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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.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
My Papa described his conversion journey/sanctification journey several times when I got to talk to him. It seemed he began with much self-examination against the Scriptures – searching the Scriptures and his own heart, praying that the Lord would prove his faith true.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;
2 Cor 13:5
Wherefore, my beloved… work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.
For it is God which worketh in you both to
will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
A little over a week before he passed away, he told us about a dream he had early on in his walk with Christ. He was struggling and praying and reading through a time of fear, maybe not completely convinced of the surety of his own salvation. He dreamed he was in a shipwreck, and the wreckage was strewn about in the churning waters – and he was hanging on to pieces of the wreckage in order to stay afloat. Then a huge wave of water came, looking like it would consume him – but it carried him safely to a rock that stood high and safe out of the water. He said the Lord gave him peace with that dream – because he knew he was safely on the firm Rock of Jesus Christ.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me,
and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come
to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put
thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with
my hand while I pass by
Exodus 33:21-22
Papa told our Pastor that, although age had diminished his ability to mentally and physically devour the Scriptures – he never once lost his appetite for the Word of God. In the last stages of his life, Papa felt led to pour over the Gospels and the New Testament again – meditating on salvation and God’s “keeping power”.
He also told Pastor Mike that the problem in our society today is that we have neglected to meditate on the holiness of God.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
An honest meditation on the holiness of God will bring us to a recognition of our utter inability to be holy.
(1) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
(2) Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
(3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
(4) And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
(5) Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 6:1-5
Even the angels cover their faces and feet in awe of the mighty holy presence of God. They cannot help but cry out “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD!” Yet we, who were created to glorify Him, sit in silence – failing to praise our worship-deserving Maker. The god of this world has blinded us to believe that our existence does not hang upon mercy and longsuffering of the Almighty Creator God who has the power to eternally condemn us.
(9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
(10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
(11) Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,(12) Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2 Peter 3:9-12
Honestly, acknowledging our inability to be holy, and realizing the requirements of holiness, will lead us to reverence and fear of Almighty God. That reverence and recognition of the Almighty should lead to repentance in the fear of His Holy, righteousness, and just judgment.
The requirement of holiness is holiness. Sin cannot exist in the presence of holiness – it will be burned and destroyed. I think of like matter and antimatter (probably faulty – but we see through a glass darkly, 1 Cor 13:12). Due to the nature of each, antimatter and matter cannot exist in the presence of the other. Holiness cannot tolerate the presence of sin; and:
…the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23
An honest examination of our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts (Jer 17:9), reveals the absolute necessity of an all-sufficient Savior.
It is necessary that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life – for it is only perfection that can satisfy the requirements of holiness. Only holiness can fulfill that requirement, therefore the Holy Lamb of God came as a man – 100% God, 100% man –to die in the place of man who was unable to fulfill the requirement himself.
For our salvation, it is necessary that Jesus willingly laid His life down on the cross – to pay the wages of sin that He did not earn. His payment could then be applied as PAID IN FULL by the blood of the Lamb for those who would:
1. acknowledge their inability to pay,
2. repent (turn from sin, and to God) of their own wickedness in the sight of God, and
3. accept Christ's righteousness as their own.
It is necessary that He was raised from death, in a glorified body from the grave. Genesis 3:15 foretold the Father’s plan – Satan would be defeated:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman,
and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:15
All these things are necessary, because holiness requires holiness of even the unholy. When the requirement is not met, sin will be consumed and destroyed in the presence of holiness.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved,
let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:28-29
God reveals His many-faceted nature to us through His Word:
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Exodus 34:5-7
He is: holy, righteous, just - but also merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and the source of goodness and truth.
He is holy – and holiness requires holiness. And yet we are unable to be holy, so He provided a way to impute His own holiness and righteousness to us – through Jesus Christ.
In the Psalms, the Holy Spirit declares:
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him;
that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth;
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good;
and our land shall yield her increase.
Righteousness shall go before him;
and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Psalms 85:9-13
Jesus declared to His disciples:
Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know,
and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord,
we know not whither thou goest;
and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
John 14:1-7
The Son of God was cursed and crucified to die in the place of sinners. His suffering and death satisfied the wrath that sin exacts in the presence of the one and only
Holy,
Holy,
Holy God.
Grace upon grace has been given to us who are in Christ Jesus – so that we can tell the world of Him and someday join the chorus in eternity that is singing:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Thou art Worthy
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
I hope that your faith is in Jesus Christ – and if it is not – I pray that God, rich in mercy, would command that His Light shine in your heart.
I pray that His Light would cast away the darkness that the god of this world below has cast upon it in the hope that you would not see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ on the cross for your sins.
