My last article included my thoughts about Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Although I will not say how many other birthdays she has had, it was my wife's birthday this week. And so my final article of 2008, “A Lame Beggar & a Beautiful Young Woman”, is the result of some thoughts I have had regarding her. You will need to read the entire article to understand the connection between the lame beggar and the beautiful young woman. The short answer to this question is quite simple; me.
In the 3rd Chapter of the Book of Acts, Luke was inspired to record the first "apostolic miracle" following Pentecost. To me it has become one of the most profound and telling miracles found in Scripture. In verses one through ten we read, “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, 'Look at us!' And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, 'I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene-walk!' And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
The Divine One had clearly orchestrated this meeting of the lame beggar and His two apostles. We read that this man had been lame from his mother's womb and learn later that this "man was more than forty years old" when this miracle occurred. The religious leaders had described it as "a noteworthy miracle" and although they wished to, they proclaimed, "We cannot deny it". "Weak" could not sufficiently describe the condition of this man's legs and lower body prior to the miracle. Forty years of unused muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons had left him utterly helpless to stand, walk, or leap.
The word tells us that the lame man was brought to the gate of the temple every day. I suppose that he had long abandoned any hope of using his legs. Sure, I believe that when he was younger he had undoubtedly longed to be able to walk and run like the other boys and girls. Perhaps he had even hoped and thought that he might be able to do so one day. But as the many years had passed, so had the thoughts and hopes of his younger years. There is no question in my mind that he had woken this day like so many days before. He would be taken to the temple gate where he would beg alms. And he would return again the following day and each day thereafter. I'm not sure of what all he would receive on any given day but his meager existence seemed dependent on his daily begging.
He certainly did not know it and had no reason to expect it, but on this day his life would be changed forever. On this day, the Sovereign One would accomplish a "noteworthy" miracle in his life. On this day he would be given new life and hope for tomorrow. On this day he would stand up and walk. On this day he would leap and praise God. He would not be carried to the temple gate tomorrow to beg alms. He would be a lame beggar no more!
As I considered the lame beggar, I couldn't help but see myself. Oh sure, I have never been lame in the same manner as he was and could not imagine the life that he had lived for more than forty years. But I concluded that I had also been lame from my mother's womb; crippled if you will, by sin. In my lameness, I was also weak and incapable of doing anything about my condition. I too sat begging at a "temple gate" but mine was of the world. The world seemed willing to give me what it had to offer, but as I know now, that too was a meager existence. And nothing it had to offer could remedy my crippled condition.
Peter and John did not find me lame and begging but a beautiful young woman came into my life. Like that of the lame beggar and the apostles, I am convinced that the Divine One had also orchestrated our meeting. But like the beggar, I was not expecting that which I would receive from her. Perhaps I would receive an interesting conversation or a date or maybe even a girlfriend. Like Peter and John, she did not possess silver or gold. In fact, she may have thought that all she had to offer was a broken life. But she wholly gave me her heart and she shared with me the gospel message of Christ. I had not expected the first and new nothing of the second. But within six months of our meeting I had become the recipient of a new life in Christ and was married to the woman who has remained the love of my life. And so it is that my wife's birthday is special to me. I was quickly approaching the age of three when this little girl was born and only our loving and gracious God knew that He would heal the "lameness" that we shared and would one day make us to be one. He is to be praised.
Like the lame beggar, I too had become enabled to stand, to walk, and to leap for the first time in my life. Sure, I had been able to stand, walk and leap with my legs since I had first learned how as a child. But now I found myself standing in Christ, empowered to walk in truth and privileged to leap in my heart and soul out of praise for the miracle God had performed in my life. And like the lame man, I no longer had to beg at the gate of the temple. I had also been given hope for tomorrow. I know that God was not dependent upon this beautiful young woman to accomplish His will in my life but I am so thankful that she was the vessel He chose to work through.
Father, on her birthday and throughout the year, I thank you for my wife. Thank you for bringing her into my life as I sat as a lame man, begging for the things offered by the world. Too often the flesh is prone to return to the life of a lame beggar. Help me to keep my focus on your Son and the abundant life that is found in Him alone. I know that I am not always found "walking and leaping and praising God". Help me to do so as I ought. In this coming new year, may you cause each of your children to be renewed in their faith and with a leap in their heart and soul, live lives praising you.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
A Baby, A Savior - My Thoughts For Christmas, 2008
Over the years I have heard the various thoughts that some have had on whether or not to forgive certain groups of people for the death of the Lord Jesus. I understand that some have even made public announcements of their forgiveness to one group or another. I remember wondering if they would take the next step and offer to forgive the Father for sending His only begotten Son into the world to die on a cross for you and I. Oh how great the inability of men to comprehend the things of God without spiritual discernment.
The scripture is clear. Jesus was born to die. It has been said that His cradle lay in the shadow of a cross. This may not have been literal but in type. But again, perhaps as the dawn broke that first Christmas morn, the morning light cast a shadow of a cross where the baby lay. I suspect no one would have noticed. We do not and could not celebrate any other birth as we do His. It is with great irony that we consider Christmas and the babe that lay in a manger. The matter and purpose of His birth is not harmonious with how we think of a child’s birth. Beyond His death itself, is an even greater irony; the cause thereof. The scripture tells us that death is the wages of sin. The scripture also tells us that Jesus was sinless; that He "knew no sin". I must take a few moments to consider this before I share my thoughts on Christmas.
It was God who established the law of sin and death. We are forced then, to consider a sinless Jesus and this matter of death. I would suggest that it was impossible, a contradiction if you will of God's law, for Jesus to simply die. In fact, without sin I don't think it was possible for Him to die at all. But die He did, the just for the unjust. We find the answer to this mystery in a tragic, yet glorious truth. Again, make no mistake; He had no sin of His own. He died for my sins. But addressing the correlation between sin and death clearer, we read that He "bore our sins in His body on the cross", or even more pointedly expressed, He was made "to be sin on our behalf". My sins alone would have been sufficient to cause His death but He bore much more than mine. No less than the sins of the world would be borne by this little child who laid there in such innocence that first Christmas day.
The Gospel of Matthew records the following for us in Chapter 1:18-21. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
The Gospel of Luke records the angelic announcement to the shepherds of the Savior's birth in Chapter 2:8-12 as follows. "In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Oh, how we needed someone to save us from our sins! Sin had a solid grip on us. We could not get away. It would not let us go willingly: If we were to beg and plead with it to give us our freedom, it would stone heartedly reject our pleas. And if we fought against it with all our might, we would find that our efforts were all in vain. But praise God for the "good news of great joy". This babe lying in a manger had come to save us from our sins!
There He laid, the only begotten Son of God, partaking of flesh and blood. I don't know how long He was or how much He weighed. I suppose it matters not. I don't know if he had a lot of hair or not so much. I don't know if His mother's labor was difficult or not.
In the beginning He was laid in a borrowed manger and at the end He was laid in a borrowed tomb. Merry Christmas.
The One who knew no sin was now lying there in a world where all knew sin. Merry Christmas.
The One who found His welcome in a cattle stall will one day welcome me to His heavenly home. Merry Christmas.
He was found by the shepherds, wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger; but was found not amongst His grave clothes by His disciples. Merry Christmas.
Those little ears that first heard the voice of his parents and the animals nearby, would one day hear the loud shouts of the people saying, "Away with Him!" and "Crucify Him!" Merry Christmas.
That precious little face so adored by His mother would one day be spat upon and beaten. Merry Christmas.
The small nose that first sensed the smell of His mother and the animals and hay would one day smell the smell of blood and death on Golgotha's hill. Merry Christmas.
The smooth skin that His mother and father caressed would one day be tom from His body by scourging. Merry Christmas.
That little sweat head that lie in a manger would soon grow, that He might wear the crown of thorns that would be pressed upon His brow. Merry Christmas.
The soft hair on His head would change as He grew and one day would be matted with the blood from His brow. Merry Christmas.
Wood timbers, like those used to compose the stable and manger would one day be used to build His cross. Merry Christmas.
Those precious little hands and feet, marveled at by His parents, would one day be pierced through with large nails to suspend Him from His cross of crucifixion. Merry Christmas.
The mother who longingly gazed down in adoration of her baby, lying in a manger, would one day gaze up at Him in agony as He bore her sins and ours. Merry Christmas.
The kind little eyes that first looked up at His loving mother from His crude cradle would one day look down at her from His cross with a love like no other. Merry Christmas.
And that little mouth. Oh, that little mouth. The small cooing sounds spoken from His manger, that brought delight to His parents, would one day say, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing", bringing hope to a lost world. Merry Christmas.
Yes, that little mouth that would first utter cries to see His needs met would one day meet our greatest need as He cried once more with a loud voice; "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" Merry Christmas.
At His birth the angels proclaimed that He would be found, wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. Following His death there came the victorious announcement when He was not found lying in His tomb. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." Merry Christmas!
Christmas. Perhaps there is nothing more ironic and nothing more grand. This babe lying in a manger; the Son of God sent to save us from our sins. Merry Christmas!!
Father, we simply marvel at your unspeakable gift. Thank you for saving us from our sins. Amidst the irony of it all, thank you that we can say with tidings of great joy, "Merry Christmas".
The scripture is clear. Jesus was born to die. It has been said that His cradle lay in the shadow of a cross. This may not have been literal but in type. But again, perhaps as the dawn broke that first Christmas morn, the morning light cast a shadow of a cross where the baby lay. I suspect no one would have noticed. We do not and could not celebrate any other birth as we do His. It is with great irony that we consider Christmas and the babe that lay in a manger. The matter and purpose of His birth is not harmonious with how we think of a child’s birth. Beyond His death itself, is an even greater irony; the cause thereof. The scripture tells us that death is the wages of sin. The scripture also tells us that Jesus was sinless; that He "knew no sin". I must take a few moments to consider this before I share my thoughts on Christmas.
It was God who established the law of sin and death. We are forced then, to consider a sinless Jesus and this matter of death. I would suggest that it was impossible, a contradiction if you will of God's law, for Jesus to simply die. In fact, without sin I don't think it was possible for Him to die at all. But die He did, the just for the unjust. We find the answer to this mystery in a tragic, yet glorious truth. Again, make no mistake; He had no sin of His own. He died for my sins. But addressing the correlation between sin and death clearer, we read that He "bore our sins in His body on the cross", or even more pointedly expressed, He was made "to be sin on our behalf". My sins alone would have been sufficient to cause His death but He bore much more than mine. No less than the sins of the world would be borne by this little child who laid there in such innocence that first Christmas day.
The Gospel of Matthew records the following for us in Chapter 1:18-21. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
The Gospel of Luke records the angelic announcement to the shepherds of the Savior's birth in Chapter 2:8-12 as follows. "In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Oh, how we needed someone to save us from our sins! Sin had a solid grip on us. We could not get away. It would not let us go willingly: If we were to beg and plead with it to give us our freedom, it would stone heartedly reject our pleas. And if we fought against it with all our might, we would find that our efforts were all in vain. But praise God for the "good news of great joy". This babe lying in a manger had come to save us from our sins!
There He laid, the only begotten Son of God, partaking of flesh and blood. I don't know how long He was or how much He weighed. I suppose it matters not. I don't know if he had a lot of hair or not so much. I don't know if His mother's labor was difficult or not.
In the beginning He was laid in a borrowed manger and at the end He was laid in a borrowed tomb. Merry Christmas.
The One who knew no sin was now lying there in a world where all knew sin. Merry Christmas.
The One who found His welcome in a cattle stall will one day welcome me to His heavenly home. Merry Christmas.
He was found by the shepherds, wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger; but was found not amongst His grave clothes by His disciples. Merry Christmas.
Those little ears that first heard the voice of his parents and the animals nearby, would one day hear the loud shouts of the people saying, "Away with Him!" and "Crucify Him!" Merry Christmas.
That precious little face so adored by His mother would one day be spat upon and beaten. Merry Christmas.
The small nose that first sensed the smell of His mother and the animals and hay would one day smell the smell of blood and death on Golgotha's hill. Merry Christmas.
The smooth skin that His mother and father caressed would one day be tom from His body by scourging. Merry Christmas.
That little sweat head that lie in a manger would soon grow, that He might wear the crown of thorns that would be pressed upon His brow. Merry Christmas.
The soft hair on His head would change as He grew and one day would be matted with the blood from His brow. Merry Christmas.
Wood timbers, like those used to compose the stable and manger would one day be used to build His cross. Merry Christmas.
Those precious little hands and feet, marveled at by His parents, would one day be pierced through with large nails to suspend Him from His cross of crucifixion. Merry Christmas.
The mother who longingly gazed down in adoration of her baby, lying in a manger, would one day gaze up at Him in agony as He bore her sins and ours. Merry Christmas.
The kind little eyes that first looked up at His loving mother from His crude cradle would one day look down at her from His cross with a love like no other. Merry Christmas.
And that little mouth. Oh, that little mouth. The small cooing sounds spoken from His manger, that brought delight to His parents, would one day say, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing", bringing hope to a lost world. Merry Christmas.
Yes, that little mouth that would first utter cries to see His needs met would one day meet our greatest need as He cried once more with a loud voice; "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" Merry Christmas.
At His birth the angels proclaimed that He would be found, wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. Following His death there came the victorious announcement when He was not found lying in His tomb. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said." Merry Christmas!
Christmas. Perhaps there is nothing more ironic and nothing more grand. This babe lying in a manger; the Son of God sent to save us from our sins. Merry Christmas!!
Father, we simply marvel at your unspeakable gift. Thank you for saving us from our sins. Amidst the irony of it all, thank you that we can say with tidings of great joy, "Merry Christmas".
Friday, December 12, 2008
A Quick Reminder
He "made known" to the shepherds the birth of Jesus, prompting them to go and find "the baby as He lay in the manger". He gave Peter, a fisherman, revelation to proclaim that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God". On the road to Damascus, He sovereignly introduced Himself as Jesus to Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee. To Lydia, "a seller of purple fabrics", He opened her heart to receive the gospel message of Christ spoken by the apostle Paul. For all who find themselves believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, members of the Way, members of the body of Christ, He has "caused us to be born again to a living hope".
