Our Part Of Divine Happiness - C S Lewis

 

                                                   Our Part of Divine Happiness

Thoughts from C S  Lewis From The Promise of Glory

"In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us, either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised...

It is written that we shall 'stand before Him,' shall appear, shall be inspected.

The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and possible only by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God...

To please God -- to be an ingredient in DIvine Happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but be delighted in as an artist delights in his work, or a father in his son. It seems impossible, but so it is..."

Astonishing truth! We can please God...we can contribute to His Divine Happiness!

The Hooker With Hope - From Brennan Manning

Mary Magdalene stands as a witness par excellence to the ragamuffin gospel.

On Good Friday she watched as the man she loved got blown away in the most brutal and dehumanizing fashion. The focus of her attention, however, was not on suffering, but the suffering Christ "who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

Never allow these words to be interpreted as allegory in the life of Magdalene.




The love of Jesus was a burning and divine reality to her: she would have been buried in history as some unknown hooker save for the Christ encounter.

She had no understanding of God, church, religion prayer, or ministry, except in terms of the Sacred Man who loved her and delivered Himself up for her.

The unique place that Magdalene occupies in the history  of discipleship owes not to her mysterious love for Jesus but to the miraculous transformation that His love wrought in her life.

She simply let herself be loved. The central truth for which Mary's life has come to stand is that is possible to be delivered through love from the lowest depths to the shining heights where God dwells.

   -- From The Ragamuffin Gospel, 
             by Brennan Manning, Chapter 11.

The Thing with Feathers -Emily Dickinson and R C Sproul

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all.

And sweetest in the gale is heard,

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

  -- By Emily Dickinson

One of my best remembered poems from high school literature class.

Hope perches in the soul - not flies over, migrating to search for another home - it can always sing (hum?) the tune, even when the words are forgotten - and never stops at all.....

From R C Sproul:

Though he slay me, I will hope in him (Job 13:15).

Scripture says the just shall live by faith, which doesn't mean believing something when you're not sure if it's true.

It means that the just shall live by trusting God.

Paul distills the essence of the Christian life when he says, "Rejoice in your hope" (Romans 5:2), since our joy is vested in the future that God promises for His people.

Our joy as strangers and sojourners in this valley of tears is that God has prepared a place for us -- a better world that will be consummated at Christ's return.

Paul's use of the word hope isn't the way we use the term today to refer to things that are uncertain.

He and the other biblical authors talk about hope that is certain, hope that cannot fail, and hope that will not disappoint or embarrass us.

The New Testament calls hope the anchor of the soul.

Why? What is it that makes it certain?

The answer is God's sure promises and the demonstration of His faithfulness in the history of Israel, in the lives of the Apostles, and most clearly, in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. Romans 5:5

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

Hebrews 6:17-19



God's Shining Face

The LORD said to Moses, tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites: say to them:

'"The LORD bless you and keep you;

 the LORD make His face to shine upon you

and be gracious to you.

The LORD turn His face toward you

and give you peace.'"

Numbers 6:22-26

Ancient words. 

Familiar words.

This morning's prayer: LORD, let me read these words as if for the first time.

A shining face is the opposite of an angry, glaring face.

Someone might look at me with disgust or hatred.

Or indifference.

A shining face shows favor, friendliness, and eagerness to speak and share intimate fellowship.

A shining face is a welcoming face.

A shining face displays joy in closeness.

God's shining face shows His love and grace toward us, His creatures.

I might say to someone, 'God bless you!'

I mean 'God bless you in your activity. Make your day successful.'

But this Aaronic blessing is so much more.

God wants His people to have a close, joyous, gracious personal relationship with Himself.

It's His shining face He wants us turn to us.

Is that the greatest miracle of all?

We can stand up straight and tall in His Presence,

feeling the warmth of His Love-Light shining upon us, as we bask in His closeness.

I love these ancient words. I'm afraid I had forgotten their centrality to our faith.

