DISTANCE

DISTANCE

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Mark 8:33-38 But when He had turned around and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Go behind Me, Satan! For you do not mind the things of God, but of the things of men. And calling near the crowd with His disciples, He said to them, Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, he shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Therefore whoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man shall also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 4:31-38 In the meantime His disciples were asking Him, saying, Master, eat. But He said to them, I have food to eat which you do not know. Therefore the disciples said to one another, No one brought Him anything to eat? Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work. Do you not say, It is yet four months, and the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white to harvest already. And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit to life eternal, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. And in this is the saying true, One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that on which you bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and you have entered into their labor.

2Corinthians 5:16-17 [Paul explained] So as we now know no one according to flesh, but even if we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we no longer know Him so. So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

  For travelers questions of distance are commonplace. This is so geographically and spiritually.

  Geographical distance questions today are easily answered in terms of miles and time.

  Spiritual questions on distance cannot however be answered by Mapquest, cresting a hill and seeing the TV towers at 72 & Crown Point, et al. Spiritual travel requires radical change in our sight. Jesus explained there’s vista beyond man’s normal vision; renewal of heart and mind in and by God’s Word. (John 1:1 leading to, connected with, John 3:3)

  With renewed eyes I continue to see people, life, purpose and more quite differently. Much of what I see from and by God is comforting. Much of what I see from and by people, self included, would be angst were it not for the peace of God. Apart from God’s peace I would be bound by the confusion of cupidity and by far clueless as to the motivational higher life-questions such as God posed before Job.

·         Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

·         Have the gates of death been revealed to you?

·         Where is the way to the dwelling of light?

·         Or any of the other questions recorded in Job chapter 38.

  Considering Sovereign God Almighty can we see the opportunity and responsibility of Romans 12:1-3?

EBB4