I was walking along the trail, this Wednesday and I was like, "I am going to try to talk to people, at least say 'Hi'". I was walking up to this man and I could tell that I would atleast be able to say, "Hi" and he would atleast say "Hi" back. He walked up to me, turned around and started walking the samed direction as me. I prayed something like this "Thank you Lord for making this easy, ok what are you doing Lord, help me Lord to talk." We walked I think about 2 miles. He told me about some of his struggles. I really enjoyed our talk. At the end we exchanged phone numbers and said we would try to walk together sometime. And again I thanked the Lord. I'd been asking to provide someone that most people wouldn't notice or spend the time with for me to witness, not just a quick presentation of the Gospel, but someone I could spend time with and walk with and get to know. I don't know what will happen, I may call him and nothing may come of it, but durring the time I spent I found out that I was not the only person this man had given his phone number to. And that thought broke my heart. There are many people to reach out to if we are willing. For me it has started with a prayer, God provide oportunities and help me to be obedient. And He has been providing more of those in my life.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
exceedingly more
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."------Ephesians 3:20,21
I have heard this verse in so many prayers, sermons, and comments. But rarely have I heard it in scope of what this verse is crying out to us. Most of the time I here it seperated from the context and a powerful truth is missed. Paul has asked "that God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Paul is asking that we would be near our God and to know His love and this exeedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. This is more powerful than any other interpretation that might be given these verses.
I have heard this verse in so many prayers, sermons, and comments. But rarely have I heard it in scope of what this verse is crying out to us. Most of the time I here it seperated from the context and a powerful truth is missed. Paul has asked "that God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Paul is asking that we would be near our God and to know His love and this exeedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. This is more powerful than any other interpretation that might be given these verses.
Quote by Mike Yaconelli, The Safety of Fear
----“The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified. We aren’t afraid of God, we aren’t afraid of Jesus, we aren’t afraid of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we have ended up with a need-centered gospel that attracts thousands . . . but transforms no one.
----Unfortunately those of us who have been entrusted with the terrifying, frightening Good News have become obsessed with making Christianity safe. We have defanged the tiger of Truth. We have tamed the Lion and now Christianity is so sensible, so accepted, so palatable.
----Our world is tired of people whose God is tame. It is longing to see people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender . . . and ours; a God whose love frightens us into His strong and powerful arms where He longs to whisper those terrifying words, ‘I love you.’”
----“The tragedy of modern faith is that we no longer are capable of being terrified. We aren’t afraid of God, we aren’t afraid of Jesus, we aren’t afraid of the Holy Spirit. As a result, we have ended up with a need-centered gospel that attracts thousands . . . but transforms no one.
----Unfortunately those of us who have been entrusted with the terrifying, frightening Good News have become obsessed with making Christianity safe. We have defanged the tiger of Truth. We have tamed the Lion and now Christianity is so sensible, so accepted, so palatable.
----Our world is tired of people whose God is tame. It is longing to see people whose God is big and holy and frightening and gentle and tender . . . and ours; a God whose love frightens us into His strong and powerful arms where He longs to whisper those terrifying words, ‘I love you.’”
Will Metzer Tell the Truth, CH.7, p.108
"Lables are deadly in Christian circles. For example when it comes to the topic of the will, immediately certain views are categorized as Reformed or Arminian. The discussionthen ends because it is thought (wrongly) that as soon as you have given a name to something, you understand it. Instead, there should be continued dialogue in the Scriptures by all of us. Let's fight this labeling fallacy."
"Lables are deadly in Christian circles. For example when it comes to the topic of the will, immediately certain views are categorized as Reformed or Arminian. The discussionthen ends because it is thought (wrongly) that as soon as you have given a name to something, you understand it. Instead, there should be continued dialogue in the Scriptures by all of us. Let's fight this labeling fallacy."
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Pain
From a letter I wrote today
"Sorry, for being down last night. I honestly don't know how to deal with my hurt, except to cry out to the Lord. Right now, I am weak and falling apart. The psalms talks about great pain and bones being wracked and the like. The Psalmists felt pain and sorrow intensly. I think we read this and think that it is not normal when it happens. We get over spiritual and say we shouldn't feel this way. Well, I do feel this way! I am hurting, but I assure you that my eyes are on Christ and I am running after Him. And I believe He will hold me durring this. He already is. I will not loose my confidence in Him, and though my heart is hurting and it is hard, I know He is good. I trust Him, so dearly. I am thankful i don't have to be perfect before Him, but He accepts me as I am, wounded, weak, and hurting. Feel free to pray for me, I don't believe our walk of faith is done alone. Your prayers are effective in giving me the strength I need to walk through this."
I am being very vulnerable with my pain here, more than I normally would, because we hear a lot of people saying that God is good after coming through a situation and looking back. I want you to know that you can have that hope and confidence and joy in the midst of the situation. In the midst of pain, I have confidence that God is good. And I can trust Him. This is what real life is about. And God is there.
I also want people to feel like it is ok, to feel sorrow. I wrote another letter today. Here it is:
"I realized tonight, that I feel like its not ok to hurt, not so much with God, with God I feel like it is ok, but with people. I feel like people think that if I am hurting I lack faith or that I am holding on, and so its not ok. I think one of the things I have been needing to hear is that it is ok to hurt."
"Sorry, for being down last night. I honestly don't know how to deal with my hurt, except to cry out to the Lord. Right now, I am weak and falling apart. The psalms talks about great pain and bones being wracked and the like. The Psalmists felt pain and sorrow intensly. I think we read this and think that it is not normal when it happens. We get over spiritual and say we shouldn't feel this way. Well, I do feel this way! I am hurting, but I assure you that my eyes are on Christ and I am running after Him. And I believe He will hold me durring this. He already is. I will not loose my confidence in Him, and though my heart is hurting and it is hard, I know He is good. I trust Him, so dearly. I am thankful i don't have to be perfect before Him, but He accepts me as I am, wounded, weak, and hurting. Feel free to pray for me, I don't believe our walk of faith is done alone. Your prayers are effective in giving me the strength I need to walk through this."
I am being very vulnerable with my pain here, more than I normally would, because we hear a lot of people saying that God is good after coming through a situation and looking back. I want you to know that you can have that hope and confidence and joy in the midst of the situation. In the midst of pain, I have confidence that God is good. And I can trust Him. This is what real life is about. And God is there.
I also want people to feel like it is ok, to feel sorrow. I wrote another letter today. Here it is:
"I realized tonight, that I feel like its not ok to hurt, not so much with God, with God I feel like it is ok, but with people. I feel like people think that if I am hurting I lack faith or that I am holding on, and so its not ok. I think one of the things I have been needing to hear is that it is ok to hurt."
