Christian Author: Writing to Raise the Gaze

Our final post in this series begins with the focus:

The Supremely Blessed --

en route To Become Supremely Cursed

Before we get down to the serious business let's share from the email files on the lighter side, more of the summer quip series, It's Soooo Hot.

It's Soooo Hot ---

- Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"

- You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

- The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

- Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

- The cows are giving evaporated milk.

Those of us who have followed the pre-Easter season of Lent and the Palm Sunday celebration of our Lord Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem will be familiar with the cries of jubilation the thronging crowds shouted.

    The scene and their shouts fulfilled the Old Testament Scripture from Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

    As Jesus embarked on the final week of the last stage of His earthly ministry -- in which He would suffer all the indignities of betrayal, denial, and a complete travesty of justice; of His being persecuted, falsely accused, beaten, buffeted and abused, and skewered to the cross in nakedness and shame, and declared a blasphemous criminal -- the prophetic message of Zechariah was in the very process of being fulfilled. This was when the pilgrims to the Holy City, both adults and children, celebrating Jesus on His arrival in Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey colt shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9).

Blessed IS ... The King. Let us think about that.

He was blessed while en route to becoming "a curse for us"(Gal 3:13-14). V 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.

And the redemptive purpose and result? -- Multiplied blessing! V 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

    He was blessed while in the very act of giving Himself up to all this indignity and suffering, even to death -- blessed with "the joy"!

Joy -- really? Yes. Heb. 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

That's a paradoxical juxtaposition: CURSE and JOY -- simultaneously experienced!

Most assuredly, the blessing of the Lord really does enrich, and adds no sorrow (Prov. 10:22).

    In the words of C. H. Gabriel's grand hymn (V 4 of "My Savior's Love" / "I Stand Amazed"):

He took my sins and my sorrows, He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calv'ry, And suffered and died alone.

(Ref. Isaiah 53:3-5)

    There are so many areas to be considered in this great subject, however, I must bring it to a close in this session. Here are two statements for your own private consideration, since I won't be providing a development of them (then those will be followed by several points of principle):

1) The Blessing of the Lord --

Empowerment Amidst the Transitions of Life.

Ask yourself: How might this apply to my life at this time?

2) Blessing - power to affect or change the course of an individual, people group, or family for the better.

Ask: How may such a wonderful process begin to happen in my life and family?

    In speaking / pronouncing a blessing is it to speak --

Truth ... (of the person or situation) as it is currently?

(Not necessarily so.)

Truth ... as it should be?

(Surely. Speaking to a Biblically-based, God-honouring, life-affirming preferred outcome.)

Truth ... as it could be?

(Certainly. By the mercy and grace of God, according to His will -- Romans 8:28-29.)

    We express our sincere desire for that person or family's wellbeing.

As some believers say: "We speak blessing into people's lives."

However, it is important for the candidates to engage the principles that place them in blessing.

    Note two things related to this subject of blessing that characterized Jesus' earthly ministry:

Mark 10:16 [Jesus said] "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Luke 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.

1) The wonderful transformative touch of the Master's hands, and 2) His faith-inspiring words. Yes, the blessing of the Lord changes / transforms (Cff. Isaiah 61:1-3; Mat. 5:3ff.)

The blessing of the Lord becomes active according to primary principles of the Kingdom of Heaven:

First, it operates according to Humility - which positions one for blessing.

Second, it operates according to Faith - which pleases God and enables one to receive His provision / blessing.

Hebrews 11:6  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

The spoken aspect of blessing others may be described this way:

Blessing: Speech arising from Godly love and holy desire backed by heaven.

And FINALLY (!!):

What was our Lord Jesus' final act in His earthly ministry?

Luke 24:50-51 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Thank you for joining me on these musings re. blessing. I invite you to check this page again for a new focus in a few weeks' time.

~~0~~