SECRET #17 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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After painting a portrait of blessed believers, Jesus begins more specifically answering the question in everyone's mind: "How does your teaching differ from what we've been taught?" He positions His teachings with the Mosaic Law. Jesus makes it clear that He does not nullify the Law in any way, but has come to fulfill it. To fulfill literally means to fill it full. Imagine an empty glass as the Law and filling up the glass with Jesus. The Law was the form and Jesus is the substance! The Law of Moses spoke and illustrated Jesus throughout, then Jesus shows up to fill up the form set forth by that Law.

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever, then annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever, keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)

NOTE that Jesus in no way excludes the Jewish people and their Law of Moses, but only has difficulty with their application of it. In fact, Jesus isn't like the Christian exclusivists. He is always inclusive. Jesus unites. Everything and everyone else tends toward dividing. I don't know many people like this Jesus.

NOTE that Jesus gives the requirement for entering the kingdom of heaven. Your righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees. Wow! Is Jesus saying that we are to be more religious than these Jewish leaders? Not at all-just the opposite!

The scribes and Pharisees were some of the most religious people ever. Their religiosity was all about external matters-separation from sin and sinners and cleansing oneself. The Pharisees were known for: 1. Professing righteousness without possession of it! 2. Being hyper-critical-not hypocrites in the normal sense, but hair-splitters, nit-pickers, feather-pluckers! 3. Emphasizing the letter over the spirit of the Law-all truth and little grace! 4. Making absolutes out of non-absolutes-listing as many rules and regulations as possible! 5. Drawing the condemnation of men on righteous acts before God-such as praying, fasting, giving.

Jesus was not saying to outdo these super-religious people. He was saying that your righteousness must surpass their righteousness. I believe He is saying that your righteousness must go deeper-from the externals into the internals. Remember, God looks on the heart (internals) while man looks on the outward appearance (externals). Righteousness as Jesus teaches it is a matter of the heart.

I think the most important aspect of this section of the teachings of Jesus is how Jesus came to fill up the Jewish container shaped by their laws, traditions, dreams and desires. The more I study other religions, their laws, traditions, dreams and desires, the more I understand that Jesus came to fill full all of the religious containers of the world. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of everyone's heart. No matter the cultural or religious background of those you meet, Jesus will prove to be the ultimate fulfillment for them. All I want to do is introduce Jesus to them so that they recognize Him, whom they have sought after all their lives.

SECRET #17 is: The follower of Jesus respects all laws & religious structures, knowing his Master will fill it full of meaning and fulfillment. In the same way Jesus fills up the Jewish container I understand that this is the same thing Jesus does with every religious and cultural container in the world. Jesus is the only one in the world who can bring the world together in unity. I see it every day: Jesus unites and most everything else divides!

SECRET #16 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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Salt and light! Salt is the invisible presence of God that must be sensed by the world. Salt is the inner dimension of your faith walk that is most important. Light is the external dimension of your faith walk. Unless your act of following Jesus works from the inside out-salt first, then light, you will find yourself without the invisible presence of God. Without the saltiness of the invisible presence of God, you'll tend to end up just faking it.

SECRET #16 is founded in Jesus' teachings about the light. He says: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16) SECRET #16 is: The follower of Jesus is the light of the world for all to see.

Whereas the dimension of salt must be sensed and not seen, the dimension of light must seen in order to be effective. Salt has more to do with your character; light has to do with your lifestyle. The implication here is that there is a watching world around you. They are watching how you live your life in the good times and in bad.

Jesus taught that He was the light of the world and here He teaches His disciples that they are to function as the light of the world, too. It seems that Jesus wants His disciples to walk closely in His steps, so that His disciples are actually carrying out His teachings. I've come to see that the followers of Jesus are called upon to be Jesus as they come in contact with others. This is essential to understanding what it means to be the light of the world.

To be the light of the world also means to love one another. Jesus makes it clear that loving one another will let the world know more clearly about Him and His message.

To be the light of the world means to bless others, even when you are insulted. To do this will stir up a curiosity in others to ask you for the reason for the hope that is in you. Why do you act so differently? Instead of getting even, you try to make things right. This shines the true light of Jesus in a world full of darkness.

To be the light of the world means to have as your life question toward others: What can I do to help? (And, really mean it!) To shine as light in darkness is to meet the needs of those you encounter as you are able-to be a good neighbor, even to your worst enemy.

To be the light of the world means to be willing and ready to share your personal story when the opportunity arises. This does not require you to preach, teach or set anyone straight. You don't want to be a bright spot light, but a helpful light that eliminates the darkness in people's minds and lives.

