How He Lived
Simply put in The Jesus Style:
A child is nonthreatening. If we are to follow the footsteps of Jesus and represent Him correctly, the
world must be no more threatened by us than we would be by a child. The nonthreatening
childlikeness of Jesus intimidated no one. Children were comfortable around Him, which even a
surface observation would tell you could not be so without His own childlikeness.
A child isn't good at deceiving. Part of being like a child is to be humble, to be real. You can tell
when children are happy or when they are sad. Deception is not compatible with childlikeness, love,
or Jesus.
A child is innocent. I keep trying to earn the acceptance and forgiveness of God. Until I accept this
forgiveness and innocence, I will minister to others out of guilt and my own needs rather than being
free to be totally oriented toward them, sensitive to them, serving them.
Isn't this true? He lived as a child. Easy, simple, humble, awake, and aware. " 'Let the little
children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to
you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.' And
He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them." Mark 10:14b-16
VcJ,
donna
Simply put in The Jesus Style:
A child is nonthreatening. If we are to follow the footsteps of Jesus and represent Him correctly, the
world must be no more threatened by us than we would be by a child. The nonthreatening
childlikeness of Jesus intimidated no one. Children were comfortable around Him, which even a
surface observation would tell you could not be so without His own childlikeness.
A child isn't good at deceiving. Part of being like a child is to be humble, to be real. You can tell
when children are happy or when they are sad. Deception is not compatible with childlikeness, love,
or Jesus.
A child is innocent. I keep trying to earn the acceptance and forgiveness of God. Until I accept this
forgiveness and innocence, I will minister to others out of guilt and my own needs rather than being
free to be totally oriented toward them, sensitive to them, serving them.
Isn't this true? He lived as a child. Easy, simple, humble, awake, and aware. " 'Let the little
children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to
you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.' And
He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them." Mark 10:14b-16
VcJ,
donna
about Jesus . . . page three
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| Mark 7:20-23 And Jesus said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." |
| Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. |
| Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. |
| Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. |
| Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
| Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. |
| Hebrews 9:12, 15 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all. And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death. |
How He Treated Others
God is Love. We've heard that so many times. One problem with saying that, is that we really don't
fully understand what love is these days. One of the main things our Enemy has done to destroy the
work of God, especially in the last century, has been to taint love. Love has become something we
make, sell, and seek in all the wrong places. We tell others that we love them, but love is not
something we say. It is something that is lived out.
As D.C. Talk would say, "Love is a verb."
One of my pet peeves about today's society is that, for whatever reason, we're not free to love our
friends as our Lord Jesus loved His friends. If we're seen holding our friend's hand, and that friend
happens to be the same gender as us, people start to wonder. If we're single women (and especially
if we're past forty and single—oh, the horror of it!), but yet we have close friendships with other
women, yep, we're labeled that L word.
One of the things I struggled with greatly back in the late nineties when I first tried to attract the
attention of a publishing house to my Christian novel about two women who met during Operation
Desert Shield (the story that later became Wounded Healer, the fiftieth best-selling Christian book
in July, I might add . . . ahh, but I do digress), was being told the relationship between my two
female characters (yes, Chris and Erin) was too intimate. "There's too much female-female
interaction going on. I'm wondering if your readers will think these characters are lesbians," was
how one reviewer put it. Would people read the book and think Chris and Erin were "in a
relationship" so to speak? Well, duh! They were!!! And they still are!!! That relationship is
called FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!!!!
Oh, but don't even get me started. ; )
Jesus loved His disciples. He loved everybody. He even loved those uppity Pharisees whom He
usually ended up warning the rest of the people about. "Don't be like them," He said often. Even as
His heart cried out, "Oh, please turn from your hard-heartedness and come to Me!" It broke His
heart when they turned away, scoffing and unbelieving. It literally broke His heart when they hung
Him on that cross. But even after they killed Him, they still could have been forgiven and saved . . .
if they would have only turned from their sin and believed.
Jesus could have used force to make those Pharisees believe. He could have called down a
bazillion angels to free Him from the cross, wipe out those hard-hearted buggers, and destroy the
entire planet. But He didn't. That wasn't His nature.
He could have forced His disciples to believe the truth. He could have killed them off, one by one,
if they entertained a doubting thought. But He didn't. That wasn't His nature.
This was His nature—and it still is. His gentle invitation is one He still offers us. "Come to Me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn
from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is
easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.