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
loving your wife
Praying this morning, I was struck by the thought, that God has called husbands to lay down their lives for their wives. I am to be for her. I cannot live for me. Its not about what I want or what I feel I need from her. My goal is to build her up in the Lord and to love her and to lay down my life for her. This is not a wimpy kind of love. It is a love that firmly calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. And we must follow Jesus to be the husbands our wives need.
This does not just apply to marriage. We cannot live our lives for ourselves. We must have the same attitude as Christ and lay down our lives for others.
This does not just apply to marriage. We cannot live our lives for ourselves. We must have the same attitude as Christ and lay down our lives for others.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Communion
I led Communion (I believe for the first time) this Tuesday, October 16, 2007. This is the Lituragy I used.
One of the reasons I used a Literagy was because it could be about me talking or about us worshiping and declaring the goodness of God together. It was also great because I had different men lead out durring this.
I hope through this that you will be able to see that Christ is our righteousness, He alone is our rock; and that our dependence is on Him both for salvation, but also for sanctification; we bring nothing. When we realize that it is Him at work and that He has done the work, we can run with confidence toward our Beloved. His sacrifice is not just for our salvation, it is for our living, and our glorification. By faith we live.
Grace
Minister: We come here by grace;
People: being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness,” (Romans 3:23-25)
Minister: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
People: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 6:23)
People: "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation."
Minister: Our promise and salvation are sure for. . .
People: “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12-14)
Minister: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)
Minister: Therefore since our righteousness if from Him, we have nothing to boast of,
People: "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. . . . may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galations 2:20-21; 6:14)
Minister: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:6-8)
People: “Therefore, . . . let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Community
The scripture says, “. . .in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13) Communion is taken in community. We are brought near to each other by the blood of Christ. It is by grace, and only grace, that we can live in community with each other.
Institution
Minister: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
People: Christ became flesh.
-----Christ has died.
-----Christ is risen.
-----Christ will come again.
Minister: Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Minister: The gifts of God are for the people of God. Come eat and drink with thanksgiving.
People: Hallelujah!
Prayer of Blessing
Minister:
Breaking of the Bread
“and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians 11:24)
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Minister:
Wine
“In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:25-26)
Prayer of Longing
Minister:
One of the reasons I used a Literagy was because it could be about me talking or about us worshiping and declaring the goodness of God together. It was also great because I had different men lead out durring this.
I hope through this that you will be able to see that Christ is our righteousness, He alone is our rock; and that our dependence is on Him both for salvation, but also for sanctification; we bring nothing. When we realize that it is Him at work and that He has done the work, we can run with confidence toward our Beloved. His sacrifice is not just for our salvation, it is for our living, and our glorification. By faith we live.
Grace
Minister: We come here by grace;
People: being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness,” (Romans 3:23-25)
Minister: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
People: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 6:23)
People: "But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation."
Minister: Our promise and salvation are sure for. . .
People: “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:12-14)
Minister: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30)
Minister: Therefore since our righteousness if from Him, we have nothing to boast of,
People: "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. . . . may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galations 2:20-21; 6:14)
Minister: “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:6-8)
People: “Therefore, . . . let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Community
The scripture says, “. . .in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13) Communion is taken in community. We are brought near to each other by the blood of Christ. It is by grace, and only grace, that we can live in community with each other.
Institution
Minister: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
People: Christ became flesh.
-----Christ has died.
-----Christ is risen.
-----Christ will come again.
Minister: Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us.
People: Therefore, let us keep the feast.
Minister: The gifts of God are for the people of God. Come eat and drink with thanksgiving.
People: Hallelujah!
Prayer of Blessing
Minister:
Breaking of the Bread
“and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians 11:24)
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Minister:
Wine
“In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:25-26)
Prayer of Longing
Minister:
"My flesh and my heart may fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
My heart is hurting. I am falling apart. I am in a place where I have no strength, no greatness. My heart has failed. I don't even know how to pray or to put in words the hurting that is in my heart. All I can do is fall on my face before the Lord and cry out to Him. And this I know in this time; That He is so good and He is with me. He truly is the strength of my heart. He is my refuge. And He will uphold me in His integrity and enable me to stand. And even in the midst of falling apart, He will not let me be put shame.
"But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That i may declare all Your works.
4:45 pm
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
My heart is hurting. I am falling apart. I am in a place where I have no strength, no greatness. My heart has failed. I don't even know how to pray or to put in words the hurting that is in my heart. All I can do is fall on my face before the Lord and cry out to Him. And this I know in this time; That He is so good and He is with me. He truly is the strength of my heart. He is my refuge. And He will uphold me in His integrity and enable me to stand. And even in the midst of falling apart, He will not let me be put shame.
"But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That i may declare all Your works.
4:45 pm
Monday, October 15, 2007
Someone made a good point about what I said earlier, so let me clarify. I talked earlier about running down the aisle for my bride. I think some might have got the picture of a foolish mad dash toward the bride. When I said this I did not mean a frantic blundering pursuit. Christ is waiting for the time His Father has set and He is strong in His trust of the Father. But I do think he longs for us. I do think His desires are set toward His Bride and He does long to come for us. And I don't think His desires are small. When I said this I was talking more about desire than action.
And I am not saying that I would run down the aisle. I was describing what I felt, not nessessarily what I would do. I think there is something amazingly beautiful about the father giving away his daughter. And I would not want to take anything away from that. I would not take her till her father has given her to me. But my desire and my love for her, will not be small, and I would not pretend that I don't desire and long for her.
Also there is some truth in this. One in Jewish tradition where the bridegroom did come for his wife after the father said it was time. And also in the fact that Christ will be coming for His bride. And the picture that I had when I wrote that was this, Christ coming for His bride.
I think what I am understanding is that Christ longs for us and that as His bride we can long for Him as well and cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus".
And I am not saying that I would run down the aisle. I was describing what I felt, not nessessarily what I would do. I think there is something amazingly beautiful about the father giving away his daughter. And I would not want to take anything away from that. I would not take her till her father has given her to me. But my desire and my love for her, will not be small, and I would not pretend that I don't desire and long for her.
Also there is some truth in this. One in Jewish tradition where the bridegroom did come for his wife after the father said it was time. And also in the fact that Christ will be coming for His bride. And the picture that I had when I wrote that was this, Christ coming for His bride.
I think what I am understanding is that Christ longs for us and that as His bride we can long for Him as well and cry out, "Come, Lord Jesus".
Sunday, October 14, 2007
----I was talking with a lady the other day, who as a child was hit by car, and suffered severe damage. She was physically awkward and also socially awkward. It was fun talking with her and letting her know that she was valuable. She gave me a poem she had written. From the poem, you could tell that she had been hurt by lot of rejection over the years; a lot of people passing her by because she was different. People not considering her valuable enough to take the time to get to know. As I am writing this tears are building up. That was a small part of the poem, the rest of the poem talked about her longing to be with Jesus, and how His love remains true and never fails.
