Its been a while...
Paul wrote to the Romans,
"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." (Romans 14)
He also wrote this to the Corinthians,
"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. ... I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you." (1Corinthians 5)
Is Paul confused? One letter tells us not to judge one another. Another letter tells us to publicly judge and discipline those that are walking in blatant, unrepentant sin. It seems like most people want to cling to one of these passages and ignore the other. One group wants to judge everything in sight, and the other wants to turn a blind eye to the sin that will destroy both the church and the individual, in the name of compassion. I am pretty confident that the Lord doesn't give us that option. So, how do we know when to judge and when not to?
I think, based on these two passages, it has to do with the subject matter. Sexual immorality of any kind, stealing, lying... these are all behaviours that are obviously wrong. There is no gray area here, and they are clear violations of God's moral law. We are no longer under the law as the means by which we are saved, but it is still true as His declaration of right and wrong, and what is best for us. Based on Paul's message to the Corinthians, we are in danger of eternal judgment if we continue in willful practice of that which is clearly in rebellion against the truths of that law. If that be true, then love requires us to confront the one in sin and call them to repent. And, according to Paul, if they refuse we must not allow them to fellowship with the church. In the spirit realm he even went so far as to turn them over to Satan to motivate them to wake up and return to the Lord. That's some pretty serious judgment, and Paul rebukes that notoriously carnal church for their lack of willingness to carry it out. This commitment to the holiness and purity of the church is not presented as an option.
On the other hand, there are areas of life that are not black and white before the Lord. Regarding these, he says to the Romans, "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." It seems like a contradiction. We go from a command to judge strongly to instructions to refrain from judging completely. Which is it? Again, its all about the subject matter. Paul is talking about matters that are open to debate and personal conviction. What we should eat and when we should worship. There are groups who feel strongly about issues such as these that are "non-essential". They often look with disdain on those who don't have the same revelation they have. They judge them as not being quite as righteous as they are. On the other side, you have those who disagree with the other group's conviction, and look upon them as "in error" or legalistic. Both are wrong and damaging the unity of the church's love. Both are in pride rather than the humililty that Jesus demonstrated and calls us to.
It is interesting to note that we are accountable in these "gray" areas to our own conscience. "The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." (Romans 14:22-23)
The question is not whether we should judge or not. There is a time and a place for both. The issue is learning to discern from the Holy Spirit what is appropriate for the situation we find ourselves in. Is this a black and white violation of God's law, or is it a matter of personal conviction? When we gain that understanding, we simply need to obey in the faith that works through love.
Blessings.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
23 years
Jeremiah 25
“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah… which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: "For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, saying, 'Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.' Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.”
Twenty-three years. The mercy and patience of the Lord is amazing. He goes on to say that He is now going to judge them for their hard hearts and disobedience, but the length of His patient call to a rebellious people was what caught my eye. Twenty-three years is less than the blink of an eye to the Lord, but it’s a long time in human terms. Today His Spirit calls within. How long has He been beckoning us to come to Him for the grace to turn from “the sin that so easily entangles us”? Are we listening, or have we become dull of hearing in the busyness of everyday life? Do we enjoy that one little area of compromise too much to let go? Are we “robbing God” of the full obedience of faith that He deserves? How long has He been calling to us?
Lord give us ears to hear what you would say, and if we have become hard of hearing, we ask you to speak so loudly that we just can’t miss it.
You won’t have to shout when we stand before your throne.
“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah… which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: "For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, saying, 'Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.' Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.”
Twenty-three years. The mercy and patience of the Lord is amazing. He goes on to say that He is now going to judge them for their hard hearts and disobedience, but the length of His patient call to a rebellious people was what caught my eye. Twenty-three years is less than the blink of an eye to the Lord, but it’s a long time in human terms. Today His Spirit calls within. How long has He been beckoning us to come to Him for the grace to turn from “the sin that so easily entangles us”? Are we listening, or have we become dull of hearing in the busyness of everyday life? Do we enjoy that one little area of compromise too much to let go? Are we “robbing God” of the full obedience of faith that He deserves? How long has He been calling to us?
Lord give us ears to hear what you would say, and if we have become hard of hearing, we ask you to speak so loudly that we just can’t miss it.
You won’t have to shout when we stand before your throne.
Monday, August 10, 2009
spiritual boredom
I received the note below from a friend on Facebook. My reply follows.
Re: Boredom in the Union life
Hello friends! I know that title seems oxymoronic, but I wanted to ask you about boredom. I've noticed that sometimes I get bored stiff! It feels like there's nothing mentally stimulating that Christ wants to do or teach me or anything. In the past, I'd to try to do things to "fill myself up", things that blessed me before but now felt very dry. Now, I'll tell God how bored I am and try to have a conversation, but I keep getting distracted by the boredom! Help! Has this happened to you and, if so, what did God say about it? I value your thoughts very much and each of you has been a tremendous blessing to me. It feels like a big, warm family on FaceBook!
my response:
I think spiritual boredom is epidemic in western culture. "Without a vision, my people perish." We need a vision for God's unfolding purpose in our world. Most people think that once Jesus died and rose from the grave, the story was over. Now we simply try to live this life and enjoy it as much as possible, and then one day we will "die and go to heaven". (I am not saying that is what you do... I am just describing what I typically see around me.)
That approach misses the whole point. Jesus came the first time to provide redemption and bring us into relationship with God, but now we wait eagerly for His second coming. The early church longed for His return, when He would begin His 1000 year reign on earth, bringing all of creation under His loving rule. That is our hope. All of creation reconciled to its Creator.
In the meantime, the infinite, awesome One longs to reveal Himself to us in deeper and greater ways. Its free, but it doesn't come easy. It requires that we come to Him in faith, to spend time praying, fasting, meditating on His word, and worshipping. I promise you, if you will give yourself to those practices, He will reward you with what Paul called "the spirit of revelation." That is what he prayed that God would give the Ephesians. Its not about legalistic works. The prayer, fasting, meditation, etc. are not to earn this revelation. Its about putting ourselves in the God-ordained position to receive what he graciously wants to give us. These are some of the works of faith that James speaks of.
