PHOTOPHILIC

 
The affects of these attacks on Tuesday and the threat of more have been varied.   An over abundance of help, supplies, support, prayers, and strangers pulling together is evident at the crash sites.   We have also heard of dozens of false alarms, much fear, changed lives, and ended lives.   In a matter of moments we have seen humanity at its worst and at its best.   See what human passion can do.

Human passion is not mindless, but puts the mind to work under passion’s authority.  The powers of thought and strength and creativity become blindly obedient to passion’s will.   Those who serve an evil passion will not rest until they find passion’s goal.   Those who serve an honorable passion will not rest until they find passion’s goal.  For both, no sacrifice is too large!  Solomon understood what happens when a person is driven by strong love and passion!  “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.  Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.” (Song of Solomon 7:6-7). Though passion is not mindless, it is unreasonable!   Human passion and the human heart cannot be trusted. 

Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”.   King David of ancient Israel revealed his struggle with his own heart in Psalm 19:12, ”Who can understand his own errors?”.   The Apostle Paul described in detail the inevitable dive into ever deeper immorality that must come upon people who refuse to honor God as God.  Romans 1:28-32,  “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity,… Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”  

If God is a God of love, how could He allow such evil?   If God is good, then He must be powerless to prevent evil.  If God is powerful, He must not be good since He will not stop evil.   Have we not yet understood that evil dwells in the human heart by the invitation of the first man, Adam?   The whole point of saying that we have trusted Christ for our salvation is that He is working to remove that evil from human hearts!   In order to do that, Jesus Christ had to have a passion of His own.  It is the Divine Passion!

Here is a view of the passion that drove Jesus to the cross.   John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…”    Romans 5:8, “God commends His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”   and 8:32, ”He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all…” .   In Philippians 2:5-8 we read, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”  Hear the words of the Apostle Peter as he spoke of how long it seemed to be taking for Jesus to return to the earth with judgment against all that is evil.  He said, ”The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness;  but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9 

 Can God have passion?

Why do we call Christ’s last week on earth His Passion Week? 

John 12:1 speaks of six days before the Passover Feast Jesus had entered Bethany, close to Jerusalem.   Just six more days and Jesus would hang on a cross!  

John 12:12  speaks of five days before the Passover Jesus entered Jerusalem.  There were just five more days until Jesus’ back would be shredded by the whip.  

On Tuesday and Wednesday,  Jesus met the inquiring Greeks mentioned in John 12:20, speaking of the little seed that must die to produce!  Just two more days and Jesus would be beaten, spat upon, falsely accused and condemned to die by an illegal court held in the middle of the night! 

The next day Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and designated the traitor with a symbol of closest friendship as recorded in John 13.   Just one more day of freedom remained.  

By now His time was not measured in hours, but by heart beats.  That great heart that forgave sins, wept at tombs, fed thousands of hungry people, touched untouchables, healed diseases, and was often moved with compassion, would soon be stilled.  

What could have kept His feet moving toward Jerusalem when every step brought Him closer to the hill called Calvary?  Passion!   What could have made Him spend another moment there when every moment there drew Him nearer to the sound of a hammer driving nails into His flesh?  Passion! 

What could have kept Him teaching about life in God when every breath He took brought Him closer to His last breath while hanging on the cross?  Passion! 

What could have moved Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, and that sinless one suffering the punishment of all the sins of all the people that would ever live on this earth?  Passion! 

We cannot comprehend the full measure of His sacrifice.  We cannot comprehend how He could, or why He would, take as His own our sins and selfishness and rebellion.   We cannot comprehend the gift of righteousness placed on us by our believing on Him.   So much was required of Jesus to pay for our sins, and so little is required of us to obtain salvation!   Why was He so willing to give what He gave?   Why are we so unwilling to give what is asked of us?

You see Christ’s passion for you.  What will you give in return?  “HO-HUM-religion” is not acceptable!   All that will do is for you to love Him with all your heart and mind and strength and soul.   “All” is “passion”.  As He took all your sins, now give Him all your heart

OUR PASSION

When Jesus was asked,"What is the greatest commandment?", He quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 which states, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God will all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Why do you suppose He said that?  In fact, Jesus taught that all the Law of Moses and the Pleadings of the Prophets hung on this commandment and the second most important one which says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves!  That's it!  If we could just do that, we would not have to worry about all the other "do's" and "dont's".   But, how do we do that?

Did you know that, if you would fall sweepingly in love with Jesus you would discover that temptation could not tempt you... that sin could not ensnare you... that trials could not trip you... that distress could not discourage you... that fear could not frighten you...?   Similar immunities to your neighbor's nuisances would belong to you if you would love him or her as you love yourself.   But how do we do that?

