Friday, September 9, 2011
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Putting the Amazing back into Grace
Been chewing on Aaron's Oct 20th post for a couple of days - it went right along with our Sunday School lesson as well as with the Providence series we're getting right now.
I was thinking about how Scripture tells us that the Old Testament gives us types and shadows of the truth revealed fully in Christ... and how He tells us - He chose Israel,
Deu 7:6-8
(6)"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
(7) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
(8) but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Then I was reading Piper's tweets on Pastor Mike's page and found this...
Why We Love the Doctrines of GraceOctober 23, 2009
By: John Piper
Unconditional election delivers the harshest and the sweetest judgments to my soul.
That it is unconditional destroys all self-exaltation; and that it is election makes me his treasured possession.
This is one of the beauties of the biblical doctrines of grace: their worst devastations prepare us for their greatest delights.
What prigs we would become at the words, “The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6), if this election were in any way dependent on our will. But to protect us from pride, the Lord teaches us that we are unconditionally chosen (7:7-9).
“He made a wretch his treasure,” as we so gladly sing.
Only the devastating freeness and unconditionality of electing grace lets us take and taste such gifts for our very own without the exaltation of self.
How sweet Amazing Grace is - and it's only amazing if God did it.
I stole the title of the post from: Putting the Amazing back into Grace - Michael Horton
I was thinking about how Scripture tells us that the Old Testament gives us types and shadows of the truth revealed fully in Christ... and how He tells us - He chose Israel,
Deu 7:6-8
(6)"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
(7) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
(8) but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Then I was reading Piper's tweets on Pastor Mike's page and found this...
Why We Love the Doctrines of GraceOctober 23, 2009
By: John Piper
Unconditional election delivers the harshest and the sweetest judgments to my soul.
That it is unconditional destroys all self-exaltation; and that it is election makes me his treasured possession.
This is one of the beauties of the biblical doctrines of grace: their worst devastations prepare us for their greatest delights.
What prigs we would become at the words, “The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6), if this election were in any way dependent on our will. But to protect us from pride, the Lord teaches us that we are unconditionally chosen (7:7-9).
“He made a wretch his treasure,” as we so gladly sing.
Only the devastating freeness and unconditionality of electing grace lets us take and taste such gifts for our very own without the exaltation of self.
How sweet Amazing Grace is - and it's only amazing if God did it.
I stole the title of the post from: Putting the Amazing back into Grace - Michael Horton
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Striving after nothing but the wind...
“You’ve made your bed, now lie in it.”
What does this mean?
My understanding is – you’ve chosen your path, now deal with the consequences. A lot of parents use this as a “tough love” line, to indicate that they are no longer bailing their children out of the consequences of their own foolish choices.
This is “tough”, because human love tends to want to bail people out of less-than-desirable consequences, even when they got themselves in them in the first place.
However, it is “love”, because until we face the consequences of our foolish decisions, we never learn not to make those same foolish decisions.
We can tell a child that fire is dangerous until we are blue in the face. We can even threaten punishment if they get close to the fire in an attempt to keep our child safe. But sometimes, until the child attempts to put his/her hand in the fire and feels that split-second pain response themselves, they’ll keep getting closer and closer to the fire despite the warnings.
We warn children of the dangers, and yet they enter into those dangers despite our love-intended warnings. Eventually, as the children grow older, we have to back away and let them “learn their lesson” – because we recognize in ourselves that we are often so hard-headed and stubborn and self-willed, that we only “learn the hard way”.
God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with few guidelines. They lived in the paradise of Eden, enjoyed and tended to His Creation, and were only told not to eat of the tree of knowledge – else they would die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
(Gen 3:4-5)
Satan appealed to our humanistic self-will, and Eve fell right in. She chose “her own way” instead of God’s way – despite the warning of death that God gave.
The Fall is the description of God, in His mercy, subjecting humanity to the “bed they had chosen and made”. Humanity chose to have its own choices, instead of God’s choices. God is eternal, omniscient, and sees far beyond the little windows of seconds that we see from below – and yet, over and over, we think that “we know better”.
