeshua (y + sh + w) is a contracted form, supposedly shortened due to misconduct of the name-bearer. It means “May his name and memory be blotted out”. In Galatians 3:13 it says, “Christ redeemed (saved) us from the curse (guilt & consequences) of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

It is suggested that the Jewish name “Eesho” (originating from northern Palestine) means “Night Watcher” or “Nightly Visitant” “Esh” (a root of this name) means a bright northern star or the stars in Ursa Major, commonly called the Big Bear or Big Dipper. At the beginning of John’s Gospel it says, “In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” The “North Star” or “Polaris” has been a guiding light in the darkness to many travelers.

“M’sheeka” means Messiah. This name or title originates from the prophecy of the Old Testament which refers to the coming of a special one who will save His people,

Jesus has been given many other names: The Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, the Bright Morning Star, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, and so on. One of my favourites is “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” This provides background for understanding one of the key elements of the Christian faith. God has actually visited us. God-the-Son was somehow fully human and yet fully God at the same time. His name is especially important. “For there is no other name under heaven given to us by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

The instant reaction (to Acts 4:12) is often an accusation of narrow mindedness and intolerance for other faiths. I respond by saying, “I have searched diligently for more than 30 years. I am absolutely convinced that Jesus is the best revelation of God to the human race. This allows for the important concession that God can be partially revealed outside of Christianity and outside of religion. For I believe creation itself testifies to a divine designer.

What’s in a name? For me, everything! All that I have done and will do finds true value and eternal purpose through the name of “Jesus Christ”

While surveying the aftermath from Allied bombing, the post-war Chancellor of Germany said to Billy Graham, “Except for the resurrection of Jesus Christ there is no other hope for mankind”