Isaiah 53
I don't know how I can narrow this chapter down to one verse. It is obviously a specific prophecy concerning the life and death of Jesus. Frankly, I don't see how anyone can miss it. I mean, how do Jewish people deal with this? I know that the Jews have a rich heritage. They are religious people. I just went to a Jewish wedding and it was filled with spirituality and symbolism. The problem is, they miss the whole point - Jesus. I am not going to write about this prophecy, however. I am going to write about what Jesus did as it is outlined in this chapter.
He grew up. He wasn't handsome. Just an ordinary guy. Then everything hit the fan. He was despised. He was rejected. He was sorrowful and had grief. He was wounded. He was bruised. He was punished. He was whipped. He was oppressed. He was afflicted. He was slaughtered. He was stricken. He labored. He was made a part of sinners. He was killed...and He did not say a word through it all.
Why? Why would a guy do this? Let's assume it was just an ordinary guy, not the Son of God. If He was just a man this would make no sense. It would make no sense for a guy to die like this. To take this punishment because of a lie that He had been promoting. That is stupid. I mean, if Jesus was just an ordinary man He could have said: "Guys, its been a fun ride, but I am not going to go through all of this and die for a hoax that I have been playing these three years. Let me go. I won't be a pain any more."
But He didn't. Why not? Because He was the real deal. Because He was who He said He was...God in the flesh. The Messiah.
So again, Why? Why would God in the flesh do this? This really makes no sense either, does it? Yes it does. He did it because He realized that we were, I was, in need. We have griefs. We have sorrows. We have sin. We have rebellion. We have guilt. We are in need of peace. We need healing. We are lost. We need to be declared righteous when we are inherantly dirty. The only way that all of these needs were going to be met was by cleansing through blood. (Reference Old Testament sacrifices.) There had to be a substitute. The blood of bulls and rams could never take away sins forever so Jesus was that substitute. He did it because He hates the ugly state that we are in. He hates our need. He hates what we have to deal with. And He loves us. He loves us so much that He did something about it. He took all of our garbage on Himself and died. For you...for me. This is why.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Warped
Is. 47:10 "For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me'. Your wisdom and knowledge have warped you. And you have said in your heart, 'I am and there is no one beside me'".
I read the front page of yesterday's Plain Dealer. It outlined how political corruption in this country is nationwide. It itemized various arrests and investigations that have taken place all over the U.S. . (In light of the Governor from Illinois' problems.) It described how this seems to be a national epidemic. Now, take that with the banking bailouts, and the Big 3 problems and the forecosure rates and Union's unwillingness to bend when needed. Everyone is trusting in their own wickedness. That is what is happening. We have a nation of people who have said: "No one sees me." Our wisdom and our knowledge have warped us. We say: "I am and there is no one beside me." That is - "No God is going to tell me what to do. No Bible is going to tell me how to live. There are no absolutes. I will live according to the dictates of my own wisdom and knowledge. I will do what is right for me because there is no right or wrong."
Where has this humanistic mindset left us? Where we are. Political corruption. Institutional corruption. Individual corruption. Now we are going to reap the consequences. v11 - "Therefore evil shall come upon you...".
Unfortunately, we haven't learned from the past. We don't look at nations that ignored God and went their own way in history. We forget about Babylon. We forget about Rome. We forget about Germany. Now we are warped and are repeating the wickedness of the past and will have to live with the results. God be merciful, please.
I read the front page of yesterday's Plain Dealer. It outlined how political corruption in this country is nationwide. It itemized various arrests and investigations that have taken place all over the U.S. . (In light of the Governor from Illinois' problems.) It described how this seems to be a national epidemic. Now, take that with the banking bailouts, and the Big 3 problems and the forecosure rates and Union's unwillingness to bend when needed. Everyone is trusting in their own wickedness. That is what is happening. We have a nation of people who have said: "No one sees me." Our wisdom and our knowledge have warped us. We say: "I am and there is no one beside me." That is - "No God is going to tell me what to do. No Bible is going to tell me how to live. There are no absolutes. I will live according to the dictates of my own wisdom and knowledge. I will do what is right for me because there is no right or wrong."
Where has this humanistic mindset left us? Where we are. Political corruption. Institutional corruption. Individual corruption. Now we are going to reap the consequences. v11 - "Therefore evil shall come upon you...".
Unfortunately, we haven't learned from the past. We don't look at nations that ignored God and went their own way in history. We forget about Babylon. We forget about Rome. We forget about Germany. Now we are warped and are repeating the wickedness of the past and will have to live with the results. God be merciful, please.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Big 3
Is. 33:2 "Lord be gracious to us; We have waited for you. Be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble."
I am sure that Israel was going through some pretty amazing days back when Isaiah wrote these words. The plunderer was going to be plundered. The treacherous were going to dealt with treacherously. (v1) In other words, what goes around comes around. What you sow, you will eventually reap. People were experiencing this and many were distressed over what was happening.
Kind of sounds like today. The plunderers, those who take advantage of people for gain, are going down. The treacherous, those who devised plans only for their own gain, are taking a hit. The problem is, our financial structure was being built on people who really did not care about the economy or capitalism. They could only think greedily about themselves. Now true captialism is coming back to bite them and they want the government to bail them out. Unfortunately this will effect all of the rest of us. There will be collateral damage. Even though the Big 3 mismanged their companies for years, those who supplied goods for Ford, Chrysler and GM and rely on the Big 3 for their existence may take a hit as well.
What does the believer do? How do we react during these times? The way Isaiah reacted. Oh God please be gracious to us. We should be praying. We should be pleading. We should be looking to God who is the giver of all grace and the supplier of every need. Why? Just like Isaiah, we should be waiting. That actually means that we are looking with hope. We are expecting that God is at work in all of this and we are eagerly watching to see what He is going to do. God, be our arm. Be our shoulder to lean on. Be our strength every morning. As we go through this, let us go through it one day at a time and realize that you are faithful every day. Let us just deal with today and today's strength. (Matt. 6:34) You are our salvation, our deliverer, our victory in this time of trouble and distress.
There is going to be a lot of fall out in the next year or so over what is happening in this country and around the world. We as believers need to go to the Lord and petition Him, relying on Him every day for our strength and realize that He alone is our salvation. Not our bank accounts, not the stock market, not our 401k's, not the government, not the Big 3. Only God. He is the Lord. Jehovah is our deliverance.
I am sure that Israel was going through some pretty amazing days back when Isaiah wrote these words. The plunderer was going to be plundered. The treacherous were going to dealt with treacherously. (v1) In other words, what goes around comes around. What you sow, you will eventually reap. People were experiencing this and many were distressed over what was happening.
Kind of sounds like today. The plunderers, those who take advantage of people for gain, are going down. The treacherous, those who devised plans only for their own gain, are taking a hit. The problem is, our financial structure was being built on people who really did not care about the economy or capitalism. They could only think greedily about themselves. Now true captialism is coming back to bite them and they want the government to bail them out. Unfortunately this will effect all of the rest of us. There will be collateral damage. Even though the Big 3 mismanged their companies for years, those who supplied goods for Ford, Chrysler and GM and rely on the Big 3 for their existence may take a hit as well.
What does the believer do? How do we react during these times? The way Isaiah reacted. Oh God please be gracious to us. We should be praying. We should be pleading. We should be looking to God who is the giver of all grace and the supplier of every need. Why? Just like Isaiah, we should be waiting. That actually means that we are looking with hope. We are expecting that God is at work in all of this and we are eagerly watching to see what He is going to do. God, be our arm. Be our shoulder to lean on. Be our strength every morning. As we go through this, let us go through it one day at a time and realize that you are faithful every day. Let us just deal with today and today's strength. (Matt. 6:34) You are our salvation, our deliverer, our victory in this time of trouble and distress.
There is going to be a lot of fall out in the next year or so over what is happening in this country and around the world. We as believers need to go to the Lord and petition Him, relying on Him every day for our strength and realize that He alone is our salvation. Not our bank accounts, not the stock market, not our 401k's, not the government, not the Big 3. Only God. He is the Lord. Jehovah is our deliverance.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Peace, Quietness, Assurance
Is. 32:17 - "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever."
Righteousness. Doing what is right. Doing what is pure in God's eyes. Living according to the standard that is God. A very high standard. A holy standard. A true standard. The thing that we are to seek first: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." Matt. 6:33. If I am going after what God says is right, true,pure, holy and I am asking God to work that into my life beyond everything else then there is something that this righteousness does. It actually goes to work. It brings about a result. It has an effect. What is it? Peace, quietness and assurance.
When I look around at the world it seems that these qualities are lacking. People are not at peace. There is noise all around us and they are not assured of anything. It seems that the world is all screwed up and the people in the world know it. Financially, socially , politically. We have problems everywhere and people are scared.
Why has this happened? A lack of righeousness. A lack of living according to God's standard found in His word. This, of course, has happened over several decades of godless living. Any recovery from it will also take decades. In order for us to see peace, quietness and assurance in our nation and in our individual lives, we will have to start living righteously. For this to occur on a national scale will take a significant period of time. For this to occur on an individual scale can take only a minute. A commitment before God that I will, with His enablement, live a life that is consistent with His word. I can't do it myself but He can do it in me. The result will be peace and quietness and assurance.
The same is true on a larger scale. The is no reason that the church should be flipping out over what is happening in our world today because if the church is living righteously ,then we will be a community of peace and quietness and assurance. Can you imagine the world going crazy and the church living at peace? What a concept! What an example. What a refuge. It takes all of us, however, to see this happen within the Body of Christ. But it can happen. It should happen. It will happen if we commit ourselves to live Biblically.
Righteousness. Doing what is right. Doing what is pure in God's eyes. Living according to the standard that is God. A very high standard. A holy standard. A true standard. The thing that we are to seek first: "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." Matt. 6:33. If I am going after what God says is right, true,pure, holy and I am asking God to work that into my life beyond everything else then there is something that this righteousness does. It actually goes to work. It brings about a result. It has an effect. What is it? Peace, quietness and assurance.
When I look around at the world it seems that these qualities are lacking. People are not at peace. There is noise all around us and they are not assured of anything. It seems that the world is all screwed up and the people in the world know it. Financially, socially , politically. We have problems everywhere and people are scared.
Why has this happened? A lack of righeousness. A lack of living according to God's standard found in His word. This, of course, has happened over several decades of godless living. Any recovery from it will also take decades. In order for us to see peace, quietness and assurance in our nation and in our individual lives, we will have to start living righteously. For this to occur on a national scale will take a significant period of time. For this to occur on an individual scale can take only a minute. A commitment before God that I will, with His enablement, live a life that is consistent with His word. I can't do it myself but He can do it in me. The result will be peace and quietness and assurance.
The same is true on a larger scale. The is no reason that the church should be flipping out over what is happening in our world today because if the church is living righteously ,then we will be a community of peace and quietness and assurance. Can you imagine the world going crazy and the church living at peace? What a concept! What an example. What a refuge. It takes all of us, however, to see this happen within the Body of Christ. But it can happen. It should happen. It will happen if we commit ourselves to live Biblically.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day
Is. 12:6 "Cry out and shout O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst."
Today is a big day in this country...Election day. The biggie: The Presidential election. The day we will determine who will lead our country over the next four years.
I have heard all kinds of statements from people. Things like: "I'm scared." "I'm nervous." The question that needs to be asked is: "Why?" The reason that question needs to be asked is because, if you are a believer, you already know the end game. Here it is...the finale is this: That God, the great and Holy One of Israel is going to be in the middle of Jerusalem. Some day, Jesus will take up residence there and when He does, there is going to be a tremendous shout of joy. It will be the mother of celebrations. For great is the Holy, set apart One who is dwelling there.
It is interesting to watch the world. It just seems that God is up to something right now. I can't really put my finger on it, but God is orchestating the affairs of this world. The worldwide financial ups and downs, the events in the Middle East, the election in this country. It just seems that "There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear...stop children...everybody look what's going down." Remember that song? Another time with different circumstances, but major things are taking place right now. We need to pay attention. I may be all wet. I mean, God is always at work. God is always moving. He is always orchestrating the affairs of this world. It just seems that the events that are occurring are more significant now.
One thing I do know is that someday there will be amazing joy in Jerusalem. The children of God, both Jews and Gentiles will rejoice together. They will cry out, they will sing, they will shout because the Holy One, the Great One, the Redeemer of the world will there there. Seems strange in our current culture and mindset, but it is true.
"But I saw no temple in it (Jerusalem) for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illumined it. The Lamb is its light." Rev. 21:23
Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. This is the end game and God has it all under control.
Postscript: Now that we know who our president will be, think about this. How could Barak Obama lose? President Bush's approval rating was in the 20's, the economy went in the tank 6 weeks ago and Obama raised and spent twice as much as McCain. It would have been difficult for him to lose. Yet, if you would have asked any American 6 years ago if our next president would be an African-American with a Muslim name who only had two years of experience in the Senate, every one of them would have said: "No way." Interesting how things lined up for this historic event.
Today is a big day in this country...Election day. The biggie: The Presidential election. The day we will determine who will lead our country over the next four years.
I have heard all kinds of statements from people. Things like: "I'm scared." "I'm nervous." The question that needs to be asked is: "Why?" The reason that question needs to be asked is because, if you are a believer, you already know the end game. Here it is...the finale is this: That God, the great and Holy One of Israel is going to be in the middle of Jerusalem. Some day, Jesus will take up residence there and when He does, there is going to be a tremendous shout of joy. It will be the mother of celebrations. For great is the Holy, set apart One who is dwelling there.