He subjected us to mortal death and this temporary, unsatisfying world - with a bigger goal in mind.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
(Rom 8:20-21)
We are subjected to the “vanity under the sun” in hope that the creation itself would see the futility of its own choices, and therefore the perfection of God’s choices would shine through the contrast. By allowing our choices to flow to their own natural unsatisfying and miserable consequences, we will see that God's ways are for our own good and His glory. When He opens our eyes to Himself, we can then choose Him instead of self - and be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
When we are slaves to our own choices – we are in bondage to decay. We love stuff, and we buy tons of stuff, and then we watch our stuff decay and fail to satisfy us. We put our treasure in humans, and we see humans die and fail to satisfy us. We put our trust in self and pleasure, and we see our self and pleasure fail to truly satisfy time and time again.
He subjected us to the vanity (worthlessness), futility, uselessness and decay of this temporal world below, in hope that we would eventually see the futility of our own making – and instead look to Him and desire Him above all else; the only One who will truly and fully satisfy.
King Solomon is regarded as one of the wisest men who ever lived. He lived to experience pretty much every pleasure that can be known to man by wealth and prosperity, and he felt compelled to write down many truths in order to pass on what he had learned from enjoying life to its fullest here on earth, “under the sun”:
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money,
nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
(Ecc 5:10-11)
Ecc 6:9-12
(9) Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
(10) Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he.
(11) The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man?
(12) For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Solomon has numerous examples from life that seem good to a man, but ends by saying “this is also vanity” – because he has seen the passing and temporary and uselessness nature of all things “under the sun”.
He finally wraps things up by saying that he has learned from all he has enjoyed and experienced:
Ecc 12:12-14
(12) And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
(13) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
(14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
You and I have been subjected to this futile world for one reason – not that we would continue forever to seek pleasure in the worthless – but that we would see the worthlessness and look beyond temporary to the One eternally fulfilling Jesus Christ.
He came to endure the futile world Himself to save us from our own sin that binds us here, and hinders us from loving Him.
We were created by the Holy Almighty Creator God, for His own pleasure and glory – and until we learn to fear Him, revere Him, and love Him – true joy can never begin.
All else is worthlessness, and all will be judged in His Holy presence on the last day.
What does this mean?
My understanding is – you’ve chosen your path, now deal with the consequences. A lot of parents use this as a “tough love” line, to indicate that they are no longer bailing their children out of the consequences of their own foolish choices.
This is “tough”, because human love tends to want to bail people out of less-than-desirable consequences, even when they got themselves in them in the first place.
However, it is “love”, because until we face the consequences of our foolish decisions, we never learn not to make those same foolish decisions.
We can tell a child that fire is dangerous until we are blue in the face. We can even threaten punishment if they get close to the fire in an attempt to keep our child safe. But sometimes, until the child attempts to put his/her hand in the fire and feels that split-second pain response themselves, they’ll keep getting closer and closer to the fire despite the warnings.
We warn children of the dangers, and yet they enter into those dangers despite our love-intended warnings. Eventually, as the children grow older, we have to back away and let them “learn their lesson” – because we recognize in ourselves that we are often so hard-headed and stubborn and self-willed, that we only “learn the hard way”.
God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with few guidelines. They lived in the paradise of Eden, enjoyed and tended to His Creation, and were only told not to eat of the tree of knowledge – else they would die.
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
(Gen 3:4-5)
Satan appealed to our humanistic self-will, and Eve fell right in. She chose “her own way” instead of God’s way – despite the warning of death that God gave.
The Fall is the description of God, in His mercy, subjecting humanity to the “bed they had chosen and made”. Humanity chose to have its own choices, instead of God’s choices. God is eternal, omniscient, and sees far beyond the little windows of seconds that we see from below – and yet, over and over, we think that “we know better”.
He subjected us to mortal death and this temporary, unsatisfying world - with a bigger goal in mind.
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
(Rom 8:20-21)
We are subjected to the “vanity under the sun” in hope that the creation itself would see the futility of its own choices, and therefore the perfection of God’s choices would shine through the contrast. By allowing our choices to flow to their own natural unsatisfying and miserable consequences, we will see that God's ways are for our own good and His glory. When He opens our eyes to Himself, we can then choose Him instead of self - and be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
When we are slaves to our own choices – we are in bondage to decay. We love stuff, and we buy tons of stuff, and then we watch our stuff decay and fail to satisfy us. We put our treasure in humans, and we see humans die and fail to satisfy us. We put our trust in self and pleasure, and we see our self and pleasure fail to truly satisfy time and time again.
