Last night I was thinking about Matthew 6:14-15 (Message) which reads:

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

There is always this dance between you and God and we have the lead. It is what we do or do not do that enables what God wants to do for us and through us. The Message puts it just right in saying that we are the ones who cut ourselves off for God’s part.

We are forever connected to God as we are co-laborers together with God. Labor is a work intensive term involving action on our part. I often wonder what God would have done in my own life if I had done a better job with my part of the relationship. Foutunatly, everyday the dance is new, as is His grace and faithfulness. Everyday, today, is an opportunity to do my part.

The illustration in Matthew is one of forgiveness which will be our topic this coming Sunday. The power of forgiveness on our part not only impacts our relationships here but it enables us to recieve the forgiveness we need from God. Maybe you can find the time to pre-study this topic in preparation for the coming Lord’s Day.

Given that I’m 56 I was raised with the King James Version of the Bible and it is the source of any scripture I know from memory.  I love preaching from the New Living Translation because it actually is a translation, just in the language we use everyday.  I also enjoy reading the Message.  It is just that - a reading Bible not a study Bible.  I love the especially blunt and intense language that is used. 

I recommend you read Matthew 7 from the Message.  Jesus is speaking to important behavioral and character issues.  This one chaper of only 29 verses has the potential to be life changing and why bother to read the Bible if not to effect real change in our own lives.

Here is verse 13&14 don’t look for shortcuts to God.  The market is flooded with surefire easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time.  Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.  The way to life - to God! - is vigorous and requires total attention.

Do you know anyone that isn’t looking for a shortcut?  Doesn’t matter what the topic is we want shortcuts.  The secular and the religious market place is built on "formulas" that are surefire, easygoing and take nothing more than a part time commitment.  We are conditioned by our culture to look for God to be active in our lives in the same way. 

If you really want God at the center of your life Jesus teaches us that it will not be easy.  It will require total commitment.  As you read on in the passage you’ll find these words.  What is required is serious obedience. 

It will be hard to choose "serious obedience" because the crowds are all falling for the easy and spare time approach to God.  They are falling for preachers who sell the easy approach by their charisma not substance.  Read on and you will find, don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character.  Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say.

Take the time to give this chapter a good study.

I was talking on the phone today to our good friend Pastor Otto.  He shared with me five questions regarding taking personal inventory of our own lives.  As we talked I tried to write them down the best I could and maybe you will find them helpful.  I’m not sure if these are original with him or out of something he is reading.  Either way they’re good.

1. What do I celebrate?  What makes me laugh?
2. What causes me to lament?  What makes me cry?
3. Into whose life am I investing & why am I doing it?
4. From whom do I learn & what am I learning?
5. Is anyone holding me accountable?

We would all do well to take some personal time and work through that.  Another aspect of this he was sharing with me is looking at these questions in terms of "community" - others not myself.  For example do I celebrate just when I win? Do I cry only when I am on the loosing end of something? Do I invest in others or learn from others only for what I can gain from it? 

We all know that our culture is highly focused on a "what’s in it for me"  mindset.  As Christians how are we living our life around what is good for the whole.  How do we flesh that out within our New Hope family?

This morning I am reading Isaiah 53 from the Message.  I can’t write it all out here but it would be worth you getting your copy of the Message out and reading the whole passage.  It is the supreme record of the immense love of God and such a great example for all of us today.

Jesus suffered for nothing he did -  it was our pains he carried - our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us… it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him…

Jesus suffered for all not just some selected ones - we’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.  And God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him.

Jesus TOOK IT - listen to these phrases… but he didn’t say a word…he took it all in silence…he died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody…he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch

It was God’s plan - God’s way, and that is so obvious because none of us would see it as a plan at all.  But God’s way was and continues to be the way to life.  life, life and more life.

Reading this always reminds me of the love of Jesus for me and renews my appreciation and thankfulness but today I see even more meaning as I think of how I can apply and live this out in my own life circumstances.

There are times when (I) (you) will suffer for nothing we did ourselves.  God doesn’t give us the luxury to select the people we are willing to "take it" from.  It may be the people we have the least possible patience with.  Maturing in the Lord often requires us to take it in silence without thinking aobut our own welfare or personal defense.  And as we grow we come to see that yes, even this, is what God had in mind all along.  He designs life in such a way that we discover real life infused into our being when we learn to keep our mouth shut and "take it."

Out of that terrible travail of soul, he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it…

Today I am reading Hosea 12 (from the Message) which talks about the tribe of Ephraim and how well they felt they have pulled off "success" and keep their personal sin covered up.

(v8) look, I’m rich! I’ve made it big! And look how well I’ve covered my tracks: not a hint of fraud, not a sign of sin!

This is a pattern that repeats itself generaltionally among us humans. It is in this verse that you see that telling phrase - sold his soul to get ahead.

(12) Are you going to repeat the life of your ancestor Jacob?  He ran off guilty to Aram, Then sold his soul to get ahead,  and made it big through treacherty and deceit.

I wonder about that.  At what cost do we get ahead?  What do we sell of ourselves?  How good do we feel if we can keep the surface looking good inspite of what is really going on underneath?

As always God has something to say about the matter. (9) But not so fast!  I’m God, your God!

God lays out two important truths:

The first should be obvious.  Whatever seed we plant will come up to harvest. (14) now he has to pay for his life-destroying ways.

The other truth is less obvious but so vital to grasp.  Often the path you take is life is not the real you and most certainly not the person you have the potential to be.  God has something else in mind.  The passage says your real identity is formed through God-sent prophets, who led you out of Egypt and served as faithful pastors.

This really is the role God has given me to play.  My job is to be a faithful pastor that helps you form your real identity.  So what kind of person does God want you to be?  Is getting ahead more important to you?  Stop selling your soul because in the end it will not pay off.