The goal of Satan is to blind you from that Light –
but the goal of God is that you see His Son with arms outstretched, willing to accept His own wrath in your place.
This Light is given, that you might accept God reaching down to you in mercy, because you are unable pull yourself out of the tangled and miserable web of sin.
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
(5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith;
2 Cor 13:5
Wherefore, my beloved… work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.
For it is God which worketh in you both to
will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
A little over a week before he passed away, he told us about a dream he had early on in his walk with Christ. He was struggling and praying and reading through a time of fear, maybe not completely convinced of the surety of his own salvation. He dreamed he was in a shipwreck, and the wreckage was strewn about in the churning waters – and he was hanging on to pieces of the wreckage in order to stay afloat. Then a huge wave of water came, looking like it would consume him – but it carried him safely to a rock that stood high and safe out of the water. He said the Lord gave him peace with that dream – because he knew he was safely on the firm Rock of Jesus Christ.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me,
and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come
to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put
thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with
my hand while I pass by
Exodus 33:21-22
Papa told our Pastor that, although age had diminished his ability to mentally and physically devour the Scriptures – he never once lost his appetite for the Word of God. In the last stages of his life, Papa felt led to pour over the Gospels and the New Testament again – meditating on salvation and God’s “keeping power”.
He also told Pastor Mike that the problem in our society today is that we have neglected to meditate on the holiness of God.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10
An honest meditation on the holiness of God will bring us to a recognition of our utter inability to be holy.
(1) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
(2) Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
(3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
(4) And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
(5) Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 6:1-5
Even the angels cover their faces and feet in awe of the mighty holy presence of God. They cannot help but cry out “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD!” Yet we, who were created to glorify Him, sit in silence – failing to praise our worship-deserving Maker. The god of this world has blinded us to believe that our existence does not hang upon mercy and longsuffering of the Almighty Creator God who has the power to eternally condemn us.
(9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
(10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
(11) Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,(12) Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2 Peter 3:9-12
Honestly, acknowledging our inability to be holy, and realizing the requirements of holiness, will lead us to reverence and fear of Almighty God. That reverence and recognition of the Almighty should lead to repentance in the fear of His Holy, righteousness, and just judgment.
The requirement of holiness is holiness. Sin cannot exist in the presence of holiness – it will be burned and destroyed. I think of like matter and antimatter (probably faulty – but we see through a glass darkly, 1 Cor 13:12). Due to the nature of each, antimatter and matter cannot exist in the presence of the other. Holiness cannot tolerate the presence of sin; and:
…the wages of sin is death;
but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23
An honest examination of our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts (Jer 17:9), reveals the absolute necessity of an all-sufficient Savior.
It is necessary that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life – for it is only perfection that can satisfy the requirements of holiness. Only holiness can fulfill that requirement, therefore the Holy Lamb of God came as a man – 100% God, 100% man –to die in the place of man who was unable to fulfill the requirement himself.
For our salvation, it is necessary that Jesus willingly laid His life down on the cross – to pay the wages of sin that He did not earn. His payment could then be applied as PAID IN FULL by the blood of the Lamb for those who would:
1. acknowledge their inability to pay,
2. repent (turn from sin, and to God) of their own wickedness in the sight of God, and
3. accept Christ's righteousness as their own.
It is necessary that He was raised from death, in a glorified body from the grave. Genesis 3:15 foretold the Father’s plan – Satan would be defeated:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman,
and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:15
All these things are necessary, because holiness requires holiness of even the unholy. When the requirement is not met, sin will be consumed and destroyed in the presence of holiness.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved,
let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear:
For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:28-29
God reveals His many-faceted nature to us through His Word:
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Exodus 34:5-7
He is: holy, righteous, just - but also merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and the source of goodness and truth.
He is holy – and holiness requires holiness. And yet we are unable to be holy, so He provided a way to impute His own holiness and righteousness to us – through Jesus Christ.
On the cross, the requirements of holiness, and righteousness, and justice, and the law were met – and they met through mercy, and longsuffering, and grace through the life and death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Psalms, the Holy Spirit declares:
Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him;
that glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth are met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Truth shall spring out of the earth;
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good;
and our land shall yield her increase.
Righteousness shall go before him;
and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Psalms 85:9-13
Jesus declared to His disciples:
Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know,
and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord,
we know not whither thou goest;
and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
John 14:1-7
The Son of God was cursed and crucified to die in the place of sinners. His suffering and death satisfied the wrath that sin exacts in the presence of the one and only
Holy,
Holy,
Holy God.