He subjected us to the vanity (worthlessness), futility, uselessness and decay of this temporal world below, in hope that we would eventually see the futility of our own making – and instead look to Him and desire Him above all else; the only One who will truly and fully satisfy.
King Solomon is regarded as one of the wisest men who ever lived. He lived to experience pretty much every pleasure that can be known to man by wealth and prosperity, and he felt compelled to write down many truths in order to pass on what he had learned from enjoying life to its fullest here on earth, “under the sun”:
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money,
nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
(Ecc 5:10-11)
Ecc 6:9-12
(9) Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
(10) Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he.
(11) The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man?
(12) For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Solomon has numerous examples from life that seem good to a man, but ends by saying “this is also vanity” – because he has seen the passing and temporary and uselessness nature of all things “under the sun”.
He finally wraps things up by saying that he has learned from all he has enjoyed and experienced:
Ecc 12:12-14
(12) And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
(13) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
(14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
You and I have been subjected to this futile world for one reason – not that we would continue forever to seek pleasure in the worthless – but that we would see the worthlessness and look beyond temporary to the One eternally fulfilling Jesus Christ.
He came to endure the futile world Himself to save us from our own sin that binds us here, and hinders us from loving Him.
We were created by the Holy Almighty Creator God, for His own pleasure and glory – and until we learn to fear Him, revere Him, and love Him – true joy can never begin.
All else is worthlessness, and all will be judged in His Holy presence on the last day.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. ~Proverbs 9:10
But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
(Luke 23:28)
And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
(Luke 23:32-34)
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
(Luke 23:39-43)
* The first thief spoke despitefully to Jesus and said, "If" (unbelief) thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
The second thief pointed out the error of the first and said:
1. Do you not fear God? (Do you not know you are speaking carelessly to the Son of Almighty God?)
2. And you are suffering the same condemnation as He is suffering here beside you?
3. We are getting what we deserve here on the crosses, because we have done wrong.
4. But He has done no wrong, and hangs here suffering without deserving it.
5. Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
He's my LORD
There is no other One
Who can calm the storms of life
Like my LORD
He'll give rest to the weary
He gives life to the hopeless
There's no doubt about it
He's my LORD.
(Luke 23:28)
And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
(Luke 23:32-34)
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
(Luke 23:39-43)
* The first thief spoke despitefully to Jesus and said, "If" (unbelief) thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
The second thief pointed out the error of the first and said:
1. Do you not fear God? (Do you not know you are speaking carelessly to the Son of Almighty God?)
2. And you are suffering the same condemnation as He is suffering here beside you?
3. We are getting what we deserve here on the crosses, because we have done wrong.
4. But He has done no wrong, and hangs here suffering without deserving it.
5. Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
He's my LORD
There is no other One
Who can calm the storms of life
Like my LORD
He'll give rest to the weary
He gives life to the hopeless
There's no doubt about it
He's my LORD.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
I used to see God too small...
But I'm beginning to see Him magnified...
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 3:22-24
I used to read this verse and see the words "drove out the man", "flaming sword", and "to keep the way of the tree of life" and think of these things only as punishment and anger and wrath from God. I know that these things are true - sin does exact wrath in the presence of our holy, righteous, and just God. But that isn't the whole story - it's just the beginning (Alpha).
I've been pondering on His holiness - and Tim brought out a point the other day when we were talking about it. He said that His holiness really encompasses all of His other attributes; all of His other "character traits" work together for holiness... He can't be anything other than:
Holy
Righteous
Just
Truth
Faithful
But - He is also merciful, longsuffering, loving, and compassionate.
Before being truly born again in the Spirit of God, we see statements in the Bible like:
Exodus 20:5-6
(5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And we think - "who is this God to be jealous and angry? A loving God would not speak like this". From there we convince ourselves that the Holy Bible is less than authoritative, and from there society breaks down as we see it is doing in America today.
But we forget that the next verse says:
(6) And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
It was mercy that God sent Adam and Even out of the Garden and protected the tree of life. Had they eaten of the tree of life after choosing to be like God instead of choosing to obey submit to God, they would have been immortally and eternally condemned along with Satan.