Remember the old hymn, Lead On, O King Eternal?

Lead on, O King Eternal, we follow,

 not with fears;

For gladness breaks like morning,

where'er Your Face appears....

God's shining Face is a golden theme in scripture, appearing dozens of times, reminding us we can enter His Presence with boldness, because He has turned His shining Face on us.

Is this the greatest miracle of all?

Maybe we shall greet each other with these words every day.....

The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His Face to shine upon you

and be gracious to you.

The LORD turn His Face toward you

and give you peace.

My peace I give you, said the Lord Jesus.

Jesus' Best Day - Philip Yancey

                                            

                                           Jesus' Best Day

     When Jesus returned after death to vaporize all doubts among the remnant of believers, he tarried a mere forty days before vanishing for good. The time between Resurrection and Ascension was an interlude, nothing more.

     If Easter Sunday was the most exciting day of the disciples' lives, for Jesus it was probably the day of Ascension.  He, the Creator, who had descended so far and given up so much, was now heading home.

    Like a soldier returning across the ocean from a long and bloody war. Like an astronaut shedding his spacesuit to gulp the familiar atmosphere of earth. Home at last.

     Jesus' prayer at the Last Supper with his disciples reveals something of this point of view. "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do," Jesus prayed. "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

     Before the world began! Like an old man reminiscing--no, like the ageless God reminiscing--Jesus, who sat in a stuffy room in Jerusalem, was letting his mind wonder back to a time before the Milky Way and Andromeda.

     On an earthly night dark with fear and menace, Jesus was making preparation to return home, to assume again the glory he had set aside.

     ---From The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey

Living NOW in the Light of Heaven - Randy Alcorn

Thinking About Heaven....

This beautiful selection--great for kids of all ages--comes from Randy Alcorn's Heaven for Kids:

I hope you'll think about it [Heaven] every day. Remember, the Bible says to "set your hearts" and to "set your minds on things above" (Colossians 3:1-2 NIV).

If we think of what God tells us about Heaven we won't fall for Satan's lies about it.

Listen to what Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, said about how we should live because we know we're going to Heaven

What holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along....We are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.

And remember, the Lord's patience gives people time to be saved (2 Peter 3:11-15).

If we understand what "the new heavens and new earth" really means, we will certainly look forward to it. (And if we're not looking forward to it, that must mean we don't understand it.)

But notice Peter's emphasis on "what holy and godly lives" we should be living! He says that while we wait for our eternal future with God, we should "make every effort" to live a "pure and blameless" life.

Now is our opportunity to live for Jesus in a world where most people don't believe in Him. By obeying God's Word and not giving in to pressure to do wrong things, we please Jesus and prepare ourselves to live forever in heaven with Him.

These are truly words of wisdom, important for everyone, every day, everywhere in this world. Think of it, once we leave this life, we will never have another opportunity to offer this gift to God -- our obedience to "live for Jesus" in an ungodly culture!

What do we inherit? - Charles Spurgeon

The boundless realms of His Father's universe belong by right to Christ.

As "heir of all things," He is the sole proprietor of the vast creation of God, and He has admitted us to claim it all as ours, by making us His fellow heirs.

The golden streets of paradise, the pearly gates, the river of life, the transcendent bliss, and the unutterable glory are all, by our blessed Lord, made ours for an everlasting possession.

All that He has, He shares with His people. The royal crown He has placed on the head of His Church, granting her a kingdom, and calling her sons a royal priesthood, a generation of priests and kings.

He uncrowned Himself that we might have a coronation of glory; He would not sit upon His own throne until He had procured a place upon it for all who overcome by His blood.

Crown the Head, and the whole body shares the honor.

Here then is the reward of every Christian conqueror!  Christ's throne, crown, scepter, palace, treasure, robes, heritage are yours.

He deems His happiness completed by His people sharing it.

The glory that You have given me

I have given to them.

