Daniel Burton Archives - Page 34 of 47

A Little Bit of Encouragement For Those Who Need It

A Bit of Encouragement For Those Who Need It

May 1, 2018

I look around me and see some of the most incredible people in my life with the same type of fatigue. These are people from all walks of life that inspire me to some degree or I am incredibly grateful for their presence. To be honest, it is weird to see your heroes fatigued and it is weirder to see people look to you for strength when you don’t even feel you have it together. But I think this is what it means to be the body of Christ, supporting one another in the love of God when we need it the most and to borrow strength from one another. Everyone, it seems, needs borrowed strength from one another regardless of position, place, or power.

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love Part 2

April 30, 2018

In seeking to understand a concept, it is often helpful to look at what that particular concept is not. Culturally, it goes without saying that there are numerous definitions and expectations of what love is and what love looks like. Everyone’s various expectations of what love looks like pressures each person to reflect different core values. In seeking to allow the Holy Spirit to express the love of God as a fruit of our transformation, love must be expressed through all that we do. Furthermore, the opposite of this same love should be ignored and avoided at all cost. From a biblical perspective, most would assume that the opposite of love of hate. Yet, hate has passion in common with love. Furthermore, in other areas, believers are encouraged to hate what is evil, which is a command from God, who is love. Both exhibit passion. The passion is, albeit misdirected, but present none of the less. Instead, the opposite of love is fear. Biblical authors use the greek word “phobos” to depict the complete incompatibility of love. Fear is a paralytic that causes us to cower, hide, and freeze. Love, however, drives a person to intense action as the outpouring of an undeserved love that we have already received.

The Fruit of the Spirit: Love Part 1

April 23, 2018

At the outset of Paul’s discussion of the Fruit of the Spirit, the foundation is laid down mentioning love as the first fruit. While all the elements listed in Galatians are all equal parts of the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul significantly lists “love” as the first fruit and expression of a spirit filled life. For the people of Paul’s time, love could be viewed from a few different perspectives. One aspect is the idea of brotherly or familial love, personified by the word “phileo” (which we get the word Philadelphia from as the city of brotherly love). Another popular perspective depicted, specifically within Greek literature, described love as primary a romantic and sexual interaction, employing the word “eros.” Neither of these words did the description of love justice. Love of this nature could only be described as “agape” which implies a deeper connection that either “eros” or “phileo” would be able to offer. This love, rather than being between two people, originates in the personhood of God and expresses a deep connection. It is not friendly or familial but rather from a direct and profound connection from the God’s heart to ours.

The Fruit of the Spirit

April 16, 2018

The Holy Spirit is the hand and mechanism of life’s creation, sent by Jesus Christ, from the beginning of time. The work of the Holy Spirit is transformative in the lives of believers. When a person believes in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit begins its work in a person. As the mechanism of true, genuine life, the Holy Spirit knows which things are created with the DNA of God and which are the representation of the fleshly desires. When the Spirit renews a person fully, the sign of the Spirit in a person is the fruit that is produced. For the Christian, Galatians 5:22-25 serves as the metric and sign for what occurs in every believer when the Holy Spirit works in the heart.

James 5:13-20 The Need for One Another

April 11, 2018

As James concludes his letter, he discusses the need for one another as put our faith on full display. Throughout the course of James’ letter, he has constantly exhorted his readers to take the faith they held in their soul and express it outward. Yet, as a member of the body of Christ, we are not to go through our spiritual path on our own. We are guided by the mentors and leaders who have gone before us to show us how to walk in our faith. We have our peers and friends to hold one another up and challenge one another along the way. Furthermore, we guide those who come after us. For the Christian to successfully be connected to his or her Christian community, there is a minimum of three generations of interaction, each one providing different opportunities and challenges for the believer.

Luke 5:12-26 Sin and Sickness

April 9, 2018

In Luke 5:12-26, Jesus engages in two miracles of healing. First, there was the leper, who, under normal circumstances, would be unable to even approach Jesus. They were unclean and regarded as a leper largely because of their sins. Jesus called this same person to Himself in order to heal the sickness and disease. Moreso, Jesus ordered the leper to present himself to the priests to verify the miracle and the forgiveness. Immediately after this story, Luke continues with the well known story of the paralyzed man, lowered from the roof. Knowing that he was being watched by the Pharisees and the scribes of the law, Jesus took the opportunity to put the fullness of his presence and personhood to the crowd.

The Death and Life of Jesus Christ

April 2, 2018

The angel sat on the stone and informed the women of Jesus’ resurrection. The women ran and told the disciples who investigated and reported that Jesus no longer resided in the grave. The word spread throughout the country for all to hear; Jesus rose from the grave. He had returned. Over the next few days he appeared to His disciples and various other persons and they experienced the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Where once the King died, now He reigns victorious over heaven and earth, over death and life.

James 5:1-12 Patience in Suffering

March 28, 2018

We will at some point experience the corruption of others around us. Yet, this should not shake our faith. The God we serve is an eternal God who is drawing all things to Himself. At the end of time itself, it is God who will stand in Judgment over the wicked and the righteous. Until then, we must not fall into the same trap as the wicked in pursuing gain, but remain steadfast and patient waiting on the Lord, speaking with wholeness and integrity. James continues to discuss the connection between faith and works, specifically in the face of the wealth and power that the world offers. Our God is eternal and our strength comes from God whose strength will never run out.

The Seven Last Words of Christ: Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit

March 26, 2018

I like to believe that everyone held out hope until the very end. Surely, this was not how the Savior would die. This was not the death befitting a King, let alone the Savior of mankind. Had Jesus’ mission failed? Was this a sign that the reasons Christ came had not been accomplished? For us today, we are able to review scripture and see that the death of Jesus Christ did not indicate that the mission had failed but rather that the consequences of our sins had been fulfilled. Christ died a grueling death, arduous and straining for His last breaths until the end. This was the moment, the crescendo of all human history coming to an apex here. The world would be forever changed by the events of today and the spiritual fates of mankind would awaken to the fullness of a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Yet, in this moment, there was the pain of the people standing by watching friend, son, teacher, and prophet’s life come to a brutal close. Even worse, Jesus died on the cross, a sinners death, trusting in the fullness of God.

James 4:13-17 Leave Room For God

March 21, 2018

James continues his discussion of wisdom and how we apply it to our lives as Christians. James begins with a rhetorical question challenging to the reader to take a look inward and ask “Am I wise?” Wisdom goes beyond a simple understanding of what is right. While wisdom includes understanding, it goes beyond that. Wisdom, and thus a wise person, applies what they have learned. Yet, this wisdom is easily contrasted with the wisdom of the world. The world will encourage us to pursue selfish gain over and at the expense of others. The wisdom of Heaven, though, strives for a greater and deeper expression of a life changed and redeemed by an everlasting God.