Thursday, January 31, 2019

"The Damsel Protocol"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"The Damsel Protocol"



     I find the following narrative in the book of Acts to be one of the Bible's most disturbing passages.

  "And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.  The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.  And he came out the same hour" (Acts 16:16-18).

   Note several facts contained in the narrative:

1.  The girl mentioned was demon possessed.
2.  She spoke the truth, correctly identifying  Paul and Silas as servants of God who showed the way of salvation.
3.  The Apostle Paul did not realize she was possessed of a demon for "many days."  Certainly had he known when first encountering the girl, he would have acted sooner.
4.  The girl thus gave no immediate indication to being demon possessed, and actually seemed to be a herald of the Gospel and its communicators.

   This should splash a bracing draught of  cold Biblical water in our faces.  A demon possessed human being can seem sane, rational, and even appear to be a Truth-proclaiming servant of God.    No less than the Lord's chief Apostle failed to immediately recognize the demonic presence in the girl.  This flies in the face of all we tend to think about demon possession.  Normally, the subject causes us to think of obviously possessed people like the Gadarene demonic:

    "When He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains.  Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones" (Mark 5:2-5).

   Encounter the Gadarene demonic, and we will instantly react, "That man is demon possessed!"  The aforementioned damsel, however, might cause us to think, "Thank the Lord for this godly young lady helping the Apostle Paul preach the Gospel!"  A draught of cold water, isn't it?  In the face.  I would go so far as to suggest that our ancient foe the devil likely utilizes the damsel protocol in matters of demon possession far more than the Gadarene version.  Thus, we must be careful to not instantly give spiritual credence to that which may seem godly in both demeanor and utterance, but which actually involves Satan's sinister subtlety.  The Apostle John called us to "try (test) the spirits, whether they are of God" (I John 4:1).  Moreover, the Lord Jesus Christ commanded, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24).  Certainly our spiritual enemies know we may well give credence to truth-speaking damsels who are no less demoniacs than the obviously possessed man of the Gadarenes.  The former is thus far more dangerous than the latter, and far more difficult to detect.  Surely the devil's damsel protocol presses us to be far more vigilant, careful, and prayerful regarding who we trust in matters of the Spirit and of Truth.

"Be vigilant."
(I Peter 5:8)
"But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
(II Corinthians 11:3)

Weekly Memory Verse
     Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
(Hebrews 4:13)
  

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

"Words and Wonder"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Words and Wonder"



     Sometimes God's answers come in words, the Word of God as illuminated by the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes they come in wonder, the mystery of God as He calls us into the Light that "shineth in darkness" (John 1:5).

    "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29).

    Humanity exists as a race of beings whose original ancestors bought into Satan's lie that "ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).  Subsequently, woven into our flesh is the deception that the possession of facts and information constitutes our hope for facing the realities of life.  Certainly knowledge and understanding do provide much fuel for powering the engine of our existence.  "With all thy getting, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:7).  However, as living persons originally created in the image of God, life must first be viewed in the personal terms of relationship and fellowship with Him.  While this involves much knowledge and understanding -  "Love the Lord thy God with all thy… mind" - we must first acknowledge the Truth that while we can know some, and we can know more, we cannot know all (Mark 12:30).  "Secret things" characterize our Heavenly Father's way in our lives, along with "those things which are revealed."  This discomfits the flesh of even faithful believers, necessitating our remembrance that God is God, and we are… not.  "Put them in fear, o Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men" (Psalm 9:20).

    Sometimes, the Light of Christ shines most brightly when things seem most secret, and even enshrouded in darkness.  "By His light, I walked through darkness" (Job 29:3).  When God does not explain the ways of His hand, we must trust the faithful goodness of His heart.  Such faith involves the most personal aspect of our walk with Him, the way of wonder.  When we must know Him regarding matters beyond our understanding, the deepest depths of both God and ourselves relate in the fellowship of His provision and our reception.  The way is hard, again, because our flesh longs to understand even when understanding won't help us.  For born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, however, the way is blessed as we rejoice in the words of things that are revealed, and in the wonder of secret things that are not.  Both ways are necessary in our lives, and both offer the grace of God's heart to the faith of our hearts.  