If there's a flicker of hope burning inside us, He doesn't stomp it out because it's so small and
feeble. He gently blows on it, encouraging it to spark into a flame. If we need to feel loved, He
doesn't say to us, "I love you. Feel that." No, He takes us in His arms and holds us, gently
embracing us so we feel His warmth, His concern, and His love.
When He touched others, it was never for selfish gain. When we touch others, oh that it would be
His love pouring through us—pure, sweet, and undefiled by the Enemy. If that love pours out
through us, it doesn't matter what anyone says about it.
God is Love. And we are God's. His Love pouring out through us is friendship in its purest,
sweetest form.
And that is irresistible. Just like Jesus.
Vaya-ing con Him,
donna
God is Love. We've heard that so many times. One problem with saying that, is that we really don't
fully understand what love is these days. One of the main things our Enemy has done to destroy the
work of God, especially in the last century, has been to taint love. Love has become something we
make, sell, and seek in all the wrong places. We tell others that we love them, but love is not
something we say. It is something that is lived out.
As D.C. Talk would say, "Love is a verb."
One of my pet peeves about today's society is that, for whatever reason, we're not free to love our
friends as our Lord Jesus loved His friends. If we're seen holding our friend's hand, and that friend
happens to be the same gender as us, people start to wonder. If we're single women (and especially
if we're past forty and single—oh, the horror of it!), but yet we have close friendships with other
women, yep, we're labeled that L word.
One of the things I struggled with greatly back in the late nineties when I first tried to attract the
attention of a publishing house to my Christian novel about two women who met during Operation
Desert Shield (the story that later became Wounded Healer, the fiftieth best-selling Christian book
in July, I might add . . . ahh, but I do digress), was being told the relationship between my two
female characters (yes, Chris and Erin) was too intimate. "There's too much female-female
interaction going on. I'm wondering if your readers will think these characters are lesbians," was
how one reviewer put it. Would people read the book and think Chris and Erin were "in a
relationship" so to speak? Well, duh! They were!!! And they still are!!! That relationship is
called FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!!!!
Oh, but don't even get me started. ; )
Jesus loved His disciples. He loved everybody. He even loved those uppity Pharisees whom He
usually ended up warning the rest of the people about. "Don't be like them," He said often. Even as
His heart cried out, "Oh, please turn from your hard-heartedness and come to Me!" It broke His
heart when they turned away, scoffing and unbelieving. It literally broke His heart when they hung
Him on that cross. But even after they killed Him, they still could have been forgiven and saved . . .
if they would have only turned from their sin and believed.
Jesus could have used force to make those Pharisees believe. He could have called down a
bazillion angels to free Him from the cross, wipe out those hard-hearted buggers, and destroy the
entire planet. But He didn't. That wasn't His nature.
He could have forced His disciples to believe the truth. He could have killed them off, one by one,
if they entertained a doubting thought. But He didn't. That wasn't His nature.
This was His nature—and it still is. His gentle invitation is one He still offers us. "Come to Me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn
from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is
easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.
If there's a flicker of hope burning inside us, He doesn't stomp it out because it's so small and
feeble. He gently blows on it, encouraging it to spark into a flame. If we need to feel loved, He
doesn't say to us, "I love you. Feel that." No, He takes us in His arms and holds us, gently
embracing us so we feel His warmth, His concern, and His love.
When He touched others, it was never for selfish gain. When we touch others, oh that it would be
His love pouring through us—pure, sweet, and undefiled by the Enemy. If that love pours out
through us, it doesn't matter what anyone says about it.
God is Love. And we are God's. His Love pouring out through us is friendship in its purest,
sweetest form.
And that is irresistible. Just like Jesus.
Vaya-ing con Him,
donna
How He Positioned Himself
Being last. How so totally opposed we are to that in our human nature. We always want to be first.
And why not? Being last is degrading. There's no honor in being last. Being last simply means we
have to wait longer than everyone else to get what we want. Being last means we have to endure the
long line of people who get to go before us—we can only stand in line watching helplessly as
people are served before us. How horrible!! Especially in today's hurry-up, self-centered world.
Being first. How so totally opposed Jesus was to that in His nature. He who lived to serve others
never worried about being first. He believed that being first relegated others to lesser positions. If
a line formed, He let it. Then He quietly worked His way to the back so others could be served
first. And standing there, in line, He didn't stew about His position because He purposely chose it.
He simply stood and watched those around Him, pleased to see them in their more honored
positions. I would even bet He talked to those who stood just in front of Him, also, basically, at the
end of the line, and tried to turn their minds away from the discomfort of standing there, at the end of
the line, waiting for everyone else to be served.