My "quick reminder" is simply this. No matter how desperate and evil things appear to be in the world and no matter how imperfect things are in the Church, the Holy Spirit is moving mightily all over the world. God is still opening the hearts of men and sovereignly revealing the truth of Jesus to men, women and children "according to the kind intention of His will".
I believe this statement is true today and will be true tomorrow. Somewhere in the world today, December 12, 2008, God opened the hearts of men, women and children and revealed to them the truth of Jesus; that He is "the Christ, the Son of the living God". They have received their "introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand". Praise God!
My "quick reminder" is simply this. No matter how desperate and evil things appear to be in the world and no matter how imperfect things are in the Church, the Holy Spirit is moving mightily all over the world. God is still opening the hearts of men and sovereignly revealing the truth of Jesus to men, women and children "according to the kind intention of His will".
I believe this statement is true today and will be true tomorrow. Somewhere in the world today, December 12, 2008, God opened the hearts of men, women and children and revealed to them the truth of Jesus; that He is "the Christ, the Son of the living God". They have received their "introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand". Praise God!
Friday, December 5, 2008
A Wonderful Change
Hoping and praying for changed lives has been a recent theme at our home. And at our church we have been praying specifically for the spouses of church members who are either unsaved or forsaking the “assembling together, as is the habit of some”. We do so, in part because we care, but also because we believe that God changes lives.
It has been said that the changed lives of Jesus’ disciples was one of the greatest evidences of His resurrection and fulfillment of His promise to send the Helper. On the night preceding His crucifixion, Jesus had prophesied to His apostles that they would all fall away from Him. We are most familiar with Peter’s protest to this statement, but when Peter had said, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not”; the scriptures tell us that the others “were all saying the same thing also”. Their heart’s desire was strong but their ability to follow through on their commitment was lacking. And so it was that each of them fell away as Jesus had said they would.
But as promised, the Helper (Holy Spirit) came into their lives on the day of Pentecost and each of them were changed. They were given new life in Christ. They now had the power to be witnesses for Christ. In Acts chapter five we find the apostles being arrested for teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus. There had been a previous arrest of Peter and John where upon their release they had been threatened to “not teach or preach at all in the name of Jesus”. On this second arrest, those who opposed their message of Christ had “laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail”. You may recall the account; during the night an “angel of the Lord” had opened the prison doors and sent them back out to speak to the people of Jesus.
Having resumed their call to speak of Christ, the apostles were then re-arrested and brought back to answer to the Jewish Council for continuing to do that which they had been forbidden to do. While being questioned, the high priest is recorded as making the following statement to them. “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Without a doubt, these men’s lives had been changed! These men who had all fallen away from Christ that dreadful night were now being accused of filling the city of Jerusalem with their teaching of Him!
Each one who has come to know Christ has been forever changed. For some the change has appeared more dramatic than others, although in each case it has been a miracle of grace. I so much appreciate the change that was made in Saul of Tarsus’ life. When the Church had suffered its first martyr, the stoning of Stephen, the scripture tells us that he “was in hearty agreement with putting him to death”. He was described as one who was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” when he took the initiative to go to the high priest and request written authority for him to go to Damascus and “if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem”.
But on the road to Damascus the Lord intervened in his life, revealing Himself as Jesus and Saul’s life was never the same again. His name was changed to Paul but his was clearly more than a name change. The man who described himself as someone who “used to persecute the church of God beyond measure” and who “tried to destroy it” became a man whose passion was to “know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”. His hope was to one day depart this earth and be with Christ.
Each of us who has come to know the One who changes lives was traveling down our own road. I remember sharing my testimony one time and I commented that mine was not the road to Damascus but a road to a destructive lifestyle. A woman, who was much older than I, said that she had been on the same road I had described but had not seen me there. Years had separated our travel down this road but the One who rescued us from it was the same. As the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:3, we could each say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
In 1914, a man by the name of Rufus McDaniel penned the following words to one of the great hymns of our faith. “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, Since Jesus came into my heart! I have light in my soul for which long I had sought, Since Jesus came into my heart!” He is said to have written the hymn following the untimely death of his youngest son. He found solace and hope in the wonderful change that had previously occurred in his life “when Jesus came into” his heart. He was praising Jesus, the One who had “wrought” the change in his life.
I found that Mr. McDaniel had written a couple of verses to this great hymn that are not found in our hymnal. One of the verses goes as follows; “I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure, Since Jesus came into my heart! And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure, Since Jesus came into my heart!” I love that thought; “Possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure”. Part of our hope is in a God who changes lives. May we be mindful of this great truth as we pray for those in and outside the body of Christ.
Father, we thank you for the wonderful change you have wrought in the lives of so many since you began to build your Church. I thank you for the wonderful change in my life. I thank you for Jesus Christ, the great changer of lives; the giver of new life! We pray for those who do not know you and ask that you would so work in their hearts and minds that they might declare of your Son; “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.” Along with Mr. McDaniel, may they one day sing, “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart!”
It has been said that the changed lives of Jesus’ disciples was one of the greatest evidences of His resurrection and fulfillment of His promise to send the Helper. On the night preceding His crucifixion, Jesus had prophesied to His apostles that they would all fall away from Him. We are most familiar with Peter’s protest to this statement, but when Peter had said, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not”; the scriptures tell us that the others “were all saying the same thing also”. Their heart’s desire was strong but their ability to follow through on their commitment was lacking. And so it was that each of them fell away as Jesus had said they would.
But as promised, the Helper (Holy Spirit) came into their lives on the day of Pentecost and each of them were changed. They were given new life in Christ. They now had the power to be witnesses for Christ. In Acts chapter five we find the apostles being arrested for teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus. There had been a previous arrest of Peter and John where upon their release they had been threatened to “not teach or preach at all in the name of Jesus”. On this second arrest, those who opposed their message of Christ had “laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail”. You may recall the account; during the night an “angel of the Lord” had opened the prison doors and sent them back out to speak to the people of Jesus.
Having resumed their call to speak of Christ, the apostles were then re-arrested and brought back to answer to the Jewish Council for continuing to do that which they had been forbidden to do. While being questioned, the high priest is recorded as making the following statement to them. “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Without a doubt, these men’s lives had been changed! These men who had all fallen away from Christ that dreadful night were now being accused of filling the city of Jerusalem with their teaching of Him!
Each one who has come to know Christ has been forever changed. For some the change has appeared more dramatic than others, although in each case it has been a miracle of grace. I so much appreciate the change that was made in Saul of Tarsus’ life. When the Church had suffered its first martyr, the stoning of Stephen, the scripture tells us that he “was in hearty agreement with putting him to death”. He was described as one who was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” when he took the initiative to go to the high priest and request written authority for him to go to Damascus and “if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem”.
But on the road to Damascus the Lord intervened in his life, revealing Himself as Jesus and Saul’s life was never the same again. His name was changed to Paul but his was clearly more than a name change. The man who described himself as someone who “used to persecute the church of God beyond measure” and who “tried to destroy it” became a man whose passion was to “know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”. His hope was to one day depart this earth and be with Christ.
Each of us who has come to know the One who changes lives was traveling down our own road. I remember sharing my testimony one time and I commented that mine was not the road to Damascus but a road to a destructive lifestyle. A woman, who was much older than I, said that she had been on the same road I had described but had not seen me there. Years had separated our travel down this road but the One who rescued us from it was the same. As the Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:3, we could each say, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
In 1914, a man by the name of Rufus McDaniel penned the following words to one of the great hymns of our faith. “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, Since Jesus came into my heart! I have light in my soul for which long I had sought, Since Jesus came into my heart!” He is said to have written the hymn following the untimely death of his youngest son. He found solace and hope in the wonderful change that had previously occurred in his life “when Jesus came into” his heart. He was praising Jesus, the One who had “wrought” the change in his life.
I found that Mr. McDaniel had written a couple of verses to this great hymn that are not found in our hymnal. One of the verses goes as follows; “I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure, Since Jesus came into my heart! And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure, Since Jesus came into my heart!” I love that thought; “Possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure”. Part of our hope is in a God who changes lives. May we be mindful of this great truth as we pray for those in and outside the body of Christ.
Father, we thank you for the wonderful change you have wrought in the lives of so many since you began to build your Church. I thank you for the wonderful change in my life. I thank you for Jesus Christ, the great changer of lives; the giver of new life! We pray for those who do not know you and ask that you would so work in their hearts and minds that they might declare of your Son; “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.” Along with Mr. McDaniel, may they one day sing, “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart!”
Friday, November 28, 2008
Why We Can be Thankful
So much to be thankful for; for those who are called children of God! In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write, "in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" and again in his letter to the Ephesians he wrote, "always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father". It is God's will that His children be ongoingly thankful and have Him as the focus of that thankfulness.
If we were to make a list of all that we are, or should be thankful for, such a list would be extensive in length. Perhaps at the top of our list would be the words written by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian church where he wrote, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" All that we have to be thankful for finds its existence in light of this "indescribable gift", the gift of His Son, Jesus.
I am so thankful for the gift of salvation that I have in Christ. Forgiveness of sin is a privilege to treasure. I am thankful for my beautiful wife and the two wonderful children God has blessed us with. I am thankful for my job and for all that God provides each and every day. I am thankful for our church family. I am thankful for the privilege to serve Him. I am thankful for answered prayer. The list goes on and on but it is really something else that I wish to speak of today.
How is it that I can be thankful at all? Why can I thank God for anything? Why can I sit here now or at any other time and write this or any other thought regarding the things of the Almighty? The answer to these questions is found in a single word; Grace. I know that Jesus is the "name which is above every name" and that it is "the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" that I have been justified in. As stated above, it is in His name that we are to give thanks. His name is truly the "sweetest name I know".
But besides His name, grace is the sweetest word I know. Perhaps there is no other word in scripture that would alter the course of humanity more significantly if it were to not be found in our bibles. So many words have other words that could take their place. But what could take the place of grace? In 2 Corinthians 4:15 we read, "For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God". You see, it is grace that causes the giving of thanks that abounds to the glory of God.
In closing, in the 5th chapter of the Book of Romans, we find a glorious truth that the Apostle Paul was inspired to speak of regarding our Lord Jesus Christ when he wrote, "through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand". Salvation is not the end of grace, but our introduction into it!
Father, we have so much to be thankful for. But today I will simply say, "thank you for grace". If it were not for your grace, I could not know or thank you for your Son. I would not know how to thank you for forgiving my sins, for my family, for answered prayer, for my church family and for the many things I have to be thankful for. So at this time of thanksgiving, help me, help all your children, to be thankful for your grace. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we pray that grace, "which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks" by all who have experienced it.
If we were to make a list of all that we are, or should be thankful for, such a list would be extensive in length. Perhaps at the top of our list would be the words written by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian church where he wrote, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" All that we have to be thankful for finds its existence in light of this "indescribable gift", the gift of His Son, Jesus.
I am so thankful for the gift of salvation that I have in Christ. Forgiveness of sin is a privilege to treasure. I am thankful for my beautiful wife and the two wonderful children God has blessed us with. I am thankful for my job and for all that God provides each and every day. I am thankful for our church family. I am thankful for the privilege to serve Him. I am thankful for answered prayer. The list goes on and on but it is really something else that I wish to speak of today.
How is it that I can be thankful at all? Why can I thank God for anything? Why can I sit here now or at any other time and write this or any other thought regarding the things of the Almighty? The answer to these questions is found in a single word; Grace. I know that Jesus is the "name which is above every name" and that it is "the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" that I have been justified in. As stated above, it is in His name that we are to give thanks. His name is truly the "sweetest name I know".
But besides His name, grace is the sweetest word I know. Perhaps there is no other word in scripture that would alter the course of humanity more significantly if it were to not be found in our bibles. So many words have other words that could take their place. But what could take the place of grace? In 2 Corinthians 4:15 we read, "For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God". You see, it is grace that causes the giving of thanks that abounds to the glory of God.
In closing, in the 5th chapter of the Book of Romans, we find a glorious truth that the Apostle Paul was inspired to speak of regarding our Lord Jesus Christ when he wrote, "through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand". Salvation is not the end of grace, but our introduction into it!
Father, we have so much to be thankful for. But today I will simply say, "thank you for grace". If it were not for your grace, I could not know or thank you for your Son. I would not know how to thank you for forgiving my sins, for my family, for answered prayer, for my church family and for the many things I have to be thankful for. So at this time of thanksgiving, help me, help all your children, to be thankful for your grace. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we pray that grace, "which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks" by all who have experienced it.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Weary, Heavy-Laden and Thankful
Circumstances have prevented me from posting Part II of "Jettison the Cargo!" this week. Lord willing, I will do so in the weeks to come. My heart and mind have been occupied with other matters these last few days and I feel compelled to share some other thoughts.
Today, I found myself in a courtroom full of people with heavy hearts. Many tears were shed amidst the sounds of deep sobbing. Some were there mourning the loss of a woman who was their mother, their sister and their daughter. Others were there mourning the woman's death and learning that the young man who caused it would be going to prison for several years. They were his mother and father, sister, aunts, uncles and friends. I was in this second group. Early this past summer, my nephew had made a most unfortunate decision to drive while he was intoxicated. This afternoon he was hearing the court's verdict against him that will result in a minimum prison sentence of 75 months being imposed.
Over the past several months, many prayers have been prayed by God's children for my nephew, his family and the family of the woman who died in this incident. In Romans 8:26 the Apostle Paul wrote, "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;" I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has interceded so, time and again in this matter.
Not only have His people prayed; He has faithfully answered prayer. I know my nephew's life will never be just as it was prior to the tragic incident he will now serve time for. But before he was taken into custody he was given one of the most gracious gifts I have seen given by men. He was offered the forgiveness of those who had been so hurt by his actions. At the conclusion of his trial yesterday, the father of the woman who was killed gave him a hug and offered his forgiveness. Others told him they forgave him also. And today the father stood in the courtroom affirming his forgiveness and encouraged my nephew to forgive himself. He spoke of his faith in the Lord and his sincerity was undeniable. My nephew was overwhelmed with grief and spoke of his sorrow for what he had caused and his wish that he could undo it all.
