UPSIDE DOWN LIFE
DAY 134: When our sons were young, surprisingly they had more slumber parties than our daughter as they brought their sports teams home on a regular basis after baseball or soccer games. We were often invaded by hoards of boys with their noise, and appetites, and smells, and rowdiness, and risk-taking. Our normally manageable home became anything but manageable when the gang arrived for a team sleep-over. As a mom, I was on duty during "waking hours" but my husband had the honor of actually bunking with the boys in the playroom overnight. Of course the only person who actually bunked was my husband.
On almost every occasion, I would awake in the wee hours to activities like stair-sledding, kitten-parachuting (humanely dropping them down the laundry shoot), or kitchen raiding. Dad-on-duty managed to sleep through the chaos. Still, we loved having the guys in our home; but in every way, they turned our house upside down! Things could not operate as they usually do with 10 middle school boys added to our family of five - even if it was just for 24 hours. We could no longer function as we normally did if we wanted to cope with the reality change. So it was all hands on deck - and stock up on jelly rolls. If you aren't ready for a drastic change, I absolutely don't recommend adolescent slumber parties. It will change your world as you know it - for a little while.
If you want to change your world forever, then inviting Christ into your life will accomplish that - in a good way. But like slumber parties for hormonal boys, not everyone is willing to risk that kind of change. Today's reading made that clear. Paul and Silas, still traveling through Greece, did what they had done in every city - invite people to change.
ACTS 17: 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
His message was always the same: Jesus is the Messiah. It was radical and disruptive and some just could not stand that kind of change. Unable to find Paul and Silas, some of the Jewish religious leader dragged his companions before the city council and explained just what they thought of that kind of change.
6 ... “These who have turned the world upside down have come here now. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”
Were they right? Had Paul and Silas with their message that Jesus is Messiah, KING, turned the world upside down? Close.
It was Jesus who actually turned the world upside down by coming as Messiah, by proclaiming to be THE Way, THE Truth and THE life. He turned every thing on end by declaring that no one comes the the Father EXCEPT THROUGH HIM. Everything He taught was upside down from the world, and the religions of the world.
The poor will be rich. The mourners will be comforted. The meek will inherit the world. The fools will shame the wise. To hate is to murder. To lust is to commit adultery. To be great you must be least. To live you must die.
THEY WERE RIGHT. To know the truth of Jesus is to have your world turned upside down. Not just THE world... YOUR world. Like having a herd of boys invade your house, we cannot have Jesus indwell our earthly house, our bodies and our lives, and expect things to be the same. Things cannot operate the same once Christ is part of your life. Our little inner-world will be turned upside down, as much as how we live in the outer world.
If we you looking for calm, and serene, and uncomplicated - you will be uncomfortable when Jesus moves in to your life because He will surely turn our world upside down as you learn to follow the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
NOTE: If you have the time and would like a great description of the UPSIDE DOWN LIFE that comes with knowing Christ, keep reading. Below is an excerpt of a sermon delivered on Sabbath Morning, May 9, 1858, by
the REV. Charles H. Spurgeon at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens. You may want to take a Dramamine first before reading just how much Jesus turns life upside down. Enjoy.
"If you wish to see the world turned upside down to perfection, just turn to the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: here you have a whole summary of the world reversed. Jesus Christ turned the world upside down the first sermon he preached. Look at the third verse. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Now, we like a man who has an ambitious spirit—a man who, as we say, knows how to push his way in the world—who looks up—is not contented with the position that he occupies, but is always for climbing higher and higher. And we have a very fair opinion too of a man, who has a very fair opinion of himself—a man who is not going to bow and cringe. He will have his rights, that he will, he will not give way to anybody. He believes himself to be somewhat, and he will stand on his own belief, and will prove it to the world yet. He is not one of your poor, mean-spirited fellows, who are content with poverty, and sit still. He will not be contented. Now such a man as this the world admires. But Christ just turns that upside down, and says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of heaven." The men who have no strength of their own, but look for all to Christ—the men who have no spirit to run with a wicked world, but who would rather suffer an injury than resent one—the men who are lowly and of a humble carriage, who seek not to lift their heads above their fellows; who if they be great have greatness thrust upon them, but never seek it—who are content along the cool, sequestered vale of life, to keep the even tenour of their way—who seem to have always ringing in their ears, "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not"—"the poor in spirit," happy in their poverty, who are content with the Lord's providence, and think themselves far more rich than they deserve to be. Now, these men Christ says, are blessed. The world says, they are soft, they are fools; but Christ puts those on the top whom the world puts at the bottom. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for their's is the kingdom of heaven."
Day 134 of 365
2 Kings 9:14-37
2 Kings 10:1-31
Acts 17
Psalm 144:1-15
Proverbs 17:27-28
On almost every occasion, I would awake in the wee hours to activities like stair-sledding, kitten-parachuting (humanely dropping them down the laundry shoot), or kitchen raiding. Dad-on-duty managed to sleep through the chaos. Still, we loved having the guys in our home; but in every way, they turned our house upside down! Things could not operate as they usually do with 10 middle school boys added to our family of five - even if it was just for 24 hours. We could no longer function as we normally did if we wanted to cope with the reality change. So it was all hands on deck - and stock up on jelly rolls. If you aren't ready for a drastic change, I absolutely don't recommend adolescent slumber parties. It will change your world as you know it - for a little while.
If you want to change your world forever, then inviting Christ into your life will accomplish that - in a good way. But like slumber parties for hormonal boys, not everyone is willing to risk that kind of change. Today's reading made that clear. Paul and Silas, still traveling through Greece, did what they had done in every city - invite people to change.