Jesus wants to bring you into an intimacy with Himself that words can't describe. He wants to open our eyes in greater and greater ways to see his glory and goodness. He wants to awaken a fascination in our hearts with knowing more of Him. Forgiveness and freedom from guilt and works are just the introduction into this grace in which we stand. He truly wants to take us into the fulness of the knowledge of God. No human can explain that. It can only be experienced in His presence. Sometimes our seeking of Him will be stimulating and even exciting, and sometimes it will be a little on the dry, dull side. I just encourage your to persevere. God is faithful, and "a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Once your heart becomes fascinated with Him, boredom will, for the most part, become a thing of the past.
grace and peace,
Brian
I know, I know.... I am not a very good "comforter" at times. But spiritual passivity is rampant in this generation and "the kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." There is a thread of theology that I have been running across lately that sounds more like muppet land than the kingdom. We just kind of passively go about our business, and let Jesus live through us. Any effort we make is "the flesh", and therefore useless, if not evil. I think the Lord wants partners, and not puppets.
But that's just me...
Lord, straighten out my thinking where I am missing it. Amen.
Re: Boredom in the Union life
Hello friends! I know that title seems oxymoronic, but I wanted to ask you about boredom. I've noticed that sometimes I get bored stiff! It feels like there's nothing mentally stimulating that Christ wants to do or teach me or anything. In the past, I'd to try to do things to "fill myself up", things that blessed me before but now felt very dry. Now, I'll tell God how bored I am and try to have a conversation, but I keep getting distracted by the boredom! Help! Has this happened to you and, if so, what did God say about it? I value your thoughts very much and each of you has been a tremendous blessing to me. It feels like a big, warm family on FaceBook!
my response:
I think spiritual boredom is epidemic in western culture. "Without a vision, my people perish." We need a vision for God's unfolding purpose in our world. Most people think that once Jesus died and rose from the grave, the story was over. Now we simply try to live this life and enjoy it as much as possible, and then one day we will "die and go to heaven". (I am not saying that is what you do... I am just describing what I typically see around me.)
That approach misses the whole point. Jesus came the first time to provide redemption and bring us into relationship with God, but now we wait eagerly for His second coming. The early church longed for His return, when He would begin His 1000 year reign on earth, bringing all of creation under His loving rule. That is our hope. All of creation reconciled to its Creator.
In the meantime, the infinite, awesome One longs to reveal Himself to us in deeper and greater ways. Its free, but it doesn't come easy. It requires that we come to Him in faith, to spend time praying, fasting, meditating on His word, and worshipping. I promise you, if you will give yourself to those practices, He will reward you with what Paul called "the spirit of revelation." That is what he prayed that God would give the Ephesians. Its not about legalistic works. The prayer, fasting, meditation, etc. are not to earn this revelation. Its about putting ourselves in the God-ordained position to receive what he graciously wants to give us. These are some of the works of faith that James speaks of.
Jesus wants to bring you into an intimacy with Himself that words can't describe. He wants to open our eyes in greater and greater ways to see his glory and goodness. He wants to awaken a fascination in our hearts with knowing more of Him. Forgiveness and freedom from guilt and works are just the introduction into this grace in which we stand. He truly wants to take us into the fulness of the knowledge of God. No human can explain that. It can only be experienced in His presence. Sometimes our seeking of Him will be stimulating and even exciting, and sometimes it will be a little on the dry, dull side. I just encourage your to persevere. God is faithful, and "a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Once your heart becomes fascinated with Him, boredom will, for the most part, become a thing of the past.
grace and peace,
Brian
I know, I know.... I am not a very good "comforter" at times. But spiritual passivity is rampant in this generation and "the kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." There is a thread of theology that I have been running across lately that sounds more like muppet land than the kingdom. We just kind of passively go about our business, and let Jesus live through us. Any effort we make is "the flesh", and therefore useless, if not evil. I think the Lord wants partners, and not puppets.
But that's just me...
Lord, straighten out my thinking where I am missing it. Amen.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
a question
The other morning I was talking with a friend, and we were discussing a portion of scripture from Ephesians 5, verses 1 through 21. It’s a very challenging passage. It calls us to be “imitators of God” and to walk in the kind of love that that took Jesus to the cross for us. And then it calls us to holiness and purity in no uncertain terms. It speaks particularly to our struggles with our speech, sexuality and covetousness. But that’s not really what I am concerned with at this moment.
He called me a few hours later, with a thought he had as he was considering our conversation. While I can’t remember his exact words, the gist of his thoughts were to question why we wouldn’t live now with the same devotion and dedication to Jesus that we picture ourselves having after His return to rule "in the flesh" here on the earth. I thought it was a great question, and it led me to another one.
In our day to day lives, would we change anything that we are doing or not doing if Jesus was living alongside of us in the flesh?
A second question naturally follows.
Why are we waiting to make those changes?
I will leave it at that. Its a discussion we can only really have with Him.
And yes, I know, Jesus won't be "in the flesh", since He will be in His resurrection body. "In the flesh" just seemed to make the question more clear. ;-)
He called me a few hours later, with a thought he had as he was considering our conversation. While I can’t remember his exact words, the gist of his thoughts were to question why we wouldn’t live now with the same devotion and dedication to Jesus that we picture ourselves having after His return to rule "in the flesh" here on the earth. I thought it was a great question, and it led me to another one.
In our day to day lives, would we change anything that we are doing or not doing if Jesus was living alongside of us in the flesh?
A second question naturally follows.
Why are we waiting to make those changes?
I will leave it at that. Its a discussion we can only really have with Him.
And yes, I know, Jesus won't be "in the flesh", since He will be in His resurrection body. "In the flesh" just seemed to make the question more clear. ;-)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
the same yesterday, today, and forever
From Jeremiah 21
The priests ask the prophet to inquire of the Lord regarding His deliverance for them from the king of Babylon and his invading army.
"Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us." They presume that the great God of Israel will arise as He did in Egypt and deliver them from their enemies."
But Jeremiah doesn’t give them the answer they are looking for.
"Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' "
Not exactly what they were expecting. God was not happy with them. He loved them, they were His chosen, but they were in a place of unbelief and rebellion. They had been in idolatry, and the other sins it inevitably leads to. So… He was going to be faithful to His promises. Moses had given them severe warnings regarding disobedience to His ways, and He was going to follow through with what He had said.
“Even when we are faithless, He is faithful.” He will be true to His word, one way or the other.
“I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.”
Now, many people today would write this whole thing off as “Old Testament.” That’s the law, they say. We are under grace now. Hmmm. I am thinking of a couple of New Testament “promises.”
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote”You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Let me see. In this “New Covenant” passage we are told that a wrong attitude toward this world can make us an enemy of God, and that pride will put us in a position where He, God, will oppose us. That sounds a lot like the situation we find in Jeremiah. The Israelites had been unfaithful to the Lord, and become “friends” with the idols of this world. In His perfect love and wisdom, God had to discipline them. He couldn’t leave them in their deception and rebellion. He had to do whatever was necessary to bring them back to a place of complete trust in Him, and the obedience that is always the result of that trust. We know from His own word that He delights in mercy. However, He will turn to discipline if that is what it’s going to take to restore our hearts back to Himself. That hasn’t changed. Remember Hebrews 12. His first choice is to win us with the revelation of His kindness. But, if we turn back to the deception of darkness and sin, He will still do whatever is necessary to wake us up to a place of repentance.
