Preparing for Easter - Philip Yancey - Peter and Judas

From The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey


I know of no more poignant contrast between two human destinies than that of Peter and Judas.

Both assumed leadership within the group of Jesus' disciples. Both saw and heard wondrous things. Both went through the same dithery cycle of hope, fear, and disillusionment.

As the stakes increased, both denied their Master.

There, the similarity breaks off.

Judas, remorseful but apparently unrepentant, accepted the logical consequences of his deed, took his own life, and went down as the greatest traitor in history.

He died unwilling to receive what Jesus had come to offer him.

Peter, humiliated but still open to Jesus' message of grace and forgiveness, went on to lead a revival in Jerusalem and did not stop until he had reached Rome.

~~~~~~~~

One refused the gift Christ came to offer. The other

received gladly the gift.

Which choice have I made?

It's All About Easter - What was in His cup?

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, that last night, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39).

Then He said to Peter, "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"  (John 18:11).

The "cup" was heavy on His mind that night.

But what was in the cup?

Our first thought, is "the coming cross."

But there is more.

In both the Old and new Testaments, the cup of God refers to God's judgment.

In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs (Psalm 75:8).

...you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD, the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs...(Isaiah 51:17)

See also Jeremiah 25:15, Habakkuk 2:16 and others.

"If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath... (Revelation 14:9)

Through out Scripture, the cup is a picture of the judgment of God, poured out of His wrath on sinful nations and people.

We don't like to talk about the wrath of God. We don't like to think of the reality of the eternal consequences for people who reject Christ.

We like to ignore it and concentrate on other aspects of eternity.

Jerry Bridges, in The Gospel for Real Life, says this:

...how are we to understand the wrath of God? God's wrath arises from His intense, settled hatred of all sin and is the tangible expression of His inflexible, determination to punish it. We might say God's wrath is His justice in action, rendering to everyone his just due, which, because of our sin, is always judgment.

All sin, no matter how small it might seem, is a challenge, an assault, to the sovereign authority of God. It is rebellion against God's authority. 

It was the cup we should have drunk, but Jesus as our representative, drank the cup of God's wrath in our place. He drained it to the last drop.

And He did it for us.

When He cried out "It is finished!" (a Greek word for paid in full) it was not a cry of relief, but a cry of victory.

He had accomplished what He came to do, to save His people from the wrath of God.

He didn't just ask God to 'sweep it under the rug, to 'overlook it this time.' He consumed it Himself.

...we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:3-5)

More from Jerry Bridges:

Herein is the glory of the cross. Justice and mercy are reconciled; wrath and love are both given full expression--and all of this so that we might experience the unsearchable riches of Christ!

Approaching Easter - The Historic Symbol of The Cross - Philip Yancey

It took time for the church to come to terms with the ignominy of the cross.

Church fathers forbade its depiction in art until the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine (280? - 337 AD) who had seen a vision of the cross and who also banned it as a method of execution.

Thus not until the fourth century did the cross become a symbol of the faith.

(As C. S. Lewis points out, the crucifixion did not become common in art until all who had seen a real one died off.)

Now, though, the symbol is everywhere: artists beat gold into the shape of a Roman execution device, baseball players cross themselves before batting, and candy confectioners even make chocolate crosses for the faithful to eat during Holy Week.

Strange as it it may seem, Christianity has become a religion of the cross -- the gallows, the electric chair, the gas chamber, in modern terms.

This, the power of the cross

Christ became sin for us

Took the blame, bore the wrath

We stand forgiven at the cross.

  -- Keith Getty

What Happens When He Speaks

"He speaks and the sound of  His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing...."*

Picture it....imagine it.....Back there in Eden....He walked and talked with them. And the birds stopped their own joyous singing to listen to His beautiful voice and to hear His words!

May I be that eager today to listen....

And eager to experience it just like Adam and Eve did when we get to be with Him in heaven!

Doxology and Maranatha!!!!




*From In the Garden by Charles Austin Miles, 1912

God's Timing - Always Perfect!

 "But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4).

In some translations, the first words of this verse, are "In the fullness of time..."

Same meaning. It is a theological and historical phrase marking the precise, divine moment chosen by God for Jesus Christ's incarnation and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy. All preparatory conditions for Christ's arrival had been met and were in perfect alignment with the arrival of Jesus. It was a exact time pre-determined by God.