It is interesting to watch the world. It just seems that God is up to something right now. I can't really put my finger on it, but God is orchestating the affairs of this world. The worldwide financial ups and downs, the events in the Middle East, the election in this country. It just seems that "There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear...stop children...everybody look what's going down." Remember that song? Another time with different circumstances, but major things are taking place right now. We need to pay attention. I may be all wet. I mean, God is always at work. God is always moving. He is always orchestrating the affairs of this world. It just seems that the events that are occurring are more significant now.
One thing I do know is that someday there will be amazing joy in Jerusalem. The children of God, both Jews and Gentiles will rejoice together. They will cry out, they will sing, they will shout because the Holy One, the Great One, the Redeemer of the world will there there. Seems strange in our current culture and mindset, but it is true.
"But I saw no temple in it (Jerusalem) for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illumined it. The Lamb is its light." Rev. 21:23
Don't be afraid. Don't lose hope. This is the end game and God has it all under control.
Postscript: Now that we know who our president will be, think about this. How could Barak Obama lose? President Bush's approval rating was in the 20's, the economy went in the tank 6 weeks ago and Obama raised and spent twice as much as McCain. It would have been difficult for him to lose. Yet, if you would have asked any American 6 years ago if our next president would be an African-American with a Muslim name who only had two years of experience in the Senate, every one of them would have said: "No way." Interesting how things lined up for this historic event.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Getting Verbal
Is. 12:4 - " And in that day you will say: 'Praise the Lord, call upon His Name; Declare His deeds among the peoples; Make mention that His Name is exalted."
This is the second time that the phrase: "In that day you will say..." is used. Again, this is a promise to Israel of a future day, but it is a reminder to me of what to do in this day.
Praise the Lord. Give Him thanks. This is something that should always be on my mind and coming from my mouth. God is truly amazing. As I was thinking about who He is and all that He does this morning, I was astonished. Think about this: He hears me and He hears all who talk to Him at the same time. He controls my life and He controls everything. He provides for me and He provides for the birds of the air. He is intimately involved with my life. He is intimately involved with everyone's life that ever lived. He is huge! There is no way we can ever fathom what He is like, what He can do, what He has done. Yet, He wants a relationship with me. Amazing. Praise Him. Thank Him.
The verse goes on to say: "Call upon His Name". This can be a cry out for help to Him and it can be a proclamation of who He is. It is a verbal thing. It isn't just something that we do in the privacy of our lives, although it should be done there, but this verse reveals that it is very public. Look - "Declare His deeds among the peoples." Make known what He is doing in the nations, with other people, with my friends and family. Remind people that His Name is exalted.
This is very convicting because I am not real verbal. Sure I can do it in church, and it should be done there. I can do it with my family, and it should be done there. But it should also be done with those I know. Those I work with. Those I come in contact with. Point to Jesus. Talk about how great He is and what He is doing.
God, open the doors and give me boldness to get verbal.
This is the second time that the phrase: "In that day you will say..." is used. Again, this is a promise to Israel of a future day, but it is a reminder to me of what to do in this day.
Praise the Lord. Give Him thanks. This is something that should always be on my mind and coming from my mouth. God is truly amazing. As I was thinking about who He is and all that He does this morning, I was astonished. Think about this: He hears me and He hears all who talk to Him at the same time. He controls my life and He controls everything. He provides for me and He provides for the birds of the air. He is intimately involved with my life. He is intimately involved with everyone's life that ever lived. He is huge! There is no way we can ever fathom what He is like, what He can do, what He has done. Yet, He wants a relationship with me. Amazing. Praise Him. Thank Him.
The verse goes on to say: "Call upon His Name". This can be a cry out for help to Him and it can be a proclamation of who He is. It is a verbal thing. It isn't just something that we do in the privacy of our lives, although it should be done there, but this verse reveals that it is very public. Look - "Declare His deeds among the peoples." Make known what He is doing in the nations, with other people, with my friends and family. Remind people that His Name is exalted.
This is very convicting because I am not real verbal. Sure I can do it in church, and it should be done there. I can do it with my family, and it should be done there. But it should also be done with those I know. Those I work with. Those I come in contact with. Point to Jesus. Talk about how great He is and what He is doing.
God, open the doors and give me boldness to get verbal.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
God is My Salvation
Is. 12:2 - "Behold God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and song. He also has become my salvation."
This is so cool. Isaiah is continuing to affirm who God is. Behold - Look - I declare this that God, the Mighty One, is my salvation. My deliverer. My victory. No one else. Nothing else. I am not relying on me. I am not relying on someone else. I am not relying on something else. Not me, not the President, not Wall Street, not Congress. GOD alone is my deliverer, my victory, my Savior. I will trust and be confident and I will not fear. I will not tremble. I will not be in dread. All of the world could be going crazy. The whole financial structure may fall down around us, but GOD is my salvation. I will not fear. Why? The Lord Jehovah- Yahh Yehova. Why did he use God's name twice? For emphasis. To nail this truth down. Yes, GOD, GOD is my strength. He is my might. Both physically and socially and emotionally and spiritually. When I begin to falter, God is my strength and in the middle of all of the garbage, get this, He is my song of praise. I can make music even though Assyria is nailing Judah. I can make music even though my 401K is going in the dumper. I know what the future holds. (Look at Is. 11:1-10) We know the end game. He will truly restore. God is my salvation. God is my strength. God is my song.
And then one more time: He is my salvation. It is interesting it says He also has become, or He is becoming my salvation. He is my salvation in the present and He is my salvation in the future. He will always be my Deliverer. He will always be my victory. Don't count on anything else. It is all God.
What a shot in the arm for what we as believers may see in the near future. God has it all under control. God is in charge. Behold...Look...God - Jehovah - The LORD is my (our) salvation, now and forever. We will sing. We will have strength. We will not fear. Praise GOD!
(A footnote for those who don't know Jesus...He alone is your salvation. The sooner everyone realizes this the better. He is the only One you can count on for now and eternity. Believe it.)
This is so cool. Isaiah is continuing to affirm who God is. Behold - Look - I declare this that God, the Mighty One, is my salvation. My deliverer. My victory. No one else. Nothing else. I am not relying on me. I am not relying on someone else. I am not relying on something else. Not me, not the President, not Wall Street, not Congress. GOD alone is my deliverer, my victory, my Savior. I will trust and be confident and I will not fear. I will not tremble. I will not be in dread. All of the world could be going crazy. The whole financial structure may fall down around us, but GOD is my salvation. I will not fear. Why? The Lord Jehovah- Yahh Yehova. Why did he use God's name twice? For emphasis. To nail this truth down. Yes, GOD, GOD is my strength. He is my might. Both physically and socially and emotionally and spiritually. When I begin to falter, God is my strength and in the middle of all of the garbage, get this, He is my song of praise. I can make music even though Assyria is nailing Judah. I can make music even though my 401K is going in the dumper. I know what the future holds. (Look at Is. 11:1-10) We know the end game. He will truly restore. God is my salvation. God is my strength. God is my song.
And then one more time: He is my salvation. It is interesting it says He also has become, or He is becoming my salvation. He is my salvation in the present and He is my salvation in the future. He will always be my Deliverer. He will always be my victory. Don't count on anything else. It is all God.
What a shot in the arm for what we as believers may see in the near future. God has it all under control. God is in charge. Behold...Look...God - Jehovah - The LORD is my (our) salvation, now and forever. We will sing. We will have strength. We will not fear. Praise GOD!
(A footnote for those who don't know Jesus...He alone is your salvation. The sooner everyone realizes this the better. He is the only One you can count on for now and eternity. Believe it.)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
That Day is Now
I am studying in Isaiah now. Amazing stuff. Look at 7:14, 9:6 and tell me that the Bible is not absolute truth coming from the mouth of God. You would have to be blind to not see the truth. It is amazing how Jesus was prophesied 500 years before He ever came on the scene.
Anyway, I just got done writing about how our country may be experiencing the result of turning our back on God, much like in Daniel. It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the next four years. Hang on to your hats.
Now for some encouraging stuff from Isaiah.
Is 12 - Wow! What a great chapter. I am going to have to deal with it one verse at a time!
v1 - "And in that day you will say: 'O Lord, I will praise You . Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away and You comfort me.'"
This is the coolest stuff because it is really pulsating with the heart of God. What is He really like? What does He do with sin? What does He do with rebellion against Him? What does He do when we violate His character? He gets angry. Yes, God gets angry and His anger is justified. We kick Him in the teeth and we expect Him to like it? To turn away and ignore it? We totally violate what He tells us to do (and He tells us what to do out of His love and concern for us) and we spurn that love. We say: "Got out of my face." What do we want God to do? Say: "Oh, that's OK...no big deal"? Come on! Give God some credit. His anger is right.
But then look, He really does not want to stay angry. He really wants to turn from anger. He want to restore and refresh (the actual meaning of turn away). This is His heart. He wants our fellowship. He craves for our love. And He will forgive, and believe it or not, He will forget. Then what? He does the coolest thing. In the middle of us beating ourselves up, He comforts us. He consoles us. He has compassion on us. Amazing. He is there to forgive and comfort...and we don't deserve any of it.
No wonder Isaiah says that in that day (actually the day is when Israel is restored, but it can happen to us now.) in that day we will praise Him. In that day we will give Him thanks. In that day we will confess the Name of God.
That day is now.
Anyway, I just got done writing about how our country may be experiencing the result of turning our back on God, much like in Daniel. It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the next four years. Hang on to your hats.
Now for some encouraging stuff from Isaiah.
Is 12 - Wow! What a great chapter. I am going to have to deal with it one verse at a time!
v1 - "And in that day you will say: 'O Lord, I will praise You . Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away and You comfort me.'"
This is the coolest stuff because it is really pulsating with the heart of God. What is He really like? What does He do with sin? What does He do with rebellion against Him? What does He do when we violate His character? He gets angry. Yes, God gets angry and His anger is justified. We kick Him in the teeth and we expect Him to like it? To turn away and ignore it? We totally violate what He tells us to do (and He tells us what to do out of His love and concern for us) and we spurn that love. We say: "Got out of my face." What do we want God to do? Say: "Oh, that's OK...no big deal"? Come on! Give God some credit. His anger is right.
But then look, He really does not want to stay angry. He really wants to turn from anger. He want to restore and refresh (the actual meaning of turn away). This is His heart. He wants our fellowship. He craves for our love. And He will forgive, and believe it or not, He will forget. Then what? He does the coolest thing. In the middle of us beating ourselves up, He comforts us. He consoles us. He has compassion on us. Amazing. He is there to forgive and comfort...and we don't deserve any of it.
No wonder Isaiah says that in that day (actually the day is when Israel is restored, but it can happen to us now.) in that day we will praise Him. In that day we will give Him thanks. In that day we will confess the Name of God.
That day is now.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Do
Daniel 11:32b "...but the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits."
After all of this, look at the promise: The people (and people can actually mean nation.) The people who know God (elohim), the people who are intimately aquainted with God, the people who know God by experience, this is what they will be like; They will be courageous. They will not retreat in the face of adversity. They will be strong. They will display strength. They will be a source of strength. The people who really know God will be powerful and they will do...(exploits is not in the Hebrew). They will accomplish. They will produce. They will not sit back in fear but they will go out and make things happen.
How? How can this happen when so much junk is going on around them? How can this happen when everything seems to be caving in? I mean look at all that was being prophesied in Daniel. I don't claim to have a clue about the meaning of all of this. All that I know is that terrible things were happening. The kings of the north and the south were going at it destroying one another and in the middle of it the people who knew God were strong and effective. Why? Because they knew their source of strength. The knew who was in control. They had confidence in the One that they knew so well.
In the middle of all that is going on in this country the people who know their God - the nation that knows their God - The Church - should not circle the wagons in retreat. We should be strong and do. We should be courageous and effective and in His power do great things because we know the One who in in charge: Jesus. The last chapter has been written and He wins! Go out and do.
After all of this, look at the promise: The people (and people can actually mean nation.) The people who know God (elohim), the people who are intimately aquainted with God, the people who know God by experience, this is what they will be like; They will be courageous. They will not retreat in the face of adversity. They will be strong. They will display strength. They will be a source of strength. The people who really know God will be powerful and they will do...(exploits is not in the Hebrew). They will accomplish. They will produce. They will not sit back in fear but they will go out and make things happen.
How? How can this happen when so much junk is going on around them? How can this happen when everything seems to be caving in? I mean look at all that was being prophesied in Daniel. I don't claim to have a clue about the meaning of all of this. All that I know is that terrible things were happening. The kings of the north and the south were going at it destroying one another and in the middle of it the people who knew God were strong and effective. Why? Because they knew their source of strength. The knew who was in control. They had confidence in the One that they knew so well.
In the middle of all that is going on in this country the people who know their God - the nation that knows their God - The Church - should not circle the wagons in retreat. We should be strong and do. We should be courageous and effective and in His power do great things because we know the One who in in charge: Jesus. The last chapter has been written and He wins! Go out and do.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Be Strong
Dan. 10:19 "And he said, 'O man, greatly beloved, fear not. Peace be to you, be strong, yes be stong. So when He spoke to me I was strengthened..."
I love this. Now it is no longer Gabriel coming to Daniel. It is One who looks like the "sons of Man" (v16). Any guess as to who it probably was? The son of man, the One who met Shad, Mesh and Abed in the furnace. The One who is called the Son of Man in the N.T. - Jesus. It is my guess that the Son of Man - the Son of God met with Daniel and this time, instead of an angel telling Daniel that he was greatly loved, instead of an angel telling Daniel not to fear, it was Jesus. Amazing. God in the form of His Son came to Daniel and told him for the third time that he was "greatly beloved". The Son of God came and told Daniel not to fear. Only this time He added some stuff. He also said: "peace be to you". Shalom, quiet, tranquility, contentment, completeness be to you.