It was mercy that God sent them from His paradise and subjected them to physical death. In doing so, He protected them from eternal death and condemnation - and promised that He would provide His own Way for them to eat of the Tree of Life through Jesus Christ.
It was mercy that He put walls around the tabernacle and Temple and veiled the Holy of Holies. I used to read this with the idea in my head that He was protecting His presence from man. How silly a concept. God wasn't protecting Himself from man - Almighty God needs protection from NO MAN. But walls and veils protected sinful man from entering unwittingly and carelessly into the consuminig presence of the Holy God.
The shekinah glory that came down and filled the tabernacle and temple once they were dedicated to Him put the people in awe - and they fell to the ground and worshipped the Lord God as He should be worshipped.
He reveals enough of His holiness through His Word and His Creation to:
1. Warn us of coming judgment by the Holy God
2. Make us desire Him and desire to be like Him
He veils His holiness for now in mercy, and yet offers it with grace.
We have to accept that only His payment through the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of His Holy Son Jesus Christ is acceptable to the Holy God.
The blood of the final sacrifice in Christ must be applied to each of us personally, and His perfect spotless righteousness must be claimed - instead of our own righteousness, which is but filthy rags in the sight of the Holy God.
When the cloud rolls back as a scroll, and this temporary world of darkness is revealed in the Light of His holiness in its fullness -
(10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
(11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11
Those who recognized it and pleaded that He apply it to them will be counted with His own righteousness and accepted in the sight of God. But those who believed themselves "good enough" to enter unprepared into the mighty presence of the Holy God will eternally find the truth of the eternal Word of God that they denied temporarly on earth.
Sin in the presence of holiness is consumed and destroyed and purified by the Holy fire of our Almighty Creator.
For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29
Jesus Christ's substitionary perfect life and perfect sacrifice is the only acceptable means of entering into that Holy judgment.
We must recognize:
1. Our own sinfulness
2. His holiness
3. His sole ability to satisfy the requirements of holiness
4. Our complete inability to satisfy the requirements of holiness
5. And then repent and turn from our selves, to Him - in worship, and love and admiration of the Holy Creator who alone can satisfy the hunger in our soul that He placed there for Himself.
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee..”
- St. Augustine
Lord - Help our hearts turn to You
Help us see you magnified as You truly are. Our sinful hearts want to minimize Your mightiness - cast that sin behind us and reveal Yourself as You truly are so that we fall down in worship and fellowship with You.
You loved us first so that we could love you back
Raise up admiration and love in our hearts for the One who made the way for us back to Himself
Through Jesus Christ - Lord, King, Savior - Holy God
Help us love, serve, and worship You in a way that is pleasing in Your sight
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can please You and reflect Your glory to this dark world
That they might see Christ in us.
In Jesus' powerful name I ask these things for Your glory Lord.
Amen.
---------------------
Reading after lunch: 1 Kings summary in Adventuring Through the Bible. This went along with what I was trying to get out of my head onto the screen earlier this morning - so I wanted to add it:
"Shout louder!" he [Elijah] said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."
When the pagan priests have exausted themselves to no avail [calling out to their gods to light the sacrifice on fire - 1 Kings 18], Elijah rolls up his sleeves and goes to work. He repairs the altar of the Lord, which has fallen into disrepair, then he orders four large jars of water to be poured over the bull and the wood upon the altar. He intends to make sure that the demonstration of God's power is not merely spectacular but absolutely astonishing. Then he calls upon God, and God sends down a fire so intense that it not only consumes the sacrifice but the water and the stones of the altar! Once judgment is exercised, the heavens open again and rain pours down upon the land.
This is a picture of what happens in the life of anyone who resists God's rightful rule. In what one writer has termed His "severe mercy", God brings us under His chastening until our stubbornnes is broken. Our willful rebellion is ended and we are humbled at last before God. Then the rain of grace can pour once again upon our hearts, bringing good fruit and sweet blessing once more.
Our human minds see God banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden (among other passages in the Bible) as mean and vengeful, and we're offended by it and want to think of it as foolishness - but that's because we see God too small.
He can't be judged by human means - for He is the only being who is absolutely worthy of being jealous and exacting punishment - because He alone is the only being in eternity worthy of being worshipped. He is Almighty - Holy - Righteous - Wonderful - Awesome - Just - Creator - Sustainer - Savior - LORD - King - Love - Bridegroom -
He
Alone
is
the LORD God.