Why? Because He loves us… more than we could ever understand.
Have your way, Lord. In mercy, have your way.
The psalmist tells us many times, “He is good, and His mercy endures forever.”
I believe it.
The priests ask the prophet to inquire of the Lord regarding His deliverance for them from the king of Babylon and his invading army.
"Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us." They presume that the great God of Israel will arise as He did in Egypt and deliver them from their enemies."
But Jeremiah doesn’t give them the answer they are looking for.
"Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. Afterward, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.' "
Not exactly what they were expecting. God was not happy with them. He loved them, they were His chosen, but they were in a place of unbelief and rebellion. They had been in idolatry, and the other sins it inevitably leads to. So… He was going to be faithful to His promises. Moses had given them severe warnings regarding disobedience to His ways, and He was going to follow through with what He had said.
“Even when we are faithless, He is faithful.” He will be true to His word, one way or the other.
“I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath.”
Now, many people today would write this whole thing off as “Old Testament.” That’s the law, they say. We are under grace now. Hmmm. I am thinking of a couple of New Testament “promises.”
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote”You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Let me see. In this “New Covenant” passage we are told that a wrong attitude toward this world can make us an enemy of God, and that pride will put us in a position where He, God, will oppose us. That sounds a lot like the situation we find in Jeremiah. The Israelites had been unfaithful to the Lord, and become “friends” with the idols of this world. In His perfect love and wisdom, God had to discipline them. He couldn’t leave them in their deception and rebellion. He had to do whatever was necessary to bring them back to a place of complete trust in Him, and the obedience that is always the result of that trust. We know from His own word that He delights in mercy. However, He will turn to discipline if that is what it’s going to take to restore our hearts back to Himself. That hasn’t changed. Remember Hebrews 12. His first choice is to win us with the revelation of His kindness. But, if we turn back to the deception of darkness and sin, He will still do whatever is necessary to wake us up to a place of repentance.
Why? Because He loves us… more than we could ever understand.
Have your way, Lord. In mercy, have your way.
The psalmist tells us many times, “He is good, and His mercy endures forever.”
I believe it.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
a good word
Jeremiah 9
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom,
let not the mighty man boast in his might,
let not the rich man boast in his riches,
but let him who boasts boast in this,
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice,
and righteousness in the earth.
For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
Lord, give us hearts that boast only in You.
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom,
let not the mighty man boast in his might,
let not the rich man boast in his riches,
but let him who boasts boast in this,
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice,
and righteousness in the earth.
For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
Lord, give us hearts that boast only in You.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
the prophet and the priest
From Amos, chapter 7:
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, "'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'" And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' Now therefore hear the word of the LORD. "You say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.' Therefore thus says the LORD: "'Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'"
If you have read the prophecy of Amos at all, you know that he is not exactly a cheerful guy. Basically he was a farmer that the Lord called out of the fields to proclaim His judgments against the house of Israel. Really strong stuff. Here in chapter 7, we find that a priest has gone to the king, and said, “We need to get rid of this guy. He is telling the people that they are in sin, and that God is getting ready to bring down some heavy discipline. This is really negative, discouraging stuff, and the people can’t take it.”
The priest wants to shut down the prophet because he is upsetting the status quo. He didn’t see things from God’s point of view, and therefore didn’t embrace the word of the Lord. There is a great danger of that scenario replaying itself in our generation. That which we call “the church” is a thriving business in American culture. However, much of it bears little resemblance to that which we see in the scriptures. Instead of calling out disciples to follow Jesus in His counter-cultural kingdom, we teach people how to enjoy all that this world has to offer, and then go to heaven. We teach them how to live for themselves in Jesus name. That sells much better. Draws bigger crowds, brings in bigger offerings.
And then a voice rises up, exposing the deception, and calling His “followers” to actually follow Him. This world and its system and values are exposed as “under the power of the evil one,” and bringing us into enmity with God. There is a call to repentance, to the true holiness of passionate love for our awesome King. There are warnings of the coming discipline of the Lord in our generation.
And what do we hear from those who make their living from this religious system masquerading as the gathering of Jesus’ family? “Legalism! Religion! Bondage!” Grace is perverted to allow people to walk in unrepentant, willful rebellion against His teachings while claiming to be His followers.
And the priests once again try to silence the prophets.
Some things never change.
The end of this passage is the scary part, though. God’s response to the priest who would run off the prophet couldn’t be stronger. He declares another judgment, and this time it’s against the family of the priest. Prostitution for the wife, death for the children. It’s tragic beyond words. I wouldn’t begin to suggest that this is how God would deal with undiscerning leaders of our generation, but there is a lesson here. The status quo is not sacred. Peace and prosperity in the present are not the priorities of the One who sits on the throne. He is determined to have a pure and spotless bride for His Son. He will do whatever is necessary to prepare her, and He will not allow even the leaders of His people to stand in the way of His plan to bring that to pass.
Lord, give us wisdom, understanding, and discernment of your ways for our times.
Have mercy.
Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, "'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'" And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' Now therefore hear the word of the LORD. "You say, 'Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.' Therefore thus says the LORD: "'Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up with a measuring line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.'"
If you have read the prophecy of Amos at all, you know that he is not exactly a cheerful guy. Basically he was a farmer that the Lord called out of the fields to proclaim His judgments against the house of Israel. Really strong stuff. Here in chapter 7, we find that a priest has gone to the king, and said, “We need to get rid of this guy. He is telling the people that they are in sin, and that God is getting ready to bring down some heavy discipline. This is really negative, discouraging stuff, and the people can’t take it.”
The priest wants to shut down the prophet because he is upsetting the status quo. He didn’t see things from God’s point of view, and therefore didn’t embrace the word of the Lord. There is a great danger of that scenario replaying itself in our generation. That which we call “the church” is a thriving business in American culture. However, much of it bears little resemblance to that which we see in the scriptures. Instead of calling out disciples to follow Jesus in His counter-cultural kingdom, we teach people how to enjoy all that this world has to offer, and then go to heaven. We teach them how to live for themselves in Jesus name. That sells much better. Draws bigger crowds, brings in bigger offerings.
