Skip to main content

Otherworldliness

John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
 
Jesus was otherworldly. He did things that no other human had ever done and said things that no man had said. His wisdom and words were not from here. Thus he was so often misunderstood. He left so many people confused. This aspect of his ministry is blatant in the four Gospels. Though now, as the Holy Spirit has spread the Gospel throughout the world, we understand much of what Jesus was communicating, back then, the original hearers were stupified. Part of this phenomenon is that spiritual things are hidden to some and revealed to others. 

As you read the Gospel records you will often hear the disciples say, "Explain to us the parable of the (you fill in the blank)". You will also hear Jesus say, "To you it has been given to understand these things but to those on the outside these things have been hidden." 

The disciples were on the inside of Jesus' otherworldliness. Even with this advantage, they still didn't get Jesus' ministry plan until after his resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

So, how are we, the current disciples of Christ, supposed to communicate otherworldliness and the seemingly confusing things of scripture to those around us? It has to take place exactly like Jesus did it. Of course we won't be going around raising people from the dead or healing the blind and crippled. These signs were for a precious few. They served their purpose and have been set aside for millenia. 

How Jesus did ministry was often, one person at a time. Look at his contact with individuals. It is an intimate glimpse into the heart of someone who was not of this world. Use of the scriptures will be an integral part of our evangelism too
It is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that has power to transform and translate God's plan. 

John said it this way, "He came unto his own, and his own didn't receive him. But, as many as did receive him he gave the power to become the sons of God. Even to those who believe on his name." (my version of John 1:12)

You who are otherworldy, communicate with with the Father in prayer, saturate your mind and life with his word and communicate his salvation with love. Only then will others begin to see your otherworldiness. Maybe they too will follow you to the beyond. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What Are You Worth?

What are you Worth?  Have you ever thought about what you are worth? In investing circles there is a term used to gauge this exact question, it's called Net Worth. You take all of your assets, like property owned, funds in your bank account, clothes, jewelry, car, etc.. You total all of these things. You then take everything you owe, like mortgage, car loan, and credit card debt, and you subtract these items from the first total. This gives you your net worth. That number represents where you are financially. Most people never stop to think about this number because they don't understand anything about it. They never have two nickels to rub together. They live from hand to mouth and know (or at least believe) nothing will ever change so, they fall into the "daily grind" mentality. Psalm 49 should be a great encouragement to such as these. The sons of Korah write about them. These sons write about all of us. They call all people everywhere to listen to their wisdom. Bo...

Tottering!

I was watching my one year old grandson, Brandon, today. He had on some baggy little shorts, weird flip-flops over his socks, and he was tottering. It made me think about how I often feel these days. Funny how that when we are little and "innocent" and tottering in our baggy pants, with our little potbelly sticking out from under our t-shirt we look precious. When we are older and tottering in our low slung trousers and the same potbelly, we looks pathetic! I guess that the two drastically opposite points of view are based on the viewer's chronological perspective. Brandon is growing and I'm dying. He is cute because the little guy has a lot to learn and we love to see him progress. The old guy has already had his chance at learning and what he is progressing toward is not quite so much fun to ponder. When I have these weird thoughts I praise my God because He never lets go of my hand whether a tottering little guy or an old one. And I found this verse to prove my po...

Church Isn't a Place

  Many times we say, I'm going to church on Sunday. What some fail to understand is that "church" isn't a building. I remember our pastor saying, "the church is an organism, not an organization." He was teaching us the Bible truth about the church. Jesus Christ is the head of the body, and the church is his body on earth. Another pastor once said, "God's hands have human fingers." This is a difficult concept for some to grasp, pun intended. However, it is important to understand that God accomplishes his work through human beings. He uses us, the church, to do his will and work. It's not that if we don't do his will that he is stymied. But he does use willing servants. To be in the church, one must be a part of the family. You cannot be in the church if you don't have the Savior. The church is not for the lost; it is for the edification of the saved. The lost can come and hear the message of salvation. But the church is made up of t...