Friday, April 29, 2011

The Son Of God, the Son Of Man

(a repeat from last year)

In both Heaven and earth, there is no one like the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God who is man, and the man who is God. The Divine and the human perfectly unite in Christ without compromising Deity, or unduly elevating the created nature of humanity.

“Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh” (I Timothy 3:16).

Our Lord’s dual but perfectly complementary nature is the reason that one day “every knee should bow to Him, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). According to His eternal purpose in Christ, God caused something to exist other than Himself. He made a universe of things, angels, and human beings in order to form a creation that exists along with its Creator. The two, the Creator and His creation, forever exist in relationship to one another, but remain distinct and separate.

In one Person, however, one glorious, wondrous, and mysterious Person, the Creator and His creation are one. The Infinite and the finite unite in the Lord Jesus, and thus both Heaven and earth must acknowledge and affirm the Apostle Paul’s declaration of the supremacy of Christ:

“He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

In the ultimate sense, the will of God is never a mystery. He is working all things after the counsel of His own will for the purpose of exalting and revealing the Christ who is the Son of God and the son of man. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. Indeed, when all is said and done, only one will be left standing – on nail-scarred Feet.

The Holy Spirit is presently working in both Heaven and earth to fulfill this eternal purpose.

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me” (John 16:13-14).

“When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me” (John 15:26).

There is the Creator, and there is creation. This is all that exists. God’s determination of this reality led to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus as a man who would be required to redeem creation from sin. It also defines His supremacy because no other being spans the seemingly impassable gulf between the Creator and His creation. By Biblical definition, the Divine and the human are so different in being, character, nature, and way that it seems impossible that the two can dwell in a perfect unity of oneness. Nevertheless, in the Lord Jesus, God is man, man is God, and the Creator and creation coexist in the most sublime of all wonders. Yes, in both Heaven and earth, there is no one like the Lord Jesus Christ.

"God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-9).

"A body hast Thou prepared Me." (Hebrews 10:5)

The Son Of God, the Son Of Man

(a repeat from last year)

In both Heaven and earth, there is no one like the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God who is man, and the man who is God. The Divine and the human perfectly unite in Christ without compromising Deity, or unduly elevating the created nature of humanity.

“Great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh” (I Timothy 3:16).

Our Lord’s dual but perfectly complementary nature is the reason that one day “every knee should bow to Him, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). According to His eternal purpose in Christ, God caused something to exist other than Himself. He made a universe of things, angels, and human beings in order to form a creation that exists along with its Creator. The two, the Creator and His creation, forever exist in relationship to one another, but remain distinct and separate.

In one Person, however, one glorious, wondrous, and mysterious Person, the Creator and His creation are one. The Infinite and the finite unite in the Lord Jesus, and thus both Heaven and earth must acknowledge and affirm the Apostle Paul’s declaration of the supremacy of Christ:

“He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

In the ultimate sense, the will of God is never a mystery. He is working all things after the counsel of His own will for the purpose of exalting and revealing the Christ who is the Son of God and the son of man. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. Indeed, when all is said and done, only one will be left standing – on nail-scarred Feet.

The Holy Spirit is presently working in both Heaven and earth to fulfill this eternal purpose.

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me” (John 16:13-14).

“When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me” (John 15:26).

There is the Creator, and there is creation. This is all that exists. God’s determination of this reality led to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus as a man who would be required to redeem creation from sin. It also defines His supremacy because no other being spans the seemingly impassable gulf between the Creator and His creation. By Biblical definition, the Divine and the human are so different in being, character, nature, and way that it seems impossible that the two can dwell in a perfect unity of oneness. Nevertheless, in the Lord Jesus, God is man, man is God, and the Creator and creation coexist in the most sublime of all wonders. Yes, in both Heaven and earth, there is no one like the Lord Jesus Christ.

"God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-9).

"A body hast Thou prepared Me." (Hebrews 10:5)

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Loss As Gain

In the fitness and nutritional industry, loss (of fat) is considered gain. The same is true in matters of spiritual reality.
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 3:7).
In the lives of His trusting children in Christ, God both orchestrates and allows loss. He furthermore leads us, as the Apostle Paul confessed, to voluntarily forego certain aspects of "gain" in order to glorify and reveal the Lord Jesus in our lives. As we walk with Him, a path of sacrifice will unfold before us. Our Heavenly Father will lead us in a very personal and private accounting of some things as excess baggage, as it were, concerning the experience and expression of Christ in our lives. Attitudes, perspectives, words, habits and ways of relating are laid on the altar as Scripture, the Holy Spirit and the example of other believers confirm to us that anything that hinders the knowledge of the Lord Jesus is no friend to us.
We reference not the sacrifices of legalism in this consideration, but of love. We do not offer the voluntary sacrifices such as Paul mentioned in order to gain increased acceptance or favor with God, or to further our spiritual reputation. We rather let go of some things because of the love of Christ and love for Christ. Our value of relationship with Him motivates and enables us to turn from hindrances to fellowship, communication and faithfulness. As the poet beautifully declared, "All things betray thee who betrayest Me."
Let us expect opportunities to loosen our grip on some things in order to freely embrace the one thing that alone fulfills our heart. Again, the issue will not involve the foreboding threat of a God who seeks merely to eliminate enjoyment from our lives, but rather the promise of a loving Father eternally devoted to our welfare and best interests. He delights in relationship with us, and He desires our experience of delight in relationship with Him (Proverbs 15:8).
"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
(Philippians 3:8)
"In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."
(Psalm 16:11)

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

"Pray and Sing!"