You know He could read their minds. What a scary thought, huh?
Being first or last falls under the realm of one word: competition. In all the competitions we've
been a part of, was there ever a reward given for the person who finished last?
Gayle Erwin in his book The Jesus Style (the book we've been more or less reviewing for the past
few weeks) says it like this on page 94: "Competition, by its very nature, is self-serving—the very
opposite of the servant, self-giving nature of Jesus."
Wow. Is he saying all competition is wrong?
Well, think about it. Think about it as Jesus would think about it. In His eyes, what's the most
important activity we can engage in? Loving others, perhaps? Building our faith? Living our faith
out? Allowing Him to live His life through us? Now, how can any of these things be put into a
competition? How can any of these things be measured or even judged?
Gayle goes on to say, "To belong to Christ is to be a winner as far as eternity is concerned. Any
activity that does not enhance that reality but instead reinforces the common human feeling of being a
loser does not fit within the pattern of the nature of Jesus. ... If we love others the way Jesus does,
we will rejoice so much in seeing them achieve and enjoy the position of being first that we will
hardly notice that in our efforts to help them, we turned up last. This is the result of the totally
others-oriented servant."
I guess we can say that at least one good thing has come out of competition, or that spirit of
competition that so pervades our human nature. It was only after the disciples spent time arguing
about who was the greatest in the kingdom, that Jesus set them straight—teaching them about the very
nature of Himself, the One who is, most definitely, the greatest in the Kingdom of God. In these
teachings, we can easily see exactly who Jesus was. And in seeing Jesus, we see the Father.
This is how we know our loving, others-centered, servant-hearted Father God. Through His
greatest-in-the-kingdom Son. The only totally others-centered, servant-hearted human being who
ever walked this earth.
Where will you find this Man? Look at the back of the line. He'll be last. And liking it.
VcJ,
donna
Being last. How so totally opposed we are to that in our human nature. We always want to be first.
And why not? Being last is degrading. There's no honor in being last. Being last simply means we
have to wait longer than everyone else to get what we want. Being last means we have to endure the
long line of people who get to go before us—we can only stand in line watching helplessly as
people are served before us. How horrible!! Especially in today's hurry-up, self-centered world.
Being first. How so totally opposed Jesus was to that in His nature. He who lived to serve others
never worried about being first. He believed that being first relegated others to lesser positions. If
a line formed, He let it. Then He quietly worked His way to the back so others could be served
first. And standing there, in line, He didn't stew about His position because He purposely chose it.
He simply stood and watched those around Him, pleased to see them in their more honored
positions. I would even bet He talked to those who stood just in front of Him, also, basically, at the
end of the line, and tried to turn their minds away from the discomfort of standing there, at the end of
the line, waiting for everyone else to be served.
You know He could read their minds. What a scary thought, huh?
Being first or last falls under the realm of one word: competition. In all the competitions we've
been a part of, was there ever a reward given for the person who finished last?
Gayle Erwin in his book The Jesus Style (the book we've been more or less reviewing for the past
few weeks) says it like this on page 94: "Competition, by its very nature, is self-serving—the very
opposite of the servant, self-giving nature of Jesus."
Wow. Is he saying all competition is wrong?
Well, think about it. Think about it as Jesus would think about it. In His eyes, what's the most
important activity we can engage in? Loving others, perhaps? Building our faith? Living our faith
out? Allowing Him to live His life through us? Now, how can any of these things be put into a
competition? How can any of these things be measured or even judged?
Gayle goes on to say, "To belong to Christ is to be a winner as far as eternity is concerned. Any
activity that does not enhance that reality but instead reinforces the common human feeling of being a
loser does not fit within the pattern of the nature of Jesus. ... If we love others the way Jesus does,
we will rejoice so much in seeing them achieve and enjoy the position of being first that we will
hardly notice that in our efforts to help them, we turned up last. This is the result of the totally
others-oriented servant."
I guess we can say that at least one good thing has come out of competition, or that spirit of
competition that so pervades our human nature. It was only after the disciples spent time arguing
about who was the greatest in the kingdom, that Jesus set them straight—teaching them about the very
nature of Himself, the One who is, most definitely, the greatest in the Kingdom of God. In these
teachings, we can easily see exactly who Jesus was. And in seeing Jesus, we see the Father.
This is how we know our loving, others-centered, servant-hearted Father God. Through His
greatest-in-the-kingdom Son. The only totally others-centered, servant-hearted human being who
ever walked this earth.
