Power Of Thinking It Through

Key Scripture:  "I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:20
Power Point
     If you really stop and  think about it, when Jesus came to earth as God's gift, He was an example of how God wanted people to view Him from then on.  Before Jesus came, people found it hard to believe that God was good and full of grace and mercy. The reason for that was because He had to keep separating Himself from them and punishing them for their sin. Do you realize what a gift Jesus has been?
    He has dealt with the sin issue once and for all and He has thrown open all the doors for us to live without interruption in Our Father's presence, just as He does.
     As I was reflecting on that today, I began to realize that people treated Jesus very differently.
     The Pharisees were out to trip Him up. Each time He healed someone or blessed them in some way, you could be sure that a counter attack or a question was on the way. The Pharisees were all law, because sin was their prevalent mindset. They simply could not understand "grace" over Law. And in deference to them, they WANTED God, but getting to him without being perfect was not easy. Isn't it sad to think that people still do that today?  They try so hard to be perfect because they believe that perfection is what God wants. The only "perfect" thing He needs from us is the "perfect" sacrifice Jesus made for our sins.  Perfect and final.
     Then there were the people that walked with Jesus, always wanting a glimpse of grace.  Because of the Pharisees they knew that they could never measure up to God's standards, but somehow they thought if they could just get near enough to Jesus, some of the blessings would spill over on to them.
     And the disciples? They were continually confused weren't they? Jesus talked in riddles. They loved Him but nothing He said made sense. Remember, they were coming from the same perspective of a God who demanded obedience. Jesus talked about love, love, love.  I'm sure He settled the inevitable disagreements among them with an encouragement to be kind to one another, to bless each other and of course, to forgive.
     As you walk down the path of Jesus' three short years on earth it is interesting to note that people loved Him or hated Him because He was definitely different.  He had a different gospel and a different attitude than what they expected from God.
     I wanted to share with you something I read from Graham Cooke in his book, "Radical Perspectives".

     The thinking of Jesus shaped His personality as a man, His persona as a bondslave, His ministry towards humanity and His humility and obedience towards His Father.  He took on new mindsets, attitudes and approaches to life so that He could fulfill the purpose of His Father.  All these were deliberate thoughts and actions on His part.  He thought it through!  He changed His thinking to accommodate the life that was required of Him."
     No matter what you may think of Jesus, you have to agree that His mindset was one of change and openness to the plans and purposes of God. You may think like a Pharisee, always demanding perfection. You may think like someone who does not understand the concept of grace. Or you may think like a disciple and realize that everything Jesus tells you is not NORMAL or natural in any way. 
     Jesus had to adapt His thinking to what the Holy Spirit was telling Him. So do we, Beloved.
What will you change today that will accommodate the life that is available to you?
Do you need a new frame for your mind?
Power Thought:

NEW thinking is always a challenge.  Are you up for it?  Are you thinking it through or are you through thinking?