So often I hear people saying that believing in God requires blind faith but this just isn't so. Our God is very visual, loving to do things that reveal who he is and setting reminders to provoke memory. We find this throughout the Old Testament, especially in the various festivals that marked important events in the relationship between Yahweh and Israel. We also find this in the New Testament as Jesus broke the bread and passed the wine telling his disciples to do this in order to remember.
If you care to read the New Testament carefully you may note that Yahweh never asked people to believe blindly. There was always some kind of manifestation of God or his power and then people believed. Even when it comes to the receiving of the Holy Spirit there is a manifestation that often either provokes us to tears or to laughter.
However, there is an every day manifestation that acts as a reminder that we almost always overlook. In the Old Testament, Yahweh gave a daily reminder to his people to help them stick to the narrow way:
"This will be your fringe. You will see it and remember all the Lord's commands and do them. Then you won't go exploring the lusts of your own heart or your eyes. In this way you'll remember to do all my commands. Then you will be holy to your God." (Numbers 15:39-40)
We have been given a fringe of sorts as well; we call it the Bible. It is suppose to be part of our adornment, as we spend time in it daily. Spending our time there will keep us from exploring the lusts of our heart and eyes by reminding us of our first love: Jesus. It constantly points us to Jesus and reminds us that we are holy because we are possessed by him.
Our effort will never keep us from sin but when we are daily renewed in Jesus' love for us and ours for him, we will never want to sin; we will never want to speak against anyone; we will always want the best for everyone; we will always want to honour our Lord with our words, actions and thoughts. It is not because of the threat of hell but because we want to honour him with all our heart that will keep us on the narrow path. And where we are weak and stumble, his grace will carry us home.
Without our "fringe" we will wonder away, because that is our nature. Without our "fringe" we will fall into the many pits of sin because we are that dumb. Without our "fringe" we will fall victim to the many false gods of this world because we are that short sighted. Our God knows us, our unfaithful heart and our imperfect nature. This is why he gave us the visible, tangible Bible as our "fringe" and why he is always with us, never forsaking us.
We can't do this on our own and our Lord is only too happy to visually remind us that he is with us. Open the eyes of our heart Lord and help us overcome our unbelief. You are visible to your children every day.
Showing posts with label holy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holy. Show all posts
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Friday, January 31, 2014
We Act As If We Have No King
Christian behavior is very interesting to consider these days. It is as if we do not have a ruler and everyone does whatever they feel is best. It is like Jesus was just a prophet who gave us some general guidelines and suggestions and now we have to work them out on our own. Seldom do we act as if we are under authority and that we are accountable for our heart, thoughts, words and actions. It is like we think we are on our own, so we look for someone to be king because we don't want to be alone.
We are suppose to be different, unique, set aside by Yahweh to bring him glory, just like the Israelites were. They were a peculiar people; no other nation had a law like theirs. No other nation was ruled over directly by their god. No other nation was without a king. But Israel was because Yahweh was suppose to be their King. He purposed to rule over them, develop and protect them, to bless their land and the work of their hands. He wanted to prosper them directly and they were to be holy to bring himself glory as he set this nation in front of the world, on display. But we read this throughout Judges:
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)
They acted like this even though Yahweh had given them his statutes, the Law.
The problem was that people lost their intimacy with Yahweh. They did not look to him for leadership and guidance. They did not make themselves accountable to him and so felt they were on their own. Instead of being uniquely cared for by their God, they became little pockets of people defined by clans, easily cut off from each other and attacked, not unlike today.
Today, most churches and spiritual trainers/leaders do not see themselves directly responsible to Jesus and so do what is right in their own eyes. In other words, they teach from their opinion instead of by the Spirit and the Holy Scriptures. They make it say what they want it to say according to their personal view. Have we lost our intimacy with Jesus?
There is a sad passage found in 1 Samuel where the people threw off Yahweh's will for them and demanded to be like all the other nations; they wanted a king. Samuel was upset, feeling rejected as the last judge in a long line of judges, but Yahweh spoke to him the truth of the matter:
Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Samuel 8:7)
We are a unique people, a nation that was not a nation, a people not defined by geographical borders but spiritual and moral ones. We have been called out, transformed and transforming into a new creation, adopted into Yahweh's family, called his children, sealed for eternity by the Holy Spirit. We don't get to do what we want as we are now slaves to his righteousness and live according to his Word. We are possessed by Jesus Christ via the Spirit as we also possess Jesus. We sit at the right hand of the Father with Jesus and are here in this place to teach and lead the lost into a saving relationship with Jesus. We are not here to live by our opinion, to do what is right in our own eyes.
Simply put:
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Act accordingly, child of Yahweh, because you have a King who is with you every day to teach, guide, and bless you, to prosper you and to make you shine as he sets you in front of the world, on display, for his glory.
We are suppose to be different, unique, set aside by Yahweh to bring him glory, just like the Israelites were. They were a peculiar people; no other nation had a law like theirs. No other nation was ruled over directly by their god. No other nation was without a king. But Israel was because Yahweh was suppose to be their King. He purposed to rule over them, develop and protect them, to bless their land and the work of their hands. He wanted to prosper them directly and they were to be holy to bring himself glory as he set this nation in front of the world, on display. But we read this throughout Judges:
In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)
They acted like this even though Yahweh had given them his statutes, the Law.
The problem was that people lost their intimacy with Yahweh. They did not look to him for leadership and guidance. They did not make themselves accountable to him and so felt they were on their own. Instead of being uniquely cared for by their God, they became little pockets of people defined by clans, easily cut off from each other and attacked, not unlike today.
Today, most churches and spiritual trainers/leaders do not see themselves directly responsible to Jesus and so do what is right in their own eyes. In other words, they teach from their opinion instead of by the Spirit and the Holy Scriptures. They make it say what they want it to say according to their personal view. Have we lost our intimacy with Jesus?