----And I am sure His arms are eagerly awaiting to hold her.
----Why are we so much like the priest and the Levite, who walk on other side, avoiding and passing by those who are hurting? Christ demonstrated that love is willing to give of ourselves and touch the wounds of the outcast to be there for them in their hurt and even in the things that are not pleasant.
----Father, test my heart in this. And rip anything out that keeps me from pursuing those who are hurting and different. God, don’t let me just be casual in my effort, but to reach out in your love, to pour out my life as you did, and to touch the broken hearted
----And I am sure His arms are eagerly awaiting to hold her.
----Why are we so much like the priest and the Levite, who walk on other side, avoiding and passing by those who are hurting? Christ demonstrated that love is willing to give of ourselves and touch the wounds of the outcast to be there for them in their hurt and even in the things that are not pleasant.
----Father, test my heart in this. And rip anything out that keeps me from pursuing those who are hurting and different. God, don’t let me just be casual in my effort, but to reach out in your love, to pour out my life as you did, and to touch the broken hearted
I went to a wedding October 13th. As I was thinking about the wedding and the groomsman standing there waiting for his bride, my heart stirred and cried out, "I don't know if I could stand there and wait for her to make it all the way down the aisle, I'd want to run passionately for her." That thought came and then the thought came of Christ coming for His bride.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
"As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yeilds, in one case a hundred fold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." --Matthew 13:1-23
This parable gives me much hope for the hard hearted and those who seem to be distracted by this world. It gives me a confidence to preach the Gospel. The reason I have hope is that there is good soil. Soil is made good by being worked on by the Farmer. The soil is broken of its hardness, the rocky ground is cleared, and the weeds are taken out. It gives me hope because God can take a hard, rocky, weedy heart and prepare it for the Gospel. And when the soil is good, the Gospel will bear fruit. The scripture says that He can take a heart of stone and make it flesh. God's work on a man's heart is effective. And so I do not loose hope in preaching the Gospel, for I know that it has the power to penetrate men's hearts.
This parable gives me much hope for the hard hearted and those who seem to be distracted by this world. It gives me a confidence to preach the Gospel. The reason I have hope is that there is good soil. Soil is made good by being worked on by the Farmer. The soil is broken of its hardness, the rocky ground is cleared, and the weeds are taken out. It gives me hope because God can take a hard, rocky, weedy heart and prepare it for the Gospel. And when the soil is good, the Gospel will bear fruit. The scripture says that He can take a heart of stone and make it flesh. God's work on a man's heart is effective. And so I do not loose hope in preaching the Gospel, for I know that it has the power to penetrate men's hearts.
Husband's kingship
based on a discussion with the men at church, Sunday, October 7, 2007; written Wednsday 10th
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes it and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body."
Husbands, I think we often respond in our flesh in trying to "fix" our wives or even to be more spiritual "to make them more godly". God has commanded us to sanctify our wives through loving her, giving up ourselves for her, and gently washing her with the word. Husbands, this is a romantic picture of love. Imagine the physical picture of this and do this with you words, emotions, and actions toward your wife. There is nothing more romantic. This love is not weak; our love is to come from the strength of Christ. We are to nourish and wash her with the word and truth. We are to love as men and are to shepherd our family towards Christ. It is a love that has amazing strength and integrity to it but is also full of tenderness. We are to live with her in an understanding way learning how to cherish and nourish her. Our words and actions should build her up, not tear her down. And just as Christ's love is effectual in sanctifying our hearts, our love through Christ will be effectual in changing our wives. God says that an ungodly man can be changed by a godly wife's respect (1 Peter 3). An ungodly wife can be changed by the love of her husband. So whether or not she is godly or not, we are free to passionately love her, knowing that our love is effectual.
Husbands, when we act in our flesh to "fix" our wives, we are responding just as bad as the nagging wife. We are in sin. We must also be careful; we are to wash our wife gently with the word, not our desires. And we are to do this in an understanding way that honors her. In fact the scripture says that if we respond with our flesh, God will not hear our prayers. "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."
So men, walk in freedom and extravagantly love your wives.
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes it and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body."
Husbands, I think we often respond in our flesh in trying to "fix" our wives or even to be more spiritual "to make them more godly". God has commanded us to sanctify our wives through loving her, giving up ourselves for her, and gently washing her with the word. Husbands, this is a romantic picture of love. Imagine the physical picture of this and do this with you words, emotions, and actions toward your wife. There is nothing more romantic. This love is not weak; our love is to come from the strength of Christ. We are to nourish and wash her with the word and truth. We are to love as men and are to shepherd our family towards Christ. It is a love that has amazing strength and integrity to it but is also full of tenderness. We are to live with her in an understanding way learning how to cherish and nourish her. Our words and actions should build her up, not tear her down. And just as Christ's love is effectual in sanctifying our hearts, our love through Christ will be effectual in changing our wives. God says that an ungodly man can be changed by a godly wife's respect (1 Peter 3). An ungodly wife can be changed by the love of her husband. So whether or not she is godly or not, we are free to passionately love her, knowing that our love is effectual.
Husbands, when we act in our flesh to "fix" our wives, we are responding just as bad as the nagging wife. We are in sin. We must also be careful; we are to wash our wife gently with the word, not our desires. And we are to do this in an understanding way that honors her. In fact the scripture says that if we respond with our flesh, God will not hear our prayers. "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered."
So men, walk in freedom and extravagantly love your wives.
effectual calling
Some will question God's effectual calling of men, saying that we must uphold the "responsibility of man". Man does have free will and responsibilty to choose God, but our free will is enslaved by our desires. We are born in sin and our desires are evil, we do not desire God. Man by his free will has rejected God, suppressing the truth and has made himself an enemy of God. This is where the "responsibility of man" takes us. We by our own free will reject God and all have become guilty and under the wrath of God. But then God who has determined to have a people for Himself, has also determined to save them through Christ. We are sinners by nature and therefore must be saved by God's grace.
"I have no hope at all but in thy great mercy. Grant what thou commandest and command what thou dost desire." --Augustine
"I have no hope at all but in thy great mercy. Grant what thou commandest and command what thou dost desire." --Augustine
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Written Thursday, September 6, 2007
I wouldn’t stay inside the warmth of a cozy home and leave my pinky finger outside in the freezing weather. And yet this is what often happens in the church. We neglect the outsider, the person who is different, or the person who is a burden. We leave them outside in the cold instead of bringing them into the warmth and love of fellowship. They are part of our body and we need them. They are a vital part of the body. God is not neglectful in His design.
