Change, Conflict & Gardens

As mentioned in earlier posts, I am currently reading the book Heart & Mind by Dr alexander Sharia. This book examines the four gospels in what we call an exegesis. That is taking into account the style of the writings, the audience, political and even social aspects in which they were written.

According to the writer, the book of Matthew is all about embracing change. The new believers of Jerusalem, to whom this book was written, were in a state of constant change. That is everything they had known and understood as Jews was in turmoil including the traditional ways in which to approach God and even the very Temple (metaphor for the Mountain on which God brought faith to the people of Israel in the first place) was destroyed in AD70. As a result the followers of the Way or Christians as they became known as in Antioch (their new headquarters of their ) were in a state of change and as a result were being continually asked of our Lord to embrace these new changes.

The book of Mark is all about the conflict and in particular the persecution and trials faced by the Messiahians of Rome as they became known. As Nero began an onslaught of the these new believers to cover up his own insanity and attempts to burn Rome in AD64, they were in constant fear of death in circus Maximus or some other gruesome way in which the Romans could be entertained.

The book of John is all about gardens, that is metaphorically speaking of the Garden of Eden but focusing in particular on the Garden of Gethsemane, Garden of the Tomb, Garden of the locked and closed doors when the disciples went into hiding among others. It is hear in the gardens of our hearts that our inner belief and faith are exposed but also were they can both die and be resurrected. It is in our gardens that we deal with our sins (weaknesses) and but also in our weaknesses allow our Jesus to truly be our strength.

It became apparent to me only today that whilst reading this amazing book that the Lord Jesus was in fact leading me through these stages in my life. Almost in real time as I read through the pages, as slow a reader as I am, he is showing me the struggle to let go to old ways and traditions, though in Christ only 30 years of so I have developed them. He is allowing tension to arise in conflict of good and evil through my work place and even using my wife to walk me through the garden of my life to expose areas that are holding me back in my life.

Our God is awesome and who genuinely cares about us, even as individuals among the millions and billions of inhabitants of this earth. He loves me and everyone and earnestly desires to see us grow and blossom into the men and women of God he created us for!

God Bless

Our Weaknesses Can Lead To Death

Whilst playing tennis this morning with my wife, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about weakness. Being male, though I was feeling a little tied from tennis, I wanted to press through my weariness to continue until my wife was done. And though this may sound heroic and thoughtful to my wife's needs it can also be dangerous.

Suppose I was a person with a weak heart, in my pride of not wanting to succumb to tiredness I press on in playing until ultimately I have heart failure and die. As dramatic as this may sound, this is also possible in a spiritual sense. That is not acknowledging our weaknesses (sins) will ultimately bring death as Romans tells us, "the wages of sin is death".

After telling my wife of this new analogy, my wife also said that our strength can also lead to our deaths both in the natural and in the spiritual. She late explained that when we try to achieve what only God can do through us when we acknowledge our weaknesses and we press through in our own strengths or gifts or abilities, ultimately we cut God off from being our strength and help in time of need.

So just as not acknowledging we are weak not asking God to help us and rather pressing through by ourselves will also bring destruction.

Once again, James calls for us to confess our weaknesses one to another, in doing so, we open up the store houses of heaven, the power of the Holy Spirit and all that God is able to do in and though our lives.

God Bless