There is a sad passage found in 1 Samuel where the people threw off Yahweh's will for them and demanded to be like all the other nations; they wanted a king. Samuel was upset, feeling rejected as the last judge in a long line of judges, but Yahweh spoke to him the truth of the matter:
Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Samuel 8:7)
We are a unique people, a nation that was not a nation, a people not defined by geographical borders but spiritual and moral ones. We have been called out, transformed and transforming into a new creation, adopted into Yahweh's family, called his children, sealed for eternity by the Holy Spirit. We don't get to do what we want as we are now slaves to his righteousness and live according to his Word. We are possessed by Jesus Christ via the Spirit as we also possess Jesus. We sit at the right hand of the Father with Jesus and are here in this place to teach and lead the lost into a saving relationship with Jesus. We are not here to live by our opinion, to do what is right in our own eyes.
Simply put:
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Act accordingly, child of Yahweh, because you have a King who is with you every day to teach, guide, and bless you, to prosper you and to make you shine as he sets you in front of the world, on display, for his glory.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
In The World But Not Of It? Seriously?
"Be holy because I am holy," said Jehovah to his nation Israel.
Before the exodus from Egypt, Israel was nothing more than a people born of one man, a family, a bunch of slaves to be exploited in a land that did not belong to them. In order to be a nation you need an identity and land helps. To be a society you need a common law. Jehovah was going to give them all of this but he was also going to give them purpose, which was to be used by their God to glorify himself to the world.
The Law was given to separate Israel from every other nation. It was a physical separation, their actions marking the difference from the behaviour of everyone else. This Law became their identity, what defined them. Moses gave them these instructions for when they were to enter the Promised Land:
Keep all these commands that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. (Deuteronomy 27:1-3)
Notice they were to do this as soon as they entered, at the border. The Law was to be posted at the border to distinguish them from all other nations. Jehovah warned them time and again not to have anything to do with the behaviour of these other nations because they were under his judgement. Israel was not to take on their practices, or to intermarry because they would be corrupted and start to behave like the others. They wholly belonged to Yahweh. Unfortunately they did not obey.
They did exactly what Jehovah told them not to do; they intermarried, they took on the foreign gods, they sacrificed their children, they made deals with other nations, they stopped relying on Jehovah. Their behaviour became just like everyone else's, their hearts turned from Jehovah and they fell under his judgement. He was not glorified through Israel for the whole world to know him.
I often hear well meaning Christians saying, "We are in the world but not of it". Do you think that to be true? It should be because the Church has been raised up with the same purpose as Israel, that Yahweh would be glorified through us and the whole world would know of Jesus. Our big problem is that we do not know we are a people, a holy nation, set aside for his purpose. We still identify ourselves by our geographical location: I am a Canadian and I am Christian. I consider the laws I must answer to are found in my government and it is only natural for me to follow the customs and habits of the people around me. But the Word tells us differently.
If you read 1 Peter from cover to cover you will discover Yahweh's call to his holy nation to not conform to the patterns of this world and, because of our spiritual condition, we aught to be separate in behaviour. I encourage you to sit down and read the whole book in one digestion. Of living godly lives in a pagan society, Peter writes:
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
Later he writes:
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1-2)
Look around. Can you honestly say you are living for the will of Yahweh? Can you say that your relationship with Jesus is such that it keeps you from joining in with the things that he has called evil? Are we entertained by shows of murder? Do we play games where we get to kill people? Are we entertained by sex and lust, greed and pain? Are we honest in all things or just some things? Do we love him with all our being and others as ourselves? Are we governed by his holy will for us or by the lower law of the land or by our own desires? Do we waste our time on distractions or are we bent on his purpose for us in this place? Do we even see ourselves as being separate? Take heed:
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Amen!
Before the exodus from Egypt, Israel was nothing more than a people born of one man, a family, a bunch of slaves to be exploited in a land that did not belong to them. In order to be a nation you need an identity and land helps. To be a society you need a common law. Jehovah was going to give them all of this but he was also going to give them purpose, which was to be used by their God to glorify himself to the world.
The Law was given to separate Israel from every other nation. It was a physical separation, their actions marking the difference from the behaviour of everyone else. This Law became their identity, what defined them. Moses gave them these instructions for when they were to enter the Promised Land:
Keep all these commands that I give you today. When you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving you, set up some large stones and coat them with plaster. Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. (Deuteronomy 27:1-3)
Notice they were to do this as soon as they entered, at the border. The Law was to be posted at the border to distinguish them from all other nations. Jehovah warned them time and again not to have anything to do with the behaviour of these other nations because they were under his judgement. Israel was not to take on their practices, or to intermarry because they would be corrupted and start to behave like the others. They wholly belonged to Yahweh. Unfortunately they did not obey.
They did exactly what Jehovah told them not to do; they intermarried, they took on the foreign gods, they sacrificed their children, they made deals with other nations, they stopped relying on Jehovah. Their behaviour became just like everyone else's, their hearts turned from Jehovah and they fell under his judgement. He was not glorified through Israel for the whole world to know him.
I often hear well meaning Christians saying, "We are in the world but not of it". Do you think that to be true? It should be because the Church has been raised up with the same purpose as Israel, that Yahweh would be glorified through us and the whole world would know of Jesus. Our big problem is that we do not know we are a people, a holy nation, set aside for his purpose. We still identify ourselves by our geographical location: I am a Canadian and I am Christian. I consider the laws I must answer to are found in my government and it is only natural for me to follow the customs and habits of the people around me. But the Word tells us differently.
If you read 1 Peter from cover to cover you will discover Yahweh's call to his holy nation to not conform to the patterns of this world and, because of our spiritual condition, we aught to be separate in behaviour. I encourage you to sit down and read the whole book in one digestion. Of living godly lives in a pagan society, Peter writes:
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
Later he writes:
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1-2)
Look around. Can you honestly say you are living for the will of Yahweh? Can you say that your relationship with Jesus is such that it keeps you from joining in with the things that he has called evil? Are we entertained by shows of murder? Do we play games where we get to kill people? Are we entertained by sex and lust, greed and pain? Are we honest in all things or just some things? Do we love him with all our being and others as ourselves? Are we governed by his holy will for us or by the lower law of the land or by our own desires? Do we waste our time on distractions or are we bent on his purpose for us in this place? Do we even see ourselves as being separate? Take heed:
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11)
Amen!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
A Holy Nation - For What Purpose?