We cannot wrap our little brains around a God that big - and anytime we think His Word is foolishness, we've failed to see how big He really is and tried to make Him as we are.
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Genesis 3:22-24
I used to read this verse and see the words "drove out the man", "flaming sword", and "to keep the way of the tree of life" and think of these things only as punishment and anger and wrath from God. I know that these things are true - sin does exact wrath in the presence of our holy, righteous, and just God. But that isn't the whole story - it's just the beginning (Alpha).
I've been pondering on His holiness - and Tim brought out a point the other day when we were talking about it. He said that His holiness really encompasses all of His other attributes; all of His other "character traits" work together for holiness... He can't be anything other than:
Holy
Righteous
Just
Truth
Faithful
But - He is also merciful, longsuffering, loving, and compassionate.
Before being truly born again in the Spirit of God, we see statements in the Bible like:
Exodus 20:5-6
(5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And we think - "who is this God to be jealous and angry? A loving God would not speak like this". From there we convince ourselves that the Holy Bible is less than authoritative, and from there society breaks down as we see it is doing in America today.
But we forget that the next verse says:
(6) And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
It was mercy that God sent Adam and Even out of the Garden and protected the tree of life. Had they eaten of the tree of life after choosing to be like God instead of choosing to obey submit to God, they would have been immortally and eternally condemned along with Satan.
It was mercy that God sent them from His paradise and subjected them to physical death. In doing so, He protected them from eternal death and condemnation - and promised that He would provide His own Way for them to eat of the Tree of Life through Jesus Christ.
It was mercy that He put walls around the tabernacle and Temple and veiled the Holy of Holies. I used to read this with the idea in my head that He was protecting His presence from man. How silly a concept. God wasn't protecting Himself from man - Almighty God needs protection from NO MAN. But walls and veils protected sinful man from entering unwittingly and carelessly into the consuminig presence of the Holy God.
The shekinah glory that came down and filled the tabernacle and temple once they were dedicated to Him put the people in awe - and they fell to the ground and worshipped the Lord God as He should be worshipped.
He reveals enough of His holiness through His Word and His Creation to:
1. Warn us of coming judgment by the Holy God
2. Make us desire Him and desire to be like Him
He veils His holiness for now in mercy, and yet offers it with grace.
We have to accept that only His payment through the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of His Holy Son Jesus Christ is acceptable to the Holy God.
The blood of the final sacrifice in Christ must be applied to each of us personally, and His perfect spotless righteousness must be claimed - instead of our own righteousness, which is but filthy rags in the sight of the Holy God.
When the cloud rolls back as a scroll, and this temporary world of darkness is revealed in the Light of His holiness in its fullness -
(10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
(11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11
Those who recognized it and pleaded that He apply it to them will be counted with His own righteousness and accepted in the sight of God. But those who believed themselves "good enough" to enter unprepared into the mighty presence of the Holy God will eternally find the truth of the eternal Word of God that they denied temporarly on earth.
Sin in the presence of holiness is consumed and destroyed and purified by the Holy fire of our Almighty Creator.
For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29
Jesus Christ's substitionary perfect life and perfect sacrifice is the only acceptable means of entering into that Holy judgment.
We must recognize:
1. Our own sinfulness
2. His holiness
3. His sole ability to satisfy the requirements of holiness
4. Our complete inability to satisfy the requirements of holiness
5. And then repent and turn from our selves, to Him - in worship, and love and admiration of the Holy Creator who alone can satisfy the hunger in our soul that He placed there for Himself.
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee..”
- St. Augustine
Lord - Help our hearts turn to You
Help us see you magnified as You truly are. Our sinful hearts want to minimize Your mightiness - cast that sin behind us and reveal Yourself as You truly are so that we fall down in worship and fellowship with You.
You loved us first so that we could love you back
Raise up admiration and love in our hearts for the One who made the way for us back to Himself
Through Jesus Christ - Lord, King, Savior - Holy God
Help us love, serve, and worship You in a way that is pleasing in Your sight
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can please You and reflect Your glory to this dark world
That they might see Christ in us.
In Jesus' powerful name I ask these things for Your glory Lord.
Amen.