"Call unto Me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not."
(Jeremiah 33:3)
"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.  He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous."
(Psalm 112:4)

Weekly Memory Verse
     Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
(Hebrews 4:13)
  


Tuesday, January 29, 2019

“Outside the Comfort Zone”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Outside the Comfort Zone"



     I once had an interesting opportunity to speak at a funeral service.  During the last three months of her life, Mrs. Johnson lived in a retirement community where we conduct services.  She could not communicate due to the effects of a severe stroke that affected her ability to speak. There was, however, an exception.  When I quoted Bible verses in my sermons, Mrs. Johnson somehow rose to the occasion and quite frequently joined me in their recitation (I am reminded of a friend who knew the preacher Vance Havner and visited him when he was confined to a nursing home near the end of his life.  Vance spoke very little - unless you asked him to pray.  Then, like Mrs. Johnson, his Christ-filled heart overrode physical incapacities to utter prayers as he had during his lifetime of walking with the Lord.  "My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9).

    When Mrs. Johnson passed away, her daughter asked me to speak at the service because I had served as her mother's last pastor.  I was more than agreeable to do so, but her daughter threw me a bit of a curve.  "Please don't tell anyone I asked you to speak" she requested.  I responded that if she felt uncomfortable with my participation for any reason, I would surely understand.  "No, Glen, I want you to speak," she said.  "But please don't tell anyone I asked you."  I suspect the issue had to do with cultural matters.  Mrs. Johnson was African American, and I am Caucasian.  Perhaps her daughter may have wondered if some folks in the church might be uncomfortable with my presence, and even more, with my participation.  As it turned out, nothing could have been further from the truth.

    Frances and I drove to the funeral, expecting it to be a small gathering.  We knew Mrs. Johnson had a fine family (ten of them had joined us in our chapel service on Mother's Day not long before Mrs. Johnson's passing).  However, nothing led us to expect what we encountered when we arrived at the church.  We discovered a full parking lot.  We walked into the building to find a standing room only congregation of at least four hundred people.  It turns out the Mrs. Johnson was very well connected in her community, and knew dignitaries at both the political and social level.  A state senator spoke before I walked up to the microphone, and it was obvious that Mrs. Johnson was greatly loved and respected by many family members, friends, and acquaintances.

    Mrs. Johnson's daughter instructed me before the service when I should approach the front of the sanctuary to speak to the congregation.  "Are you sure?" I asked again.  She nodded.  The time came.  As far as I know, only three people in the church - myself, Frances, and Mrs. Johnson's daughter - knew why a funny looking white guy made his way to the front of the church, and then of all things, faced the congregation and began to speak.  I introduced myself, and shared how much Mrs. Johnson had meant to us, and how much we would miss her.  Of course, I mentioned her joining me in reciting the Scriptures, which led to many smiles, knowing nods, and "Amens!"  When I finished, the people graciously acknowledged my words and I returned to the place where I had stood before speaking (remember, standing room only).  People offered me their place in the pews (as they had before I spoke), and I can honestly say I have never been more blessed by the graciousness of God's people.

   I look back on the occasion as one of the more memorable times in our ministry.  And one of the more blessed.  I also realize that the Lord leads us into some strange and difficult circumstances in life that place us far outside our comfort zone.  We cannot avoid feelings of uncertainty in such times, but we do well to remember His promised presence and enabling in all things.  Mrs. Johnson's homegoing service surely confirmed such truth, and even more, the memory of it reminds me of how much we can trust our Lord in all things, regardless of uncertainty or discomfort.  We often find Him best outside the comfort zone, where we most realize our need, and even more, His faithful provision.

