Thursday, March 31, 2011

"How To?"

The Internet contains millions of "how to" websites. You can find written or video instruction for just about any human endeavor, including a recent discovery of a simple and old fashioned way to make coffee that beats any modern device I've ever owned (I'll send details to anyone interested).

The Bible addresses the matter of "how to" regarding the living of the Christian life. "How to perform that which is good I find not" wrote the Apostle Paul (Romans 7:18). The verb tense of this statement is the present active indicative of the original Greek, literally rendering Paul's words as "how to perform that which is good I am not finding."

This is a shocking confession from a man considered by many to be the most faithful and effective believer who ever lived. Certainly of all Christians, the Apostle had discovered the secret of living a godly life of faith, obedience, and self sacrificial devotion to God and others. Did he not affirm at the end of his life that "I have finished my course; I have kept the faith?" (II Timothy 4:7). Why then would he seemingly bemoan in so important a doctrinal treatise as Romans his ongoing failure to find the method or means of consistent godliness?

The answer is that there is no "how to" for living the Christian life. There is rather the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself "the way" (John 14:6). "Who?" rather than "how to" must form and inform our seeking of the means for faithfulness.

"To live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21).


"Christ Jesus... is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30).

Viewing Christian faithfulness as a matter of method inevitably leads to fleshly attempts to produce that which only the indwelling Spirit of the Lord Jesus can accomplish. "The Spirit giveth life" declared Paul, who also exulted in the glory that "Christ... is our life" (II Corinthians 3:6; Colossians 3:4). The Christian life is a matter of the life of Christ revealed to us, in us, and by us. We therefore begin, continue and will culminate our earthly life of faith and obedience by "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Any other means or method leads to "how to perform I am not finding" because we are not meant to find a mere technique for genuine godliness. God has rather given to us the Spirit of His Son to lead, motivate and enable us to trust and obey Him. "Without Me ye can do nothing" said the Lord Jesus. "I can do all things through Christ" wrote Paul (John 15:5; Philippians 4:13). Christ and Christ alone supplies our hope for the godliness of this moment, this day, this lifetime and this forever.

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6). That which began our Christian life is that which perpetuates it. Just as the Lord Jesus fulfilled the "how to" of birthing us into relationship with God, so does He fulfill the "how to" of "performing that which is good." Our calling is to trust Him no less for living the Christian life than we did in receiving the Christian life. Or as Paul exulted in proclaiming the all sufficiency of so great a Savior and so great a salvation...

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
(Romans 5:10)

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

"His Times"


Thirty years ago today, President Ronald Reagan was wounded by a would-be assassin's bullet. As is often the case with such monumental events, I remember precisely where I was when I heard the news. In fact, the moment seems frozen in my mind, both in a mental and emotional sense. It seems as if it just happened.

Time is a strange thing, especially our perception of it. When we are young, the hands of the clock move as if mired in thick mud. As we grow older, they seem to race with lightning speed. I don't completely understand why this is, but it becomes truer with every quickly passing day.

"My times are in Thy hand" (Psalm 31:15).

The "from everlasting to everlasting" God of eternity involves Himself in time ("my times" according to David) for our benefit. Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are the scene of a Lord personally involved in our seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years. All are in His hand, to the degree that "my times" are actually His times. This involves an amazing act of condescension on God's part as He defers from the unlimited transcendence of His eternal existence to engage Himself in the boundaries of time. "The Lord our God, who dwelleth on high... humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth" (Psalm 113:5-6).

Such loving condescension ultimately resulted in our Lord taking upon Himself the garb of humanity, and the living of life in space and time. "Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh" (I Timothy 3:16). This is a great mystery, that an infinite and eternal Being could somehow enrobe Himself in such limitation. What spiritual, mental, emotional and physical pressure might exist in the Eternal dwelling in the confines of the temporal? We cannot fully know. Again, "great is the mystery." However, we can believe, and we can bow in grateful acknowledgement and adoration of so great a God, and so humble a God. Yes, the challenges of time we face pale in comparison to those experienced by the Lord Jesus as the humility of "beholding" in the Old Testament became the humility of becoming in the New...

"Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."
(Philippians 2:5)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

"A Vast Measure of Mercy"

I often think to myself - and occasionally comment to others - that "the human race was going swimmingly when there was just one of us."
I mean no ill will toward Eve by this comment, but rather the fact that our spiritual enemy used human relationship and interaction between Adam and Eve to lead the entire race into sin. Satan still foments his unrest in our relationships by tempting us with deception regarding God's truth, and willful rebellion against His will.
"These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto Him... he that soweth discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16; 19).
"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (II Corinthians 2:10-11).
Where the devil sows discord, God sows mercy. Human beings fail each other, including the most godly among us. There's never an excuse, but to expect and/or demand anything approaching perfection from those enrobed with the same fallen flesh as our own is a fool's game at best, and a devilish assault at worst. A vast measure of mercy will be required as we live our lives with fellow human beings, mercy received first from God, and then disseminated among us as we are forgiven and as we forgive. Paul wrote that failure to understand and apply ourselves to this difficult reality results in a Satanic advantage of "us" (meaning our fellowship with each other, and the ministry that flows from loving relationship). "If you forgive, I forgive" declared the Apostle, and furthermore amplified such grace by stating that he acted "in the person of Christ."
These are hard words to consider and write because I so often forget the truth of both a discord sowing devil and a mercy sowing Christ. Our enemy subtly works behind the scenes to foment unrest that seems human in origin, but is actually devilish. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood" (Ephesians 6:12). Thankfully, the Lord Jesus also works to bestow overcoming grace and mercy unto us, and then through us to our brethren. "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36).
To whom shall we respond? May God grant grace to remind us of the enormous bestowal of grace we have already personally received. Upon this basis, we will go forth with a vast measure of mercy first known in our attitudes, and then bestowed through our prayers, our words, our actions and our joining with the Lord Jesus as He sows His love among brethren.
"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."
(Romans 12:18)
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
(Ephesians 4:1-3)