You don't have to be a Bible student very long to realize that God's timing is always perfect!

Christ came during a time period called the "Pax Romana" - Latin for "Roman Peace" - the golden age of the Roman Empire - roughly a 200 year period of ancient Rome that is remembered for its  relative peace and order. The common Greek language was spoken and understood throughout the Kingdom. The ancient texts, including the Hebrew Scriptures, had been translated into Greek and available in libraries for all to read.

One government united the provinces of Europe and travel was easy. A vast system of roads enabled the Roman government to dispatch military troops throughout the Kingdom at a moment's notice (These roads also enabled the early church missionaries, like Peter and Paul, and their successors, to travel safely and freely  throughout the kingdom, planting new churches and spreading the gospel!)

Herod had enlarged and modernized the Temple in Jerusalem, where Jesus could preach His gospel message -- His New Covenant, proclaimed in the Old Testament, now being read by all in the common language, including the numerous prophecies related to His ministry, and these could now be verified!

"Is Jesus the One we are waiting for?" people could ask and study to be sure!

Yes, God's timing is always perfect! 

Our human timing is not so good. I remember reading that Napoleon Bonaparte, in the 1790's, discovered that food, when heated, could be preserved for long periods of time and still retain flavor and freshness, if kept in a secure container.

In 1810, a British inventor applied this to his own work, and came up with the world's first canned goods! But his 'cans' were wrought iron and so thick they had to be opened with a hammer and chisel!

About 50 years later an American inventor, with thinner tin cans, came up with an actual can opener that could puncture a can and saw the lid off! It wasn't until 1870 that a rotary can opened appeared on the market that could actually be used by consumers in their own kitchens. (Not electric, of course!).

We are so thankful for all the variety of foods we can now purchase, bring home, and open for use when we please!

We can even can our own food!

But think of it - after canned foods were available, it took over 70 years to get a can opener!

Nothing compares with God's perfect timing in all He does!

Focus on this verse: "For we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"(Ephesians 2:10),

In eons past, God had a plan for our lives - work for us to do - and so He arranged for us to be in the exact place where He wants us to be, and equipped us to do exactly what He wants us to do!

Perfect timing...start to finish! Think about it today!

The Greatest Miracle of Easter

Two criminals were led out with Him to be crucified. One taunted and ridiculed Jesus. The other said, "Don't you fear God? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

   He said to Jesus, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

   Jesus told him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise."

   What does the criminal realize? What we realize when we come to Jesus.  We are guilty. He is innocent. We are filthy. He is pure. He is not on that cross for His sins, but for ours. Jesus is his -- and our -- last hope.

   And Jesus performs the greatest miracle of the cross. Greater than the earthquake, the darkness of the sun, the tearing of the temple curtain. He performs the miracle of forgiveness. A sin-covered criminal is received by a blood-covered Savior!

   A desperate plea for help and a promise of salvation by the only One who can help!

   This is what we call grace...

          It took a miracle to put the stars in place

          It took a miracle to hang the world in space

          But when He saved my soul, cleansed and made me whole --

          It took a miracle of love and grace!

Guilt is a gift - Embrace it!

 GUILT IS A GIFT - Embrace it!

From Mohler's book on "The Apostles' Creed"

"The world longs for us to run away from our guilt.

Guilt is seen as an enemy that must be killed.

For a Christian, however, guilt is a gift. That feeling of unquenchable guilt leads us to the only hope we have. It leads us to the infinite grace of God. As we embrace our guilt, only then can we come to the fountain of hope, the blood of Jesus that washes us clean forever.

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

He is faithful and just. God always keeps His promises."

Because of what Christ did at the cross --- when He cried out "It is finished" --- all our guilt can be removed forever!

His grace erases all our guilt -- that's why it is amazing grace!!!

When we confess our sins and make Him our Savior, we receive that priceless gift forever!

In face of radical evil we must be radically good!

 I'm still thinking about Jonathan Cahn's words about how we should live for Christ in these evil times:

  "An apostate civilization will depart from the Word. The righteous must do the opposite and hold to the Word all the more strongly.

  An apostate culture bends the Word or the truth to conform to its ways. The righteous must bend their ways to conform to the Word."