And then a voice rises up, exposing the deception, and calling His “followers” to actually follow Him. This world and its system and values are exposed as “under the power of the evil one,” and bringing us into enmity with God. There is a call to repentance, to the true holiness of passionate love for our awesome King. There are warnings of the coming discipline of the Lord in our generation.
And what do we hear from those who make their living from this religious system masquerading as the gathering of Jesus’ family? “Legalism! Religion! Bondage!” Grace is perverted to allow people to walk in unrepentant, willful rebellion against His teachings while claiming to be His followers.
And the priests once again try to silence the prophets.
Some things never change.
The end of this passage is the scary part, though. God’s response to the priest who would run off the prophet couldn’t be stronger. He declares another judgment, and this time it’s against the family of the priest. Prostitution for the wife, death for the children. It’s tragic beyond words. I wouldn’t begin to suggest that this is how God would deal with undiscerning leaders of our generation, but there is a lesson here. The status quo is not sacred. Peace and prosperity in the present are not the priorities of the One who sits on the throne. He is determined to have a pure and spotless bride for His Son. He will do whatever is necessary to prepare her, and He will not allow even the leaders of His people to stand in the way of His plan to bring that to pass.
Lord, give us wisdom, understanding, and discernment of your ways for our times.
Have mercy.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
and the award goes to...
I was reading in chapter 10 of 1st Samuel this morning and came across this passage,
Now Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah. And he said to the people of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.' But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.'
This is from the story of Saul being raised up as the first king of Israel, at the request of the people, and the displeasure of the Lord.
As I read this passage this morning, it hit me, "Are we doing the same thing again, when we look to political power and activity to accomplish our goals, rather than turning to God in fasting and prayer for His divine intervention?"
I wouldn't deny the possibility that the Lord would lead an individual or group into some form of political or social action in a specific situation, but that seems to be our first and natural response to the problems we encounter today.
Of course, we always throw up a token prayer for God's blessing on our efforts, but I am not sure he wants to be "best supporting actor" in this story.
Just a thought...
Now Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah. And he said to the people of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.' But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.'
This is from the story of Saul being raised up as the first king of Israel, at the request of the people, and the displeasure of the Lord.
As I read this passage this morning, it hit me, "Are we doing the same thing again, when we look to political power and activity to accomplish our goals, rather than turning to God in fasting and prayer for His divine intervention?"
I wouldn't deny the possibility that the Lord would lead an individual or group into some form of political or social action in a specific situation, but that seems to be our first and natural response to the problems we encounter today.
Of course, we always throw up a token prayer for God's blessing on our efforts, but I am not sure he wants to be "best supporting actor" in this story.
Just a thought...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Are you a right wing extremist?
If you listen to the news, you have probably heard about this.
http://wnd.com/images/dhs-rightwing-extremism.pdf
Its the document that every talk show on the radio is ranting about. The Department of Homeland Security is warning us of the threat of "right-wing extremists." They feel it could be used to label most anyone who opposes this administration's agenda as dangerous and an extremist. No big deal. "Sticks and stones may break my bones..." But, this kind of thinking can be used to limit the expression of any kind of dissent that the government deems "dangerous." They already mention the pro-life movement in the document. What's next? In some places in the world it's already against the law to preach against sexual immorality. They are usually mostly concerned with homosexuality, but the legislation can easily be expanded to include anyone whose feelings might be hurt by any condemnation of any sin. Hate crime taken to the extreme. We don't want our message to be hateful in any way. We don't want to be all about what we are "against." But... we are clearly commanded to call people to repentance in the gospel. Jesus, John, Peter, Paul... they all called for their listeners to "repent and believe." That has not changed in this age of seeker-friendly religion posing as the life of faith that Jesus calls us to.
In this intellectually sophisticated age of relativism, a message of repentance could possibly even become illegal.
Don't get me wrong. I am not afraid of any of this political activity. Our God reigns! But we need to be "watching" and aware of the times, and where we are headed.
One of these days it may actually cost us something in America to take a stand for Jesus and His righteousness.
It will probably be good for us.
Cotton candy christianity is not a threat to the kingdom of darkness. A voice in the wilderness calling people to whole-hearted righteous love is.
John 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you."
They didn't hate him because he healed the sick, cast out demons, and multiplied loaves and fishes. They hated Him because the light that was in Him exposed the darkness.
May that same light of righteous hope burn brightly in us.
Maranatha!
http://wnd.com/images/dhs-rightwing-extremism.pdf
Its the document that every talk show on the radio is ranting about. The Department of Homeland Security is warning us of the threat of "right-wing extremists." They feel it could be used to label most anyone who opposes this administration's agenda as dangerous and an extremist. No big deal. "Sticks and stones may break my bones..." But, this kind of thinking can be used to limit the expression of any kind of dissent that the government deems "dangerous." They already mention the pro-life movement in the document. What's next? In some places in the world it's already against the law to preach against sexual immorality. They are usually mostly concerned with homosexuality, but the legislation can easily be expanded to include anyone whose feelings might be hurt by any condemnation of any sin. Hate crime taken to the extreme. We don't want our message to be hateful in any way. We don't want to be all about what we are "against." But... we are clearly commanded to call people to repentance in the gospel. Jesus, John, Peter, Paul... they all called for their listeners to "repent and believe." That has not changed in this age of seeker-friendly religion posing as the life of faith that Jesus calls us to.
In this intellectually sophisticated age of relativism, a message of repentance could possibly even become illegal.
Don't get me wrong. I am not afraid of any of this political activity. Our God reigns! But we need to be "watching" and aware of the times, and where we are headed.
One of these days it may actually cost us something in America to take a stand for Jesus and His righteousness.
It will probably be good for us.
Cotton candy christianity is not a threat to the kingdom of darkness. A voice in the wilderness calling people to whole-hearted righteous love is.
John 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you."
They didn't hate him because he healed the sick, cast out demons, and multiplied loaves and fishes. They hated Him because the light that was in Him exposed the darkness.
May that same light of righteous hope burn brightly in us.
Maranatha!
Monday, February 23, 2009
If you can't say something nice...
John 7:7
"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil."
