Psalm 103:1–"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"
Amen! That's about all I can say in response to reading this verse. Yes, this is a statement of worship. And yes, it is poetic. But more than that, this is a prayer; a request that God would grant us a heart and soul that wouldst utterly desire to worship His name. In truth, this is a central component to the Christian message: that God would transform us in such a way that every part of us would sing out in absolute praise and adoration to His name.
This should be our own prayer, too!
Bless the Lord!
Showing posts with label blessing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blessing. Show all posts
Friday, December 27, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Sharing a Blessing
Normally, I do not speak autobiographically in this blog. However, I learned about something from my youth group bunch that touched my heart and confirmed that God is working.
For the past several months three of the youth group members have joined the worship team. I am a leader in both of these ministries and it truly has been a wonderful joy to see these kids use their talents to worship God through song.
Well, this last weekend the youth group went on a missions trip. For whatever reason, I was unable to go with them, relegated to other tasks. Today, at worship rehearsal, the youth group members who were on the missions trip shared with me about something that happened on the trip.
On one of the nights, they were having a bonfire in the community when an acoustic guitar, an acoustic bass, and a hand drum were somehow passed around and the group apparently went into singing one of the worship songs we do fairly often: "Our God Saves" by Paul Baloche. It occurred to me that for the past several months, when we were playing this song, these kids were singing and learning theology without even knowing it. I guess that's why we're commanded to speak to each other in hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs.
To be honest, the whole thing brought me to tears of pride that I got the privilege of seeing God work on the hearts and minds of these young people through a song.
Amen and thank You, Lord!
For the past several months three of the youth group members have joined the worship team. I am a leader in both of these ministries and it truly has been a wonderful joy to see these kids use their talents to worship God through song.
Well, this last weekend the youth group went on a missions trip. For whatever reason, I was unable to go with them, relegated to other tasks. Today, at worship rehearsal, the youth group members who were on the missions trip shared with me about something that happened on the trip.
On one of the nights, they were having a bonfire in the community when an acoustic guitar, an acoustic bass, and a hand drum were somehow passed around and the group apparently went into singing one of the worship songs we do fairly often: "Our God Saves" by Paul Baloche. It occurred to me that for the past several months, when we were playing this song, these kids were singing and learning theology without even knowing it. I guess that's why we're commanded to speak to each other in hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs.
To be honest, the whole thing brought me to tears of pride that I got the privilege of seeing God work on the hearts and minds of these young people through a song.
Amen and thank You, Lord!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Obedience and blessing
We are blessed because of obedience, but our blessing is not on the basis of our obedience. Obedience is a blessing in itself, meaning that obedience is a blessing on its own. Remember God, by way of His covenants, demands obedience from His people. Thus, obedience to God is not a burden, as it were, but is a reminder of who God is and what He has for us. This is, to be sure, a beautiful thing, love in its finest.
On the other hand, our blessing is solely based on the graciousness of God Himself. He in His infinite wisdom and mercy has seen fit to bestow His great riches upon us not because of anything we have done or because of anything in us, but only because of the goodness of God. Remembering this truth will go along way in keeping our hearts fixed on God and not on His blessings.
Obedience, then, is not meritorious. Obedience does not merit, as it were, any blessing. Instead, obedience is a response to the covenant faithfulness of God Himself. Our response to God's covenant faithfulness, which has been made full in Christ Jesus, is not meritorious unto salvation but is merely the most natural response to the profound grace and utter goodness of God. Amen, then for obedience!
On the other hand, our blessing is solely based on the graciousness of God Himself. He in His infinite wisdom and mercy has seen fit to bestow His great riches upon us not because of anything we have done or because of anything in us, but only because of the goodness of God. Remembering this truth will go along way in keeping our hearts fixed on God and not on His blessings.
Obedience, then, is not meritorious. Obedience does not merit, as it were, any blessing. Instead, obedience is a response to the covenant faithfulness of God Himself. Our response to God's covenant faithfulness, which has been made full in Christ Jesus, is not meritorious unto salvation but is merely the most natural response to the profound grace and utter goodness of God. Amen, then for obedience!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
The Stonecutter
Once upon a time there was a stonecutter who lived alone. He made his living by forming stone and cutting rocks into various forms and tools. For years he worked tirelessly in his workshop along the main road of the city. One day, as he was hammering granite he heard a crowd shouting cries of herald for the king. He felt such envy and discontent that he cried out: "Oh if I could only be a king with subjects that shouted joys and praise to my greatness."
Immediately, he was transformed into a powerful king with a whole kingdom full of adoring subjects. "This is power," he would often think to himself. For weeks, the man enjoyed his new life until one day he realized that the sun was much more powerful than he was, casting its powerful gaze and light upon the whole world. So, like before, he boldly asked, "If I could be the sun, then I would have all the power in the world and be content." Instantly, he was the sun.
As the sun, the man enjoyed bringing warmth and light to all the world. He relished in the fact that everything depended on his presence. Until one day, a cloud broke his gaze and hindered him from shining his light upon the world. He could not accept being stripped of his power, so he exclaimed, "If I could become a cloud, then I would be more powerful than the sun and be able to be content." In a moment, he became a cloud.
As a cloud, he pooled all of his power to form a gigantic rain cloud. Wherever he went he would pour down rain with such torrential force that the most powerful of men would hide from his presence. Rivers were cut and grain was watered by him. Everything was in awe at his power. Only the massive rocks were unaffected by his power. So, like the times before, he cried out in a loud voice, "I would like to be a huge rock and then I would be powerful and content."
As a rock, he was massive and powerful. The sun and the rain did nothing to him at all. He felt free and strong until one day, a man walked up to him with a chisel and hammer, and began to chip away at the rock. The rock cried out, "I want to be a stonecutter!" And he was transformed back into a stonecutter, living out the rest of his life content with making a living by forming stone and cutting rocks.
Sometimes it is easy to be discontent with our life or with our station. But no matter where we go, there we are. We should not try to leave the vocational stations that God has called us to but be joyous that God has made us for a specific reason. As Paul writes, "Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him (1 Cor. 7:17)." Let us then be content in whatever God has called us to and to do it with absolute excellence!
Immediately, he was transformed into a powerful king with a whole kingdom full of adoring subjects. "This is power," he would often think to himself. For weeks, the man enjoyed his new life until one day he realized that the sun was much more powerful than he was, casting its powerful gaze and light upon the whole world. So, like before, he boldly asked, "If I could be the sun, then I would have all the power in the world and be content." Instantly, he was the sun.
As the sun, the man enjoyed bringing warmth and light to all the world. He relished in the fact that everything depended on his presence. Until one day, a cloud broke his gaze and hindered him from shining his light upon the world. He could not accept being stripped of his power, so he exclaimed, "If I could become a cloud, then I would be more powerful than the sun and be able to be content." In a moment, he became a cloud.
As a cloud, he pooled all of his power to form a gigantic rain cloud. Wherever he went he would pour down rain with such torrential force that the most powerful of men would hide from his presence. Rivers were cut and grain was watered by him. Everything was in awe at his power. Only the massive rocks were unaffected by his power. So, like the times before, he cried out in a loud voice, "I would like to be a huge rock and then I would be powerful and content."
As a rock, he was massive and powerful. The sun and the rain did nothing to him at all. He felt free and strong until one day, a man walked up to him with a chisel and hammer, and began to chip away at the rock. The rock cried out, "I want to be a stonecutter!" And he was transformed back into a stonecutter, living out the rest of his life content with making a living by forming stone and cutting rocks.