In modern America there is a war against God's Word being waged now by attempting to marginalize it, re- and mis- interpreting it, belittling and denigrating it, ignoring it, ridiculing its historical and authentic accuracy, and in general denying its importance. 

The farther a culture departs from God, the more it undermines and suppresses His Word. But also the more the culture ignores God's Word, the more it needs the unadulterated Word of God for its very survival!

So, as Cahn says, we must read it, treasure it, store it in our hearts, share it, proclaim it, act upon it, live by it and make our lives conform to it! We must never dilute it or soften it.

We must treat the Word of God as the  true bread of our lives, partake of it every day. We must remember that before the world was created, the Word was already here and will be when the world is gone. The Word is more powerful than the world. It is the voice of our Almighty God and we are accountable to Him for our obedience to it!

The world tries to bend the Word to conform to the way they want to live. We must change our lives to conform to the Word.

Yes, the more radically evil the world becomes, the more radically good we must become.

US: How to Welcome the French

In June of 1778 the British troops evacuated Philadelphia, and the colonial leaders came back to their capital city. The French had brought aid -- and there were 16 ships with 4,000 troops on the coast ready to come in and join the American forces in defeating the British.

As Congress re-convened they concentrated on how to welcome the French leader, Mons. Gerard.

Samuel Adams and Richard Henry Lee were appointed to "report to Congress on the time and manner of the public reception of Mons. Gerard, minister plenipotentiary Majesty of his most Christian majesty, the King of France." (plenipotentiary means that this ambassador represented the king and had been granted his full royal power and authority--the highest rank for an ambassador.)

There were several days of debate (remember the colonies were still at war but the importance of proper protocol for the "monarch" took their full attention!)

Finally the elaborate ritual was developed.

The French diplomat would bring his credentials to the President of Congress. Then he would wait for a formal audience with Congress. Two members of Congress would come, in a coach, belonging to the United States, to escort him to Congress. And then they...

shall return with the minister plenipotentiary, one Congressman giving the minister the right hand, and placing himself on his left, with the other Congressman on the front seat.

When the minister plenipotentiary is arrived at the door of the Congress hall, he shall be introduced to his chair by the two members who will stand at his left hand. Then the member first named shall present and announce him to the President and the house; whereupon he shall bow to the house and to the Congress, and they to him.

He and the President shall then again bow unto each other, and be seated, after which the house itself will sit down. Having spoken and being answered, the minister and the President shall bow to each other, at which time the house should bow, and then he shall be conducted home in the manner in which he was brought to the house.

(This congressional audience would make a good 'pop-up book').



*****************************************


I'm just thinking about how we approach God, remembering John's reaction in Revelation 1 and Isaiah's in Isaiah 6.....we should be struck with awe and a fearful awareness of His power and glory. But there is another attitude also:

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so they we may receive receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.    Hebrews 4:16

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Christ Jesus; because through Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1

The Throne of Grace......This is how we approach our God...

US - Prayers of Great Americans - George Washington's Birthday

 

O most glorious God...remember that I am but dust, and remit my transgressions, negligences and ignorances, and cover them all with the absolute obedience of thy dear Son, that those sacrifices (of sin, praise and thanksgiving) which I have offered may be accepted by thee, in and for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered upon the cross for me...Direct my thoughts, words and work; wash away my sin in the immaculate blood of the Lamb; and purge my heart by the Holy Spirit.

-- George Washington (1732-1799).
From a small prayer book he composed when
he was about 20 years old.

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!

    

    

Fortunatus and his friends

I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived because they supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.
1 Corinthians 16:17-18 (NIV)

.

I am so glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus have come here. They have been making up for the help you weren't here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you, too. You must give proper honor to all those who serve so well. 1 Corinthians 16:17-18 (NLT)



Paul writes these words to the Christians in Corinth. He was in Ephesus, and the three men, Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus, brought him a message from the struggling Corinthian church.


Paul mentions a written letter from the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 7:1. Probably this is the message they brought with them, and they could further explain and give detail through their verbal comments when seeing Paul face-to-face.

It was not a simple "Hello, how are you? We are praying for you" message. It was apparently long and detailed about the problems and ungodliness that had infected the church at Corinth.

We can tell from 1 Corinthians some of the problems they reported. The three men must have been greatly burdened to travel all the way to Ephesus to counsel with Paul.