Monday, March 28, 2011

"Very"


"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof" (Psalm 46:1-3).
God is always with His trusting children - "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20). Even more, however, the Psalmist declares our Lord to be "very" with us in trouble.
As we look back on challenges, this truth shines brightly in our memories and testimonies of the Divine presence and aid. "Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble" (Psalm 59:16). At the time of the challenge, however, we often feel as if our Lord is a million miles away. The same Psalmist vented such feeling - "Why standest Thou afar off, o Lord? Why hidest Thyself in times of trouble?" - in order to reveal the initial human response to challenge that demands our decisive action of trust and submission to God (Psalm 10:1). Indeed, the life of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ does not involve the absence of feelings of fear and trepidation, but the overcoming of them. "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee" (Psalm 56:3).
In a world that beckons us to be fearful, Heaven commands us to be at peace based on the promise of "a very present help in trouble." As with any loving parent, our Heavenly Father draws especially near to us when jeopardy of any variety threatens. We cannot see this aid, we may not feel it, and every outward indication may argue against it. Nevertheless, God's "very" presence is with us, and we are commanded to believe that even if we find the earth removed from under our feet, the greater truth is that God has "set my feet upon a rock" (Psalm 40:2). Trouble necessitates our determination to affirm such security in the midst of feelings and sensibilities to the contrary. To the degree we join David in faith - "I will trust in Thee" - determines whether we experience the truth of God's "very" presence in the quaking mountains and roaring waters of our lives.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8:35-39).

Friday, March 25, 2011

Flowing Rivers, Sparkling Rivers

As I spoke in a meeting today about God's faithfulness, I sensed the familiar warmth of joy that always accompanies the opportunity to speak well of Him.
"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" (Psalm 107:2).
I grew up spiritually in a tradition that represented our speaking for the Lord, whether in personal witness or preaching, as a responsibility rather than the incredible privilege it actually is. Certainly responsibility is involved in the sense that we are commanded to go and tell. However, genuine witness for the Lord Jesus Christ far more involves the expression of ongoing discovery of His wonder, and the inevitable desire to communicate that goes along with such growth in His grace and truth.
The Apostle Paul once prayed "that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19). How might the Lord answer such a prayer? Might He grant strength for Paul to be more disciplined and courageous? Maybe. However, far more likely is the possibility that the Apostle's Heavenly Father worked to grant a more living and true experience of Christ to such degree that the truth was fulfilled in Paul, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). A heart full of Christ acknowledged, loved, admired, trusted and obeyed inevitably leads to utterance directed and enabled by the Holy Spirit, regardless of the cost.
"He that believeth on Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). The verb tense of "believeth" in this statement of our Lord is in the present active, meaning an ongoing believing. Thus, the more we grow in living knowledge of Christ and its blessed fruit of faith, the more we will avail ourselves of those opportunities God gives to speak well of Him. Rivers will flow from us, rivers that sparkle with the beauty of a Savior first blessedly known by us, and then blessedly communicated through us to our world.
"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
(Hebrews 13:15)

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Our Loved One

A friend and I were talking the other day about living to be 100. We both agreed that those who reach their centennial year face the challenge of outliving most of their relatives (often including even their children), along with the friends and acquaintances with whom they've lived their lives. It's a difficult scenario to imagine, and as one who performs ministry in retirement communities, I must admit that the prospect is not appealing.

If we could know that God had determined to grant such an extension of the normal span of human life, an opportunity for faith would present itself. We would have to believe that "His way is perfect," and that His glory, our best interests, and the best interests of others in our lives would be fulfilled (II Samuel 22:31). Perhaps most importantly, we would be called to trust and expect that His companionship would fill our hearts as the companionship of our loved ones was progressively lost.

"In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore... He is thy life" (Psalm 16:11; Deuteronomy 30:20).

The truth of the matter is that every legitimate joy and pleasure we have known in human beings has actually been the joy and pleasure of God as expressed through those human beings. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). Thus, we can lose the presence of people without losing the heart of the blessing they have been to us. Of course, we will mourn the loss of the vessel, and it is not wrong that we do so. Our Lord gives Himself to us through specially chosen family, friends and colleagues who rightly become dear to us as the unique expression of His goodness. Cherishing such ones and missing them when they are gone is the proper and natural fruit of gratitude for the gifts of Christ's goodness our loved ones are to us.

Nevertheless, the born again believer in the Lord Jesus must understand, believe and affirm that God made the depths of our hearts for Himself. He is the joy of our hearts. He is the peace of our hearts. He is the fulfillment of our hearts. He is the companion who can and would fill and fulfill us in a centennial year of aloneness no less than in the days when the presence of loved ones abounded. This we must believe with all our hearts and every fiber of our being. Our Loved One is with and within us forevermore. Having Him, we have all the joy, peace and wonder of relationship necessary to fill this moment - and all to come - with the exultation of the Psalmist...

"Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee. Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches. Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice." (Psalm 63:3-7)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

"What Music We Can Make!"

The Apostle Paul taught that God effects spiritual change in our lives by leading us to "behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18). Thereby we are "changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The word "glass" in this passage is fascinating. We might suspect that the Greek root "katoptrizomai" would mean a window, as in looking outward and away from ourselves unto the glory of God. This is not the case. The word actually means a mirror, implying that we behold the glory of God in ourselves regarding the spiritual process of being conformed to the image of Christ.
Our first response to such truth is likely the remembrance of past sins and failures, too often committed even after we believed. Or we may sense our weakness in the present. How can we rightly look into the mirror and see glory, God's indescribable glory? Paul answers this question for us in his letter to the Colossians. Therein he declares the amazing truth of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Born again believers are to look into God's mirror and see not merely ourselves, but ourselves united to the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. We are not alone! We are spiritually united to the One who has "overcome the world" (John 16:33). Christ is our very life, we live by Him, and we can do all things through Him" (Colossians 3:4; I John 4:9; Philippians 4:13). Furthermore, He is united to us so closely that "he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit" (I Corinthians 6:17). Little wonder therefore that we are to see glory in the mirror! For we are to see no merely ourselves therein, but ourselves as united to the Lord Jesus.
The Scottish preacher James Stewart spoke well to this blessed issue: "But now! Now in Christ the new dynamic has appeared. Now there are incalculable resources for the fight. Surely the most wrong-headed psychology in the world is that which speaks of you and me as closed personalities, with just so much strength and no more, with strictly limited reserves of power. For what Christ has done is to make us feel, at all the gateways of our nature, the pressure and bombardment of the infinite energies of a world unseen. He has shown us how our little life, with unsearchable riches to draw on, can be reinforced beyond all calculation. I may not be able to fight down some evil thing. But if Christ were here, He could. So then, if Christ is in me, in me, He can. This transfusion of spirit and energy is really possible. If Shakespeare were in you, what poetry you could write! If Mozart were in you, what music you could make! That cannot be. But here is something that can: if Christ were in you, what a life you could live! This is faith's logic. God wants you to know that you can rise above the level of your limitations. "I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me."
What music we can make, spiritual music, and what poetry we can write because the Spirit of our blessed Lord dwells within us! It matters not how little we have drawn on such resources in our previous Christian experience. We are to "behold as in a glass" today. Our Lord's spiritual mirror shines forth with two reflections united in one: "Christ in you." Christ in you to love God as we must, and to love others. Christ in you to pray. Christ in you to trust. Christ in you to obey. Christ in you to sacrifice. Christ in you to rejoice, and to be at peace. Christ in you to humble yourself and exalt only Him. Christ in you to faithfully fulfill daily responsibilities. Christ in you to "do all things!" We are not alone. The mirror reveals such glorious truth, the mirror of God's Word that tells us He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20; emphasis added). Or as Paul vividly affirmed in his epistle to the Galatians...
"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)

Monday, March 21, 2011

My Father and Your Father

(Thanks to my dear brother in Christ and friend Steve Kennedy for inspiration on this one.)
Steve recently recounted the story about a gentleman who worked in the bus ministry of a local church many years ago. One day two young boys, brothers, rode the gentleman's bus to church and sat with him in the service. One of the boys sat next to him, with his brother on his side. During the service, the boys were well-behaved, but they did switch places with each other several times. The man finally decided he needed to put an end to the movement, thinking it might be distracting to those sitting by the boys. He leaned over and whispered into the ear of the boy sitting next to him at the time. "Why do you and your brother keep switching places?" The boy looked at him and responded, "Sir, we don't have a daddy. So we're taking turns sitting next to you."
Humanity is a spiritually orphaned race. Because we are the children of Adam's race, we are born in alienation to the God who provides the loving assurance and security of a devoted father in spiritual context, just as a faithful earthly father offers in natural terms. We need to sit next to Him, as it were. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ushers us to presence of our Father in Heaven, where we are received and accepted in the intimate terms of family. God becomes our Father no less than He is the father of our Savior. "I ascend to My Father and your Father" He said to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection (John 20:17). He says the same to all who are birthed into "the whole family in Heaven and earth" through believing that Christ is the Son of God (Ephesians 3:15; Acts 8:37).
Knowing that we have a spiritual father begins the benefit of being so closely related to God. Knowing that He is in fact God increasingly reveals the wondrous blessing of living relationship with Him through Christ. We may - and must - draw close to Him in practical expression and outworking of our family bond with God. As with the boys in that church service so long ago, the opportunity presents itself to sit close to our Father in Heaven. As we do, great peace, joy and assurance will fill our hearts with our Father's loving devotion to us. His faithful Heart will provide the sense of how safe we are, how beloved we are, and how blessed we are to no longer be spiritual orphans.
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children."
(Ephesians 5:1)