Sometimes it is easy to be discontent with our life or with our station. But no matter where we go, there we are. We should not try to leave the vocational stations that God has called us to but be joyous that God has made us for a specific reason. As Paul writes, "Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him (1 Cor. 7:17)." Let us then be content in whatever God has called us to and to do it with absolute excellence!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Freedom from the Stiffest Debt
Going to the mailbox is one of the most tormenting and hated acts in all of America. The scene is so normal, as we dread opening the box and seeing those evil white envelopes housing their bills, we are left with a bitter gall at the power of these little pieces of paper, for they are sure to afflict the bank accounts and leave us feeling beaten and broke, like slaves to our debts and our creditors. And while this may seem caricatured, the emotion is valid and more widespread than we would care to concede.
Fortunately, financial debts can be managed and overcome a persistent prescription of diligent prudence. Additionally, finance is a finite ordeal, having no eternal affects in and of itself. However, humanity has another, eternal debt. And this debt, unlike the credits of finance, cannot be overcome by judiciously managing resources. This debt is sin.
Sin is a stain on the credit scores of our souls that prevent us from receiving the heavenly and eternal King, known through the shed blood and broken body of Christ by faith. Sin and its pervasive effects prevent us from entering into a right and restored relationship with the Lord Almighty. Luckily, in this regard, we have One who has paid our sin debt in full: Christ Jesus.
The Bible speaks of sin a record of debt that Jesus has zeroed, nailing it to the cross in His body (Col. 2:13-14). In doing so, God has secured for us an eternal inheritance, of the imperishable. When we come to God, in faith, we receive this inheritance as adopted children into the family of God (Eph. 1:3-14). Additionally, His Word declares that in Jesus, through repentance in faith, may our debt be cancelled definitively (Acts 3:19-20). Let us then turn to God in faith to be cleared of the most severe and eternal of debts!
Fortunately, financial debts can be managed and overcome a persistent prescription of diligent prudence. Additionally, finance is a finite ordeal, having no eternal affects in and of itself. However, humanity has another, eternal debt. And this debt, unlike the credits of finance, cannot be overcome by judiciously managing resources. This debt is sin.
Sin is a stain on the credit scores of our souls that prevent us from receiving the heavenly and eternal King, known through the shed blood and broken body of Christ by faith. Sin and its pervasive effects prevent us from entering into a right and restored relationship with the Lord Almighty. Luckily, in this regard, we have One who has paid our sin debt in full: Christ Jesus.
The Bible speaks of sin a record of debt that Jesus has zeroed, nailing it to the cross in His body (Col. 2:13-14). In doing so, God has secured for us an eternal inheritance, of the imperishable. When we come to God, in faith, we receive this inheritance as adopted children into the family of God (Eph. 1:3-14). Additionally, His Word declares that in Jesus, through repentance in faith, may our debt be cancelled definitively (Acts 3:19-20). Let us then turn to God in faith to be cleared of the most severe and eternal of debts!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
A Study of Blessing
A young man was sitting in a whicker chair alongside of a lake on a particularly sunny, summer afternoon. He breathed in the air in satisfaction. The coolness of the breeze that swept across the water was steady and satisfying, making this would-be hot day feel pleasant comfortable. The lake glistened with pristine hues of shimmer across the lake's surface. He sat in his chair, trying his best to take in the profound splendor of the day. After a while, the young man becomes too overwhelmed with a sense of fulness, much like a glass that is overflowing might feel and he tilts his head back, lifts out his hands, and cries out, "Thank You, Lord, for this beautiful day! Lord, You have blessed me with so much and all I can say is: thank You!"
In this hustle-bustle world, moments of sincere praise can be rare to come by, or seem too manufactured to trust. However, to be sure, God has blessed us; we are blessed. Truly, humanity is blessed beyond reason with a love and joy that is eternal and ever-full. Unfortunately, being blessed is something we associate with material or with circumstance, as in: "God bless you," or "God blessed me with you," or "that was such a blessing." And, although each of these statements is reasonable and farfrom insignificant, they do miss the mark in regards to blessing.
Blessing, in its truest sense, is dependent upon the One who blesses, He being God and God alone. It is from God that all blessings flow. That being said, the reception of blessing has, sadly, become mistaken. Often times, we consider blessing to be a temporal felicity or a serendipitous occurence. Howevever, each one of these fails to hit the nail on the head of true blessing.
Psalm 1:1-3 lays out true blessing. In it, the writer indicates that delighting in the Law of the Lord, meditating on His precepts is true blessing. In a trues sense, knowing the Lord is blessing. It is our relationship with God, restored through the broken body adn shed blood of Christ, that is blessing in its ultimate form. In reference to temporal blessings, it would then be more accurate to say that they are the external effects of blessing, which is relationship with the Holy Lord. In a sense, true blessing is the person of Christ in which all other temporal "blessings" are but a shadow of, as in, He is the raincloud and the others are but the droplets.
If we, then, take seriously this orthodoxy, our response to the temporal blessings should always be to praise the Blessing, which is Christ who has reconciled us to God. Eph 1:3-14 has Paul praising the Lord for giving every spiritual blessing under heaven, defined in terms of election, predestination, and faith. All of these are the blessings of right relationship with the Lord, the ultimate blessing.
Similarly, James 1:17 has James defining, in no abmiguous terms, that "Every good and perfect gift is from above," which is a clear indication that blessings are sourced from and in God. This should, then, cause sincere praise of the Lord for every blessing for it is He Himself who is blessing in its perfect form. Let us then take time to praise the Lord who blesses for all of His blessings that He lavishly bestows!
In this hustle-bustle world, moments of sincere praise can be rare to come by, or seem too manufactured to trust. However, to be sure, God has blessed us; we are blessed. Truly, humanity is blessed beyond reason with a love and joy that is eternal and ever-full. Unfortunately, being blessed is something we associate with material or with circumstance, as in: "God bless you," or "God blessed me with you," or "that was such a blessing." And, although each of these statements is reasonable and farfrom insignificant, they do miss the mark in regards to blessing.
Blessing, in its truest sense, is dependent upon the One who blesses, He being God and God alone. It is from God that all blessings flow. That being said, the reception of blessing has, sadly, become mistaken. Often times, we consider blessing to be a temporal felicity or a serendipitous occurence. Howevever, each one of these fails to hit the nail on the head of true blessing.
Psalm 1:1-3 lays out true blessing. In it, the writer indicates that delighting in the Law of the Lord, meditating on His precepts is true blessing. In a trues sense, knowing the Lord is blessing. It is our relationship with God, restored through the broken body adn shed blood of Christ, that is blessing in its ultimate form. In reference to temporal blessings, it would then be more accurate to say that they are the external effects of blessing, which is relationship with the Holy Lord. In a sense, true blessing is the person of Christ in which all other temporal "blessings" are but a shadow of, as in, He is the raincloud and the others are but the droplets.
If we, then, take seriously this orthodoxy, our response to the temporal blessings should always be to praise the Blessing, which is Christ who has reconciled us to God. Eph 1:3-14 has Paul praising the Lord for giving every spiritual blessing under heaven, defined in terms of election, predestination, and faith. All of these are the blessings of right relationship with the Lord, the ultimate blessing.
Similarly, James 1:17 has James defining, in no abmiguous terms, that "Every good and perfect gift is from above," which is a clear indication that blessings are sourced from and in God. This should, then, cause sincere praise of the Lord for every blessing for it is He Himself who is blessing in its perfect form. Let us then take time to praise the Lord who blesses for all of His blessings that He lavishly bestows!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Jesus' Victory Over Sin
The Gospel is empowering. Often it is thought of as a gateway into the "weightier" matters of Christianity. However, the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, is the empowering force that infuses believers with the ability to live life the way God desires, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It should not be neglected, though, that because of the Good News, we may overcome not only sin but also its repercussions.