Where will you find this Man? Look at the back of the line. He'll be last. And liking it.
VcJ,
donna
How He Traveled
Luke goes on to tell a bit of what happens at the "Last Supper" after Jesus washes His disciples' feet
and says things to them like, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought
to wash one another's feet," and "Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his
master," and "One of you will betray Me." What does Luke include in his gospel that the other
writers don't? Oh, only the fact that the disciples were arguing. Again. And what were they arguing
about this time? Oh, the usual. Which one of them was the greatest.
Hear it from Luke's own words in chapter 22, verses 24-26. "Now there was also a dispute among
them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, 'The kings of the
Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called
"benefactors." But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as
the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.' "
Most of what Jesus says here we can understand. Except for that "as the younger" part. Just what
does that mean?
Actually, Jesus is referring to "the younger brother." In that day, firstborn sons held all the power
and authority in a family. They were quite often the sole heirs to their fathers' fortunes. Younger
siblings were often left to fend for themselves. They were left in the position of having to wait and
accept whatever came down to them after the firstborn son received the best things of life.
No wonder most younger sons were considered rebels. The system of life they lived under basically
oppressed them. Success depended upon their own abilities and the mercy of others.
Interesting, then, that Jesus would say we should be as the younger. Gayle Erwin even goes as far as
to say, in his book The Jesus Style, page 90, "Any power or advantage we have that is not handled
as if we were the younger is a violation of the nature of Jesus. Since, in Jewish tradition and law,
the elder brother received an extra portion of the inheritance, Jesus, by this statement to be as the
youngest, urged us to hold lightly to material goods. In a sense, Jesus weakens the desire for power
and greed with this command."
And page 91. "Why would Jesus want us to travel light? So we wouldn't be greedy and so we could
be flexible enough to go wherever He wanted to use us. ... Though we are the disadvantaged ones
[by being as the younger], and perhaps the poorer ones, we are the free ones, and He who has
'overcome the world' is on our team."
Jesus traveled light. And He wants us to do the same.
Traveling light . . . in the Light. How cool is that?
VcJ,
donna
Luke goes on to tell a bit of what happens at the "Last Supper" after Jesus washes His disciples' feet
and says things to them like, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought
to wash one another's feet," and "Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his
master," and "One of you will betray Me." What does Luke include in his gospel that the other
writers don't? Oh, only the fact that the disciples were arguing. Again. And what were they arguing
about this time? Oh, the usual. Which one of them was the greatest.
Hear it from Luke's own words in chapter 22, verses 24-26. "Now there was also a dispute among
them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, 'The kings of the
Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called
"benefactors." But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as
the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.' "
Most of what Jesus says here we can understand. Except for that "as the younger" part. Just what
does that mean?
Actually, Jesus is referring to "the younger brother." In that day, firstborn sons held all the power
and authority in a family. They were quite often the sole heirs to their fathers' fortunes. Younger
siblings were often left to fend for themselves. They were left in the position of having to wait and
accept whatever came down to them after the firstborn son received the best things of life.
No wonder most younger sons were considered rebels. The system of life they lived under basically
oppressed them. Success depended upon their own abilities and the mercy of others.
Interesting, then, that Jesus would say we should be as the younger. Gayle Erwin even goes as far as
to say, in his book The Jesus Style, page 90, "Any power or advantage we have that is not handled
as if we were the younger is a violation of the nature of Jesus. Since, in Jewish tradition and law,
the elder brother received an extra portion of the inheritance, Jesus, by this statement to be as the
youngest, urged us to hold lightly to material goods. In a sense, Jesus weakens the desire for power
and greed with this command."
And page 91. "Why would Jesus want us to travel light? So we wouldn't be greedy and so we could
be flexible enough to go wherever He wanted to use us. ... Though we are the disadvantaged ones
[by being as the younger], and perhaps the poorer ones, we are the free ones, and He who has
'overcome the world' is on our team."
Jesus traveled light. And He wants us to do the same.
Traveling light . . . in the Light. How cool is that?
VcJ,
donna
How He Honored Others
So fitting that I'm sitting here writing this post at the very moment the Emmys are going on. I
watched about an hour of it as I was spending time with Melsie. Except for spending time with
Melsie, the hour was a total waste. ; )
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled post.
"Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving
the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, 'Whoever
receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who
sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.' " Luke 9:46-48
Yep. They're arguing again. Silly boys. But it gives Jesus one more opportunity to expose His
very nature to them, and to us.
