Thursday, December 28, 2023

The Author and Finisher of Faith

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud
 of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance
 and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance
 the race that is set before us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand
of the throne of God.

For consider Him who has endured
such hostility by sinners against Himself,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
[Hebrews 12:1-3 NASB95]


I recently memorized these verses of Hebrews and have been considering Jesus...
"so that I will not grow weary and lose heart.”

But my dilemma is this...How can I run with endurance the race that is set before me? Do I have that kind of faith?

This morning the answer came...Jesus writes the law of faith on my heart, and He will finish it according to His will, not mine! I can rest on this promise:

For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 
[Romans 9:15-16 NASB95]

It does not depend on my will or on my willingness to run, nor does it depend on my speed or endurance. God will accomplish His perfect will in me - in His time and according to His purpose.

All I have to do is continually open my heart to His penmanship!

Sunday, November 12, 2023

The Power of Praise and Worship

I haven't posted much this year, mostly because I can only write when I feel inspired to write. But for months I've been meaning to write something about an experience with God that transformed my faith, my life and my understanding of heaven. But first let me start with this vision of John from the Bible.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
 
"Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty;
Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!
"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy; for
ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU,
FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." 
[Rev 15:2-4 NASB95]

 A few months ago a couple of our grandchildren were with us in the worship service, and after the songs were finished my grandson looked up at me and said, "have you been crying?" Well, I guess to a child it would look that way, but I had to explain that many times when I am pouring my heart out singing songs of worship, the tears begin to flow. That's a bit embarrassing and maybe hard to understand, but it hasn't always been that way for me.

In the spring of 2020 the world began to shut down as the Covid-19 virus became a pandemic. The first attempt to stop it (the "15 days to slow the spread" shutdown) finally ended in Texas after a couple of months when the warmer weather came. I was eager to get out of the house, and my wife was hosting her sisters for an extended weekend, so I went to visit my brother-in-law in the Texas Hill Country. Dave is a part-time worship leader and great host, and we had a few days of good fellowship while the sisters enjoyed spending time together.

It's about a four hour drive back to our house, and that was the time when I had my first real taste of heaven. I have a pretty good collection of worship music on my phone, so I began listening as I drove through the hills enjoying the beauty of the countryside. I can't remember the song that was playing, but as I looked into the sky that morning, I felt like heaven was just beyond the clouds, and I began to praise the Lord with thanksgiving in my heart for his great faithfulness and mercy. An hour passed and I stopped for coffee at a drive-through.

When I got back on the freeway, the worship intensified. I could truly envision the saints and angels around the throne of God, singing and bowing prostrate before Almighty God and the Lamb. Song after song played while I sang along and prayed. As I drove up each hill, I felt like I was about to pass through the clouds into glory! The tears began to flow and I could barely keep both hands on the wheel or keep my eyes dry enough to drive. I was singing and shouting praise to God while thinking about the unspeakable joy and gratefulness in my heart, that God would allow a sinner such as myself to come into his presence through the righteous blood of Jesus!

This continued for a couple more hours while I was getting more and more enraptured in the presence of God, until I finally pulled into the garage at my house. The car was still running and I knew my wife was waiting for me inside, but I did not want to turn the music off or leave the throne room of praise. I actually prayed, "Lord if you want to take me now, I'm ready!" I confess I had a brief thought that the carbon-monoxide might have helped, but soon realized that God wanted me to take that experience and remember it for the rest of my life.

This is what I learned from that day. Heaven will be a wonderful place, not because of its spectacular beauty or because of the glory of the new creation, but because of  The One I am with, and the unspeakable joy of being in the presence of saints and angels singing praise and proclaiming the righteous acts of God. In the four hours I drove, I never got tired or sore in the car; I never got bored or wanted to go anywhere or do anything but to continue in ever-increasing praise and worship. This was a truly unique experience that I cannot re-create, though I certainly pour my heart into worship whenever I can.

I also learned (and continue to learn) that our praise has an audience, whether alone or with thousands of other believers. When we come into the sanctuary to lift up the name of Jesus, we are singing and testifying to God himself, and to angels and the host of heaven, proclaiming his righteousness and agreeing with God that all his ways are true and just. God created us to proclaim his testimonies before thrones and dominions in heaven and on earth. And that is why, if you ever catch a glimpse of me with my hands lifted high and my face covered with tears, you can know that I've been in the presence of my savior and the Lord of my life, Jesus Christ.

Friday, July 14, 2023

Power Perfected in Weakness

Like anyone who would contemplate the power of God and the suffering of mankind, I have often thought about the question of why God allows suffering in this world.