Friday, March 18, 2011

A Greater Reality

What was the cross of Calvary, on which the Lord Jesus Christ died?
Was it the product of Jewish religious leaders, who saw it as the end to one who threatened their religious and cultural power? Yes, it was. "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death" (Matthew 27:1).
Was it the Roman government's putting to death yet another voice and personality whom they viewed as a religious zealot and potential threat? Yes, it was. "Pilate... delivered Jesus, when He had scourged Him, to be crucified" (Mark 15:15).
Was it the greatest crime in history, wherein the only perfectly innocent person who ever lived was unjustly accused, tried and executed? Yes it was. "They all condemned Him to be guilty of death" (Mark 16:64).
Or finally, was it the redeeming work of God through His Son's sacrifice for our sins, and the basis of forgiveness, newness of life and the promise of both time and eternity for all who believe? Yes, it was. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Born again believers in the Lord Jesus affirm all of the above. Which truth, however, do we consider as the most significant and influential? Obviously, redeeming work of the Lord Jesus on the cross is central in our thoughts and beliefs. His death at Calvary was God's reconciling work through His Son, making possible a salvation for believers that powerfully affects both the here and the hereafter.
Now, apply this truth to the present issues of life, particularly the difficulties. There are many earthly realities that affect us, including conditions, circumstances and situations which must be accepted as real and which have significant impact on us. Is there, however, a greater and prevailing truth in them all? Will this truth, if believed, lead to a redeeming experience of life, either by delivering us from the challenges, or delivering us in the challenges? Is the person and work of the Lord Jesus the heart of this truth?
The answers are yes, yes, yes. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Problems are real. Pains are real. Difficulties are real. Losses are real. Heartaches and heartbreaks are real. But the Lord Jesus' presence and working on our behalf supplies a greater and transcendent reality in them all. As in our salvation, the faith that emphasizes and affixes itself to Christ leads to the fulfillment of His promise in all who believe: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
The Apostle Paul testified, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (II Corinthians 4:8-9). Paul didn't deny the reality of the trials. But he emphasized the powerfully overcoming working of the Lord Jesus in them all. This is the life of faith in our present existence. It began thusly, and it will continue as long as we live in a world where we discover the glory of God in real challenges through a transcendently real Christ who has "overcome the world" (John 16:33).
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
(John 7:24)

A Greater Reality

What was the cross of Calvary, on which the Lord Jesus Christ died?
Was it the product of Jewish religious leaders, who saw it as the end to one who threatened their religious and cultural power? Yes, it was. "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death" (Matthew 27:1).
Was it the Roman government's putting to death yet another voice and personality whom they viewed as a religious zealot and potential threat? Yes, it was. "Pilate... delivered Jesus, when He had scourged Him, to be crucified" (Mark 15:15).
Was it the greatest crime in history, wherein the only perfectly innocent person who ever lived was unjustly accused, tried and executed? Yes it was. "They all condemned Him to be guilty of death" (Mark 16:64).
Or finally, was it the redeeming work of God through His Son's sacrifice for our sins, and the basis of forgiveness, newness of life and the promise of both time and eternity for all who believe? Yes, it was. "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Born again believers in the Lord Jesus affirm all of the above. Which truth, however, do we consider as the most significant and influential? Obviously, redeeming work of the Lord Jesus on the cross is central in our thoughts and beliefs. His death at Calvary was God's reconciling work through His Son, making possible a salvation for believers that powerfully affects both the here and the hereafter.
Now, apply this truth to the present issues of life, particularly the difficulties. There are many earthly realities that affect us, including conditions, circumstances and situations which must be accepted as real and which have significant impact on us. Is there, however, a greater and prevailing truth in them all? Will this truth, if believed, lead to a redeeming experience of life, either by delivering us from the challenges, or delivering us in the challenges? Is the person and work of the Lord Jesus the heart of this truth?
The answers are yes, yes, yes. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). Problems are real. Pains are real. Difficulties are real. Losses are real. Heartaches and heartbreaks are real. But the Lord Jesus' presence and working on our behalf supplies a greater and transcendent reality in them all. As in our salvation, the faith that emphasizes and affixes itself to Christ leads to the fulfillment of His promise in all who believe: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
The Apostle Paul testified, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (II Corinthians 4:8-9). Paul didn't deny the reality of the trials. But he emphasized the powerfully overcoming working of the Lord Jesus in them all. This is the life of faith in our present existence. It began thusly, and it will continue as long as we live in a world where we discover the glory of God in real challenges through a transcendently real Christ who has "overcome the world" (John 16:33).
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
(John 7:24)

Thursday, March 17, 2011

"The Vantage Point"

 
    (Thanks for the inspiration - and the joke - to my dear brother in Christ and friend Mark Cagle).
 
    A sloth was mugged by three turtles.  When questioned by police about the incident, he responded, "I don't know what to say.  It all happened so fast!"
 
    Life is about perspective, isn't it?  Certainly the life of faith to which God calls His trusting children in Christ involves looking at things from the vantage point of His truth and His dynamic working in all things.
 
     What if, for example, the blessings of life are primarily His direct gift to us rather than merely the product of happenstance, or our hard work, or the generosity of someone's kindness?  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17).
 
     What if the difficulties of life are either determined or allowed by God for His good purposes and our best interest rather than being the unfortunate product of fate, or the ill intentions of the world, the devil and the flesh?  "We glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:3-5).
 
    And what if the mundane, everyday events of life are actually the arena of our Heavenly Father's loving presence and working to reveal His fulfilling life within us and by us unto others?  "He worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11).
 