Kind of sounds like Jesus with His disciples in John 20:19: "Peace be with you." Here were these guys cowering in fear after the death of their Leader and He came to them after His resurrection and said the same thing that He said to Daniel, "Peace be to you."
So, once you have taken care of the fear thing. Once you have established peace, then what? "Be strong, yes be strong." He didn't say it once. He said it twice for emphasis. "Be strong. Be courageous. Be resolute. Prevail." These are not passive words. These are active words. Kill the fear, grab the peace and go out and prevail.
What a word for the church. What a word for me. In the middle of our world going through a financial crisis, Jesus comes to us as the church , He comes to me and says: "Fear not, peace be to you. Be strong." Look at this situation straight in the face and show the world where our confidence is. Not in Washington. Not in Wall Street. Not in our bank accounts. But in the One who give us this charge: "Fear not, peace be to you, be strong, yes be strong."
I love this. Now it is no longer Gabriel coming to Daniel. It is One who looks like the "sons of Man" (v16). Any guess as to who it probably was? The son of man, the One who met Shad, Mesh and Abed in the furnace. The One who is called the Son of Man in the N.T. - Jesus. It is my guess that the Son of Man - the Son of God met with Daniel and this time, instead of an angel telling Daniel that he was greatly loved, instead of an angel telling Daniel not to fear, it was Jesus. Amazing. God in the form of His Son came to Daniel and told him for the third time that he was "greatly beloved". The Son of God came and told Daniel not to fear. Only this time He added some stuff. He also said: "peace be to you". Shalom, quiet, tranquility, contentment, completeness be to you.
Kind of sounds like Jesus with His disciples in John 20:19: "Peace be with you." Here were these guys cowering in fear after the death of their Leader and He came to them after His resurrection and said the same thing that He said to Daniel, "Peace be to you."
So, once you have taken care of the fear thing. Once you have established peace, then what? "Be strong, yes be strong." He didn't say it once. He said it twice for emphasis. "Be strong. Be courageous. Be resolute. Prevail." These are not passive words. These are active words. Kill the fear, grab the peace and go out and prevail.
What a word for the church. What a word for me. In the middle of our world going through a financial crisis, Jesus comes to us as the church , He comes to me and says: "Fear not, peace be to you. Be strong." Look at this situation straight in the face and show the world where our confidence is. Not in Washington. Not in Wall Street. Not in our bank accounts. But in the One who give us this charge: "Fear not, peace be to you, be strong, yes be strong."
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Do Not Fear
Dan. 10:12 "Then he said to me, 'Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words.'"
Here it is. This is exactly what I wrote about in my last post...Daniel's heart. Verse 11 once again reminds Daniel that he is "greatly loved" and here we are again with the assurance that God heard Daniel right from the beginning - from the first day that Daniel "set his heart to understand", from the first day that he "humbled himself before God", from the first day that he declared His dependence on God in prayer: "at the beginning of your supplication". God paid attention. Why? Because Daniel was so great? Because he had authority in Babylon? Because he was a leader of his people? No. Because he prayed. Because he wanted to understand what was going on . Because he humbled himself...God paid attention - from the first day.
The cool thing is the first thing Gabriel said to him: "Do not fear".
Wow. Powerful words for today. Powerful words for the church. Powerful words for me. If we are praying and going to God with an honest heart, with a heart that wants to consider what is going on, with a humble attitude realizing that we do not have any answers, with a humble heart that realizes who we are and who He is...with a heart that wants to understand in humilty, then we do not have to fear. All kinds of garbage may be swirling around us, but we do not have to be afraid of it.
Right now, people are afraid of losing their savings, losing their 401K, losing their retirement, afraid of their bank failing, Wall Street crashing, our financial institutions going down the tubes and God says to us: "Do not fear." If I have a seeking, humble heart, I do not have to fear because I know who is in charge...and He is listening.
Here it is. This is exactly what I wrote about in my last post...Daniel's heart. Verse 11 once again reminds Daniel that he is "greatly loved" and here we are again with the assurance that God heard Daniel right from the beginning - from the first day that Daniel "set his heart to understand", from the first day that he "humbled himself before God", from the first day that he declared His dependence on God in prayer: "at the beginning of your supplication". God paid attention. Why? Because Daniel was so great? Because he had authority in Babylon? Because he was a leader of his people? No. Because he prayed. Because he wanted to understand what was going on . Because he humbled himself...God paid attention - from the first day.
The cool thing is the first thing Gabriel said to him: "Do not fear".
Wow. Powerful words for today. Powerful words for the church. Powerful words for me. If we are praying and going to God with an honest heart, with a heart that wants to consider what is going on, with a humble attitude realizing that we do not have any answers, with a humble heart that realizes who we are and who He is...with a heart that wants to understand in humilty, then we do not have to fear. All kinds of garbage may be swirling around us, but we do not have to be afraid of it.
Right now, people are afraid of losing their savings, losing their 401K, losing their retirement, afraid of their bank failing, Wall Street crashing, our financial institutions going down the tubes and God says to us: "Do not fear." If I have a seeking, humble heart, I do not have to fear because I know who is in charge...and He is listening.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Greatly Loved
Daniel 9:23 "At the beginning of your supplications, the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved, therefore consider the matter and understand the vision."
Isn't this interesting that as soon as Daniel started to ask...at the beginning, from the first time he approached God with his request the command, actually speech went out. God's word came out, apparently telling Gabriel to go to Daniel and tell him something. Tell him the meaning of the vision, yes, but I think to tell him something even more significant, more personal: "you are greatly beloved.". Gabriel came to Daniel and told him that God delighted in him, that he was pleasant to God, that he was precious in God's sight. Why? I think because of his heart. Here is Daniel, pleading with God for the very soul of his people. Here is Daniel confessing his people's sin and begging God to hear, to listen, to forgive and to act, and God was doing just that. He was listening and He was acting. "As soon as you began to speak, God's word went out in a command and told me, Gabriel, to get moving, because you are greatly loved by God."
Can we see the hand of God move like that today? Can I see the hand of God move like that today? Yes. I believe we/I can, but it is going to take a genuine heart from me/us. If I genuinely go to God and pour out my heart for me, my family, my church, my country - God will act. But if, in my prayer life my heart is not moved, God's heart will not be moved. If our hearts are not genuinely affected, God will not act. We need to stop going through the motions and start pleading. We need to stop playing church and be the church. We need to come to God with our heartfelt needs and watch Him work. As soon as we do, He will give the command and we will see Him work. God greatly loves us. Let's cut Him loose.
Isn't this interesting that as soon as Daniel started to ask...at the beginning, from the first time he approached God with his request the command, actually speech went out. God's word came out, apparently telling Gabriel to go to Daniel and tell him something. Tell him the meaning of the vision, yes, but I think to tell him something even more significant, more personal: "you are greatly beloved.". Gabriel came to Daniel and told him that God delighted in him, that he was pleasant to God, that he was precious in God's sight. Why? I think because of his heart. Here is Daniel, pleading with God for the very soul of his people. Here is Daniel confessing his people's sin and begging God to hear, to listen, to forgive and to act, and God was doing just that. He was listening and He was acting. "As soon as you began to speak, God's word went out in a command and told me, Gabriel, to get moving, because you are greatly loved by God."
Can we see the hand of God move like that today? Can I see the hand of God move like that today? Yes. I believe we/I can, but it is going to take a genuine heart from me/us. If I genuinely go to God and pour out my heart for me, my family, my church, my country - God will act. But if, in my prayer life my heart is not moved, God's heart will not be moved. If our hearts are not genuinely affected, God will not act. We need to stop going through the motions and start pleading. We need to stop playing church and be the church. We need to come to God with our heartfelt needs and watch Him work. As soon as we do, He will give the command and we will see Him work. God greatly loves us. Let's cut Him loose.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
"O Lord Hear"
Daniel 9:19 - "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for your own sake, my God, for Your city and your people are called by Your Name."
Daniel...what a heart! This guy probably was doing something that many in Israel should have been doing but weren't - praying, confessing, pleading. Look at verse 13 "we have not prayed". Daniel was putting an end to that. He was going to God and pleading for the life of his people. He wasn't just going to God by himself for himself. he was going to God for his people, his nation. Even though no one else was doing this, he was going to do it. He asked God to hear him. To pay attention. To forgive. I can hear him say: "Please Lord, give attention, please listen to me, please pardon us for the sin we have committed and then do something. Please act on our behalf but not just for our sake but for the sake of your reputation."
I was at lunch the other day watching the world go by and it hit me that we are all clueless. We are all living our lives as if God is not paying attention. As if God is not involved at all. The thing is, God is very involved. God is orchestrating the very events that are going to impact our nation. The problem is, few are pleading. Few are asking God to hear and listen and forgive. The scary thing is that while we can't expect the world to pray or respond with the realization that God is in charge, we in the church should be responding that way. We in the church should be praying and pleading...but we really aren't. That is what is scary. That people of faith are not praynig, not confessing, not pleading with God for the life of our nation. At any time in history we should be doing this. With the finanacial concerns we are facing, with a Presidential election coming up, with the huge decisions that need to be made in the immediate future.
I must confess. I am not praying as I should. That needs to change. "O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, please Lord listen and act...so that the world can see that you are God. So that the church can see that you are God."
Daniel...what a heart! This guy probably was doing something that many in Israel should have been doing but weren't - praying, confessing, pleading. Look at verse 13 "we have not prayed". Daniel was putting an end to that. He was going to God and pleading for the life of his people. He wasn't just going to God by himself for himself. he was going to God for his people, his nation. Even though no one else was doing this, he was going to do it. He asked God to hear him. To pay attention. To forgive. I can hear him say: "Please Lord, give attention, please listen to me, please pardon us for the sin we have committed and then do something. Please act on our behalf but not just for our sake but for the sake of your reputation."
I was at lunch the other day watching the world go by and it hit me that we are all clueless. We are all living our lives as if God is not paying attention. As if God is not involved at all. The thing is, God is very involved. God is orchestrating the very events that are going to impact our nation. The problem is, few are pleading. Few are asking God to hear and listen and forgive. The scary thing is that while we can't expect the world to pray or respond with the realization that God is in charge, we in the church should be responding that way. We in the church should be praying and pleading...but we really aren't. That is what is scary. That people of faith are not praynig, not confessing, not pleading with God for the life of our nation. At any time in history we should be doing this. With the finanacial concerns we are facing, with a Presidential election coming up, with the huge decisions that need to be made in the immediate future.
I must confess. I am not praying as I should. That needs to change. "O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, please Lord listen and act...so that the world can see that you are God. So that the church can see that you are God."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Financial Ruin (cont.)
Daniel 9:13 "As it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we minght turn from our iniquities and understand your truth."
Disaster. Bad word. Not a word that any of us want to hear. The Hebrew word actually means bad, evil, unpleasant, sad, unhappy, wicked. Who wants this? No one. Yet even in the middle of it, Israel did not pray. They did not grieve. They didn't beg God to intervene. And they did not not turn back - they did not repent, and they did not pay attention or understand the truth of God. Wow, this is so relevant.
Are we in a disaster in this country? Some would say yes. In fact the New York Times said that the country was: "...literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system." Many would say that this is a disaster.
Why? We have not followed God's word. We think we can play around with the truth. In fact, we think we can ignore the truth and get away with it. Now it is coming back to bite us. So how should we respond? With prayer, with repentance, with seeking the truth. Israel did not in Daniel's day and they paid the price. Are we going to be like that? Or are we going to finally realize that God is in control? His laws are immutable. Just like we cannot ignore God's law of gravity, we cannot ignore God's other law that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. We are way too proud. We are way too haughty. We are way too self sufficient. We are way to self absorbed...and we have been way too self indulgent. We need to understand the truth and start living it. The end game is too important.
Disaster. Bad word. Not a word that any of us want to hear. The Hebrew word actually means bad, evil, unpleasant, sad, unhappy, wicked. Who wants this? No one. Yet even in the middle of it, Israel did not pray. They did not grieve. They didn't beg God to intervene. And they did not not turn back - they did not repent, and they did not pay attention or understand the truth of God. Wow, this is so relevant.
Are we in a disaster in this country? Some would say yes. In fact the New York Times said that the country was: "...literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system." Many would say that this is a disaster.
Why? We have not followed God's word. We think we can play around with the truth. In fact, we think we can ignore the truth and get away with it. Now it is coming back to bite us. So how should we respond? With prayer, with repentance, with seeking the truth. Israel did not in Daniel's day and they paid the price. Are we going to be like that? Or are we going to finally realize that God is in control? His laws are immutable. Just like we cannot ignore God's law of gravity, we cannot ignore God's other law that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. We are way too proud. We are way too haughty. We are way too self sufficient. We are way to self absorbed...and we have been way too self indulgent. We need to understand the truth and start living it. The end game is too important.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Financial Ruin
I know that I am getting away from 2 Corinthians, but I have been reading in Daniel lately and this is unbelievably timely. I wrote this in my journal yesterday. Look at this:
Dan. 9:8-10 "O Lord to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets."
Wow. How timely. I am preaching today. Weird...me preaching. I am talking about God's word and its importance in our lives and how we need to obey it and get to know Jesus through it. In the middle of all of this, we have this threat of financial collapse in the country. If the markets go, we go. If the banks go, we go. If the insurance companies go, we go. No longer the proud, pompous country we have been, but a humbled country, a shamed country, an embarassed country. Why? v 10 Because we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws...
