How God Wants Us To Dress

                                

                                

                                How God Wants Us To Dress!

How God wants us to live -- From Colossians 3 --

"Now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language...do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator....

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Bear with one another and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.

"Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

So it's about, first, what we need to take off, and then what we need to put on. (We can't wear two outfits at once!)  So let's change wardrobes today - take off our old clothes and put on the new wardrobe God has given us!

The Jesus Story - Is it really true?

The Jesus Story - Is it really true?

If we want to investigate Jesus's life, to discern whether Jesus really did live and die and rise again, to know if the Easter story contains even "a grain of history" or perhaps even the key to history, we need to go to the Gospels, the historical documents that tell Jesus's story.

These Gospels are named after their authors: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

....Two hundred years ago, some scholars began to propose that the Gospels were oral traditions and embellished with many legendary elements over the generations, and were not written down until more than one hundred years after the events of Jesus's life.

These claims have convinced many people over the years that we cannot know who Jesus really was.

There is now a countermovement going on, however.

One hundred fifty years ago it was confidently asserted that no Gospel existed before the third decade of the second century A.D.

But over the past century the evidence has become overwhelming that the Gospels were written much earlier, within the lifetime of many of the eyewitnesses to Jesus's life and death.

This has led to "faith reversals," as in the well-publicized cases of Anne Rice and A. N. Wilson.

Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses
makes, I think, the most conclusive argument that the Gospels are not long-evolving oral traditions, but rather oral histories, written down from the accounts of the eyewitnesses themselves who were still alive and active in the community.

Bauckham cites extensive evidence that for decades after Jesus's death and resurrection the people who were healed by Jesus, like the paralytic who was lowered through the roof; the person who carried the cross for Jesus, Simon of Cyrene; the women who watched Jesus being placed in the tomb, like Mary Magdalene; and the disciples who had followed Jesus for three years, like Peter and John -- all of the participants in the life of Jesus continually and publicly repeated these incidents in great detail.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote down these accounts and so we have the Gospels.

Bauckham also observes that the Gospels are too counterproductive in their content to be legends.

For example, it is astonishing that in the very foundational documents of the Christian church we would have a record that one of the greatest leaders of the church, Peter, was an enormous failure who even cursed Jesus in public.

The only reliable source for the account of Peter's denial and betrayal of Jesus would be Peter himself.

No one else could have known the details we are given.

And no one in the early church would have dared to highlight the weaknesses of its most revered and significant leader with such candor -- unless that very weakness was an important part of the story.

And unless, of course, the accounts were true.

--From King's Cross, by Timothy Keller, in Before.

The Group I Want to be With!

From Psalm 32: (AMP)

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but those who trust in and rely on the LORD shall be surrounded with compassion and loving kindness...Be glad in the LORD you righteous -[Those who actively seek right standing with Him]..shout for joy, all you upright in heart!... 

It's a no-brainer...that's the group I want to be with...those who actively seek right standing with Him!

actively seek...not just talk about....

As He Came Down

                           

                                  As He Came Down

Reading Philippians 2:6-11 this morning and praising God that He loved us so much that He came down in Person to save us. Didn't send an angel - He came Himself!

Scholars tell us that this passage was actually a hymn sung in the early churches, or, if not sung, then chanted together. I like to think of it as a song and wish some musician today would put a melody to it and allow us to sing it, too!  "Way too cool!" as one of my friends says.

Here are the first lines of the passage:

     Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus....Who being in the very       nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to
     be used to His own advantage, rather made Himself nothing by       taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human                 likeness.....

(Paul wrote this, and he wasn't with Jesus on that last night, when
He washed the feet of His disciples - certainly the epitome of 
'servanthood' - but I am certain he had heard about it!)

It brings to my mind an old poem written 400 years ago by George
Herbert:
     

    The God of power, as He did ride in His majestic glory,

     resolved to come to us, and so one day  

     He  did descend, undressing all the way!

     
What a picture! What love!

V E R Y Interesting - Pharaoh Necho - Not Fast Food!

Pharaoh Necho was Egypt's leader about the time of Judah's King Josiah ---in fact, Josiah was killed in battle with Necho, which in itself is a fascinating story- See 2 Kings 22-23 (609 BC).

Anyway, from non-biblical ancient sources we learn that Pharaoh Necho (Neco) commissioned a crew of Phoenician sailors to circumnavigate Africa--from east to west--from Egypt, south and around what was later named the Cape of Good Hope, then north up around Africa and through the Pillars of Hercules (which we now call Gibraltar) and back to Egypt, reporting to Necho at the mouth of the Nile.