Did you notice that last line in verse 48? "For he who is least among you..." Isn't that interesting.
Another trait of Jesus's nature that is totally, one hundred percent, one hundred and eighty degrees
opposite from our nature. And tonight, of all nights, we know it's true. Hear what Mr. Erwin has to
say about it (from his book The Jesus Style). "In the nature of Jesus, least is a choice you make
when you have such a high view of others that you want to do all you can to elevate them and your
position happens, because of your efforts on their behalf, to end up least . . . and you really didn't
notice."
And again. "No prizes that I know of go to those who are least. Those who are least are not there
for the glory offered. Willingness to be the least is possible only if we are comfortable with
ourselves and who we are."
This is how Paul says it in 2 Corinthians 10:17-18. "But, 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'
For it is not the man who commends himself who is approved, but the man whom the Lord
commends."
We love to give out rewards and honors, and we love even more to receive them. How much more
totally awesome will it be on that day to receive our rewards and honors directly from our Father
God—rewards and honors that He has stored up for us where no thief will steal them and no rust
will cause them to decay, rewards and honors given to us for living simply as Jesus lived.
Jesus, the man who never won an Emmy, or even a Christy, but who has always been and will
always be the greatest in the Kingdom of God.
VcJ,
donna
So fitting that I'm sitting here writing this post at the very moment the Emmys are going on. I
watched about an hour of it as I was spending time with Melsie. Except for spending time with
Melsie, the hour was a total waste. ; )
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled post.
"Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving
the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, 'Whoever
receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who
sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.' " Luke 9:46-48
Yep. They're arguing again. Silly boys. But it gives Jesus one more opportunity to expose His
very nature to them, and to us.
Did you notice that last line in verse 48? "For he who is least among you..." Isn't that interesting.
Another trait of Jesus's nature that is totally, one hundred percent, one hundred and eighty degrees
opposite from our nature. And tonight, of all nights, we know it's true. Hear what Mr. Erwin has to
say about it (from his book The Jesus Style). "In the nature of Jesus, least is a choice you make
when you have such a high view of others that you want to do all you can to elevate them and your
position happens, because of your efforts on their behalf, to end up least . . . and you really didn't
notice."
And again. "No prizes that I know of go to those who are least. Those who are least are not there
for the glory offered. Willingness to be the least is possible only if we are comfortable with
ourselves and who we are."
This is how Paul says it in 2 Corinthians 10:17-18. "But, 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'
For it is not the man who commends himself who is approved, but the man whom the Lord
commends."
We love to give out rewards and honors, and we love even more to receive them. How much more
totally awesome will it be on that day to receive our rewards and honors directly from our Father
God—rewards and honors that He has stored up for us where no thief will steal them and no rust
will cause them to decay, rewards and honors given to us for living simply as Jesus lived.
Jesus, the man who never won an Emmy, or even a Christy, but who has always been and will
always be the greatest in the Kingdom of God.
VcJ,
donna
This is Jesus . . .
Greatest in the Kingdom of God. From every second of time past, back to when time didn't even
exist, to every second of time yet to come, even past that moment when time ceases to exist. Jesus
Christ is the one most important figure in all of existence. What an incredible choice we have set
before us all.
Do we call Him Lord? Or do we not call Him at all.
Just from His teachings about who is the greatest (mostly given to break up the arguments that
always seemed to spring up between His disciples), we have a unique and very specific view of
just who Jesus Christ was when He walked this earth. And, of course, we know that He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) From infinity to infinity, Jesus hasn't and will not
change. Why would He have to? Why would He want to? His nature is one He lives fully, because
He loves it. He loves living to love, serve, and bring others to the Father God. He has no other
agenda, purpose, or ambition.
He is who He is. I guess that's why His name is Yahshua. Yah means "I Am." God the Father is "I
AM WHO I AM." YHWH. Yahweh.
And through His Son, Yahshua, Yahweh does indeed . . . save.
We wrap up the "Greatest in the Kingdom" teachings this way. As Gayle Erwin puts it in his book
The Jesus Style, "So, we find Jesus in humble places—in mangers, among the poor, being a servant,
not lording it over others, being humble, being an example, being as a child, being as the younger,
being as the last, and as the least. And wherever He is, His servant will be."
Let's join Him, and be where He is.
It would be a lot more fun if you were there with us. Come, join us. You won't be sorry.
Vaya-ing con Yahshua,
donna
Greatest in the Kingdom of God. From every second of time past, back to when time didn't even
exist, to every second of time yet to come, even past that moment when time ceases to exist. Jesus
Christ is the one most important figure in all of existence. What an incredible choice we have set
before us all.