This shame fo face, this embarassment extends to our president (kings), our congress (princes) and get this to our fathers - us. None of us are innocent. We have all screwed up. We have all gone after greed and selfish interests and now we are reaping what we have sown. Kind of depressing, but something we all have to deal with. We all have to look deep within and ask, "Am I a part of the problem?" How do I live my life? Selfishly? Greedily? Is it all about me? The problem is that this is sin. It is missing the mark that God has placed in front of us/me.
The cool thing is verse 9. To the Lord our God belng mercy and forgiveness even though we have rebelled against Him.
Plead for God's mercy, confess our sin, claim His forgiveness. Where am I?
More tomorrow.
Postscript: What I told people yesterday was that we love to blame other people for our problems. We love to throw it all on Washington or Wall Street. Sure, Washington and Wall Street operated with unbridled greed. The problem is, so did we. Buying houses we knew we could not afford, getting stuff that we do not need that we did not have the cash for so we put it on our credit cards, using home equity loans to get us deeper in debt. We are all greedy. We are all at fault and we all have to pay for our error. If only we had remembered the words of that wise man who wrote thousands of years ago: "The borrower is servant to the lender." Prov.22:7 Unfortunately, now, with a $700 billion bailout that we do not have the money for, we will all be serving someone...Maybe China. Something to think about: The decisions that you make in your house are more important than the decisions they make in the White House. We need to make sure they are decisions that are Biblically based.
Dan. 9:8-10 "O Lord to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets."
Wow. How timely. I am preaching today. Weird...me preaching. I am talking about God's word and its importance in our lives and how we need to obey it and get to know Jesus through it. In the middle of all of this, we have this threat of financial collapse in the country. If the markets go, we go. If the banks go, we go. If the insurance companies go, we go. No longer the proud, pompous country we have been, but a humbled country, a shamed country, an embarassed country. Why? v 10 Because we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws...
This shame fo face, this embarassment extends to our president (kings), our congress (princes) and get this to our fathers - us. None of us are innocent. We have all screwed up. We have all gone after greed and selfish interests and now we are reaping what we have sown. Kind of depressing, but something we all have to deal with. We all have to look deep within and ask, "Am I a part of the problem?" How do I live my life? Selfishly? Greedily? Is it all about me? The problem is that this is sin. It is missing the mark that God has placed in front of us/me.
The cool thing is verse 9. To the Lord our God belng mercy and forgiveness even though we have rebelled against Him.
Plead for God's mercy, confess our sin, claim His forgiveness. Where am I?
More tomorrow.
Postscript: What I told people yesterday was that we love to blame other people for our problems. We love to throw it all on Washington or Wall Street. Sure, Washington and Wall Street operated with unbridled greed. The problem is, so did we. Buying houses we knew we could not afford, getting stuff that we do not need that we did not have the cash for so we put it on our credit cards, using home equity loans to get us deeper in debt. We are all greedy. We are all at fault and we all have to pay for our error. If only we had remembered the words of that wise man who wrote thousands of years ago: "The borrower is servant to the lender." Prov.22:7 Unfortunately, now, with a $700 billion bailout that we do not have the money for, we will all be serving someone...Maybe China. Something to think about: The decisions that you make in your house are more important than the decisions they make in the White House. We need to make sure they are decisions that are Biblically based.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Yoked Together
2 Cor.6:14 "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"
As teenagers we used to hear this verse preached to us all the time in the church. You know, youth leaders and pastors would talk about sex, dating and marriage and this verse would inevitably surface. The main point: "Don't marry someone who is not a Christian." It was even taken one step further: "Don't date someone who is not a Christian." Why? Because "every date is a potential mate".
Frankly, all of this is solid advise. I have seen nothing but trouble when it comes to dating or marrying someone who does not share your faith. The priorities are different, the pressure to temptation can be different, the whole decision making process is different. How you raise your kids can cause problems. It is a huge mess. This verse is there not to take away our fun or freedom, it is there to protect us.
The idea of an unequal yoke is interesting. Take two cows with a yoke (harness) between them. That yoke better be even - equal. If it is not, you can be sure that those cows are not going to be comfortable. One cow will go one way and other will try to go another. They do not work together to accomplish a common task, instead they create opposing forces and nothing gets done effectively. The end result is discomfort, hurt and pain.
The picture in a marriage is clear. There is no fellowship, no sharing, no real communion, no true intimacy, no joint participation. Everything gets screwed up when a believer wants to live a consistent Christian life and the unbeliever could not give a rip. The only way it may work is when: 1. The Christian comes down to the level of not giving a rip; 2. The non-believer gets saved. The later is great and it happens many times. Unfortunately, there are still consequences that can hit later in our lives or even in our kid's lives.
The aspect that we don't commonly hear about is in business. Can I partner with an unbeliever? Can I work together as equals...being yoked together in my professional life? Scripture would guard against this. Business partnerships are a lot like marriage. Priorities and decision making all play a role. When you have two people who come from entirely different perspectives something has to give. Unfortunately, it can be the believer's integrity that takes the hit.
God wants to protect us so He says: "Don't be unequally yoked." It is our choice. We can either do what He says, or endure the pain when we don't.
As teenagers we used to hear this verse preached to us all the time in the church. You know, youth leaders and pastors would talk about sex, dating and marriage and this verse would inevitably surface. The main point: "Don't marry someone who is not a Christian." It was even taken one step further: "Don't date someone who is not a Christian." Why? Because "every date is a potential mate".
Frankly, all of this is solid advise. I have seen nothing but trouble when it comes to dating or marrying someone who does not share your faith. The priorities are different, the pressure to temptation can be different, the whole decision making process is different. How you raise your kids can cause problems. It is a huge mess. This verse is there not to take away our fun or freedom, it is there to protect us.
The idea of an unequal yoke is interesting. Take two cows with a yoke (harness) between them. That yoke better be even - equal. If it is not, you can be sure that those cows are not going to be comfortable. One cow will go one way and other will try to go another. They do not work together to accomplish a common task, instead they create opposing forces and nothing gets done effectively. The end result is discomfort, hurt and pain.
The picture in a marriage is clear. There is no fellowship, no sharing, no real communion, no true intimacy, no joint participation. Everything gets screwed up when a believer wants to live a consistent Christian life and the unbeliever could not give a rip. The only way it may work is when: 1. The Christian comes down to the level of not giving a rip; 2. The non-believer gets saved. The later is great and it happens many times. Unfortunately, there are still consequences that can hit later in our lives or even in our kid's lives.
The aspect that we don't commonly hear about is in business. Can I partner with an unbeliever? Can I work together as equals...being yoked together in my professional life? Scripture would guard against this. Business partnerships are a lot like marriage. Priorities and decision making all play a role. When you have two people who come from entirely different perspectives something has to give. Unfortunately, it can be the believer's integrity that takes the hit.
God wants to protect us so He says: "Don't be unequally yoked." It is our choice. We can either do what He says, or endure the pain when we don't.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Now
2 Cor. 6:2 "For He says, 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you'. Behold now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation."
These are two basic needs of the human heart...to be heard and to be helped. I know I really appreciate it when people listen to me. You know, when I feel like I am not just mouthing words but actaully have an audience that is interesed in what I have to say. (Hopefully what I have to say is worthwhile.) The cool thing is, God listens. At just the right time God gives us His ear. He listens to what we have to say. It is kind of interesting that this is at an accepted time, a proper time. In order for there to be an accepted time there must be an unacceptable time. So when is that right time that God will listen to me? (Something to ponder.)
The other need is that we all need to be helped. We are not self sufficient. We need help. We need someone to come to come to our aid and deliver us. We need to be saved. God wants to do that, but once again, it is only on the day of salvation - a specific day.
So, when is the day that God will listen? When is the day that He will deliver? If the verse just stopped here we would be left guessing, but it doesn't. It gives us an answer. The answer is NOW. Right now. God's ear is open right now. He wants to hear from me. Deliverance is available right now. He wants to help me. It isn't like: "The check is in the mail." It is: "Hey. Do you want to be heard? Do you want me to help you and deliver you? Then I am ready right now." We don't have to wait for God.
If anyone reading this wonders: "Does God want to hear me? Does God want to help me? Will God ever deliver me from this mess?" The answer is a clear: "Yes!" And He wants to do it immediately. All we have to do is come to Him and ask. He is always ready...right NOW.
These are two basic needs of the human heart...to be heard and to be helped. I know I really appreciate it when people listen to me. You know, when I feel like I am not just mouthing words but actaully have an audience that is interesed in what I have to say. (Hopefully what I have to say is worthwhile.) The cool thing is, God listens. At just the right time God gives us His ear. He listens to what we have to say. It is kind of interesting that this is at an accepted time, a proper time. In order for there to be an accepted time there must be an unacceptable time. So when is that right time that God will listen to me? (Something to ponder.)
The other need is that we all need to be helped. We are not self sufficient. We need help. We need someone to come to come to our aid and deliver us. We need to be saved. God wants to do that, but once again, it is only on the day of salvation - a specific day.
So, when is the day that God will listen? When is the day that He will deliver? If the verse just stopped here we would be left guessing, but it doesn't. It gives us an answer. The answer is NOW. Right now. God's ear is open right now. He wants to hear from me. Deliverance is available right now. He wants to help me. It isn't like: "The check is in the mail." It is: "Hey. Do you want to be heard? Do you want me to help you and deliver you? Then I am ready right now." We don't have to wait for God.
If anyone reading this wonders: "Does God want to hear me? Does God want to help me? Will God ever deliver me from this mess?" The answer is a clear: "Yes!" And He wants to do it immediately. All we have to do is come to Him and ask. He is always ready...right NOW.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Totally Clean
It's been awhile since I last posted. We have been a little busy with the marriage of our daughter Elise to Austin Rampey. What a cool wedding! God answered Elise's constant prayer for a sunny 80 degree day. The whole thing was beautiful. And now my kid is married to a godly guy. Wow! God is faithful. Anyway, here we go...
2 Cor. 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
This is wild stuff. First, this is confirmation. Confirmation that Jesus was perfect...He was sinless. This is confirmation that Jesus was not just a man, for if He were just a man He would sin. (Rom.3:23) All men and women sin, there are no exceptions, except one - Jesus. He was a man but He was perfect. How could this be: Because He was God as well. For anyone to say that Jesus was something less than God (which I have heard lately) is not logical. How do they get around the fact that He never sinned...never. The only way that this is posible is if He were God. God in the flesh.
So here we have God in a man's body who never sinned. He never experienced sin. What did He do? He became sin. He was made sin. Now this is hard to grasp. I mean there are sins: the things that we do or don't do that miss the mark, that violate God's character. Then there is sin: the state of being that we are all in. We are all sinners. This is what could be called an amazing exchange. Jesus, who was not a sinner ever, became a sinner in God's eyes. He took our state upon Himself. And along with taking our state and all of our collective sins on Himself, he also took the guilt, the punishment, the separation from God. (That is why Jesus cried out: "My God My God why have you forsaken Me?" Because God could not look on sin which Jesus became.) Jesus became dirt. He became garbage. He became scum when He did not deserve any of it. Why? This is what is really amazing. He did it so we who are imperfect could become perfect in God's eyes. He did it so we who are unrighteous could become righteous in God's eyes. He did it so we who are totally dirty could become clean and pure and holy in God's eyes. When God looks at me, He does not see my sin any longer. He sees His righteousness because of Jesus.
The question that I have to ask myself is this: Knowing this, realizing what Jesus did for me...knowing all that He gave up, how can I go on continuing to screw up? I mean, how can I take it upon myself to get bitter and jealous and say weird things and have stupid thoughts and whatever else we may "struggle" with. I mean this is dumb. We are totally clean in God's eyes. Live like it.
2 Cor. 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
This is wild stuff. First, this is confirmation. Confirmation that Jesus was perfect...He was sinless. This is confirmation that Jesus was not just a man, for if He were just a man He would sin. (Rom.3:23) All men and women sin, there are no exceptions, except one - Jesus. He was a man but He was perfect. How could this be: Because He was God as well. For anyone to say that Jesus was something less than God (which I have heard lately) is not logical. How do they get around the fact that He never sinned...never. The only way that this is posible is if He were God. God in the flesh.
So here we have God in a man's body who never sinned. He never experienced sin. What did He do? He became sin. He was made sin. Now this is hard to grasp. I mean there are sins: the things that we do or don't do that miss the mark, that violate God's character. Then there is sin: the state of being that we are all in. We are all sinners. This is what could be called an amazing exchange. Jesus, who was not a sinner ever, became a sinner in God's eyes. He took our state upon Himself. And along with taking our state and all of our collective sins on Himself, he also took the guilt, the punishment, the separation from God. (That is why Jesus cried out: "My God My God why have you forsaken Me?" Because God could not look on sin which Jesus became.) Jesus became dirt. He became garbage. He became scum when He did not deserve any of it. Why? This is what is really amazing. He did it so we who are imperfect could become perfect in God's eyes. He did it so we who are unrighteous could become righteous in God's eyes. He did it so we who are totally dirty could become clean and pure and holy in God's eyes. When God looks at me, He does not see my sin any longer. He sees His righteousness because of Jesus.