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." 
(Isaiah 43:2)

Weekly Memory Verse
     Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
(Hebrews 4:13)
  

Monday, January 28, 2019

"The Gift of Suffering"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"The Gift of Suffering"



     It does not seem like it.  It does not look like it.  It most certainly does not feel like it.  However, the Apostle Paul affirmed suffering as a gift given to born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

   "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Philippians 1:29).

   From our eternal vantage point in Heaven, we will realize that the pains of our earthly lives were no less the blessing of God than our pleasures.  Again, this is not to minimize our challenges.  Pain is pain.  Loss is loss.  Grief is grief.  Heartache is heartache, and broken hearts feel the keen shattering of hopes and dreams regardless of how faithfully we walk with our Lord.  Moreover, our Heavenly Father is "full of compassion" and "doth not afflict willingly" the challenges He allows and sometimes directly administers (Psalm 86:15; Lamentations 3:33).  Nevertheless, we must at times hurt, lose, grieve, ache, and feel brokenness of heart if we are to well know our Lord and His working in our lives.  Only thereby can our Heavenly Father fulfill His purpose of conforming us to the spiritual and moral image of the Lord Jesus (Romans 8:28-29).

    "Before I was afflicted, I went astray.  But now I have kept Thy Word" (Psalm 119:67).

   Scripture offers many reasons for the necessity of suffering.  Space in this essay does not allow for a consideration of those reasons.  For now, let us simply propose that the challenges of this life are not wasted, nor will their significance for eternity fail to be accomplished.  Something Divine always graces our difficulties, regardless of their nature, degree, or measure.  The God affirmed by Scripture as "a very present help in trouble" does not accompany us as a mere observer of our difficulties.  God is always doing something, always accomplishing purposes, always effecting change, and always using our challenges to enable growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.  Always.  "I will be with thee" proclaims the promise regarding every challenge of life (Isaiah 43:2).  Yes, when "it is given… to suffer for His sake," a greater Gift comes with the challenge.  Our "very present" Lord accompanies the pain, the loss, the grief, the heartache, the heartbreak.  As we trust Him, we find Him in ways that pleasure cannot offer.  We will better understand this from our future Heavenly vantage point, but even now in the earthly challenges that may seem so very dark, let open our eyes to behold the Gift that always comes with suffering.

"The Light shineth in darkness."
(John 1:5)
"They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."
(Acts 5:41)

Weekly Memory Verse
     Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
(Hebrews 4:13)
  


Friday, January 25, 2019

"Together"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Together"



     Mrs. Jones (not her real name) grabbed my hand as we said our goodbyes after conducting a service at a local retirement community.  She usually speaks very little, but today she looked at me intently.  

   "I like her" she said, nodding toward Frances who was busy placing my guitar in its case and gathering the rest of our gear.  Mrs. Jones continued.  "And I like you."  This touched my heart, and I began to respond.  "Why thank you, Mrs. Jo…"  She stopped me by continuing her thought.  "But most of all" she concluded with a big smile and a look of utmost seriousness, "I like you and her together!"  

   Gulp!  I was so touched I could not immediately reply.  When I could, I simply said - and even more, felt - "Me too, Mrs Jones!"  Interestingly, Mrs. Jones made her comment on the 42nd anniversary of the first full day of Frances and my life together.  We began courting on January 23rd, 1977.  So, we saw Mrs. Jones' affirmation as a gift from the Lord who brought us together all those years ago, and who continues to immeasurably bless our shared life with Him.

    Wonderfully, an even greater truth of "Together" lies in the relationship between the Lord Jesus Christ and His church.

    "Behold I and the children which God hath given Me" (Hebrews 2:13).

    The Lord Jesus speaks these words regarding Himself and the Blood-washed, Spirit-renewed sons and daughters of God who trust in Him.  When God the Father sees His Son, He sees us.  When He sees us, He sees His Son.  He sees us together, spiritually united forever, and doubtless rejoices in a measure of love and affection we cannot imagine.  

    "As the body is one and hath many members, so also is Christ" (I Corinthians 12:12).  