I am reading through John, and this verse has stuck out to me the past couple of days. This is not a very popular concept today. Not very "seeker friendly". We're not supposed to talk about good and evil. We are DEFINITELY not supposed to talk about people being evil. We want to present a picture of Jesus that is "nice". If people can only see how nice He is, then they will like Him, and accept Him as their saviour, and they will start to become nice too. And eventually everything and everyone will be nice. There is a problem though. That scenario requires you to ignore a whole lot of scripture in order to present this as the complete picture of our Lord. He IS nice. He is absolutely good. And He IS love. But... He is also the righteous Judge of all the earth. He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who breaks the seven seals, releasing horrendous judgments on the whole earth. And those judgments are a manifestation of His holy, perfect love. But, they don't fit into this generation's depiction of the "nice" Jesus. And when we tell the whole truth, many will hate Him, and they will hate us too. Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
Does this give us a license to be obnoxious? Do we stand on the street corner and shake our fist at "the world", telling them to "turn or burn"? Of course not. The world was not offended with Jesus because He was acting like a jerk. They were offended because He spoke the truth in love without compromise. And He called them to obedience to that truth. We love the stories where Jesus deals so gently and kindly with sinners. The woman at the well. The one caught in adultery. But, He always finishes by calling them to repentance. He embraced them in their sin in order to call them out of it. That is love. Anything less is a counterfeit. Anything less is NOT love. We can be really nice, and NOT be demonstrating His love. Well intentioned humanists are often quite nice. They sometimes sacrifice their time and energy to do really nice things for people in need. They feed the hungry, and help poor people keep their water and electricity on. But they don't bring them into the knowledge of the truth, and a restored relationship with their Creator. Nice is not bad; nice is just not enough. Works of compassion should be a way of life for the church. We are called to practically demonstrate His love to the world. We just have to make sure that this demonstration includes a humble, clear declaration of the truth. Jesus died to bring people to repentance (Rom. 2:4) and to reconciliation with God. He has entrusted that message to us.
2Corinthians 5 ...we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Seeker friendly is not a bad idea. Jesus was seeker friendly. Some of those seekers fell in love with Him. Some went away despising Him, and eventually took part in His crucifixion. Would the world have any reason to crucify the "nice" Jesus we are told to present to them? Why would they do that?
Jesus prayed in John 17,
I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Later, toward the end of His time on earth, He spoke to His disciples...
John 15
Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.'
"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Jesus is nice. Really. I believe that. But the heavenly beings in the throne room don't cry, "Nice, nice, nice", day and night. He is holy, and righteous in His love. And the perfect wisdom of that loves calls us out of our sin to follow Him. His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. Human kindness doesn't want to offend anyone or hurt their feelings. That may be nice, but it's not necessarily love.
Lord, help us to represent you boldly, and accurately, with humility and compassion.
Amen.
"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil."
I am reading through John, and this verse has stuck out to me the past couple of days. This is not a very popular concept today. Not very "seeker friendly". We're not supposed to talk about good and evil. We are DEFINITELY not supposed to talk about people being evil. We want to present a picture of Jesus that is "nice". If people can only see how nice He is, then they will like Him, and accept Him as their saviour, and they will start to become nice too. And eventually everything and everyone will be nice. There is a problem though. That scenario requires you to ignore a whole lot of scripture in order to present this as the complete picture of our Lord. He IS nice. He is absolutely good. And He IS love. But... He is also the righteous Judge of all the earth. He is also the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who breaks the seven seals, releasing horrendous judgments on the whole earth. And those judgments are a manifestation of His holy, perfect love. But, they don't fit into this generation's depiction of the "nice" Jesus. And when we tell the whole truth, many will hate Him, and they will hate us too. Joh 15:18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
Does this give us a license to be obnoxious? Do we stand on the street corner and shake our fist at "the world", telling them to "turn or burn"? Of course not. The world was not offended with Jesus because He was acting like a jerk. They were offended because He spoke the truth in love without compromise. And He called them to obedience to that truth. We love the stories where Jesus deals so gently and kindly with sinners. The woman at the well. The one caught in adultery. But, He always finishes by calling them to repentance. He embraced them in their sin in order to call them out of it. That is love. Anything less is a counterfeit. Anything less is NOT love. We can be really nice, and NOT be demonstrating His love. Well intentioned humanists are often quite nice. They sometimes sacrifice their time and energy to do really nice things for people in need. They feed the hungry, and help poor people keep their water and electricity on. But they don't bring them into the knowledge of the truth, and a restored relationship with their Creator. Nice is not bad; nice is just not enough. Works of compassion should be a way of life for the church. We are called to practically demonstrate His love to the world. We just have to make sure that this demonstration includes a humble, clear declaration of the truth. Jesus died to bring people to repentance (Rom. 2:4) and to reconciliation with God. He has entrusted that message to us.
2Corinthians 5 ...we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Seeker friendly is not a bad idea. Jesus was seeker friendly. Some of those seekers fell in love with Him. Some went away despising Him, and eventually took part in His crucifixion. Would the world have any reason to crucify the "nice" Jesus we are told to present to them? Why would they do that?
Jesus prayed in John 17,
I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Later, toward the end of His time on earth, He spoke to His disciples...
John 15
Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.
But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.'
"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Jesus is nice. Really. I believe that. But the heavenly beings in the throne room don't cry, "Nice, nice, nice", day and night. He is holy, and righteous in His love. And the perfect wisdom of that loves calls us out of our sin to follow Him. His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. Human kindness doesn't want to offend anyone or hurt their feelings. That may be nice, but it's not necessarily love.
Lord, help us to represent you boldly, and accurately, with humility and compassion.
Amen.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Interesting article
This is an interesting and sobering article a friend sent me. Its about a meeting of world leaders to discuss the current world financial crisis. These are supposed to be "the best and the brightest", and their conclusions are not very encouraging.
I know Someone with the wisdom to solve all this... if we were willing to listen.
I know Someone with the wisdom to solve all this... if we were willing to listen.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
the timing of His kingdom
This is a pretty amazing, and sobering passage of scripture.
Luke 19
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.' But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas.' And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.' Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!' 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'"
Two things stand out to me today.
He spoke the parable, "because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately." He didn't refute the idea of an earthly manifestation of His kingdom. He simply gave it a new time frame, and a view of what He was looking for in His people in the meantime. The gentile church has often criticized the Jews for expecting Jesus to come as Messiah to reign in the flesh on the earth. It wasn't a wrong idea. They simply didn't understand that He would come first to bring redemption. He will come again to fulfill all the messianic promises of His reign physically here in our midst. The kingdoms of this world will truly become the kingdoms of our God.
The second was his closing statement. "But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me." Jesus was not shy or embarrassed about His judgments. Much of the church today wants to avoid that issue. Its not very seeker friendly. I am not advocating a return to "hellfire and brimstone" preaching. However, we need to tell the whole truth. If all we talk about is the Lamb, and we never tell people about the Lion, they may not be very happy with us when He appears. And the Lord may not be very happy either. It seems like somewhere He has spoken about false prophets that say "Peace, peace" when there is no peace. As the earthly judge requires when I take the witness stand, I want to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; to the best of my knowledge.