The trip took 3 years...that's right, 3 years!

Here's the deal about that--the ships were small, each carrying about 50 sailors. We don't know how many ships. But we do know they were row galleys. There was limited space for fresh water and food.

"Since sea-going row galleys, with little storage space, had to keep a crew of at least 50 officers and oarsmen live and healthy, this Egyptian fleet had to stop ashore when autumn came, to plant, grow and reap a crop of grain. That was their only means of solving the logistics problem."

Imagine that! They had to stop regularly for food and water, and when food was scarce, they had to stop long enough to plant and reap a crop! Determination and perseverance...do we posses these qualities these days?


I found that great information while reading Samuel Eliot Morison's The Northern Voyages.

In those days, like in the days of Christ, people often nibbled on the grain itself. When Christ and His disciples wandered through a grain field (Matthew 12) eating the grains, it upset the Pharisees. Because they would rub the grain to remove the chaff, and that was considered preparing a meal, which they were not to do on the Sabbath!

Taking the grain was not the issue - God had told His people to leave grain in the field for the poor and strangers who needed food - so they were not stealing - they were working on the Sabbath! That was the issue.

I've always been curious--dining on kernels of grain doesn't sound that great. Sounds to me sort of like eating popcorn kernels before they are popped! I guess we are all just spoiled. I prefer my grain ground and made into bread and cakes and cookies!

Sally Lloyd-Jones - A happy/sad celebration/revival

One of my favorite books is a children's Bible story book by Sally Lloyd-Jones titled The Jesus Story Book Bible -- Every Story Whispers His Name.

I read it myself often and share it in Bible study classes.

This is how she paraphrases Nehemiah 8-10; Malachi 1, 3 and 4; and Ezra 7:

Have you ever been to a party that lasted a whole week? How about a sermon that went on all day?

Well, that's what happened to God's people after they came home from being slaves. They had forgotten how God wanted them to live, or who they were supposed to be. So Ezra and Nehemiah read them the rules God had given Moses.

But something odd happened: the more the sermon went on, the sadder they got. Why? Was the sermon that boring? No, not really. It was strange, you see. As Ezra read the book of rules, it worked like a mirror. It showed them what they were like, and they didn't like what they saw. They saw that they had not been living the way they should. They saw that they were cruel and selfish.

"We've blown it," they cried. "Now God will punish us!"


They thought they knew what God was going to do. But they didn't. Of course, they might have picked up a clue from Ezra's name, which means, "Help is here!" And an even stronger one from Nehemiah's name because his name means "God wipes away our tears."

And that, as you'll see, is just exactly what God was getting ready to do.

Ezra looked at God's children. Great, hot tears were welling up in their eyes, and streaming down their cheeks. He stopped his sermon--mid-sentence--and shut the book. "We're having a party!" he shouted.


And so that's just what they did! All week long.

"God wants us to be happy!" Ezra said.

All day they listened to stories about the wonderful things God had done for His people. How He made the world. How He gave a special promise to Abraham. How He rescued them from slavery. How He spoke to Moses and showed them how to live. How He brought them to a special land, how He rescued them -- no matter what -- time after time, over and over again -- because of His Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always Forever Love.

They remembered how God had always, all through the years, been loving His children -- keeping His promise to Abraham, taking care of them, forgiving them. Even when they disobeyed. Even when they ran away from Him. Even when they thought they didn't need Him.

Then God told His children something more...

I can't stop loving you.
You are My heart's treasure.
But I lost you. Now I am coming back for you.

I am like the sun that gently shines on you, chasing away darkness and fear and death.
You'll be so happy--
You'll be like little calves running free in an open field.

I am going to send My Messenger -- the Promised One.
The One you have been waiting for.
The Rescuer.

He is coming! So, get ready!

It had taken centuries for God's people to be ready, but now the time had almost come for the best part of God's Plan.

God Himself was going to come. Not to punish His people -- but to rescue them.

God was getting ready to wipe away every tear from every eye. And the true party was just about to begin....

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!

Who Wants to be a Slug? - Thoughts from C S Lewis

 

Thoughts on the Incarnation from C S Lewis

"The Second Person in God, the Son, became human Himself: was born into the world as an actual man -- a real man of a particular height, with hair of a particular color, speaking a particular language.