     The service was, for all practical purposes, concluded.  The message was delivered, the last hymn sung, and the last prayer prayed.  Nevertheless, a voice behind me spoke a word of reminder:

    "Glen, we're not finished yet.  We haven't sang "Jesus Loves Me."
    Liz, the woman who spoke the words, is a sweet and wonderful Christian lady who has been a blessing to us and to many at the nursing care section of the retirement community where she is a resident, and where we conduct services.  


Interestingly, it has not actually been our practice to sing "Jesus Loves Me" at the end of our services.  Perhaps Liz hopes that it will become our benedictory hymn, and sought to begin a very good and blessed habit.  We certainly honored her suggestion, and it was a rich blessing to see and hear so many senior adults sing words that have been in their hearts and on their lips since childhood.

    Along these lines, Liz shared with us that when she encounters a fellow resident who is feeling down and discouraged, she tells them to go find a place to pray and sing "Jesus Loves Me."  "It seems to encourage many of them" she said, "and it surely helps me."  A serious look then came upon Liz's face as she concluded, "We have a lot of problems around here, you know."  

     I was greatly blessed by the ministry Liz has at the facility, the ministry of reminding people of the most important truth any of us can ever know.  "Jesus loves me."  I wonder how her reminder affects people, and of its eternal ramifications.  Will people be born again because they "find a place to pray and sing Jesus Loves Me?"  Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised to meet people along some golden Heavenly street who testify that they met the Lord when "this sweet lady in a nursing home told me to pray and sing Jesus Loves Me."  Also, how many believers does Liz encourage and lift up on a daily basis by her gentle reminder?  Many, I'm sure.  "Consider Him... lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:3).

     I was also deeply touched by Liz's honest admission of the difficulties she and the other residents face in their daily lives.  "We have a lot of problems around here, you know."  One can only imagine what she means by this.  Liz lives in a nursing home.  Little more need be said, other than the thought that in the truest sense, this is actually not the case.  Liz lives on a mission field, one to which God has called her, and for which He has gifted her.  She understands this, and thus spends her days encouraging believer and unbeliever alike to direct people to the only Hope that exists for every human heart.

     We can face, survive and thrive in any contingency so long as we know our Lord and His love are with us.  "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37).  A dear sister in a nursing facility knows this personally, and communicates this powerfully.  May her example illuminate, encourage and challenge us to the same confidence in the God whose presence is so filling and fulfilling that the musical remembrance of "Jesus Loves Me" redounds to His glory in the halls of a nursing facility, and in the hearts of its residents.

"And the multitude rose up together against Paul and Silas: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
(Acts 16:22-25)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

"Faithful Messengers, Faithful Messages"

A friend and I were recently discussing a man who is considered by many to be a good Bible teacher, and by just as many others to be, in personal terms, a selfish, arrogant jerk.

Is it possible to be both a "good Bible teacher" and a "jerk?" The Biblical answer is a resounding "No!"

"The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves" (II Timothy 2:24-25).
"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted" (Ephesians 4:32).
"Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Peter 1:5-8).

Clearly, the capacity to understand, organize and communicate Biblical truth alone does not qualify to preach and teach. If God's communicators are to avoid being "unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ," kindness and love must pervade their attitudes, words and actions. This does not preclude forthright presentation of the Word of God in both preaching and in personal terms. The man of God must be willing to say hard things to people. He cannot do so, however, with a hard heart. It is not enough to merely state correct things, even correct Biblical things. The life must preach Christ as well as the tongue or the pen. Failure to understand this frequent Scriptural mandate often compromises the message to the degree that a distorted caricature of the Lord Jesus is presented rather than His true character.

There is no better thing to pray for our pastors and our teachers than the request that their lives will consistently and increasingly represent Christ as He truly is. Upon this basis of faithful messengers, faithful messages go forth in the power of Truth and of the Holy Spirit. May God mercifully raise up a vast company of such Christ-honoring hearts and voices in this dark generation that needs to see the Lord Jesus in the personal life of preachers and teachers no less than in their pulpits.

"O man of God... follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."
(I Timothy 6:11)

Monday, April 25, 2011

"This Grace Given"

A friend once told me of a preacher he knew who had retired because he "ran out of things to talk about."

"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8).

Declaring himself to be the least among us, the Apostle Paul proclaimed his view of the riches of Christ as beyond fathoming and comprehension. The notion that one could run out of discussion material regarding so infinitely vast a person as the Lord Jesus speaks not to the limits of the subject, but of the communicator. Even more, it speaks to the aforementioned preacher's failure to access the dynamic whereby Paul and all faithful teachers and preachers discover and communicate an unsearchable Christ, namely, "this grace given."

Those who would speak of Christ and for Christ must first be supplicants of His grace. An ongoing illumination of God's unexpected and undeserved favor provided in the Lord Jesus keeps the communicator's heart continually and freshly alive with wonder. I personally do not read or listen to anyone who fails to give evidence of personal amazement regarding our Lord's completely unmerited goodness so beautifully described in the hymnwriter's joyful exclamation, "Out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again." At least in the attitude of the heart, the preacher should crawl to his pulpit in utter amazement that God should call him to speak even one word for the glory of the Lord Jesus. "This grace given" must form and fill his message. But even more, it must form and fill his heart.

Upon such a glorious basis, the communicator of the Gospel will never "run out of things to talk about." He will rather perhaps feel a sense of frustration. "There's so much to say about the Lord Jesus and His glorious person and work! Where to begin?!" Only the Holy Spirit can answer that question as He leads and guides His preachers and teachers to pick out particular jewels from God's treasure chest of Truth. Suffice it to say that no preacher ever retires from His calling. At some point he may be physically or mentally unable to continue, and sadly, he can disqualify himself from ministry (I Corinthians 9:27). The fire that burns in his heart will never be extinguished, however, nor will the bright and ineffable Light that "shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18).