They say that if we do not study history we are doomed to repeat it. That gives us a very good reason to study the Old Testament. I once had someone tell me that there are no perfect people in the Bible except one, and that the LORD had filled his Word with ordinary people so we could discover how extraordinary he is by his mercy and grace. As we study the Hebrew Scriptures we do indeed find a God of mercy and grace who often covered the sins of his people.
What a wonderful LORD we serve who called us by his mercy and grace for his purpose. But in order for us to understand our purpose we need to study history to understand the purpose of Israel. What was so special about them? Why did the LORD choose them to reveal his glory to the world? He seemed to have nothing but problems with them.
First, it was more than a choosing. The LORD grew this nation. He chose a man (Abraham) and then he gave this man a son with a promise that he was the seed of a great nation. From this seed he developed a large family that was blessed with fertility. The Egyptians tried to control the population but could not because God's blessing was upon them. By the time they left Egypt we know there were over 600,000 fighting men so if we add the women and children and the older folk, the population could very well have been over 2 million people. That's in just over 300 years.
The LORD had grown this nation for a specific reason. It wasn't because Abraham was a superstar and the LORD wanted to honour him. It was because our LORD had chosen a period in time to reveal his glory to the world. He said to this nation:
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:5-6)
He had set this nation aside, giving them a set of laws to follow, and called them holy because he is holy. He poured blessings into them, prospered them, drove out nations from them, created a land for them, watched over and defended them, all so he could show himself to the world.
Now Israel, instead of understanding their purpose and place, became like spoiled and disobedient children. They were a source of heartache for the LORD, yet he gave them opportunity after opportunity to get it right. He had warned them what disobedience would bring. He warned them that there were consequences for rejecting his holiness and their purpose, but Israel still made it about them and the LORD had to bring in severe correction.
Why is this important to us as the Church? Because this is what the LORD has said of the Church, the Body of Christ:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I believe at times the Church has forgotten her purpose; that we, as a nation, act as spoiled children, doing whatever we want with the excuse of grace. But the LORD has raised us up with the same purpose as Israel was raised up: to be his people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. For ourselves? Don't you believe it. He has done this so that we will magnify the name of Jesus in words and deeds, so the whole world will see his glory.
But I am afraid we are making the same mistake. I believe we are destroying ourselves and our witness. I believe we are setting aside our purpose for selfish gain. I think we are trying to gain the whole world at the risk of our souls. I think we have to repent. I think we need to turn away from the direction in which we are headed. I think the LORD must become our LORD once more and we his holy nation, set aside for his purpose so that the whole world may see his glory, believe and be saved. It's not about us.
.
What a wonderful LORD we serve who called us by his mercy and grace for his purpose. But in order for us to understand our purpose we need to study history to understand the purpose of Israel. What was so special about them? Why did the LORD choose them to reveal his glory to the world? He seemed to have nothing but problems with them.
First, it was more than a choosing. The LORD grew this nation. He chose a man (Abraham) and then he gave this man a son with a promise that he was the seed of a great nation. From this seed he developed a large family that was blessed with fertility. The Egyptians tried to control the population but could not because God's blessing was upon them. By the time they left Egypt we know there were over 600,000 fighting men so if we add the women and children and the older folk, the population could very well have been over 2 million people. That's in just over 300 years.
The LORD had grown this nation for a specific reason. It wasn't because Abraham was a superstar and the LORD wanted to honour him. It was because our LORD had chosen a period in time to reveal his glory to the world. He said to this nation:
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ (Exodus 19:5-6)
He had set this nation aside, giving them a set of laws to follow, and called them holy because he is holy. He poured blessings into them, prospered them, drove out nations from them, created a land for them, watched over and defended them, all so he could show himself to the world.
Now Israel, instead of understanding their purpose and place, became like spoiled and disobedient children. They were a source of heartache for the LORD, yet he gave them opportunity after opportunity to get it right. He had warned them what disobedience would bring. He warned them that there were consequences for rejecting his holiness and their purpose, but Israel still made it about them and the LORD had to bring in severe correction.
Why is this important to us as the Church? Because this is what the LORD has said of the Church, the Body of Christ:
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
I believe at times the Church has forgotten her purpose; that we, as a nation, act as spoiled children, doing whatever we want with the excuse of grace. But the LORD has raised us up with the same purpose as Israel was raised up: to be his people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. For ourselves? Don't you believe it. He has done this so that we will magnify the name of Jesus in words and deeds, so the whole world will see his glory.
But I am afraid we are making the same mistake. I believe we are destroying ourselves and our witness. I believe we are setting aside our purpose for selfish gain. I think we are trying to gain the whole world at the risk of our souls. I think we have to repent. I think we need to turn away from the direction in which we are headed. I think the LORD must become our LORD once more and we his holy nation, set aside for his purpose so that the whole world may see his glory, believe and be saved. It's not about us.
.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Strangers In Our Own Home
We are not bold enough. Often we try to be too polite with God. We act like visitors in a stranger's home, not wanting to offend or get anything dirty. There is a difference between how children react as a guest in someone's home and as a family member in their own. Why would we act like guests in the presence of our Father? Why would we treat him like a stranger? Why are we so afraid to act like family and why would we ever ask for something he has already promised to us?
Could you imagine this conversation:
"Mom, can I have some clothes? Can you give me some clothes please?"
"What are you talking about? Your closet is full of clothes?"
"Yes, but can I have them? Can you give them to me?"
"I already gave them to you. They are yours. Go ahead and wear them."
"Are you sure I can wear them? It won't offend you? I will clean the whole house if you let me wear them."
"What? Are you feeling okay?"
But we do it all the time. We treat our relationship with our Father like we are strangers in his house. We are afraid to touch what he freely gave to us. We don't act on his promises. It's like he has to give them to us again and again. They are ours.
There is nothing wrong with reminding God of his promises in boldness. It is not so much that we are reminding God as we are reminding ourselves. The psalmist stated it rather frankly:
Listen, Lord, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan.
2 You are my King and my God. (Psalm 5:1-2)
The psalmist comes with boldness, demanding the attention of God, not because he deserved it but because of the relationship: You are my King and my God. There is a lot he says in that declaration. God has made promises that have obligated himself to us. Because he is our Father he has bound himself to certain things.