The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who has created the whole universe, became not only a man, but (before that) a baby, and before that a fetus inside a woman's body.

If you want to get the hand  of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab."

Good News from Psalm 65:3

 

 Good News from Psalm 65:3

"When we were overwhelmed by sin, You forgave our transgressions."

And it's all due to His grace.

So how should we live?

How should we display and extend to others the grace He has extended to us?

"Lord, because Your grace is underserved, I should be humble;

Because it is costly I should be holy and loving;

Because it is unconditional I should be at peace;

And always through it all I should be supremely grateful every moment.

Amen."

Humble, holy, loving, at peace..and grateful,,."Lord, help me to to others just as You have been to me!''

Waiting for a Do-Over?

  

                                                    Waiting for a Do-Over?

What Isaiah tells us:

"This is what the LORD says -- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the seas.'"

--Isaiah 48:17-18

IF ONLY...Why didn't I?...How I wish I had paid attention...

No, we don't get do-overs. So I can't go back and change anything. I can't redo the past.

But God in His amazing grace allows us to begin anew today, to start fresh and new, with a clean slate and softly tender heart and conscience.

A successful Christian life is a series of 'starting over agains.'

Remember 1 John 1:9 -- 'If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'

Over and over again!

So we can always have a clean slate!

Actually, isn't that a lot better than having do-overs?

God's Math

When God wants to multiply, Satan wants to divide! 

When God wants to add, Satan wants to subtract!

When God wants whole people, Satan wants fractions!

We see it throughout the history of the early church.

In Acts 2:46-47 we read about the early believers: "They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (And we know on one day that was 3,000!)

God was multiplying their numbers -- adding every day!

But Satan brought division into the church to subtract from their ministry. Paul warns the Romans to be on the "watch for those who cause divisions and put obstacles" in their way.

And to those in Corinth, he urges "have no division," but be "perfectly united in mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10).

And in our personal lives, God wants to give us more of His blessings. Satan wants us to take less.

Peter tell us to "make every effort to add to your faith, goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control perseverance, and to perseverance godliness, and to godliness, mutual affection, and to mutual affection love" (2 Peter 1:5).

God always wants to give us more. He wants us to be more. Satan wants to diminish us.

When God multiplies, Satan divides.

Wouldn't you rather be in God's math class?

He Became Like Us!

   John 1:14 tells us that "the Word became flesh and lived among us." The God of the universe - of everything - left His glorious throne in heaven and moved into our neighborhood. Why? He wanted to be with us.

 There's an extraordinary story about a man injured in a horrific fire. While attempting to save his parents, his face was horribly burned and permanently, hideously disfigured. He kept his face covered and would not let anyone see him, including his wife. When she went to a plastic surgeon for help, he assured her that he could restore her husband's face. But she wasn't there to restore his face, she wanted her face disfigured so she could share his pain.

It's the way God feels about us - He took our face, our disfigurement, our sin. He became like us to show us how far He would go to be with the ones He loved. He would rather die than live without us. And so He did.

                                    * * * * * * * * * *

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected...we held Him in low esteem. Surely He took our pain and bore our suffering...He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities.

The punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed...He poured out His life unto death..."

   -- From Isaiah 53

P.S. He did that for US? Yes, He did that for us!

In ALL Things?

 

                                                 In ALL Things? Really?

Good to remember today -- that in ALL things God works for our good - Romans 8:28.

So the God of the universe, the sovereign Creator of everything, plans every circumstance to bring us good.

Even when we mess up, He rearranges things to work out for our good.

There are devastating wildfires ravaging vast areas of our country today. We will see ashes and cinders, destruction and heartbreak everywhere.

Even the harsh acrid smell permeates everything for miles!

But in due time the ground will bring forth new, fresh, vibrant vegetation and new life!

God wastes nothing and redeems everything!

We can sing joyfully with Sarah Groves, "I can't remember a trial or a pain He did not recycle to bring me gain...He's always been faithful to me."

********

Remember what Joseph told his brothers, forgiving them for all the wrong they did to him? "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:19).

Do I Really Have A Soul?

 

This is what C S Lewis says:

  "We do not have a soul; we are a soul, We have a body."

Genesis 2:7 --

"And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul."

From the Heidelberg Catechism, published in 1563 --

 "Question #1. What is your only comfort, in life and in death?

 Answer #1.  That I am not my own, but belong - body and soul, in life and in death - to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation."