    Note that the Apostle Paul refers not only to the Head of the body as Christ, but also to the body as Christ.  Of course, this does not mean that believers are Christ, nor are we Him.  However, we are so spiritually united with our Lord that our Father views us as inseparable.  Because we are.  "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (I Corinthians 6:17).   The most beautiful Biblical analogy of this truth involves the Old Testament laws regarding indentured servants.

    "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.  If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.  And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free, then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him forever" (Exodus 21:2-6).

    After his prescribed time of service, an indentured servant could go forth in freedom.  However, a caveat - an exception of love - existed in the contract.  If the servant had married, he could not leave with his wife or their children.  They must remain with the master.  If a servant loved his family, he could declare "I will not go out free!" The declaration indentured the servant to his master for a lifetime.  Moreover, a physical token tangibly revealed the love, the obligation, and the servitude.  The servant would bear physical wounds that confirmed for a lifetime his sacrifice and devotion.  "I will not go out free!"

   Of His beloved bride, the church, the Lord Jesus declares, "I will not go out free!"  At the highest cost to Himself, He redeemed us from our sins and spiritually united His heart with our own.  He bears tangible wounds to confirm and forever seal the union.  "Behold My hands and my feet" (Luke 24:39).  He will never be as He was before His incarnation, suffering, and resurrection.  He left Heaven as the Son of His Father, a glory that existed "before the world was" (John 17:5).  He returned as the Son of His Father, but also as the Husband of His church.  Mrs. Jones illuminates us regarding this wonder.  God the Father loves His Son.  He loves us.  And most of all, He loves us together.  I close here.  I have no more words to even attempt further consideration, other than "Thank you, Mrs. Jones!  And thank You, Heavenly Father!"

"Christ... loved His church, and gave Himself for it."
(Ephesians 5:25)
"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
(Hebrews 13:5)

Weekly Memory Verse
  But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
(Hebrews 1:8)


Thursday, January 24, 2019

“Where To Lay Blame”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Where To Lay Blame"




     Our fleshly tendency to rationalize our sins began immediately after Adam and Eve distrusted and disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.

    "The man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" (Genesis 3:12-13).

   Adam blamed God - "the woman whom Thou gavest me" - and Eve - "she gave me of the tree."  Eve blamed the devil - "the serpent beguiled me."  Neither blamed themselves.  Thus, the strain and the stain of avoiding personal responsibility manifested itself in fallen humanity from the very outset of our sad history.  Thereafter, God must work in the hearts of human beings to convince us of sin.  Even one of the best and brightest among us - King David - required the visit of a prophet to illuminate his heart to the sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband by having him assigned to the bloodiest of battlefields (II Samuel, ch. 11-12).  The man declared by the Lord to be "after Mine own heart" failed to see the catastrophic moral failure that surely should have been obvious and acknowledged (Acts 13:22).  

    What does this say to us?  Even in born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, our flesh remains infected with the tendency to avoid responsibility for our own sins.  Others may influence us to unbelief and disobedience to God.  If we succumb, however, we bear completely responsible for our sins.  All of them.  The shed blood of the Lord Jesus provides forgiveness for sins, but not for excuses.  Thankfully, the David so guilty of wickedness and blindness also came to His senses in repentance and confession: "For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me" (Psalm 51:3).  We must seek to join our wayward but forgiven brother of old when we sin.  The Holy Spirit now fulfills the role of exposing our sins and convicting us to lay blame at the only doorstep where it rightly belongs.  "I have sinned against the Lord" confessed David to Nathan (II Samuel 12:13).  Let us say the same to our Lord whenever He convicts us of sin, taking the full responsibility that alone prepares us to know the forgiveness and cleansing of our merciful Heavenly Father.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
(I John 1:9)

Weekly Memory Verse
  But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
(Hebrews 1:8)


  

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

"Why Glory?"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Why Glory?"




   Why does Scripture call us to glorify God with us such full-hearted devotion that "whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God?" (I Corinthians 10:31).