John 17:22

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.John 15:11

The smiles of His Father are all the sweeter to Him because His people share them.

The honors of His kingdom are more pleasing because His people appear with Him in glory.

More valuable to Him are His conquests since they have taught His people to overcome.

He delights in his throne because on it there is a place for them.

He rejoices in His royal robes since they cover His people.

He delights all the more in His joy because He calls them to enter into it.

                    -- Charles H Spurgeon

The eyes have it

It was an old hymn on my mind when I awakened this morning -- Open My Eyes That I May See. I remember singing it as a child in church. Curious about the author, it turns out to be a woman named Clara Scott, who wrote a number of hymns but this is the one that has had lasting popularity. She is also known as the first woman, and maybe only woman, to publish an anthology of hymns, around 1895, about the same time this hymn was written.

Remember Madame Guyon and her second way of approaching prayer -- Beholding the Lord or Waiting in His Presence ? -- I said that I hadn't been able to proceed with that pattern because I had so much trouble sitting quietly? Well, maybe the Lord gave me this hymn this morning to help, encourage, and challenge me.

Open my eyes that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee
Ready my God Thy will to see
Open my eyes, illumine me
Spirit Divine!

What first comes to mind, for me, is, of course, an historical event: when the archaeologist (Egyptologist), Howard Carter, discovered King Tut's ancient tomb, with its incredibly wealthy collection of gold artifacts. When he at least found the narrow stairway leading down to the burial chamber, he called over to the man who was sponsoring the expedition, Lord Carnarvon, to come down so he could be present when the chamber door was actually opened. The workmen began to push back the final debris to reveal the opening. Lord Carnarvon asked urgently, "Do you see anything" and Carter answered triumphantly, "Yes, wonderful things!"


I remember that sometimes when I read the Scripture -- YES, wonderful things are here!

Clara was probably thinking, not about King Tut, since that discovery was not until 1922 and she died in 1897, but Psalm 119:18. "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."

This verse is in the 3rd stanza of Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible, and the longest chapter, with 176 verses. All are about God's Word and how it enables us to live victorious lives and bring honor and joy to God.

The ancient poet who wrote this Psalm uses various words in this stanza to describe God's Word: "law," "commands," "laws," "statutes," "decrees,"
"word," and finally "counselors." What a comforting thought: "Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors."

A counselor, when they us well, can direct us and advise us.
Our Counselor knows us thoroughly, inside and out. He knows what we need and is eager to give us good gifts, far more than Howard Carter was able to bring out of King Tut's tomb.

Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem, with the verses of each stanza begining with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet (22 letters). Each verse of this 3rd stanza begins with Gimel, the 3rd letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

King Tut's tomb contained the most lavish and beautiful artifacts ever found. They are, at various times, paraded to musuems all over the world for public admiration and astonishment.

But none of them compares to what we find in God's Word.

The word "open" used here is the same word that appears in the account of Balaam when the Lord opened his eyes to see the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn (Numbers 22:31).

It is not talking about physically opening the eyes. It refers to removing a veil, or covering. A miraculous revealing of something God wants us to see. Like when Jesus walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. "Their eyes were opened and they recognized Him" (Luke 24).

It doesn't mean the Word itself is veiled or unclear. It means our eyes of understanding are clouded with our earthly experiences and preconceived notions.
Our eyes are not focused on the revelation before us. We are distracted and we are truly suffering from 'attention deficiency.'

It takes the Holy Spirit's power to settle us down, focus our eyes and minds, and lead us to dig, really dig deep, like Howard Carter did at that ancient burial site, to uncover the wealth of joyful truths God has for us in His Word.

Open my ears that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear
And while the wavenotes fall on my ear
Everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for Thee
Ready, my God, Thou will to see
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit Divine!

And, finally,

Open my mouth and let me bear
Gladly the warm truth everywhere
Open my heart, and let me prepare
Love for Thy children everywhere.....