ACTS 17: 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
His message was always the same: Jesus is the Messiah. It was radical and disruptive and some just could not stand that kind of change. Unable to find Paul and Silas, some of the Jewish religious leader dragged his companions before the city council and explained just what they thought of that kind of change.
6 ... “These who have turned the world upside down have come here now. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”
Were they right? Had Paul and Silas with their message that Jesus is Messiah, KING, turned the world upside down? Close. It was Jesus who actually turned the world upside down by coming as Messiah, by proclaiming to be THE Way, THE Truth and THE life. He turned every thing on end by declaring that no one comes the the Father EXCEPT THROUGH HIM. Everything He taught was upside down from the world, and the religions of the world.
The poor will be rich. The mourners will be comforted. The meek will inherit the world. The fools will shame the wise. To hate is to murder. To lust is to commit adultery. To be great you must be least. To live you must die.
THEY WERE RIGHT. To know the truth of Jesus is to have your world turned upside down. Not just THE world... YOUR world. Like having a herd of boys invade your house, we cannot have Jesus indwell our earthly house, our bodies and our lives, and expect things to be the same. Things cannot operate the same once Christ is part of your life. Our little inner-world will be turned upside down, as much as how we live in the outer world.
If we you looking for calm, and serene, and uncomplicated - you will be uncomfortable when Jesus moves in to your life because He will surely turn our world upside down as you learn to follow the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
"If you wish to see the world turned upside down to perfection, just turn to the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: here you have a whole summary of the world reversed. Jesus Christ turned the world upside down the first sermon he preached. Look at the third verse. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Now, we like a man who has an ambitious spirit—a man who, as we say, knows how to push his way in the world—who looks up—is not contented with the position that he occupies, but is always for climbing higher and higher. And we have a very fair opinion too of a man, who has a very fair opinion of himself—a man who is not going to bow and cringe. He will have his rights, that he will, he will not give way to anybody. He believes himself to be somewhat, and he will stand on his own belief, and will prove it to the world yet. He is not one of your poor, mean-spirited fellows, who are content with poverty, and sit still. He will not be contented. Now such a man as this the world admires. But Christ just turns that upside down, and says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their's is the kingdom of heaven." The men who have no strength of their own, but look for all to Christ—the men who have no spirit to run with a wicked world, but who would rather suffer an injury than resent one—the men who are lowly and of a humble carriage, who seek not to lift their heads above their fellows; who if they be great have greatness thrust upon them, but never seek it—who are content along the cool, sequestered vale of life, to keep the even tenour of their way—who seem to have always ringing in their ears, "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not"—"the poor in spirit," happy in their poverty, who are content with the Lord's providence, and think themselves far more rich than they deserve to be. Now, these men Christ says, are blessed. The world says, they are soft, they are fools; but Christ puts those on the top whom the world puts at the bottom. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for their's is the kingdom of heaven."
"I have next to remark, that the Christian religion turns the world upside down in its maxims.
I will just quote a few texts which show this very clearly. "It was
said by them of old time, eye for eye and tooth for tooth; but I say
unto you, resist not evil" It has generally been held by each of us,
that we are not to allow anyone to infringe upon our rights; but the
Saviour says, "Whosoever would sue thee at the law and take thy cloak,
let him take thy coat also." "If any man smite thee on the one cheek,
turn unto him the other also." If these precepts were kept, would it not
turn the world upside down? "It has been said by them of old time, love
thy neighbor and hate thine enemy;" but Jesus Christ said, "Let love be
unto all men." He commands us to love our enemies, and to pray for them
who despitefully use us. He says, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him, and
if he thirst give him drink, for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of
fire on his head." This would indeed be turning the world upside down;
for what would become of our war ships and our warriors, if at the
port-holes where now we put our cannons, we should have sent out to some
burning city of our enemies—for instance, to burning Sebastapol,—if we
had sent to the houseless inhabitants, who had been driven from their
homes, barrels of beef, and bundles of bread and clothes, to supply
their wants. That would have been a reversal of all human policy, but
yet it would have been just the carrying out of Christ's law, after all.
"How Christ has turned the world upside down, as to our religious notions.
Why, the mass of mankind believe, that if any man wills to be saved,
that is all which is necessary. Many of our preachers do in effect
preach this worldly maxim. They tell men that they must make themselves
willing. Now, just hear how the gospel upsets that. "It is not of him
that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
The world will have an universal religion too; but how Christ overturns
that. "I pray for them; I pray not for the world." He hath ordained us from among men.
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God, through sanctification of
the Spirit, and belief of the truth." "The Lord knoweth them that are
his." How that runs counter to all the world's opinion of religion! The
world's religion is this—"Do, and thou shalt live." Christ's religion
is—"Believe and live." We will have it, that if a man be righteous,
sober upright, he shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but Christ
says—This thou oughtest to have done; but still, not this can ever
cleanse thee. "As many as are under the works of the law are under the
curse." "By the works or the law shall no flesh living be justified." "
Believe and live," is just the upsetting of every human notion. Cast
thyself on Christ: trust in him. Have good works afterwards; but first
of all trust in him that died upon the tree. This is the overturning of
every opinion of man. And hence mortals will always fight against it, so
long as the human heart is what it is. Oh! that we knew the gospel! Oh!
that we felt the gospel! For it would be the upsetting of all
self-righteousness, and the casting down of every high look, and of
every proud thing.
(source:http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0193.htm) Day 134 of 365
2 Kings 9:14-37
2 Kings 10:1-31
Acts 17
Psalm 144:1-15
Proverbs 17:27-28
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