Jesus said: "You ARE the salt of the earth." Just like the dimension of salt, Jesus says: "You ARE the light of the world." People are attracted to the light. You don't have to do anything spectacular; just live your life from the inside out-from salt to light! Be very aware that who you are matters and can make a significant difference in your world. In a sense, with salt and light you are more like a thermostat that sets the temperature rather than a thermometer that reports what the temperature is. With salt and light, you can be proactive and not just reactive!

SECRET #16? The follower of Jesus is the light of the world for all to see. When they see you, may they see Jesus, simply Jesus.

SECRET #15 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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Now that Jesus has described what it means to be a happy, blessed and fulfilled follower, He uses two dynamic terms to position you for the mission He has for you in this world-salt and light. The first is salt and sets us up for SECRET #15: The follower of Jesus is the invisible salt of the earth-the very presence of God.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."

NOTE Jesus says, "You ARE the salt of the earth!" It's not that you might be or you could be, but you ARE. Salt was used as a preservative to counteract the decay in meat. In order for the salt to be effective it must be out of the saltshaker and applied to the meat.

Salt is a vivid image of what Jesus wants from us. Salt has always been a highly valued commodity. It was even used for money. Roman soldiers were often paid in salt for their salary.

Salt is healing and soothing. The Hebrew word "salt" not only means to be soft, smooth and soothing, it was believed to possess healing properties. Salt was rubbed over newborn babies as a sign of cleansing and healing. Along with this idea, salt is a symbol of peace. We are not only called to bring peace, but to bring soothing and comfort to those who are in pain.

To be a saltless or tasteless disciple you are good for nothing except to be thrown out and trampled under foot. Tasteless is the word for foolish, dull, flat or deficient-to be a moron. To be the salt of the earth is to be full of wisdom. The foolish disciple has no impact on his world.

Salt adds flavor to things. Think of it this way. Jesus is to life what salt is to food. Jesus lends flavor to life and is therefore a difference-maker. It means that you as salt have the power to change the world-to flavor it.

In order to be salt it's important to understand the principle of invisibility. I view salt as the preserving, invisible presence of God. It's not what is seen; salt must be sensed! You're the salt in the world around you-the invisible presence of God among those you touch. Just by your presence there ought to be a preserving effect of purity, honesty, fairness and wholeness.

ONE MORE OBERSERVATION: Salt was added to each sacrifice offered. In fact, salt was necessary to make the sacrifice complete. There had to be the offering or sacrifice and the salt. Think of it this way. Jesus is the sacrifice. You are the salt applied to it. In other words, you as the salt of the earth are necessary to complete the ultimate, sacrificial love demonstration ever. In a real sense, you are the salt of the earth and your saltiness completes the message of love Jesus came to give.

SECRET #15? The follower of Jesus is the invisible salt of the earth-the very presence of God. You ARE the salt of the earth. How's it going?

SECRET #14 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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As we unpack the 14th secret of following Jesus, we come to the last snapshot or beatitude: "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

SECRET #14 is: The follower of Jesus rejoices and celebrates when persecuted for being a follower of Jesus alone. To rejoice in persecution is to develop the big picture on all troubles-especially the stresses that others bring upon you. Life is full of stress and distress. Many of life's stresses are circumstantial. I recently read: "You know it's a bad day when the sun comes up in the West, when you jump out of bed and miss the floor or when the bird singing outside your window is a buzzard or when you put both contact lenses in the same eye or when your pet rock snaps at you. When the blind date turns out to be your ex-wife or when your income tax refund check bounces." Those are circumstances that spell trouble.

NOTE the reason for persecution here. It's that same word we saw earlier-righteousness. As you hunger and thirst for righteousness-being like Jesus (allowing Him to live His life through you)-you will make people uncomfortable and they will pick away at you.

ALSO note the kinds of persecution mentioned here. It's insults, falsely saying all kinds of evil against you because of the Jesus and Kingdom lifestyle you are embracing. And when you note who it is who is doing the persecuting in the New Testament against the early followers of Jesus, you will quickly find that this kind of persecution comes from other religious people who are jealous and threatened.

When Jesus, the Righteous One, came to explain the love of God to mankind, His simple message was to present Himself and the gospel of the Kingdom. It didn't contain a system of do's and don'ts that normal religious groups do, so this made the religious people of the day uncomfortable enough to persecute Him terribly to the point of putting Him to death-to silence this simple one. If you are simply walking with Jesus, walking with others and waiting on Jesus to lead out in your life, you will face the same kind of criticism and backlash. Your simple faith will make others very uncomfortable-especially those who believe they have it all together, bolstered by their many theological and religious props. However, for those who are discontent, hurting, burdened down by all of the religiosities in the world, you will be a welcome sight-a bright light of hope.