How does a person "fall in love" with Jesus?  That question has a very simple answer.  Gaze upon Jesus!   How does a person love that neighbor?   That question also has a very simple answer.  Gaze upon Jesus! 

When preachers preach to their audiences they tend to adopt a mannerism that could be described as "Preacher Mode".  We stand here.  You sit there.  We make exagerated motions with our hands that we would never use in "normal" converstaion.  We use voice inflections, illustrations, aliterations, outlines with three points, poetry, and louder volumes. 

I have noticed that most congregations also adopt mannerisms that could be described as "religious mode".  It is as if a little file folder in your heads opens to receive all the information that is preached.  Everything going into that file is segregated from "real life" folders, from "practical information" folders, and is placed among other folders labeled "entertainment", or "change of pace". 

For a few moments I am asking you to put aside all the folders and to excuse my preaching.  Take this simple information for just what it is.  It is the declaration of the truth that will give you that real, life-changing intimacy with the Living God  that usually winds up in that "religious file" rather than in the "real life" file!   What secret have I discovered?  What formula might I give you?  What plan will accomplish this? 

Prayer.

Right now I need to tell you three things about prayer that you really need to know.   Answers are promised.  There are reasons why prayer SEEMS TO fail.   There are conditions that absolutely guarantee that prayer will NOT fail.  However, none of those things actually define what prayer IS!  Have you been taught HOW to pray intercessory, or supplicatory, or thanksgiving, or adoration prayers?  The knowledge is useless and even deceiving if you do not ACTUALLY pray.  Prayer is simple. 

Prayer is God's home address.   It is not His phone number.  You may call me on the phone without ever leaving your environment.  If you would visit me at my house, you must move from your environment into mine.   This is the simple thing that prayer is.  It is visiting God Himself, at His throne.  But how do you do that?  Hebrews 11:6 You must believe that God IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that dilligently seek Him.  Luke 11:9 Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you...  John 14:14  If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.  John 15:7  If ye abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  John 16:24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.  DO YOU BELIEVE?

Faith is, first, that the character and motives of the Lord Jesus make Him worthy of trust.  Second, having confidence in His ability to do just what He says He will do.  Finally, taking of your self out of your own keeping and entrusting your self into Jesus’ keeping.  2 Timothy 1:12 is the perfect example of all three aspects of faith:  (1) for I know whom I have believed, and (2) am persuaded that he is able to keep that which (3) I have committed unto him against that day.

There is only one requirement for salvation.  It is required that you TRUST Jesus to have paid for your sins.  After that, you are called to yeild yourself to Jesus' will.  But PRAYER is fellowship, interaction, two-way conversation, with another person who happens to be God!  As with all relationships, this one can be cooled and distanced by our behavior!  Deuteronomy 1:45, I Samuel 14:37 & 28:6 reveals that God does not answer those who remain DISOBEDIENT to Him

SECRET SINS - Psalm 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

INDIFFERENCE - Proverbs 1:24 - 28  Because I have called, and ye refused...then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer.

NEGELCT OF MERCY - Proverbs 21:13  Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

DESPISING THE LAW - Proverbs 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

BLOOD-GUILTINESS - Isahiah 1:15  When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood

INIQUITY - Isaiah 59:2  Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perversness.

STUBBORNNESS - Zechariah 7:12-13  They made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law...Therefore it is come to pass that as HE cried and they would not hear; so they cried and I would not hear..."

DOUBT - James 1:6-7  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven of the wind and tossed.  Let not that man think that he shall receive anythin of the Lord.

NOT IN ACCORD WITH GOD'S WILL - II Corinthians 12:8  For this thing (thorn in the flesh) I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me,"My grace is sufficiant for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness.">

God is patient, forgiving, and not easily offended.  However, when we do offend Him and cause the cooling of our fellowship with Him, He quickly re-opens the door of intimate conversation for us.  Here are the things that guarantee our prayers are heard and answered.

CONTRITION - II Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

WHOLE-HEARTEDNESS - Jeremiah 29:13  Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.

FAITH - Mark 11:24  I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

RIGHTEOUSNESS - James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

OBEDIENCE - I John 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

GOD'S WILL - I John 5:14-15  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Please don't be hesitant to bring anything that concerns you to God.   However, don't limit prayer to just what you encounter that bothers you.  Prayer is God's home address.   It is not His phone number.  You may call me on the phone without ever leaving your environment.  If you would visit me at my house, you must move from your environment into mine.   This is the simple thing that prayer is.  It is visiting God Himself, at His throne.  Come home to Him now.