Does it cost you anything? Love Hurts!- Timothy Keller

Think about it. If you love a person whose life is all put together and has no other needs, it costs you nothing. It's delightful.

There are probably four or five people like that where you live. You ought to find them and become their friend.

But if you ever try to love someone who has needs, someone who is in trouble or who is persecuted or emotionally wounded, it's going to cost you. You can't love them without taking a hit yourself. A transfer of some kind is required, so that somehow their troubles, their problems transfer to you.

There are a lot of wounded people out there. They are emotionally sinking, they're hurting, and they desperately need to be loved.

And when they are with you, you want to look at your watch and make a graceful exit, because listening to them with all their problems can be grueling.

It can be exhausting to be a friend to an emotionally damaged person. The only way they're going to start filling up emotionally is if somebody loves them, and the only way to love them is to let yourself be emotionally drained.
Some of your fullness is going to have to go into them, and you have to empty out, to some degree. If you hold on to your emotional comfort and simply avoid these people, they will sink. 

The only way to love them is through substitutionary sacrifice.....

All real, life-changing love is substitutionary sacrifice.....

    From King's Cross, by Timothy Keller, 
                                            Chapter 12, "The Ransom"

Do we need to hang our harps?

I am back in Psalms this morning. Thinking how grateful I am there are 150 of them! The first verses of Psalm 137 reminded me today that these words reflect so accurately our own current situation:

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps, for
there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
They said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?

They were exiles, refugees, in a foreign land. Yearning to go back home! To Jerusalem - to Zion!

I find myself, more and more, a stranger in a foreign land.

It isn't that the clash between biblical and anti-biblical worldviews is new to our generation. (Some people talk about our "non-biblical" culture. But I think it is worse than that. "Non-biblical" does not begin to describe it -- our culture is "anti-biblical!")

Christianity values human life -- from womb to tomb, as we used to say.

Modern culture does not.

It is almost like we are back in the Roman empire and struggling to survive.

The Romans, we are taught in school, are credited with strides in education, general prosperity, vigorous trade, the rule of law, and efficient government. But the dark side of their society reveals their rotten core: widespread slavery (30-40% of the population), brutality in controlling the provinces, reckless abortion and infanticide, gluttony, sexual perversions, violent entertainment.....

If a student were writing a paper on the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire, he could just say, "The Roman Empire fell because it wasn't worth saving!"

Is that where we are today? In that dark and cruel world controlled by Ancient Rome, a bright light appeared the night Jesus was born in that little manger in the backwater village of Bethlehem. And that light entered hearts and began to change people throughout the Empire. Just as it does today.

This is the challenge -- the mission -- we have. To be "Light" in this dark culture.

So I find myself not just "listening to a different drummer," but playing in a completely different band. And I notice in the Psalm, as the Jews were taunted (as we are by our own culture) and tormented by their captors, they hung up their harps.

(In Scripture, harps are always played on joyous occasions only - celebrations - wedding, births, etc. For sad occasions, like dirges,  other instruments are used!)

But they didn't throw their harps in the trash, or into the river, or destroy them. They hung them up, saving them for that later day when they would be back home and could sing a new song to their God.

I'm not ready to hang up my harp. Sometimes when I am out on various errands I feel a surge of joy and want to begin singing loudly God's praises. (I wait until I am back in the car.) As I wander down aisles of the grocery store praying, people think I am talking to myself. I tell them the truth: That it is a cold, lonely world we live in, and I am grateful I have a God who is with me. My Immanuel!

On Sundays I can escape--retreat--from the world and rejoice with others and enjoy His presence. It is safe to do this in the church.

And isn't that our purpose? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever

How to Make God Smile

How we make God smile....

The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,

In those who trust in His mercy. 

 Psalm 147:11

The LORD loves the righteous.

Psalm 146:8

How God makes us smile...

                                     Praise be to the LORD,

   For He has heard my cry for mercy.

  The LORD is my strength and shield;

My heart trusts in Him and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

And I will give thanks to Him in song.

Psalm 28:6-7

What makes us both smile....

The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

Are Presidential Pardons For Real?

 

Part 1.

What makes a Presidential Pardon so important?

A Presidential Pardon is irrevocable. It cannot, under any circumstance, be overturned. Even a unanimous vote of the Congress -- even a 9-0 decision of the Supreme Court cannot "undo" or void the pardon. And any federal crime can be pardoned.