Obviously, as sin is a human ordeal (not to speak of the spiritual element in regards to Satan, etc.), there are certain elements of the human experience that can be directly traced to sin. Among these are two in particular that are worth highlighting for further examination: (1) grief & suffering, and (2) temptation. The purpose of this dialogue is to offer encouragement that the Gospel empowers believers in both of these aspects of the human experience.
Grief, pain, suffering are all consequences of sin traced back to the original sin (Gen. 3). As a result, humanity is consistently marred by misery and sorrow. In reality, the malady of sin and its mortal sting affects us wholly through this earthly life. This is inescapable. Luckily, we have God both to empathize and to comfort.
For this, one needs only to look at the life, especially the death, of Jesus. Isaiah 53:3-4, in particular, describes in grave detail the grief-stricken life of the Christ. Moreover, Jesus has taken on the grief and sorrow due us as a penalty for our sin. As a result, the Gospel then is the ultimate source of comfort and empathy when we are forced, by the consequences of sin, to trudge through sorrowful seasons.
The writer of Hebrews agrees with this assessment of the role of the Gospel amidst suffering (Heb. 4:15). Therefore, we should look to Him. Think of Psalm 23, "even though I walk through the valley..." Does this not also assert that, though we fear and suffer, we will find our source and comfort in the Lord?
Lastly, Jesus is clear that the Holy Spirit is the "Helper," the "Comforter," whom Christ sends to indwell within us to empower us through the hardships (John 14:112-14; Acts 1:18). Also, because the Holy Spirit is acquired by faith, it is then our faith in Jesus that, by the Holy Spirit, who comforts and helps us. Jesus has overcome sin, not just redeeming us from it by justifying us in terms of judgment, but also in that He saves us in the midst of hardship and suffering as well. Let us then press into Him not only on the sunny days but also when the tempests rage so as to find comfort and help in our times of struggle!
Obviously, as sin is a human ordeal (not to speak of the spiritual element in regards to Satan, etc.), there are certain elements of the human experience that can be directly traced to sin. Among these are two in particular that are worth highlighting for further examination: (1) grief & suffering, and (2) temptation. The purpose of this dialogue is to offer encouragement that the Gospel empowers believers in both of these aspects of the human experience.
Grief, pain, suffering are all consequences of sin traced back to the original sin (Gen. 3). As a result, humanity is consistently marred by misery and sorrow. In reality, the malady of sin and its mortal sting affects us wholly through this earthly life. This is inescapable. Luckily, we have God both to empathize and to comfort.
For this, one needs only to look at the life, especially the death, of Jesus. Isaiah 53:3-4, in particular, describes in grave detail the grief-stricken life of the Christ. Moreover, Jesus has taken on the grief and sorrow due us as a penalty for our sin. As a result, the Gospel then is the ultimate source of comfort and empathy when we are forced, by the consequences of sin, to trudge through sorrowful seasons.
The writer of Hebrews agrees with this assessment of the role of the Gospel amidst suffering (Heb. 4:15). Therefore, we should look to Him. Think of Psalm 23, "even though I walk through the valley..." Does this not also assert that, though we fear and suffer, we will find our source and comfort in the Lord?
Lastly, Jesus is clear that the Holy Spirit is the "Helper," the "Comforter," whom Christ sends to indwell within us to empower us through the hardships (John 14:112-14; Acts 1:18). Also, because the Holy Spirit is acquired by faith, it is then our faith in Jesus that, by the Holy Spirit, who comforts and helps us. Jesus has overcome sin, not just redeeming us from it by justifying us in terms of judgment, but also in that He saves us in the midst of hardship and suffering as well. Let us then press into Him not only on the sunny days but also when the tempests rage so as to find comfort and help in our times of struggle!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Recognizing Blessing
Life can be a drag. We are constantly being pulled a hundred different directions to do a thousand different things for a million different responsibilities. It can be overwhelming. Far and wide our most valuable resource is time. When this resource well is continually being emptied without recourse for refreshment, we will inevitably find ourselves burned-out and weary. If this happens, a useful way to refill our emotional storehouse is to recognize and celebrate the blessings that we have.
God is good. More than that, He is our constant provider, the giver of blessings. Therefore, when we acknowledge our blessings, how He has blessed us, we are honoring and praising the Lord. In this, the first step in assessing blessing is perhaps the most basic: what constitutes a blessing? This, though seemingly rudimentary, is partly the point.
True blessings are those things, people, situations, and circumstances, both personal and communal, that are categorically good. These are blessings. Once this definition is asserted, the following step is to recognize that blessings, true blessings such as these, are gifts directly from the Lord. Logically, this means that every reception and recognition of blessing will be naturally paired with thankfulness.
Paul writes in Ephesians, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3)." If we were still not convinced in God's character, James writes, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17)." The point is clear: the Lord is a Lord who blesses.
The ultimate blessing in all of creation is the gift of the Gospel, which is to be in relationship with the Holy Lord through Jesus. Every blessing is filtered through this blessing. Additionally, God's goodness is met with His infinitude, thus, His goodness is infinite. This means that His blessings are boundless. Therefore, we should fix our gaze so as to recognize the limitlessness of His good blessings for those who seek after Him. In this, we will be in a state of constant praise and thanks to the Holy Lord for the blessings He has bestowed. Thus the malaise of our life will be overcome by our praise for the Lord.
God is good. More than that, He is our constant provider, the giver of blessings. Therefore, when we acknowledge our blessings, how He has blessed us, we are honoring and praising the Lord. In this, the first step in assessing blessing is perhaps the most basic: what constitutes a blessing? This, though seemingly rudimentary, is partly the point.
True blessings are those things, people, situations, and circumstances, both personal and communal, that are categorically good. These are blessings. Once this definition is asserted, the following step is to recognize that blessings, true blessings such as these, are gifts directly from the Lord. Logically, this means that every reception and recognition of blessing will be naturally paired with thankfulness.
Paul writes in Ephesians, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:3)." If we were still not convinced in God's character, James writes, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17)." The point is clear: the Lord is a Lord who blesses.
The ultimate blessing in all of creation is the gift of the Gospel, which is to be in relationship with the Holy Lord through Jesus. Every blessing is filtered through this blessing. Additionally, God's goodness is met with His infinitude, thus, His goodness is infinite. This means that His blessings are boundless. Therefore, we should fix our gaze so as to recognize the limitlessness of His good blessings for those who seek after Him. In this, we will be in a state of constant praise and thanks to the Holy Lord for the blessings He has bestowed. Thus the malaise of our life will be overcome by our praise for the Lord.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Word that Helps
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psa. 46:1)." The verse has made many a great hymn but the reality of the content should reveals something about both the Lord and His Word. For starters, this verse speaks volumes about the character of the Lord, particularly His comforting nature.
The infinite Creator God of the universe cares for each and every individual that He has created, holding and sustaining everything together by His powerful Word (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17). Additionally, the Lord desires to actively care for His creation. God is not inactive in creation but is engaged, particularly in caring for people.
No more is the caring for humanity more clear than in the supreme caring act in all of history, the death and resurrection of Jesus. God so loved the world that His Son took on the very sin of mankind, thus removing the wall of relational separation that sin had built between man and God. Although salvation is the ultimate act of care and compassion, covering the largest hindrance to all of humanity, God is concerned with the small things too.
In reference to the above Psalm, God is ever-present in trouble. This is not an isolated theological concept, but it is confirmed throughout the breadth of Scripture: no matter the circumstance, God is present to help and care for our needs (see Psa. 10:14; 28:7; 33:20; 68:19; Isa. 50:1, 9; Heb. 2:18). All this points to a God who actively and earnestly cares for us.