Lord, help me to be a place of warmth and love for others and to pursue them with Your love.
I wouldn’t stay inside the warmth of a cozy home and leave my pinky finger outside in the freezing weather. And yet this is what often happens in the church. We neglect the outsider, the person who is different, or the person who is a burden. We leave them outside in the cold instead of bringing them into the warmth and love of fellowship. They are part of our body and we need them. They are a vital part of the body. God is not neglectful in His design.
Lord, help me to be a place of warmth and love for others and to pursue them with Your love.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
fads
Written Thursday, September 6, 2007
There are many fads and methodologies in the church. There are fads on what a church is to look like, how it is to be run, what methods are to be used in ministry, how we are to witness, how we are to reach people in other countries, how we are to pray, how we are to worship, how we are to council others, and many more. I know I personally think many of these are good and wise and I plan on using them. But there is a great danger in these fads and methodologies. We are in danger of Idolatry and Pride. We don’t follow a methodology or fad. We follow a person, Jesus. Christ is the center, not a fad. And when we loose that center, we loose objectivity and soundness in the scriptures, in life and in ministry. Our site is skewed and we loose our focus and solid foundation. Our walk with God is God centered. It is about Him and being known by Him. We are not to follow fads, but are to walk with Him and to get to know Him through the scriptures and obedience. We are to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Oh, what great joy it is to follow Christ! In Christ alone will I stand! “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”
"But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
There are many fads and methodologies in the church. There are fads on what a church is to look like, how it is to be run, what methods are to be used in ministry, how we are to witness, how we are to reach people in other countries, how we are to pray, how we are to worship, how we are to council others, and many more. I know I personally think many of these are good and wise and I plan on using them. But there is a great danger in these fads and methodologies. We are in danger of Idolatry and Pride. We don’t follow a methodology or fad. We follow a person, Jesus. Christ is the center, not a fad. And when we loose that center, we loose objectivity and soundness in the scriptures, in life and in ministry. Our site is skewed and we loose our focus and solid foundation. Our walk with God is God centered. It is about Him and being known by Him. We are not to follow fads, but are to walk with Him and to get to know Him through the scriptures and obedience. We are to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Oh, what great joy it is to follow Christ! In Christ alone will I stand! “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”
"But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
Written 2003
There she stood clothed, yet naked
Before Him who looked into her
heart.
Fire and judgment stirred relentlessly
-----And searched . . .
She looked into His eyes and saw
-----severity
He did not penetrate her heart purposelessly
-----But was determined
She could no longer stand and fell . . .
His arms wrapped around her and
-----He held her close
“My child, my child, come close”
She looked into His eyes once again
-----And was consumed by His love.
And yet His gaze had not changed.
There she stood clothed, yet naked
Before Him who looked into her
heart.
Fire and judgment stirred relentlessly
-----And searched . . .
She looked into His eyes and saw
-----severity
He did not penetrate her heart purposelessly
-----But was determined
She could no longer stand and fell . . .
His arms wrapped around her and
-----He held her close
“My child, my child, come close”
She looked into His eyes once again
-----And was consumed by His love.
And yet His gaze had not changed.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Written Tuesday. November 2, 2003
When I was a child, my father
----Took me to the beach at sunrise;
We sat in silence and listened to the wind.
It was grand it was beautiful.
Soon my father took me to the shoreline
----I loved the waves lapping at my feet,
----And the sand coming in between my toes
The waves were exciting and thrilling.
My Father grabbed my hand and held me close,
He gave me a hug,
----Then rushed me into the ocean.
----We played
----We splashed
----We swam
----We had fun and adventure.
And when I looked at my fathers face,
----He was more excited than I
We came out on to the beach
We filled our curiosity with looking for seashore shells
----And our imagination with sea faring stories
----And sand castles
Oh! And we raced bare foot in the sand
----And wrestled till we had sand in our hair.
I did not want to leave.
Before I knew it,
My father took me out to sea, in the midst of a hurricane
It was terrible. Fear struck through me
----And I trembled in terror
I was afraid. The storm had such strength and power.
It was mighty.
I cried out, “Father why”
He did not speak
He swept me off my feet and took me to the depths,
This took some time, there was more there
----Than I could possibly have imagined.
We explored the coral reefs,
----We followed the path of the whales,
----We played with dolphins
----We explored mountains
----Saw wonders
----He allowed me to explore and fill my curiosity
And taught me many things
He took me out in a boat, it was silent
I looked around at the vastness of the oceans,
Tears came to my eyes, for it was so very wonderful.
My father sat beside me there and taught me
----The way of the wind,
----And said, “Son, count the stars,”
----Then he smiled, “I know them all by name”
We talked and talked till I knew his heart.
“Son”
“Yes, father"
“Know the vastness and depth of my love”
When I was a child, my father
----Took me to the beach at sunrise;
We sat in silence and listened to the wind.
It was grand it was beautiful.
Soon my father took me to the shoreline
----I loved the waves lapping at my feet,
----And the sand coming in between my toes
The waves were exciting and thrilling.
My Father grabbed my hand and held me close,
He gave me a hug,
----Then rushed me into the ocean.
----We played
----We splashed
----We swam
----We had fun and adventure.
And when I looked at my fathers face,
----He was more excited than I
We came out on to the beach
We filled our curiosity with looking for seashore shells
----And our imagination with sea faring stories
----And sand castles
Oh! And we raced bare foot in the sand
----And wrestled till we had sand in our hair.
I did not want to leave.
Before I knew it,
My father took me out to sea, in the midst of a hurricane
It was terrible. Fear struck through me
----And I trembled in terror
I was afraid. The storm had such strength and power.
It was mighty.
I cried out, “Father why”
He did not speak
He swept me off my feet and took me to the depths,
This took some time, there was more there
----Than I could possibly have imagined.
We explored the coral reefs,
----We followed the path of the whales,
----We played with dolphins
----We explored mountains
----Saw wonders
----He allowed me to explore and fill my curiosity
And taught me many things
He took me out in a boat, it was silent
I looked around at the vastness of the oceans,
Tears came to my eyes, for it was so very wonderful.
My father sat beside me there and taught me
----The way of the wind,
----And said, “Son, count the stars,”
----Then he smiled, “I know them all by name”
We talked and talked till I knew his heart.
“Son”
“Yes, father"
“Know the vastness and depth of my love”
Sunday, September 16, 2007
The Word of God
---My pastor talked about how if you set a lion in cage and put it before you (or the church) and then open the cage, it is not you who has to protect the lion, the lion needs no protection; it is you who needs the protection. It is the same with the scripture. It is a lion. It will conquer. He also told a story of how while looking at the lions at the zoo, one of them roared. The roar shook the things around him. The roar shook him.