Interestingly, He seems to indicate that it is His followers that will execute those judgments on His behalf. We have to be careful about building doctrines on the details of parables, but this is a very thought provoking way for Him to finish the story.
Luke 19
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.' But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas.' And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.' Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!' 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'"
Two things stand out to me today.
He spoke the parable, "because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately." He didn't refute the idea of an earthly manifestation of His kingdom. He simply gave it a new time frame, and a view of what He was looking for in His people in the meantime. The gentile church has often criticized the Jews for expecting Jesus to come as Messiah to reign in the flesh on the earth. It wasn't a wrong idea. They simply didn't understand that He would come first to bring redemption. He will come again to fulfill all the messianic promises of His reign physically here in our midst. The kingdoms of this world will truly become the kingdoms of our God.
The second was his closing statement. "But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me." Jesus was not shy or embarrassed about His judgments. Much of the church today wants to avoid that issue. Its not very seeker friendly. I am not advocating a return to "hellfire and brimstone" preaching. However, we need to tell the whole truth. If all we talk about is the Lamb, and we never tell people about the Lion, they may not be very happy with us when He appears. And the Lord may not be very happy either. It seems like somewhere He has spoken about false prophets that say "Peace, peace" when there is no peace. As the earthly judge requires when I take the witness stand, I want to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; to the best of my knowledge.
Interestingly, He seems to indicate that it is His followers that will execute those judgments on His behalf. We have to be careful about building doctrines on the details of parables, but this is a very thought provoking way for Him to finish the story.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Oh really?
This article from Reuters was on Yahoo this morning...
U.S. says lacks intelligence to fight pirates in Somalia
MANAMA (Reuters) – The United States lacks the intelligence needed to pursue the fight against pirates on Somali soil, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Saturday.
I just had to laugh.
U.S. says lacks intelligence to fight pirates in Somalia
MANAMA (Reuters) – The United States lacks the intelligence needed to pursue the fight against pirates on Somali soil, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Saturday.
I just had to laugh.
Friday, November 07, 2008
The real Obama?
Honestly, I am not really political at all. However, the lies and deception that were so much a part of this entire political season have drawn me in. I will pray for our new president, but at this point I am not sure I can trust him. We will see....
From the Associated Press
CHICAGO – Barack Obama is signaling a shift in tactics and temperament as he moves from candidate to president-elect, picking sharp-elbowed Washington insiders for top posts. His choice Thursday for White House chief of staff — Rahm Emanuel, a fiery partisan who doesn't mind breaking glass and hurting feelings — is a significant departure from the soft-spoken, low-key aides that "No-Drama Obama" has surrounded himself with during his campaign.
And transition chief John Podesta, like Emanuel, is a former top aide to Bill Clinton and a tough partisan infighter, though less bombastic than the new chief of staff.
The selections are telling for Obama, who campaigned as a nontraditional, almost "post-partisan" newcomer. People close to him say the selections show that Obama is aware of his weaknesses as well as his strengths and knows what he needs to be successful as he shifts from campaigning to governing.
"No one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel," Obama said in a statement announcing the selection."
Hmmm... the gentle leader's first selection for his staff is a pit bull.
I may soon find myself fighting the temptation to say, "I told you so...."
But I won't. I won't have to. We all know that this is how socialism works. Utopia by force. The kingdom at gunpoint. Selfishness is the defining principle in a fallen world. Love is the work of the Spirit in our hearts, not the government forcing us to share our toys whether we want to or not. The ideals of socialism are beautiful. But it will never work until Jesus returns to rule on the earth. Then, I believe we will see the Book of Acts on a grand scale. This is what our new president doesn't seem to understand.
And this acknowledgment of a "shift in tactics and temperment" didn't come from some right wing blog. Its the AP. These are folks who worked very hard to get him elected.
The Lord is King, and that's all that really matters. But, it will be very interesting to watch this whole thing play out.
And Jesus will be working every step of the way to win the hearts of people into His magnificent kingdom.
Ezekial 34
For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ... I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
Psalm 46
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
From the Associated Press
CHICAGO – Barack Obama is signaling a shift in tactics and temperament as he moves from candidate to president-elect, picking sharp-elbowed Washington insiders for top posts. His choice Thursday for White House chief of staff — Rahm Emanuel, a fiery partisan who doesn't mind breaking glass and hurting feelings — is a significant departure from the soft-spoken, low-key aides that "No-Drama Obama" has surrounded himself with during his campaign.
And transition chief John Podesta, like Emanuel, is a former top aide to Bill Clinton and a tough partisan infighter, though less bombastic than the new chief of staff.
The selections are telling for Obama, who campaigned as a nontraditional, almost "post-partisan" newcomer. People close to him say the selections show that Obama is aware of his weaknesses as well as his strengths and knows what he needs to be successful as he shifts from campaigning to governing.
"No one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel," Obama said in a statement announcing the selection."
Hmmm... the gentle leader's first selection for his staff is a pit bull.
I may soon find myself fighting the temptation to say, "I told you so...."
But I won't. I won't have to. We all know that this is how socialism works. Utopia by force. The kingdom at gunpoint. Selfishness is the defining principle in a fallen world. Love is the work of the Spirit in our hearts, not the government forcing us to share our toys whether we want to or not. The ideals of socialism are beautiful. But it will never work until Jesus returns to rule on the earth. Then, I believe we will see the Book of Acts on a grand scale. This is what our new president doesn't seem to understand.
And this acknowledgment of a "shift in tactics and temperment" didn't come from some right wing blog. Its the AP. These are folks who worked very hard to get him elected.
The Lord is King, and that's all that really matters. But, it will be very interesting to watch this whole thing play out.
And Jesus will be working every step of the way to win the hearts of people into His magnificent kingdom.
Ezekial 34
For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. ... I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
Psalm 46
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
But Jesus hung out with sinners...
Luke 5
And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
I was reading this morning, and came to this passage. It is often abused by the perversions of grace so commonly found in western "Christianity". People love to point out that Jesus hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes. That idea, pulled out of context, is used to justify a lifestyle of worldliness and carnality. We generally try to clean things up a bit, but we don't live all that much differently than "the world". We spend our time and money just like the kingdom of darkness. We watch the same movies and television that glorify sin without even a twinge of conviction. We pursue personal affluence in the name of God's blessing. We party with the best of them. And we ignore the last half of the passage. He hung out with "sinners" in order to show them the truth of His love, and call them to repentance. He was consumed with a purpose, "to seek and save that which was lost." He wasn't just "hangin' with his boys", having a beer and talking about the local football team. He was calling people out of the kingdom of this world and into the kingdom of God.