The question that I have to ask myself is this: Knowing this, realizing what Jesus did for me...knowing all that He gave up, how can I go on continuing to screw up? I mean, how can I take it upon myself to get bitter and jealous and say weird things and have stupid thoughts and whatever else we may "struggle" with. I mean this is dumb. We are totally clean in God's eyes. Live like it.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Pleading
2 Cor. 5:20 "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God."
This is powerful stuff. You can almost feel Paul's heart. In v18 Paul said that God gave us the ministry of reconciliation. In v19 he said that God has committed to us the word of reconciliation. God has given us this ministry to serve in. He has made us His representatives. He has given us His voice...His very words and the urgency is palpable: "as though God were pleading", He is begging through us, "we implore you" for Jesus sake to be reconciled to God. The word for reconcile here is actually an accounting term, when you give money for something in return. It is an exchange. What is it? It is Jesus giving His life so that others can have eternal life in return. This is the ministry, the word of reconciliation. That Christ came and gave it all so we could have it all.
Reconcile is deeper than that however. It also means to be brought into favor with someone else. God cannot accept us because of our sin. There is a barrier there. The veil that Paul talked about earlier is blocking the way. This wall of separation has been taken away through the blood of Christ. It is torn down. It is gone and we can be brought near to God.
The point is, God has given me this ministry. God has given all of us who know Him this word of reconciliation. He has made me His representative to others. Paul begged. Paul implored. Paul pleaded with people to be brought near to God.
I have to ask myself the question: How much do I plead with people to come to Christ? How important is this to me? Who are those that I care about who need to be reconciled to God? We have this word. We have this ministry. God has entrusted this to us. What are we doing about it?
(By the way, if you are reading this blog and you can't say that you have a living, breathing relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, Jesus...let me encourage you, no...let me plead with to you let Jesus tear the wall down. This is literally the difference between eternal life with God and eternal separation from God. Please...be reconciled to God.)
This is powerful stuff. You can almost feel Paul's heart. In v18 Paul said that God gave us the ministry of reconciliation. In v19 he said that God has committed to us the word of reconciliation. God has given us this ministry to serve in. He has made us His representatives. He has given us His voice...His very words and the urgency is palpable: "as though God were pleading", He is begging through us, "we implore you" for Jesus sake to be reconciled to God. The word for reconcile here is actually an accounting term, when you give money for something in return. It is an exchange. What is it? It is Jesus giving His life so that others can have eternal life in return. This is the ministry, the word of reconciliation. That Christ came and gave it all so we could have it all.
Reconcile is deeper than that however. It also means to be brought into favor with someone else. God cannot accept us because of our sin. There is a barrier there. The veil that Paul talked about earlier is blocking the way. This wall of separation has been taken away through the blood of Christ. It is torn down. It is gone and we can be brought near to God.
The point is, God has given me this ministry. God has given all of us who know Him this word of reconciliation. He has made me His representative to others. Paul begged. Paul implored. Paul pleaded with people to be brought near to God.
I have to ask myself the question: How much do I plead with people to come to Christ? How important is this to me? Who are those that I care about who need to be reconciled to God? We have this word. We have this ministry. God has entrusted this to us. What are we doing about it?
(By the way, if you are reading this blog and you can't say that you have a living, breathing relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, Jesus...let me encourage you, no...let me plead with to you let Jesus tear the wall down. This is literally the difference between eternal life with God and eternal separation from God. Please...be reconciled to God.)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Brand New
2 Cor. 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things become new."
"Therefore" One of my old pastors used to say: "If you see the word 'therefore' know what its there for." In other words, look back. Therefore, so then, because of this. Because of what? Because we are dead, because we no longer live according to the flesh consider this. If anyone, anyone means anyone...any person, me, you, my wife, my kids, my neighbors, my boss, the person I just had a disagreement with, the President, the ruler of Iran, _______________ (fill in the blank), if anyone is in Christ, what happens? They become a new, fresh, unprecedented creation. The old stuff in my life, the original state of my birth passes away, the old person perishes...it dies and each and every part of me becomes new, becomes fresh, is unused and not worn out.
Man, this is hope. So many people are walking around today thinking that they are living life, but inside they are tired, worn out, aimless. If we are really honest, we know that our lives are empty. We try to fill them with entertainment, sports, sex, food, drink, drugs, relationships, but we end up finding out that it all gets old. Jesus said that if you want a fresh start, if you want to live a new life, if you want to live on purpose with purpose come with Me. The old stuff will die and you will have a fresh, new life. You will be a brand new person. Here is a ton of hope for the hopeless. All things are new.
The question for me is this: I know that I am in Christ. I have been changed. Is everything still becoming new? How fresh is my walk with the Lord? Have I returned to the old dead ways or am I living in the newness that He has given to me? I am a brand new creation. Live like it.
"Therefore" One of my old pastors used to say: "If you see the word 'therefore' know what its there for." In other words, look back. Therefore, so then, because of this. Because of what? Because we are dead, because we no longer live according to the flesh consider this. If anyone, anyone means anyone...any person, me, you, my wife, my kids, my neighbors, my boss, the person I just had a disagreement with, the President, the ruler of Iran, _______________ (fill in the blank), if anyone is in Christ, what happens? They become a new, fresh, unprecedented creation. The old stuff in my life, the original state of my birth passes away, the old person perishes...it dies and each and every part of me becomes new, becomes fresh, is unused and not worn out.
Man, this is hope. So many people are walking around today thinking that they are living life, but inside they are tired, worn out, aimless. If we are really honest, we know that our lives are empty. We try to fill them with entertainment, sports, sex, food, drink, drugs, relationships, but we end up finding out that it all gets old. Jesus said that if you want a fresh start, if you want to live a new life, if you want to live on purpose with purpose come with Me. The old stuff will die and you will have a fresh, new life. You will be a brand new person. Here is a ton of hope for the hopeless. All things are new.
The question for me is this: I know that I am in Christ. I have been changed. Is everything still becoming new? How fresh is my walk with the Lord? Have I returned to the old dead ways or am I living in the newness that He has given to me? I am a brand new creation. Live like it.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Held Together
2 Cor. 5:14,15 "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: That if One died for all then all died, and He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again."
Another way: For the love of Christ holds us together, because we pronounce that this is right that Jesus died for all of us - individually and collectively, that those of us who are alive should no longer live selfishly for ourselves, but for Jesus who died and came back to life.
What is the thing that holds my life together? What is the driving force that gives me stability? Is it my goals, my desires, my family, my hopes and dreams, my job, my ministry...what is it that secures me? Paul says that it must be the love of Christ. That really is the only stabilizing, compelling, motivating, centering factor in my life. Sure, I receive a ton of support from my wife and kids. Yes, I have an identity as a lawyer, but those things should not be my foundation. My foundation is the love of Jesus. Knowing this love causes me to determine what is right, and this is what is right - Jesus died for me. He took me on the cross with Him. He took my garbage, my shame, my sin, my eternal destruction on the cross with Him. In a sense I died with Him.
The cool thing is that He didn't stay dead and neither did I. He rose to life. I rose to new life. A new life where I no longer live for the garbage I once did. I no longer live for the things that put Jesus on the cross. I no longer live for myself. Selfishness put Him there. Pride put Him there. Independence put Him there. Now, in my new life I should live totally for Him...not me.
As I think about this, the questoin is: "Who am I really living for? Me or Jesus? How is this evident in my life? When I go to work, who am I working for? Who am I representing when I open my mouth? Who controls me? Who controls my money, my time, my energy, my body, my thoughts, my eyes, my attitudes? Is it Jesus or is it me?
His love holds me together to live a resurrected life for Him.
Another way: For the love of Christ holds us together, because we pronounce that this is right that Jesus died for all of us - individually and collectively, that those of us who are alive should no longer live selfishly for ourselves, but for Jesus who died and came back to life.
What is the thing that holds my life together? What is the driving force that gives me stability? Is it my goals, my desires, my family, my hopes and dreams, my job, my ministry...what is it that secures me? Paul says that it must be the love of Christ. That really is the only stabilizing, compelling, motivating, centering factor in my life. Sure, I receive a ton of support from my wife and kids. Yes, I have an identity as a lawyer, but those things should not be my foundation. My foundation is the love of Jesus. Knowing this love causes me to determine what is right, and this is what is right - Jesus died for me. He took me on the cross with Him. He took my garbage, my shame, my sin, my eternal destruction on the cross with Him. In a sense I died with Him.
The cool thing is that He didn't stay dead and neither did I. He rose to life. I rose to new life. A new life where I no longer live for the garbage I once did. I no longer live for the things that put Jesus on the cross. I no longer live for myself. Selfishness put Him there. Pride put Him there. Independence put Him there. Now, in my new life I should live totally for Him...not me.
As I think about this, the questoin is: "Who am I really living for? Me or Jesus? How is this evident in my life? When I go to work, who am I working for? Who am I representing when I open my mouth? Who controls me? Who controls my money, my time, my energy, my body, my thoughts, my eyes, my attitudes? Is it Jesus or is it me?
His love holds me together to live a resurrected life for Him.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Make Me Smile
2 Cor. 5:9 "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him."
I enjoy making people smile. Sometimes it is done by being goofy. They just smile because I do something weird. The best time, however, is when I do or say something that not only puts a smile on their face but a genuine warmth in their hearts. My kids do this to me. You know, sometimes you watch what they do and you smile and are satisfied inside. They have made a wise decision, or they have said a timely word, or their life is honoring God. It makes me smile inside and out.
I think that this is what Paul is trying to portray here. Basically he is saying that he always wants to make God smile and be satisfied with his life. He said that he makes this his aim. This is his ambition. He earnestly runs after this, that his life would be pleasing to God.
The thing that is amazing is that he says that he wants to do this in two rhelms - whether present or absent. In order to grab what he is saying you have to go back to verse 6 and verse 8 when he talks about being present and absent. Being at home or going abroad. Living in this present world or living with the Lord. While here in this body he wants to strive to make God happy. He wants to run after the pleasure of the Lord and make Him smile. Their weird thing is that he knows that he is going to do this in heaven too...passionately run after the favor of the Lord.
Interesting, I should do the same thing here as I am going to do in heaven. Even though my address may change someday, my purpose will stay the same.
We are not there yet. While I am here make it my goal to run after the smile and satisfaction of my Lord.
I enjoy making people smile. Sometimes it is done by being goofy. They just smile because I do something weird. The best time, however, is when I do or say something that not only puts a smile on their face but a genuine warmth in their hearts. My kids do this to me. You know, sometimes you watch what they do and you smile and are satisfied inside. They have made a wise decision, or they have said a timely word, or their life is honoring God. It makes me smile inside and out.
I think that this is what Paul is trying to portray here. Basically he is saying that he always wants to make God smile and be satisfied with his life. He said that he makes this his aim. This is his ambition. He earnestly runs after this, that his life would be pleasing to God.
The thing that is amazing is that he says that he wants to do this in two rhelms - whether present or absent. In order to grab what he is saying you have to go back to verse 6 and verse 8 when he talks about being present and absent. Being at home or going abroad. Living in this present world or living with the Lord. While here in this body he wants to strive to make God happy. He wants to run after the pleasure of the Lord and make Him smile. Their weird thing is that he knows that he is going to do this in heaven too...passionately run after the favor of the Lord.
Interesting, I should do the same thing here as I am going to do in heaven. Even though my address may change someday, my purpose will stay the same.
We are not there yet. While I am here make it my goal to run after the smile and satisfaction of my Lord.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Heavy Stuff
2 Cor. 4:11 "For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."
Am I alive? Is my heart beating? Are my brain waves functioning? Am I breathing in and out? I am (thankfully). This is what we call "living". Paul was too, but he said that he was constantly giving himself up to die. He was always giving his body over to lose his life for the cause of Jesus. Why? So that the life of Jesus - the absolute fulness of life, real, active, genuine and vigorous would be visible in his flesh that was in fact perishing.
So it is like this: Living--> Dying--> Real living. You see, we have it backward. We think that we have real life now. We want to experience all that we can, now. We want to party all that we can, now. We don't want to deny ourselves anything that we can have. We think that this is real living, and Paul says: "No". If you are physically living you must die. You have to constantly give yourself over to death. You must, 24 -7 die to yourself. Die to experience everything. Die to seeing it all. Die to partying. Die to giving in to every desire. Die to being selfish. Why? So that we can experience real, genuine, meaningful, purposeful life...the life of Jesus living through us. All of the other stuff is empty. What Christ wants to give us is full.
Sometimes I walk around in a cloud only thinking of one thing...me. If I want to experience real life I must deny myself so that the life of Jesus can live through me, which will visibly reveal itself to others who see me. People will see real living, real purpose. I will not be consumed with "stuff" (which God may bless me with anyway). I will instead be consumed with pursuing Jesus and His purposes.
Kind of reminds me of: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me." Gal. 2:20
This may seem like heavy stuff. It is but it is something that Christ asks us to consider. Do I want to live or do I want to really live?
Am I alive? Is my heart beating? Are my brain waves functioning? Am I breathing in and out? I am (thankfully). This is what we call "living". Paul was too, but he said that he was constantly giving himself up to die. He was always giving his body over to lose his life for the cause of Jesus. Why? So that the life of Jesus - the absolute fulness of life, real, active, genuine and vigorous would be visible in his flesh that was in fact perishing.
So it is like this: Living--> Dying--> Real living. You see, we have it backward. We think that we have real life now. We want to experience all that we can, now. We want to party all that we can, now. We don't want to deny ourselves anything that we can have. We think that this is real living, and Paul says: "No". If you are physically living you must die. You have to constantly give yourself over to death. You must, 24 -7 die to yourself. Die to experience everything. Die to seeing it all. Die to partying. Die to giving in to every desire. Die to being selfish. Why? So that we can experience real, genuine, meaningful, purposeful life...the life of Jesus living through us. All of the other stuff is empty. What Christ wants to give us is full.