---The Bible talks about the scripture as being a double edged sword that divides bone and marrow, spirit and soul. It comes at us in close, violent, and personal combat. It shakes us and conquers us and conforms us into the image of Christ.
---Scripture is also described as water, bread, substance, life. It is not only personal in combat but personal in sustaining us and being life giving and a hope and a joy. It strengthens us. They are the words of the Beloved. His word washes His bride conforming us into the image of Christ.
---God's word is at work for the power of His glory.
---The Bible talks about the scripture as being a double edged sword that divides bone and marrow, spirit and soul. It comes at us in close, violent, and personal combat. It shakes us and conquers us and conforms us into the image of Christ.
---Scripture is also described as water, bread, substance, life. It is not only personal in combat but personal in sustaining us and being life giving and a hope and a joy. It strengthens us. They are the words of the Beloved. His word washes His bride conforming us into the image of Christ.
---God's word is at work for the power of His glory.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Doctrine of brothers and sisters
Written August 15 and September 2 and 13, 2007
-----My heart is broken when in upholding truth; we walk away from our brothers and sisters. We should guard truth and sound doctrine with all that we have. I believe this strongly and with all my heart. These are the words of Jesus, himself. Unity, truth, and doctrine are never separated in the Bible. And the Bible is very clear that those men who lead must have sound doctrine. But in upholding truth, we must not exclude believers. If we believe God’s word in all things, we must believe what it says about loving our brothers and sisters. We cannot neglect the doctrine of “brothers and sisters”, in order to uphold another doctrine. We must hold all of God’s word. And if one believes and obeys the Gospel, then they are our brother or sister and we must love them dearly (1 Corinthians 13). It is an unconditional acceptance along with a love that does not settle for less. If they are Christian, they are part of who we are. They are part of our body and we must not cut them off, but instead must nurture them and love them. We must pour into their lives. We must also remember that they too are part of the body and we need them. We must not let pride keep us from learning from them. I need them to be a part of my life and to pour into my life. They are there for my good. I often have told others, I need you, because you are part of my body; you are a part of who I am; you have to be a part of my life.
----- “Iron sharpens iron.” This is messy; I know in my struggle I have often felt like leaving my brothers and sisters. But it is good and sweet to walk with them. And I know for me, I often feel, how could anything part me from those I love so much and are so much a part of who I am in the Body of Christ. We are a part of this body by grace alone and have nothing to boast or be proud of.
-----My heart is broken when in upholding truth; we walk away from our brothers and sisters. We should guard truth and sound doctrine with all that we have. I believe this strongly and with all my heart. These are the words of Jesus, himself. Unity, truth, and doctrine are never separated in the Bible. And the Bible is very clear that those men who lead must have sound doctrine. But in upholding truth, we must not exclude believers. If we believe God’s word in all things, we must believe what it says about loving our brothers and sisters. We cannot neglect the doctrine of “brothers and sisters”, in order to uphold another doctrine. We must hold all of God’s word. And if one believes and obeys the Gospel, then they are our brother or sister and we must love them dearly (1 Corinthians 13). It is an unconditional acceptance along with a love that does not settle for less. If they are Christian, they are part of who we are. They are part of our body and we must not cut them off, but instead must nurture them and love them. We must pour into their lives. We must also remember that they too are part of the body and we need them. We must not let pride keep us from learning from them. I need them to be a part of my life and to pour into my life. They are there for my good. I often have told others, I need you, because you are part of my body; you are a part of who I am; you have to be a part of my life.
----- “Iron sharpens iron.” This is messy; I know in my struggle I have often felt like leaving my brothers and sisters. But it is good and sweet to walk with them. And I know for me, I often feel, how could anything part me from those I love so much and are so much a part of who I am in the Body of Christ. We are a part of this body by grace alone and have nothing to boast or be proud of.
Written Sunday, September 2, 2007
We give thanks to you, O God;
---we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.
At the set time that I appoint
---I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
---it is I who keep steady its pillars.
------- Psalm 75:1, 2
I have learned that walking close with God does not mean that you will not be in situations that will shake the core of who you are nor does it mean that you won’t be shaken with no strength left of your own. But there is a sweetness and a dear intimacy in walking with the Lord in those times that breaks forth into doxology, “We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near.” He is near. It is He who comes close and holds us, when we cannot hold ourselves. It is He who always holds us, because we can never hold ourselves. . . . “It is I who keep steady its pillars.” And in this world that totters and is shaken, it is He who sees our situation and “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.”
We give thanks to you, O God;
---we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.
At the set time that I appoint
---I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
---it is I who keep steady its pillars.
------- Psalm 75:1, 2
I have learned that walking close with God does not mean that you will not be in situations that will shake the core of who you are nor does it mean that you won’t be shaken with no strength left of your own. But there is a sweetness and a dear intimacy in walking with the Lord in those times that breaks forth into doxology, “We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near.” He is near. It is He who comes close and holds us, when we cannot hold ourselves. It is He who always holds us, because we can never hold ourselves. . . . “It is I who keep steady its pillars.” And in this world that totters and is shaken, it is He who sees our situation and “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.”
The central person of the Gospel
Chart 1: Some Contrasts in Gospel Content from Tell the Truth by Will Metzger
(you can click on the images to make them bigger)
(you can click on the images to make them bigger)
Written Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Evangelism is doxology. Maybe the reason we do not evangelize is because the Gospel does not permeate us. We are not familiar with it. We do not know the depth, the width, and vastness of it. Its penetrating power doesn’t become doxology or evangelism because it is not near and personal.
Evangelism is doxology. Maybe the reason we do not evangelize is because the Gospel does not permeate us. We are not familiar with it. We do not know the depth, the width, and vastness of it. Its penetrating power doesn’t become doxology or evangelism because it is not near and personal.
Poem written December 2003
I heard the thunder of the gates as they closed and
The heaviness of the chains as they were wrapped around and locked.
All light fled, and no whispers of comfort came.
Mire and heaviness engulfed me, as I waited helpless.
I cried out for help, silence
And so I stayed on my knees waiting.
My captors would cry out, “Where is your Hope? He will not deliver you.”
I said, I will not lose my trust, in the Living One,
He will deliver me in His love, for His name’s sake.
I will put my trust in Him, though the darkness hides me,
Though I cannot see His face.
He will not hide from me forever.
He is my strength.
Oh! Is He not mighty and His love grand.
He will come and make war on my enemies.
He will deliver me and turn my sorrow into joy.
He will give me a new song, and will teach me to dance.
He will teach me to war, and my enemies will flee.
He will give me hands and words to heal the wounded and afflicted,
And hearts will see and turn to Him.
He will bless my fields and they will produce abundant wheat and fruit.
He will be near.
Oh! My enemies, though my Help looks far off,
He is near, He is with me.
