WHERE WILL THEY SEE JESUS?

BY STEVE DUNN

"They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." = John 12:21

Recently I came across this little vignette on-line.  "This morning, Jocelyn took a little Bible I have. She opened it, flipping page after page. She looked up at me and said, "Mom, I know this is the Bible. I know Jesus is in here. I am looking for his picture."

Every day there are people who are looking for Jesus.  Some out of need.  Some out of curiosity.  Some out of a desire to meet the One that so many of us call Savior.  Some out of s desperate need for a Savior.

Where will they see Jesus?

They might see him in the Bible, if they know to open it.

They might see him in a vision, but that is rare and would be unlikely.

There was a day in history that they could walk up to a disciple named Philip and then be ushered into his physical presence.  But that day has passed.

No, God intends people to see Jesus in the lives that our surrendered to his will and are living according to His purpose.

Just as God revealed himself to the world through taking on flesh--what we call the Incarnation; he continues to use incarnation to let people see him.

Only that incarnation is in us.

When people see your life, hear your words, experience your embrace, observe your actions--do they see Jesus?

That's what God intends.  Is that what you are doing?

MATURITY

 Reading: Psalm 71:14-19

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
   and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray,
   do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
   your mighty acts to all who are to come.

I am now sixty years old but I still refuse to join AARP.  I can get just as good a discount deal from AAA and I don't need more life insurance.  Everything below my shoulders has the look and shape of a man my age, but my heart and spirit will subtract a decade or more.  My golf game is so bad that I'll never be able to shoot my age, but I can still yank a ball up the left field line for a hit (I just can't get past second base).

Lately I have been spending a lot of time with our student ministries as we transition to a new youth director.  I have been serving both as a teacher, spiritual counselor, and male influence especially for some of the young men who are part of this congregation.  They have graciously accepted me into their company and confidence, even Facebooking me. They acted incredulous went it was announced I had hit the big Six O.  That was a tremendous ego boost.

Bur I am also conscious that my remaining years of ministry are numbered.  They've always been numbered, I am just now more conscious of the fact. Financially, I plan to work another 10 years before "retiring."  But that's not where I am coming from.

God has already blessed me with 40 years of ministry. They have been fruitful years and they have been a purpose-driven life that I would trade for nothing.  I have been blessed to see God at work in powerful ways and I have been privileged to help facilitate transformed lives.  There are many people who are now fruitful servants of God experiencing life to the full as promised in John 10:10 because of the work God has given me and empowered me to do.

Yet I am intensely aware that there are still too many people for whom God is out of sight, out of mind; who maybe have a religion but not an authentic relationship with the Living God. I am aware that there are still generations who have not been reconciled to God, a reality that has eternal significance.  And that continues to be my purpose.  That's why I resonate with these words of David's; spoken in the years of his maturity.

 ¹⁴ As for me, I will always have hope;
   I will praise you more and more.
 ¹⁵ My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
   of your saving acts all day long—
   though I know not how to relate them all.
¹⁶ I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD;
   I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
¹⁷ Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
   and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
¹⁸ Even when I am old and gray,
   do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
   your mighty acts to all who are to come.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the Good News ..." Luke 4:18

For those of you who have never traveled to Landisville, Pennsylvania--this is my desk at the church. A planner and a computer, along with my NIV study Bible make up the key tools of my trade as a pastor. Periodically, the telephone, more likely a cell phone. As long as I have these things near at hand I can do at least 50-60% of my work as a pastor. When one of these tools is missing, my work gets more complicated.

It's interesting that the Apostle Paul ministered for decades and had almost incomparable impact on the lives of so much of the world without a single one of these tools. Yes, before you correct me, he had the scriptures--most of which he carried around in his head. His scrolls would have been drenched with the first shipwreck.

His tools were not inferior to mine nor were they superior. They were simply the tools available to and appropriate for the times he was ministering in. I strongly suspect if he had a lap top, he'd have used it. if he could have downloaded the Torah and the Prophets to an I-Pod, he would have jumped at the chance.

What makes both of our sets of tools effective is not the technology or the convenience, it is the Presence. By that I mean, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Tools are man-made and always have a limit to their usefulness. But tools used by a man filled with God's Spirit take on a supernatural force. A memory, empowered by the Spirit--whether embedded in a human brain or in gigabytes of a machine--can be used to change lives as they connect people with the life-transforming Word of God.

So here's the question of the day--are the tools of your trade plugged into the Spirit?

This devotional is published on behalf of the Church of God of Landisville and its friends. (C) 2009 by Stephen L. Dunn. All rights reserved.