   Is God an egotist who needs constant affirmation and adulation from others?  Does He require our praise to fulfill some emotional need in Himself?  Certainly this is not the case.  Our triune Lord exists as perfectly sufficient in Himself, within the eternal scope and infinite measure of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Acts 17:25).  Moreover, our glorifying Him does not add to His glory, but rather simply reveals the truth and fact thereof.  Why, therefore, does He call us to glorify Him in "whatsoever ye do?"

    The answer lies first in the fact of God's goodness and greatness.  Reality demands that we honor Him because He is who He is.  Believers are the creations and redeemed sons and daughters of our Lord.  We are the lamps of His light.   We will therefore inevitably display the reality of who God is in His glory as we walk with Him.  "I am the light of the world… Ye are the light of the world" (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14). 

    He also calls us to glorify Him because He knows who He is - the Creator, Sustainer, Illuminator, Provider, and Protector of all creation.  He also perfectly knows who we are  - the dependent parties to whom He "giveth life and breath and all things."  Glorifying Him means that we also realize the Truth about Him and ourselves, thus motivating the life of faith whereby God leads and enables us in all things.  "Thou openest Thine hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16)

    Finally, we impact others as we honor the Lord, leading unbelievers to faith and fellow believers to greater faithfulness as we bear witness by word, attitude, and deed to God's goodness and greatness, and the very Life of our lives.  "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

   God is worthy of more glory than all creation can ever direct toward Him.  He is not, however, a narcissist who requires praise, thanksgiving, or our acknowledgment in any manner whatsoever.  We please Him by glorifying Him, but we meet no need in Him.  Our Lord created human beings with the capacity and calling to glorify Him because it meets needs in us and in all creation.  He desires that we honor Him because of His love for us, and because He knows that we are helpless and hopeless without Him.  God does not need us to glorify Him.  Conversely, we do need to think, speak, act, and relate in a manner that directs all honor to Him.  We do well to understand this truth about Him and ourselves whereby the glory of God becomes far more precious to us, and far more practiced by us.

"Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children."
(Psalm 90:16)

Weekly Memory Verse
  But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
(Hebrews 1:8)


  




"Honor All?"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Honor All?"




     We must never tolerate in ourselves a disrespectful and dismissive attitude toward any human being.  

    "Honor all men" (I Peter 2:17).

    Find the most wicked human being on the planet earth.  The Holy Spirit's mandate through the Apostle Peter stands.  We are to respect all, based on our respect for God and His Word.  Obviously, this does not mean we respect or overlook evil.  Nor do we fail to take opportunities to bear witness to God, grace, truth, sin, judgment, and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only hope for forgiveness and redemption.  It does mean we remember the Apostle Paul referred to the entire human race when he declared to the unbelieving philosophers of Athens, "He giveth to all life and breath and all things… In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:25; 28).  Such remembrance will go far in motivating our proper response of the love that certainly does not honor human wrong, but does honor the human personhood originally created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26).

    One way we can afford respect to all involves putting to death the aforementioned attitude of dismissal.  "How can you think that?  How can you believe that?  How can you do that?"  These questions directed toward others actually reveal much darkness in ourselves.  Indeed, how often do we direct such inquiries inwardly?  It is much easier to dismiss others than ourselves.  Sadly, we often see this among believers who differ about matters of Biblical doctrine and practice.  While perhaps not directly stated, the attitude of "how can you be so stupid, blind, carnal, and devilishly deceived?" frequently manifests its fleshly ugliness as Christians consider differing perspectives and positions.  No proper place exists in our attitude toward each other for such arrogance, self importance, disrespect, and forgetfulness of our own need for continual growth and correction.  

    We also forget the subtle cunning of our spiritual enemies when we wonder how others can be the way they are.  Be it devilish or human, the "cunning craftiness" of deceivers can mislead all of us if we are not careful (Ephesians 4:14).  Moreover, when we allow a disrespectful attitude of dismissal to govern our attitude and communication toward others, we pretty much cancel any possibility of communication with people we might be able to help if we exercise forthright, but humble relationship and fellowship.  "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" (I Timothy 2:24-25).  