Outside and Hungry - St. Augustine

Too late have I loved You, O Beauty, ancient yet ever new.

Too late have I loved You!

And behold, You were within, but I was outside, searching for You there -- plunging, deformed amid those fair forms which You had made.

You were with me, but I was not with You.

You called and shouted, and burst my deafness.

You gleamed and shone upon me, and chased away my blindness.

You breathed fragrant odors on me, and I held back my breath, but now I pant for You.

I tasted and now I hunger and thirst for You.

You touched me, and now I yearn for Your peace.

  -- From The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book X,
     Chapter 27

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness,

for they shall be filled.

(Matthew 5:6)

A Morning Prayer

                                            

                                             

A Prayer for This Morning....

Almighty and all-loving Father, my God, the only One worthy of worship --

I do worship and adore You. What I want to say is "Thank You", my Abba Father, for all You've given me.

Your hand is always reaching out to give me more and my life is overflowing with Your goodness.

Thank You for filling the emptiness of my life with Your presence, which brings me pleasure and joy each moment; for Your mighty hand that protects me; for the forgiveness You eagerly offer me each day.

You took my sin and shame and guilt and hurled them into Your sea of forgetfulness.

You took away my darkness and gave me Your light.

I sing Your praises today and join that multitude that will sing praise to You forever....singing that song that will never end.

Amen and Amen forever and ever!

Jewels

Yes, He'll Come Back for Us!

The last few mornings the song that has awakened me is an old one -- one I haven't heard in years -- When He Cometh.

I looked for it in our church hymnal, but it was not included in that collection. But I did find it in another hymnal, and so re-read all the words:

When He cometh, when He cometh
To make up His jewels, all His jewels,
Precious jewels, His loved and His own.

CHORUS: Like the stars of the morning
His bright crown adorning
They shall shine in their beauty
Bright gems for His crown.

He will gather, He will gather
The gems for His kingdom
All the pure ones, all the bright ones
His loved and His own.

Little children, little children
Who love their Redeemer
Are the jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.

God was so good to remind me of those words from my childhood. We ARE His jewels - His precious jewels. His loved and His own....Probably the writer of these words was thinking about Malachi 3:16-17:

Then they that feared the LORD spoke often to one another; and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD and thought upon His name.

And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serverth him

Here is how the Amplified Bible states it:

And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly
recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My
peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

Remember the parable of the man who found the treasure in the field? How he hid it and then returned to buy the whole field? Usually we think of the field as being the world and we are looking in the field and come across the treasure. We give up all we have to buy the field and possess that treasure!

But wonder if the field is the world, but the One looking in the field is God Himself, searching for His treasure. And when He finds it He gives up all His has to possess that treasure -- which is us! And the everything He had to give up was His beloved Son --

It works that way, too!

I looked at the early morning sky today. We don't have as many early morning stars here as we do in the evenings. But in the beginning glow of the pre-dawn sunrise, that one star that was shining was very bright!


Venus is our "morning star" here on earth. In the heavenly kingdom, Jesus Himself is the Bright and Morning Star!

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and Morning Star. Revelation 22:16

I wonder about that book of remembrance mentioned in Malachi. Is that the "scroll written on both sides" mentioned in Revelation 5? The scroll no one could open and poor John wept, overcome with grief that no one could be found worthy to open the scroll.....and...

Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. Revelation 5:5

What we lose when we lose words

Here's a practical word we don't use anymore: fetch.

It means "to go and get and bring back" - that's what we mean when we ask our dog if she wants to play "Fetch."

We want her to chase the stick (or ball) and bring it back so she can chase it again!

It took us a while to get our dog to understand.

We would throw the ball and she would chase it, grab it, and then run the other direction. So we would have to chase her and retrieve the ball so we could throw it for her again.

We kept explaining the "rules" of fetch.

She seemed reluctant to play our way. And then we realized she probably just didn't want to play "fetch." She wanted to play "chase" -- as in "please chase me."