We all found ourselves experiencing the consequences of a most tragic incident that has effected so many lives. My nephew will be formally sentenced next week, the day before Thanksgiving. As difficult a time as this is, and today was, I found myself thankful for many things. Foremost of all I was overwhelmingly thankful for our loving God. I was thankful for the faithful prayers of His children. I was thankful for the ways that He had answered prayer. I was thankful for a thoughtful, fair-minded judge who presided over the case. I was thankful for my nephew's desire to accept responsibility for his actions and his obvious remorse for his actions. I was thankful that God was working in the lives of members of this woman's family and my nephew's family to ease their hurting hearts. I was especially thankful for how He used the father of the woman who had died to speak to the heart of my nephew like no one else in the courtroom could have done.
It wasn't audible, but today I heard the echo of words spoken long ago by the Lord Jesus when He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Praise God that there is a place for the weary and heavy-laden to go and to be given rest. May we heed His bidding to come and may we receive the rest that He offers. I would ask that you continue to pray for all involved in this matter. So many different people with so many different needs. I would specifically ask that you pray for my nephew's salvation. This is the most important rest that he needs. The forgiveness of sins. And pray for his safety while he is in custody. Pray that he would make the best of the positive things offered and that he would reject the negative influences. Pray for his family. Especially pray for his mom and dad. Their hearts are very heavy. May they look to the Savior for His grace, strength, love and mercy. And pray for the father and other family members who will continue to mourn the loss of their loved one. Especially pray for them during this holiday season. May each one go to the One who wishes to give rest to the wear and heavy-laden.
Father, it is at times like these that we simply say, "thank you for being there for us". At times it can be a mystery how you work in the lives of people but we are so thankful that you do. Help us to rest in the truth that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." We ask that you take these tragic things that have happened and cause them to work together for good. Thank you for being "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort".
Today, I found myself in a courtroom full of people with heavy hearts. Many tears were shed amidst the sounds of deep sobbing. Some were there mourning the loss of a woman who was their mother, their sister and their daughter. Others were there mourning the woman's death and learning that the young man who caused it would be going to prison for several years. They were his mother and father, sister, aunts, uncles and friends. I was in this second group. Early this past summer, my nephew had made a most unfortunate decision to drive while he was intoxicated. This afternoon he was hearing the court's verdict against him that will result in a minimum prison sentence of 75 months being imposed.
Over the past several months, many prayers have been prayed by God's children for my nephew, his family and the family of the woman who died in this incident. In Romans 8:26 the Apostle Paul wrote, "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;" I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has interceded so, time and again in this matter.
Not only have His people prayed; He has faithfully answered prayer. I know my nephew's life will never be just as it was prior to the tragic incident he will now serve time for. But before he was taken into custody he was given one of the most gracious gifts I have seen given by men. He was offered the forgiveness of those who had been so hurt by his actions. At the conclusion of his trial yesterday, the father of the woman who was killed gave him a hug and offered his forgiveness. Others told him they forgave him also. And today the father stood in the courtroom affirming his forgiveness and encouraged my nephew to forgive himself. He spoke of his faith in the Lord and his sincerity was undeniable. My nephew was overwhelmed with grief and spoke of his sorrow for what he had caused and his wish that he could undo it all.
We all found ourselves experiencing the consequences of a most tragic incident that has effected so many lives. My nephew will be formally sentenced next week, the day before Thanksgiving. As difficult a time as this is, and today was, I found myself thankful for many things. Foremost of all I was overwhelmingly thankful for our loving God. I was thankful for the faithful prayers of His children. I was thankful for the ways that He had answered prayer. I was thankful for a thoughtful, fair-minded judge who presided over the case. I was thankful for my nephew's desire to accept responsibility for his actions and his obvious remorse for his actions. I was thankful that God was working in the lives of members of this woman's family and my nephew's family to ease their hurting hearts. I was especially thankful for how He used the father of the woman who had died to speak to the heart of my nephew like no one else in the courtroom could have done.
It wasn't audible, but today I heard the echo of words spoken long ago by the Lord Jesus when He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Praise God that there is a place for the weary and heavy-laden to go and to be given rest. May we heed His bidding to come and may we receive the rest that He offers. I would ask that you continue to pray for all involved in this matter. So many different people with so many different needs. I would specifically ask that you pray for my nephew's salvation. This is the most important rest that he needs. The forgiveness of sins. And pray for his safety while he is in custody. Pray that he would make the best of the positive things offered and that he would reject the negative influences. Pray for his family. Especially pray for his mom and dad. Their hearts are very heavy. May they look to the Savior for His grace, strength, love and mercy. And pray for the father and other family members who will continue to mourn the loss of their loved one. Especially pray for them during this holiday season. May each one go to the One who wishes to give rest to the wear and heavy-laden.
Father, it is at times like these that we simply say, "thank you for being there for us". At times it can be a mystery how you work in the lives of people but we are so thankful that you do. Help us to rest in the truth that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." We ask that you take these tragic things that have happened and cause them to work together for good. Thank you for being "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort".
Friday, November 14, 2008
Jettison the Cargo! Part I
I have come to appreciate more and more the illustrations we find in the scriptures that tell us so much about real life situations. Oh how His word is profitable! One of my favorites is found in the 27th Chapter of the Book of Acts where so many lessons can be learned. The focus of this article will be in verses 13-26.
Here we find the Apostle Paul on his way to Rome, a prisoner of Julius, a "centurion of the Augustan cohort". Having previously appeared before the Roman governors Felix and Festus, Paul had appealed his case to Caesar and was being taken there to bear His name. They had boarded an "Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy" and had come to port in a place called Fair Havens, which was near the city of Lasea. Having rejected the exhortation of Paul to remain at Fair Havens, Julius had chosen instead to listen to the advice of the "experts", the pilot and captain of the ship and sail on, despite the approaching of winter and unsafe sailing conditions. After all, they said that Fair Havens was "not suitable for wintering" at. I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to remind us that God's ways are often contrary to the ways and wisdom of men but they are always better! As we read in Proverbs 3:5, " Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding".
Well, you may remember the story, following their decision to sail on, there blew a "moderate south wind" that, in their mind, affirmed the decision they had made. As I previously cautioned in my article entitled, "Circumstances and a Moderate South Wind", we must be careful not to look to circumstances to affirm or negate our decisions and actions. God is bigger than our circumstances and His word of truth must be our guide and measure.
In this chapter we have a great picture of what it can be like for the child of God who has wandered from the faith and how it is that he may find his way back. Not long after the inviting "moderate south wind" blew, a "violent wind" had rushed down upon them. As so often is the case when we have gotten off the path of righteousness, we are not able to stand against the storms of life or the winds of the flesh and we may "give way to it and let ourselves be driven along." Oh, how fast we can be driven far from the place God would have us to be. How our sins can become like a snowball rolling down the hill, growing greater the further it progresses downward.
To often, if we have not confessed our sins to God and have gotten right with Him, we begin to look to ourselves and the world for answers. As the ship was driven along, they looked to benefit from the shelter of an island and they fought to secure the "ship's boat" or lifeboat. Unable to resist the driving wind, they let out sea anchors in their attempt to minimize the speed at which they were being driven along. These self-efforts seemed fruitless as the following day they found themselves "storm tossed". Have you been there? To lighten their load and give the ship greater buoyancy they began to "jettison the cargo" as they "threw the ship's tackle overboard". In the context of what they were doing, I'm convinced that they began with that which they believed they could best do without. When trying in our own strength, we too will start letting go of the things we feel we can do without first, not wanting to let go of the very things that may be in our way of getting right with Him.
Despite their efforts, their situation seemed to worsen. In verse 20 we see that the storm had gotten so bad that "neither sun nor stars appeared for many days". I have long appreciated the words "no small storm", that were used to describe such a storm as this. The storm was said to be assailing them. In part, I believe it was assailing their human efforts of survival and reliance. This assault was so great that "all hope of being saved was gradually abandoned". But this hopelessness would be used by God to teach a great lesson. It is quite probable that the Apostle Paul himself was counted amongst those struggling for hope. But His faithful Lord would intervene at the right time to give hope where there seemed to be none. He can do the same in your life and mine.
An angel of God appeared before Paul and told him to not be afraid. It would only make sense that Paul had found himself afraid. But from the context, I believe that Paul had addressed his fears through prayer. The angel assured Paul that he would stand before Caesar and that God had also "granted" him all those who were sailing with him. Could it be that in this very difficult time, Paul had been praying for the safety of each man on the boat? I believe so. After a brief "I told you so" regarding their decision to leave Fair Havens, Paul shared God's promise, as delivered to him by the angel, with the other men on the ship. In light of God's promise he urged them to keep up their courage, telling them that the ship would suffer loss but that there would be no loss of life.
I will end Part I of this article with Paul's words as recorded by Luke in verse 25. "I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told." This is a statement of great faith based on God's greater faithfulness. This truth is repeated throughout scripture. In 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Paul wrote, "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass". In Hebrews 10:23 the author wrote, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful". And in 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul declared, "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Father, we have so many lessons to learn as we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity". Thank you again for the promised Helper. Oh, how our minds need renewing. Thank you for your word, your mercy and your grace. And yes, thank you "that it will turn out exactly" as you have faithfully told us.
Here we find the Apostle Paul on his way to Rome, a prisoner of Julius, a "centurion of the Augustan cohort". Having previously appeared before the Roman governors Felix and Festus, Paul had appealed his case to Caesar and was being taken there to bear His name. They had boarded an "Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy" and had come to port in a place called Fair Havens, which was near the city of Lasea. Having rejected the exhortation of Paul to remain at Fair Havens, Julius had chosen instead to listen to the advice of the "experts", the pilot and captain of the ship and sail on, despite the approaching of winter and unsafe sailing conditions. After all, they said that Fair Havens was "not suitable for wintering" at. I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to remind us that God's ways are often contrary to the ways and wisdom of men but they are always better! As we read in Proverbs 3:5, " Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding".
Well, you may remember the story, following their decision to sail on, there blew a "moderate south wind" that, in their mind, affirmed the decision they had made. As I previously cautioned in my article entitled, "Circumstances and a Moderate South Wind", we must be careful not to look to circumstances to affirm or negate our decisions and actions. God is bigger than our circumstances and His word of truth must be our guide and measure.
In this chapter we have a great picture of what it can be like for the child of God who has wandered from the faith and how it is that he may find his way back. Not long after the inviting "moderate south wind" blew, a "violent wind" had rushed down upon them. As so often is the case when we have gotten off the path of righteousness, we are not able to stand against the storms of life or the winds of the flesh and we may "give way to it and let ourselves be driven along." Oh, how fast we can be driven far from the place God would have us to be. How our sins can become like a snowball rolling down the hill, growing greater the further it progresses downward.
To often, if we have not confessed our sins to God and have gotten right with Him, we begin to look to ourselves and the world for answers. As the ship was driven along, they looked to benefit from the shelter of an island and they fought to secure the "ship's boat" or lifeboat. Unable to resist the driving wind, they let out sea anchors in their attempt to minimize the speed at which they were being driven along. These self-efforts seemed fruitless as the following day they found themselves "storm tossed". Have you been there? To lighten their load and give the ship greater buoyancy they began to "jettison the cargo" as they "threw the ship's tackle overboard". In the context of what they were doing, I'm convinced that they began with that which they believed they could best do without. When trying in our own strength, we too will start letting go of the things we feel we can do without first, not wanting to let go of the very things that may be in our way of getting right with Him.
Despite their efforts, their situation seemed to worsen. In verse 20 we see that the storm had gotten so bad that "neither sun nor stars appeared for many days". I have long appreciated the words "no small storm", that were used to describe such a storm as this. The storm was said to be assailing them. In part, I believe it was assailing their human efforts of survival and reliance. This assault was so great that "all hope of being saved was gradually abandoned". But this hopelessness would be used by God to teach a great lesson. It is quite probable that the Apostle Paul himself was counted amongst those struggling for hope. But His faithful Lord would intervene at the right time to give hope where there seemed to be none. He can do the same in your life and mine.
An angel of God appeared before Paul and told him to not be afraid. It would only make sense that Paul had found himself afraid. But from the context, I believe that Paul had addressed his fears through prayer. The angel assured Paul that he would stand before Caesar and that God had also "granted" him all those who were sailing with him. Could it be that in this very difficult time, Paul had been praying for the safety of each man on the boat? I believe so. After a brief "I told you so" regarding their decision to leave Fair Havens, Paul shared God's promise, as delivered to him by the angel, with the other men on the ship. In light of God's promise he urged them to keep up their courage, telling them that the ship would suffer loss but that there would be no loss of life.
I will end Part I of this article with Paul's words as recorded by Luke in verse 25. "I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told." This is a statement of great faith based on God's greater faithfulness. This truth is repeated throughout scripture. In 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Paul wrote, "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass". In Hebrews 10:23 the author wrote, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful". And in 1 Corinthians 1:9 Paul declared, "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Father, we have so many lessons to learn as we "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity". Thank you again for the promised Helper. Oh, how our minds need renewing. Thank you for your word, your mercy and your grace. And yes, thank you "that it will turn out exactly" as you have faithfully told us.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Unseen
It was a great Sunday! For the first time in 11 months we met together last week as a church family in our newly renovated sanctuary. This day coincided with the church's 50th anniversary celebration to make for a wonderful day of fellowship, the proclamation of His grace and a unified declaration of "to God be the glory". This past December our church had suffered extensive damage to the portion of our church building that houses our sanctuary and fellowship hall when a very strong storm hit the north Oregon coast.
Although the repairs to the church were not 100% complete, the church looked wonderful. Following the storm last December, the church had sections of its roof lying in a nearby field. Because of the roof damage, rain water had poured into the church getting allot of things wet. Wet carpet. Wet sheet rock. Wet insulation. Wet wood framing. Things remained wet for many weeks. But now there was a new roof. New siding on portions of the building. New paint on the outside. New carpet. New chairs. New sheet rock and paint on the inside.