There is only one condition -- the pardon has to be accepted.

The condemned criminal has a choice.

In 1829, George Wilson was sentenced to death by hanging for federal mail theft and endangering the life of a mail carrier.

The President was Andrew Jackson (1829-1837, our 7th President). He felt the sentence was too severe.

He issued a pardon. Wilson refused it.

Why,  we don't know. Maybe he just wanted to die. Maybe  he wanted to be remembered as a victim. For whatever reason, he refused it.

 President Jackson contacted the prison ad demanded that they cancel the hanging They refused. Said they had no authority to do that. Jackson reminded them that he was the President and had the right to free Wilson.

It went to the Supreme Court -- the hanging was delayed as they considered the case.

In 1833 The US Supreme Court pronounced that a pardon was an "act of grace" and cannot be forced on anyone. It required acceptance to be valid. Rejection voided it.

George Wilson was hanged.

Part 2.

Without a pardon the convicted criminal is responsible to and accountable to the law.

George Wilson had been tried by a jury and found guilty. The judge had issued the sentence. Without a pardon his fate was determined by the law. He was not under grace, he was under the judgment of the court. That's what determined his future.

Sound familiar? It should! It's our story We are guilty of sin against God Himself, the Creator and Judge of everything. Our future is eternal separation and alienation from Him. Jesus talked about it, describing the horrors that await the guilty. But Jesus has offered us a pardon - to believe on Him and receive eternal life with Him in unimaginable glory. We are under grace.

It's clear -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him" (John 3:16-17).

This is our pardon -- not by a questionable autopen, but by the precious blood of Christ.

He is offering the pardon to us -- but we have to accept it. If we have no pardon we are tried and convicted under the law -- perfect obedience to God's law is required!

Frankly, I would not stand a chance.

I choose a Savior! I choose Jesus!

What about you?

Fanny Crosby reminds us --

"The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives!"

That moment --

And the thief on the cross? "And Jesus said to him, 'Today you will be with Me in paradise!'"

Today!

Bundle of the Living

We were reading in 1 Samuel 25 - the beautiful story of David, Abigail and Nabal.

We came across this part of Abigail's message to David, honoring him:

...for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrong doing be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies He will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.   (1 Samuel 25:28-29)

I don't ever remember seeing  (or noticing)  the phrase "bundle of the living" before. What a beautiful thought! We are permanently bundled with God's people - under His protection. We are in His bundle of the living!


The New Living Translation says:

Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the LORD your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling!

The New King James Version also uses the phrase: bound in the bundle of the living!


When we picture a bundle we think of various items grouped together, securely contained, wrapped or sealed, with nothing slipping out -- sometimes I bundle clothes to take to the washing machine. All different types of clothing - all together ih one bundle - I like that picture! In God's family we are all bundled together, safely in His arms -- one package made up of different kinds of items.

A bunch is different - a bunch or bananas, or a bunch of grapes. Those items are grouped together so we can pull one out. A bundle is different - each part is securely safeguarded against slipping or falling. Nothing can slip out of a bundle!

Why Not Believe?

                                            Why Not Believe?

I'm reading Romans 1. Since I love history it is a great chapter to describe the history of the world in just 32 verses!

Particularly striking to me this reading is verse 25: "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie."

We always exchange things voluntarily -- we want something else more.

That's true for all the gifts we receive. 

Maybe we want a different size or color. But for whatever reason, we want something else more.

I have read several studies recently recounting various debates and discussions between Christians and atheists.

I notice an interesting theme --  When a Christian asks an atheist, "If Christianity was proven to you to be true - if Christ were to be proven to be who He said He was - would you become a Christian?"

A surprising number say "No." 

Think of it: if demonstrable proof could be found to prove beyond a doubt that Jesus Christ was and is the Son of God and Creator of the world - if His claims were proven to be true -  if He were to appear on the stage in front of them and show His scars, they would still not follow Him! (And that's hard for me to believe!)

There is a lot of logical evidence for our faith. It is not a 'Leap into the dark" but a leap into the sensible light of clear thinking.

But this is a reminder that if people choose not to believe we are wasting our time trying to argue with them. 

We should still scatter seeds and pray for a harvest. But we must remember that faith is a gift from God Himself. And we must wait for Him to move.

We must still be obedient and spread the word, but the harvest is not up to us.

Some people, no matter what, will choose to exchange their gift for something else.

How can I be sure?