I remember mother asking me to "fetch" her an item from her sewing box or her Bible from the dining room table.

"Fetch" is a good word. There is no one-word synonym for it in the English language. We have to use a whole sentence to express the same thought - like go and get and bring to me.

What a waste! All those words to express what one word would express!

I don't know when fetch began disappearing from our language, but it is a great loss.

Another loss is the word "succour." It literally means "to run to the cry of a child," and was used to refer to "bringing help when it is needed."

The word is not used much any more, but I can remember reading it in the King James Bible -

     For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He
       is able to succour them that are tempted.  (Hebrews 2:18)
   
What a comforting thought! What relief it brings!

Because He suffered with temptation, we can count on Him to come to our aid - we, His children, cry
to Him and He helps us!

A child cannot help himself and so cries for assistance - for help in time of trouble.

That's what God wants us to do - cry out to Him!
Like David did throughout the Psalms!

My NIV translation of Hebrews 2:18 says this:

       Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted,
       He is able to help those who are being tempted.

And The Message paraphrases it this way:

        He would have already experienced it all Himself --
        all the pain, all the testing -- and would be able to
        help where help was needed.

You know, somehow, in all these new ways of expressing God's Word, and trying to help us 21st century Christians understand the ancient thoughts,
I miss the idea of "succour" - God's children - us -
crying out for His help and He comes running.

I love that thought - He is our Father and stands
ready to help us as we cry to Him -



Another thing I miss - do we often remember that Christ also "suffered" in resisting temptation? that
He experienced, not just the temptation, but also
the "suffering" and "pain" in dealing with it.



Don't we sometimes  foolishly reckon (another old word) that it was easy for Him? At least, a lot easier than it is for us?

I think it was harder, because He yearned to please His Father more ..... and the stakes were so much higher.....

Building Character

Watch your thoughts -- they become your words.

Watch your words--they become your actions.

Watch your actions--they become your habits.

Watch your habits--they become your character.

Watch your character--it becomes who you really are.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.
He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

1 John 3:7

...we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded. 1 John 3:22-23

His love endures forever

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

His love endures forever....

His goodness endures forever...

His mercy endures forever...

His righteousness endures forever...
His dominion endures forever...

One of the golden threads that spin throughout God's Word -- He and all that He is endures forever!

It occurs dozens of times in Scripture, a continual reminder of who He is -

And linked inseparably with our giving thanks.

When we give Him thanks, we are affirming that He is good!

Say it loudly! Say it often - in every circumstance.

Giving thanks to God the Father in and for all things, Paul tells us in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:20).

And what does the Old Testament tell us?

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him and praise His Name.

For the LORD is good,

and His love endures forever.

Psalm 100:4-5

One  Book - one story - one theme - His love endures forever.....for which we are forever thankful!

God's reign is eternal. His dominion will last forever.

 But Satan's rule is temporary. The script has been written. The play has begun. We are awaiting the final act....The kingdom of the Evil One will be destroyed forever....and for that we are also forever thankful!

The Kind of Prayer God Answers

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their
voices together in prayer to God.

"Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the  earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His anointed One.

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:23-30

It seems to us that sometimes God answers prayer and sometimes He doesn't. In this prayer it is clearly demonstrated that He did answer.


What is the kind of prayer God answers?

1. A prayer that is actually prayed

Verse 24: "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God."
Pay attention to what is happening. Bro Mike reminded us of our participation in the National Day of Prayer last May. 

We laid aside our petitions, our promotions, our own comments and agendas and predetermined answers to important questions.... and our thoughts about what kind of government we need or want.

We just prayed. Together.

2. A Prayer that recognizes God for who He is.

Verse 24: Sovereign Lord, you made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them....

They were acknowledging God's authority over everything.

3. A Prayer that is guided by God's Word

v. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit....

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

God's word sparks our prayer. It prompts, informs and inspires us.