Moreover, implicitly Psalm 46:1 also points to the value of God's Word, namely as a comforter im times of trouble. The Word serves purposes ranging from teaching, reproof and correction (2 Tim. 3:16-17), but, because the Word is so intimately intertwined with the character of the Lord, being in very nature God (1 John 1:1-3), then the Word is equally loving and compassionate. Just a cursory reading of the Psalms reveals the vast wealth to encouragement and comfort to be found.
All this is to note the utter relevance that the Word of God has in any situation. Think of the reality of the Psalms. They were liturgical pieces that served purpose of encouragement and praise. The whole of Scripture serves purposes, let us then strive to grow in the Word so as to grow in the Lord!
The infinite Creator God of the universe cares for each and every individual that He has created, holding and sustaining everything together by His powerful Word (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17). Additionally, the Lord desires to actively care for His creation. God is not inactive in creation but is engaged, particularly in caring for people.
No more is the caring for humanity more clear than in the supreme caring act in all of history, the death and resurrection of Jesus. God so loved the world that His Son took on the very sin of mankind, thus removing the wall of relational separation that sin had built between man and God. Although salvation is the ultimate act of care and compassion, covering the largest hindrance to all of humanity, God is concerned with the small things too.
In reference to the above Psalm, God is ever-present in trouble. This is not an isolated theological concept, but it is confirmed throughout the breadth of Scripture: no matter the circumstance, God is present to help and care for our needs (see Psa. 10:14; 28:7; 33:20; 68:19; Isa. 50:1, 9; Heb. 2:18). All this points to a God who actively and earnestly cares for us.
Moreover, implicitly Psalm 46:1 also points to the value of God's Word, namely as a comforter im times of trouble. The Word serves purposes ranging from teaching, reproof and correction (2 Tim. 3:16-17), but, because the Word is so intimately intertwined with the character of the Lord, being in very nature God (1 John 1:1-3), then the Word is equally loving and compassionate. Just a cursory reading of the Psalms reveals the vast wealth to encouragement and comfort to be found.
All this is to note the utter relevance that the Word of God has in any situation. Think of the reality of the Psalms. They were liturgical pieces that served purpose of encouragement and praise. The whole of Scripture serves purposes, let us then strive to grow in the Word so as to grow in the Lord!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Powerful Consistency
Chapter 15 of John's Gospel is focused on one motif: abiding. Jesus declares that He is the true vine, and that only if a branch (person) abides in Him will it be able to bear fruit (John 15:1, 4). Additionally, apart from abiding in Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). But this abiding is defined in active terms. In order to abide, not only must we abide in His love (v. 9), we must keep the Father's commandments, chiefly loving each other as He has loved us (vv. 10-11).
To "abide" is the key term throughout this chapter and is a theme throughout John's Gospel. There is much theological weight and density in this concept. Abiding should be understood in two simultaneous senses. In the first sense, abiding means that we are aligned with the will of the Father. By this, abiding is a matter of acting and living in accordance with the Father, transmitted through the Word and the Holy Spirit.
Abiding, in the second sense, deals with consistency in continuing to abide in the first sense. In reality, the first, aligning with the will of God, is easier than the second because the achievement of the second sense only occurs over time. A person who makes a sincere confession of belief but then does not continue aligning their life to the will of God over time is not abiding. Thus they will not bear fruit and will be cut off and tossed into the eternal fire of hell.
When a believer abides, it is best defined as the continual act of consistent submission to the perfect will of the Lord. This is what abiding is all about. It is certainly not a one-time-only event, but to truly abide requires a lifelong commitment to aligning with the Lord and His Word. This is no easy task, but the Holy Spirit helps us in this process, for apart from His indwelling prompting us to abide we would be wholly destitute and unable to abide. Thanks be to God who desires and helps us to live in His love!
To "abide" is the key term throughout this chapter and is a theme throughout John's Gospel. There is much theological weight and density in this concept. Abiding should be understood in two simultaneous senses. In the first sense, abiding means that we are aligned with the will of the Father. By this, abiding is a matter of acting and living in accordance with the Father, transmitted through the Word and the Holy Spirit.
Abiding, in the second sense, deals with consistency in continuing to abide in the first sense. In reality, the first, aligning with the will of God, is easier than the second because the achievement of the second sense only occurs over time. A person who makes a sincere confession of belief but then does not continue aligning their life to the will of God over time is not abiding. Thus they will not bear fruit and will be cut off and tossed into the eternal fire of hell.
When a believer abides, it is best defined as the continual act of consistent submission to the perfect will of the Lord. This is what abiding is all about. It is certainly not a one-time-only event, but to truly abide requires a lifelong commitment to aligning with the Lord and His Word. This is no easy task, but the Holy Spirit helps us in this process, for apart from His indwelling prompting us to abide we would be wholly destitute and unable to abide. Thanks be to God who desires and helps us to live in His love!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
True Hope
Hope, as a word, has become so used that the density and importance of its meaning has been diminished and secularized. For one, the source of hope, its root and foundation, is firmly fixed only the Lord. If hope is found in anything other than God, it is not hope, because hope is more than a longing or a desire for future providence. Instead, hope is a posture and attitude of security in the face of insecurity and uncertainty.
The security of hope is fixed firmly in the foundation of hope, which is the Lord. Because the Lord is not moved but is infinitely stable, our hope, which is found in Him, is equally stable and unmoved. It is this state of hope that has become diminished by usages and understandings of hope that are less than the true definition of hope.
Any understanding of hope that does not take into account the nature of God, the true source of hope, is less than hope. For instance, God is infinite, true, righteous, holy, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and ultimately sovereign. Because of this, hope needs to be securely defined in the holy character and divine nature of the Lord. When it is, our hope is made true and wholly secure in the Lord.
Life is full of situations and scenarios outside of our control. In these moments, when we feel overwhelmed by circumstance and stress, we can have hope that holds us secure and confident. This hope, the hope of the Lord, is made sure in the reality of a sovereign Lord who cares for and watches over His children. Let us then hope in the true hope that is found only in the holy God!
The security of hope is fixed firmly in the foundation of hope, which is the Lord. Because the Lord is not moved but is infinitely stable, our hope, which is found in Him, is equally stable and unmoved. It is this state of hope that has become diminished by usages and understandings of hope that are less than the true definition of hope.
Any understanding of hope that does not take into account the nature of God, the true source of hope, is less than hope. For instance, God is infinite, true, righteous, holy, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and ultimately sovereign. Because of this, hope needs to be securely defined in the holy character and divine nature of the Lord. When it is, our hope is made true and wholly secure in the Lord.
Life is full of situations and scenarios outside of our control. In these moments, when we feel overwhelmed by circumstance and stress, we can have hope that holds us secure and confident. This hope, the hope of the Lord, is made sure in the reality of a sovereign Lord who cares for and watches over His children. Let us then hope in the true hope that is found only in the holy God!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Fatal Flaws of Conversion Experiences
Conversion experiences are both powerful and dramatic. They can propel people from a depraved and desolate life of sin to a forgiven life of freedom, salvation, love, and grace. Unfortunately, many people who have had passionate conversions never live lives of freedom from sin and they never experience the joy and grace of a right relationship with the Lord.
Not to downplay the countless number of conversions that stick through to a life of obedience and faithfulness to Christ. However, many times the extraordinary emotional highs that accompany powerful conversion experiences become the very thing that causes people to regress from faith back into to the life they lived before their conversion.
When people's faith that was tied into their emotional state goes up and down like a roller coaster, they tend to question the Lord instead of drawing closer to Him. In reality, people who have emotional conversions will sputter out if that experience is not met with the disciplined faith that God requires. This is an immense tragedy that grieves the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ, which is the Church.