    Our perspective of life determines our experience of life.  If Biblical, and if formed and informed by the Holy Spirit, we can experience consistent joy, peace, assurance and ability to survive and thrive in all things.  If not, we can expect to live in a sense of shadowed darkness where God's glory is actually present.  But sadly, tragically, we will fail to see it.  "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not!"... "To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Genesis 28:16; Romans 8:6).
 
    God has determined or allowed our current condition, circumstance and situation.  Nothing happens in His universe apart from such providence.  Somehow, in the mystery of His wisdom, power and love, He works all things in accordance with the glory of the Lord Jesus, and the benefit of His trusting sons and daughters in Christ.  Remembering and affirming this truth fills our hearts to more fully enjoy the blessings of life, to more faithfully overcome the difficulties of life, and to more consistently realize that the mundane moments of life actually teem with the Divine presence of a fully engaged God.  We may not understand how or what He is doing.  But from the vantage point of "Surely the Lord is in this place," we can join Moses in the perspective of "seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27).  "Life and peace" will ensue, both for ourselves and for those encouraged by both our testimony and example of faith in the always present and active God of Scripture.
 
"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
(Romans 8:28)

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Much Given, Much Required

 
    "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required" (Luke 12:48).
    "His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue" (II Peter 1:3).
 
    God does not coddle His trusting sons and daughters in Christ.  He is loving, patient and merciful with us beyond all imagining, but His provision in the Lord Jesus is so vast that He expects and commands that we will live increasingly vibrant lives of godliness.
 
    Having given to us "all things that pertain to life and godliness," our Heavenly Father thus requires much of us.  Born again believers are super-energized spiritual beings inhabited by the Spirit of Christ Himself.  Low expectation would be scandalous among such a population of people who live not by their own abilities, but by the power of God.  Believers should continually remind each other of our God-enabled capacity for faith, obedience and a life lived for His glory and the blessing of others.  "Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25).
 
    This bold encouragement and challenge of each other does not preclude lovingkindness and patience.  It actually includes such support because we do our fellow believers no favors by minimizing or ignoring the fact of Christ's vibrant presence among us.  Indeed, if His supply for peace, joy and the capacity to trust and obey is available to our brother and sister, failure to remind, encourage and challenge each other in the light of such glory constitutes a grave disservice on our part.  Again, the provision includes "all things that pertain to life and godliness."  The requirement pales in comparison.  Let us therefore remind each other continually that the risen Christ is among us.  He has overcome all things, as shall we "through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue."
 
"In the world, ye shall have tribulation.  But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world... Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."
(John 16:33; I John 5:4)

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

"Triune Favor"

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us" (I John 3:1).
"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 2:1).
"I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16).
Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are blessed with the triune favor of God. Both the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are our "paraclete" (the Greek root word translated as "advocate" and "comforter" in the verses above, meaning "one summoned to our side to plead our cause"). And God the Father is the bestower of such "manner of love."
God's holiness requires that sin be dealt with in the most decisive way possible. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). This He has accomplished by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross of Calvary in order that the perpetrators of sin, the human race, might be saved from the consequences of our willful unrighteousness. He must be both "just and the justifier of Him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). At Calvary, necessary wrath was executed: "Christ died for our sins" (I Corinthians 15:3). From Calvary, and from the empty tomb of our Savior, necessary grace flows from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit unto all who receive the benefits of Christ's atoning work on our behalf.
It is vital that we understand this complete desire of the triune God on our behalf. As the saying goes regarding our salvation, "the Father thought it, the Son bought it, and the Spirit wrought it." The fullness of God's desire is that we might be saved. The necessity of wrath meted out against sin does not preclude this will for our good, but rather ensures the greater good of the sanctity of creation. Sin and sinners allowed to continue forever would ultimately destroy all things, and thus, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekial 18:4). We may therefore look toward Heaven with assurance of our Lord's full intention toward our best interests, even as He works to ensure the ultimate perfection and preservation of creation.
"If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). I think often of those two little words, "for us." In times of faithfulness and unfaithfulness, believers in the Lord Jesus can be sure that God's intention for us never wavers, never flickers. More to the point, in this moment, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit perfectly and lovingly will our best interests, and are working accordingly to fulfill them. Understanding this truth leads to more unwavering, unflickering devotion in us, and a life that reveals "what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us."
"I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."
(Jeremiah 29:11)

Monday, March 14, 2011

"Admired"

 
    "He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe" (II Thessalonians 1:10).
 
     When we see the Lord Jesus Christ face to face, admiration will fill our hearts with awe, wonder and a deep sense of affectionate respect.
 
     The vision has already begun for those who open the pages of Scripture to discover the person and work of Christ.  He declared that the Bible's primary subject and intent is to "testify of Me" (John 5:39).  Thus, we read, ponder, believe, obey and seek to communicate the Word of God in order to glorify the Lord Jesus, and to experience Him in living truth and reality.  A primary aspect of such experience involves increasing admiration for our Savior, whose sublime character, nature and way shine forth from the pages of Scripture to amaze us that such a Person could exist.  "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!" declared the citizens of Heaven (Revelation 5:12).  We join the chorus as we "grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," and thus admire Him more and more (II Peter 3:18).
 