Sometimes I walk around in a cloud only thinking of one thing...me. If I want to experience real life I must deny myself so that the life of Jesus can live through me, which will visibly reveal itself to others who see me. People will see real living, real purpose. I will not be consumed with "stuff" (which God may bless me with anyway). I will instead be consumed with pursuing Jesus and His purposes.
Kind of reminds me of: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and delivered Himself up for me." Gal. 2:20
This may seem like heavy stuff. It is but it is something that Christ asks us to consider. Do I want to live or do I want to really live?
Friday, July 11, 2008
Priorities
2 Cor. 4:5 "For we do not preach ourselves,but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake."
Priorities. We all have them. Sometimes if we are really organized we write them down and order our lives according to the list. For those of us who are not so together, we still have a list. We carry it around in our minds. Ultimately, what we say or what we write down does not really establish what our priorities are, but rather what we do...the decisions we make. Way too often what I claim my priorities are gets screwed up. I say that Jesus is first in my life and I say that others are second and I am last - you know that old JOY thing: Jesus, Others, You, but I act out this priority list in reverse really showing what my true priorities are. I make decisions based upon what I want. I toot my own horn. I want others to serve me.
This is not what Paul was all about. He had the JOY thing down. He did not proclaim who he was. He did not push his personal agenda. He did not exalt himself with people. The One he proclaimed, pushed and exalted was Jesus. Christ was preeminent. Jesus was the One who was lifted up.
Then what did Paul do? Where were his priorities? With others. He served people. He was a bondservant, a voluntary slave to others. He gave up his interests to serve the interests of others. Kind of reminds me of someone else. (See Phil. 2)
I need to look at my life. I need to constantly reevaluate what I do and why I do it. This thing called "self" is very sneaky. We need to kill it and then we need to live for Jesus and others. Proclaiming Him - not me. Serving others - not me. This is hard, but it is the only way to live the Christian life and ultimately make an impact in the world around us.
Priorities. We all have them. Sometimes if we are really organized we write them down and order our lives according to the list. For those of us who are not so together, we still have a list. We carry it around in our minds. Ultimately, what we say or what we write down does not really establish what our priorities are, but rather what we do...the decisions we make. Way too often what I claim my priorities are gets screwed up. I say that Jesus is first in my life and I say that others are second and I am last - you know that old JOY thing: Jesus, Others, You, but I act out this priority list in reverse really showing what my true priorities are. I make decisions based upon what I want. I toot my own horn. I want others to serve me.
This is not what Paul was all about. He had the JOY thing down. He did not proclaim who he was. He did not push his personal agenda. He did not exalt himself with people. The One he proclaimed, pushed and exalted was Jesus. Christ was preeminent. Jesus was the One who was lifted up.
Then what did Paul do? Where were his priorities? With others. He served people. He was a bondservant, a voluntary slave to others. He gave up his interests to serve the interests of others. Kind of reminds me of someone else. (See Phil. 2)
I need to look at my life. I need to constantly reevaluate what I do and why I do it. This thing called "self" is very sneaky. We need to kill it and then we need to live for Jesus and others. Proclaiming Him - not me. Serving others - not me. This is hard, but it is the only way to live the Christian life and ultimately make an impact in the world around us.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Letters
2 Cor. 3:3 "Clearly, you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
Letters. Anymore they are kind of old fashioned. I mean, with e-mail and text messaging and IMing and blogging, actual letters written by hand on a piece of paper sent by snail mail are kind of out of date...but, let's admit it, they are something special to receive. I still like to go to the mailbox and pull out a hand written letter by someone. There is something different about it that shows me that this person cares. (I have to apologize to my girls...they did not get many letters from me while they were in college...sorry.)
Look at what Paul says: "You are a visible letter of Jesus that we serve, not written with ink but written by the Spirit of the living God of the universe, not written on the flat surface of a piece of paper, but written in your physical body, that is on the surface of the character of all that you are inside." (My translation.)
I am a visible letter of Jesus. I am someone that the Spirit of the living God is writing. He is writing the letter of Jesus in my inner person, in the very center of who I am, the character in me that makes me live and move and think. The question that I ask is: "What is He writing?" "What are people reading when they see me, when they hear me talk, when they see the decisions that I make?" Are my words and actions a hand written letter by the Spirit of God that they really want to receive or is there a contradition there? Are they instead reading a quick, emotionless e-mail from Glen that is written in my flesh?
I want to be a visible letter of Jesus to others. I want them to see His heart through my heart. I want the Spirit of God to be the Author. Lord, help me to be your letter to others...expressing your words, engaging in your actions, communicating your heart.
Letters. Anymore they are kind of old fashioned. I mean, with e-mail and text messaging and IMing and blogging, actual letters written by hand on a piece of paper sent by snail mail are kind of out of date...but, let's admit it, they are something special to receive. I still like to go to the mailbox and pull out a hand written letter by someone. There is something different about it that shows me that this person cares. (I have to apologize to my girls...they did not get many letters from me while they were in college...sorry.)
Look at what Paul says: "You are a visible letter of Jesus that we serve, not written with ink but written by the Spirit of the living God of the universe, not written on the flat surface of a piece of paper, but written in your physical body, that is on the surface of the character of all that you are inside." (My translation.)
I am a visible letter of Jesus. I am someone that the Spirit of the living God is writing. He is writing the letter of Jesus in my inner person, in the very center of who I am, the character in me that makes me live and move and think. The question that I ask is: "What is He writing?" "What are people reading when they see me, when they hear me talk, when they see the decisions that I make?" Are my words and actions a hand written letter by the Spirit of God that they really want to receive or is there a contradition there? Are they instead reading a quick, emotionless e-mail from Glen that is written in my flesh?
I want to be a visible letter of Jesus to others. I want them to see His heart through my heart. I want the Spirit of God to be the Author. Lord, help me to be your letter to others...expressing your words, engaging in your actions, communicating your heart.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
We Win
2 Cor. 2:14 "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in evey place."
Defeated. Depressed. Discouraged. Disheartened. Dispairing. Down. Can any of these words describe me at any time in my life? Sure. I know that circumstances have entered and gotten me down in the past. Things have occured around me that have resulted in discouragement. I know that it happens to everyone. That is why I am glad that Paul reminds us of our true position in Christ. We Win. "Thanks be to God who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ." If anyone should walk around with confidence, if anyone should have a smile on their face, if anyone should be able to encourage others even when negative things enter our lives, it is believers. Why? Because we will ALWAYS triumph in Christ. This verse does not say that triumph, victory, winning is only going to happen periodically if I am lucky. It says that I will ALWAYS triumph in Jesus. If rotten circumstances hit, I should ask the question: "What victory does God want me to experience through this?" This verse is a promise - we will ALWAYS triumph in Christ.
What is the natural result of this positive outlook? We will smell. We will project a fragrance. Not really a scent that people will take in through their noses, but instead a certain air about us. An aroma that will lead others to pay attention.
I can think of people who are like this. No matter what, they are encouraging people. They are positive people. They are building people. Even when things are not going so great in their lives. Sadly, I can't always say this about myself, so how can I see it happen? How can I have an air about me where people sense victory? I think what I need to do is keep my mind and heart focused on what God is doing. It is God who is at work, not me. He will bring about the victory...always.
Aromatheapy is a big deal now. We should be aromatherapy to people around us, allowing them to experience His knowledge in every place. After all, we win. We ALWAYS will.
Defeated. Depressed. Discouraged. Disheartened. Dispairing. Down. Can any of these words describe me at any time in my life? Sure. I know that circumstances have entered and gotten me down in the past. Things have occured around me that have resulted in discouragement. I know that it happens to everyone. That is why I am glad that Paul reminds us of our true position in Christ. We Win. "Thanks be to God who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ." If anyone should walk around with confidence, if anyone should have a smile on their face, if anyone should be able to encourage others even when negative things enter our lives, it is believers. Why? Because we will ALWAYS triumph in Christ. This verse does not say that triumph, victory, winning is only going to happen periodically if I am lucky. It says that I will ALWAYS triumph in Jesus. If rotten circumstances hit, I should ask the question: "What victory does God want me to experience through this?" This verse is a promise - we will ALWAYS triumph in Christ.
What is the natural result of this positive outlook? We will smell. We will project a fragrance. Not really a scent that people will take in through their noses, but instead a certain air about us. An aroma that will lead others to pay attention.
I can think of people who are like this. No matter what, they are encouraging people. They are positive people. They are building people. Even when things are not going so great in their lives. Sadly, I can't always say this about myself, so how can I see it happen? How can I have an air about me where people sense victory? I think what I need to do is keep my mind and heart focused on what God is doing. It is God who is at work, not me. He will bring about the victory...always.
Aromatheapy is a big deal now. We should be aromatherapy to people around us, allowing them to experience His knowledge in every place. After all, we win. We ALWAYS will.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Restoration
2 Cor. 2:8 "Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him."
Restoration. This is an amazing concept. Dictionary.com defines restoration as: "a return of something to a former, original, normal or unimpaired condition".
Here we have this guy in the Corinthian church who was really living in gross sin. The problem was that the Corinthian church was looking the other way and not doing anything about it. So, what did Paul say that they should do? "Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." I Cor. 5:5 Pretty tough stuff. In other words, abandon this guy. Give him over to the evil one so that he will see his life destroyed but his spirit saved.
Apparently the church listened because this guy was being devoured by sorrow, pain and affliction. (v7) It looks like he learned his lesson and was repentent of what he had done. The question then was: "What do we do now? We booted him and now how do we handle this?" Paul's response: "Reaffirm your love for him." To reaffirm means to make your love valid - it even goes as far as visibly confirming it.
Paul saw what was going on in this guy's life. He sinned, he repented (was sorrowful) and now the church needed to respond by publically loving him, restoring him, building him up again and welcoming him back.
I have seen so much junk in my short lifetime in the church. I have seen people sin and fall and be corrected. I have seen some repent and I have seen others go their own way to the point where their flesh was destroyed. Sad stuff. Frankly, the church needs to be a hospital. We are all sinners. We all mess up. When that happens, surgery needs to take place. Cutting needs to occur. It can be painful. The thing is, when the correcting happens and there is genuine healing (repentance) we need to reaffirm our love. We need to restore. If the correcting was done publically the restoration needs to be done publically. We need to love those who have fallen and have gotten back up by the grace of God.
Sin in the church is serious. It needs to be dealt with. Love in the church is powerful. It needs to be visibly experienced.
Restoration. This is an amazing concept. Dictionary.com defines restoration as: "a return of something to a former, original, normal or unimpaired condition".
Here we have this guy in the Corinthian church who was really living in gross sin. The problem was that the Corinthian church was looking the other way and not doing anything about it. So, what did Paul say that they should do? "Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." I Cor. 5:5 Pretty tough stuff. In other words, abandon this guy. Give him over to the evil one so that he will see his life destroyed but his spirit saved.
Apparently the church listened because this guy was being devoured by sorrow, pain and affliction. (v7) It looks like he learned his lesson and was repentent of what he had done. The question then was: "What do we do now? We booted him and now how do we handle this?" Paul's response: "Reaffirm your love for him." To reaffirm means to make your love valid - it even goes as far as visibly confirming it.
Paul saw what was going on in this guy's life. He sinned, he repented (was sorrowful) and now the church needed to respond by publically loving him, restoring him, building him up again and welcoming him back.
I have seen so much junk in my short lifetime in the church. I have seen people sin and fall and be corrected. I have seen some repent and I have seen others go their own way to the point where their flesh was destroyed. Sad stuff. Frankly, the church needs to be a hospital. We are all sinners. We all mess up. When that happens, surgery needs to take place. Cutting needs to occur. It can be painful. The thing is, when the correcting happens and there is genuine healing (repentance) we need to reaffirm our love. We need to restore. If the correcting was done publically the restoration needs to be done publically. We need to love those who have fallen and have gotten back up by the grace of God.
Sin in the church is serious. It needs to be dealt with. Love in the church is powerful. It needs to be visibly experienced.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Independence Day?
(I am jumping to chapter 4 because that is where I am studying right now, and what I read today is so appropriate...I will hit chapter 2 and 3 later)
2 Cor.4:7 "For we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."
Dependence. This isn't the kind of word we like to think about, especially today...Independence Day. Our country was established on the principle of independence. We fought for this. We do not want to be dependent on any other country. We want to rely upon our own ability, our own ingenuity. We seem to have carried this concept into our individual lives. Yet, Paul seems to keep hitting this theme. (See 2 Cor. 3:5) We are dependent upon God. Why? Because we have this treasure. The word for treasure here does not actually mean the valuable stuff that you find in a box. It actually means the box. It means "treasury". A place where treasure is collected. A place where valuable things are saved. In fact, this word for treasure could actually be translated: "casket". We are a casket that is made out of clay. (This is where Jars of Clay got their name. I am sure that the name "Caskets of Clay" would not have gone over very well.) The point is, we are frail, temporary, breakable vessels. We really have no inherant strength. We are, in a word - dependent. Anything that we are able to accomplish is not of us at all. Instead, when God uses us for anything truly valuable, for anything eternal, it is because of His power.
The word for power is dynamite. It is power that is excellent, superior, beyond measure. Paul is getting across the truth that God wants to display His unlimited power through frail human beings. Why? So it is His glory that is on display...not ours. Because clay caskets do not have a lot of power, not a lot of glory. But when they are filled with the power of God, God can do immeasurable things through us so people can see Him.
Dependent...not on ourselves. We will crumble. Dependent instead on the God of the universe who wants to show the world who He is...through us. Amazing.
