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.
Friday, November 28, 2008
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.
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