Trading Places
“The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Abundantly – A few days ago Oswald Chambers’ devotional provided some sobering questions: “Is our attitude today an attitude that springs from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done? Is there a freshness and vigour in our spiritual outlook?” As I read those questions, I realized that my pursuit lacked the purposes of God. God’s purposes are life – abundant, delightful, fulfilled, exuberant, expectant, confident in His unwavering care. Boman reminded me, “According to Plato man achieves his acme when he absorbs and realizes in himself as much of the eternal world as possible; according to the Bible man achieves his acme when he becomes as he was in the beginning . . .”[1]
It seems a noble thing to participate in the eternal. It’s just not biblical. The Greeks looked forward into the mist, hoping to discern the ideal reality. Contemporary culture and scientific atheism turned that Greek hope for the eternal into a quest for planned progressive utopia. But the Bible looks in a different direction. It looks back to the Garden. “I came that they might return to the beginning where life was abundant.” The Garden of God’s delight is the end of the trail. Back to the beginning. If I am not moving back to the beginning, I am not moving biblically. I am lost on my way to a future that doesn’t exist. Genesis is my goal because I have already been there and I have no delusions about its purpose. I want to walk with Him again.
Biblical history is the story of one man in the company of God. All of us are in that place of perfect harmony when Adam walks with the Creator. We are not completely disconnected from this man who experienced God’s delightful life even if our relationship suffers corruption. We know what it means to yearn for the beginning. There is an emptiness, a purposelessness, in each of us. It has been there since we stopped conversing in the Garden.
In Hebrew thought, the world is not a container, a space to be filled with things. The world is an event in God’s purposes. It is the temporal manifestation of His conversation with us, on the way from beginning to beginning. God always starts what He finishes.
What, then, is this life that the Son offers? It is not filling ourselves with noble ideals, lofty insights or admirable values. We are not containers needing to be stuffed with divine ideas. We are sojourners in need of companionship. We are manifest conversation, listening to and obeying His speaking, becoming human. We travel toward the way back home. All freshness must come from this walk in the Garden where we know Him and are known by Him.
Topical Index: abundantly, life, delight, John 10:10
[1] Thorleif Boman, Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek, p. 175
I am the Good Shepherd
the Good Shepherd is the one who lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11
According to the great playwright and movie director, David Mamet, all heroes are modeled on Jesus Christ.
See Spartan, for example.
The apostle Paul (to some), Rabbi Shaul (to others), also had a goal (or purpose) in mind. As no prophecy in scripture is of any private interpretation, we also should have this same inspired goal: “that I may know Him.” Yes, brother Skip, not know about- intimately know “experientially.” Crown Him the LORD of life!- (who triumphed o’er the grave!).
I am grateful to Brother Lawrence and his trenchant work- “Practicing the Presence of G-d.” This was not just a made us imaginative story, but an actual reality in the life of this humble kitchen servant. He knew (up close and personal),- the joy of (from) the LORD.
Is this same “joy” present in our lives- right now? Stop, (selah) and ask, is my life, my world, my mind, my thoughts- marinated in the joy of the LORD’s presence here with me – right here-right now. After all, His name is (there is no “is”-right?) Emmanuel- G-d with us. (Names are a big-dot-deal in Hebrew- right?) We have over three hundred names to review and remember! Wow!- “What a mighty G-d (El Gibbor) we serve! (understatement of the year award!..)
I cannot give unto you what I do not possess. In order for anything to come through me, it must first come to me. I must (first) be “born again” to enter into a relationship with the unseen G-d (the Father) through Jesus/Y’shua HaMashiach the (now living!) Savior and (now) ever-present Friend.
Salvation/deliverance (as I understand it) is a three-part process.- It is also a crisis followed by a process. I have been saved/delivered from the penalty of sin. I am (also) being saved from the power (authority) of sin. Sin shall no longer have dominion over me. (Romans 6.14) (Hallelujah- praise His name!). And one glorious day- soon to come- I will be saved/delivered from the presence of sin and go to a custom-built palace, reserved in heaven for me.
(Meanwhile-“back at the ranch”)- John 10.10 is “happening now!”- It is G-d that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. He is the “push” and He is the “pull.” “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases”. Isn’t it wonderful to belong to Him?
Thanks to all who have made this cite possible. It is so very good. With so much that is being said and so much to work through because it seems we are more prone to lies than truth..is it no wonder when God give us the break through that it is like a breath of fresh air?