You may think, "God, is Sovereign, he can do what he wants". True but our Father will never go against his character and his promises come out of that character. He is our Father. He has adopted us as his children through Jesus Christ. In doing this he has obligated himself to fulfill all the promises given to us, as we remain his children. Look at how the psalmist understood it even at that time, before Jesus:
You are my King and my God.
Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you. (v. 2)
"You are my King and my God and as such you are obligated to answer my cries for help because I am asking my King." Jesus communicated with us the promises of the Father. He told us to go to the Father with whatever we needed. He told us to stop worrying about what we need here and concentrate on the Kingdom because our Father would look after what we need here. We don't need to come with hat in hand to our Father. We come in with the boldness of children who trust their Father to be who he says he is, one who loves us and pours out all his goodness on us. But remember that it is the parents who establish the rules in the house. The kids do not get to do whatever they want. There is correction:
You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can’t stay with you.
5 No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
and you hate evil people.
6 You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit. (vv.4-6)
Our God is not a "genie in the bottle" who grants wishes. He is our Holy and Righteous Father who expects relationship. He loves us and wants us to love him in return. He wants us to consider what is important to him to be important to us. He wants us to walk in his footsteps, to reject evil and to cling to what is good. It is in this relationship of obedience that we have the boldness of any child to come into our Father's presence, to love him and to expect good things.
Stop acting like a stranger in our Father's house. To be honest, it is kind of creepy. It's like we don't know who we are. Stop it and be the child that you are. Princes and princesses in the Kingdom of God is who we are and our Father keeps us constantly in his presence. Live with boldness and walk in what has already been given to you.
Could you imagine this conversation:
"Mom, can I have some clothes? Can you give me some clothes please?"
"What are you talking about? Your closet is full of clothes?"
"Yes, but can I have them? Can you give them to me?"
"I already gave them to you. They are yours. Go ahead and wear them."
"Are you sure I can wear them? It won't offend you? I will clean the whole house if you let me wear them."
"What? Are you feeling okay?"
But we do it all the time. We treat our relationship with our Father like we are strangers in his house. We are afraid to touch what he freely gave to us. We don't act on his promises. It's like he has to give them to us again and again. They are ours.
There is nothing wrong with reminding God of his promises in boldness. It is not so much that we are reminding God as we are reminding ourselves. The psalmist stated it rather frankly:
Listen, Lord, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan.
2 You are my King and my God. (Psalm 5:1-2)
The psalmist comes with boldness, demanding the attention of God, not because he deserved it but because of the relationship: You are my King and my God. There is a lot he says in that declaration. God has made promises that have obligated himself to us. Because he is our Father he has bound himself to certain things.
You may think, "God, is Sovereign, he can do what he wants". True but our Father will never go against his character and his promises come out of that character. He is our Father. He has adopted us as his children through Jesus Christ. In doing this he has obligated himself to fulfill all the promises given to us, as we remain his children. Look at how the psalmist understood it even at that time, before Jesus:
You are my King and my God.
Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you. (v. 2)
"You are my King and my God and as such you are obligated to answer my cries for help because I am asking my King." Jesus communicated with us the promises of the Father. He told us to go to the Father with whatever we needed. He told us to stop worrying about what we need here and concentrate on the Kingdom because our Father would look after what we need here. We don't need to come with hat in hand to our Father. We come in with the boldness of children who trust their Father to be who he says he is, one who loves us and pours out all his goodness on us. But remember that it is the parents who establish the rules in the house. The kids do not get to do whatever they want. There is correction:
You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can’t stay with you.
5 No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
and you hate evil people.
6 You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit. (vv.4-6)
Our God is not a "genie in the bottle" who grants wishes. He is our Holy and Righteous Father who expects relationship. He loves us and wants us to love him in return. He wants us to consider what is important to him to be important to us. He wants us to walk in his footsteps, to reject evil and to cling to what is good. It is in this relationship of obedience that we have the boldness of any child to come into our Father's presence, to love him and to expect good things.
Stop acting like a stranger in our Father's house. To be honest, it is kind of creepy. It's like we don't know who we are. Stop it and be the child that you are. Princes and princesses in the Kingdom of God is who we are and our Father keeps us constantly in his presence. Live with boldness and walk in what has already been given to you.
Friday, July 12, 2013
The Change Can Start With You
Isn't life great! We have friends, a job, a house, a couple of cars, the retirement fund is growing nicely, we can afford to travel or just stay home and enjoy our large screen TV. We have the internet, our social networking, YouTube, our music, some books. Who could ask for anything more?
That stuff might be fine for people who do not claim Jesus but it's not fine for you. You are a Christian, the Christ follower, a child of the Father, possessed by the Holy Spirit and as such Jesus instructed you:
Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. (Matthew 6:31-32)
Trust God, is what Jesus is instructing. Don't run after the priorities of this world, is what he says. Your priorities are so much greater:
But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. (v.33)
The psalmist stated of those who chose the priorities of the world:
You love foolish things,
and you run after
what is worthless. (Psalm 4:2b)
Are there any better words to describe the priorities of our life? What are our dreams? What are we pursuing? Some people have noble notions of what they want to do with their life but most people live to exist. They just want to make it through their day. They just want work to be over so they can go home, order in a meal and watch tv. They just want a comfortable life. But those who have chosen Jesus, who have been adopted as the Father's children, are not called to a "normal", comfortable life. We have been told to put God's work first and to do the Father's will. This can lead to uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations.
We have to make some right choices today.
We have to choose Jesus.
Every day we have to make that choice that "today I will serve the Lord". Choosing to pursue our comfort is not choosing Jesus. The great servants who went before us did not choose their own comfort. They set aside the pursuit of self and looked square into the Father's priorities and it changed them. They were not petty in their relationships. They rose in spiritual maturity, throwing off childish attitudes and walked in the anointed calling and purpose of their life. It cost them but the benefits far outweighed the cost.
If your day was put under the microscope would you consider yourself running after what is worthless or being faithful to God's work? Are you building your life, collecting your possessions, finding comfort in this place or are you doing what our Father wants? It's not completely our fault if we have it wrong. We were taught wrong. We were not coached and helped along or if we were it was from a wrong perspective. The Church has done an appalling job of directing and instructing people in the priorities of the Father, of instructing them in what is holy and what is common. As long as our mega churches are full and we have a form of Christianity, as long as the bills are being paid. What a foolish people we are! The Church is pursuing the same things that the confused children of God are pursuing.