As the weeks and months had passed following the storm, we had many opportunities to reflect and thank God for how He had provided through it all. He had provided a general contractor to oversee the job and a responsive insurance company to provide the needed funds. He provided a local grade school as our meeting place for a short time before we were allowed to return to a separate portion of our building that was not damaged. Lessons were taught and hopefully learned regarding our great God and His ability to deal with our difficulties, no matter how great. But if we don't take some time to consider this matter further we may miss out on an opportunity to learn an invaluable lesson.
You see, if you had been in the church last December during the storm, or if you had been at our anniversary celebration this past Sunday, you would not have been able to see the real problem. Sure, in the days following the storm you could see the results of the storm caused by the wind and the rain. And last Sunday you could see the new roof, siding, paint, floor coverings, chairs, etc. But there were other things wrong that contributed to the damage and caused the lengthy time of the repairs. And this is where we find a great spiritual truth for us to ponder. The problems that would take months to correct were hidden under the metal roof, behind the siding and behind the sheet rock. There had been structural damage. There had been movement to the building that compromised its integrity.
The foundation of the church had not been moved. But starting at the foundation and proceeding upward, the building lacked the necessary strength to endure the storm better than it had. The repairs included large metal brackets that would better connect the building to its foundation. Behind the sheet rock, blocking after blocking would be placed between the wall framing and floor joists, giving added strength to each member. Shear walls would be installed with hundreds, if not thousands of nails, providing tremendous strength to the walls of the church. Plywood sheathing would cover the entire roof, tying all of the roof framing together before the new metal roof would cover it. Together, these "unseen" things would make the church building much stronger than it had ever been before. When and if a similar storm assails our church building in the future, I suspect that it is prepared to weather the storm much better. Not because of the things you can see on the outside, but because of the hidden things you can't see.
And how about you and I? Are we prepared to weather the storms of life? Will we be moved in a manner that compromizes our integrity? How firm a foundation we have in Christ! In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul wrote, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ". But the apostle was also inspired to caution us to be careful how we build upon the solid foundation that is ours in Christ.
As I looked at all of the people who filled the sanctuary and balcony last Sunday, I wondered how they had built upon their saving faith in Christ. Oh, on the outside they looked grand in their "Sunday go to meeting clothes". But I wondered how much blocking had been installed. How many shear walls had been erected with a sufficient amount of nails? Did they have a strong layer of sheathing protecting them? How were they weathering the storms of life? How many had not built cautiously and had already suffered great damage? How many families had already been torn apart because of it? What impact did it all have on the body of Christ? How many were in a state of ruin? How many were in the process of repairing and rebuilding? I was thankful for those who had built carefully, adding strength to the body of Christ. I am prayerful for those who have suffered harm or those who are struggling to rebuild.
In his farewell to the Ephesian elders, as recorded for us in Acts 20:32, the Apostle Paul said, "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up". There are many of what I would call "disciplines of the faith" that God has provided us for the building up of the members of His body. His word, fellowship with other believers, prayer and each member fulfilling his part in the body are essential in the installation of spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing. We will not escape the storms of life, but by His gracious provisions we can be strong and weather them well.
Father, help us to understand the seriousness of this matter. May we sobermindedly build upon the foundation of our faith in Christ. May we look to your word, your people and yourself for the spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing that will keep us strong when the storms of life come upon us, our families and our churches. May we go to the word of your grace to be built up. We acknowledge the great truth of your provisions as spoken by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 where we read, "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." It is your divine power that is our strength. As only you can, I ask that you would help those brothers and sisters in Christ who have not weathered well the storms of life. Despite ourselves, we thank you for Jesus, the One who is immoveable, our rock and the foundation of our faith.
Although the repairs to the church were not 100% complete, the church looked wonderful. Following the storm last December, the church had sections of its roof lying in a nearby field. Because of the roof damage, rain water had poured into the church getting allot of things wet. Wet carpet. Wet sheet rock. Wet insulation. Wet wood framing. Things remained wet for many weeks. But now there was a new roof. New siding on portions of the building. New paint on the outside. New carpet. New chairs. New sheet rock and paint on the inside.
As the weeks and months had passed following the storm, we had many opportunities to reflect and thank God for how He had provided through it all. He had provided a general contractor to oversee the job and a responsive insurance company to provide the needed funds. He provided a local grade school as our meeting place for a short time before we were allowed to return to a separate portion of our building that was not damaged. Lessons were taught and hopefully learned regarding our great God and His ability to deal with our difficulties, no matter how great. But if we don't take some time to consider this matter further we may miss out on an opportunity to learn an invaluable lesson.
You see, if you had been in the church last December during the storm, or if you had been at our anniversary celebration this past Sunday, you would not have been able to see the real problem. Sure, in the days following the storm you could see the results of the storm caused by the wind and the rain. And last Sunday you could see the new roof, siding, paint, floor coverings, chairs, etc. But there were other things wrong that contributed to the damage and caused the lengthy time of the repairs. And this is where we find a great spiritual truth for us to ponder. The problems that would take months to correct were hidden under the metal roof, behind the siding and behind the sheet rock. There had been structural damage. There had been movement to the building that compromised its integrity.
The foundation of the church had not been moved. But starting at the foundation and proceeding upward, the building lacked the necessary strength to endure the storm better than it had. The repairs included large metal brackets that would better connect the building to its foundation. Behind the sheet rock, blocking after blocking would be placed between the wall framing and floor joists, giving added strength to each member. Shear walls would be installed with hundreds, if not thousands of nails, providing tremendous strength to the walls of the church. Plywood sheathing would cover the entire roof, tying all of the roof framing together before the new metal roof would cover it. Together, these "unseen" things would make the church building much stronger than it had ever been before. When and if a similar storm assails our church building in the future, I suspect that it is prepared to weather the storm much better. Not because of the things you can see on the outside, but because of the hidden things you can't see.
And how about you and I? Are we prepared to weather the storms of life? Will we be moved in a manner that compromizes our integrity? How firm a foundation we have in Christ! In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul wrote, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ". But the apostle was also inspired to caution us to be careful how we build upon the solid foundation that is ours in Christ.
As I looked at all of the people who filled the sanctuary and balcony last Sunday, I wondered how they had built upon their saving faith in Christ. Oh, on the outside they looked grand in their "Sunday go to meeting clothes". But I wondered how much blocking had been installed. How many shear walls had been erected with a sufficient amount of nails? Did they have a strong layer of sheathing protecting them? How were they weathering the storms of life? How many had not built cautiously and had already suffered great damage? How many families had already been torn apart because of it? What impact did it all have on the body of Christ? How many were in a state of ruin? How many were in the process of repairing and rebuilding? I was thankful for those who had built carefully, adding strength to the body of Christ. I am prayerful for those who have suffered harm or those who are struggling to rebuild.
In his farewell to the Ephesian elders, as recorded for us in Acts 20:32, the Apostle Paul said, "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up". There are many of what I would call "disciplines of the faith" that God has provided us for the building up of the members of His body. His word, fellowship with other believers, prayer and each member fulfilling his part in the body are essential in the installation of spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing. We will not escape the storms of life, but by His gracious provisions we can be strong and weather them well.
Father, help us to understand the seriousness of this matter. May we sobermindedly build upon the foundation of our faith in Christ. May we look to your word, your people and yourself for the spiritual blocking, shear walls and sheathing that will keep us strong when the storms of life come upon us, our families and our churches. May we go to the word of your grace to be built up. We acknowledge the great truth of your provisions as spoken by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 where we read, "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." It is your divine power that is our strength. As only you can, I ask that you would help those brothers and sisters in Christ who have not weathered well the storms of life. Despite ourselves, we thank you for Jesus, the One who is immoveable, our rock and the foundation of our faith.
Friday, October 31, 2008
To Whom Shall We Go?
The title question of this article is something I have wished to write about for some time. Our church is celebrating its 50th anniversary of ministry this Sunday and I felt this was a good time to share some thoughts on this matter. The theme of our anniversary is "Celebrating 50 years of holding forth the Word of Life". In this article I hope to convey what I believe to be the privilege, responsibility and necessity of doing just that, "holding forth the Word of Life".
As I considered the matter for which I felt the Lord was putting on my heart to write about, the Helper reminded me of the words spoken by the Apostle Peter in response to a question that Jesus had asked His disciples. In John 6 we find the Apostle John describing the decision by many of Jesus' disciples to withdraw from Him and stop walking with Him any longer. In verse 67 Jesus asked this pointed question of the twelve; "You do not want to go away also, do you?" In the following verse Peter's response to the Lord's question is recorded for us. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." Oh that the Church would have this same response today! Where would we go but to Jesus. I fear that we live at a time when members of the body of Christ are quick to go everywhere but to Jesus and His words of eternal life. Believers struggle to find a local church to attend that preaches Christ, holds fast to the gospel of grace and has a concern for the purity of doctrine, rightly dividing the word of truth and teaching the whole counsel of God's word.
Yes, the Church finds itself in a struggle to endure sound doctrine. To be sure, some desire the pure milk of the word. But make no mistake, as the Apostle Paul warned Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3, a large number of our congregations want to have their "ears tickled" and have accumulated “for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires”. I’m not suggesting that this is new or a surprise, but I am suggesting that it is a matter of great importance to the Church today. Along with Paul's warning to Timothy, he also gave him (and us) the correct response to this problem. In 2 Timothy 4:2 Paul urged Timothy to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." It would seem that the Church is faced with the same decision that Timothy had to make. We must preach the word, reprove, rebuke and exhort with great patience and instruction, or not. The former will be to our edification and His glory while the latter will be to our detriment.
I appreciate the principle found in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. In verses 22-23 of the 1st chapter, Paul wrote that the Jews asked for signs and the Greeks searched for wisdom. But neither of these two groups would get what they wanted. God desired to impart to them something of greater value. They would be given that which they needed. Paul and those who served with him would tell them of Christ and Him crucified. Our bibles are full of truths that we need to hear time and time again. The flesh may not wish to hear these truths but they must be proclaimed regardless.
We are truly living at a time in Church history when Paul's prophetic words to Timothy seem so descriptive of what we see happening in our churches. But we must preach the word. We must “reprove, rebuke and exhort with great patience and instruction". To do otherwise would dishonor the One who put us into service and be unfruitful and harmful for the body of Christ. As "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" we have an obligation to "stand firm and hold to the traditions" which we have been taught. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says that "it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy" and we are "stewards of the manifold grace of God".
The scripture reveals to us a close relationship between the Apostle Paul and Timothy. Paul referred to him as his "beloved son" and "his true child in the faith". He told the Philippians that he had "no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned" for their welfare. When inspired to write his second letter to Timothy, the apostle wrote some very strong words to him. He challenged Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord or of Paul himself. He spoke of Timothy's need to "kindle afresh the gift of God" which was in him. The letter included many things that may have been difficult for Timothy to hear. But they were necessary and although "God breathed", they were written out of love for Timothy and love for Christ and His Church.
In Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, we see that he was inspired to write words that would be used by God to cause them sorrow. In 2 Corinthians 7:8-9, in reference to the first letter, Paul wrote, "For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it--for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while. I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us." Godly sorrow brought about by the word of truth resulted in repentance and a church getting right with God. This was not an ear tickling letter. It contained words that were not easy for the writer to pen or the reader to receive. But they were necessary for God’s purpose in edification.
I must take a few moments to address this matter of tickled ears. Webster's defines “tickle” with some of the following words; to excite or stir up agreeably, to touch as a body part lightly so as to excite the surface nerves, to provoke to laughter or merriment. The desire to have one's ears tickled is of the flesh and not the Spirit. It is the desire of those acting as a "mere men", seeking that which will tickle their ears but not go beyond the surface. In Romans 12:2 we are admonished to not be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This comes through the unadulterated word of God. Preaching and teaching that simply tickles the ear has no power to renew minds and transform lives.
Tickling suggests a surface level activity that only affects the outer nerves. Those who find themselves wanting to have their ears tickled will find that it results in a surface level relationship with the Savior. The scripture suggests that those who wish to have their ears tickled will find no shortage of teachers willing to tell them things that will appeal to this unholy desire and draw them away from the power of His precious word. Oftentimes, perversions of the gospel, a loss of focus on the power of His cross, His blood and our need to "be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" seems to follow. An ambition of the Apostle Paul's, that we should share also, was to "know Him and the power of His resurrection". Words that tickle the ear would not have helped Paul in this pursuit. And it will not help you and I in our desire to know Him better.
As for the teachers who are ready and willing to tickle the ears of God's people, I will say this. I believe that some are teachers that were given by God to His Church for its edification who have not handled accurately the word of truth or who have wandered from the faith. Some to be sure are false teachers altogether. I’m concerned that many who stand in the pulpits of our churches and many who occupy teaching and other leadership positions, do so according to the will of men and not the will of God. This is a very serious matter for the body of Christ. On any given Sunday morning, men and women will stand in roles of authority, declaring “thus saith the Lord” when the Lord has not said it.
As mentioned already, the answer for those wishing to have their ears tickled is to preach the word. Consider the sharp contrast that we find in Hebrews 4:12 where we read, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart". This is what the believer needs. We need that which can go deep to the heart and soul to conform us to the image of Christ. This is the opposite of the teaching that only tickles the ear, without the power to penetrate as God purposes in His word to do.
Oh that God's Church and those in its pulpits would preach the word. We need the word of truth which is "living and active and sharper that any two edged sword", changing the lives of those who humbly receive it. Members of The Way need to reject the empty and powerless preaching and teaching that tickles the ear and surrender to the power of the word of truth. We still need to hear the words written to the Romans, the Corinthians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, the Thessalonians and the Hebrews. We need to hear the words written to Timothy, Titus and Philemon. We need the words of James, John, Peter and Jude. If we do not echo Peter's words, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life", to whom will we go?
Are you subjecting yourself to the word that is able to pierce "as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart"? Or have you found yourself attempting to be satisfied with having your ears tickled? Is the leadership in your church accurately handling the word of truth? Is Christ being preached? Is the whole counsel of God being taught. Is grace the song of your hearts or is it being perverted and abandoned? I believe these are important questions to consider.