Do we call Him Lord? Or do we not call Him at all.
Just from His teachings about who is the greatest (mostly given to break up the arguments that
always seemed to spring up between His disciples), we have a unique and very specific view of
just who Jesus Christ was when He walked this earth. And, of course, we know that He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) From infinity to infinity, Jesus hasn't and will not
change. Why would He have to? Why would He want to? His nature is one He lives fully, because
He loves it. He loves living to love, serve, and bring others to the Father God. He has no other
agenda, purpose, or ambition.
He is who He is. I guess that's why His name is Yahshua. Yah means "I Am." God the Father is "I
AM WHO I AM." YHWH. Yahweh.
And through His Son, Yahshua, Yahweh does indeed . . . save.
We wrap up the "Greatest in the Kingdom" teachings this way. As Gayle Erwin puts it in his book
The Jesus Style, "So, we find Jesus in humble places—in mangers, among the poor, being a servant,
not lording it over others, being humble, being an example, being as a child, being as the younger,
being as the last, and as the least. And wherever He is, His servant will be."
Let's join Him, and be where He is.
It would be a lot more fun if you were there with us. Come, join us. You won't be sorry.
Vaya-ing con Yahshua,
donna
And This Is Jesus, Too
We've seen who Jesus is through His teachings on how the "greatest among you" should live. Our
list is pretty amazing. And it totally flies against everything already humming through us in our
human natures.
He is a servant, does not lord His power and position over others, leads and teaches by example, is
humble, is as a child, is as the younger, is as the last, and is as the least. In all these things, we can
easily see who He was when He walked this earth: how He saw other people, how He led, how
He taught, how He saw Himself, how He lived, how He traveled, how He positioned Himself
around others, and how He honored others.
Now we're going to see how He treated others, how He was driven, how He walked among them,
who He was, how He saw His Father, and just how far He was willing to go. All of these things
we'll learn from Paul's teachings about the nature of Christ found in Philippians 2:5-8: "Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the very nature God, did not
consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross."
More insight to the nature of Jesus. And the more we know about Him, the more we'll really see
Him for who He is. And the more we see Him for who He is, the more we'll understand just how
opposite God's ways are from our own. Once we begin to understand our Father God's ways—His
way of seeing the "big picture"—we'll be able to step away and allow His Son, Jesus, to live
through us, to transform us into the children He wants us to be.
Simple, huh?
You know? Yeah. I think it is simple. The more we see Jesus as He really is . . . the easier it
gets. The more irresistible He becomes.
This is Truth. And Truth is what all our hearts long for. Even though we are born with a nature that
is totally opposite to our Creator's nature, part of our natural instinct is to search for Truth. To seek
it out, to find it, and to believe it. As we seek, most of us lose our way and believe lesser truths.
Some of us even believe lies. But when we taste Truth as it really is, we know. "Taste and see,"
David says in one of his Psalms. He says that because he knows once we do, we'll never settle for
anything less. Nothing is as sweet as our Father God's love. And nothing looks better than the
Truth as He sees it.
Once we taste, we know. And once we see Jesus for all He is, we know we will never be satisfied
believing anything else. He is Truth. He is Life. And He just so happens to be the only Way to
both.
Vaya-ing con Jesus (aka Yahshua),
donna
We've seen who Jesus is through His teachings on how the "greatest among you" should live. Our
list is pretty amazing. And it totally flies against everything already humming through us in our
human natures.
He is a servant, does not lord His power and position over others, leads and teaches by example, is
humble, is as a child, is as the younger, is as the last, and is as the least. In all these things, we can
easily see who He was when He walked this earth: how He saw other people, how He led, how
He taught, how He saw Himself, how He lived, how He traveled, how He positioned Himself
around others, and how He honored others.
Now we're going to see how He treated others, how He was driven, how He walked among them,
who He was, how He saw His Father, and just how far He was willing to go. All of these things
we'll learn from Paul's teachings about the nature of Christ found in Philippians 2:5-8: "Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the very nature God, did not
consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross."
More insight to the nature of Jesus. And the more we know about Him, the more we'll really see
Him for who He is. And the more we see Him for who He is, the more we'll understand just how
opposite God's ways are from our own. Once we begin to understand our Father God's ways—His
way of seeing the "big picture"—we'll be able to step away and allow His Son, Jesus, to live
through us, to transform us into the children He wants us to be.