There needs to be some changes to move us from the acceptable practices of this world to a passionate service to our King; to move from the common to the Holy. That change can start today. That change can start with you. There are choices to be made today. There are priorities to uphold. Jesus' words
You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
Who will you serve?
That stuff might be fine for people who do not claim Jesus but it's not fine for you. You are a Christian, the Christ follower, a child of the Father, possessed by the Holy Spirit and as such Jesus instructed you:
Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. (Matthew 6:31-32)
Trust God, is what Jesus is instructing. Don't run after the priorities of this world, is what he says. Your priorities are so much greater:
But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. (v.33)
The psalmist stated of those who chose the priorities of the world:
You love foolish things,
and you run after
what is worthless. (Psalm 4:2b)
Are there any better words to describe the priorities of our life? What are our dreams? What are we pursuing? Some people have noble notions of what they want to do with their life but most people live to exist. They just want to make it through their day. They just want work to be over so they can go home, order in a meal and watch tv. They just want a comfortable life. But those who have chosen Jesus, who have been adopted as the Father's children, are not called to a "normal", comfortable life. We have been told to put God's work first and to do the Father's will. This can lead to uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations.
We have to make some right choices today.
We have to choose Jesus.
Every day we have to make that choice that "today I will serve the Lord". Choosing to pursue our comfort is not choosing Jesus. The great servants who went before us did not choose their own comfort. They set aside the pursuit of self and looked square into the Father's priorities and it changed them. They were not petty in their relationships. They rose in spiritual maturity, throwing off childish attitudes and walked in the anointed calling and purpose of their life. It cost them but the benefits far outweighed the cost.
If your day was put under the microscope would you consider yourself running after what is worthless or being faithful to God's work? Are you building your life, collecting your possessions, finding comfort in this place or are you doing what our Father wants? It's not completely our fault if we have it wrong. We were taught wrong. We were not coached and helped along or if we were it was from a wrong perspective. The Church has done an appalling job of directing and instructing people in the priorities of the Father, of instructing them in what is holy and what is common. As long as our mega churches are full and we have a form of Christianity, as long as the bills are being paid. What a foolish people we are! The Church is pursuing the same things that the confused children of God are pursuing.
There needs to be some changes to move us from the acceptable practices of this world to a passionate service to our King; to move from the common to the Holy. That change can start today. That change can start with you. There are choices to be made today. There are priorities to uphold. Jesus' words
You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24)
Who will you serve?
Saturday, March 23, 2013
I Have Decided To Say No To Evil
When someone is acting immature we often hear them being told to act their age. If we recognize this can be an issue emotionally and mentally why don't we recognize the same problem spiritually? Why are we afraid to tell people to "grow up" spiritually? Apostle Paul never seemed to have this problem as he often told people to "grow up".
If we were to do this the best place to start is in the mirror. Following Jesus requires some mature decision making. It means setting aside whatever we want, to follow the instructions of the King. Maybe that's the first problem. Maybe we see him too much as a friend and forget he is King. His commands are not suggestions. He doesn't tell us to follow his commands if we feel like it. He tells us to obey because we love him. Love does not demand less of us but more. There is no stronger motivator in life than love. Some would say fear is the strongest motivator but I think that's because they have not experienced real love.
Here's the thing: You were called to be holy, set apart, special, for God's use. I can't stress that last part enough: You are intended for God's use. God's holy instrument. His servant. His warrior. His man. His woman. His child. Paul explains it to Timothy:
In a large house some dishes are made of gold or silver, while others are made of wood or clay. Some of these are special, and others are not. (2 Timothy 2:20)
Some of you will understand this. There are dishes that you use every day and then there are the special occasion dishes. There is the flatware and then there is the silverware. If one of the daily use dishes gets broken you may be a little upset but that is nothing compared to how upset you would be if one of the good dishes was broken. You place special value on these for special events.
That’s also how it is with people. The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure will become special. Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds. (v. 21)
Stop doing evil! Turn from it. Run from it! You know what tempts you and causes you to fall, so stay away from it. Some would say, "But only God can keep me from evil". Jesus has made it possible for you to make that decision. He has opened the door. He has sent us the Holy Spirit. But we have to make the decision. We have to turn from it. He has made it possible for us to have the strength to say "no" but we are the ones who have to say "no". So say it already.
We are not intended to be common. We are not intended to be dailyware. We are intended for God's holy purpose and we will step into that the moment we stop doing evil and make ourselves pure. We are made pure by the blood of the Lamb. We remain pure by daily walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit. It is as simple as that. Make the decision not just to accept the cross but to live in obedience to the King.
The Church is a family of believers, filled by the power of the Holy Spirit to do God's will on this earth. But we can't operate in that power if we are double-minded, prostituting ourselves, trying to hide the evil we do in the dark. That power can only flow freely when we walk away from everything that is not part of God and immerse ourselves in Jesus every moment of the day so we are always available to him whenever and wherever, however he wants to use us. We should desire to have the power to fulfill God's will daily.
You know the things that you do, the things you decide to do that are not acceptable to God. Anything he says is not acceptable is evil. Make the decision right now to walk away from that thing. Repent, which means to go in the opposite direction. Don't just stop but cry out to God. Run to him. I mean run fast to him, with all your energy. He will forgive you and will allow you to step into his holiness, set aside exclusively for his use. Stop prostituting yourself to another and realize you uniquely belong to the King, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Words That Shape Us
How you see yourself is exactly how you are going to act. That is why the words that we allow into our heart can be so powerful, if we allow them to change our perception. If we are not absolutely sure of who we are those words, which come from other people, can actually shape us into how other people see us. This is why it is important for parents to speak good things into their children because those young lives are still being shaped and are influenced by our words.
This is also why it is important that we only allow God's words to shape us. We need to be absolutely sure of who we are in Jesus so that assurance will prevent others from shaping us. Consider these words:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved ... (Colossians 3:12a)
Chosen, holy, loved. This describes us. Chosen because God made a choice in sending Jesus so that we may be saved from destruction and adopted into the Father's family. Holy because, by God's grace, that is what he has declared over us and made the decision how to see us, even though we are not worthy of that word; it is who we are because God said we are holy. Loved because God has poured out all his mercy, forgiveness and compassion on us, transforming us into something new, saving us from ourselves and sitting us at his right hand with Jesus.