While doing our devotions this morning we were reminded again of Paul’s committment to the God of Israel: The True GOD. The joy is so evident in those who not only claim HIM but claim His right on every aspect of their life.Romans 15:21-33. What a beautiful thing..Joy and peace and rest according to our believing with living works following. That is why so many do not have it..due to unbelief. I may be off course here Carl and Skip but truly this is coming out of what you have both shared with this little “TYKE” in the faith. It is simply incredible as to HIS HOLINESS and how He has entered into or descended to the depths of hell(earth) for me a sinner. May HE be your blessing today and always.
Carol- just to let you in on a secret.. I also am a “little TYKe” in the faith. I (at 56 years young) have already (shudder!) ‘entered into’ my second childhood. The word of G-d says “be followers of G-d as dear children and walk in love” in Ephesians 5.1 and then on the “flip side” we are encouraged to “Watch you, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” So am I a man? or a mouse?- “squeak up!” LOL
Paul “nailed it” when he confessed (my confession also), “when I am weak, then I am strong.” I am today sister Carol, a G-d dependent creature. I cannot take a breath without His permission. “Without me, you can do nothing.” (John 15.5).
Now, how long it takes for each of us to come to this place of recognition and realization is a matter of how long we wish to remain miserable. Until we come to the place of (as Andrew Murray titles it):”Absolute Surrender” to the lordship of Jesus (who is the) Christ, we are just “spinning our wheels” and going nowhere really fast. He is LORD. As as we just learned recently- (in Hebrew thought) there is no “is!” Y’shua-LORD!! Amen!
Shalom … once again chiming in on older postings …. not by choice! 🙂
“Genesis is my goal because I have already been there and I have no delusions about its purpose. I want to walk with Him again.”
Skip … this theme is one that you have repeated numerous times in the past … and I do not disagree that the enigmatic journey we are upon mandates that we look back … like the prodigal children we are.
For purposes of clarification however it should be noted that things will not be exactly the same when we get home … because of Yeshua!
Let’s look a bit closer at “abundantly”:
Original Word: περισσός
Transliteration: perissos
Short Definition: excessive
From peri (in the sense of beyond); superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by implication, excessive; adverbially (with ek) violently; neuter (as noun) preeminence — exceeding abundantly above, more abundantly, advantage, exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, vehement(-ly).
Now just as Revelations consistently points us back while declaring what will be, we should take heed to what Yeshua reveals as life in abundance for the faithful:
Will eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of paradise;
Will not be hurt by the second death;
Will get a crown of life;
Will be given hidden manna;
Will be given a white stone with a new name upon it;
Will be given power over the nations, and they shall rule them with a rod of iron;
Will be given the morning star;
Will be clothed in white raiment!
Will have their name remain in the book of life;
Will have Yeshua confess their name to the Father before His angels;
Will be made a pillar in G_D’s Temple and never more will have to go out;
Will have G_D’s Name written upon them;
Will have Yeshua’s New Name written upon them;
Will have New Jerusalem’s Name written upon them;
Will be one/echad with G_D and bask in the eternal light that is the glory of G_D.
Ultimately we do yearn for that restoration … but because of the mighty and awesome works of Yeshua … we can expect one awesome and eternal home coming! As Carl likes to point out on occasion … “as it is written”! 🙂
“Will eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of paradise”
Hi Drew,
You have painted a very beautiful picture above.
But I’m not sure why the future tense is necessary.
Wasn’t the tree of life there for Adam in the beginning?
Of course Adam and Eve chose to eat from the tree of good and evil.
Seems to me that we have the same choice now, we just don’t live in the Garden.
If we want to restore the experience of the Garden, we must not eat the forbidden fruit.
We must be one with the tree of life, which is ALWAYS “yielding its fruit in season.” (Psalm 1:3)
Seems to me that Mark’s point in 11:13 is that Jesus is teaching us what has always been here.
As it is written in Psalm 1:
Happy be the man
who never follows the advice of the wicked,
or loiters on the way that sinners take,
or sits about with scoffers
but finds his pleasure in the Law of Yahweh,
and murmers his law day and night
He is like a tree that is planted
by water streams
yielding its fruit in season,
its leaves never fading;
success attends all he does.
It is nothing like this with the wicked, nothing like this!
….
….