   When we remember the Lord Jesus, we will honor all men.  When we remember ourselves, we will honor all men.  When we remember the wiles of the devil, world, and flesh, we will honor all men.  Again, such respect directed toward the God-created humanity of all does not lead us to compromise regarding the spiritual and moral pathologies of a fallen world.  We will speak the Truth no less, and even more.  However, we will speak the Truth in the love of Christ (Ephesians 4:15).  Our Lord's heart of grace and mercy will be manifested in us, thus honoring Him.  In fact, our respect for God can be directly measured by our respect for human beings.  This constitutes hard truth that must not be dismissed as we determine not to bear an attitude of dismissal toward any person, regardless of how far we may think they have fallen.  

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
(Galatians 6:1)

Weekly Memory Verse
  But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
(Hebrews 1:8)


  



Tuesday, January 22, 2019

"The Gallery of Goodness"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"The Gallery of Goodness"




     Imagine a world without color.  Or without music.  Or flavor.  Or texture.  Or fragrance.  Or beauty of any variety or measure.  The contemplation is difficult because we live in a creation that teems with wonder, and with senses able to perceive it.
    "Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us" (Psalm 90:17).

    The beauty of creation and our capacity to experience it reveals the heart of God.  Such gracious bestowal elicits utter amazement upon even a cursory contemplation and appreciation.  The art, the art of His heart, calls us into infinitely vast reaches of our Lord's sublime character.  One of the shortest sentences in Scripture, repeated seven times, speaks of this glory: "the Lord is good."  It takes no more than a second to utter these four words.  Eternity, however, will not suffice in complete discovery of all they mean.  God's heart is a gallery of goodness and beauty into which believers have entered, and through which we will journey forever.  "Oh how great is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee!" (Psalm 31:19).

    The Gallery of goodness offers displays of God's perfectly unselfish character and nature.  "God is love… Love seekth not her own" (I John 4:8; I Corinthians 13:5).  From everlasting to everlasting, our Lord will never think, speak, or act selfishly.  In the triunity of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relate in perfectly unselfish devotion to One another.  The same character governs His relationship to creation, and especially His actions toward human beings originally created in the image of God.  He cannot be other than who He is in the glory of selfless devotion to others.  Even when executing wrath, our Heavenly Father unselfishly acts in the best interest of His creation, working to preserve its sanctity regarding anything or anyone who might threaten the well being of the universe.  Selfishness would lead Him to act otherwise, perhaps by overlooking sin and wrong.  "He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men  I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Lamentations 3:33; Ezekiel 33:11).  Loving unselfishness, however, wields the rod and unsheathes the sword as necessary.  Thus, even in judgment and chastening, the goodness of God shines forth in glory.

   The Gallery of goodness offers its glories to be known in this day and forevermore.  We will never approach an exit to the Gallery.  There is none.  God's loving unselfishness promises wonders of love to be discovered and admired forevermore.  Let us be thrilled by the prospect, and enthralled by the goodness we presently see as we walk with God through Christ in the realization that the beauty of the Lord is indeed upon us.

"The Lord is good to all, and His tendermercies are over all His works."
(Psalm 145:9)

Weekly Memory Verse
  But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
(Hebrews 1:8)


  













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Monday, January 21, 2019

"Why Glory?"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Why Glory?"




   Why does Scripture call us to glorify God with us such full-hearted devotion that "whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God?" (I Corinthians 10:31).

   Is God an egotist who needs constant affirmation and adulation from others?  Does He require our praise to fulfill some emotional need in Himself?  Certainly this is not the case.  Our triune Lord exists as perfectly sufficient in Himself, within the eternal scope and infinite measure of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Acts 17:25).  Moreover, our glorifying Him does not add to His glory, but rather simply reveals the truth and fact thereof.  Why, therefore, does He call us to glorify Him in "whatsoever ye do?"