4. A Prayer that Recognizes God's sovereignty.

Verses 27-28 ....They [Herod and Pontius Pilate] did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

God was in control -- in every detail.

5. A Prayer that seeks God's help to do God's Work.

Bro Mike talked about taking a 30-day inventory of our prayer life and see how much of our prayers center on us and our own needs and requests. Things to make our lives easier.

Verse 29: Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

Remember what we signed up for. We are on assignment. We need to be in the right place at the right time to accomplish our assignments .

Bro Mike talked about going to Israel and seeing all the young men and women in uniform and carrying guns. They were on assignment. Bro Mike and his group were tourists - not in uniform and not carrying weapons.

Conclusion: Bro Mike referred again to how much our our prayers gravitate to our own stuff.

God is really interested in our prayer life. He is the Creator, the one at the beginning and the one at the end. We are in the middle -- along for the ride, at His invitation. We need to "buckle up."

This was a really great message for all of us. Bro Mike said he was himself challenged during his preparation to expand his prayer life to emphasize God's will and His word - not centering on His blessings to benefit himself.

I think just about all of us there were also challenged in the same way.

What we Believe -- about the Holy Spirit

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God.

He inspired holy men of old to write the scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth.

He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment.

He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration.

He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.

He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption.
His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.

He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Gen 1:2; Judg 14:6; Job 26:13,;Psalm 1:11, 139:7ff; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matt 1:18, 3:16, 4:1, 12:28-30 28:19,;Mark 1:10, 12; Luke 1:35, 4:1, 18-19;.....
.
                                                                                       --From Baptist Faith and Message, 1963

I keep re-reading that sentence: His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.

The assurance....into the full stature....so that means it is really going to happen!

We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 1 John 4:13

There is a Redeemer

Jesus, God's own Son

Holy Lamb of God, Messiah,

Holy One!

Thank you, O my Father,

For giving us Your Son

And leaving Your Spirit 'til
The work on earth is done!

Do we lack faith? Or imagination? Dean Koontz

Surprising words from Dean Koontz:

Creation in all its ravishing beauty, with its infinite baroque embellishments and subtle charms, with all the wonders that it offers from both the Maker and the made, with all its velvet mystery and with all the joy we receive from those we love here, so enchants us that we lack the imagination, less than the faith, to envision an even more dazzling world beyond, and therefore even if we believe, we cling tenaciously to this existence, to sweet familiarity, fearful that all conceivable paradises will prove wanting by comparison.

                 From One Door Away From Heaven

They're All Around Us

We went with a friend today to TDECU to help her with some estate planning. A delightful woman named Leah assisted us. She led us over some hurdles in dealing with one of our friend's investment companies and we were so happy with the advice she gave.

Our friend stepped out to take a "cigarette" break and I asked Leah if she had ever smoked. She replied "Yes, indeed, I used to smoke, probably more than anyone you have ever met. And I drank vodka, large mugs, several times a day."

She elaborated. When she smoked she couldn't even take a shower without stopping in the middle for a cigarette break! (Yes, that is probably more than anyone else we know!). And she just couldn't stop drinking. What changed? Was it hard to stop?

Her answer, "Jesus!"

Here is her story: When she had been married about 6 years, and had 3 small children, she found out her husband was a cocaine addict and they lost everything they owned. She took the kids and left, without a place to stay, and she suddenly became a mother living on the streets. For a week she and the kids lived in her car. Each morning she took them to Bucc-ees to wash up for school and she for work. No one at work knew what was going on. At that time she was working at TDECU at one of the "answering call" desks.

She was desperate and didn't know where to turn. How long could she keep the kids with her if they were staying in the car? She was frantic.

One day a retired minister called in with questions about his account. She helped him, and at the end of the call he graciously thanked her for her help and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Without thinking, she blurted out, "Yes, PRAY for me!" Then she told him the story...He asked her a question which surprised her. The question was "Have you ever asked Jesus Christ to take over your life? Have you put your trust in Him?"