Father, help us to love the One who "has words of eternal life". Help us to have a passion for the Lord Jesus, the living Word and to have a love and hunger for His written word. We ask for your guidance and direction in being good stewards of the words of eternal life. Help us to handle it accurately and preach it passionately. Help us to reject the fleshly desire to have our ears tickled. As the apostle Paul instructed Timothy, help us to preach the word, reprove, rebuke and exhort, with great patience and instruction. For those who have strayed from the faith; for those who have erred from sound teaching; for those who have found themselves caught up in the scheme of ear tickling, both teachers and hearers, we ask that you would intervene in a manner that brings glory to your Son. Thank you for Lewis and Clark Bible Church. By your grace and your mercy, help us to continue “holding forth the Word of Life”.
As I considered the matter for which I felt the Lord was putting on my heart to write about, the Helper reminded me of the words spoken by the Apostle Peter in response to a question that Jesus had asked His disciples. In John 6 we find the Apostle John describing the decision by many of Jesus' disciples to withdraw from Him and stop walking with Him any longer. In verse 67 Jesus asked this pointed question of the twelve; "You do not want to go away also, do you?" In the following verse Peter's response to the Lord's question is recorded for us. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." Oh that the Church would have this same response today! Where would we go but to Jesus. I fear that we live at a time when members of the body of Christ are quick to go everywhere but to Jesus and His words of eternal life. Believers struggle to find a local church to attend that preaches Christ, holds fast to the gospel of grace and has a concern for the purity of doctrine, rightly dividing the word of truth and teaching the whole counsel of God's word.
Yes, the Church finds itself in a struggle to endure sound doctrine. To be sure, some desire the pure milk of the word. But make no mistake, as the Apostle Paul warned Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3, a large number of our congregations want to have their "ears tickled" and have accumulated “for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires”. I’m not suggesting that this is new or a surprise, but I am suggesting that it is a matter of great importance to the Church today. Along with Paul's warning to Timothy, he also gave him (and us) the correct response to this problem. In 2 Timothy 4:2 Paul urged Timothy to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." It would seem that the Church is faced with the same decision that Timothy had to make. We must preach the word, reprove, rebuke and exhort with great patience and instruction, or not. The former will be to our edification and His glory while the latter will be to our detriment.
I appreciate the principle found in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. In verses 22-23 of the 1st chapter, Paul wrote that the Jews asked for signs and the Greeks searched for wisdom. But neither of these two groups would get what they wanted. God desired to impart to them something of greater value. They would be given that which they needed. Paul and those who served with him would tell them of Christ and Him crucified. Our bibles are full of truths that we need to hear time and time again. The flesh may not wish to hear these truths but they must be proclaimed regardless.
We are truly living at a time in Church history when Paul's prophetic words to Timothy seem so descriptive of what we see happening in our churches. But we must preach the word. We must “reprove, rebuke and exhort with great patience and instruction". To do otherwise would dishonor the One who put us into service and be unfruitful and harmful for the body of Christ. As "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" we have an obligation to "stand firm and hold to the traditions" which we have been taught. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says that "it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy" and we are "stewards of the manifold grace of God".
The scripture reveals to us a close relationship between the Apostle Paul and Timothy. Paul referred to him as his "beloved son" and "his true child in the faith". He told the Philippians that he had "no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned" for their welfare. When inspired to write his second letter to Timothy, the apostle wrote some very strong words to him. He challenged Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord or of Paul himself. He spoke of Timothy's need to "kindle afresh the gift of God" which was in him. The letter included many things that may have been difficult for Timothy to hear. But they were necessary and although "God breathed", they were written out of love for Timothy and love for Christ and His Church.
In Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, we see that he was inspired to write words that would be used by God to cause them sorrow. In 2 Corinthians 7:8-9, in reference to the first letter, Paul wrote, "For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it--for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while. I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us." Godly sorrow brought about by the word of truth resulted in repentance and a church getting right with God. This was not an ear tickling letter. It contained words that were not easy for the writer to pen or the reader to receive. But they were necessary for God’s purpose in edification.
I must take a few moments to address this matter of tickled ears. Webster's defines “tickle” with some of the following words; to excite or stir up agreeably, to touch as a body part lightly so as to excite the surface nerves, to provoke to laughter or merriment. The desire to have one's ears tickled is of the flesh and not the Spirit. It is the desire of those acting as a "mere men", seeking that which will tickle their ears but not go beyond the surface. In Romans 12:2 we are admonished to not be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This comes through the unadulterated word of God. Preaching and teaching that simply tickles the ear has no power to renew minds and transform lives.
Tickling suggests a surface level activity that only affects the outer nerves. Those who find themselves wanting to have their ears tickled will find that it results in a surface level relationship with the Savior. The scripture suggests that those who wish to have their ears tickled will find no shortage of teachers willing to tell them things that will appeal to this unholy desire and draw them away from the power of His precious word. Oftentimes, perversions of the gospel, a loss of focus on the power of His cross, His blood and our need to "be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus" seems to follow. An ambition of the Apostle Paul's, that we should share also, was to "know Him and the power of His resurrection". Words that tickle the ear would not have helped Paul in this pursuit. And it will not help you and I in our desire to know Him better.
As for the teachers who are ready and willing to tickle the ears of God's people, I will say this. I believe that some are teachers that were given by God to His Church for its edification who have not handled accurately the word of truth or who have wandered from the faith. Some to be sure are false teachers altogether. I’m concerned that many who stand in the pulpits of our churches and many who occupy teaching and other leadership positions, do so according to the will of men and not the will of God. This is a very serious matter for the body of Christ. On any given Sunday morning, men and women will stand in roles of authority, declaring “thus saith the Lord” when the Lord has not said it.
As mentioned already, the answer for those wishing to have their ears tickled is to preach the word. Consider the sharp contrast that we find in Hebrews 4:12 where we read, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart". This is what the believer needs. We need that which can go deep to the heart and soul to conform us to the image of Christ. This is the opposite of the teaching that only tickles the ear, without the power to penetrate as God purposes in His word to do.
Oh that God's Church and those in its pulpits would preach the word. We need the word of truth which is "living and active and sharper that any two edged sword", changing the lives of those who humbly receive it. Members of The Way need to reject the empty and powerless preaching and teaching that tickles the ear and surrender to the power of the word of truth. We still need to hear the words written to the Romans, the Corinthians, the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, the Thessalonians and the Hebrews. We need to hear the words written to Timothy, Titus and Philemon. We need the words of James, John, Peter and Jude. If we do not echo Peter's words, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life", to whom will we go?
Are you subjecting yourself to the word that is able to pierce "as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart"? Or have you found yourself attempting to be satisfied with having your ears tickled? Is the leadership in your church accurately handling the word of truth? Is Christ being preached? Is the whole counsel of God being taught. Is grace the song of your hearts or is it being perverted and abandoned? I believe these are important questions to consider.
Father, help us to love the One who "has words of eternal life". Help us to have a passion for the Lord Jesus, the living Word and to have a love and hunger for His written word. We ask for your guidance and direction in being good stewards of the words of eternal life. Help us to handle it accurately and preach it passionately. Help us to reject the fleshly desire to have our ears tickled. As the apostle Paul instructed Timothy, help us to preach the word, reprove, rebuke and exhort, with great patience and instruction. For those who have strayed from the faith; for those who have erred from sound teaching; for those who have found themselves caught up in the scheme of ear tickling, both teachers and hearers, we ask that you would intervene in a manner that brings glory to your Son. Thank you for Lewis and Clark Bible Church. By your grace and your mercy, help us to continue “holding forth the Word of Life”.
Friday, October 17, 2008
What Can Compare?
For the believer in Christ, what can compare with being in His presence one day; face to face? I'm sure that most of us would be quick to answer this question with one resounding word, "nothing". After all, it is the hope of our faith. Being with Him is the fulfillment of all that we look forward to as Christians. It is the keeping of a promise made by the Savior. In John 14:2-3, the beloved apostle recorded these words of Christ's; "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." Surely this is the "blessed hope" spoken of by Paul in his letter to Titus, referring to "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus".
In 1898, a woman by the name of Carrie E. Breck wrote the lyrics to one of the great hymns of our faith. She has been described as a woman who had no sense of pitch and one who could not carry a tune. But she had a hope of one day being "Face to Face with Christ, My Savior". She captured the thoughts and hopes of believers through the years when she wrote these words:
"Face to face with Christ, my Savior, Face to face - what will it be, When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ Who died for me?"
"Only faintly now I see Him, With the darkened veil between, But a blessed day is coming, When His glory shall be seen."
"Face to face - oh, blissful moment! Face to face - to see and know; Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ Who loves me so."
"Face to face I shall behold Him, Far beyond the starry sky; Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!"
Thank you Mrs. Breck for the words that you chose to express the faith that we share! They remind us of the blessed hope that belongs to all those who are in Christ. But I would like to reconsider the question that was posed above. No, I'm not going to suggest that there is something that equates with seeing Him face to face, because there is nothing that can. I'm not going to suggest that we can experience "heaven on earth", because we can not. But I am suggesting that there is a truth that deserves our sincere consideration.
In Philippians 1:21 the apostle Paul wrote, "To live is Christ and to die is gain". In verse 23 he said that his desire was to "depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better". But despite his knowledge of what it would mean to be face to face with Jesus, there was something that caused him to be "hard pressed" from two directions. Clearly one of those "directions" was "above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God". But what could compare with that? What could this other direction be that seemed to have a most compelling pull? In verse 22 Paul wrote that to remain on in the flesh would mean "fruitful labor" for him and in verse 24 he wrote that to remain on in the flesh was "more necessary" for their sake. And then in verse 25 he was inspired to write these very powerful words, "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith". This is quite an amazing truth when you think of it. The deciding factor between these two directions that Paul was "hard pressed" to choose between was which one was "more necessary" for the sake of others. What may have been "very much better" for Paul was superseded by that which was "more necessary" for the body of Christ. Paul has since achieved his desire to "depart and be with Christ" and has come to know that which is very much better.
Being face to face with Christ our savior has no equal. But perhaps God would have us consider that which we might compare. Fruitful labor. Ministry in the body of Christ. Being used by Him to help others; for their progress and joy in the faith. Yes, to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. To die is certainly gain to the believer. But "to live is Christ".
Lord, we long to be with you. "Face to face - oh, blissful moment! Face to face - to see and know; Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ Who loves me so." But as we remain on in the flesh, we pray that you might put it in our hearts and minds that "to live is Christ". Instill in us a desire to be involved in "fruitful labor". Help us to be vessels that you might work through to help others in their progress and joy in the faith. Help those who have long been involved in "fruitful labor" to not grow weary in doing good. For those who have, I pray that you might cause them to gaze afresh on the Savior and be renewed in His strength. Thank you for the privilege that is ours to be fellow workers with you until that day we are with you.
In 1898, a woman by the name of Carrie E. Breck wrote the lyrics to one of the great hymns of our faith. She has been described as a woman who had no sense of pitch and one who could not carry a tune. But she had a hope of one day being "Face to Face with Christ, My Savior". She captured the thoughts and hopes of believers through the years when she wrote these words:
"Face to face with Christ, my Savior, Face to face - what will it be, When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ Who died for me?"
"Only faintly now I see Him, With the darkened veil between, But a blessed day is coming, When His glory shall be seen."
"Face to face - oh, blissful moment! Face to face - to see and know; Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ Who loves me so."
"Face to face I shall behold Him, Far beyond the starry sky; Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by!"
Thank you Mrs. Breck for the words that you chose to express the faith that we share! They remind us of the blessed hope that belongs to all those who are in Christ. But I would like to reconsider the question that was posed above. No, I'm not going to suggest that there is something that equates with seeing Him face to face, because there is nothing that can. I'm not going to suggest that we can experience "heaven on earth", because we can not. But I am suggesting that there is a truth that deserves our sincere consideration.
In Philippians 1:21 the apostle Paul wrote, "To live is Christ and to die is gain". In verse 23 he said that his desire was to "depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better". But despite his knowledge of what it would mean to be face to face with Jesus, there was something that caused him to be "hard pressed" from two directions. Clearly one of those "directions" was "above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God". But what could compare with that? What could this other direction be that seemed to have a most compelling pull? In verse 22 Paul wrote that to remain on in the flesh would mean "fruitful labor" for him and in verse 24 he wrote that to remain on in the flesh was "more necessary" for their sake. And then in verse 25 he was inspired to write these very powerful words, "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith". This is quite an amazing truth when you think of it. The deciding factor between these two directions that Paul was "hard pressed" to choose between was which one was "more necessary" for the sake of others. What may have been "very much better" for Paul was superseded by that which was "more necessary" for the body of Christ. Paul has since achieved his desire to "depart and be with Christ" and has come to know that which is very much better.
Being face to face with Christ our savior has no equal. But perhaps God would have us consider that which we might compare. Fruitful labor. Ministry in the body of Christ. Being used by Him to help others; for their progress and joy in the faith. Yes, to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. To die is certainly gain to the believer. But "to live is Christ".
Lord, we long to be with you. "Face to face - oh, blissful moment! Face to face - to see and know; Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ Who loves me so." But as we remain on in the flesh, we pray that you might put it in our hearts and minds that "to live is Christ". Instill in us a desire to be involved in "fruitful labor". Help us to be vessels that you might work through to help others in their progress and joy in the faith. Help those who have long been involved in "fruitful labor" to not grow weary in doing good. For those who have, I pray that you might cause them to gaze afresh on the Savior and be renewed in His strength. Thank you for the privilege that is ours to be fellow workers with you until that day we are with you.
Friday, October 10, 2008
The Significance of One
Without question, the life of the Jesus Christ is the most significant life that has ever been lived upon the earth. There is no other life that can compare with the significance of His. But it is not the life of the Divine One that I wish to consider in this article. In fact, it is a principle that I wish to consider more than any one's particular life. The writer of Hebrews was inspired to name Noah amongst those listed in the 11th chapter of Hebrews as having lived by faith. As we look at this reference to Noah and other scripture from Genesis, I hope to use Noah to look at this "significance of one" principle.