Grace upon grace has been given to us who are in Christ Jesus – so that we can tell the world of Him and someday join the chorus in eternity that is singing:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Thou art Worthy
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
I hope that your faith is in Jesus Christ – and if it is not – I pray that God, rich in mercy, would command that His Light shine in your heart.
I pray that His Light would cast away the darkness that the god of this world below has cast upon it in the hope that you would not see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ on the cross for your sins.
The goal of Satan is to blind you from that Light –
but the goal of God is that you see His Son with arms outstretched, willing to accept His own wrath in your place.
This Light is given, that you might accept God reaching down to you in mercy, because you are unable pull yourself out of the tangled and miserable web of sin.
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
(5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Christocentricity.
I just started reading To the One Who Conquers by Sam Storms. It is our new book for Sunday School, and it's an in-depth study on the seven letters to the churches from Jesus Christ in the book of Revelations. I think we could spend a year of lessons on just his introduction to the letters - and this one section I wrote almost completely out in my journal this morning because it just put it all in perspective and gives me direction in which to pray for my church - and for the church as a whole. I wanted to share it here because it just filled me up this morning:
Christocentricity - Jesus is the center of which all church life is the circumference.
Jesus is the:
1. Head of the local and universal church
2. Unrivaled Lord over all
3. Standard by which all are judged
4. One whose person shapes the belief and behavior of all
5. One who walks among the lampstands (churches) Rev 2:1
6. One who exercises sovereignty over the life of every congregation
7. One who knows our works, trials, tribulations, and circumstances
8. One from whom nothing escapes
9. One who reads every heart, evaluates every motive, assesses every work, and will be Judge of all
The spiritual condition of each body of believers is only as good as their
- faithful adherence to what Jesus has taught them, and their
- perseverence in bearing witness to Him in the face of persecution.
The only thing that ultimately matters is the degree to which a church corporately and the lives of its members individually are shaped and fashioned according to the likeness of Him who is Lord indeed.
What matters most to Him is whether or not a church:
1. Holds forth HIS Name
2. Proclaims the gospel of which HE is center
3. Heeds His Words as guidance to govern life and loves.
Heavenly Father - Lord Jesus - Holy Spirit... wash us and cleanse us and direct us and conform us to Your image, that we might be pleasing in Your sight and that we might not waste our lives by not bringing You glory with every breath, every thought, every motive, every hearts desire, ever action, every work... Father, only through the power of Christ can Your church bring you glory. Revive our lukewarm hearts and help us continually seek Your face... Cause Your glorious face to shine upon us, and let us reflect Your glory as Your precious Son reflected Your glory in perfect obedience unto death on a cross to bear our sins and their consequences that only we deserved... He left You, His Holy Father, to instead cleave to us in our sin - that He might present us to You spotless and blameless, cleansed from our own sin and instead clothed in His righteousness - one flesh with Him in glory to eternally worship and praise our King - our Lord - our Savior -
our God.
Help us love you LORD with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our souls, and help us be Your light to a dark and dying lost world... deliver us from evil, lead us not into temptation - and help us draw ever nearer to You through the reading and hearing of Your Word and through the precious privilege of prayer and fellowship with You - that You might draw near to us. Help us be obedient to Your perfect Ways and Word Father, through the guidance and comfort of Your precious Holy Spirit.
Thank You Father that I am Your child, and You are my God.
I once was lost, but now I'm found
I once was blind, but now I see
How can I understand the boundless love
You give by Redeeming me.
Redeem:
פּדה
pâdâh
paw-daw'
A primitive root; to sever, that is, ransom; generally to release, preserve: at all, deliver, by any means, ransom, (that are to be, let be) redeem (-ed), rescue, surely
λυτρόω
lutroō
loo-tro'-o
From G3083; to ransom (literally or figuratively): - redeem.
G3083
λύτρον
lutron
loo'-tron
From G3089; something to loosen with, that is, a redemption price (figuratively atonement): - ransom.
G3089
λύω
luō
loo'-o
A primary verb; to "loosen" (literally or figuratively): - break (up), destroy, dissolve, (un-) loose, melt, put off. Compare G4486.
G4486
ῥήγνυμι, ῥήσσω - rhēgnumi rhēssō -hrayg'-noo-mee, hrace'-so
to "break", "wreck" or "crack", that is, (especially) to sunder (by separation of the parts), and G2352 a shattering to minute fragments; but not a reduction to the constituent particles, like G3089) or disrupt, lacerate; by implication to convulse (with spasms); figuratively to give vent to joyful emotions: - break (forth), burst, rend, tear.
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Mark 15
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Luke 23
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
Matthew 27
54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
Matthew 27
Christocentricity - Jesus is the center of which all church life is the circumference.