Although emotional conversion experiences may be powerful and can serve as the starting point for sincere Christian life, emotions alone are not a good and reliable litmus for faith. Emotions are not trustworthy. Our emotions can lie and conceal the real state of our hearts. If our faith is dependent on emotional highs for its realization, we will continually be let down by the volatile nature of emotions.
Faith needs to be grounded. If faith is not firmly established in the Holy Spirit guiding sound biblical doctrine, prayerful discipleship, and regular fellowship, it will fall prey to whimsy and the tumultuous pull of the world. The faith that Jesus requires demands the engagement of the whole of a person: body, mind, and soul. If we are dependent on our emotional self for the confirmation of our faith, we will inevitably be dissatisfied.
If we desire to live out the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37), every aspect of our life needs be used to worship and love the Lord. When we gauge devotion and love on the foibles of our emotions, we are limiting our ability to fulfill the will of God. Conversion can flood us with emotional highs that are unsustainable over a lifetime. God has blessed us with the ability to feel and emote, but our faith is not to be based on this gift. There is a time for the highs but it is coupled with time for the lows. We need to have a faith that is strong and sufficient in the Lord who will keep us secure in both. Praise be to God that He would desire to have relationships with us that go beyond our unstable emotions!
Not to downplay the countless number of conversions that stick through to a life of obedience and faithfulness to Christ. However, many times the extraordinary emotional highs that accompany powerful conversion experiences become the very thing that causes people to regress from faith back into to the life they lived before their conversion.
When people's faith that was tied into their emotional state goes up and down like a roller coaster, they tend to question the Lord instead of drawing closer to Him. In reality, people who have emotional conversions will sputter out if that experience is not met with the disciplined faith that God requires. This is an immense tragedy that grieves the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ, which is the Church.
Although emotional conversion experiences may be powerful and can serve as the starting point for sincere Christian life, emotions alone are not a good and reliable litmus for faith. Emotions are not trustworthy. Our emotions can lie and conceal the real state of our hearts. If our faith is dependent on emotional highs for its realization, we will continually be let down by the volatile nature of emotions.
Faith needs to be grounded. If faith is not firmly established in the Holy Spirit guiding sound biblical doctrine, prayerful discipleship, and regular fellowship, it will fall prey to whimsy and the tumultuous pull of the world. The faith that Jesus requires demands the engagement of the whole of a person: body, mind, and soul. If we are dependent on our emotional self for the confirmation of our faith, we will inevitably be dissatisfied.
If we desire to live out the greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37), every aspect of our life needs be used to worship and love the Lord. When we gauge devotion and love on the foibles of our emotions, we are limiting our ability to fulfill the will of God. Conversion can flood us with emotional highs that are unsustainable over a lifetime. God has blessed us with the ability to feel and emote, but our faith is not to be based on this gift. There is a time for the highs but it is coupled with time for the lows. We need to have a faith that is strong and sufficient in the Lord who will keep us secure in both. Praise be to God that He would desire to have relationships with us that go beyond our unstable emotions!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friends: Gift of God
Friends are a great resource. They are helpers and supporters who walk beside us, who lift us up when we are down, and who can call us back on track when we have gone wayward. True friendship requires accountability, trust, and reciprocity. In reality, friendship is a two-way street that obligates both parties to each other in love.
Scripture refers to this friendship as brotherly love and affection, not brotherly in a biological sense, but in a spiritual sense. Jesus identifies sacrifice as the requisite for this, the highest degree of friendship (John 15:13). The greatest gift of friendship is sacrifice. Sacrifice is not limited in scope to martyrdom but encompasses a much broader reality. The essence of this can be seen in people who give themselves to their friends.
This "giving of self" can be as simple as forfeiting a weekend to help move, as inexpensive as paying for dinner, or as challenging as calling someone out when they're making a mistake. Brotherly love requires that we would care for one another with a deep affection and consideration that is most concerned with serving the other at the denial of self.
In truth, the joy and worth of friendship is that friends are born for and through adversity (Pro. 17:17), meaning that friends are the human agents God uses to express His love and care for us. Moreover, friends fulfill the divine purposes of picking each other up and dusting off shoulders when we fall down (Ecc. 4:9-10). This means that true friends will be there through the thick and thin.
Additionally, our choice of friends, the very people we walk through life with, affects us. We take on the traits of our friends, good and bad. This has long-lasting ramifications in our lives. If we walk in the company of the wise and upright of heart we prove ourselves to be wise and upright too as the converse proves the oposite (Pro. 13:20). As iron sharpens iron, this works itself out practically in the process of accountability, service, and regular Bible study (Pro. 27:17).
The Lord has given friends for a number of valuable reasons: for encouragement, for reproof, for care, for admonishment, and for accountability, et al. God wants us to grow into the men and women that He has designed us to be. He has divinely placed the perfect people in our lives in order to accomplish this purpose. Take heart at the love that God has lavished upon us in the gift of friendship!
Scripture refers to this friendship as brotherly love and affection, not brotherly in a biological sense, but in a spiritual sense. Jesus identifies sacrifice as the requisite for this, the highest degree of friendship (John 15:13). The greatest gift of friendship is sacrifice. Sacrifice is not limited in scope to martyrdom but encompasses a much broader reality. The essence of this can be seen in people who give themselves to their friends.
This "giving of self" can be as simple as forfeiting a weekend to help move, as inexpensive as paying for dinner, or as challenging as calling someone out when they're making a mistake. Brotherly love requires that we would care for one another with a deep affection and consideration that is most concerned with serving the other at the denial of self.
In truth, the joy and worth of friendship is that friends are born for and through adversity (Pro. 17:17), meaning that friends are the human agents God uses to express His love and care for us. Moreover, friends fulfill the divine purposes of picking each other up and dusting off shoulders when we fall down (Ecc. 4:9-10). This means that true friends will be there through the thick and thin.
Additionally, our choice of friends, the very people we walk through life with, affects us. We take on the traits of our friends, good and bad. This has long-lasting ramifications in our lives. If we walk in the company of the wise and upright of heart we prove ourselves to be wise and upright too as the converse proves the oposite (Pro. 13:20). As iron sharpens iron, this works itself out practically in the process of accountability, service, and regular Bible study (Pro. 27:17).
The Lord has given friends for a number of valuable reasons: for encouragement, for reproof, for care, for admonishment, and for accountability, et al. God wants us to grow into the men and women that He has designed us to be. He has divinely placed the perfect people in our lives in order to accomplish this purpose. Take heart at the love that God has lavished upon us in the gift of friendship!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Uncomfortability with Purpose
Throughout our lives, we find ourselves in moments and seasons of uncomfortability. From unemployment, financial insecurity, relational strain, physical pain, to emotional stress, life is brimming with uncomfortability and times of uneasiness. This is the norm for the human condition. These moments, however long, propel us in a search for equilibrium, for a returned sense of comfort and relief.
The reality is that moments of uncomfortability can mean something, in fact, they might be some of the most direct messages we can receive from the Lord. If we acknowledge uncomfortability as a sense of uneasiness from the Lord, and we interpret this uneasiness as a prompt, then we will respond to uncomfortability in obedience and patience, understanding that it serves a divine purpose.
Think of David. David spent years in a constant state of relational, political, emotional, and life-threatening upheaval. Because of God's special anointing, Saul was constantly pursuing David and jealous of him. As a result, David spent years living living in caves and on the run. Talk about uneasiness. However, even though David had to live in a perpetual years-long state of uncertainty he was obedient and faithful to the Lord, even composing many Psalms in his time of trouble and stress.
The time that David spent waiting to receive his God-ordained kingdom was the very thing that God used to sanctify and prepare David to become the greatest king in the history of Israel. Although we may not have nearly the future responsibilities that David was to have, we are still being prepared through the times of stress and uncomfortability for what He has in store for us.