We know very little about these men. In verse 15 (chapter 16) Paul writes, "You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achai, and they devoted themselves to the service of the saints."

So we know Stephanas and his family (Achai is in southern Greece - its major cities are Athens and Corinth) were the first gospel followers in the area and they were diligent leaders of the small congregation.

We know from 1 Corinthians 1:16 that Paul himself baptized the Stephanas household.

But even if we don't know much, we know that Paul applauds them: such men deserve recognition. They are to be honored for their dedication and faithfulness. They are serving well.

They were Christians who stepped up and filled in the gap - who filled an empty place for ministry - they deserve honor. They would minister to Paul as representatives of the entire body of believers in Corinth. What the whole congregation could not do, because of distance, they could do.

And because of their faithfulness and love for Paul, we have today
in our New Testament the book of 1 Corinthians, the letter from Paul they delivered back to their church in Corinth.

I want to be like those early Christians -- refreshing those around us who are ministering -- encouraging them -- holding up their arms as Aaron and Hur held Moses' -- and as we do that we are serving well.....

My Heart - Christ's Home - C S Lewis

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.

But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of--throwing out a new wing here, putting in an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

         From Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  Ephesians 3:14-16

....that Christ would settle down and be at home in your hearts...(Weymouth)

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Sometimes the passages we read in the Bible, Old and New Testaments, record harsh penalties for sin.

At least, it seems that way sometimes.

Lot's wife, disobediently looking back, annihilated....
a priest killed for a wrong offering, etc.

An entire population (less Noah's family) killed in a horrific flood....

Is God too harsh when He hands out punishment?
After all, we are only human.

On the other hand, we see many times over more
evidences of His grace and mercy.

For every act of judgment recorded we see dozens more examples of His long-suffering patience.

Maybe the penalty of sin is not measured by our opinion of it. Maybe the seriousness of sin has to do with whom the sin is against.

If a prison employee strikes a prisoner, is he in trouble?

Maybe.

If that employee strikes the sheriff, is he is trouble?
Without a doubt.

What if he attacks the President of the United States?

For sure. A felony with heavy imprisonment.

The penalty of sin is determined by the magnitude of the one sinned against.

If we sin against another human being, we are guilty.

If we sin against the infinitely holy and eternal God, we are infinitely guilty and worthy of eternal punishment.

When it comes to all our misconduct, toward other human beings and toward God Himself, it indicates that we are always breaking God's Law, that "Royal Law" of loving God with all our heart, soul and mind,
and our neighbors as ourselves.

So all our sin is against God.

David the Psalmist and King wrote:

     For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever

     before me.

     Against You, You only, have I sinned and done

     what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved

     right when You speak and justified when You

     judge.

    (Psalm 51)

What about Bathsheba? What about Uriah? What about David's army and his countrymen?

Hadn't David sinned against them, too? After all, he had Uriah killed in the attempt to cover up his adultery? What about the baby?

So many victims in the story. But the laws telling us how to treat each other are God's Laws. And He calls us to obedience to them

So David was really sinning against God, in rebellion against Him, in these selfish actions. 

So what did he do?

Just what we are to do.

Throw ourselves on the mercy of God and seek His forgiveness.


     Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your
     unfailing love; according to Your great
     compassion blot out my transgressions.

     Wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from
     sin...

     Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew
     a steadfast spirit within me....

     Restore to me the joy of Your salvation....

               -- Psalm 51


There was no provision for sacrifices David could offer to cover his guilt for these sins. Offering 10,000 lambs and 20,000 goats - still wouldn't do it.

Throwing himself on the mercy and grace of God was David's only option.


And ours....

    

Is Forgetfulness a Sin?

 "The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by His law. They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them" (Psalm 78:9-11).

The men of Ephraim (the northern tribes) adopted idolatry and rejected their true God. They were conquered by the Assyrians, deported, and sent into exile and servitude. Their problem? Spiritual forgetfulness!

We Christians can also suffer the consequences of forgetting God's faithfulness. Peter warns us about this...'Forgetting that we have been cleansed from our past sins' (2 Peter 1:9).

How could we forget? The massive sin problem that Christ took care of on the cross? 

But God can no more forget us than a nursing mother could forget her baby, Isaiah tells us. And even if she did, He never will! (Isaiah 49:15).