Jesus is the:
1. Head of the local and universal church
2. Unrivaled Lord over all
3. Standard by which all are judged
4. One whose person shapes the belief and behavior of all
5. One who walks among the lampstands (churches) Rev 2:1
6. One who exercises sovereignty over the life of every congregation
7. One who knows our works, trials, tribulations, and circumstances
8. One from whom nothing escapes
9. One who reads every heart, evaluates every motive, assesses every work, and will be Judge of all
The spiritual condition of each body of believers is only as good as their
- faithful adherence to what Jesus has taught them, and their
- perseverence in bearing witness to Him in the face of persecution.
The only thing that ultimately matters is the degree to which a church corporately and the lives of its members individually are shaped and fashioned according to the likeness of Him who is Lord indeed.
What matters most to Him is whether or not a church:
1. Holds forth HIS Name
2. Proclaims the gospel of which HE is center
3. Heeds His Words as guidance to govern life and loves.
Heavenly Father - Lord Jesus - Holy Spirit... wash us and cleanse us and direct us and conform us to Your image, that we might be pleasing in Your sight and that we might not waste our lives by not bringing You glory with every breath, every thought, every motive, every hearts desire, ever action, every work... Father, only through the power of Christ can Your church bring you glory. Revive our lukewarm hearts and help us continually seek Your face... Cause Your glorious face to shine upon us, and let us reflect Your glory as Your precious Son reflected Your glory in perfect obedience unto death on a cross to bear our sins and their consequences that only we deserved... He left You, His Holy Father, to instead cleave to us in our sin - that He might present us to You spotless and blameless, cleansed from our own sin and instead clothed in His righteousness - one flesh with Him in glory to eternally worship and praise our King - our Lord - our Savior -
our God.
Help us love you LORD with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our souls, and help us be Your light to a dark and dying lost world... deliver us from evil, lead us not into temptation - and help us draw ever nearer to You through the reading and hearing of Your Word and through the precious privilege of prayer and fellowship with You - that You might draw near to us. Help us be obedient to Your perfect Ways and Word Father, through the guidance and comfort of Your precious Holy Spirit.
Thank You Father that I am Your child, and You are my God.
I once was lost, but now I'm found
I once was blind, but now I see
How can I understand the boundless love
You give by Redeeming me.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching~ Titus 2:11-14
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Redeem:
פּדה
pâdâh
paw-daw'
A primitive root; to sever, that is, ransom; generally to release, preserve: at all, deliver, by any means, ransom, (that are to be, let be) redeem (-ed), rescue, surely
λυτρόω
lutroō
loo-tro'-o
From G3083; to ransom (literally or figuratively): - redeem.
G3083
λύτρον
lutron
loo'-tron
From G3089; something to loosen with, that is, a redemption price (figuratively atonement): - ransom.
G3089
λύω
luō
loo'-o
A primary verb; to "loosen" (literally or figuratively): - break (up), destroy, dissolve, (un-) loose, melt, put off. Compare G4486.
G4486
ῥήγνυμι, ῥήσσω - rhēgnumi rhēssō -hrayg'-noo-mee, hrace'-so
to "break", "wreck" or "crack", that is, (especially) to sunder (by separation of the parts), and G2352 a shattering to minute fragments; but not a reduction to the constituent particles, like G3089) or disrupt, lacerate; by implication to convulse (with spasms); figuratively to give vent to joyful emotions: - break (forth), burst, rend, tear.
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Mark 15
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Luke 23
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
Matthew 27
54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
Matthew 27
Monday, February 9, 2009
Finally Alive...
God has been so good to me in so many ways - all my life - and this past week has just brought me that much closer to Him. There's such a sweetness when He breaks the walls down and helps us embrace Him more... and crucifies more of the things that get in the way of loving Him.
Pastor Mike gave me a book last night called Finally Alive by John Piper - and I haven't even read it yet, but the title was swimming through my head all morning, and I sat down and started typing and the Lord just filled me up with what He's done for me.
Holy Father - You are so good to me, and I cannot find words enough to thank You for letting me see pieces of Your glory in this life, and for giving me true life that I may see Your glory in its fullness for all eternity once I pass from this world to the home You've prepared for me.
Finally Alive
I wandered out in darkness,
Walking my own way
Tossed by the wind and waves
Sin and evil obey
I thought life was living
According to my own will
Not knowing I was dead in sin,
Until Your promise was revealed
I am finally alive O Lord,
Alive and free from sin.
I once lived so far without
But now Jesus is within.
Help me LORD abide in You,
And please abide in me.