Let me be clear. There is a legitimate time for rest and relaxation, but we don't step out of the kingdom and back into the world to get "refreshed". What a deception! The gospels seem to indicate that when Jesus needed to re-charge his batteries, He would go off to spend time alone with His Father. How much better off would we be if our tiredness or "burnout" moved us to seek the Lord rather than plopping down in front of the television? We are in a war every moment of every day. Why do we feed ourselves at the table of our enemy when we are weary and hungry? Doesn't make much sense.
Jesus told his disciples, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." We know about it. Sometimes, though, our flesh hungers for the food of this world. What are we going to feed ourselves on? You are what you eat.
A couple of more passages...
James 4
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (If this is true, we seriously need to find out what it means!) Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
1Peter 1
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
2Peter 1
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Speaking of the heroes of faith, the writer of Hebrews tells us,
Hebrews 11
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Lord, give us a heart that longs for "a better country". Give us that deep revelation of your amazing love that will enable us to discern the defilement of this present age. Deliver us from the christian religion that promises heaven but leaves us unchanged. Give us a heart that longs for your appearing, and for the fulfillment of the prayer for your kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.
Help, Lord.
And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
I was reading this morning, and came to this passage. It is often abused by the perversions of grace so commonly found in western "Christianity". People love to point out that Jesus hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes. That idea, pulled out of context, is used to justify a lifestyle of worldliness and carnality. We generally try to clean things up a bit, but we don't live all that much differently than "the world". We spend our time and money just like the kingdom of darkness. We watch the same movies and television that glorify sin without even a twinge of conviction. We pursue personal affluence in the name of God's blessing. We party with the best of them. And we ignore the last half of the passage. He hung out with "sinners" in order to show them the truth of His love, and call them to repentance. He was consumed with a purpose, "to seek and save that which was lost." He wasn't just "hangin' with his boys", having a beer and talking about the local football team. He was calling people out of the kingdom of this world and into the kingdom of God.
Let me be clear. There is a legitimate time for rest and relaxation, but we don't step out of the kingdom and back into the world to get "refreshed". What a deception! The gospels seem to indicate that when Jesus needed to re-charge his batteries, He would go off to spend time alone with His Father. How much better off would we be if our tiredness or "burnout" moved us to seek the Lord rather than plopping down in front of the television? We are in a war every moment of every day. Why do we feed ourselves at the table of our enemy when we are weary and hungry? Doesn't make much sense.
Jesus told his disciples, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." We know about it. Sometimes, though, our flesh hungers for the food of this world. What are we going to feed ourselves on? You are what you eat.
A couple of more passages...
James 4
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (If this is true, we seriously need to find out what it means!) Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
1Peter 1
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
2Peter 1
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Speaking of the heroes of faith, the writer of Hebrews tells us,
Hebrews 11
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Lord, give us a heart that longs for "a better country". Give us that deep revelation of your amazing love that will enable us to discern the defilement of this present age. Deliver us from the christian religion that promises heaven but leaves us unchanged. Give us a heart that longs for your appearing, and for the fulfillment of the prayer for your kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.
Help, Lord.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
thoughts from Jeremiah
I was reading in Jeremiah this morning...
Jeremiah 32:16-19
"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the Lord, saying, 'Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The Lord of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds;"
Jeremiah 32:16-19
"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the Lord, saying, 'Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The Lord of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds;"
Jeremiah had been prophesying judgment to the God's people. They were not walking in His ways, and they were going to be evicted from their land by the Babylonians. Then the Lord told Jeremiah to buy a piece of the land, as a sign that God would bring them to repentance, and return them to their land once again. In this prayer, Jeremiah was declaring his faith that God was able to do what He promised. He knew God would indeed empower Babylon to destroy their cities and carry them off into captivity. He also knew that when the time was right, the Lord was fully capable of restoring them to the land. He knew this judgment was not unto death, but unto life. God's intention was to humble them, and restore a heart of devotion, and dependence on the One who brought them up out of Egypt. His discipline was a manifestation of His love. It was severe, but we can know with certainty that His perfect wisdom determined it to be necessary in accomplishing His good purpose.
God's response to Jeremiah's prayer is interesting,
"Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"
He then goes on to detail the sin of Israel. Idolatry, rebellion..."They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction..."
His judgment was clearly justified.
But, He then immediately declares the true desire of His heart.
"Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. "I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. "For thus says the Lord, 'Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them."
Our God will never tempt us, but He will test us and discipline us as He sees fit. We must have confidence that it is always done out of His Father heart of love. Ultimately, our cooperation in faith will bring us into greater intimacy with Him, and fuller experience of His incredible purposes for our lives.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has preparedfor those who love him."
He is good, and worthy of our faith and love!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
sober times
As I sit here reading, thinking, and praying, my heart is sobered. For many years I have carried a sense of the spiritual desperation of our times in western culture. I sometimes get accused of being a "gloom and doom" type, but I can only repeat what both Billy Graham and Leonard Ravenhill have said. "If God doesn't judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."
Its not about divine anger, but divine, holy love.
In our society's lust for pleasure, comfort, and ease, we have turned further and further from His ways. Covetousness and greed are destroying our economy. Sexual immorality is destroying our families and our youth. A loving Father cannot just sit back and let that go on forever without stepping in to intervene. Is His divine discipline coming upon us now? I don't know. I am not a prophet, and would not dare to speak as one. But deep inside, I am struck by the fear of the Lord. A part of me cries out, "Lord, have mercy!" Another part of me prays with sober resolution, "Thy will be done." Whatever He does, we know its done with a desire for our deliverance and salvation. In His letters to the seven churches, Jesus continually called them to fresh repentance. In their failings, He called them back to Himself. He is faithful and true. He takes no delight in the death of the wicked. His desire is always for redemption, but He will not look the other way if we walk in willful disobedience to the ways of His kingdom.
"If you love Me you will keep my commandments."
'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline;"
I was struck by several of His warnings to the churches.
Chap. 2, verse 4 "I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
Chap. 3, verses 1-3 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 'Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent."
Chap. 3, verses 15-16 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Familiar passages, for sure. I just want to know that I have not left my first love, and that I am neither spiritually asleep or lukewarm. He is calling us to faith that produces faithfulness. He is calling us to be a peculiar people, set apart unto Him. He desires us to be like David who said, "One thing I have desired, that I will seek after..." And like Paul, whose heart cried out, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ," I want that heart to burn within me. The stuff of this world wants to quench that fire.