Although he is referenced in only one verse by the Hebrew writer, the account of Noah's faith is truly amazing and profitable for us to consider. The reverence and faith he demonstrated were remarkable. In Hebrews 11:7 we read, "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." As you may remember, this is tied directly to the definition of faith given by the Hebrew writer at the beginning of the 11th chapter where he proclaims that faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen".
God had told Noah that "the end of all flesh has come before Me" and that Noah was to build an ark as God was "bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish". As indicated above, this was certainly something that Noah had "not seen". There had never been any such judgment, any such ark, any such flood of water and any such salvation. This proclamation could only be accepted by faith and Noah responded with the same, believing God. The evidence of his faith was seen by his reverence in doing that which God had instructed him to do. In regards to this principle that I wish to convey, I would like to make a couple of observations about Noah and this account.
I must first say, thank God for Noah! Consider the circumstances surrounding God's pronounced judgment and this one man named Noah. In Genesis 6:5 we read one of the most profound statements in all of scripture where the author writes, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". "Only evil continually" was a desperately grim description of the heart of man. And then in verses 8-9 of the same chapter, the significance of Noah is declared. This scripture reads, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God". We must take a moment to consider this tremendous statement. Of all the inhabitants of the earth, the scripture speaks of one person who "found favor in the eyes of the Lord" and was described as a "righteous man", "blameless in his time" and one who "walked with God".
We have the tendency to think that since we are only one out of so many, that our life couldn't possibly make that much of a difference. I believe Noah's story is one of several that teach us that such thinking couldn't be further from the truth. The life of this one man had a significance that we may not be able to comprehend this side of heaven. I would suggest that our lives, our walk with Him and the decisions we make everyday have more significance than we may ever know. May the Lord help us to realize the significance that a single life can have when lived by faith. Faith in Him. Christ living in these vessels that are our bodies as we find that place of surrender to His will. In Galatians 2:20 the apostle Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me". Oh that Christ might live in us as we live by faith in Him.
Regarding Noah's ark, I would like to make one final observation in closing. I did not grow up in church listening to bible stories and so I don't remember ever being told the story of Noah's ark. But after I became a Christian it seems like the "Noah's ark" story often had references to Noah trying to tell others of the coming judgment and that there was some sort of open invitation to join him; both in building and occupying the ark. But when I read the account I see the sovereign act of a just and merciful God but find no such references. God clearly intended the ark for Noah, his wife, his three sons, their wives and the animals. In Genesis 6:18 we read that God told Noah, "But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you". There were no empty rooms that were unoccupied because others had chosen not to believe Noah and join him. God was doing the very thing He had told Noah He was going to do. And He was doing it just as He said He would. What we do see is the wickedness of man, whose hearts were evil continually, the significance of one man who found favor in the eyes of the Lord and our sovereign, just, gracious and merciful God accomplishing His will.
Lord, may we come to understand and appreciate the value of a life of faith. Help us to understand the significance of a single life lived by one who has been clothed in the righteousness of your Son, crucified with Christ, yet Christ living in them. Thank you for Noah's faith. Thank you for the grace and mercy you extended to his wife, his sons and their wives. Thank you for Jesus and the grace and mercy you have extended to me and my family. May our faith be seen in our reverence to you. Thank you for being sovereign. I know there are some who struggle with your sovereignty but Lord help us to be people who find rest and peace in it.
Although he is referenced in only one verse by the Hebrew writer, the account of Noah's faith is truly amazing and profitable for us to consider. The reverence and faith he demonstrated were remarkable. In Hebrews 11:7 we read, "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." As you may remember, this is tied directly to the definition of faith given by the Hebrew writer at the beginning of the 11th chapter where he proclaims that faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen".
God had told Noah that "the end of all flesh has come before Me" and that Noah was to build an ark as God was "bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish". As indicated above, this was certainly something that Noah had "not seen". There had never been any such judgment, any such ark, any such flood of water and any such salvation. This proclamation could only be accepted by faith and Noah responded with the same, believing God. The evidence of his faith was seen by his reverence in doing that which God had instructed him to do. In regards to this principle that I wish to convey, I would like to make a couple of observations about Noah and this account.
I must first say, thank God for Noah! Consider the circumstances surrounding God's pronounced judgment and this one man named Noah. In Genesis 6:5 we read one of the most profound statements in all of scripture where the author writes, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". "Only evil continually" was a desperately grim description of the heart of man. And then in verses 8-9 of the same chapter, the significance of Noah is declared. This scripture reads, "But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God". We must take a moment to consider this tremendous statement. Of all the inhabitants of the earth, the scripture speaks of one person who "found favor in the eyes of the Lord" and was described as a "righteous man", "blameless in his time" and one who "walked with God".
We have the tendency to think that since we are only one out of so many, that our life couldn't possibly make that much of a difference. I believe Noah's story is one of several that teach us that such thinking couldn't be further from the truth. The life of this one man had a significance that we may not be able to comprehend this side of heaven. I would suggest that our lives, our walk with Him and the decisions we make everyday have more significance than we may ever know. May the Lord help us to realize the significance that a single life can have when lived by faith. Faith in Him. Christ living in these vessels that are our bodies as we find that place of surrender to His will. In Galatians 2:20 the apostle Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me". Oh that Christ might live in us as we live by faith in Him.
Regarding Noah's ark, I would like to make one final observation in closing. I did not grow up in church listening to bible stories and so I don't remember ever being told the story of Noah's ark. But after I became a Christian it seems like the "Noah's ark" story often had references to Noah trying to tell others of the coming judgment and that there was some sort of open invitation to join him; both in building and occupying the ark. But when I read the account I see the sovereign act of a just and merciful God but find no such references. God clearly intended the ark for Noah, his wife, his three sons, their wives and the animals. In Genesis 6:18 we read that God told Noah, "But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you". There were no empty rooms that were unoccupied because others had chosen not to believe Noah and join him. God was doing the very thing He had told Noah He was going to do. And He was doing it just as He said He would. What we do see is the wickedness of man, whose hearts were evil continually, the significance of one man who found favor in the eyes of the Lord and our sovereign, just, gracious and merciful God accomplishing His will.
Lord, may we come to understand and appreciate the value of a life of faith. Help us to understand the significance of a single life lived by one who has been clothed in the righteousness of your Son, crucified with Christ, yet Christ living in them. Thank you for Noah's faith. Thank you for the grace and mercy you extended to his wife, his sons and their wives. Thank you for Jesus and the grace and mercy you have extended to me and my family. May our faith be seen in our reverence to you. Thank you for being sovereign. I know there are some who struggle with your sovereignty but Lord help us to be people who find rest and peace in it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Trapper and the Snare
Most of us know him by the more familiar names or titles that are attributed to him; Satan, the devil, Lucifer, the tempter, a liar, the father of lies, the ruler of this world, etc. Perhaps you know him best as the one described by the apostle Peter as the one who "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour". I have recently come to refer to him as the trapper and would suggest that you know him in this manner also.
Although the Old Testament contains many references to matters that were a snare to the people, the New Testament contains just a few references to this word. We find the apostle Paul making three such references to Timothy; twice in his first letter to Timothy and once in his second letter. In 1 Timothy 3:6-7, in regards to the selection of elders, Paul wrote, "and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil". In 1 Timothy 6:8-11 Paul was inspired to write, "If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs". And lastly, in 2 Timothy 2:25-26 the apostle wrote, "with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will".
I suspect there are many believers who are currently caught up in one or more of the trapper's snares. Perhaps you find yourself in one of his snares . Although his snares may not all look the same, they share a common purpose. The trapper desires that you "be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" spoken of by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:3 and that you not have the "undistracted devotion to the Lord" Paul wrote of in 1 Corinthians 7:35. I believe I have seen some of the trapper's snares along the way. Some I have seen up close. The snares of pride, anger, immorality, love of money, error, false teaching, selfishness, bitterness, malice, love for the world and the things of the world, etc. There seem to be less obvious snares as well, yet ones that many have walked into and find themselves caught up in. Such snares might include being too busy to walk in His good works, consumed with your job, your career or pursuing hobbies, recreation and other personal interests. And perhaps the one that has entangled far too many, the snare of religion. All to often we have turned our privileged personal relationship that we have as children of God in Christ into mere religious practice.
I would suggest that although the trapper has laid many snares for us to be caught up in, we must walk into them in order for them to ensnare us. He cannot force his snares upon us. His snares don't appear to be laid in the pathway where we have been called to walk. This is the pathway or walk that is "worthy of the Lord" or "worthy of the calling with which you have been called". Perhaps the One who set boundaries for the seas has trespassed the trapper from setting snares along the path where the Spirit leads us, the path of truth. But the pathway of the flesh, where "mere men" long to walk, seems laden with the trapper's snares. The believer is no longer bound to walk according to the flesh but he may choose to do so. In His strength may we "walk by faith", "walk by the Spirit", "walk as children of light" and "walk in newness of life" as we "walk in Him".
In 1 John 4:4, the beloved apostle of our Lord proclaimed one of the great truths of our faith when he wrote, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world". So it is when it comes to the trapper and his snares. In Psalm 124:6-8 the psalmist wrote, "Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." And in Psalm 91:2-4 we read, "I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the Deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark".
Praise God that He is the One who "delivers you from the snare of the trapper"! Through the truth of His word, prayer and repentance, we can earnestly seek the Lord and His release from the trapper's snare. You may be in a situation where the Lord has opened your eyes to the snare that you are heading towards or perhaps you have one foot in already. James was inspired to write in James 4:7, "submit therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you". And in 1 Peter 5:9 the apostle Peter wrote, "resist him firm in your faith". Do not think that you can carefully maneuver through the snare or escape it according to your own strength and your own ways. Avoid it. Get away from it. It has no power over you lest you walk in it. Through His Son, submit yourself to God, to the truth of His word and the power of the Helper. May His word and our always present Helper keep us from walking in the snare of the trapper.
Father, we thank you that you have provided a way for your children to walk in truth. You are greater than the trapper and able to break his snares and deliver us. Help us to know you better, love your ways and desire the abundant life you give in Christ. Help us to be more discerning and sober-minded as we ought to be. I pray for those of your Church who are caught up in the trapper's snares. For the glory of your Son and the health of His Church, I ask that you draw each one to yourself and that according to your bountiful grace and mercy, each might look to you for deliverance from the trapper's snare. Help us to "walk by the Spirit" as "children of light" that the name of our Lord Jesus might be glorified in us.
Although the Old Testament contains many references to matters that were a snare to the people, the New Testament contains just a few references to this word. We find the apostle Paul making three such references to Timothy; twice in his first letter to Timothy and once in his second letter. In 1 Timothy 3:6-7, in regards to the selection of elders, Paul wrote, "and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil". In 1 Timothy 6:8-11 Paul was inspired to write, "If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs". And lastly, in 2 Timothy 2:25-26 the apostle wrote, "with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will".
I suspect there are many believers who are currently caught up in one or more of the trapper's snares. Perhaps you find yourself in one of his snares . Although his snares may not all look the same, they share a common purpose. The trapper desires that you "be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" spoken of by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:3 and that you not have the "undistracted devotion to the Lord" Paul wrote of in 1 Corinthians 7:35. I believe I have seen some of the trapper's snares along the way. Some I have seen up close. The snares of pride, anger, immorality, love of money, error, false teaching, selfishness, bitterness, malice, love for the world and the things of the world, etc. There seem to be less obvious snares as well, yet ones that many have walked into and find themselves caught up in. Such snares might include being too busy to walk in His good works, consumed with your job, your career or pursuing hobbies, recreation and other personal interests. And perhaps the one that has entangled far too many, the snare of religion. All to often we have turned our privileged personal relationship that we have as children of God in Christ into mere religious practice.
I would suggest that although the trapper has laid many snares for us to be caught up in, we must walk into them in order for them to ensnare us. He cannot force his snares upon us. His snares don't appear to be laid in the pathway where we have been called to walk. This is the pathway or walk that is "worthy of the Lord" or "worthy of the calling with which you have been called". Perhaps the One who set boundaries for the seas has trespassed the trapper from setting snares along the path where the Spirit leads us, the path of truth. But the pathway of the flesh, where "mere men" long to walk, seems laden with the trapper's snares. The believer is no longer bound to walk according to the flesh but he may choose to do so. In His strength may we "walk by faith", "walk by the Spirit", "walk as children of light" and "walk in newness of life" as we "walk in Him".
In 1 John 4:4, the beloved apostle of our Lord proclaimed one of the great truths of our faith when he wrote, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world". So it is when it comes to the trapper and his snares. In Psalm 124:6-8 the psalmist wrote, "Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper; The snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth." And in Psalm 91:2-4 we read, "I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!" For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the Deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark".
Praise God that He is the One who "delivers you from the snare of the trapper"! Through the truth of His word, prayer and repentance, we can earnestly seek the Lord and His release from the trapper's snare. You may be in a situation where the Lord has opened your eyes to the snare that you are heading towards or perhaps you have one foot in already. James was inspired to write in James 4:7, "submit therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you". And in 1 Peter 5:9 the apostle Peter wrote, "resist him firm in your faith". Do not think that you can carefully maneuver through the snare or escape it according to your own strength and your own ways. Avoid it. Get away from it. It has no power over you lest you walk in it. Through His Son, submit yourself to God, to the truth of His word and the power of the Helper. May His word and our always present Helper keep us from walking in the snare of the trapper.
Father, we thank you that you have provided a way for your children to walk in truth. You are greater than the trapper and able to break his snares and deliver us. Help us to know you better, love your ways and desire the abundant life you give in Christ. Help us to be more discerning and sober-minded as we ought to be. I pray for those of your Church who are caught up in the trapper's snares. For the glory of your Son and the health of His Church, I ask that you draw each one to yourself and that according to your bountiful grace and mercy, each might look to you for deliverance from the trapper's snare. Help us to "walk by the Spirit" as "children of light" that the name of our Lord Jesus might be glorified in us.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Lessons From Faith
What a great portion of scripture we have in Hebrews chapter 11! It is often referred to as the "faith chapter" as it contains both a definition of faith and the names and examples of several people who lived by it.