In the knowing, accessing, experiencing and communicating the Lord Jesus, it matters not how far we've come. The journey's just begun. Run out of things to talk about in this lifetime? Never! We rather run out of time to talk about them! Indeed, a long eternity will not suffice in fully apprehended the glory of our Savior's person and work on our behalf...

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!"
(Romans 11:33)
"The gifts and calling of God are without repentance."
(Romans 11:29)

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter 2011 "Over and Over and Over Again"

As wonderful as it was that the Lord Jesus Christ came forth alive from His tomb of death, God's purposes of resurrection only began in our Savior.

"Many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many" (Matthew 27:52).
"And you hath He quickened (enlivened) who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1).
"The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Many students and teachers of Scripture believe the saints that immediately "came of the graves after His resurrection" were taken by the Lord Jesus to Heaven as a form of firstfruits offering unto God by His triumphant Son. Furthermore, every time someone believes in the Lord Jesus, a spiritual enlivening takes place in the innermost being of the recipient of God's grace in Christ. And at our Lord's return for His church, the graves of believers will be emptied as bodies are resurrected and united with spirits gone before into the Heavenlies. History teems with the risen life of the Lord Jesus, revealing the glory and power of God over and over and over again.
The present also teems with such glorious and living Presence.

"If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:10-11).

The earthly faculties and members of born again believers possess no inherent spiritual life as of yet. Corruption has not yet "put on incorruption" (I Corinthians 15:53). Thus, our natural proclivities are downward, that is, left to the auspices of our mental, emotional, and physical faculties, we will act from the spiritual and moral death of our inheritance from Adam. Our bodies must be quickened if we are to do the will of God, that is, the risen life of Christ that indwells our spirits must enliven and energize our members and faculties if we are to obey our Heavenly Father. Every act of obedience performed by believers therefore requires a "resurrection" whereby the risen Lord Jesus enlivens us to do the will of God.

In such glorious light, a beautiful truth shines forth from the empty tomb of our Savior. There have been billions and perhaps trillions of resurrections since the morning He came forth from death. Over and over and over again angels have witnessed and rejoiced in the ongoing effect of their Lord's rising from the dead. From the seemingly most inconsequential thought of faithfulness to the pryes and stakes of martyrdom, believers' obedience to God has proclaimed the wondrous anthem of hope: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And we are risen with Him! Yes, over and over and over again in this life and forevermore our lives reveal His risen life...

"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit... We would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us;" (I Corinthians 15:45; II Corinthians 1:8-10).

Friday, April 22, 2011

"Sad Place, Beautiful Place"


One of the most beautiful places in our city is found in an old cemetery.
A canopy of ancient oak, elm and cedar trees shade the grounds, which are surrounded by an ornate stone and wrought iron fence. A gentle breeze always seems to whisper amid the tombstones, and on clear days, the trees filter the sun in such a way that light and shadow unite to provide a display that no human artist could duplicate.
I find it intriguing that such a lovely place could serve as a venue most often thought of in terms of loss and sadness. Every grave and tombstone in Springhill Cemetery speaks of tears shed, of sorrow known, and of farewells that often broke the hearts of those bidding loved ones goodbye. How can beauty be found and experienced in such a place?
Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ possess somewhat of an answer. We think of a tomb, His tomb, in terms of pain, loss and sadness that certainly grieve our hearts. However, we also know that the beauty of the Lord our God is upon us because and only because our Savior was laid in such a mournful place. Apart from His death, there would have been no resurrection, no ascension into the heavenlies as the crucified but risen Christ, and no sending of the Holy Spirit to lead us to salvation. "Without the shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). The Lord Jesus had to die if ever we were to truly live. The light and shadow of Heaven thus reveal His tomb as a place of beauty despite our sorrow that Christ had to suffer so much to save us from our sins.
In similar fashion, the tombs of our lives often reveal the greatest beauty of our lives. When God allows or determines loss, sadness and pain, He does so for redemptive purposes that glorify the Lord Jesus and benefit us. In countless ways, believers "die daily" as the Holy Spirit orchestrates crosses that lead to resurrections (I Corinthians 15:31). We may not immediately see or experience beauty in our losses, but as we trust and submit unto God, we know that in time to come, we will. Our faith began in such a place, where only sad darkness should seem to to be found. Beauty nevertheless graced that unexpected venue of loveliness, blessed with the light of the Son.
"The light shineth in darkness."
(John 1:5)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

"To Know His Will"

"Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).


Trust. Lean not. Acknowledge. He shall direct. There are few more prevalent promises in Scripture than the assurance that the Lord will lead His trusting children to know His will. According to Solomon, however, such direction does not simply happen. We must respond to our Lord's promise by a proactive faith that believes the guidance of the Holy Spirit is to be expected and enjoyed throughout our lifetime.


Trust in the Lord. Our confidence must be in God, and in His willingness and ability to lead us. We cannot visibly see or audibly hear Him, but the truth of the matter is that He is nearer to us than any other person. God alone is with us always, and He is not merely sitting on the throne of our hearts. "I will... walk in them" declares the Lord of His trusting children (II Corinthians 6:16). As we determine to walk with Him in response, we must believe that "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18). Our response to the guidance of the Holy Spirit therefore begins with the faith that He can and will in fact guide us.


"Lean not unto thine own understanding." Certainly we use our understanding. But we do not lean on it. The discussion often becomes quite human-centered when the question is raised among believers, "How can we know the will of God?" We focus on our response more than on God's ability to lead. Left to ourselves, this would be a sadly appropriate way of viewing the matter. However, the essence of Biblical revelation proclaims that God has not left us to ourselves. He has rather taken upon Himself the responsibility of enabling us to "do all things through Christ" (Philippians 4:13). This includes our capacity for knowing His will, which begins with the determination to trust our Lord rather than ourselves. "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool... We have no confidence in the flesh" (Proverbs 28:26; Philippians 3:3).