    God was kind to form in us the capacity for admiration.  The sensibility warms the heart and challenges the soul to arise and be like the object of its respect.  Today offers the opportunity for greater awareness of who our Lord is, and of His past, present and future doings on our behalf.  An open Bible read and believed, a trusting heart that sees opportunity for faith along every pathway, and the affirmation that "to live is Christ" unveils to us a life graced by grateful appreciation (Philippians 1:21).  "I... will yet praise Thee more and more" declared David as the expression of one enraptured by the discovery of a Christ so wondrous as to thrill and fill the heart (Psalm 71:14).  Indeed, in both Heaven and earth, there is no one like the Lord Jesus.  Admiration is therefore both the root and fruit of a heart that becomes more like Him as we "see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).
 
"There is none like unto Thee, Lord; Thou art great."
(Jeremiah 10:6)

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Reciprocity In Relationship


I've been thinking much lately about the necessity of reciprocity in all true relationship.
"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly" (Proverbs 18:24).
Giving and receiving forms and informs every genuine bond in our existence, including our relationship with God. "Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you" (James 4:8). Of course, God precedes us in our approach, whether in leading us initially to faith in the Lord Jesus - "No man can come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw Him" - or in our maintaining and enjoying fellowship with Him thereafter - "It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (John 6:44; Philippians 2:13). Nevertheless, we must respond and reciprocate if genuine communion with our Lord is to be vibrantly experienced. As A.W. Tozer once wrote, "We will know God about as well as we want to know Him."
The same is true in our human relationships. We must devote ourselves to the giving of time, attention, concern and communication in every God-given bond of family, friendship, professional association and other forms of personal acquaintance. And we also expect to receive, not for our own benefit, which we entrust to God. For the benefit of the other person and the relationship itself, however, we recognize that both parties must actively invest in the relationship if it is to actually be a relationship. God Himself made humanity with this fraternal nature that exists in His own triune being, and is reflected in our associations as blessing and being blessed is expected and enjoyed.
One of God's greatest gifts of love to those who believe in the Lord Jesus is the capacity He provides to love Him in response. "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us" (Romans 5:5). Had He left us in our selfishness when we were born again, no real salvation would result. Thankfully, the Lord Jesus constitutes in our redemption a "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). Genuine relationship with God becomes possible, that is, the giving and receiving whereby both parties rejoice in a oneness of shared devotion, affection and commitment. All glory flows to the Lord Jesus for making such fellowship possible, and for enabling our active participation in relating to the One who so lovingly relates to us. "We love Him because He first loved us" (I John 4:19).
Upon this basis of relationship with God, we go forth seeking to experience the same with people. We self sacrificially devote ourselves to family, friend, neighbor, associate and even the brief and casual moment we experience with the passersby in our lives. Furthermore, we commit to acting in such a manner as to encourage and enable those whom we love to love in response. Genuine relationships result as the giving and receiving that exists in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit finds in us a willing heart to experience love as it exists in God. There is no other, and the Lord Jesus is greatly glorified as His prayer for us from so long ago is answered in us...
"O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
(John 17:25-26)

Friday, March 11, 2011

Music - Majesty and Mystery

 
     As a child, I paid little attention to music other than enjoying listening to it.  I had no interest in actually singing or playing, believing that sports were a far more worthwhile endeavor for a young man.  During my senior year in high school, however, I bought a harmonica.  With the instrument came instructions for how to play "On Top Of Old Smoky."  I spent several days learning how the play the song, and upon doing so, I discovered a surprising thing: after learning to play Old Smoky, I found I could play any song within the range of the harmonica's notes.
 
    At the time, I thought this to be a magical thing, and that the song must be some sort of foundational piece of music that somehow served as the universal hub for all melody.  "Wow," I thought, "If you learn 'On Top of Old Smoky,' you can play anything!" 
 
     Many years would pass before I discovered that actually I possess what some call an an ear for music.  I started playing the guitar in my late 20s, the piano in my early 30s, and found that both instruments were like the harmonica: after a brief time of learning, I found myself able to play many songs and pieces of music with little or no practice or instruction.
 
    I do not understand this.  I am very grateful for it, of course, and as our ministry has developed over the years, it is a great advantage to be able to play, sing and lead music in our services before preaching.  This is especially wonderful because Frances is an amazing harmony singer, as many of you know.  Singing with her is sublime, and often I want to simply stop and listen to her (but you do need a melody, I suppose!).  It's a great blessing in every sense, and while it makes sense that the Lord would have given a gift that complements the ministry to which He has called us, I nevertheless remain amazed and bewildered by it (which leads to the point of these thoughts).
 
     I believe music to be one of the greatest evidences in creation that God exists, and that He is dynamically involved in human affairs.  Indeed, humanity could not have created music.  It is far too beautiful, complex, artistic, technical and vast in its scope to have issued forth from the brain of man.  Music is much like God Himself.  The more you know of it and experience it, the more you realize that the journey has just begun.  Bach and Mozart felt this way, as does every master musician whose exploration of music reveals that the further one journeys into its depths, the more one realizes the journey has just begun.  Even more, the believer whose heart is illuminated by some glorious glimpse of the infinite God also finds himself blinded by a Light too bright to look upon for more than the briefest gaze.  Indeed, the more we know of Him, the more we realize how little we know.
 