Many people turn away from God when they are confronted with suffering because they cannot (or don't want to) find an answer to this question.

There are many reasons why people suffer, mostly because we live in a world broken and cursed by sin. The apostle Paul understood suffering more than most, first by causing many saints to suffer in his brutal pre-Christian zeal, then by suffering the same fate from his fellow Jewish zealots and their merciless Roman rulers.

Paul also understood the grace of God and the power that comes through suffering for Christ's sake.

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Why is power perfected in weakness? Because our testimony is polished by turmoil, and shines brighter against the dark backdrop of tribulation and distress. As a follower of Christ, suffering can be a Force Multiplier for our testimony. God is glorified and his righteousness is demonstrated even more fully when we develop and maintain our testimony through trials and the death of our flesh.

The suffering and death of Christ is the ultimate foundational testimony of God’s mercy and righteousness, through which we are reconciled to God and introduced to grace.

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. Ephesians 3:8-10

Who sees this testimony? Not only those on earth but “the rulers and authorities in heavenly places!” 

My conclusion is this:

Whether we stand before kings or walk before kids, whether we preach to multitudes or suffer alone, our lives testify to the host of heaven against the forces of darkness!

“So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭6‬:‭3


Saturday, February 4, 2023

Trusting God in the Storm

I’m studying Exodus now. In Exodus 14 we see that through Moses, God led Israel out of Egypt into what appeared to be an inescapable trap, cornered at the edge of the sea across from a village of Ba’al worshippers known as Ba’al Tsephon.

God led them there with a purpose, to be honored through Pharaoh’s defeat at the hands of God himself. But this was not at all how Israel saw the situation. It appeared to Israel that they would either die at the hands of Pharaoh's army or be forcibly taken back to Egypt and re-enslaved.

The name Ba’al Tsephon is significant. It means Lord of the Storm. The word typhoon is closely related, a violent fearful wind storm. God was going to use this violent wind to bring deliverance to Israel and destruction to the enemy.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned from this episode in the Bible.

First, our deliverance from slavery may begin with trouble. Israel experienced many troubles escaping slavery even before this event. Their work became unbearable, there were plagues all around them, and ultimately they had to assemble in the night to run into a future of great uncertainty. The decision to leave a lost and sinful past can bring this kind of hardship. God intentionally brought Israel to the edge of the sea to destroy the slave masters, and to build their faith.

Second, there is no turning back. When Israel's deliverance was completed there was a stormy sea left behind them, separating the people from their lives of bondage in Egypt. We must cross boundaries to leave our sinful past and these boundaries become barriers to protect us from returning there. Sin can never be sweet again, though it beckons and threatens to take us back. Passing through a storm of deliverance is a cleansing experience, symbolized by baptism when we begin to walk by faith.

Though we pass through many storms in life, we should always remember that God brings us there with a purpose. We must learn to trust him, as better things lie just on the other side.

Monday, January 23, 2023

Magic Eyes and Hearing Ears (Parables of Jesus)

 



We studied the Parable of the Sower from the Gospel of Luke in my Bible fellowship Sunday. The question was raised in class - as it was to Jesus - why does he speak to the people in parables?

Jesus replied "I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

One thing that crossed my mind is this book called Magic Eye, which has lots of pictures in it that are actually encoded 3D images hidden behind a confusing foreground. If you train your eye to look through the picture you may eventually see a beautiful or haunting 3D image that is quite surprising from the appearance of the page. These types of pictures were quite popular in the late 20th century. I remember standing in front of posters like these when I was younger and never seeing anything! That was actually a bit embarrassing.

The hidden picture is a good illustration of how Jesus presented these parables, and how to understand the teachings in the Bible. Your ears must be attuned to hear the still small voice of God. The eyes of your heart must be opened to see the meaning as it applies to you. As Jesus said, "seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you." The beauty and depth of the hidden picture is only seen when you relax your eyes and look beyond the obvious foreground. The beauty and power of God's word is only seen when you seek Him with your whole heart.

This also a good illustration of the meaning of the Parable of the Sower. The seed that falls by the roadside is the word that falls on ears that aren't listening. The seed that falls on rocky soil is the word that falls on shallow lives and quickly fails. The seed that falls among thorns is the word that is eventually choked by a worldly mindset. Only the Living Word of God falling on willing ears and a heart that is open to change bears lasting fruit.

So that is my prayer for those who hear the word of God through me, that they will have ears to hear and eyes to see the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.

Friday, September 16, 2022

Wrestling with Darkness

 Last night I spent a few hours wrestling with sleeplessness, partly due to escalating concerns about what is going on in the world and how it may affect our lives. Of course, there is very little I can do about these concerns except to cast them on the Lord Jesus and ask for divine intervention. Needless to say, after a night like that I'm somewhat spent physically.