"In all thy ways acknowledge Him." If honest, we must all confess that this mandate would seem to doom our experience of God's directing our paths. Who among us would affirm that we see and respond to God in all our ways? Only of the Lord Jesus Christ can be said - "The Father hath not left Me alone for I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:29). Our Savior was perfectly led during His earthly lifetime because He perfectly trusted, leaned not, and acknowledged. This will not be the case with us, but consistent growth in faith and response is possible and should be expected. Indeed, the One who achieved perfection now lives in us by His Spirit. Such realization should encourage our hearts and fill us with expectation of growth in the acknowledgement of God in all our ways. "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2).


Our Lord is a faithful Shepherd who desires to lead faithful sheep. He has given "so great salvation" to make such direction not only possible, but to be expected (Hebrews 2:3). Let us anticipate such leadership, as well as the working of the Holy Spirit in us to fulfill our role of trusting, leaning not and acknowledging.


"It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."
(Philippians 2:13)

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering."
(James 1:5-6)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Why?

I grow more and more convinced that God's first priority concerning our doings involves the "Why?" rather than the "What?"
Proper motivation must precede and empower proper action if we are to genuinely do the will of God. God's will must be done in God's way if it is to be God's will. This presents a great dilemma: how do we know "the intents of the heart?" Indeed, other than God Himself, our own selves are the greatest mystery in our lives. As the Apostle Paul confessed, "For that which I do, I allow (know or understand) not" (Romans 7:15). How, therefore, can we be sure that our motives are truly authentic, as God defines authenticity?
The writer of Hebrews answers the question.
"The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).
God Himself must reveal our "Why?" He does so by His Word, both the living Word of the Spirit of Christ, and the written Word of the Bible. First, we must trust God personally if the question of motive is to be rightly answered. "Search me, o God, and know my heart," prayed David, who also asked, "Cleanse Thou me from secret faults" (Psalm 139:23; Psalm 19:12). We must join the Psalmist in frequent requests that God reveal our "Why?" The Lord will then lead us to a consistent relationship with the written Word of God that continually emphasizes motive. The Holy Spirit will search us accordingly, accomplishing a work of discovery that mere introspection could never provide.
At the judgment seat of Christ, where the works of believers will be evaluated for spiritual authenticity, "What?" will matter to our Heavenly Father. He is concerned that our doings rightly reflect the Lord Jesus and the commands of His Word. However, "Why?" will matter more. The same emphasis must guide our determination to trust and obey God, and to live lives that honor Him. We do well to maintain ongoing communication with our Heavenly Father - "Search me" - and ongoing consideration of the pages of Scripture in order to know His heart, and to know our heart.
"The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."
(I Samuel 16:7)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

"I Am With You"

(Matthew 28:20).
In an interview of a well known musician I heard recently, the gentleman referenced "the loneliness we all sometimes feel."
These are accurate words regarding the human condition. Human beings can feel lonely in a crowd of people no less than when we are literally alone. Something deep within us calls to somebody or something to fill the deep inner void from which we often may distract ourselves, but which is nevertheless there and often disconcertingly experienced. "I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop" (Psalm 102:7).
Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ know the "Somebody" who alone can fill the deepest part of our being. God Himself made the temple of our hearts for Himself, and as the philosopher of old declared, "we rest not until we rest in Thee." The Spirit of Christ must dwell within us if the great and cosmic loneliness of humanity's natural state is to be assuaged. Furthermore, we must devote ourselves to increasing knowledge and understanding of God's presence with us if we are to consistently overcome our native bent toward the sense of emptiness.
"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46). On the cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ embraced the dark reality of our loneliness. Abandoned by both God and man as He died for our sins, His was the most wrenching loneliness ever experienced in any human soul. Indeed, as we ponder the sufferings of Christ, no aspect of His passion should more break our hearts than the breaking of the Divine heart of the Son of God cried out for His Father and for the Holy Spirit - and for our sakes received no answer. No one ever knew alone as did our Savior, and this moment offers opportunity to bow our hearts and give thanks for such loving sacrifice suffered for us.
Upon the basis of His forsakenness, the Lord Jesus offers and provides the filling of our hearts with His eternal presence. To the degree He was alone on the cross of Calvary, we will never be alone. The great Companion of our spirits is with us always. Our experience of such grace is presently imperfect, and we can still at times feel the human pangs of loneliness. But never are we actually alone. The more we devote ourselves to this wonder of God's perpetually abiding presence with and within us, the more we will know the joyous fulfillment of "I am with thee." So much was given to provide this filling of our spiritual temple. May we respond with the faith and affirmation that chooses to believe that Christ Himself and Christ alone can so fill us that in the deepest part of us we know...
"In Thy presence is fullness of joy, at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."
(Psalm 16:11)

Monday, April 18, 2011

"The Living Thing"