Now how could we ever listen to any words that say we are ugly when God says we are beautiful? There are too many hurtful words that we could repeat here but why bother; they don't apply to us. God has told us exactly who we are and we need to act on those words, allowing them to shape our perception and action. If words can be spoken to convince us we are stupid and we act stupid, should not the words of God propel us into acts of greatness?
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (v12)
Because we are chosen, holy and loved we are shaped so that we become compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient. If you are not sure of who you are then words will shape you into other actions even though you desire to be these things from God. You may want to be compassionate but because you are not convinced you are chosen, holy and loved, your actions will not reflect Jesus' character; you will not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in you.
We can't just attend church, Bible Study and sing sings, hoping for the best. We have to be transformed. We have to allow the blood of Jesus Christ to transform us into the new creation to which God has called us. We need to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to continue the transformation process daily. We need to be convinced of who we are in Jesus so the words of God are the only words that shape us. Know who you are in Jesus and walk that walk.
This is also why it is important that we only allow God's words to shape us. We need to be absolutely sure of who we are in Jesus so that assurance will prevent others from shaping us. Consider these words:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved ... (Colossians 3:12a)
Chosen, holy, loved. This describes us. Chosen because God made a choice in sending Jesus so that we may be saved from destruction and adopted into the Father's family. Holy because, by God's grace, that is what he has declared over us and made the decision how to see us, even though we are not worthy of that word; it is who we are because God said we are holy. Loved because God has poured out all his mercy, forgiveness and compassion on us, transforming us into something new, saving us from ourselves and sitting us at his right hand with Jesus.
Now how could we ever listen to any words that say we are ugly when God says we are beautiful? There are too many hurtful words that we could repeat here but why bother; they don't apply to us. God has told us exactly who we are and we need to act on those words, allowing them to shape our perception and action. If words can be spoken to convince us we are stupid and we act stupid, should not the words of God propel us into acts of greatness?
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (v12)
Because we are chosen, holy and loved we are shaped so that we become compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient. If you are not sure of who you are then words will shape you into other actions even though you desire to be these things from God. You may want to be compassionate but because you are not convinced you are chosen, holy and loved, your actions will not reflect Jesus' character; you will not cooperate with the Holy Spirit in you.
We can't just attend church, Bible Study and sing sings, hoping for the best. We have to be transformed. We have to allow the blood of Jesus Christ to transform us into the new creation to which God has called us. We need to allow the power of the Holy Spirit to continue the transformation process daily. We need to be convinced of who we are in Jesus so the words of God are the only words that shape us. Know who you are in Jesus and walk that walk.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
By What Are You Defined?
What defines you?
Is it your hair?
Perhaps it is the way you laugh or maybe your smile. Your perfect teeth?
Maybe you are known as a reader, someone who curls up in a corner with a book and disappears from this world for hours at a time.
Are you defined by your causes, the things you constantly champion? There are so many good things in this world to hold up. So many things that people need to defend. So many needs.
You might be defined by your family, if it is a strong or strange family.
There are lots of things that can define us if we allow them to. There are many different faces we can present. There are many different ways that we can shape how we are known. Or, we can allow other people to do it for us.
Sometimes things we have no control over are used by people to define who they see us to be. Born to a single parent. Born to a poor family. Raised in a dysfunctional neighbourhood. Do we get to choose our height or gender or skin colour? But these are used by some to define us.
We cannot do much about how some people choose to define us but we can do a lot about how we define ourself. In fact, we should know that we don't define ourselves. We are defined by our Father.
A couple of things we need to understand starts with the fact that our Father had a choice with us. He could have just left us to our own destruction. Sin defined us, as did hatred and rebellion. But our Father's love for us was too great. While we were his enemies he did what had to be done so that he could adopt us. He had to sacrifice his only Son so that a way would be made possible for us to become his children.
People don't understand that Jesus sacrificed himself for eternity. Jesus gave up what he was to become the first born. He became something new. He became what we will become on resurrection day, the day we will be called to him. In a blink of an eye everything will change. But for now, at this time, in this place we are covered his grace. Our Father is covering us, calling us holy and blameless, declaring it so that it is.
You see, we are defined by our Father, by the grace he has poured over us. He has called us holy and blameless. He has called us his children. He has called us sinless and perfect in his sight.
In his sight!
It doesn't matter how anyone else defines you. Doesn't matter how you define yourself. Doesn't even matter how Satan defines you. All that matters is how the Father defines you.
And he says you are beautiful!
But don't just sit there admiring yourself. There are a lot of other people lost in the ugliness of their sin who also need to hear this good news. They need to hear that God has redefined them, that they are not stuck, that there is hope, light and a future for them. You need to tell them, because of Jesus, our Father only sees perfection in them.
Go on! Tell them.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Is it your hair?
Perhaps it is the way you laugh or maybe your smile. Your perfect teeth?
Maybe you are known as a reader, someone who curls up in a corner with a book and disappears from this world for hours at a time.
Are you defined by your causes, the things you constantly champion? There are so many good things in this world to hold up. So many things that people need to defend. So many needs.
You might be defined by your family, if it is a strong or strange family.
There are lots of things that can define us if we allow them to. There are many different faces we can present. There are many different ways that we can shape how we are known. Or, we can allow other people to do it for us.
Sometimes things we have no control over are used by people to define who they see us to be. Born to a single parent. Born to a poor family. Raised in a dysfunctional neighbourhood. Do we get to choose our height or gender or skin colour? But these are used by some to define us.
We cannot do much about how some people choose to define us but we can do a lot about how we define ourself. In fact, we should know that we don't define ourselves. We are defined by our Father.
A couple of things we need to understand starts with the fact that our Father had a choice with us. He could have just left us to our own destruction. Sin defined us, as did hatred and rebellion. But our Father's love for us was too great. While we were his enemies he did what had to be done so that he could adopt us. He had to sacrifice his only Son so that a way would be made possible for us to become his children.