No one had ever asked her that question.
He led her to accept the message of Christ's salvation there on the phone. She says, "Right there. In the middle of the room, with 40 people around me, I accepted Christ!"

He helped her take care of her immediate physical needs for herself and her children. Since then, she has moved back home with her mother. Her children are now 6, 7, and 13. They are doing well, and they love their grandmother. Leah studies the Bible daily. Her sister has become a Christian and her mother is now attending church. She is still in contact with that pastor, who lives in Angleton.

The chains of smoking and drinking? She says, "I didn't even realize I had quit. One day it just occurred to me that I hadn't had a cigarette or a drink in several weeks! I have not missed either one. I have never looked back."

Leah has a sparkling smile and eagerness to share the message of Christ. We prayed with her -- yes, right there, in her office at TDECU, where, after several promotions, she now handles investment questions.

What a blessing it was to talk with her -- to hear her testimony -- to see the photos of her with her children and her mother at happy events -- and we thanked God for changing her life.

She is now so wealthy! She has everything!

I just have one question....Why hadn't anyone ever asked her before about turning her life over to God? People like Leah are all around us.....

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. These then are the things you should teach, encourage and rebuke with all authority. Titus 2:12-15

The Measure of It All

My mouth is filled with your praise,

declaring Your splendor all day long.

My mouth will tell of Your righteousness,

of Your salvation all day long,

though I know not its measure.

Psalm 71: 8, 15

I treasure these words. Did David write them?

All day long we can sing His praises - for His splendor, His righteousness and His salvation....

even though we know not its measure.

To measure means to determine the extent, dimensions, or capacity of something.

I wonder: will we ever know the measure of God's righteousness and salvation?

In the Bible there are examples of people seeing, sometimes in vision, glimpses of God's glory, or splendor.

(Splendor is a great word - comes from the Latin word meaning shining brilliance, magnificence, richness, and glory - conveys a sort of ethereal luminesce.)

Isaiah records:

     ....I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted,

     and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him

     were seraphs.. and they were calling to one another,

     'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty. The whole

     earth is filled with His glory.' At the sound of their

     voices the doorposts shook and the temple was filled with

     smoke.

Ezekiel describes:

    ...an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded

     with brilliant light...spread out above the heads of the

     living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling

     like ice and awesome....above the expanse over their heads

     was what looked like a throne of sapphire and high above on

     the throne was a figure like that of a man...and brilliant light

     surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds

     in a rainy day, so was the radiance around him.

    This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the    

       LORD. When I saw it I fell face down. (Chapter 2)

Moses relates:

     Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders

     of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel, Under His feet

     was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as  

     the sky itself. (Exodus 24)

John tells us:

     At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne

     in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat

     there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow

     encircled the throne, resembling an emerald....(Revelation 4)

Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel and John saw glimpses of the

radiance of God - His vast splendor.

But they did not see its measure.

I find these biblical images hard to envision. I try.

But I don't have the same gasp of wonder and awe

that they did. I am not seeing it with the glorified

eyes that God gave them to see His radiance.

But I do know of something I can sort of imagine

about the glory of God - John saw it, too.

It is a wooden cross on a hill called Calvary.

When I see that vision in my mind, I, too, like Moses,

Isaiah and Ezekiel, fall down on my face in awe and wonder.

And, in spite of all they did see of God's splendor, they didn't see that picture of God's righteousness and salvation.

I see the cross, wear a cross, ponder the meaning of

the cross daily, and yet I still know not its measure.

Will I ever? Even in heaven?

Paul prayed:

     I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may

     have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how

     wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

     and to know this love that surpass knowledge -- that

     you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of

     God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)

And to the Romans he wrote:

    For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither

     angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,

     nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else

     in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of

     God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

We can still praise Him all day every day for His splendor, righteousness and salvation --  even

though we know not its measure.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus, come in Your glory!