I cannot thank you Lord enough
For letting blind eyes see:
I am finally alive
The One who spoke the Words
Before the beginning of all time:
Let there be light in darkness,
And let that light be Mine
He shined His Light within my heart
That His glory I might know,
In the face of His own Son, our Lord
Who died for us to show
I am finally alive O Lord,
Alive and free from sin.
I once lived so far without
But now Jesus is within.
Help me LORD abide in You,
And please abide in me.
I cannot thank you Lord enough
For letting blind eyes see:
I am finally alive
I want to tell the world about
My LORD who died for me
You don’t know you’ve been a slave
Until you’ve been set free
Father shine your Light in them
That their eyes might see
Your glory in Jesus Christ
For all eternity.
I am finally alive O Lord,
Alive and free from sin.
I once lived so far without
But now Jesus is within.
Help me LORD abide in You,
And please abide in me.
I cannot thank you Lord enough
For letting blind eyes see:
I am finally alive
Pastor Mike gave me a book last night called Finally Alive by John Piper - and I haven't even read it yet, but the title was swimming through my head all morning, and I sat down and started typing and the Lord just filled me up with what He's done for me.
Holy Father - You are so good to me, and I cannot find words enough to thank You for letting me see pieces of Your glory in this life, and for giving me true life that I may see Your glory in its fullness for all eternity once I pass from this world to the home You've prepared for me.
Finally Alive
I wandered out in darkness,
Walking my own way
Tossed by the wind and waves
Sin and evil obey
I thought life was living
According to my own will
Not knowing I was dead in sin,
Until Your promise was revealed
I am finally alive O Lord,
Alive and free from sin.
I once lived so far without
But now Jesus is within.
Help me LORD abide in You,
And please abide in me.
I cannot thank you Lord enough
For letting blind eyes see:
I am finally alive
The One who spoke the Words
Before the beginning of all time:
Let there be light in darkness,
And let that light be Mine
He shined His Light within my heart
That His glory I might know,
In the face of His own Son, our Lord
Who died for us to show
I am finally alive O Lord,
Alive and free from sin.
I once lived so far without
But now Jesus is within.
Help me LORD abide in You,
And please abide in me.
I cannot thank you Lord enough
For letting blind eyes see:
I am finally alive
I want to tell the world about
My LORD who died for me
You don’t know you’ve been a slave
Until you’ve been set free
Father shine your Light in them
That their eyes might see
Your glory in Jesus Christ
For all eternity.
I am finally alive O Lord,
Alive and free from sin.
I once lived so far without
But now Jesus is within.
Help me LORD abide in You,
And please abide in me.
I cannot thank you Lord enough
For letting blind eyes see:
I am finally alive
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Love of God
So many little details, and big details that I've been praying about for almost a year - I have seen His guiding hand weaving them all into place. I honestly can't explain how breathtaking it is to see how He's been placing it on other people's hearts to pray for me - placing it on mine to pray things I never thought I'd pray... but then to see Him putting things together and answering even the smallest little detail... I've been amazed.
The thought that has been going through my mind the past couple of weeks is this. He left His throne in glory - came to suffer humiliation, pain, death and most of all, separation from His Holy Father. He allowed the hands He created to nail Him to a cross - and our sins were poured out on Him, and the wrath of God against that sin was poured upon Him too. He did this to redeem us - that we might:
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
John 17:24
That of itself is more than enough to sing praise for all eternity.
And the really amazing thing is - even though we are completely undeserving of that, much less anything else; He doesn't even stop at Calvary. Even after saving us from the wrath we deserve - He hears and answers our prayers in His will, and works things out to our good. How can I ever praise Him enough?
Almighty, perfect, loving Father... Abba Father... through the blood of Jesus Christ, I am your daughter - and faith has made me whole in You. Thank You Father for making me Yours.
The Love of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
The thought that has been going through my mind the past couple of weeks is this. He left His throne in glory - came to suffer humiliation, pain, death and most of all, separation from His Holy Father. He allowed the hands He created to nail Him to a cross - and our sins were poured out on Him, and the wrath of God against that sin was poured upon Him too. He did this to redeem us - that we might:
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
John 17:24
That of itself is more than enough to sing praise for all eternity.
And the really amazing thing is - even though we are completely undeserving of that, much less anything else; He doesn't even stop at Calvary. Even after saving us from the wrath we deserve - He hears and answers our prayers in His will, and works things out to our good. How can I ever praise Him enough?
Almighty, perfect, loving Father... Abba Father... through the blood of Jesus Christ, I am your daughter - and faith has made me whole in You. Thank You Father for making me Yours.
The Love of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
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