I was thinking about a particular responsibility this morning, and the peace of the heart it brings to fulfill it. The thought occurred to me, "It's just the right thing to do." This was true, but another perspective immediately followed, which I think is more literally descriptive of the believer's doings: "It's the living thing to do."
"To live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21).
Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ believe in right and wrong, as the Bible defines both moral aspects of our existence. However, our faith in Christ and subsequent obedience to Him involves far more than merely making good and bad choices of what to think, do and say. We believe that the living Lord Jesus is present with us and within us. We believe that He is our very life, and that obedience to God is the fruit of His indwelling Spirit (Colossians 3:4. We believe that when we fulfill the will of God that Christ is living in us and we are living by Him. Thus, matters of obedience and disobedience are more literally matters of life and death than right and wrong.
"If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13).
These words of the Apostle Paul were written to and about believers. They do not refer to physical death or the "second death" of eternal condemnation mentioned in the book of Revelation (Revelation 21:8). Paul's statement rather concerns our practical, day to day experience of the Christ who is our life. Are we consistently walking in the Spirit, and thus motivated, led and empowered by the glorious Life that inhabits the innermost temple of our redeemed selfhood? Or are we walking after the flesh, which possesses no inherent spiritual life? Believers are alive in Christ. But are we truly living?
"If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:10-11).
We are alive, always alive in our spirits because the Spirit of Christ dwells therein. But is that life consistently controlling and empowering the faculties and members of our earthly humanity? Life and death. This is the essence of the believer's experience, more than right and wrong. It's a more serious matter because obedience and disobedience are recognized as originating in a far deeper place in us than merely our capacity to make proper decisions concerning good and bad. Again, to live is Christ. Anything else is death, as God defines death. May we realize and rejoice in the Life that teems within our enlivened spirits. "Reckon ye also yourselves to be... alive unto God" (Romans 6:11). And thereby may we "choose life" by trusting and submitting ourselves to the risen Lord Jesus who purposes not only to dwell in us, but to walk in us...
"I will dwell in them and walk in them... In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (Deuteronomy 30:19; II Corinthians 6:16; I John 4:9)

Friday, April 15, 2011

"Let Me Tell You"

 
    As I grow older, I find myself more and more loving to talk about my children and my grandchildren (and no, I do not yet have one of those "Let me tell you about my grandchildren" bumper stickers.  Nor do I plan to do so.  Well, at least I don't think I will...).
 
    This is a common trait of parents and grandparents, of course, and it has an interesting origin.  It begins in God.  He loves to talk about His children.  We know this because the Bible is replete with descriptions of the Lord's spiritual offspring, from Abel in Genesis to the faithful saints affirmed in the book of Revelation.  The stories of dozens of other sons and daughters of God regale us with examples of faithfulness and devotion, that is, His faithfulness and devotion revealed in the Scriptural accounts of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Samuel, Ruth, Mary, John, Peter, Paul, Rufus, and on and on.  Most of all, of course, God loves to talk about His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom every Scriptural page, chapter, verse and word is devoted.  "This is my beloved Son..." (Matthew 3:17).
 
    I suspect that throughout eternity we will hear our Heavenly Father recount stories of His children's walk with Him during the challenging sojourn of our earthly lives.  Most accounts will involve experiences never before told of His working and our responses to His working.  Times when we trusted Him when all evidence, emotion and human inclination seemed contradictory to faith.  Times when we quietly sacrificed ourselves for others by the leading, motivation and enabling of the indwelling love of Christ.  Times when walking the path of obedience to God cost us much, but we paid the toll.  And times when we were careful to hide the works of our right hand from our left in desire that only the Lord Jesus be glorified.  One story after another, billions and billions of chronicles joyfully recounted from the indelibly printed diary written in a loving Father's heart.
 
    God loves to talk about His children, even more than we love to talk about our own.  The Bible confirms such blessed truth with its ongoing saga of "Behold I and the children" (Hebrews 2:13).  Perhaps today in your life and mine, we will write upon the pages of the Divine heart some blessed moment that He will never forget and that He will forever love to tell.  Most importantly, all will glorify the Lord Jesus, who makes our relationship with God real and actual.  And all will tell the wonder of a Father who loves His trusting sons and daughters more dearly than even a long eternity will fully display.  Yes, God loves to talk about His children, about you and me...
 
"And what shall I more say?  For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth."
(Hebrews 10:32-38)

Thursday, April 14, 2011

"Our Jonathan"

 
     For the sake of his beloved friend Jonathan, King David of Israel bestowed grace upon Jonathan's lame son Mephibosheth.
 
    "And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually" (II Samuel 9:7). 
 
     Mephibosheth was stunned by the unexpected and undeserved beneficence.  "He bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" (II Samuel 9:8).  In Israel of old, lameness was considered a sign of disfavor with God.  Indeed, the lame could not be priests who made offerings to God, nor could a lame animal be offered as a sacrifice (Leviticus 21:18; Deuteronomy 15:21).  Mephibosheth thus considered himself as rejected, and as good as dead.  That the king should look upon him was a shock.  That David should shower him with the favor of his table even more overwhelmed him with wonder.
    
      If we could fully see the extent of our native spiritual lameness, we would be no less bewildered.  In the clearest thinking moments of born again believers' existence, glimmers of light shine upon the rejection and death from which we were delivered, and we fall to our faces in bewilderment.  "How, Lord, could You be so kind to me?  With all the sins I have sinned, and the failures of which I am guilty even after believing in Christ, whence comes such mercy upon such a dead dog as me?"
 
    From the throne of grace and the pages of Scripture, the answer comes. 
 
    "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7).
 
    "With Christ... in Christ Jesus... through Christ Jesus."  Our Savior is our Jonathan.  It is for His sake that God the Father quickens us, raises us up to sit together in heavenly places, and showers upon us "the exceeding riches of His grace."  Dead dogs become living sheep who will forever graze in pastures green with grace.  In those clear thinking moments of our earthly sojourn, we see and partake somewhat of the wonder of the "unspeakable gift" of Christ (II Corinthians 9:15).  However, only in Heaven will we really understand the extent to which mercy has redeemed us.  There we shall know that every moment of our eternal blessedness came to us by way of the sorrow, agony, forsakenness and death of our Jonathan.  We shall know that to the degree the Lord Jesus was rejected, we are "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6).  And we shall know that a long eternity wherein "the unsearchable riches of Christ" will never be fully exhausted upon us came to us because the feet of the Lord Jesus were made lame with the nails of a cross.  He still bears the wounds of that piercing, and forevermore we shall gratefully look upon them with clear knowledge of why God "hath raised us up and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).
 