When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."

And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.

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 unchanging things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be great encouraged.
                                     -- Hebrews 6:13-18

What are the "two unchanging things" the writer of Hebrews is talking about?

The two unchanging things are (1) the original promise (covenant) God made with Abraham, and (2) the oath He made later to confirm it.

The story is told in Genesis 15.

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
     'Do not be afraid, Abram.
     I am your shield, your very great reward.

     '....Look up at the heavens and count the starts -- if indeed you
     can count them...so shall your offspring be.

     Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as
     righteousness.

     ....I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans
     to give you this land to take possession of it.'


But Abram questions God about the land:



     'O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession
     of it?'



This is such an astonishing glimpse of the Sovereign God, LORD Creator of the Universe, speaking to one of His small creatures.

But He doesn't speak to Abram in a condescending way, as if he were small and insignificant (most astonishing is that He would speak to him at all, if
you think about it).

Instead God takes Abram's question seriously.


"How can I know for sure?" Abram asks.


"Well, Abram, you foolish man," I might say. "God just told you what He was going to do...how can you
question Him?"

But Gold decides to swear to Abram, in an oath-confirming ceremony, just what He had promised.

It was a common, accepted ceremony performed in those days between people making business arrangements.

They would take sacrificial animals, cut them in two parts, and both parties would walk between the pieces, reciting the terms of the agreement.

This would make it binding, as if we went to the Court House and had our signatures on a contract verified by a Notary.

Perhaps one man was selling land to another man, and the buyer was going to pay in cattle.

The two men would walk between the pieces of the animal, reciting the terms to each other. When the ceremony was completed it was sworn testimony to their agreement.

In the book of Jeremiah there is another reference to one of these ceremonies.

So instead of being angry at Abram for his doubt, we see a gracious and kind God patiently dealing with Abram in human terms that he would understand.

And why did God do this act of mercy?

The writer of Hebrews tell us in the passage above: (1) to make His promise and purpose very clear
and (2) to encourage us.

Read about it in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, chapter 15.

What does Abram do during the ceremony? Does he walk between the pieces with God?

No. Abram falls into a deep sleep and God walks alone through the ceremony.

Why? Because Abram had nothing to bring to the agreement. He wasn't paying anything. He was the recipient of all the blessings.

So God walked alone and confirmed His everlasting covenant with Abram and Abram rested and received it all.

It's called grace.

And it is pictured again at Calvary, when God the Son
confirmed His oath to mankind, and suffered alone.

We, like Abram, have nothing to bring to the table.

We are only recipients of the benefits of the oath.

Jesus performed the ceremony alone.


                              

Why do we hate God? Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon once on the four things that men hate about God. He titled his sermon Man Naturally God's Enemy.

At the beginning of the sermon Edwards said: "There are four things about God that make men hate him."

I wondered what his list of four things were. I guessed the first three:

(1) The first thing man hates about God is His Holiness.

     Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate
       wrong. Habakkuk 1:13

God's holiness terrifies man.  Contemplating it increases our own sense of sin. We try to minimize God's holiness by minimizing Him -- and, finally, by denying His existence all together -- then we don't have to deal with our own sin issue. 

Because if there is no God -- no measure of righteousness in the universe -- then we can't consider ourselves sinners! We have not violated any standard of righteousness!

But, sadly, if our lives are not accountable, then our lives don't count.

(2) The second thing man hates about God is His Omniscience.

If He knows everything, then we can't hide anything from Him.

     Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.
       Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes
       of Him to whom we must give account.  Hebrews 4:13

(3) The third thing man hates about God is His Sovereignty.

God has absolute authority and rule over all His creation. In order to be sovereign, He must be all-knowing, all-powerful and absolutely free. If He were limited in any of these areas His sovereignty would not be absolute.

If God is sovereign, then I am not. There cannot be
two equal absolute sovereigns. I am not the ruler of my life, much less the world around me. I am not the
"Captain of my fate."

God is the center of everything - not man and not me!

What I do does not change anything!

And man really hates this!

     Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory  
     and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and
     earth is yours.

     Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over
     all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all
     things.  1 Chronicles 29:11-12

So what's the fourth thing man hates about God?

(4) The fourth thing man hates about God is His Immutability! That is, He never changes - never has and never will. He does not mutate.....

So why is that so offensive to man?

Edwards explains, "Man faces this dilemma: Not only does man know and know clearly that God is holy and omniscient and sovereign, but he knows that God will always be holy; He will always be omniscient; He will always be sovereign.