Sanctification takes time. More than that, sanctification takes trials, and we should allow those trials to run their intended courses (Rom 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). It is through suffering that we are made more like Christ because it is in times of trial that we are forced to make a conscious decision to rely on God or not. This is the ultimate purpose of uncomfortable moments and seasons: that they would drive us to greater levels of devotion in the Lord.
Moments and seasons of life will be hard and uneasy. However, when we go through these times we should strive to remain obedient and faithful, understanding that God uses the trials of uncomfortability and uneasiness to sanctify us for His purposes . Let us hold steadfast in these times, remaining patient to the Lord and His will. But He is good to keep us and to grow us into the men and women that He has designed us to be!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christ's Christmas
Some 2,000 years ago, in a small rural suburb of Jerusalem, a woman and her soon-to-be husband arrive at an inn but there is no vacancy available. The woman, though a virgin, was quite pregnant and the baby's delivery imminent and near.
Months earlier, an angel of the Lord, Gabriel, had come to the woman and prophesied that the Lord Most High would descend upon her and she would bear a child, the Son of God, and that she would call His name, Jesus, meaning God saves. The man she was betrothed to discovered that she was with child and, though he thought of divorcing her, when an angel came to him, in a dream, revealed that his betrothed's child was the Christ, the Messiah who would save all mankind from their sin.
At this time, near the end of the young woman's pregnancy, the emperor issued a decree requiring that everyone return to their ancestry's land to be censored. The man took his pregnant fiance to the place of his ancestry, to Bethlehem. The trip was arduous and long. Upon arrival, the woman realized that it was time: she was going to deliver her child.
Although the inn was full, a man offered the couple a cave that served as a stable for livestock for them to stay in. The woman delivered her child, an infant boy. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him in a trough.
Meanwhile, shepherds nearby were watching their sheep by night as an angel of the Lord appeared before them and told them that in Bethlehem a child was born. The angel told the shepherds to go to the town and to offer praises to the newborn as He was to be the Messiah, the savior of all mankind. They left their flocks and the fields to find the couple and their child in the stable, the infant resting in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth. It was just how the angel had prophesied it to be.
The Christmas story is repeated yearly in the Christian calendar. It is the beginning of Jesus' life and His ministry. At this time, the 25th of December, let us take time to remember Christ, to remember the dozens of prophecies that were fulfilled in His birth, let alone His life. A time to remember that God is sovereign and holy, and that He condescended into humanity for the purpose of redeeming His children from sin. Now we can enter into right relationship with Him by Him and for Him. Truly, this is what Christmas is all about.
Months earlier, an angel of the Lord, Gabriel, had come to the woman and prophesied that the Lord Most High would descend upon her and she would bear a child, the Son of God, and that she would call His name, Jesus, meaning God saves. The man she was betrothed to discovered that she was with child and, though he thought of divorcing her, when an angel came to him, in a dream, revealed that his betrothed's child was the Christ, the Messiah who would save all mankind from their sin.
At this time, near the end of the young woman's pregnancy, the emperor issued a decree requiring that everyone return to their ancestry's land to be censored. The man took his pregnant fiance to the place of his ancestry, to Bethlehem. The trip was arduous and long. Upon arrival, the woman realized that it was time: she was going to deliver her child.
Although the inn was full, a man offered the couple a cave that served as a stable for livestock for them to stay in. The woman delivered her child, an infant boy. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him in a trough.
Meanwhile, shepherds nearby were watching their sheep by night as an angel of the Lord appeared before them and told them that in Bethlehem a child was born. The angel told the shepherds to go to the town and to offer praises to the newborn as He was to be the Messiah, the savior of all mankind. They left their flocks and the fields to find the couple and their child in the stable, the infant resting in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth. It was just how the angel had prophesied it to be.
The Christmas story is repeated yearly in the Christian calendar. It is the beginning of Jesus' life and His ministry. At this time, the 25th of December, let us take time to remember Christ, to remember the dozens of prophecies that were fulfilled in His birth, let alone His life. A time to remember that God is sovereign and holy, and that He condescended into humanity for the purpose of redeeming His children from sin. Now we can enter into right relationship with Him by Him and for Him. Truly, this is what Christmas is all about.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Holy Intercessor
Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as a helper, a comforter, and an advocate who will come and abide within us, aiding us to traverse the pitfalls and obstacles of this life as well as interceding on our behalf throughout this life (John 14). In reality, the Holy Spirit is the indwelling of God into the lives (heart, body, mind, soul) of His children.
The Holy Spirit is the perfect guide and voice of wisdom to believers that helps us to discern right paths, make right choices, and follow through when the time is right. But, much like the Holy Spirit seals guarantees believers (Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:21-22), the Holy Spirit has a number of specific tasks in the lives of Christians.
One of the tasks that the Holy Spirit performs is interceding in prayer at the behest of believers. Only rarely do we, as finite and fallible creatures, truly understand and know what we need or what is best for us, particularly when we are weak under the weight of life. It is in this that we rely on the Holy Sprit to intercede for us, praying for us that which, for whatever reason, we are incapable of (Rom. 8:26-27, 34-35).
The issue here is a matter of recognition and reliance. When we recognize our inabilities and shortcomings, it should prompt us to rely on the Lord. Under strain and in duress, when our discernment can be clouded or our vision hazy, the Holy Spirit not only keeps our paths true, but also intercedes for us. This causes believers to more fully rely on the Lord to comfort, heal, strengthen, etc.
Intercession, in this sense, could be referred to as a direct conduit that channels our specific needs to God, who fulfills. Often times we do not realize or know that this communication is happening because so rarely our we truly in tune with the depths of ourselves. But God is. He, through the Holy Spirit, is thoroughly entrenched in the mire that sloshes in our deepest parts. He communicates our most dire and desperate needs to God because He is God. Remember: One God, three distinct persons.
That God would so love and care for us that He would indwell within us is a marvelous propositional truth. When we become believers, the Paraclete, enters into us and advocates before the Father and for our growth and devotion. This is a beautiful and mysterious thing and we should rejoice that the Almighty Lord Himself would not only save us on the cross through Jesus, but would walk within us and care for us directly through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the perfect guide and voice of wisdom to believers that helps us to discern right paths, make right choices, and follow through when the time is right. But, much like the Holy Spirit seals guarantees believers (Eph. 1:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:21-22), the Holy Spirit has a number of specific tasks in the lives of Christians.
One of the tasks that the Holy Spirit performs is interceding in prayer at the behest of believers. Only rarely do we, as finite and fallible creatures, truly understand and know what we need or what is best for us, particularly when we are weak under the weight of life. It is in this that we rely on the Holy Sprit to intercede for us, praying for us that which, for whatever reason, we are incapable of (Rom. 8:26-27, 34-35).
The issue here is a matter of recognition and reliance. When we recognize our inabilities and shortcomings, it should prompt us to rely on the Lord. Under strain and in duress, when our discernment can be clouded or our vision hazy, the Holy Spirit not only keeps our paths true, but also intercedes for us. This causes believers to more fully rely on the Lord to comfort, heal, strengthen, etc.
Intercession, in this sense, could be referred to as a direct conduit that channels our specific needs to God, who fulfills. Often times we do not realize or know that this communication is happening because so rarely our we truly in tune with the depths of ourselves. But God is. He, through the Holy Spirit, is thoroughly entrenched in the mire that sloshes in our deepest parts. He communicates our most dire and desperate needs to God because He is God. Remember: One God, three distinct persons.
That God would so love and care for us that He would indwell within us is a marvelous propositional truth. When we become believers, the Paraclete, enters into us and advocates before the Father and for our growth and devotion. This is a beautiful and mysterious thing and we should rejoice that the Almighty Lord Himself would not only save us on the cross through Jesus, but would walk within us and care for us directly through the Holy Spirit.