The writer was inspired to begin the 11th chapter with the following definition of faith; "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." The writer then goes on to note many who "by faith" did various things in their lives. In this article I would like to consider just three of the examples given by the writer. Each represents an old testament account but it is what the Hebrew writer says about them that I want to focus on.
I will start with the one that often strikes me as being perhaps the greatest example of someone exercising their faith in God. In fact, it is so profound that I often find myself unable to grasp the level of faith that it speaks of. It is found in verses 17-19 and involves Abraham, the one described by the Apostle Paul in Galatians simply as "the believer". It says, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type."
Over the years I have heard people make various comments regarding this account of Abraham offering his son, Isaac. One of the most common thoughts was that Abraham trusted that God would intervene before he actually slayed his son. This thought takes the position that Abraham's faith was believing that God would stop him from sacrificing Isaac. I will grant you, that if that were so, it would still be a great demonstration of faith. But through the Hebrew writer I have come to believe that what happened was much greater than that. I will not go back and retell the whole story of the account but just take a closer look at what the Hebrew writer says regarding this act of faith.
Abraham had been given a promise from God that in Isaac, his descendants would be called. But when called upon to do so, we find Abraham prepared to sacrifice this son in whom the promise had been given. The Hebrew writer says that Abraham "considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead". No, Abraham's faith was not in a belief that God would prevent him from sacrificing his son. He believed that after he sacrificed Isaac that God would raise him from the dead and still fulfill His promise! Wow! That is faith. This will always remain a striking example of one who had "the assurance of things for, the conviction of things not seen".
The second example that I would like to consider is that involving Moses. The writer uses six verses to summarize his life of faith, but its verses 24-26 that I want to look at. It says, "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward." What a lesson for the believer to learn. The "passing pleasures of sin". A lesson as applicable today as it was in the day that Moses lived it. How true it is. The pleasures of sin pass away. They are short lived. They are of limited duration.
But there is another lesson of great importance that joins with this truth that we must acknowledge and consider. Although the pleasures of sin pass away, their consequences can last a lifetime. What a contrast. The consequences of sin can last and last, effecting the lives of many. In fact, their impact can reach to the next generation. The law of sowing and reaping must be acknowledged and considered sober mindedly. I fear members of the body of Christ have ignored or taken lightly this truth. The passing pleasures of sin are not being forsaken and our churches and the families that attend them are suffering for it. As members of the body of Christ, members one of another, may we consider our actions more carefully, remembering that our sins are against Him and that they impact not only our own lives but the lives of others.
The last example that I would like to consider is actually the first one given by the writer to the Hebrews. In the 4th verse we read, "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous. God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks." In this reference to Able, we find a lesson that demands our attention and consideration. I will summarize it this way. We have the privilege and opportunity to speak of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ after we have left this earth and are home with Him! This is truly amazing. I really believe that what is said of Able is true for each of us. We will all "speak" after we are dead. But what we speak after we are dead will be determined by the lives that we live. Each member of the body of Christ can be assured that a life lived by faith now, will continue to speak of the "author and finisher of our faith" long after we are dead and gone. Praise the Lord for such a blessing and privilege.
The 11th chapter of the Book of Hebrews has been written and I will never be named amongst those listed within it's content. I will not be mentioned alongside of Luther, Tyndale, Calvin, Edwards, Spurgeon or Wesley. But I would like to look at a verse of scripture we find in Paul's second letter to Timothy. In this pastoral letter of encouragement, instruction and exhortation, we find the following words in verse 5 of the first chapter. "For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well." I don't suppose that these two women were considered by most to be "greats of the faith". Neither held titles of consideration. "Mother" and "grandmother" were their titles but "sincere faith" was their way of life. By His strength and according to His will, may we live lives that are marked by sincere faith. To His glory and for His name's sake, might we be mentioned alongside of Lois and Eunice.
Lord, you are worthy to believe in and to trust. You are always faithful. We desire to be people who live by faith; who like Timothy, his mother and his grandmother, have sincere faith dwelling within us. We thank you for the men and women of faith you have raised up through the centuries to be vessels of honor to you. We ask that the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, might empower us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. How we desire and pray that we might be among those who speak of a life of faith in you even after we are dead.
The writer was inspired to begin the 11th chapter with the following definition of faith; "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." The writer then goes on to note many who "by faith" did various things in their lives. In this article I would like to consider just three of the examples given by the writer. Each represents an old testament account but it is what the Hebrew writer says about them that I want to focus on.
I will start with the one that often strikes me as being perhaps the greatest example of someone exercising their faith in God. In fact, it is so profound that I often find myself unable to grasp the level of faith that it speaks of. It is found in verses 17-19 and involves Abraham, the one described by the Apostle Paul in Galatians simply as "the believer". It says, "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type."
Over the years I have heard people make various comments regarding this account of Abraham offering his son, Isaac. One of the most common thoughts was that Abraham trusted that God would intervene before he actually slayed his son. This thought takes the position that Abraham's faith was believing that God would stop him from sacrificing Isaac. I will grant you, that if that were so, it would still be a great demonstration of faith. But through the Hebrew writer I have come to believe that what happened was much greater than that. I will not go back and retell the whole story of the account but just take a closer look at what the Hebrew writer says regarding this act of faith.
Abraham had been given a promise from God that in Isaac, his descendants would be called. But when called upon to do so, we find Abraham prepared to sacrifice this son in whom the promise had been given. The Hebrew writer says that Abraham "considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead". No, Abraham's faith was not in a belief that God would prevent him from sacrificing his son. He believed that after he sacrificed Isaac that God would raise him from the dead and still fulfill His promise! Wow! That is faith. This will always remain a striking example of one who had "the assurance of things for, the conviction of things not seen".
The second example that I would like to consider is that involving Moses. The writer uses six verses to summarize his life of faith, but its verses 24-26 that I want to look at. It says, "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward." What a lesson for the believer to learn. The "passing pleasures of sin". A lesson as applicable today as it was in the day that Moses lived it. How true it is. The pleasures of sin pass away. They are short lived. They are of limited duration.
But there is another lesson of great importance that joins with this truth that we must acknowledge and consider. Although the pleasures of sin pass away, their consequences can last a lifetime. What a contrast. The consequences of sin can last and last, effecting the lives of many. In fact, their impact can reach to the next generation. The law of sowing and reaping must be acknowledged and considered sober mindedly. I fear members of the body of Christ have ignored or taken lightly this truth. The passing pleasures of sin are not being forsaken and our churches and the families that attend them are suffering for it. As members of the body of Christ, members one of another, may we consider our actions more carefully, remembering that our sins are against Him and that they impact not only our own lives but the lives of others.
The last example that I would like to consider is actually the first one given by the writer to the Hebrews. In the 4th verse we read, "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous. God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks." In this reference to Able, we find a lesson that demands our attention and consideration. I will summarize it this way. We have the privilege and opportunity to speak of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ after we have left this earth and are home with Him! This is truly amazing. I really believe that what is said of Able is true for each of us. We will all "speak" after we are dead. But what we speak after we are dead will be determined by the lives that we live. Each member of the body of Christ can be assured that a life lived by faith now, will continue to speak of the "author and finisher of our faith" long after we are dead and gone. Praise the Lord for such a blessing and privilege.
The 11th chapter of the Book of Hebrews has been written and I will never be named amongst those listed within it's content. I will not be mentioned alongside of Luther, Tyndale, Calvin, Edwards, Spurgeon or Wesley. But I would like to look at a verse of scripture we find in Paul's second letter to Timothy. In this pastoral letter of encouragement, instruction and exhortation, we find the following words in verse 5 of the first chapter. "For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well." I don't suppose that these two women were considered by most to be "greats of the faith". Neither held titles of consideration. "Mother" and "grandmother" were their titles but "sincere faith" was their way of life. By His strength and according to His will, may we live lives that are marked by sincere faith. To His glory and for His name's sake, might we be mentioned alongside of Lois and Eunice.
Lord, you are worthy to believe in and to trust. You are always faithful. We desire to be people who live by faith; who like Timothy, his mother and his grandmother, have sincere faith dwelling within us. We thank you for the men and women of faith you have raised up through the centuries to be vessels of honor to you. We ask that the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, might empower us to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. How we desire and pray that we might be among those who speak of a life of faith in you even after we are dead.
Friday, August 22, 2008
A Busy Month
It has been a very busy August for our household. Our daughter's trip to Greece, the fair, family camp with our church, salmon fishing in the Columbia and painting the house. Sometimes it seems that there are not enough hours in the day.
I wanted to post a quick note to let you know, that although I have not been writing, I have been pondering. My next article will be called something like "Lessons From Lives of Faith" and will find it's origin in Hebrews 11. The writer to the Hebrews begins the chapter with that great definition of faith; "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval." I hope to have this article finished by the end of the month.
God bless.
I wanted to post a quick note to let you know, that although I have not been writing, I have been pondering. My next article will be called something like "Lessons From Lives of Faith" and will find it's origin in Hebrews 11. The writer to the Hebrews begins the chapter with that great definition of faith; "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval." I hope to have this article finished by the end of the month.
God bless.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
My Daughter's Trip to Greece
Here are some pictures of my daughter's trip to Greece. If only stones and rocks could talk!
Here is her first sight of the Acropolis:
Here is the Parthenon:
Here is her first sight of the Acropolis:
Here is the Parthenon:
There is Mars Hill with Athens in the background. 
Justina taking a break while sitting on Mar's Hill:
Paul's message to the "Men of Athens" posted at Mar's Hill in Greek: 
Behind Justina and one of the professors is the "judgement seat" in Corinth spoken of in Acts 18 where Paul was brought before Gallio:
The last couple of pictures are of a convent the group visited:
Saturday, July 26, 2008
In the Steps of an "Idle Babbler"
I'm in the process of writing an article that has gotten a little longer than I anticipated it would be. But this morning (up at 2:00 a.m.) my wife and I took our daughter to the airport for her College trip to Greece. She will be there until next Saturday and will be doing both classroom work and seeing some historical sights. She will be in Athens, where she will visit the Acropolis, and will also go to Corinth and Andros Island while she is there. There is so much Church history from this part of the world. Her trip has reminded me of one of my favorite portions of scripture; the Apostle Paul's coming to Athens from Berea.
In the 17th Chapter of the Book of Acts, in response to his preaching of the gospel, we find the apostle Paul leaving Thessalonica after the Jews had become jealous and enlisted the help of some "wicked men from the marketplace" to form a mob and cause a riot in the city. Paul and Silas were sent off to Berea where they also proclaimed the word of God. We are told that when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul was in Berea preaching the word, they came there also, agitating and stirring up the people as they had in Thessalonica. Paul was then escorted away to Athens while Silas and Timothy remained behind. Paul had sent word back with those who had escorted him, for Timothy and Silas to come to Athens as soon as possible.
But for a time, Paul had found himself alone in Athens. In verse 16 we are told that Paul's "spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols". In the following verses we find Paul preaching Christ to the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue and every day with whoever happened to be present in the market place. When some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, some were reported as saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" In verse 20 we are given some insight into the Athenians and the people who visited there. We are told that they used to spend their time in nothing other than telling and hearing something new. They considered the things that Paul was saying to be strange to their ears and they asked to hear more of what it meant. What was "strange", was that Paul spoke with power as he proclaimed the truth of Jesus and the resurrection. In verses 22-31 we see Paul delivering his famous message from the midst of the Areopagus.
"Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
This "idle babbler" wished to tell them about the "UNKNOWN GOD", to call them to repentance and share with them the truth of God's only begotten Son, Jesus. No different than today, some sneered at his message and some believed.
I know that it has been many years since Paul walked in the land of Athens and Corinth. But I pray that my daughter might be blessed in her relationship with the Savior as God uses this place of great Church history to deepen each student's understanding and appreciation for those who served the Lord there. God was working in and through them in a mighty way. In serving Christ, they served all who have come after them. I would ask that you pray for her safety and for the safety of the other students and professors. May they each grow closer to the Savior through this learning experience.
Father, I thank You for those who have served before us. For Paul, Timothy, Silas and so many others, whose lives were instrumental as You established Your Church. As we speak the truth and proclaim the Gospel of Your Son and the truth of the resurrection, help us not to be intimidated or discouraged if others may consider us or even call us "idle babblers".
In the 17th Chapter of the Book of Acts, in response to his preaching of the gospel, we find the apostle Paul leaving Thessalonica after the Jews had become jealous and enlisted the help of some "wicked men from the marketplace" to form a mob and cause a riot in the city. Paul and Silas were sent off to Berea where they also proclaimed the word of God. We are told that when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul was in Berea preaching the word, they came there also, agitating and stirring up the people as they had in Thessalonica. Paul was then escorted away to Athens while Silas and Timothy remained behind. Paul had sent word back with those who had escorted him, for Timothy and Silas to come to Athens as soon as possible.
But for a time, Paul had found himself alone in Athens. In verse 16 we are told that Paul's "spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols". In the following verses we find Paul preaching Christ to the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue and every day with whoever happened to be present in the market place. When some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, some were reported as saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" In verse 20 we are given some insight into the Athenians and the people who visited there. We are told that they used to spend their time in nothing other than telling and hearing something new. They considered the things that Paul was saying to be strange to their ears and they asked to hear more of what it meant. What was "strange", was that Paul spoke with power as he proclaimed the truth of Jesus and the resurrection. In verses 22-31 we see Paul delivering his famous message from the midst of the Areopagus.
"Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
This "idle babbler" wished to tell them about the "UNKNOWN GOD", to call them to repentance and share with them the truth of God's only begotten Son, Jesus. No different than today, some sneered at his message and some believed.
I know that it has been many years since Paul walked in the land of Athens and Corinth. But I pray that my daughter might be blessed in her relationship with the Savior as God uses this place of great Church history to deepen each student's understanding and appreciation for those who served the Lord there. God was working in and through them in a mighty way. In serving Christ, they served all who have come after them. I would ask that you pray for her safety and for the safety of the other students and professors. May they each grow closer to the Savior through this learning experience.
Father, I thank You for those who have served before us. For Paul, Timothy, Silas and so many others, whose lives were instrumental as You established Your Church. As we speak the truth and proclaim the Gospel of Your Son and the truth of the resurrection, help us not to be intimidated or discouraged if others may consider us or even call us "idle babblers".