Whether we avert national financial ruin in this moment in time or not, we live every day before our Lord Jesus. Let us allow Him to lead us to that place where at the end of our earthly life, we can say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."
Its not about divine anger, but divine, holy love.
In our society's lust for pleasure, comfort, and ease, we have turned further and further from His ways. Covetousness and greed are destroying our economy. Sexual immorality is destroying our families and our youth. A loving Father cannot just sit back and let that go on forever without stepping in to intervene. Is His divine discipline coming upon us now? I don't know. I am not a prophet, and would not dare to speak as one. But deep inside, I am struck by the fear of the Lord. A part of me cries out, "Lord, have mercy!" Another part of me prays with sober resolution, "Thy will be done." Whatever He does, we know its done with a desire for our deliverance and salvation. In His letters to the seven churches, Jesus continually called them to fresh repentance. In their failings, He called them back to Himself. He is faithful and true. He takes no delight in the death of the wicked. His desire is always for redemption, but He will not look the other way if we walk in willful disobedience to the ways of His kingdom.
"If you love Me you will keep my commandments."
'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline;"
I was struck by several of His warnings to the churches.
Chap. 2, verse 4 "I have this against you, that you have left your first love."
Chap. 3, verses 1-3 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 'Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent."
Chap. 3, verses 15-16 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
Familiar passages, for sure. I just want to know that I have not left my first love, and that I am neither spiritually asleep or lukewarm. He is calling us to faith that produces faithfulness. He is calling us to be a peculiar people, set apart unto Him. He desires us to be like David who said, "One thing I have desired, that I will seek after..." And like Paul, whose heart cried out, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ," I want that heart to burn within me. The stuff of this world wants to quench that fire.
Whether we avert national financial ruin in this moment in time or not, we live every day before our Lord Jesus. Let us allow Him to lead us to that place where at the end of our earthly life, we can say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Meditation in Leviticus
Hey... I was reading in Leviticus this morning (when was the last time you started an email with that??? ha), and I got to chapter 9, and read this...
Lev 9:1 On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel,
Lev 9:2 and he said to Aaron, "Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.
Lev 9:3 And say to the people of Israel, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering,
Lev 9:4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you.'"
Lev 9:5 And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.
Lev 9:6 And Moses said, "This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." ….
Lev 9:22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings.
Lev 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
Lev 9:24 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
I left out the middle, because it was detail specific to that time and place, and covenant. We would tend to sort of cruise right by this as irrelevant to our lives today, but I was wondering, is there a principle here for us? We could see this as simply old covenant law of offerings, or we could see this as an example of faith-filled obedience. Moses told them that the Lord wanted to show them His glory. We are all up for that. They believed in this promise, evidenced by their full obedience to what He told them to do to prepare for that event. And He showed up in a pretty awesome manner. It wasn't legalistic works. They didn't "earn" His appearance by doing what He commanded. They prepared themselves in faith, believing that He would do what He said.
On the other hand, you dont see them trying to turn it into a formula, either. I haven't found the chapter where Moses says, "Hey, we're gonna have another one of those glory meetings this weekend. Everybody get your stuff ready for the big sacrifice." The Lord told Moses that He wanted to show His glory to the people, and they all responded. But they didn't come to the conclusion that if they did the same thing again, that He would show up on demand. He is faithful to keep His promises, but He is also the sovereign Lord and King.
What do you think?
Lev 9:1 On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel,
Lev 9:2 and he said to Aaron, "Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.
Lev 9:3 And say to the people of Israel, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering,
Lev 9:4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the LORD will appear to you.'"
Lev 9:5 And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.
Lev 9:6 And Moses said, "This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you." ….
Lev 9:22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings.
Lev 9:23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
Lev 9:24 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
I left out the middle, because it was detail specific to that time and place, and covenant. We would tend to sort of cruise right by this as irrelevant to our lives today, but I was wondering, is there a principle here for us? We could see this as simply old covenant law of offerings, or we could see this as an example of faith-filled obedience. Moses told them that the Lord wanted to show them His glory. We are all up for that. They believed in this promise, evidenced by their full obedience to what He told them to do to prepare for that event. And He showed up in a pretty awesome manner. It wasn't legalistic works. They didn't "earn" His appearance by doing what He commanded. They prepared themselves in faith, believing that He would do what He said.
On the other hand, you dont see them trying to turn it into a formula, either. I haven't found the chapter where Moses says, "Hey, we're gonna have another one of those glory meetings this weekend. Everybody get your stuff ready for the big sacrifice." The Lord told Moses that He wanted to show His glory to the people, and they all responded. But they didn't come to the conclusion that if they did the same thing again, that He would show up on demand. He is faithful to keep His promises, but He is also the sovereign Lord and King.
What do you think?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Others may, you cannot
I read this a long time ago...
If God has called you to be really like Christ in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you such demands of obedience, that He will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.
Others can brag on themselves, and their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all you good works.
The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can be produced only in the shade.
Others will be allowed to succeed in making money, but it is likely God will keep you poor because he wants you to have something far better than gold and that is a helpless dependence on Him; that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day - out of an unseen treasury.
God will let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a great work for Him and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when He comes.
The Holy Spirit will put strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.
So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do what He pleases with His own, and He will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealing with you. He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things that you cannot do or say.
Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that others are not dealt with.
Now, when you are so possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this particular personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.
–G. D. Watson
Challenging. I want to walk with Him in this way.
If God has called you to be really like Christ in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you such demands of obedience, that He will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.
Others can brag on themselves, and their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all you good works.
The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can be produced only in the shade.
Others will be allowed to succeed in making money, but it is likely God will keep you poor because he wants you to have something far better than gold and that is a helpless dependence on Him; that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day - out of an unseen treasury.
God will let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a great work for Him and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when He comes.
The Holy Spirit will put strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.
So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do what He pleases with His own, and He will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealing with you. He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things that you cannot do or say.
Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that others are not dealt with.
Now, when you are so possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this particular personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.
–G. D. Watson
Challenging. I want to walk with Him in this way.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
He loves me
I have been returning to the Song of Solomon lately. Been away too long. Listen to what the Bridegroom says to His Bride.
"Behold, you are beautiful, my love; Behold, you are beautiful..."
God says that to you, and to me. The uncreated Creator of the universe tells me I am beautiful to Him.
And He knows all about me.
Amazing... absolutely amazing.
"Behold, you are beautiful, my love; Behold, you are beautiful..."
God says that to you, and to me. The uncreated Creator of the universe tells me I am beautiful to Him.
And He knows all about me.
Amazing... absolutely amazing.
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