---------------------
Reading after lunch: 1 Kings summary in Adventuring Through the Bible. This went along with what I was trying to get out of my head onto the screen earlier this morning - so I wanted to add it:
"Shout louder!" he [Elijah] said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened."
When the pagan priests have exausted themselves to no avail [calling out to their gods to light the sacrifice on fire - 1 Kings 18], Elijah rolls up his sleeves and goes to work. He repairs the altar of the Lord, which has fallen into disrepair, then he orders four large jars of water to be poured over the bull and the wood upon the altar. He intends to make sure that the demonstration of God's power is not merely spectacular but absolutely astonishing. Then he calls upon God, and God sends down a fire so intense that it not only consumes the sacrifice but the water and the stones of the altar! Once judgment is exercised, the heavens open again and rain pours down upon the land.
This is a picture of what happens in the life of anyone who resists God's rightful rule. In what one writer has termed His "severe mercy", God brings us under His chastening until our stubbornnes is broken. Our willful rebellion is ended and we are humbled at last before God. Then the rain of grace can pour once again upon our hearts, bringing good fruit and sweet blessing once more.
Our human minds see God banishing Adam and Eve from the Garden (among other passages in the Bible) as mean and vengeful, and we're offended by it and want to think of it as foolishness - but that's because we see God too small.
He can't be judged by human means - for He is the only being who is absolutely worthy of being jealous and exacting punishment - because He alone is the only being in eternity worthy of being worshipped. He is Almighty - Holy - Righteous - Wonderful - Awesome - Just - Creator - Sustainer - Savior - LORD - King - Love - Bridegroom -
He
Alone
is
the LORD God.
We cannot wrap our little brains around a God that big - and anytime we think His Word is foolishness, we've failed to see how big He really is and tried to make Him as we are.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Where's my joy at?
Listening to: John Piper – Jesus Christ and the Rescue of Joy Part 1
Deu 28:47
(47) Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
Isa 55:1-3
(1) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
(2) Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
(3) Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Joh 6:35
(35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Piper: The Nature of Saving Faith – is a coming to Jesus Christ to have your soul-hunger satisfied.
Piper: We were created to worship, and therefore we will worship something – pleasure, money, people – there are many options. But only the One who created the hearts with a void shaped just for Him will satisfy and fill eternally. Come to Him – believe in Him – and He will be most glorified when you are satisfied in Him.
Jer 2:13
(13) For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
(this morning – Lutzer was teaching on Laodicea. Not only were they lukewarm – worst of all, they THOUGHT THEY WERE ON FIRE FOR GOD. No repentance)
Piper: we are offered an all-satisfying fountain of life in Jesus Christ – and we are presented with it, sniff it, and we turn from it and say “Nope”. Then we turn to the dirt and scratch and dig and scratch and dig – I need water – I need water… hewing out our own cisterns which cannot hold water.
Lord Jesus... I fail seek You as my only source of joy, and I end up feeling frustrated and empty. In those times I fail to magnify and glorify You... help me stop seeking and expecting my joy to come from the world, and help me glorify God in whatever I do - and say like Paul said - to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Deu 28:47
(47) Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
Isa 55:1-3
(1) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
(2) Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
(3) Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Joh 6:35
(35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Piper: The Nature of Saving Faith – is a coming to Jesus Christ to have your soul-hunger satisfied.
Piper: We were created to worship, and therefore we will worship something – pleasure, money, people – there are many options. But only the One who created the hearts with a void shaped just for Him will satisfy and fill eternally. Come to Him – believe in Him – and He will be most glorified when you are satisfied in Him.
Jer 2:13
(13) For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
(this morning – Lutzer was teaching on Laodicea. Not only were they lukewarm – worst of all, they THOUGHT THEY WERE ON FIRE FOR GOD. No repentance)
Piper: we are offered an all-satisfying fountain of life in Jesus Christ – and we are presented with it, sniff it, and we turn from it and say “Nope”. Then we turn to the dirt and scratch and dig and scratch and dig – I need water – I need water… hewing out our own cisterns which cannot hold water.
Lord Jesus... I fail seek You as my only source of joy, and I end up feeling frustrated and empty. In those times I fail to magnify and glorify You... help me stop seeking and expecting my joy to come from the world, and help me glorify God in whatever I do - and say like Paul said - to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
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