If you have ever dealt with someone with psychosis, a personality disorder or addiction issues, you might understand what it means to wrestle with the forces of darkness. There are many stories in the Bible about Jesus wrestling with demons, and last Sunday our fellowship group studied one of these accounts in the gospel of Luke.

While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ. When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:40-43

Matthew adds this note to the account:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.” Matthew 8:17

A couple of years ago I looked up that reference in Isaiah and received this message from the Lord: Jesus spent his entire ministry on earth bearing our pain and weakness. By His scourging we are healed. He continues this ministry through us, so that our suffering in His name is never in vain.

The quote from Isaiah 53 is part of a "Suffering Servant prophecy", a chapter which foretells in great detail the suffering and sacrificial death of the Messiah, written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. What I never realized when studying Isaiah was that this suffering was not only on the cross. Each time Jesus wrestled with diseases and demonic forces He was fulfilling His calling to bear our burdens and carry away our infirmities.

In the passage from Luke and Matthew above, Jesus wrestled with these demons all night, leaving just as the morning light approached to find respite from the crowds of desperate people. These times were mentally and physically exhausting, and many times Jesus could only find respite before dawn in secluded places like the hills of Galilee.

The body of Christ continues this ministry of suffering. As Paul said:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Colossians 1:24

 Or as Peter says:

but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 1 Peter 4:13

So to the degree that we are reviled, mistreated or simply wrestle with the unseen enemy, these times call for rejoicing and expectation of glory that is to come. We do not suffer and struggle alone; we suffer with Christ who bears our pain and understands our needs.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

 And finally there is an incomparable reward for all suffering of the innocents and those made righteous by His blood, so that like Christ we can endure it for the joy set before us.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.


Wednesday, August 31, 2022

The Foundation of God's Throne

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Lovingkindness and truth go before You.

There is a chapter in the New Testament that completely changed my understanding of the Bible. I first encountered these verses as I was memorizing Romans in my first year of college.

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?
Romans 3:5-6

The third chapter of Romans presents God's perfect righteousness in human terms as a prerequisite for Him to execute judgment. Without God's righteous judgment all creation would be lost to the domain of darkness.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 
Romans 3:21-26

The backdrop of the gospel is that God is righteous, and His righteousness requires judgment and condemnation of evil. This righteousness in God's terms is much more than judgment and condemnation. The perfect righteousness of God is His self-sacrificing unconditional love, which extends mercy and forgiveness in response to an unjust and ungrateful world.

Jesus said that God's Law is based on two commandments, both involving sacrificial love.

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets. 
Matthew 22:37-40

God's righteousness means that He is always faithful and true; His faithfulness is the expression of His perfect love and mercy.

The Bible records promises that God made to great men of faith like Noah, Abraham and David. The promise to Abraham shows how people can become part of his family, not by flesh (birthright) or by keeping the Law of Moses, but by faith in God. This promise remains certain today for all who believe and confess their faith, because God is faithful. The Law of Moses did not nullify this promise (Romans 4:13-15), nor does Faith nullify God's Law (Romans 3:31), nor does Faith nullify the requirement for perfect righteousness to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Psalm  24:3-4).

The apostle Paul spends several chapters explaining this apparent conflict of Law and Faith in his epistle to the Romans. The conflict is resolved by a promise that took precedence over the Law of Moses and the nation of Israel. This promise was given to David when he was king, in which God promised to establish his Son as the ruler of an eternal kingdom that would be for all people of all nations, who are born not of flesh but of spirit, because of His own blood that is poured out on the altar of God to atone for all sin of all time.

If you are following this (and this may be hard to really grasp at first), you will begin to understand how fundamentally important it is for the Body of Christ to proclaim and demonstrate God's righteousness. This is why Paul said in his epistle to the Corinthians "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes." This is why Paul said to the Galatians "may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." We remind ourselves and the world that God so loved us that He sacrificed His Son for us, so that our sins could be forgiven and washed away. 

This is the righteous, faithful, merciful and self-sacrificial God of the Bible, the one true God that we serve by receiving the Spirit of His Son into our heart. Because Jesus our Messiah is seated at the right hand of God we are empowered to put on His robe of righteousness and enter boldly into the throne room of God.

Understanding the foundational nature of God's righteousness has helped me understand many truths of the Bible, such as the meaning and purpose of creation, the nature of spiritual warfare, the foundation of a righteous government, and many questions non-believers pose in rejecting the Bible. I hope to share these truths in related posts, so if you're interested please subscribe to my blog or bookmark this page. Many blessings to you!