Friday, December 2, 2011
No Neutral Ground
There is no DMZ in the war of salvation. There is no neutral ground where the unsure can sit and observe before making an informed decision. God wants and requires a decision. Either we believe in Him or we do not. This is not ambiguous or unclear, it is absolute and straightforward. There is a pervasive zeitgeist that posits agnosticism in a safe light; like, if you don't explicitly rule out God, then you could be safe. This is wholly and dangerously incorrect.
The world and its ruler, Satan, wants more than anything to devour the souls of humans. Satan has tried every tactic imaginable to trap and snare people. His greatest and most effective strategy has always been deceit. One of his greatest and most effective lies is the fallacy of neutral ground. There is no neutral ground. There are no spiritual bystanders.
Those that claim that they are not making a choice have already made a choice. It is either belief or unbelief. But there is more. God is not concerned with whether or not we believe in Him. Even the demons believe in God. Believing in God is not enough. No, we are called to believe God. There is a significant difference between these two assertions. Either we believe God, or we don't. Pretending that we are considering believing God is worth the same as not believing. There is no "almost" believing God.
A word picture is in order. Think of a car that stalls on the railroad tracks. The driver fights with the failing ignition to get the car started and off the tracks as he notices the train barreling towards the car, horns blaring. The train will hit the car, it is a foreseeable reality. There are two positions, only two possible choices in this situation: either the driver is on the tracks or off the tracks when the train arrives. Only two choices. However, while the reluctant car owner struggles to get their car started, he is already in one of the potential choices.
Similarly, while people are indecisive in belief, they are already in one of the two possible camps. There is either belief or unbelief, there is no half-belief. Condemnation or salvation, there is no partial-salvation. The camp of agnosticism is firmly fixed within in the harbor of unbelief. While people wait to make up their mind, they are already in one of the decisions. Indecision is not a safe place. To God, indecision is not safe; it is unbelief and considered as such.
God wants us to seek after Him and to devote ourselves to Him wholeheartedly. There is one basic and foundational truth that all life should be based upon: God is God. This seems circular but it is far from it. God is both the Lord's name and His rank. He is the faithful creator and sustainer of all creation. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and holy. He is both just and merciful. This is truth. It is irreducible and basic. Either we believe it or not. No neutral ground.
The world and its ruler, Satan, wants more than anything to devour the souls of humans. Satan has tried every tactic imaginable to trap and snare people. His greatest and most effective strategy has always been deceit. One of his greatest and most effective lies is the fallacy of neutral ground. There is no neutral ground. There are no spiritual bystanders.
Those that claim that they are not making a choice have already made a choice. It is either belief or unbelief. But there is more. God is not concerned with whether or not we believe in Him. Even the demons believe in God. Believing in God is not enough. No, we are called to believe God. There is a significant difference between these two assertions. Either we believe God, or we don't. Pretending that we are considering believing God is worth the same as not believing. There is no "almost" believing God.
A word picture is in order. Think of a car that stalls on the railroad tracks. The driver fights with the failing ignition to get the car started and off the tracks as he notices the train barreling towards the car, horns blaring. The train will hit the car, it is a foreseeable reality. There are two positions, only two possible choices in this situation: either the driver is on the tracks or off the tracks when the train arrives. Only two choices. However, while the reluctant car owner struggles to get their car started, he is already in one of the potential choices.
Similarly, while people are indecisive in belief, they are already in one of the two possible camps. There is either belief or unbelief, there is no half-belief. Condemnation or salvation, there is no partial-salvation. The camp of agnosticism is firmly fixed within in the harbor of unbelief. While people wait to make up their mind, they are already in one of the decisions. Indecision is not a safe place. To God, indecision is not safe; it is unbelief and considered as such.
God wants us to seek after Him and to devote ourselves to Him wholeheartedly. There is one basic and foundational truth that all life should be based upon: God is God. This seems circular but it is far from it. God is both the Lord's name and His rank. He is the faithful creator and sustainer of all creation. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and holy. He is both just and merciful. This is truth. It is irreducible and basic. Either we believe it or not. No neutral ground.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Power of Quiet
We live in a world where quiet and stillness are a priceless commodity. We are constantly bombarded by noise and dissonance, distraction and diversion. Finding time to be quiet or to enjoy the quiet is all the more important today than it has ever been. Quiet. Stillness. The sense of liberation from urgency and freedom from the rush of this life to a place of quiet is essential.
Psalm 37:7, 46:10, and 62:1 speak of the importance of silence, of the quiet. Quiet is not so much an environment as it is a state of mind. It is easy to turn off the television and the phone, it is much more difficult to turn off our minds. Quieting our thoughts is more than challenging, for some, it is nearly an impossible endeavor.
The focus should not be on completely silencing our thoughts to nothingness. Simplification is the focus of the quiet. Instead of grabbing hold of every thought that enters our minds, we should reduce the thoughts to one, simple, irreducible thought: the Lord is God.
This seems simple enough but it is the irreducible, perfect assertion that is the key to achieving biblical quietness. Thinking is like building. One thought adds on to another and to another, until an idea is formed. These ideas then build upon each other in interrelation and the richness of the mind. This is the noise and dissonance that biblical quietness seeks to overcome. The goal of quietness is to tear down the building of thought in order that it may be remade on the firmest of foundations: God.
Quiet then is not based on the cacophony that is the external world. Instead, biblical quietness is the noise of thoughts and ideas that fill our minds and cloud our ability to sense that irreducible, irreplaceable, and self-evident truth: that God is God. Apart from this assertion, all life is useless and worthless. It is this basic building block idea that goes on to inform and guide every thought that makes up our lives and our world views.
The cornerstone, laid as the surest of foundations, is Christ (Psa. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Eph. 2:19-20). When we seek out the quiet, we are intentionally seeking to (re)assert that Christ is the cornerstone, not just of the church but of our lives. Quiet does not happen passively. Our fleshly selves is unable to achieve the quiet. In reality, our fleshly selves is wholly opposed to the quiet because it is spiritually attained. Therefore, seeking quiet is invaluable in the life of the believer. Because it is in the quiet that we are reminded of that which is most important, God.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Taming the Tongue
The tongue is a tool, a small one at that. But, like any tool, it can be used for good or bad. Taming our tongues is one of those distinct challenges to Christian growth and sanctification. James, in his epistle, spends a good deal of time discussing the immense importance that taming the tongue has for believers, especially teachers (James 3). James describes the tongue in three basic ways: a bridle, a rudder, and a fire.
The tongue as a bridle. Horses are mighty creatures, capable of remarkable feats of strength and of great endurance. However, horses, in all their majestic strength, are controlled quite simply by placing the horse's head into a bridle and a bit in its mouth. Thus a horse can be reined by its master. Interesting that James would use a bridle as an indication of taming the tongue because, if we are the horses that are bridled, logically, we cannot simultaneously be the rider of the horse. The master is God, the bridle is His Word. Bible study and the Holy Spirit are to be the bridle that guides our tongues, taming them to be godly and true.
The tongue as a rudder. When James describes the tongue as the rudder of a ship, he is rightly giving the tongue its due importance. Although a ship can be massive and its rudder relatively small, the rudder guides the ship, turning it to and fro. In this way, the tongue is not the entirety of the ship but it can serve immensely important purposes.
Think of a ship just off harbor whose rudder chain is detached. It will not be able to complete its mission. Moreover, the rudder mechanism must be repaired and, if not done with urgency, the ship raises the risk of running ashore or adrift because it is unable to steer itself. Similarly, the tongue has usefulness but if not connected properly to the Word and the Holy Spirit, can more often lead to disaster. In this is it is so important to keep watch over the tongue because it is the wheel that steers the ship of our lives. God is the one to turns the wheel and steers the ship but if our rudder is damaged or faulty, He cannot very well guide us to our intended courses without serious rudder repair.