And even in my greatest sorrow, He is my comfort.
And I will praise Him with all my heart.
Oh! How great is His joy at all times.
I will not be ashamed, no, for I trust in Him.
I hear His thunder now.
I heard the thunder of the gates as they closed and
The heaviness of the chains as they were wrapped around and locked.
All light fled, and no whispers of comfort came.
Mire and heaviness engulfed me, as I waited helpless.
I cried out for help, silence
And so I stayed on my knees waiting.
My captors would cry out, “Where is your Hope? He will not deliver you.”
I said, I will not lose my trust, in the Living One,
He will deliver me in His love, for His name’s sake.
I will put my trust in Him, though the darkness hides me,
Though I cannot see His face.
He will not hide from me forever.
He is my strength.
Oh! Is He not mighty and His love grand.
He will come and make war on my enemies.
He will deliver me and turn my sorrow into joy.
He will give me a new song, and will teach me to dance.
He will teach me to war, and my enemies will flee.
He will give me hands and words to heal the wounded and afflicted,
And hearts will see and turn to Him.
He will bless my fields and they will produce abundant wheat and fruit.
He will be near.
Oh! My enemies, though my Help looks far off,
He is near, He is with me.
And even in my greatest sorrow, He is my comfort.
And I will praise Him with all my heart.
Oh! How great is His joy at all times.
I will not be ashamed, no, for I trust in Him.
I hear His thunder now.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
the Groom
Written September 2006
-----I have picked up an odd habit, or maybe not so odd, I do not know. At weddings, the music plays its interlude, and the doors are opened, and the bride comes into view and begins to walk down the aisle. --- I like the verse in Song of Songs, “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” --- Everyone stands up to behold this bride walking toward the groom in her wedding dress full of beauty, her eyes excited, and her heart ready to become the wife of the man standing waiting for her. When this happens, I stand up with everyone, but my gaze is not toward the bride coming in beauty, but instead it is toward the groom. I love to see his face as he watches her coming toward him. His eyes full of passion and love. He is totally ravished by this women coming toward him. His delight is her. (Song of Songs 4:9) I look to the groom because I want to get a glimpse of what I know I will one day see in Christ as He comes for His bride. He too will have exhilaration and love in His eyes and will be fully ravished by His bride and be taken back by her beauty. God being taken back in awe of the beauty of His bride!
-----Have ever watched a father look at his child in his arms or at play? I think it is one of the wonders of the world. Can it compare to a sunset, a dew drop on a bloom, or a waterfall? What song could recount the melody? And yet I like what Jesus said when he called the fathers that have shown us love, wicked. In all its beauty it falls short of the love that the Father has for His children. His gaze of love is beyond description and fills our heart more than all the beauty of the world. And as a father’s heart is taken by his child, so His heart is taken by us. God delights in us! How can this be?
“I have loved you with everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.”
“ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith: that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.”
--- Ephesians 3:14-21
-----I have picked up an odd habit, or maybe not so odd, I do not know. At weddings, the music plays its interlude, and the doors are opened, and the bride comes into view and begins to walk down the aisle. --- I like the verse in Song of Songs, “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” --- Everyone stands up to behold this bride walking toward the groom in her wedding dress full of beauty, her eyes excited, and her heart ready to become the wife of the man standing waiting for her. When this happens, I stand up with everyone, but my gaze is not toward the bride coming in beauty, but instead it is toward the groom. I love to see his face as he watches her coming toward him. His eyes full of passion and love. He is totally ravished by this women coming toward him. His delight is her. (Song of Songs 4:9) I look to the groom because I want to get a glimpse of what I know I will one day see in Christ as He comes for His bride. He too will have exhilaration and love in His eyes and will be fully ravished by His bride and be taken back by her beauty. God being taken back in awe of the beauty of His bride!
-----Have ever watched a father look at his child in his arms or at play? I think it is one of the wonders of the world. Can it compare to a sunset, a dew drop on a bloom, or a waterfall? What song could recount the melody? And yet I like what Jesus said when he called the fathers that have shown us love, wicked. In all its beauty it falls short of the love that the Father has for His children. His gaze of love is beyond description and fills our heart more than all the beauty of the world. And as a father’s heart is taken by his child, so His heart is taken by us. God delights in us! How can this be?
“I have loved you with everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.”
“ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith: that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.”
--- Ephesians 3:14-21
the trembling
Letter written in 2006
-----I am still learning about this, so I do not know if I can explain this well and I do not have much time to write, so it will be choppy, but I think the Lord will show you more than I can write. I was talking about one aspect of the fear of the Lord and one aspect of what it means to be close and in His presence. You were talking about how you would read the writings of Jonathan Edwards and how his concept on predestination was hard and challenged you. I think there many things about God like that, things that cause us to tremble. The scripture says, “our God is a consuming fire.” And Christ is both the lion and the lamb and both in fullness and truth. He is Holy. And He is loving. I was talking to you about John on Patmos, when he saw Christ. I got the order backwards, but the point is the same.
-----On the isle of Patmos John had an encounter with the beauty of Christ: “ 12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Jesus revealed to John His beauty. And John’s response to the beauty of Christ was to fall at his feet as though dead. He was in the presence of the beauty of Christ and it was more than he could handle, but by grace, Jesus touched him and said, “Fear not”.
-----Isaiah had a similar experience before God: “1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"”
-----In the fullness of the beauty of God, man trembles and becomes undone. But His beauty is good because He is good.
-----Often the beauty of God can be difficult for man because they do not want to experience a God that will cause them to tremble and be undone. In John we see men forsaking Christ, because the things Christ said were too hard.
"25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." 28Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
35Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
41So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" 43Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me-- 46not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." 59Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" 68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." 70Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." 71He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him. "
-----Paul when dealing with a difficult subject of the beauty of God in Roman’s 9, responds to the questions of men who did not like what they heard, because it shook them. They found the beauty of the Lord to difficult. Paul responds to these men by saying, “Who are you O man, who answers back to God?” He does not explain or defend God, God is who he is, and who are we, O man, to question His goodness and beauty even if it makes us tremble at the very essence of who we are? Later in Ephesians when Paul is dealing with the same difficult subject as in Romans, states that the purpose of God in this was “according to the kind intention of His will”. It was because of His goodness. And it stirs up praise within Paul that pours out in his letter and the letter becomes doxology. What man finds difficult, God does because He is kind and good and beautiful.
Here is another verse: “1Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool;what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD.But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” It is good and sweet to tremble before the Lord.
-----There is a church here and as a part of their statements of belief they state this:
"God's Word is like a lion: powerful, living and active. We believe the lion is 'caged' when it is used improperly as a pragmatic guidebook, platform for politics, for perpetual therapy, or for phony experience. The Church is responsible to uncage this lion and watch it run and triumph. And it will triumph, for it is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice."