The pre-requisite necessary for you to rejoice in persecution is to refocus your heart. Your passion for filling up the hole in your soul with simply Jesus-for genuine satisfaction and fulfillment in Him-can set you up as a primary target for an onslaught of verbal persecution. When you begin to experience a sense of inner satisfaction and some level of fulfillment, you will find the jealousy and envy of others waiting to cut you down to their size-or lower!

Rejoice in persecution is the attitude that is necessary to stand up against this verbal barrage. The attitude is to take a bigger view of it all. Those who are verbally attacking you are hurting deeply within themselves. What is most encouraging is that they have noticed something about you. You are growing up. You are beginning to find a personal satisfaction that sets you apart. Your response must be to redouble your efforts in refocusing your heart even more. You'll need it to truly rejoice in the midst of this kind of persecution. Keep on hungering and thirsting for that inner, spiritual satisfaction for your soul by walking with Jesus and walking with others. Then rejoice in persecution. This will drive your detractors nuts. Enjoy it.

NOTE what is promised for those who rejoice in persecution. Jesus says, "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." We saw that at the very beginning with Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The first snapshot and the last-poor in spirit and being persecuted for being like Jesus. It's like all 8 beatitudes are wrapped up in a package-all describing what a citizen of the Kingdom looks like. What a picture it is!

All of the 75 secrets of following Jesus describe a very different lifestyle-the Kingdom lifestyle, all unveiled by the King-Jesus. In a very real sense, these last 8 snapshots or secrets make up a collage of Jesus Himself. So, to embrace these for yourself is to embrace Jesus and His Kingdom personally. Don't hesitate on this. There are many treasures and secrets of the Kingdom that will enable you to make the rest of your life, the best of your life. So, embrace SECRET #14: The follower of Jesus rejoices and celebrates when persecuted for being a follower of Jesus alone.

SECRET #13 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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We are continuing through the 8 snapshots Jesus offers concerning what a Kingdom dweller looks like. We have come to the seventh snapshot or beatitude. It is: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

This is all about restoring peace. To restore peace is to develop peace within your sphere of influence wherever possible. To be a peacemaker requires that you make peace where there is no peace. Search for trouble, distress, brokenness and those who are living in pieces. You don't have to look too far. Listen to those around you. There is a great void out there-a great need to be understood. In fact, you probably won't have to search, just listen and be aware. This is a strategic discipline that carries with it the dynamic message of the Gospel (Good News). This is Jesus-peace where there is no peace.

In order to restore peace you must see the other person's strengths. This proves that you are listening and truly understand. Seek answers for what's best for this person. Do what you can do to promote peace making-love, trust, and forgiveness. The world around you is in such desperate need of experiencing inner peace. When I even casually mention forgiveness in a seminar session, I notice the light bulbs switching on throughout the audience. People are in great need for healing-for knowing inner peace.

The story is told in Spain of a father and his teenage son who had a relationship that had become strained. So the son ran away from home. His father, however, began a journey in search of his rebellious son. Finally, in Madrid, in a last ditch effort to find him, the father put an ad in the newspaper. The ad read: "Dear Paco, meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven. I love you. Your father."

The next day at noon in front of the newspaper office over 800 "Pacos" showed up. They were all seeking forgiveness and love from their fathers. Believe me, there are massive amounts of Pacos out there looking for peace!

NOTE that being a peacemaker emerges out of the beatitude of meekness. So, how can you best restore peace in the world around you? The pre-requisite is to renew your confidence-develop the attitude of meekness. Remember that meekness is a quiet, controlled inner strength. You don't have a chance to be a peacemaker without that quiet, controlled inner strength. You see, without that attitude of meekness you have the tendency to be a reactor to people and things rather than be proactive, which is what restoring peace requires. Meekness is the inner strength that allows you to be a peacemaker. Restore peace and make people whole or remove yourself from this responsibility and leave the people around you in pieces. So, choose to restore peace.

ALSO NOTE the peacemaker will be called a son of God. This is what God does. He brings peace to the world at great cost to Himself. When you are a peacemaker, you are like your Father in heaven.

I like the simple prayer that says: "Dear Lord, as in the world I toil and through this world I flit. I pray make me a drop of oil and not a piece of grit!" "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." So, SECRET #13 is: The follower of Jesus seeks to make peace where there is no peace.