    The answer lies first in the fact of God's goodness and greatness.  Reality demands that we honor Him because He is who He is.  Believers are the creations and redeemed sons and daughters of our Lord.  We are the lamps of His light.   We will therefore inevitably display the reality of who God is in His glory as we walk with Him.  "I am the light of the world… Ye are the light of the world" (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14). 

    He also calls us to glorify Him because He knows who He is - the Creator, Sustainer, Illuminator, Provider, and Protector of all creation.  He also perfectly knows who we are  - the dependent parties to whom He "giveth life and breath and all things."  Glorifying Him means that we also realize the Truth about Him and ourselves, thus motivating the life of faith whereby God leads and enables us in all things.  "Thou openest Thine hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:16)

    Finally, we impact others as we honor the Lord, leading unbelievers to faith and fellow believers to greater faithfulness as we bear witness by word, attitude, and deed to God's goodness and greatness, and the very Life of our lives.  "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

   God is worthy of more glory than all creation can ever direct toward Him.  He is not, however, a narcissist who requires praise, thanksgiving, or our acknowledgment in any manner whatsoever.  We please Him by glorifying Him, but we meet no need in Him.  Our Lord created human beings with the capacity and calling to glorify Him because it meets needs in us and in all creation.  He desires that we honor Him because of His love for us, and because He knows that we are helpless and hopeless without Him.  God does not need us to glorify Him.  Conversely, we do need to think, speak, act, and relate in a manner that directs all honor to Him.  We do well to understand this truth about Him and ourselves whereby the glory of God becomes far more precious to us, and far more practiced by us.

"Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children."
(Psalm 90:16)

Weekly Memory Verse
  But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever, a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom."
(Hebrews 1:8)


  



Friday, January 18, 2019

Joy In Sorrow Part 3 - The Joy of Conviction

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…



"Joy In Sorrow"

Part 3 - "The Joy of Conviction"


     Biblical joy and happiness are related, but not directly synonymous.

    "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations" (James 1:2).

    As mentioned in Part 1 of this series of messages, joy and sorrow often concurrently exist in the sensibilities of born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ: "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (II Corinthians 6:10).  This truth constitutes the definition of joy in different terms than we often consider.  Note that James' command does not call us to "feel" it all joy when we experience challenge or difficulty.  We are to "count," or "consider" our challenge in terms of joy.  The matter involves our chosen perspective, as opposed to emotional sensibility.  Our Heavenly Father does not call us to somehow force ourselves to feel happy when life bring's sadness to our hearts.  Indeed, one cannot read the Biblical account of our Lord's sufferings in Gethsemane and come to the conclusion that He felt happy there.  "Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (Matthew 26:38).  Surely the Lord Jesus fulfilled the command to consider His suffering in terms of joy.  "Looking unto Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2).  He did not, however, feel joy in the Garden or on the cross.  

    In our present existence, joy must be understood far more in terms of faith and conviction than feeling.  Certainly there are times when joyfulness and emotional happiness travel on parallel tracks of our experience.  Often, however, we must view our challenges in terms of joy when we feel anything but exhilaration.  God Himself is our joy - "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Habbakuk 3:18).  Thus, for the believer, there is always something - Someone - about which to rejoice.  The Lord Jesus is "a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).  Moreover, He is actively present, fulfilling purposes for the glory of God and our best interests that pleasant times cannot accomplish.  "Call upon Me in the day of trouble.  I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15).  These and numerous other Biblical assurances of God's presence and working in our "diverse temptations" provide Truth to be considered, and thus, joy to be known in the innermost depths of our spiritual being.  Again, James calls us to the joy not primarily of feeling, but of faith and the conviction, even as the so called "weeping prophet" Jeremiah affirmed… 

"Thy words were found and I did eat them, and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Thy name, o Lord."
(Jeremiah 15:16)


Weekly Memory Verse
   "Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me."
(John 5:39)


  













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