Simple, huh?
You know? Yeah. I think it is simple. The more we see Jesus as He really is . . . the easier it
gets. The more irresistible He becomes.
This is Truth. And Truth is what all our hearts long for. Even though we are born with a nature that
is totally opposite to our Creator's nature, part of our natural instinct is to search for Truth. To seek
it out, to find it, and to believe it. As we seek, most of us lose our way and believe lesser truths.
Some of us even believe lies. But when we taste Truth as it really is, we know. "Taste and see,"
David says in one of his Psalms. He says that because he knows once we do, we'll never settle for
anything less. Nothing is as sweet as our Father God's love. And nothing looks better than the
Truth as He sees it.
Once we taste, we know. And once we see Jesus for all He is, we know we will never be satisfied
believing anything else. He is Truth. He is Life. And He just so happens to be the only Way to
both.
Vaya-ing con Jesus (aka Yahshua),
donna
How He Was Driven
Jesus was not driven by selfish or blind ambition.
Even though our goals and desires for reaching those who don't know Christ are good, don't we,
sometimes, make the process more about quantity rather than quality? Sometimes I think it's true, as
Gayle Erwin says in his book, The Jesus Style: "We have used every kind of approach to reach
sinners short of loving and relating to them."
Evangelism is about reaching our world with the Good News about Jesus Christ. Jesus was an
evangelist. He sought to reach the world with this Good News: "Your Messiah has come! I am
He! I am the Way, and I will give you Life if you will only believe My Father sent me to you."
Jesus never violated or was disrespectful of the freedom of anyone. He did everything He could to
increase their ability to choose.
He never used deceptive means or dishonesty in any form to make converts. He never worked
under a cloud of secrecy, telling the world, "Join Me here, under this cloud, and discover secrets
only I can tell you. But first, pay the man at the gate to join our secret club."
He never worried too much about the do's and don'ts of religion. Jesus focused His message on His
Father, and the fact His Father sent Him to be the Way, Truth, and Life.
Jesus was willing to reveal Himself to His followers, to be humble, honest, and open. He didn't
hide away behind a pulpit or in His pastoral study. His platform grew out of His actions: His
healings, teachings, and gentle nature.
Directly from Gayle: "Jesus, who came to redeem people—not use them, refused to take advantage
of others on His path to the cross. ... Jesus, dedicated to the greatest goal, was equally dedicated to
the greatest means. He was driven by love and obedience, not blind ambition."
No wonder He's so irresistible.
VcJ,
donna
Jesus was not driven by selfish or blind ambition.
Even though our goals and desires for reaching those who don't know Christ are good, don't we,
sometimes, make the process more about quantity rather than quality? Sometimes I think it's true, as
Gayle Erwin says in his book, The Jesus Style: "We have used every kind of approach to reach
sinners short of loving and relating to them."
Evangelism is about reaching our world with the Good News about Jesus Christ. Jesus was an
evangelist. He sought to reach the world with this Good News: "Your Messiah has come! I am
He! I am the Way, and I will give you Life if you will only believe My Father sent me to you."
Jesus never violated or was disrespectful of the freedom of anyone. He did everything He could to
increase their ability to choose.
He never used deceptive means or dishonesty in any form to make converts. He never worked
under a cloud of secrecy, telling the world, "Join Me here, under this cloud, and discover secrets
only I can tell you. But first, pay the man at the gate to join our secret club."
He never worried too much about the do's and don'ts of religion. Jesus focused His message on His
Father, and the fact His Father sent Him to be the Way, Truth, and Life.
Jesus was willing to reveal Himself to His followers, to be humble, honest, and open. He didn't
hide away behind a pulpit or in His pastoral study. His platform grew out of His actions: His
healings, teachings, and gentle nature.
Directly from Gayle: "Jesus, who came to redeem people—not use them, refused to take advantage
of others on His path to the cross. ... Jesus, dedicated to the greatest goal, was equally dedicated to
the greatest means. He was driven by love and obedience, not blind ambition."
No wonder He's so irresistible.
VcJ,
donna
How He Walked Among Them
In Philippians 2:7, the NIV and NLT say Jesus "made Himself nothing." The KJV and NKJV say He
"made Himself of no reputation."
The "made Himself" part is consistent. Jesus didn't let anyone "make" Him do or be anything He did
not want to do or be. He freely chose to be who He was. And He chose to make Himself nothing.