"And there is nothing we can do to make Him less holy, less omniscient, or less sovereign.

"These attributes are not open to negotiation. We cannot find God involved in a process of change whereby He can enter into certain mutations to compromise with us."

     I, the LORD, do not change. Malachi 3:6

     Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
          Hebrews 13:8

              As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be!

So man hates God especially for the fact that He never changes.

He is never going to be someone we will like better.
He is never going to be any different than He is now.

(We might wait till our mother gets in a better mood before we tell her we  broke her favorite piece of china. Bot God's standard is always the same!)

God's holiness, omniscience and sovereignty are perfect. And perfection cannot change - any change would indicate less than perfection at any stage.

And God is always perfect - so there can be no changing His character, ever!


But once we embrace God and welcome Him into our hearts, isn't it funny how that thing we hate most becomes the thing we love most about Him?

We cannot depend on human beings - they change - they mutate - they vary with the circumstances around us.

We might please them one day and make them angry the next. We don't know how they will react - we cannot predict how our actions will be received.


But God is always the same. His will is invariable.

We know what pleases Him and how He wants us to live. All the time and in every circumstance.


We can count on Him to keep His promises and to fulfill His eternal plan.

We can count on Him always to be who He says He is!

And that's really good news for His children!

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day

Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away

Change and decay in all around I see

O Thou who changes not, abide with me!

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

Being Transformed and Renewed

                                                          

                                                      Being Transformed and Renewed

"Be transformed, by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2)

When the Spirit renews our minds, all of life  becomes an act of worship.

That's because the Spirit not only opens our eyes to see who Christ really is, but also breaks our hearts to see who we really are.

And rather than this being some deathly experience of unending humiliation, seeing ourselves as broken and in need of a Savior actually liberates us.

It frees us from self-absorption and throws us on the mercy of God with joyous gratitude and love.

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own  mercy, by the washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior." (Titus 3:5)

                                                                   *****                                     

Now all of life has become an act of worship - every moment - every day --

How to Please God!

'I will praise God's Name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD...' 
Psalm 69:31

'LORD delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.'  
Psalm 147:11.

'If anyone wants to boast, they should boast that they know and understand Me...These are the things that please me."  
Jeremiah 9:24.

'Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please Him.' Hebrews 12:28...'True worshippers must worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.' 
John 4:23

'The LORD detests lying lips, but He delights in those who are trustworthy.'
Proverbs 12:22

'Let Israel rejoice in their Maker...Let them praise His Name with dancing and make music to Him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD takes delight in His people...Let His faithful people rejoice in this honor'.  Psalm 149:3-5



How do we please God? 

This is what I have learned...

     We please God when we thank Him!

     When we praise Him!

     When we seek to know Him and understand Him!

     When we worship Him and put our trust in His  unfailing love!

Look how easy and simple He has made it! Like a wonderful, kind Parent. 

How blessed we are.


BUT I usually just want Him to please me..

I need to change that....

Immanuel - God's Perfect Name

Jesus has many names in Scripture -- throughout most of my life, my favorite has been "Immanuel"! It means "God with us" and what better way to think of our Savior -- He is with you, and me, and all of us! Not just sometimes -- but now and always! Everyday! All the time!

In Hebrew the letters "el" is "God" and the other letters are "with us." Plain and simple. No great interpretation and context challenges.

We first read it in Isaiah 7:14. The prophet Isaiah encourages King Ahaz to seek a special sign from God at a time of national crisis. 

Ahaz has no interest in receiving a sign from God. So Isaiah says that God Himself will give the sign to Ahaz. It is recorded for us:

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel."

This was a promise to the kingdom of Judah, God's covenant people -- even with their wicked king and unfaithful people -- 'I will remember My promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Though things look dismal right now, you will have glorious future!

Seven hundred years later an angel appeared to Joseph and assured him that the baby Mary carried was from Holy Spirit, and would save his people. It's recorded for us in Matthew 2, and we are told it was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14..."And they will call Him Immanuel, which means, 'God with us!' What a great promise!

When I wait for medical test results, when I stand beside the casket of my husband or child, while I wait for pedestrians at the stop light, while I browse the internet, when  my heart is breaking, when I can't figure out what to do, He is right here with me!

He reaches out His hand for me, you know, that nail-scarred hand, and grabs me!

My Immanuel forever!