"The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 1:14).
 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

"Lifted Up"

 
    "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me" (John 12:32).
 
    The Lord Jesus Christ has been "lifted up" on the cross, by the resurrection, and in the ascension to His heavenly throne.
 
    It remains only that our Savior be lifted up in our lives.  Our attitudes, actions, words and relating to others must exalt the Lord Jesus.  "Whatsoever ye do... do all to the glory of God" commanded the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 10:31).  Born again believers seek to direct attention away from ourselves and unto the only One worthy of honor and the only One who can redeem the hearts of others as He has redeemed our own.  "Not unto us, o Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory!" (Psalm 115:1).
 
    The Holy Spirit who indwells our hearts was sent to glorify Christ and to testify of Him (John 15:26; 16:14).  As He lives in us, we will be led to find countless ways to emphasize the person, name and work of Christ, while de-emphasizing ourselves.  As promised, people will be drawn to the Lord Jesus by this "lifting up," and we will fulfill the reason for our existence.  There is no better way to live, and indeed, there is no other way to live.
 
"God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
(Ephesians 2:9-11)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

"Longevity?"

 
     "I wonder if our obsession with longevity is really healthy?" - Christopher Buckley.
 
     I think the Biblical answer is yes and no.
 
     "He hath set the world (eternity) in their heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
 
     "What is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14).
 
    It is a fool's game to emphasize quantity of earthly life rather than quality.  We have no guarantee of threescore and ten, no guarantee of tomorrow, and no guarantee of even the next earthly moment.  We have this moment, along with its great and looming issue: Am I living right now for the glory of God, the fulfillment of His will, and the furtherance of His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus?  This is the quality of life to which born again believers in the Lord Jesus must devote themselves, and which makes our lives truly life.  "To live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21).
 
    This being said, it remains true that quantity of life is a valid consideration and hope.  Eternity is in our hearts, that is, the longing for permanent consciousness and experience.  God Himself set this sensibility within us, and through Christ makes possible an eternity of heavenly life with Him.  Emphasis upon this longevity is a very healthy thing, and one which presses us toward the focus on the matter of quality in our earthly lives.
 
    "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (II Corinthians 4:17-18).
 
     Every human being will exist forever.  But not every human being will live forever.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the issue.  "I am... the life" He declared, the life for this day, this lifetime, and eternity to come (John 14:6).  The quality of our lives is determined by how consistently we know, trust, love, obey and communicate Him to our world in example and word.  Quantity, the real quantity of eternal life, flows from emphasizing the quality of God's devotion to us, and ours to Him.  Our "obsession with longevity" is therefore very healthy as long as the life we seek is heavenly rather than earthly.
 
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
(Colossians 3:1-3)

Monday, April 11, 2011

"Two More Cookies"

 
    Many years ago, a friend shared with me the results of a long-term study performed by sociologists.  Beginning in kindergarten, a group of children were followed into their adulthood to determine predictors of success.  One of the first tests involved a moderator entering a room where the children were playing.  He gathered them together and had them sit at a table.  In front of each child was a plate with a cookie.  The moderator told the children that he was going to leave the room, and presented them with an option.
 
    "I'm going to be gone for awhile.  While I'm away, you can eat the cookie on the plate if you'd like.  However, when I return, if you haven't eaten the cookie, I will give you two more cookies."
 
    The study ultimately indicated that those children who delayed gratification in lieu of extra cookies generally became far more successful in school and in their careers.  The capacity to make sacrifices in the present moment for greater rewards in the future was confirmed to be a primary indicator of ability to achieve and accomplish.
 
     The Lord Jesus Christ lived such a life.  "Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2).  God's prototypical human being, His beloved Son, understood and acted on the principle of delayed gratification.  He was willing to make present moment sacrifices in the awareness of greater good in the future.  Furthermore, He experienced fulfillment even as He made the sacrifices because human hearts were constituted to find  joy in the process of delaying gratification.
 
    As the Spirit of Christ lives in those who trust Him, He will lead us to many such opportunities for faith and sacrifice.  In multitudes of ways, crosses are given to endure so that we might be blessed with resurrections to enjoy.  The choice will be ours, but the motivation, power and fulfillment of such a life is Divinely provided.  We are constituted for "two more cookies," and inhabited by the Holy Spirit to enable the awareness, sacrifice and confidence whereby we forego the pleasure of one cookie in the present.  Wonderfully, there is also a "pleasure" in the delaying of gratification.  We rejoice in being what we were made to be through Christ, and in the confidence that future benefits will infinitely transcend present sacrifices...
 
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
(Romans 8:18)

Friday, April 8, 2011

"5:53"

I probably shouldn't admit the following as it may give the impression of advancing age or mental impairment.

Today I was scheduled to pick up Frances at 7:00 p.m. As the time approached, I glanced at my watch on at least 3-4 occasions. Each time the digital readout reported "5:53." "Hmm, I thought to myself the first few times I noted that the laws of time had somehow been suspended, "I don't have to leave for awhile." Finally, as I looked at my watch one final time, the thought occurred to me that the numbers "5:53" were becoming strangely familiar. "Interesting," I thought. "It was 5:53 thirty minutes ago also."

I'm not as quick as most folks, but a light went on somewhere in my brain. I looked more closely at the face of the watch, discovering that a universal law had actually not been nullified. The stopwatch screen stared back at me, mockingly informing me that "5:53" was not the time, but rather the point at which I had hit the stop button for whatever purpose I had used the stopwatch previously (can't remember what that was). The time was actually 6:43. P.M., thank the Lord. I hurriedly left and picked up Frances. Yes, you can fool me once, twice, thrice, maybe even four times. But I'm sharp on that fifth take!