Reputation is so important to us. Image is everything. People even hire "image consultants" to help
them improve their look. The better we look, the better we feel about ourselves. The more we
spruce up our image, the more our reputation builds. The bigger, cleaner, and sharper our
reputation, the better we will be seen by others. Bigger, better, brighter. Always.
Most (if not all) of us care deeply about our reputation. If we're seen with the wrong kinds of
people, what will that do to our reputation? What will people think if we do something we're "not
supposed to do"? Who determines what is "supposed to be done" anyway? Who makes up the
rules?
Again, we see how the nature of Jesus is completely opposite of our human nature. And, He was
fully human. He could have given in to His human nature and been just like us. But then He would
have been just like us. Another pea in the pod, so to speak. Just another man trying to look good to
sway the masses to his way of thinking. Just another man pretending to be good, concerned, and
moved by the masses, when, all the while, all he really wants is to have power over the masses.
Power makes him a big man. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.
What's irresistible about that? Just more of the same.
No, Jesus chose to lay down His human nature and keep the nature of His Father. He knew no other
way. Jesus and His Father were one. And no pull of human ambition or lure of earthly power
swayed Him. He had bigger "fish to fry." So to speak. ; )
Gayle Erwin says this, from his book The Jesus Style: "Image or reputation is simply a means to
gain control over others or manipulate them to our best advantage. Most people are guilty of it. If I
were to introduce myself to you by saying, 'Hello, I am the Reverend Mister Gayle Dean Erwin,'
immediately I would have you intimidated. You would clean up your act—quit cursing, hide certain
reading material—become unreal. ... Jesus kept doing the things that were detrimental to His
reputation. ... He would do whatever would serve the best interest of a person, regardless of the
cost to Himself. ... If I am but a pilgrim and stranger in this world, I do not need to hold on to
anything that would guarantee my success in it, not my reputation, and not my possessions either." 2
Corinthians 8:9 says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet
for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."
"Image Is Everything." Says who? Image smimage.
Becoming rich. Through His poverty. Through Him. Being rich as He is rich. Being seen by our
Father God as He is seen by His Father God.
What else really matters?
VcJ,
donna
In Philippians 2:7, the NIV and NLT say Jesus "made Himself nothing." The KJV and NKJV say He
"made Himself of no reputation."
The "made Himself" part is consistent. Jesus didn't let anyone "make" Him do or be anything He did
not want to do or be. He freely chose to be who He was. And He chose to make Himself nothing.
Reputation is so important to us. Image is everything. People even hire "image consultants" to help
them improve their look. The better we look, the better we feel about ourselves. The more we
spruce up our image, the more our reputation builds. The bigger, cleaner, and sharper our
reputation, the better we will be seen by others. Bigger, better, brighter. Always.
Most (if not all) of us care deeply about our reputation. If we're seen with the wrong kinds of
people, what will that do to our reputation? What will people think if we do something we're "not
supposed to do"? Who determines what is "supposed to be done" anyway? Who makes up the
rules?
Again, we see how the nature of Jesus is completely opposite of our human nature. And, He was
fully human. He could have given in to His human nature and been just like us. But then He would
have been just like us. Another pea in the pod, so to speak. Just another man trying to look good to
sway the masses to his way of thinking. Just another man pretending to be good, concerned, and
moved by the masses, when, all the while, all he really wants is to have power over the masses.
Power makes him a big man. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.
What's irresistible about that? Just more of the same.
No, Jesus chose to lay down His human nature and keep the nature of His Father. He knew no other
way. Jesus and His Father were one. And no pull of human ambition or lure of earthly power
swayed Him. He had bigger "fish to fry." So to speak. ; )
Gayle Erwin says this, from his book The Jesus Style: "Image or reputation is simply a means to
gain control over others or manipulate them to our best advantage. Most people are guilty of it. If I
were to introduce myself to you by saying, 'Hello, I am the Reverend Mister Gayle Dean Erwin,'
immediately I would have you intimidated. You would clean up your act—quit cursing, hide certain
reading material—become unreal. ... Jesus kept doing the things that were detrimental to His
reputation. ... He would do whatever would serve the best interest of a person, regardless of the
cost to Himself. ... If I am but a pilgrim and stranger in this world, I do not need to hold on to
anything that would guarantee my success in it, not my reputation, and not my possessions either." 2
Corinthians 8:9 says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet
for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."
"Image Is Everything." Says who? Image smimage.
Becoming rich. Through His poverty. Through Him. Being rich as He is rich. Being seen by our
Father God as He is seen by His Father God.
What else really matters?
VcJ,
donna