    I once heard a popular musician say that his favorite thing about writing a song was that it brought something into being that had not existed before.  I don't think this is true.  No, I think that truly beautiful music somehow exists in the heart and mind of the Lord before it exists in the heart and mind of man.  In a sense, the composer or songwriter "hears" the music first, and then uses his gift and ability to translate his experience to others.  There's much mystery in this, of course, but the Bible clearly proclaims a musical God who declares in His Word that He will Himself "rejoice over thee with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).  Now that is the song I look forward to hearing, the joyous expression of the Lord Jesus Christ, the maker of melody, harmony, rhythm and the majesty and mystery that is music.
 
"The Lord is my strength and song."
(Psalm 118:14)
 

Thursday, March 10, 2011

"I Forgot"

(A repeat from last year)
"I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth" (II Peter 1:12).
We can "know" God's truth. We can be "established" in it. But we still need to be put "in remembrance" of His truth throughout our earthly lifetimes.
The Apostle Peter recognized his calling to awaken believers to the realities of who our Lord is, and who we are in relationship to Him. He knew that even the best and brightest among us are needful of remembering the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ in the many blessed aspects of His person and office. Life in a fallen world can distract and deceive us, and at times we all seem to aimlessly wander down paths of unbelief that we have encountered before, to our own detriment. We should know better, and there is no excuse. However, our Lord does not refer to His trusting children as sheep for no reason. Sheep are not the smartest of God's creatures, and thus require the shepherd's constant attention in protecting them from peril. As do we. Thankfully, our Great Shepherd is merciful and patient with us in our times of forgetting "those things which are most surely believed among us" (Luke 1:1).
Realizing this about ourselves will go far in leading us to do something about it. We will more consistently expose ourselves to the light of God's Word that helps to keep our path brightly illuminated. We will pray, asking God to keep His truth fresh and increasingly enhanced in our minds. We will fellowship with other sheep who recognize their own need to be put in remembrance of our Shepherd's presence and provision. Perhaps most importantly, we will realize how dependent we are on His constant devotion to our benefit. "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant" (Psalm 119:176).
"Lord, I forgot." We will have to confess this at times in our earthly lives, and bitter tears may accompany our admission. Forgetting is not an excuse because our Heavenly Father has "given unto us all things that pertaineth to life and godliness" (II Peter 1:3). However, we will find Him patient, understanding, and forgiving even as He does not condone our waywardness. Our Great Shepherd is a "great shepherd," and He is also a "good shepherd" (Hebrews 13:20; John 10:14). He does not forget us, and He knows His sheep. Even more, He loves His sheep, including me and you who are far too prone to forgetfulness of His perfect faithfulness. He is willing to remind us, and to send Apostle Peters our way who "will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things."
"He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion."
(Psalm 111:4)

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

"The Night Watches"

Certainly insomnia can be a very difficult and challenging ordeal. The human body and mind in its present existence requires adequate sleep, and life can become exhausting if we are unable to adequately rest. "He giveth His beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:2).

What if, however, some bouts of sleeplessness might be our Heavenly Father's invitation to commune with Him in the quiet of the night season?

"My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches" (Psalm 63:5-6).

Remembrances and meditations "in the night watches" were declared by the Psalmist to be the basis of abundant satisfaction of soul, leading to joyful praise. Perhaps our Father Himself awakens us to recall glories of the Lord Jesus Christ that our busy daylight hours do not allow. Or maybe there are thoughts of Him and about Him reserved only for the darkness that provides a necessary contrast and backdrop for His light. There may be prayers to be prayed for people presently enduring pains and sorrows that hinder sleep in the night, and survival in the day. Or it might be that our Lord simply desires the joy of our company in the still and quiet of the night when our attention may be less distracted.

"In the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life" (Psalm 42:8).

David declares that there are songs to be heard in the night, songs of our Lord Himself, and subsequent prayers to be prayed in response. Perhaps, therefore, we awaken at times not merely because we cannot sleep, but because we are hearing the music, as it were, His music. If so, the prayers of the night watches will reflect the beauty of the Lord Jesus in sublime ways. God's heart will be blessed, our heart will be blessed, and those for whom we pray will be blessed. May we therefore rejoice in both the sleep He gives, and in those times when the God of our lives sings us into wakefulness and communion with Himself.

"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
(Mark 1:35)

"The day is Thine; the night also is Thine."
(Psalm 74:16)

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

"His Biography"

If quizzed, how much could you tell about the first 30 years of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ? Not much. Scripture tells us precious little about the Savior's earthly life before His ministry began.
If quizzed again, how much could you tell about the last 3 years of his life? Again, not much (at least in relative terms). A full accounting of the Bible's teaching concerning our Lord's ministry years totals far less real time history than we might suspect.
In the Gospels, the Holy Spirit provided all that we need to know for the purpose of entering and experiencing a living relationship with God through the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, as we place Scripture upon Scripture, including both Old Testament and New, a fuller picture of the person and work of Christ emerges. The prophecies and metaphorical illumination of the Old Testament unite with the teaching of the New Testament epistles to complement the Gospels' historical account of our Lord's earthly lifetime. Even more, they declare who He is in the here and now for all who receive Christ's saving grace. "Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little" (Isaiah 28:9-10).
The Lord Jesus declared that the Bible is fundamentally His biography. "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39; emphasis added). Strikingly, He uttered these words when only the Old Testament existed, where never His name was directly mentioned. We therefore open the entirety of Scripture to discover its illumination and declaration of the Lord Jesus. All other facts, truths, doctrines and insights derive their meaning from these central questions: Who is the Lord Jesus? What has He done? What is He doing? And what will He be doing forevermore? These questions answered as we place "line upon line, precept upon precept" will progressively change our lives as we "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).
God the Father has given His Son "the preeminence in all things," even as He works to "gather together in one all things in Christ" (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:10). He has also given to us His Word that reveals "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). In the sense of "unsearchable," we will always seem to know very little. What we do discover, however, will fill our being with light, and thrill our hearts with depths of glory we will never plumb. The Lord Jesus awaits us in both Old Testament and New. Let us expect to meet Him there as we open its sacred pages, being "changed into His image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18).
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him."
(Matthew 17:5)