Think about that one on this Independence Day
2 Cor.4:7 "For we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."
Dependence. This isn't the kind of word we like to think about, especially today...Independence Day. Our country was established on the principle of independence. We fought for this. We do not want to be dependent on any other country. We want to rely upon our own ability, our own ingenuity. We seem to have carried this concept into our individual lives. Yet, Paul seems to keep hitting this theme. (See 2 Cor. 3:5) We are dependent upon God. Why? Because we have this treasure. The word for treasure here does not actually mean the valuable stuff that you find in a box. It actually means the box. It means "treasury". A place where treasure is collected. A place where valuable things are saved. In fact, this word for treasure could actually be translated: "casket". We are a casket that is made out of clay. (This is where Jars of Clay got their name. I am sure that the name "Caskets of Clay" would not have gone over very well.) The point is, we are frail, temporary, breakable vessels. We really have no inherant strength. We are, in a word - dependent. Anything that we are able to accomplish is not of us at all. Instead, when God uses us for anything truly valuable, for anything eternal, it is because of His power.
The word for power is dynamite. It is power that is excellent, superior, beyond measure. Paul is getting across the truth that God wants to display His unlimited power through frail human beings. Why? So it is His glory that is on display...not ours. Because clay caskets do not have a lot of power, not a lot of glory. But when they are filled with the power of God, God can do immeasurable things through us so people can see Him.
Dependent...not on ourselves. We will crumble. Dependent instead on the God of the universe who wants to show the world who He is...through us. Amazing.
Think about that one on this Independence Day
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Yes!
I am done with my study in I Corinthians, so here I go with number 2:
2 Cor. 1:20 "For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."
"Yes" is a great word. I know that my kids loved to hear that word when they asked me if they could do something. The dreaded word was "no". The other dreaded word was "maybe". They didn't like that word because they knew that it really meant "no". The same is true for us. We love to hear the word "yes". It is positive. It is encouraging. It gives us permission.
Now look at this verse: "For all the promises of God in Him are yes..." Not "no", not "maybe" but "YES"! So what are some of these promises that we have "in Him"?
"Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"He who believes in Him is not condemned..." John 3:18
"He who has the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life." John 6:40
"But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, who those believing in Him would receive" Jn. 7:39
"...we might become the righteousness of God in Him" 2 Cor. 5:21
"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance." Eph. 1:11
"In Him...you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Eph.1:13
"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him." Eph. 3:12
"And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." Phil. 3:9
"For you are complete in Him." Col. 2:10
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us." I Jn. 5:14
These are just a few of the promises that are "yes" "in Him": Everlasting life, no condemnation, we have the Holy Spirit, we are secure, we are right before God, we have an inheritance, we have boldness, we have access, we have confidence, we are complete, He hears us. Now this is not an exhaustive list, but even if it was, wouldn't it be enough? I mean this is crazy. Jesus, the God-man, the great I AM makes me complete. I have everything and am everything and will do everything that I may ever need to have, be and do, I will live forever, completely forgiven, pure before God and His Holy Spirit is given to me to live with me, to seal me, to comfort me, to direct me, and I am heir to the King of all creation and I can go to Him at any time, with any request and He listens. Wild.
The promises in Him are yes and amen! Grab them. Hold on to them. Have confidence in them. Live like it..."to the glory of God".
2 Cor. 1:20 "For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."
"Yes" is a great word. I know that my kids loved to hear that word when they asked me if they could do something. The dreaded word was "no". The other dreaded word was "maybe". They didn't like that word because they knew that it really meant "no". The same is true for us. We love to hear the word "yes". It is positive. It is encouraging. It gives us permission.
Now look at this verse: "For all the promises of God in Him are yes..." Not "no", not "maybe" but "YES"! So what are some of these promises that we have "in Him"?
"Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
"He who believes in Him is not condemned..." John 3:18
"He who has the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life." John 6:40
"But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, who those believing in Him would receive" Jn. 7:39
"...we might become the righteousness of God in Him" 2 Cor. 5:21
"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance." Eph. 1:11
"In Him...you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Eph.1:13
"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him." Eph. 3:12
"And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." Phil. 3:9
"For you are complete in Him." Col. 2:10
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us." I Jn. 5:14
These are just a few of the promises that are "yes" "in Him": Everlasting life, no condemnation, we have the Holy Spirit, we are secure, we are right before God, we have an inheritance, we have boldness, we have access, we have confidence, we are complete, He hears us. Now this is not an exhaustive list, but even if it was, wouldn't it be enough? I mean this is crazy. Jesus, the God-man, the great I AM makes me complete. I have everything and am everything and will do everything that I may ever need to have, be and do, I will live forever, completely forgiven, pure before God and His Holy Spirit is given to me to live with me, to seal me, to comfort me, to direct me, and I am heir to the King of all creation and I can go to Him at any time, with any request and He listens. Wild.
The promises in Him are yes and amen! Grab them. Hold on to them. Have confidence in them. Live like it..."to the glory of God".
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wrapping it Up (cont.)
I Cor. 16:13, 14 "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
Paul is putting the icing on the cake with this last verse: "Let all that you do be done with love." I hope I am not getting too scholarly here (that is a joke...me scholarly?) but that verse is really not how it's written. The Greek reads: "Ginomai pas humon pas ginomai en agape." The thing that is cool is that Paul uses two words twice in reverse. Ginomai pas and pas ginomai. It actually means: "Become everything ... everything become..." Or, "Become all things you all things become in love." What is he saying? Whatever I am and whatever I do, let it all be in love. This is deeper than just what we do, it goes down to the deepest part of who we are.
Don't just engage in loving deeds. Yes, that is huge. All the things that I do, all the words that I say, my entire life should be acts and words of love. This is something that Paul wanted the Corinthian church to hold on to...to remember. (See I Cor. 13) But beyond that: "Become all things...in love." All that I am inside. The things I do and what I say should be a result of what is happening in the inner man and that inner man should be characterized by love.
To say that my life is a life of unconditional love, to say that this is my central character quality, to say that all that I do is motivated by love is tough. This does not even seem realistic. I mean, this really is perfection. This really is Jesus living out His life in me. Bingo. I can't do this. Jesus has to do it. In my flesh this is impossible, but with Him all things are possible.
I am thankful that Paul uses the word "become". This is a process. This is not something that I will see overnight. It is something that I should see gradually develop in my life. As I grow in Christlikenss my attitudes, my words, my actions should all become more loving.
How am I doing? As I get older do I see growth or am I becoming more set in my ways, more selfish, more likely to speak my mind with no regard for the consequences? If this is what I see, God help me. That is completely the opposite of what Paul is talking about here. Grow in love, inside and out. "Become all things you all things become in love."
Paul is putting the icing on the cake with this last verse: "Let all that you do be done with love." I hope I am not getting too scholarly here (that is a joke...me scholarly?) but that verse is really not how it's written. The Greek reads: "Ginomai pas humon pas ginomai en agape." The thing that is cool is that Paul uses two words twice in reverse. Ginomai pas and pas ginomai. It actually means: "Become everything ... everything become..." Or, "Become all things you all things become in love." What is he saying? Whatever I am and whatever I do, let it all be in love. This is deeper than just what we do, it goes down to the deepest part of who we are.
Don't just engage in loving deeds. Yes, that is huge. All the things that I do, all the words that I say, my entire life should be acts and words of love. This is something that Paul wanted the Corinthian church to hold on to...to remember. (See I Cor. 13) But beyond that: "Become all things...in love." All that I am inside. The things I do and what I say should be a result of what is happening in the inner man and that inner man should be characterized by love.
To say that my life is a life of unconditional love, to say that this is my central character quality, to say that all that I do is motivated by love is tough. This does not even seem realistic. I mean, this really is perfection. This really is Jesus living out His life in me. Bingo. I can't do this. Jesus has to do it. In my flesh this is impossible, but with Him all things are possible.
I am thankful that Paul uses the word "become". This is a process. This is not something that I will see overnight. It is something that I should see gradually develop in my life. As I grow in Christlikenss my attitudes, my words, my actions should all become more loving.
How am I doing? As I get older do I see growth or am I becoming more set in my ways, more selfish, more likely to speak my mind with no regard for the consequences? If this is what I see, God help me. That is completely the opposite of what Paul is talking about here. Grow in love, inside and out. "Become all things you all things become in love."
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wrapping it Up
I Cor. 16:13,14 "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
Paul is getting ready to wrap up this letter to the Corinthian church. I am not sure if he knew that he was going to write to them again or not, so he had to get in some final thoughts. If he could summarize what he tried to get them to understand throughout his letter, what would it be? This is it. "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
"Watch" The word here actually means to be aware of the garbage that is around you and can come in to destroy the church. Basically Paul is saying - "Don't get lazy. Don't let your guard down. Instead, pay attention to all that is going on." This is a good word for leaders. Leaders are put in place to protect others. When they see things that come in that may bring about destruction they have to take action. It isn't always pretty, in fact most of the time it is hard (and frankly I dislike it), yet it has to be done. In order to do this leaders have to watch and be aware.
This is not just true of leaders, however. It is true for the entire church. We should all watch. We should all know what can bring us down and guard against it. In our church, in our families and in our individual lives. Watch.
"Stand fast in the faith." This is almost repeating I Cor. 15:58. We have to persevere. We have to know what we believe and stand firm in it. No compromise. The truth is the truth. The truth does not change. How can anyone waffle? But it happens. Paul encourages this church and all churches and all believers to know what you believe and don't give in.
"Be brave." This is a natural follow up to what he just wrote. If we are going to protect and not compromise we will have to be brave. People will call us all kinds of names. Intollerant is the big
buzz word now. When we say that Jesus is the only way to heaven people will look at us like we have two heads. Stand firm. Be brave. We may be threatened, charged, persecuted -watch, stand firm, be brave. Just ask the persecuted church what this means. They have it down. We don't have a clue what may happen in the U.S. We are very blessed now to have the freedom that we do. Right now we are just bigots...it can get worse.
Finally, "Be strong". Don't give up. Not only do we individually have to be strong, but this word actually means "to strengthen...to set stronger" to make others stronger. I need to exercise spiritually and I need to encourage others to exercise spiritually. We all have to build into our lives those spiritual disciplines that will allow us to be strong and get stronger.
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." Good words.
Paul is getting ready to wrap up this letter to the Corinthian church. I am not sure if he knew that he was going to write to them again or not, so he had to get in some final thoughts. If he could summarize what he tried to get them to understand throughout his letter, what would it be? This is it. "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love."
"Watch" The word here actually means to be aware of the garbage that is around you and can come in to destroy the church. Basically Paul is saying - "Don't get lazy. Don't let your guard down. Instead, pay attention to all that is going on." This is a good word for leaders. Leaders are put in place to protect others. When they see things that come in that may bring about destruction they have to take action. It isn't always pretty, in fact most of the time it is hard (and frankly I dislike it), yet it has to be done. In order to do this leaders have to watch and be aware.
This is not just true of leaders, however. It is true for the entire church. We should all watch. We should all know what can bring us down and guard against it. In our church, in our families and in our individual lives. Watch.
"Stand fast in the faith." This is almost repeating I Cor. 15:58. We have to persevere. We have to know what we believe and stand firm in it. No compromise. The truth is the truth. The truth does not change. How can anyone waffle? But it happens. Paul encourages this church and all churches and all believers to know what you believe and don't give in.
"Be brave." This is a natural follow up to what he just wrote. If we are going to protect and not compromise we will have to be brave. People will call us all kinds of names. Intollerant is the big
buzz word now. When we say that Jesus is the only way to heaven people will look at us like we have two heads. Stand firm. Be brave. We may be threatened, charged, persecuted -watch, stand firm, be brave. Just ask the persecuted church what this means. They have it down. We don't have a clue what may happen in the U.S. We are very blessed now to have the freedom that we do. Right now we are just bigots...it can get worse.
Finally, "Be strong". Don't give up. Not only do we individually have to be strong, but this word actually means "to strengthen...to set stronger" to make others stronger. I need to exercise spiritually and I need to encourage others to exercise spiritually. We all have to build into our lives those spiritual disciplines that will allow us to be strong and get stronger.
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong." Good words.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A Diversion
From time to time I may feel compelled to write something that addresses current news and how it relates to my faith.
Today I ran across an article in the Akron Beacon Journal entitled: "Stairway to Heaven is Easier to Climb" Subtitle: "Study: Most Americans don't feel their faith is only way to eternal life." Frankly, this is no surprise. In our seemingly tolerant, pluralistic society people think that to believe that there is only one way to heaven is narrow minded and bigoted. It is sad that so many people are deceived, but we need to remember that Matt. 7:13 says: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and broad [is] the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it."
The alarming thing to me was that the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported that: "57 percent of those who attend evangelical churches said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life...". Whoa! Something is terribly wrong. Either people are not listening, people are not reading, people are not studying, people are not being taught or people just don't get it. I mean how can you get around: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to Father except through me."? John 14:6. Or, "There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus" I Tim. 2:5 This echos what was said in my last blog, Jesus is it...no one else.
Think of it this way. If there is any other way to get to heaven other than Christ and His death on the cross, then Jesus was stupid. I mean, if He knew that I could get to heaven by being good, or by living according to the Koran, or by being baptized and taking communion, or by living the tenents of any other faith, then His death on the cross was unnecessary. If what 70 percent of all Americans believe and 57 percent of what alleged evangelical Christians believe is accurate, then Jesus should have pointed to any other way. He should have avoided His death and said: "Hey, get to heaven by...". But He did not. He knew that the only thing that was going to pave our way to heaven was His death on the cross because "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins". Heb. 9:22. Jesus is it. There is no other way. Unfortunately, 70 of Americans are deadly wrong.