People don't understand that Jesus sacrificed himself for eternity. Jesus gave up what he was to become the first born. He became something new. He became what we will become on resurrection day, the day we will be called to him. In a blink of an eye everything will change. But for now, at this time, in this place we are covered his grace. Our Father is covering us, calling us holy and blameless, declaring it so that it is.
You see, we are defined by our Father, by the grace he has poured over us. He has called us holy and blameless. He has called us his children. He has called us sinless and perfect in his sight.
In his sight!
It doesn't matter how anyone else defines you. Doesn't matter how you define yourself. Doesn't even matter how Satan defines you. All that matters is how the Father defines you.
And he says you are beautiful!
But don't just sit there admiring yourself. There are a lot of other people lost in the ugliness of their sin who also need to hear this good news. They need to hear that God has redefined them, that they are not stuck, that there is hope, light and a future for them. You need to tell them, because of Jesus, our Father only sees perfection in them.
Go on! Tell them.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Friday, August 31, 2012
Not Choosing But Chosen
We who follow Jesus Christ, who are citizens of his Kingdom, who have died and now live through him, are a very blessed people. We need to be reminded of that fact. The reason we need to be reminded is because we forget.
We forget that we are blessed because living in this place, where we do not belong, can cause us to forget. We get busy, distracted, overwhelmed and we forget. We forget who we belong to. We forget we are here with purpose. We forget that this is a temporary thing and the permanent is on the way. We forget to look up.
Over the next few days I want to remind you of the greatest blessings we have received. I want to remind you, in all your busyness of living, to look up. And I am starting with this reminder:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4)
First blessing: He chose us! Yes, so often we think it is us who have chosen him and perhaps that is a reason we get things so wrong all the time. Jesus said:
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. (John 15:16)
Remember those words today as you hurry around in the insignificant busyness of your little life. Jesus chose you, knows you, loves you and has appointed you to something bigger than your life. So grow into it.
He didn't just choose you though. Jesus chose you before the creation of the world. Before God called light into being he knew you intimately and he made provision for each day of your life. He knew you and still he decided to go ahead with it. He went ahead with it because he enjoyed the thought of having even the possibility of being with you.
Don't miss out on the important bits here. He chose us for something. He chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight. Not that we could do this but he has blessed us by declaring us holy and blameless. It is what Jesus has done for us. We forget this. We forget that it has already been done for us and we try to do it ourselves. Instead of just letting the Spirit work this blessing out in our life we struggle and fill our life with guilt and shame when we fail.
We can be really stupid sometimes.
Look up!
Realize who you belong to and why. Realize what our King has done for us and why. Realize you have been chosen and blessed beyond measure and you walk around today holy and blameless in his sight. Realize you are more than what you see in the mirror. You are more than all your failings combined. Your failings do not define you. Jesus defines you.
My friend, you are blessed.
Look up!
Be defined today.
You have been chosen and you are holy and blameless.
We forget that we are blessed because living in this place, where we do not belong, can cause us to forget. We get busy, distracted, overwhelmed and we forget. We forget who we belong to. We forget we are here with purpose. We forget that this is a temporary thing and the permanent is on the way. We forget to look up.
Over the next few days I want to remind you of the greatest blessings we have received. I want to remind you, in all your busyness of living, to look up. And I am starting with this reminder:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4)
First blessing: He chose us! Yes, so often we think it is us who have chosen him and perhaps that is a reason we get things so wrong all the time. Jesus said:
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. (John 15:16)
Remember those words today as you hurry around in the insignificant busyness of your little life. Jesus chose you, knows you, loves you and has appointed you to something bigger than your life. So grow into it.
He didn't just choose you though. Jesus chose you before the creation of the world. Before God called light into being he knew you intimately and he made provision for each day of your life. He knew you and still he decided to go ahead with it. He went ahead with it because he enjoyed the thought of having even the possibility of being with you.
Don't miss out on the important bits here. He chose us for something. He chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight. Not that we could do this but he has blessed us by declaring us holy and blameless. It is what Jesus has done for us. We forget this. We forget that it has already been done for us and we try to do it ourselves. Instead of just letting the Spirit work this blessing out in our life we struggle and fill our life with guilt and shame when we fail.
We can be really stupid sometimes.
Look up!
Realize who you belong to and why. Realize what our King has done for us and why. Realize you have been chosen and blessed beyond measure and you walk around today holy and blameless in his sight. Realize you are more than what you see in the mirror. You are more than all your failings combined. Your failings do not define you. Jesus defines you.
My friend, you are blessed.
Look up!
Be defined today.
You have been chosen and you are holy and blameless.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Is It Empty And Meaningless Offerings Of Praise We Bring To Our God Today?
As we gather to worship this morning I believe we need to allow God's Word to challenge us beyond our normal thinking and routine. As we gather we should seek what pleases God, not what satisfies us in our self-justification. The Word tells us that the only "religion" that our God finds acceptable is the one that places the same value on people that he does:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
To respond to the needs of our neighbour, the most vulnerable of our society, is what leaps out at us from Jesus' teaching. Jesus did not reveal anything to us that we did not already know about our Father from the Old Testament scriptures. Speaking to the people of that generation and this, God speaks through the psalmist:
How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:2-3)
Is this not the example that Jesus set for us and then he told us to love as he loved, to do as he did? The Father chastised his people for bringing to him empty and meaningless offerings. They did it from habit and obligation, not provoked by love and adoration, or even thankfulness. For our God, it is always a matter of the heart. Just check out the "Sermon On The Mount" that we find recorded in Matthew's gospel.
Our Father does not want the empty and meaningless praises of a people who have no understanding of what it is to follow his Son. He is not interested in our nice buildings and fine sounding music or the great sermons people will quote but never act on. He is only interested in seeing the Word played out in our lives by the actions of the Holy Spirit through us. He wants to see us act upon the love that compels us to respond in compassion to the needs of the suffering world around us. Our suits and dresses look great but the real question is: What is the condition of our hearts? And don't forget about the second part of the verse quoted from James.
The religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is for us to keep ourselves from being polluted by this world. Looking around I would say that we have failed pretty miserably in both of these aspects of acceptable religion. Honestly, what is the difference between us and our Christ-less neighbour? Maybe our language is a bit better and we go to church on Sunday but we watch the same TV, go to the same movies, work toward the same retirement, pretty well have the same values, give just as much to charity, in fact he probably gives more. What is the difference? If we can't see a major difference then we are doing something wrong. We have allowed the values of this world to become our values instead of looking to what our Father has placed as our values. We have allowed our favorite TV shows to form our heart, our opinions, our values. We come into agreement as people fall in love and have sex without marriage. We cheer as the down trodden rises up and exacts revenge on the oppressor. We start giving into the idea of same-sex relationships as we watch it played out as normal on our television screens. We are entertained by vampires, zombies and witchcraft. We call things that are not good, good. All this shaping and forming in the comfort of our home.
Something has to change. It really does. There needs to be a new breaking in the Church, where all of God's children fall on their face and repent for what we have made it into. We need to examine our own hearts and freely invite the Spirit to convict us of what is not acceptable to God. We need to turn and look into the face of our God once again and allow his holiness to strip the values of this world away from us so that his thoughts become our thoughts and his way becomes our way. Seriously though, as we gather today let us desire and expect a spiritual renewal in the Bride of Christ, call it revival if you want. If you listen closely enough you will hear him calling our names, calling us back to him, calling us back to the Word, calling us back to his heart, his calling, his purpose and design.
Listen.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
To respond to the needs of our neighbour, the most vulnerable of our society, is what leaps out at us from Jesus' teaching. Jesus did not reveal anything to us that we did not already know about our Father from the Old Testament scriptures. Speaking to the people of that generation and this, God speaks through the psalmist:
How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
Defend the weak and the fatherless;
uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 82:2-3)
Is this not the example that Jesus set for us and then he told us to love as he loved, to do as he did? The Father chastised his people for bringing to him empty and meaningless offerings. They did it from habit and obligation, not provoked by love and adoration, or even thankfulness. For our God, it is always a matter of the heart. Just check out the "Sermon On The Mount" that we find recorded in Matthew's gospel.
Our Father does not want the empty and meaningless praises of a people who have no understanding of what it is to follow his Son. He is not interested in our nice buildings and fine sounding music or the great sermons people will quote but never act on. He is only interested in seeing the Word played out in our lives by the actions of the Holy Spirit through us. He wants to see us act upon the love that compels us to respond in compassion to the needs of the suffering world around us. Our suits and dresses look great but the real question is: What is the condition of our hearts? And don't forget about the second part of the verse quoted from James.
The religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is for us to keep ourselves from being polluted by this world. Looking around I would say that we have failed pretty miserably in both of these aspects of acceptable religion. Honestly, what is the difference between us and our Christ-less neighbour? Maybe our language is a bit better and we go to church on Sunday but we watch the same TV, go to the same movies, work toward the same retirement, pretty well have the same values, give just as much to charity, in fact he probably gives more. What is the difference? If we can't see a major difference then we are doing something wrong. We have allowed the values of this world to become our values instead of looking to what our Father has placed as our values. We have allowed our favorite TV shows to form our heart, our opinions, our values. We come into agreement as people fall in love and have sex without marriage. We cheer as the down trodden rises up and exacts revenge on the oppressor. We start giving into the idea of same-sex relationships as we watch it played out as normal on our television screens. We are entertained by vampires, zombies and witchcraft. We call things that are not good, good. All this shaping and forming in the comfort of our home.
Something has to change. It really does. There needs to be a new breaking in the Church, where all of God's children fall on their face and repent for what we have made it into. We need to examine our own hearts and freely invite the Spirit to convict us of what is not acceptable to God. We need to turn and look into the face of our God once again and allow his holiness to strip the values of this world away from us so that his thoughts become our thoughts and his way becomes our way. Seriously though, as we gather today let us desire and expect a spiritual renewal in the Bride of Christ, call it revival if you want. If you listen closely enough you will hear him calling our names, calling us back to him, calling us back to the Word, calling us back to his heart, his calling, his purpose and design.
Listen.
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Significance of Feasts
Good morning my friends,
Everyone loves a good party! Well, maybe not everyone. Ok, so let’s say everyone loves a holiday. We all like getting a day off from work when we can do what we want to do (unless you are a parent of 9 children). Yet, the holidays we have often have a greater purpose to them than just allowing us a time to do what we want. The purpose of a holiday is often to remember something. Unfortunately most of our holidays have lost any significance to us.
God had given
We have two very important dates in our Christian calendar that we mark along with the rest of our society. For our society these are feast that have lost any significance and are simply a time off from work. For some Christians it is much the same. Yet, we need to recognize the importance of reflecting on these moments. Easter is approaching. This is the most significant moment in our history. This is the day the Son of God stepped into our place and took upon himself the penalty that was intended for us. He did this at the direction of the Father. It is a moment when we remember his death. It is a bitter and then sweet celebration as we come together on Sunday to celebrate the victory he won for us by breaking the grip of death.
I think we have it all backwards as we turn Christmas into something of greater worth than Easter. Most people take a week or two of holidays at Christmas and put a lot of money and emphasis into it. Christmas is significant but its celebration would be lost without Easter. We need to recapture our sense of awe and anticipation as Jesus draws nearer his time of suffering. We need to recapture our appreciation and adoration of what the Son of God did for us. It is great to celebrate Easter Sunday but we also need to approach Good Friday with a great deal of respect and humble worship. I believe that this is the day we need to put more effort into rebuilding awe and enter into it with a sense of it being the most holy day in existence. It should be a day of great respect.
Some would argue against what they see as a religious spirit but I argue against them. There is nothing religious about having days that cause us to stop, reflect and remember what Jesus has done for us. Yes, we celebrate this all year long but we need to take these opportunities given to us to teach the significance and respect due to our God to our children. As we remember we need to teach. I am afraid that in our desire to throw off some of the trappings of the traditional church we are also throwing out the significant and the holy.
Where will you be on Good Friday? Where will your children be? Will you demonstrate the significance of this day to them? Will they grow up remembering? Youth, where will you be? What will you be planning to do on Good Friday? Will you remember the significance of this day? Will you remove your “sandals” on this most holy day and call him Saviour?
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