-----I would be negligent if I left you with just trembling before the Lord, for it is not all that happens in His presence, for we are not the only one that responds. What is good is the response of Christ, But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Jesus cries out to us, “Fear not, I am” “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” By His grace alone, we stand. And, Oh!, how that grace is lavished on us by His kind intention. And by this, His love, we run into His presence as a child runs to a Father.
“14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
“28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."”
-----I am still learning about this, so I do not know if I can explain this well and I do not have much time to write, so it will be choppy, but I think the Lord will show you more than I can write. I was talking about one aspect of the fear of the Lord and one aspect of what it means to be close and in His presence. You were talking about how you would read the writings of Jonathan Edwards and how his concept on predestination was hard and challenged you. I think there many things about God like that, things that cause us to tremble. The scripture says, “our God is a consuming fire.” And Christ is both the lion and the lamb and both in fullness and truth. He is Holy. And He is loving. I was talking to you about John on Patmos, when he saw Christ. I got the order backwards, but the point is the same.
-----On the isle of Patmos John had an encounter with the beauty of Christ: “ 12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Jesus revealed to John His beauty. And John’s response to the beauty of Christ was to fall at his feet as though dead. He was in the presence of the beauty of Christ and it was more than he could handle, but by grace, Jesus touched him and said, “Fear not”.
-----Isaiah had a similar experience before God: “1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"”
-----In the fullness of the beauty of God, man trembles and becomes undone. But His beauty is good because He is good.
-----Often the beauty of God can be difficult for man because they do not want to experience a God that will cause them to tremble and be undone. In John we see men forsaking Christ, because the things Christ said were too hard.
"25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" 26Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." 28Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 30So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
35Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
41So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" 43Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me-- 46not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." 59Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" 68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." 70Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." 71He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him. "
-----Paul when dealing with a difficult subject of the beauty of God in Roman’s 9, responds to the questions of men who did not like what they heard, because it shook them. They found the beauty of the Lord to difficult. Paul responds to these men by saying, “Who are you O man, who answers back to God?” He does not explain or defend God, God is who he is, and who are we, O man, to question His goodness and beauty even if it makes us tremble at the very essence of who we are? Later in Ephesians when Paul is dealing with the same difficult subject as in Romans, states that the purpose of God in this was “according to the kind intention of His will”. It was because of His goodness. And it stirs up praise within Paul that pours out in his letter and the letter becomes doxology. What man finds difficult, God does because He is kind and good and beautiful.
Here is another verse: “1Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool;what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD.But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” It is good and sweet to tremble before the Lord.
-----There is a church here and as a part of their statements of belief they state this:
"God's Word is like a lion: powerful, living and active. We believe the lion is 'caged' when it is used improperly as a pragmatic guidebook, platform for politics, for perpetual therapy, or for phony experience. The Church is responsible to uncage this lion and watch it run and triumph. And it will triumph, for it is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice."
-----I would be negligent if I left you with just trembling before the Lord, for it is not all that happens in His presence, for we are not the only one that responds. What is good is the response of Christ, But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Jesus cries out to us, “Fear not, I am” “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” By His grace alone, we stand. And, Oh!, how that grace is lavished on us by His kind intention. And by this, His love, we run into His presence as a child runs to a Father.
“14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
“28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."”
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Quote from The Book of Leadership by John MacArthur
“I occasionally hear Christians say, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that famous person over there, or this stunning beauty over here, or some great genius in the academic world became a Christian? What impact they would have!’ God does occasionally use such people, but Paul says, ‘not many,’”
“I occasionally hear Christians say, ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that famous person over there, or this stunning beauty over here, or some great genius in the academic world became a Christian? What impact they would have!’ God does occasionally use such people, but Paul says, ‘not many,’”
pleading reality
Written Thursday, January 20, 2000 and Tuesday, September 11, 2007
“When the mourning dawned, the angel urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ And while he lingered, the man took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him. And they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’” – Genesis19:15
These angels knew the reality of the situation, if they did not get Lot and his family out, they would die, and responded accordingly. O God, help me to have a sense of the true reality of the situation and the urgency of the gospel.
“Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;”
-- –2 Corinthians 6:2
“When the mourning dawned, the angel urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ And while he lingered, the man took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him. And they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’” – Genesis19:15
These angels knew the reality of the situation, if they did not get Lot and his family out, they would die, and responded accordingly. O God, help me to have a sense of the true reality of the situation and the urgency of the gospel.
“Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;”
-- –2 Corinthians 6:2
Written Wednesday, February 2005
---This is not a time of greatness, but a time to learn faithfulness - A time of developing strength and soundness, an abandonment to the heart of Jesus.
---Father, teach me to throw everything at You. To cease striving and to take up the burden of Jesus which is light. Let me abandon myself in faith. It is not about my strength, but casting everything at your feet, and walking before You in submissiveness.
---This is not a time of greatness, but a time to learn faithfulness - A time of developing strength and soundness, an abandonment to the heart of Jesus.
---Father, teach me to throw everything at You. To cease striving and to take up the burden of Jesus which is light. Let me abandon myself in faith. It is not about my strength, but casting everything at your feet, and walking before You in submissiveness.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Romance
Written 2004 or 2005
-----In life group (I am sending this to others outside of life group as well), I said that the Romance of God is greater than the romance story often told. As I have been meditating on God’s act of salvation, I have been amazed at the beauty and wonder of the tale. I hope, by God’s grace to give a glimpse into the enravished heart of God. (I have not even come close in this letter to what God is showing me nor have I abundantly filled it with Scriptures, but here it is:) The story is often told of God rescuing us from the throws of the devil, as a prince rescues a princes held captive in a castle. Though there is some truth in this, the tale of the adventure of God is greater and the act of love more breathtaking.
-----The tale begins before the foundation of the world. His love for His bride is deep, existing before the foundations of the world. History is the tale of Jesus pursuing His bride. He loved her, knowing her fully. Knowing she would reject Him. Knowing the depth of her depravity, He still loved her, for He determined that before time began. He had chosen her as His bride.In love, He created mankind and began the story of His bride. Soon after her creation, her heart quickly became hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, to which she gave her will and her desires becoming ensnared by its lusts and evil desires, enslaved and mastered by sin. Not only was she ensnared, but she gave her love to sin and desired it above all else, longing after it. And even though she could not be satisfied by it, in her spiritual madness, she abandoned herself to its desires, which were now her own as well. She hated the Beloved, and even though it was evident that His love was true, she suppressed this truth, and determined to be His enemy. Her heart became stone, she died, hating God, hating her Beloved, so much that when He came she crucified Him.