We need to avoid what D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion said: "The survey shows that religion in America is, indeed, 3000 miles wide and only 3 inches deep." We need to dig deeper.
Today I ran across an article in the Akron Beacon Journal entitled: "Stairway to Heaven is Easier to Climb" Subtitle: "Study: Most Americans don't feel their faith is only way to eternal life." Frankly, this is no surprise. In our seemingly tolerant, pluralistic society people think that to believe that there is only one way to heaven is narrow minded and bigoted. It is sad that so many people are deceived, but we need to remember that Matt. 7:13 says: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and broad [is] the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it."
The alarming thing to me was that the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported that: "57 percent of those who attend evangelical churches said they believe many religions can lead to eternal life...". Whoa! Something is terribly wrong. Either people are not listening, people are not reading, people are not studying, people are not being taught or people just don't get it. I mean how can you get around: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to Father except through me."? John 14:6. Or, "There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus" I Tim. 2:5 This echos what was said in my last blog, Jesus is it...no one else.
Think of it this way. If there is any other way to get to heaven other than Christ and His death on the cross, then Jesus was stupid. I mean, if He knew that I could get to heaven by being good, or by living according to the Koran, or by being baptized and taking communion, or by living the tenents of any other faith, then His death on the cross was unnecessary. If what 70 percent of all Americans believe and 57 percent of what alleged evangelical Christians believe is accurate, then Jesus should have pointed to any other way. He should have avoided His death and said: "Hey, get to heaven by...". But He did not. He knew that the only thing that was going to pave our way to heaven was His death on the cross because "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins". Heb. 9:22. Jesus is it. There is no other way. Unfortunately, 70 of Americans are deadly wrong.
We need to avoid what D. Michael Lindsay, a Rice University sociologist of religion said: "The survey shows that religion in America is, indeed, 3000 miles wide and only 3 inches deep." We need to dig deeper.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
This Is It
I Cor. 15:3,4 "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures."
This is it. This is the central message that we have that needs to be given (delivered). This is the Gospel, the evaggelion, the good news that can and will change everything in a person's life forever. Paul said that he was simply giving to others what had been given to him. The great news is this...that Jesus, not me, not you, not the Pope, not Billy Graham, not Moses, not Mohammed, not Krishna, not Oprah, not the president or any other world leader either now or throughout history, but Jesus Christ is it. He is central to the Gospel. He is the Gospel. What He did is the good news, and this is it: Jesus died for my sins. He took my sin on Himself on the cross. All the garbage, all the guilt, all the punishment, all the nasty habits, all the rotten words, all the lies and distortions, all the evil deeds, everything that I have ever done or will do that violates the character of God...He took it all on Himself on the cross.
After He died He was buried. This verifies His death. I mean you don't bury a living, breathing person. His friends thought that they were putting Him forever in a grave. They had no clue that something else was going to happen. They put Jesus in a grave to stay there. That is not very good news. The cool thing is that it doesn't end there. The amazing news is what Paul is writing about in this chapter. The amazing news is all about hope. The amazing news is all about life. The amazing news is what our faith rests upon. Jesus did not stay dead, He did not stay buried, He rose again. He got out of the grave and walked and talked and ate and showed Himself to a ton of people (v5-8) and is living now.
This is the good news. Jesus died, was buried and rose again for me...for you...for this world...and we need Him. He is our only hope. He is our only way. He is our only life. What He did no one else had ever done and lived to tell about it. (Lazarus came back, but he died again...what a bummer.) Because of Jesus death and life I can be forgiven and free and live forever too. So can anyone who believes! Amazing news. We need to share it.
The other cool thing is this - "according to the scriptures". This phrase is used twice. Why? Because this was no fluke. This was something that had been prophesied hundreds of years earlier by a variety of people. Just look at Is. 53, Ps. 16, Ps. 22, Zech. 11. This is it. Jesus is It. Share it. Share Him.
This is it. This is the central message that we have that needs to be given (delivered). This is the Gospel, the evaggelion, the good news that can and will change everything in a person's life forever. Paul said that he was simply giving to others what had been given to him. The great news is this...that Jesus, not me, not you, not the Pope, not Billy Graham, not Moses, not Mohammed, not Krishna, not Oprah, not the president or any other world leader either now or throughout history, but Jesus Christ is it. He is central to the Gospel. He is the Gospel. What He did is the good news, and this is it: Jesus died for my sins. He took my sin on Himself on the cross. All the garbage, all the guilt, all the punishment, all the nasty habits, all the rotten words, all the lies and distortions, all the evil deeds, everything that I have ever done or will do that violates the character of God...He took it all on Himself on the cross.
After He died He was buried. This verifies His death. I mean you don't bury a living, breathing person. His friends thought that they were putting Him forever in a grave. They had no clue that something else was going to happen. They put Jesus in a grave to stay there. That is not very good news. The cool thing is that it doesn't end there. The amazing news is what Paul is writing about in this chapter. The amazing news is all about hope. The amazing news is all about life. The amazing news is what our faith rests upon. Jesus did not stay dead, He did not stay buried, He rose again. He got out of the grave and walked and talked and ate and showed Himself to a ton of people (v5-8) and is living now.
This is the good news. Jesus died, was buried and rose again for me...for you...for this world...and we need Him. He is our only hope. He is our only way. He is our only life. What He did no one else had ever done and lived to tell about it. (Lazarus came back, but he died again...what a bummer.) Because of Jesus death and life I can be forgiven and free and live forever too. So can anyone who believes! Amazing news. We need to share it.
The other cool thing is this - "according to the scriptures". This phrase is used twice. Why? Because this was no fluke. This was something that had been prophesied hundreds of years earlier by a variety of people. Just look at Is. 53, Ps. 16, Ps. 22, Zech. 11. This is it. Jesus is It. Share it. Share Him.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Edify
I Cor 14:26 "How is it brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification"
Paul is writing to a group of people who think that what they all individually have to say is something that everyone should hear. We have the singers who need to sing, the teachers who need to teach, the people who speak in languages that others may not be able to understand yet they still want to be heard, those who can reveal truth who want it to be known and those who take the obscure and make it clear. They all have one thing in common...they are all mouthing words. Why? That is the key question. What is the motivation behind those words? Come to think about it, what is my motivation for creating this blog? Is it so that I can be known? Or is it so that others have to think about what I have to say? Or is it so I can force my ideas upon others? Paul says: "No". We should sing, teach, speak for only one purpose...to edify. To build up. To help others grow in their faith.
God has given me the honor, privilege and awesome responsiblity in leading worship. I really do not understand why or how I got to do this. I do not have the greatest voice. I am not the sharpest tac in the box. I certainly am deficient in all that I should know, yet He has blessed me with about one-half an hour of time with my church on Sunday, singing the songs that I pick out and briefly sharing some truth.
Why do I do it? What is my motivation? I hope threefold. 1. To glorify God. 2. To build up believers. 3. To allow people to see Jesus so that they are drawn to Him. That is what I want. If or when it gets to pushing my own agenda, forget it. Glorify Christ and edify. That is all. That is enough.
Paul is writing to a group of people who think that what they all individually have to say is something that everyone should hear. We have the singers who need to sing, the teachers who need to teach, the people who speak in languages that others may not be able to understand yet they still want to be heard, those who can reveal truth who want it to be known and those who take the obscure and make it clear. They all have one thing in common...they are all mouthing words. Why? That is the key question. What is the motivation behind those words? Come to think about it, what is my motivation for creating this blog? Is it so that I can be known? Or is it so that others have to think about what I have to say? Or is it so I can force my ideas upon others? Paul says: "No". We should sing, teach, speak for only one purpose...to edify. To build up. To help others grow in their faith.
God has given me the honor, privilege and awesome responsiblity in leading worship. I really do not understand why or how I got to do this. I do not have the greatest voice. I am not the sharpest tac in the box. I certainly am deficient in all that I should know, yet He has blessed me with about one-half an hour of time with my church on Sunday, singing the songs that I pick out and briefly sharing some truth.
Why do I do it? What is my motivation? I hope threefold. 1. To glorify God. 2. To build up believers. 3. To allow people to see Jesus so that they are drawn to Him. That is what I want. If or when it gets to pushing my own agenda, forget it. Glorify Christ and edify. That is all. That is enough.
Monday, June 16, 2008
How to Dig
I just got done reading and journaling this morning. Man, was it rich. I hope to be able to share some of these thoughts through this blog in the near future. But for now, what would I love to get across? I guess to encourage others to start digging. To start getting into the Word of God for themselves, to make it a spiritual discipline and see it come alive.
So where do you start? Prayer. Ask the Lord to direct your mind to a book in the Bible that He wants you to dig into. It could be a systematic thing where you begin in Genesis and go all the way through. It could be that He leads you to some obscure book that you have never really ever thought about before. (Ever dig into Habakkuk? It's a good one.) It could be something that you think that you have read so many times that there is nothing more for you. Wrong. There is always more.
Once you have the book, set aside a time. Do it every day during the best part of your day. For me, early in the morning is the best. It is when I am alert, thinking and open. For others, it may be late at night. (I have a problem falling asleep then.) Be sure that you get alone with God and start reading...one verse at a time. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and your mind to what He wants to teach you. As you read, you will hit something. There will be a verse, there will be a phrase, there will be a concept. When that happens, stop. Grab a journal and write it down, word for word. Do a little studying. Go to http://www.blueletterbible.com/ and look up the verse. Find out what the words mean. Dig deeper. You will be amazed at what you see. As you do this, write. Write down your thoughts in your journal. Whatever comes to mind, write it down. It may be a lot, it may be a little...just keep writing. (This is a part of meditation...Josh. 1:8) Finally, apply it. What does this mean to you and how are you going to use it in your life? Stick this in your journal too.
I guarantee, if you do this, you will be amazed at the things God reveals to you and you will grow in your relationship with Him.
So where do you start? Prayer. Ask the Lord to direct your mind to a book in the Bible that He wants you to dig into. It could be a systematic thing where you begin in Genesis and go all the way through. It could be that He leads you to some obscure book that you have never really ever thought about before. (Ever dig into Habakkuk? It's a good one.) It could be something that you think that you have read so many times that there is nothing more for you. Wrong. There is always more.
Once you have the book, set aside a time. Do it every day during the best part of your day. For me, early in the morning is the best. It is when I am alert, thinking and open. For others, it may be late at night. (I have a problem falling asleep then.) Be sure that you get alone with God and start reading...one verse at a time. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and your mind to what He wants to teach you. As you read, you will hit something. There will be a verse, there will be a phrase, there will be a concept. When that happens, stop. Grab a journal and write it down, word for word. Do a little studying. Go to http://www.blueletterbible.com/ and look up the verse. Find out what the words mean. Dig deeper. You will be amazed at what you see. As you do this, write. Write down your thoughts in your journal. Whatever comes to mind, write it down. It may be a lot, it may be a little...just keep writing. (This is a part of meditation...Josh. 1:8) Finally, apply it. What does this mean to you and how are you going to use it in your life? Stick this in your journal too.
I guarantee, if you do this, you will be amazed at the things God reveals to you and you will grow in your relationship with Him.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Why Such a Big Deal?
Why in the world would I want to start a blog about the Bible? Why is studying it such a big deal? As I think about this I remember some of the things the Bible says about itself, such as:
"The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Ps. 19:7,8 or
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Is. 40:8 or
"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Tim. 3:16,17
These are some pretty wild claims. This book claims to be perfect and sure and right and pure and eternal and coming from the very mouth of God. These claims are either true or they are a lie. They are either valid and we need to pay attention to them or they are a fairy tale and we can ignore them.
The Bible makes some other crazy claims, like if I do what it says I will be prosperous and successful (Josh. 1:8), in obeying God's word I will have great reward (Ps. 19:11), it will allow me to grow (I Pet. 2:2), it will keep me pure (Ps. 119:9-11), it will give me direction in my life (Ps. 119:105), I will be totally equipped (2 Tim. 3:17) and a whole lot more.
If the Bible is true and these claims are true, then I would be a fool to ignore it. This is a big deal. It is worth taking the time to look into.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes." Ps. 19:7,8 or
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Is. 40:8 or
"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Tim. 3:16,17
These are some pretty wild claims. This book claims to be perfect and sure and right and pure and eternal and coming from the very mouth of God. These claims are either true or they are a lie. They are either valid and we need to pay attention to them or they are a fairy tale and we can ignore them.
The Bible makes some other crazy claims, like if I do what it says I will be prosperous and successful (Josh. 1:8), in obeying God's word I will have great reward (Ps. 19:11), it will allow me to grow (I Pet. 2:2), it will keep me pure (Ps. 119:9-11), it will give me direction in my life (Ps. 119:105), I will be totally equipped (2 Tim. 3:17) and a whole lot more.
If the Bible is true and these claims are true, then I would be a fool to ignore it. This is a big deal. It is worth taking the time to look into.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Here It Goes
This is crazy. I am not a tech-type guy, but as I read my kid's blogs I got an idea...wouldn't it be cool to be able to share some of the the things that God is teaching me through His Word with other people? That really is a passion of mine, to be able to encourage people to dig a little deeper into the Bible to see what Christ wants to teach them. So here it goes. Some of the stuff I share will be helpful, some of it may be challenging, some of it may be convicting, and some of it may be building. Whatever it is, my prayer is that Jesus would be glorified in it all and others will be drawn into a deeper relationship with Him by getting into His love letter, the Bible.
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