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A GUIDE
Approximately two years ago my pastor preached a message during the morning worship service that focused on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. When we met together later that day for the evening worship service, I told him that the message he had preached that morning had been one of the best I had ever heard. The power of the message was itself evidence of the truth of the Spirit’s work in the life of the believer. The Helper was clearly seen as He worked through the vessel of my pastor to convey truths about Himself, the Father and the Son.
The scripture we find in John 16:13 was used in the message. The verse states, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” In Psalm 23:3, in reference to God, the psalmist wrote “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.” Although certainly not limited to these, we see that God would guide us "into all the truth" and "in the paths of righteousness".
Two particular thoughts come to my mind as I hear those words; truth and righteousness. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” And in Acts 7:52, as he addressed the Jewish leaders before he was martyred, Stephen is recorded as saying, “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have become.” The scripture clearly teaches us that Jesus is truth and Jesus is righteousness. The Holy Spirit, the promised Helper, the Third Person of the Godhead, God Himself, would guide us into all that we could take in about Jesus.
As I began to ponder this, I started to have ideas in my mind about guides and guiding. Being someone who enjoys fishing and the outdoors in general, I was quite familiar with the concept of guiding. There are fishing guides, hunting guides, mountaineering guides, whitewater rafting guides, travel guides and the list goes on. One of the things that all of these guides have in common is that they are sought out and paid to help people pursue their passions. The amount of money that someone will pay to pursue a passion that they have for a particular activity will range from less than a hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars. The Holy Spirit guides for free but this ministry that He longs to impart is seldom sought after as we often lack the passion for where or Who He guides to. This is said with much personal conviction.
In Philippians 3:10, the apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into the kind of passion I am referring to. Regarding Jesus, Paul wrote that his desire was “to know Him and the power of His resurrection.” This is the power by which Jesus was declared to be the Son of God. Romans 1:4 states that He was “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.” Oh, how we could know Him and the power of His resurrection if we only had the passion to do so and earnestly sought the guidance of the Helper.
As believers in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, we need to understand where the Holy Spirit desires to guide us and the privilege and opportunity we have to be led in such a way. Yes, one day we will know Him perfectly for we will be like Him when we see Him face to face. However, part of the abundant life that we can have now is to be guided into Truth and Righteousness, knowing intimately the person of Jesus Christ. Do you have the passion to go there? Do you have the passion to know Him better and partake of His holiness through closer intimacy with Him? Many can quote the Philippians 3:10 verse referred to above but few find the passion to pursue it. Or maybe more accurately, our lives are simply too cluttered with the things of this world to have our eyes fixed on Him.
Although this Guide’s services are free, they will cost you your thoughts, your ways and your heart. As Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-8, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” The Holy Spirit bids us come; to follow Him as He guides us to Christ.
Father, we need the Helper to prepare us to go where He would lead us; intimacy with your Son Jesus. We understand that you long to guide us into truth and righteousness. Prepare our hearts and renew our minds that we might have a right relationship with you; that like the beloved apostle, we might have a desire to "know Him and the power of His resurrection" . Your magnificent creation has provided us with many wonderful things to enjoy but the greatest pursuit that any of us could ever partake in during this life is knowing Him. "Knowing you Jesus, knowing you; There is no greater thing". Thank you for your desire for intimacy with us and for making provision that it might be so.
The scripture we find in John 16:13 was used in the message. The verse states, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” In Psalm 23:3, in reference to God, the psalmist wrote “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.” Although certainly not limited to these, we see that God would guide us "into all the truth" and "in the paths of righteousness".
Two particular thoughts come to my mind as I hear those words; truth and righteousness. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” And in Acts 7:52, as he addressed the Jewish leaders before he was martyred, Stephen is recorded as saying, “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have become.” The scripture clearly teaches us that Jesus is truth and Jesus is righteousness. The Holy Spirit, the promised Helper, the Third Person of the Godhead, God Himself, would guide us into all that we could take in about Jesus.
As I began to ponder this, I started to have ideas in my mind about guides and guiding. Being someone who enjoys fishing and the outdoors in general, I was quite familiar with the concept of guiding. There are fishing guides, hunting guides, mountaineering guides, whitewater rafting guides, travel guides and the list goes on. One of the things that all of these guides have in common is that they are sought out and paid to help people pursue their passions. The amount of money that someone will pay to pursue a passion that they have for a particular activity will range from less than a hundred dollars to several thousands of dollars. The Holy Spirit guides for free but this ministry that He longs to impart is seldom sought after as we often lack the passion for where or Who He guides to. This is said with much personal conviction.
In Philippians 3:10, the apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into the kind of passion I am referring to. Regarding Jesus, Paul wrote that his desire was “to know Him and the power of His resurrection.” This is the power by which Jesus was declared to be the Son of God. Romans 1:4 states that He was “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.” Oh, how we could know Him and the power of His resurrection if we only had the passion to do so and earnestly sought the guidance of the Helper.
As believers in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, we need to understand where the Holy Spirit desires to guide us and the privilege and opportunity we have to be led in such a way. Yes, one day we will know Him perfectly for we will be like Him when we see Him face to face. However, part of the abundant life that we can have now is to be guided into Truth and Righteousness, knowing intimately the person of Jesus Christ. Do you have the passion to go there? Do you have the passion to know Him better and partake of His holiness through closer intimacy with Him? Many can quote the Philippians 3:10 verse referred to above but few find the passion to pursue it. Or maybe more accurately, our lives are simply too cluttered with the things of this world to have our eyes fixed on Him.
Although this Guide’s services are free, they will cost you your thoughts, your ways and your heart. As Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-8, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” The Holy Spirit bids us come; to follow Him as He guides us to Christ.
Father, we need the Helper to prepare us to go where He would lead us; intimacy with your Son Jesus. We understand that you long to guide us into truth and righteousness. Prepare our hearts and renew our minds that we might have a right relationship with you; that like the beloved apostle, we might have a desire to "know Him and the power of His resurrection" . Your magnificent creation has provided us with many wonderful things to enjoy but the greatest pursuit that any of us could ever partake in during this life is knowing Him. "Knowing you Jesus, knowing you; There is no greater thing". Thank you for your desire for intimacy with us and for making provision that it might be so.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
REALLY?
It started off like any other Sunday morning. A 15-20 minute drive to our church. A cup of coffee and a short time of fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ before Sunday school began. Then a good time in the word of God during our Sunday school time. After Sunday school was over, we had our normal time of fellowship before the morning service began. This included a time of prayer with my pastor and the other elders as we asked the Lord for guidance, and prayed for His will to be done as we met together as a body. The morning service then began with some announcements and some congregational singing.
Over the years, the Lord has moved in the hearts of some of His children who have written the great hymns of our faith. Many of these songs have long been the favorites of believers through the ages. It was while we were singing one of these great hymns of the faith that it happened. I will explain what "it" was in a moment, but first, the song. The song was the famous hymn, Living for Jesus. It was written in 1917 by Thomas Obadiah Chisolm, who also wrote one of the most beloved Christian hymns, Great is Thy Faithfulness. The chorus for Living for Jesus goes like this; "O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give my self to Thee, for Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me. I own no other master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone." Mr. Chisolm passed away in 1960 when I was only a few months old. It has been over 90 years since he wrote the words to this hymn and over 47 years since he passed into glory. As we can see time and time again, the Lord's work in peoples' lives often continues to bear fruit long after the person has gone home to glory. So it is with Mr. Chisolm.
As I sang Living for Jesus, and as we sang it together as a family of believers, I had to pause for a moment because I felt as if the Lord was asking a question of me. Perhaps He was asking it of all of us. In fact, it is possible that He was asking the question of other believers around the world who were singing the same song that particular Sunday morning. The question seemed quite simple but it was a difficult one to consider. Although the question went beyond one word, it found it's arresting power in a single word. That word was spoken in the form of a question, "Really?".
I/We sang "O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee" and He asked, "Really?, I have looked for you, but found you too busy to pay attention to me. It seems that while you sing of giving yourself to me, you have actually given yourself to many other interests and endeavors that often don't include me."
I/We sang, "I own no other Master" and He asked, "Really?, I have looked at your life and it seems quite apparent to me that you have allowed several masters in your life. You cannot rightfully serve multiple masters, as each will want you wholly."
I/We sang, "My heart shall be Thy throne" and He asked, "Really? I have been looking for a welcome place in your heart and see that it is cluttered with so many different things, leaving little room for me."
I/We sang, "My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone"; He asked, "Really? I would like this to be true, but when will henceforth begin? It seems that you have given your life to many other pursuits and passions and henceforth has not yet arrived."
Yes, there are those times when God has used them to bring conviction into my life, but I love the old hymns. I fear that the Church is losing sight of the role they have played in the lives of God's people and just how much He has used them to encourage, convict, restore and comfort His children. Or the great message of salvation that is proclaimed in some. I fear thy are being slowly cast aside for the more modern choruses and the growing desire for more contemporary music. I believe the Church should take measures to keep the old hymns as an important part of our gathering together and preserve their place for those who will meet together long after we are gone.
If I had a "big enough voice", I would challenge and encourage church leaders and congregations across the country to take steps to keep the great hymns as an integral part of our worship and fellowship times. Perhaps a "Great Hymns of the Faith" Sunday, where we could not only sing them, but take a moment to learn something of their writers. I pray that we might take this matter seriously and realize that over a period of time the great hymns could be gone from the Church, and with them, the ministry God has carried out through them. Some of you may think that I am exaggerating and think that such a thing would be impossible. The Church without the great hymns of our faith? Mr. Chisolm, and other men and women of God from his day, would have probably thought it impossible to believe that there would be a day where churches would have no pulpits, no crosses, no mention of sin, no mention of His word, and even no mention of His Son. But those churches exist today in growing numbers.
Father, thank you for the men and women of faith who have written the words and composed the music for the great hymns of our faith. You have clearly used them in a mighty way for many generations. They have great value to the Body of Christ. Like so many things that have true value to the Church, we often take them for granted and sit by as they are put aside or even put out of the Church. Surely, you have moved in the hearts of men and women to write and compose some of the more modern choruses and songs that are sang in our churches today, but help us not forget the great hymns of the faith and the men and women who wrote them out of their love and adoration of you. May the words of Thomas Obadiah Chisolm be true one day in my life; "O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give my self to Thee, for Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me. I own no other master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone."
Over the years, the Lord has moved in the hearts of some of His children who have written the great hymns of our faith. Many of these songs have long been the favorites of believers through the ages. It was while we were singing one of these great hymns of the faith that it happened. I will explain what "it" was in a moment, but first, the song. The song was the famous hymn, Living for Jesus. It was written in 1917 by Thomas Obadiah Chisolm, who also wrote one of the most beloved Christian hymns, Great is Thy Faithfulness. The chorus for Living for Jesus goes like this; "O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give my self to Thee, for Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me. I own no other master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone." Mr. Chisolm passed away in 1960 when I was only a few months old. It has been over 90 years since he wrote the words to this hymn and over 47 years since he passed into glory. As we can see time and time again, the Lord's work in peoples' lives often continues to bear fruit long after the person has gone home to glory. So it is with Mr. Chisolm.
As I sang Living for Jesus, and as we sang it together as a family of believers, I had to pause for a moment because I felt as if the Lord was asking a question of me. Perhaps He was asking it of all of us. In fact, it is possible that He was asking the question of other believers around the world who were singing the same song that particular Sunday morning. The question seemed quite simple but it was a difficult one to consider. Although the question went beyond one word, it found it's arresting power in a single word. That word was spoken in the form of a question, "Really?".
I/We sang "O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee" and He asked, "Really?, I have looked for you, but found you too busy to pay attention to me. It seems that while you sing of giving yourself to me, you have actually given yourself to many other interests and endeavors that often don't include me."
I/We sang, "I own no other Master" and He asked, "Really?, I have looked at your life and it seems quite apparent to me that you have allowed several masters in your life. You cannot rightfully serve multiple masters, as each will want you wholly."
I/We sang, "My heart shall be Thy throne" and He asked, "Really? I have been looking for a welcome place in your heart and see that it is cluttered with so many different things, leaving little room for me."
I/We sang, "My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone"; He asked, "Really? I would like this to be true, but when will henceforth begin? It seems that you have given your life to many other pursuits and passions and henceforth has not yet arrived."
Yes, there are those times when God has used them to bring conviction into my life, but I love the old hymns. I fear that the Church is losing sight of the role they have played in the lives of God's people and just how much He has used them to encourage, convict, restore and comfort His children. Or the great message of salvation that is proclaimed in some. I fear thy are being slowly cast aside for the more modern choruses and the growing desire for more contemporary music. I believe the Church should take measures to keep the old hymns as an important part of our gathering together and preserve their place for those who will meet together long after we are gone.
If I had a "big enough voice", I would challenge and encourage church leaders and congregations across the country to take steps to keep the great hymns as an integral part of our worship and fellowship times. Perhaps a "Great Hymns of the Faith" Sunday, where we could not only sing them, but take a moment to learn something of their writers. I pray that we might take this matter seriously and realize that over a period of time the great hymns could be gone from the Church, and with them, the ministry God has carried out through them. Some of you may think that I am exaggerating and think that such a thing would be impossible. The Church without the great hymns of our faith? Mr. Chisolm, and other men and women of God from his day, would have probably thought it impossible to believe that there would be a day where churches would have no pulpits, no crosses, no mention of sin, no mention of His word, and even no mention of His Son. But those churches exist today in growing numbers.
Father, thank you for the men and women of faith who have written the words and composed the music for the great hymns of our faith. You have clearly used them in a mighty way for many generations. They have great value to the Body of Christ. Like so many things that have true value to the Church, we often take them for granted and sit by as they are put aside or even put out of the Church. Surely, you have moved in the hearts of men and women to write and compose some of the more modern choruses and songs that are sang in our churches today, but help us not forget the great hymns of the faith and the men and women who wrote them out of their love and adoration of you. May the words of Thomas Obadiah Chisolm be true one day in my life; "O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give my self to Thee, for Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me. I own no other master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)