All this to say how much I rejoice that the Bible declares that eventually "there should be time no longer" (Revelation 10:6). I don't think that any of us realize how much our lives are controlled by the clock, and how much stress and pressure we face by the mastery of moments. Nor do we have a frame of reference for eternity and how it will feel when the complete absence of clocks in Heaven will be, well, heavenly. Thus we are given one more reason for which to give thanks for the Lord Jesus Christ, whose saving grace will ultimately deliver us from the slavery of the temporal unto the liberty of the eternal. What a salvation! What a Savior!

For a little while today, I was practicing an existence in which "there should be time no longer." I must report to you that it was very nice. Sadly, however, I can't remember much of what I did while living in that temporarily perpetual "5:53!"

"According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:6-7)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

"The Heartbeat of the Divine"

Prayer offered (by the Lord Jesus Christ): "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).

Prayer answered: "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).

Through Christ, we experience the love of God for us, and we experience the love of God in us. We find ourselves enabled to self sacrificially love our Lord and people in a way not possible apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit. In fact, God's love is perhaps best known and understood not as we receive it for ourselves, but as it flows through us unto bestowal upon others.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

Growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus increasingly directs our attention outward and away from ourselves. "Charity... seeketh not her own" declared the Apostle Paul, who himself experienced the character of God formed in his heart to the degree that he sacrificed himself for the Christ and the Christians he once persecuted (I Corinthians 13:5). Paul knew and believed that the reception of God's love involves the infusion of God's love into our spirits. We may not realize it, and we may not always believe and respond to it, but the truth is nevertheless always true. The Spirit of Christ lives in us, including His self sacrificial heart of devotion to His Father and to others. To the degree we know, believe and submit ourselves to such wonder is the degree to which we walk accordingly. "Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:5-6).

Never must the born again believer pray, "Lord, give me love so that I can love." We rather affirm, "Lord, thank You that by Your Spirit, Your love is poured out into my heart by the presence of the Holy Spirit. I believe Your Word, and I acknowledge Your working in me to be whatever You would have me to be for Your glory and the blessing of my world." Upon this basis of grace already given, and the affirmation and submission of faith, Christ walks in us and we walk by Him in unselfish devotion to God and others. Our Lord receives all the glory, our particular world is blessed, and we discover that the heartbeat of the Divine - "it is more blessed to give than to receive" - is now our heartbeat as well.

"The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
(I Timothy 1:14)

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

"Slandered"

(a repeat from last year)

"It came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused... she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her... She caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, that she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice" (Genesis 39:7-8; 12-14).

False accusation is a keenly painful thing, and in Joseph's case led to imprisonment and the immediate loss of great power and position.

Years ago, I attended a traffic school because of a minor violation. The officer who conducted the class opened his comments by acknowledging that he was aware that some people in the class might be innocent of the infractions that led to their receiving a ticket. "For those of you who are not guilty of the violation for which you were cited, I am sorry." He paused for a moment, and then said, "However, remember those times you didn't stop at a red-light, or you sped, or you broke the traffic laws in some manner without being caught and cited. The officer smiled and concluded, "This one's for all those times!"

Only one person has lived an entire lifetime with no infractions against the law of God. Only one has therefore been falsely accused in the absolute sense.

"Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not, but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously" (I Peter 2:22-23).

No one has ever known the pain of slander as did the Lord Jesus Christ. He experienced accusation in the context of sinless perfection. We experience it in light of the fact that while we may be innocent in the specifics of whatever wrong is leveled against us, we have often been worthy of condemnation that was not received. This does not justify slander, of course, but it does mean that false accusation must be handled in the same manner as did our Lord. We must commit ourselves to Him that judges righteously, and who will plead our cause perfectly as we trust and submit to Him.

Our Heavenly Father may allow us to feel the actual difficult consequences of slander, as did Joseph, and as did the Lord Jesus. This will not be an easy path to walk. However, let us remember the exaltation of both Joseph and our Savior. One became ruler, under Pharaoh, of all Egypt. The other became the Lord, under God the Father, of the entire universe. "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11). In His perfect time and way, God will raise us up from the dark places to which false accusation brings us, and we will rejoice that He allowed us to know at least a small portion of "the fellowship of Christ's suffering" (Philippians 3:10). It is an honored thing to walk in such holy footsteps, and bitter tears of shame and bewilderment will be replaced by joyful tears of exultation when some day we fully realize that the blessing of God is presently known in both affirmation and accusation...

"It is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake."
(Philippians 1:28-29)
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
(Matthew 5:11-12)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

"Who Are You?"


    If one were to meet God face to face, the familiar greeting, "What do You do?" would likely not be the first inquiry.  Rather "Who are You?" might well be the primary response to the magnitude of His glorious Person.

    Unto Moses, the Lord identified Himself as "I Am" rather than as "I Do" (Ephesians 3:14).  This is not to minimize His wondrous acts on display throughout creation and in our lives.   "One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works" (Psalm 145:4-5).  However, doings are the fruit and expression of being.  God does what He does because He is who He is.  "The deep things of God," as the Apostle Paul referenced, most pointedly concern the character and nature of One whose depths even eternity will not suffice in completely fathoming (I Corinthians 2:10).
 
    Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are privileged to often ask the great question - "Lord, who are You?" - with great expectation that our Father in Heaven loves both our inquiries and His provision of answers.  He will lead us to the Scriptures for illumination - "In Thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:9).  His Holy Spirit will quicken our hearts and minds with insight - "The Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things" (John 14:26).  And in the brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we share our lives, the person of our triune God will be known as His Divine character and nature is manifested in human personalities - "I will dwell in them, and walk in them" (II Corinthians 6:16).
 