Remembering who He is and what He has done is the key to trusting God!

Lord,

I worry because I forget Your wisdom.

I resent because I forget Your mercy.

I envy because I forget Your beauty.

I sin because I forget Your holiness.

I fear because I forget Your sovereignty.

You always remember me. Help me to always remember You.

Amen

And There Was Light!

                                      

                                                            And There was Light!

Psalm 97:11-12 -- "Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in  heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name."

Some of the older Hebrew texts say light is "sown" in us. It is planted to grow and produce more light. A beautiful thought.

Light refers to truth and clarity as well as to the holiness and beauty it brings.

C S Lewis said once that he believed in Christianity 'as certainly as I believe in the sunrise. Not just because I can see the sun, but also by it I can see everything else.'

That's what God's light does!  It brings everything else into perfect focus and clarity.

It brings perfect knowledge and displays GOd's infinite truth and glory.

God "sows" His light  in us and like a seed that grows it spreads its wisdom and beauty throughout our lives.

Christians find that what they see in the world and in their hearts just makes more sense!

And people around them see them  turning into something like God - loving and beautiful.

The brighter the light the better we can see all the truth and beauty around  us.

Father, fill me with Your Light!

Keeping the main thing the main thing....

 Last week I read one of Chuck Colson 's articles. It was disturbing. He talked about a Canadian high school teacher who was getting ready to start a class in Ethics. He decided jump start his study with a true story and gauge the class reaction.


The story was about a young Muslim girl married to a Taliban member. He was abusive and she tried to leave. Her family, along with his, cut off her nose and her ears and left her to die on the desert. Question: was this right or wrong?


Imagine his dismay when they couldn't decide. Finally the consensus seemed to be that it would be wrong here, but was acceptable there.


Is this what happens when we take the Ten Commandments and other indicators of absolute right and wrong out of our schools? Now it is all just a matter of opinion - too bad, young girl - you, and all others like you,  are doomed by relativists. (She somehow survived - she crawled a ways and someone found her and took her to an American hospital. She still lives).


Christians are so blessed. We know what God considers right and wrong. We do not have to waste time and effort debating it.


I notice, though, how hard it seems to be for most Christians to articulate exactly what they believe about their faith.


A favorite study material is the Heidelberg Catechism. It was written in the 1560's.

There are 129 questions, divided into 52 sections, one for each "Lord's Day," so the Christians could study one section at their regular services each week.

The first section is called The Misery of Man.


Question 1: What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, (a) am not my own, (b) but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; (c) who with His precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and (d) delivered me from the power of the devil; (e) and so preserves me (f) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; (g) yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, (h) and therefore by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, (i) and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him (j).

(a) Romans 14:7-8, (b) 1 Corinthians 6:19, (c) 1 Corinthians 3:23 and Titus 2:14, (d) 1 Peter 1:18, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:2, 12, (e) Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:8, John 8:34,-36,  (f) John 6:39, John 10:28, 1 Peter 1:5, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, (g) Matthew 10:29-31, Luke 21:18, Romans 8:28, (i) 2 Corinthians 2:20-22, 2 Corinthians 5:5, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:16, (j) Romans 8:14, 1 John 3:3.



When I was a child we began our study for church membership with the Westminster Catechism; it is not quite as old as the Heidelberg --it was  written in the 1640's. In the 1670's the Baptist published their own catechism which is largely based on the Westminster.


They are all sound, beautifully written, and lift up the sovereignty of God, and His holiness and His love. But since I grew up with the Westminster document, I remember it best.

Its first question is:     What is the chief end of man?
And the famous answer is:     Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.


I notice that the Heidelberg starts with what comfort God has given us. How comforting those words are!


I remember reading about John Newton in his declining years. He had lost much of his memory, and realized it. He confided to someone. "I don't remember many of the things I ought. But I remember two things: (1) I am a great sinner, and (2) Jesus is a great Savior."


He remembered the most important thing. Nothing else really matters. We are great sinners and Jesus is a great Savior.

It's keeping the main thing as the main thing!

Remember Leah?

 

Remember Leah?

The unfavored one? The unchosen one? 

Jacob loved her younger sister, the beautiful Rachel. He chose her and worked for her father, his uncle Laban, 7 years to win her hand in marriage.