Monday, March 7, 2011

By Faith

"The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).
The "just" to whom the Apostle Paul refers are literally the "justified." "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). No human being is capable of making himself just before the God whose "way is perfect" (II Samuel 22:31). If born as an offspring of sinful Adam's race, and if ever we have sinned, all hope for justifying ourselves must be abandoned in the awareness that, by definition, a perfect Lord requires perfect righteousness. This He provides as a free gift to all who trust in the Christ whereby we are "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).
Those justified by faith also live by faith. That is, we live by the confession and belief that Jesus is the Christ, and by the subsequent acknowledgement that all we are and all we have belongs to the Lord who is also our life. Authentic Biblical faith involves the confidence of the trust that rests in Christ, and the presentation of ourselves to Him "as those which are alive from the dead" (Romans 6:13). We live "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith," and also affirming that "ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price" (Hebrews 12:2; I Corinthians 6:19-20).
This dual expression of rest and submission establishes the life by faith that leads to consistent bearing of the fruit of the Spirit. Indeed, born again believers do not live by prayer, but by the faith that leads to prayer. We do not live by obedience, but by the faith that leads to obedience. We do not live by self sacrifice, but by the faith that leads to self sacrifice. And we do not live by dedication and discipline, but by the faith that leads to dedication and discipline. We live by the God-given light that reveals the person and work of Christ, and by the trusting response of confidence and submission as enabled by the indwelling Holy Spirit. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:13).
The reception of a free gift by faith births a new person who lives by faith. This "new man" is "created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24). He rejoices in being freely justified and in belonging to Another. Thereby he lives, or rather Christ lives in him that he may live by Christ (Galatians 2:20). Yes, the justified live by the faith that affirms the peace of both confidence in God and consecration to God.
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ."
(Galatians 2:16)

Friday, March 4, 2011

"The Lily of the Valleys"

Frances is very allergic to lilies. The flower section of a favorite store we frequent has a floral section as you walk in the door. Occasionally they'll have lilies, and when they do, Frances literally has to hold her breath as we enter the store (sometimes to no avail).
This happened several days ago. The fragrance of lilies was strong, and we hurried through the flower section to safer rows and aisles. As we did, the thought occurred to me that the first lily Frances will ever encounter without an unpleasant allergic response will be "the Lily of the valleys" Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ (Song of Solomon 2:1).
It's a beautiful thought to ponder, and one that applies to all of us. The world in which we live is poisonous to every human being, to the degree that it ultimately kills every last one of us. "There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death" (Ecclesiastes 8:8). Only deliverance from this world and unto the Prince of life can lead us into an existence of perfect well being and the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical vitality for which we so deeply yearn.
We were made to be the home of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, the vase, as it were, for the Lily of the valleys. "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6). Our hearts are allergic, as it were, to any other resident. Life in a fallen world continually bears witness to this, the great truth of our temporal and eternal existence. One day Frances will be embraced by the Lily without harm, and even more, with perfect fulfillment of every aspect of her being. As will all who have trusted in the Lord Jesus, discovering in both the here and now and the Then and There that "to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21).
"This life is in His Son."
(I John 5:11)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

"Touched With the Feeling"

    Because God is all knowing, all powerful, and infinite, we may think that things don't emotionally affect Him in the way they affect us.
    This is true.  They affect Him more.  By, definition, a being of infinite personhood possesses infinite emotional capacity.  Thus, our Lord feels joy, sorrow, peace, dissatisfaction, affection, anger, exhilaration and heartbrokenness in a measure we cannot fathom.  The Bible declares or implies an emotionally involved, feeling God to us on every page of its sacred text, plainly stating in the book of Hebrews, "We have not a High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15).
    The Lord Jesus Christ was a "man of sorrows" during His earthly life (Isaiah 53:3).  He is "anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows" in His resurrected, exalted state (Hebrews 1:9).  God feels as both God and as man since the incarnation of our Savior, experiencing a panorama of emotion unknown to any other.  He feels as He feels, and He feels as we feel.  Our Lord is in fact the most emotional person who exists, a truth that will change our hearts and lives as we embrace it.  Replacing the perception of God as dispassionate to the truth of His infinitely impassioned nature will lead us think of Him differently, and to relate to Him in a manner far more in line with Biblical teaching.
    Thankfully, unlike ourselves, God's emotions never cause Him to act or relate in a manner contrary to His character, nature and way.  His feelings are in perfect temper and synch with who and what He is.  Thus, He will not be swayed by emotion to act toward us in sentimentality rather than sacred devotion to His holy nature and purposes.  He does act toward us with great feeling, however, and with affectionate commitment to our best interests.  This combination of caring and character in God leads to a relationship unlike any other in our lives, resulting in our own growth in both heartfelt and solemnly committed devotion to Him.
"Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you."
(I Peter 5:7)