The tongue as a fire. Fire has definite uses. However, fire has a tendency towards consumption and destruction. James is quite clear that fire lends itself more towards destruction than building, although this is not fire's intended purpose. Fire is intended to bring warmth and light to places of cold and darkness. Similarly, our tongues are meant to bring warmth, healing, and light to a cold and dark world. We can use our tongues to illuminate and refresh those around us or we can use our tongues to burn and destroy people and relationships. Our tongues were given to us by the Lord for the former though the latter is our fleshly bent.
Acknowledging the enormous responsibility and power that our tongues yield is overwhelming. It is a significant challenge to tame the tongue but one commanded by the Scriptures. The hope is to form good habits that avoid slander, flippancy, insincerity, and rudeness while striving for grace, kindness, and gentleness. Jesus is our example. He was kind and gentle even unto death. Although He often called the unrepentant to the task, He maintained a sense of grace and gentleness throughout. This should be our intention in taming our tongues: to be honest and honestly gracious.
The tongue as a bridle. Horses are mighty creatures, capable of remarkable feats of strength and of great endurance. However, horses, in all their majestic strength, are controlled quite simply by placing the horse's head into a bridle and a bit in its mouth. Thus a horse can be reined by its master. Interesting that James would use a bridle as an indication of taming the tongue because, if we are the horses that are bridled, logically, we cannot simultaneously be the rider of the horse. The master is God, the bridle is His Word. Bible study and the Holy Spirit are to be the bridle that guides our tongues, taming them to be godly and true.
The tongue as a rudder. When James describes the tongue as the rudder of a ship, he is rightly giving the tongue its due importance. Although a ship can be massive and its rudder relatively small, the rudder guides the ship, turning it to and fro. In this way, the tongue is not the entirety of the ship but it can serve immensely important purposes.
Think of a ship just off harbor whose rudder chain is detached. It will not be able to complete its mission. Moreover, the rudder mechanism must be repaired and, if not done with urgency, the ship raises the risk of running ashore or adrift because it is unable to steer itself. Similarly, the tongue has usefulness but if not connected properly to the Word and the Holy Spirit, can more often lead to disaster. In this is it is so important to keep watch over the tongue because it is the wheel that steers the ship of our lives. God is the one to turns the wheel and steers the ship but if our rudder is damaged or faulty, He cannot very well guide us to our intended courses without serious rudder repair.
The tongue as a fire. Fire has definite uses. However, fire has a tendency towards consumption and destruction. James is quite clear that fire lends itself more towards destruction than building, although this is not fire's intended purpose. Fire is intended to bring warmth and light to places of cold and darkness. Similarly, our tongues are meant to bring warmth, healing, and light to a cold and dark world. We can use our tongues to illuminate and refresh those around us or we can use our tongues to burn and destroy people and relationships. Our tongues were given to us by the Lord for the former though the latter is our fleshly bent.
Acknowledging the enormous responsibility and power that our tongues yield is overwhelming. It is a significant challenge to tame the tongue but one commanded by the Scriptures. The hope is to form good habits that avoid slander, flippancy, insincerity, and rudeness while striving for grace, kindness, and gentleness. Jesus is our example. He was kind and gentle even unto death. Although He often called the unrepentant to the task, He maintained a sense of grace and gentleness throughout. This should be our intention in taming our tongues: to be honest and honestly gracious.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
More than Milk
When children are infants, they do not yet have the ability to take in solid food and so must be fed through liquids, particularly milk. Not until they have teeth and stomachs to handle the complexities of more substantial food are they able to eat anything more than that. This is true in spiritual matters as well.
Prior to belief, at conversion and shortly after, we are infants, unable to intake or digest the full weight and substance of the Christian life. We need milk. Milk is made-up of the basic, elementary tenets of faith: repentance from dead works towards faith in God, belief in Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and the reality of eternal judgment and grace, et al (Heb. 6:1-3). However, when we are ready, we are supposed to move beyond these basics towards more substantial matters of faith.
The more substantial food is the Word. The Bible, the Word of God, is not an easy read nor is it possible to understand its richness apart from faith. Although it is an amazing literary work, the wealth within its pages is not accessible apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the very Word of God. Many major biblical scholars have made huge inroads of scholarship that can shed light into the Bible but, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of faithful readers, the Bible is nothing more than another anthology, no different from any other book ever written.
The substance of Christianity is found in Christ. Christianity is just another worldly religion if it is severed from its head which is Jesus. The revelation of Jesus is found in the Bible, the whole Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible speaks about Christ. Therefore, any Christian that desires maturity must be in the Bible. The substance that propels Christians towards maturity is found in the Bible, is applied by the Holy Spirit, and is accountably practiced in a body of believers.
Without the Word, the Holy Spirit working, and regular communion of believers, maturity will not happen. In this case, one of two things will occur: (1) the believer will spend the whole of their Christian existence stuck on the milk and never maturing; or (2) the believer will look outside of Christianity for spiritual food because the “real” spiritual food simply lies outside of their human grasp. This points to the necessity for devout, mature spiritual mentors to walk alongside believers to help guide them to maturity.
Lastly, Christian maturity has nothing, not one thing, to do with age. There are many young believers that, by the grace and power of God, are more mature than the older generations. Age is void as a determinant of spiritual maturity. Rather, spiritual maturity is assessed spiritually. If a person exhibits the signs of wisdom, patience, joy, hope, and a passion for God and His Word, they are mature. We should all strive and aim to spiritual maturity for it is a good goal and, in the least, it will bring us closer to God.
Prior to belief, at conversion and shortly after, we are infants, unable to intake or digest the full weight and substance of the Christian life. We need milk. Milk is made-up of the basic, elementary tenets of faith: repentance from dead works towards faith in God, belief in Christ’s resurrection from the dead, and the reality of eternal judgment and grace, et al (Heb. 6:1-3). However, when we are ready, we are supposed to move beyond these basics towards more substantial matters of faith.
The more substantial food is the Word. The Bible, the Word of God, is not an easy read nor is it possible to understand its richness apart from faith. Although it is an amazing literary work, the wealth within its pages is not accessible apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the very Word of God. Many major biblical scholars have made huge inroads of scholarship that can shed light into the Bible but, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of faithful readers, the Bible is nothing more than another anthology, no different from any other book ever written.
The substance of Christianity is found in Christ. Christianity is just another worldly religion if it is severed from its head which is Jesus. The revelation of Jesus is found in the Bible, the whole Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible speaks about Christ. Therefore, any Christian that desires maturity must be in the Bible. The substance that propels Christians towards maturity is found in the Bible, is applied by the Holy Spirit, and is accountably practiced in a body of believers.
Without the Word, the Holy Spirit working, and regular communion of believers, maturity will not happen. In this case, one of two things will occur: (1) the believer will spend the whole of their Christian existence stuck on the milk and never maturing; or (2) the believer will look outside of Christianity for spiritual food because the “real” spiritual food simply lies outside of their human grasp. This points to the necessity for devout, mature spiritual mentors to walk alongside believers to help guide them to maturity.
Lastly, Christian maturity has nothing, not one thing, to do with age. There are many young believers that, by the grace and power of God, are more mature than the older generations. Age is void as a determinant of spiritual maturity. Rather, spiritual maturity is assessed spiritually. If a person exhibits the signs of wisdom, patience, joy, hope, and a passion for God and His Word, they are mature. We should all strive and aim to spiritual maturity for it is a good goal and, in the least, it will bring us closer to God.
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