     This day is a wonderful day to ask the great question.  As will be tomorrow, and the next day, and throughout the timeless glory of a forever that will not be long enough to fully plumb the depths of God's infinity.  "Lord, who are You?"  The Heart and Mind of Heaven will be increasingly revealed in our own hearts and minds as it thrills us to ask the question, and as it thrills God to answer.
 
"I... cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him."
(Ephesians 1:15-17)

Monday, April 4, 2011

"Unexpected Breezes"

Last night as we had coffee with a good friend in the outdoor seating area of a local establishment, we felt and enjoyed the unexpected breezes of a cool southerly wind.
This is very unusual in our part of the country. From springtime until late fall, and often even in the winter, winds from the south are almost always warm. As such, we were both surprised and blessed as the air had a different feel to it, and as we realized that cool breezes from any direction will soon be a memory in the humid heat of a subtropical summer.
This dovetailed with a discussion we had in our fellowship yesterday of the surprising nature of God's grace. One of the meanings of the Biblical word is "unexpected favor," and how often do we experience such blessedness as we walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. First, we personally receive as a free gift the acceptance and affirmation of a Heavenly Father who gave His beloved Son a cross of rejection and wrath for our sakes. Then we find His moving within us to motivate and enable us to bestow upon others the same mercy that blesses us. "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
The latter aspect of bestowal is sometimes more surprising and unexpected than our personal reception of grace. Every honest believer will acknowledge the tooth and claw nature of our flesh, which "lusteth against the spirit" (Galatians 5:17). When offended by another, our initial and immediate reaction is not to forgive and bless, but to fight or fly. There is no innate desire in our humanity for the mercy in which God so delights (Micah 7:18). "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing... Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness" (Romans 7:18; Nehemiah 9:17).
There is, however, desire and even delight, God's delight, for mercy in the innermost depths of born again believers' Christ-inhabited spiritual selves. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man... it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Romans 7:22; Philippians 2:13). We may not feel such delight, and everything in our flesh may cry out against it. Nevertheless, the ready to pardon inclination of God's heart dwells within our spirits. We must believe and submit ourselves to such truth regardless of how strongly our emotions and thoughts seem to flow in a different direction. We must account that we are "alive unto God" in our spirit, and that His love for mercy is now our love for mercy (Romans 6:11). We acknowledge the contrary inclinations of our flesh, and we put such inclinations to death by the faith that affirms the surprising work of grace that not only provided forgiveness and eternal life in Christ, but also a "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).
The winds of the Spirit blow in unexpected ways, especially in matters of grace and mercy. Let us anticipate their surprise in our personal reception thereof, and in our Christ-enabled capacity to bestow pardon rather than the punitive upon those who offend us. We will likely be more stunned by the mercy we give than by the mercy we receive as we discover the magnitude of a salvation that increasingly results in the wonder of conformity to the spiritual and moral image of the Lord Jesus...
"Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(II Corinthians 3:18)

"Unexpected Breezes"

 
    Last night as we had coffee with a good friend in the outdoor seating area of a local establishment, we felt and enjoyed the unexpected breezes of a cool southerly wind.
 
    This is very unusual in our part of the country.  From springtime until late fall, and often even in the winter, winds from the south are almost always warm. As such, we were both surprised and blessed as the air had a different feel to it, and as we realized that cool breezes from any direction will soon be a memory in the humid heat of a subtropical summer.
 
     This dovetailed with a discussion we had in our fellowship yesterday of the surprising nature of God's grace.  One of the meanings of the Biblical word is "unexpected favor," and how often do we experience such blessedness as we walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  First, we personally receive as a free gift the acceptance and affirmation of a Heavenly Father who gave His beloved Son a cross of rejection and wrath for our sakes.  Then we find His moving within us to motivate and enable us to bestow upon others the same mercy that blesses us.  "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
 
    The latter aspect of bestowal is sometimes more surprising and unexpected than our personal reception of grace.  Every honest believer will acknowledge the tooth and claw nature of our flesh, which "lusteth against the spirit" (Galatians 5:17).  When offended by another, our initial and immediate reaction is not to forgive and bless, but to fight or fly.  There is no innate desire in our humanity for the mercy in which God so delights (Micah 7:18).  "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing... Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness" (Romans 7:18; Nehemiah 9:17).
 
    There is, however, desire and even delight, God's delight, for mercy in the innermost depths of born again believers' Christ-inhabited spiritual selves.  "I delight in the law of God after the inward man... it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Romans 7:22; Philippians 2:13).  We may not feel such delight, and everything in our flesh may cry out against it.  Nevertheless, the ready to pardon inclination of God's heart dwells within our spirits.  We must believe and submit ourselves to such truth regardless of how strongly our emotions and thoughts seem to flow in a different direction.  We must account that we are "alive unto God" in our spirit, and that His love for mercy is now our love for mercy (Romans 6:11).  We acknowledge the contrary inclinations of our flesh, and we put such inclinations to death by the faith that affirms the surprising work of grace that not only provided forgiveness and eternal life in Christ, but also a "new man, created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephesians 4:24).
 
    The winds of the Spirit blow in unexpected ways, especially in matters of grace and mercy.  Let us anticipate their surprise in our personal reception thereof, and in our Christ-enabled capacity to bestow pardon rather than the punitive upon those who offend us.  We will likely be more stunned by the mercy we give than by the mercy we receive as we discover the magnitude of a salvation that increasingly results in the wonder of conformity to the spiritual and moral image of the Lord Jesus...
 
"Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(II Corinthians 3:18)