-----You see God did not come to rescue a beautiful princess captured by sin or the devil, He came to rescue one who was an enemy, one who hated Him and had chosen to hate Him. Nor did He risk His love for her hoping she would choose Him, she had already made her choice, she despised Him and murdered Him. No instead, He came in grace and power and extravagantly determined love. He gave everything for a bride whom He loved and found a way to rescue her, to change her heart of stone to flesh, to give her life from the dead.We were slaves to sin and enemies of God with hearts of stone, hardened by sin, dead. When Christ’s blood touched our hearts, our hearts became flesh and we were able to love God, so much so that the Scripture says Jesus can hardly handle a glimpse from His Bride, the Church, she is so beautiful to Him. He broke the spell that held us captive to which we had given our will and made us beautiful. God is not timid he is a passionate lover in pursuit of our hearts, the hounds of Heaven, not allowing sin or death to keep Him away from His love or keep us away from Him.
-----It is a tale not of a prince loving a princes, but a tale of a prince loving an adulteress woman, and making her a princes.Picture a princess held in castle, well what seems a castle to her, but is truly a prison. She is held their by her own choosing because she loves the men in the castle and gives her love to all who ask. She has become lovers with the enemies of the King, and despises Him in the deepest parts of her heart. She is overcome by the spell of sin. The prince, who loved her before she was born and had chosen her to be His bride, knows there is only one way the spell can be broken. When He comes to her she spits on Him and ridicules Him, but He loves her and allows her to crucify Him, so He can take upon himself the destruction, that the King has decreed. As He dies, His blood purchases her, when it touches her heart the spell is broken and His blood washes her, transforms her heart of stone to flesh, and opens her blind eyes, so she can love Him in return. And as He lives again, she too comes from death to life into a passionate Romance. And they live happily ever after.
-----God’s work of salvation is greater than any tale we could tell, a mere glimpse of it, is the Song of Songs is the greatest of all songs. This tale is a tale that comes from the imagination of the Almighty, and from the romance of the Beloved. If it were a tale we could fathom, it would not be His own, and it would not satisfy our hearts, but it is a tale that He invites us to become intimately involved in. And one day we will see our Beloved face to face and know Him, as we are known.
Here are a few scriptures:
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- Colossians 1:21,22
and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high -- Hebrews 1:318
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. – Romans 1:18-2528
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. - Romans 1:28-3210
As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”- Romans 3:10-18
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight – Ephesians 1:4-7
1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience . . . . 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. – Ephesians 2:1-10
-----In life group (I am sending this to others outside of life group as well), I said that the Romance of God is greater than the romance story often told. As I have been meditating on God’s act of salvation, I have been amazed at the beauty and wonder of the tale. I hope, by God’s grace to give a glimpse into the enravished heart of God. (I have not even come close in this letter to what God is showing me nor have I abundantly filled it with Scriptures, but here it is:) The story is often told of God rescuing us from the throws of the devil, as a prince rescues a princes held captive in a castle. Though there is some truth in this, the tale of the adventure of God is greater and the act of love more breathtaking.
-----The tale begins before the foundation of the world. His love for His bride is deep, existing before the foundations of the world. History is the tale of Jesus pursuing His bride. He loved her, knowing her fully. Knowing she would reject Him. Knowing the depth of her depravity, He still loved her, for He determined that before time began. He had chosen her as His bride.In love, He created mankind and began the story of His bride. Soon after her creation, her heart quickly became hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, to which she gave her will and her desires becoming ensnared by its lusts and evil desires, enslaved and mastered by sin. Not only was she ensnared, but she gave her love to sin and desired it above all else, longing after it. And even though she could not be satisfied by it, in her spiritual madness, she abandoned herself to its desires, which were now her own as well. She hated the Beloved, and even though it was evident that His love was true, she suppressed this truth, and determined to be His enemy. Her heart became stone, she died, hating God, hating her Beloved, so much that when He came she crucified Him.
-----You see God did not come to rescue a beautiful princess captured by sin or the devil, He came to rescue one who was an enemy, one who hated Him and had chosen to hate Him. Nor did He risk His love for her hoping she would choose Him, she had already made her choice, she despised Him and murdered Him. No instead, He came in grace and power and extravagantly determined love. He gave everything for a bride whom He loved and found a way to rescue her, to change her heart of stone to flesh, to give her life from the dead.We were slaves to sin and enemies of God with hearts of stone, hardened by sin, dead. When Christ’s blood touched our hearts, our hearts became flesh and we were able to love God, so much so that the Scripture says Jesus can hardly handle a glimpse from His Bride, the Church, she is so beautiful to Him. He broke the spell that held us captive to which we had given our will and made us beautiful. God is not timid he is a passionate lover in pursuit of our hearts, the hounds of Heaven, not allowing sin or death to keep Him away from His love or keep us away from Him.
-----It is a tale not of a prince loving a princes, but a tale of a prince loving an adulteress woman, and making her a princes.Picture a princess held in castle, well what seems a castle to her, but is truly a prison. She is held their by her own choosing because she loves the men in the castle and gives her love to all who ask. She has become lovers with the enemies of the King, and despises Him in the deepest parts of her heart. She is overcome by the spell of sin. The prince, who loved her before she was born and had chosen her to be His bride, knows there is only one way the spell can be broken. When He comes to her she spits on Him and ridicules Him, but He loves her and allows her to crucify Him, so He can take upon himself the destruction, that the King has decreed. As He dies, His blood purchases her, when it touches her heart the spell is broken and His blood washes her, transforms her heart of stone to flesh, and opens her blind eyes, so she can love Him in return. And as He lives again, she too comes from death to life into a passionate Romance. And they live happily ever after.
-----God’s work of salvation is greater than any tale we could tell, a mere glimpse of it, is the Song of Songs is the greatest of all songs. This tale is a tale that comes from the imagination of the Almighty, and from the romance of the Beloved. If it were a tale we could fathom, it would not be His own, and it would not satisfy our hearts, but it is a tale that He invites us to become intimately involved in. And one day we will see our Beloved face to face and know Him, as we are known.
Here are a few scriptures:
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- Colossians 1:21,22
and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high -- Hebrews 1:318
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. – Romans 1:18-2528
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. - Romans 1:28-3210
As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”- Romans 3:10-18
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight – Ephesians 1:4-7
1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience . . . . 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. – Ephesians 2:1-10
All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him. In His presence daily live
I surrender, I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surender all.
All to Jesus surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow,
worldy pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, Take me, now
I surrender all, I surrender all
All to Thee by blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Savior, wholy Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame,
O the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory to His name.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
I will ever love and trust Him. In His presence daily live
I surrender, I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surender all.
All to Jesus surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow,
worldy pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, Take me, now
I surrender all, I surrender all
All to Thee by blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Savior, wholy Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame,
O the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory to His name.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
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