Thoughts For Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning

For those of you who know me, especially those who know me well, you know that it is a rare thing for me to not have something to say.  I am prone to talking without thinking, sharing when no one cares, and I have a perennial case of foot-in-mouth.  That being said, this blog will be a simple question (two, actually). My hope is that these might spur you on to consider how you're doing today.

Do You Love Jesus? Does He Know?

Matt. 7:13-14–The Wide & Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:13-14–"Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

The narrow gate and the wide gate.  Two gates, two paths to salvation.  One, the wide one, leads to destruction.  But if one would choose the wide gate, at least they wouldn't have to go it alone for there are many who go through it.  On the other hand, there is the narrow gate that leads to life eternal. Unfortunately, for those that would desire life eternal this way is hard and, to add to the difficulty, one may find themselves alone on the journey.

Boiling down the question to its root is essential.  Most important is the recognition that this proposition is anything but hypothetical.  Rather, these 'gates' are choices of utmost import.  The choice, the gate, is rendered basically in this simple question:

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for the forgiveness of sin?

Hab. 3:19–The Lord Is My Strength

Habakkuk 3:19–"God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer's; He makes me tread in high places."

The analogy presented in this verse is rather cultural, however, the intention thereof, the meaning offered is still relevant today.  The idea of "feet like the deer's" has a twofold meaning: the first is about adaptability, the second is about swiftness.

The deer, in this context, is an animal with astounding resilience and adaptability.  It can go anywhere, often places other animals could never reach.  To heights unreachable or depths unthinkable, the deer and its unique hooves empower it to go.

Similarly, the deer has a unique swiftness to it, the dynamic ability to switch directions, to run after that which is needed or to away from danger.

But praise be to God that He makes us like this; empowers us to live as He would wish.

It is in this way that He is our strength!  And we should trust that He does do this for us and in our lives.

Is Christ Within You?

The nature of Christianity is quite unlike every other religion in several ways.  One of these significant differences, one of the genuinely unique ones at that, is that Christian believe that Christ Jesus is living within them.  And this phrase is not semantic and it is most certainly not a hypothetical proposition. No. One of the primary teachings of Christ is that upon His death and resurrection, He has sent His Self–His Holy Spirit–to live inside of them.

This 'living inside' means, among many things, that the Spirit of God is residing within the believer guiding, compelling, leading, encouraging, strengthening, empowering, convicting, sanctifying, and bringing them to deeper levels of grace and praise and worship.

Permit be to be quite direct: we want this.  We want more of Him in us.

This is our prayer, this is our purpose.

Amen.

Phil. 3:13-14–"Pressing On"

Philippians 3:13-14–"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Straining forward in repentance, that is what this verse is about.  In reality, this is so much the essence of the Christian life.  It is not that we have already become that we God is making us.  In one sense, however, we have been made saints by the atoning blood of Christ.  But in another sense, we are still living in our bodies, which are ever drawn to sin, disobedience, and rebellion.

To be quite clear, the inherent difficulty to this resides in the singular fact that we are confined to these weak bodies as long as we are breathing.  It is thus of great importance that we would grow in perseverance and in discipline, always straining forward to what lies ahead in Christ.

1 Chron. 29:11–Yours, O Lord, Is The Greatness

1 Chronicles 29:11–"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the earth is Yours.  Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all."

My life is inundated with mediocrity.  In truth, it is no small thing for anything in my life to be or to become what anyone would call excellent.  Even more so would be the oddity of actually possessing anything remotely resembling true greatness.  True, I am a decent musician; I am a fairly good writer. But for me to be called majestic or glorious or great, well, that would be just plain silly.

God, however, is not like me–or anyone else for that matter.  That's what this verse is about and we should be happy to shout it in exclamation for its truth!

Amen and praise be to God for He is great!

Smile All The Way To Tears

Have you ever had the experience of being so overwhelmed with joy that you cannot help but begin to cry?

I am writing this post while at a funeral for a loved one.  As I am watching the people walk around and say their blessings to the bereaved I am awestruck at the emotional climate.  It is not sad nor is it dark. On the contrary, I find that I am surrounded by something else entirely: joy.

It is clear that this woman was loved and enjoyed by everyone that was blessed to know her.  And yet this funeral seems utterly drenched with joy.  There are most certainly tears but they are tears of glory, tears of exultation. To be quite honest, I find that I am overcome by this and sobbing with a smile so wide.

The woman, one of my wife's aunts, was a devout Christian.  It is this singular fact about her that is the cause for the emotional milieu.  Christians alone live a life based solely upon the hope of the glory of God found in Christ Jesus.  Hope of life eternal.  Hope in the promises of God made secure by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Amen!  Praise be to God!

Oh that my funeral is filled with those sacred tears of joy!