Turned out Uncle Laban was just as much a liar and cheater as Jacob himself was.

And Jacob, the champion cheater, found himself cheated when he was tricked into marrying Leah, not Rachel.

Later, he did marry Rachel also and Leah found herself as the unloved and unwanted wife, competing for Jacob's attention with her more beautiful and desired sister.

But God didn't discount Leah. He saw her and understood her pain. He blessed her and she gave birth to sons for Jacob.

One of these sons, her fourth, she named Judah.

Of the twelve sons of Jacob, known later as the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Judah was the one from which the Messiah came. (See Genesis 49:10)

So among the descendants of the unloved and unwanted Leah came a shepherd boy from Bethlehem named David and a carpenter's son from Nazareth named Jesus.

Leah, unchosen by Jacob, was chosen by God to be a mother in the bloodline of Jesus Himself, the King of Kings!

So when you feel unloved, unwanted, unneeded, inferior to others, remember Leah!

God loves you also, sees you, values you, and has a unique place, unknown to you now, for you in His eternal plans for His-story!  

 

1 Corinthians 1:27-31

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things...so that no one may boast before Him."

Why God Created Everything - John Piper

 Observation from John Piper (2006)....

"God created the world to exhibit the fullness of His glory in the God-centered joy of His people."

                   (To display His glory through our joy!?!)

Four hundred years earlier theologians wrote this as the first teaching in the Westminster Catechism --

Question #1: What is the chief end of man?

Answer: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

 I love the consistency of these statements - God created everything to joyfully display His glory...forever!

Peter says it's "joy unspeakable and full of glory" - GOD'S glory!

I find these thoughts so exciting! How does God display His glory? Through the joy of His people! WOW!

Psalm 104:33 -- "I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my mediation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the LORD."

Let's exhibit His glory everywhere we go today!

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus

                   

                      On that first Easter Morning

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking
with each other about everything that had happened.

As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast...
                 
And they told Him what had just happened in Jerusalem -- all of it -- the horrible suffering of Jesus, their hopelessness, their confusion when the women visited the tomb that morning and about the angels who said Jesus was really alive...

So Jesus explained:
Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter into his glory?

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
                            -- Luke 24:13-27

There's only one key to unlocking the mystery about God's activity in the world - then and now - the Hebrew Scriptures.

For observant Jews, in the first century as well as today, the writings of Moses and the Prophets are the nearest things to the mind of God in human language.

"If God is alive, then the Bible is His voice," writes Jewish thinker Abraham Heschel.

It is to this book, and no other, that the Stranger immediately takes His listeners.

What does He tell them?

We are not given the details, but we can guess from the preaching of the early church what was said to them on the Emmaus road.

From the opening pages of the Bible, the two friends are reminded of the fierce and unfaltering love of God for the world He has made.

His divine love burns hotter than any star in the universe. Here is love that is never lazy, indulgent, or indifferent, but always vigilant -- committed to the perfect good of the beloved.

The Stranger describes the deep enmity that has rejected this love and spoiled the world, the rage of those who will not yield their hearts to their Creator.

Men and women, made to love God and enjoy Him forever, somehow succumbed to the forces of deceit and darkness set against Him symbolized by a serpent.

"You will be like God," the serpent whispered.

Instead, they became captives to the suffocating selfishness of a life cut off from God's goodness.

No one, the Stranger, insists, no matter what his status or achievement in the world, can escape that state of affairs.

It would remain the burden and the blight of human beings everywhere in every age -- unless a Rescuer were sent to set them free.

The crucifixion and resurrection of the Messiah, God's Christ, is God's Secret Rescue Mission to free the world from the forces of darkness.

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him....They asked each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us the road and opened Scripture to us?"

Then they joyfully rushed back to Jerusalem and joined the other disciples in spreading the good news.

       "He is risen! Christ is risen indeed!"

In the desert of my heart

I am appreciating more and more the "outline" or "format" Derek Prime talked about. In my prayer journal for today the Lord's Prayer connection is "Thy Kingdom Come" and the topic is stated as "The extension of the church and the coming of God's Kingdom through the preaching of the gospel."

Derek Prime's system is really helpful. But, when you get back to basics, it is not the understanding of the thing, or the systems used, or the helpful hints we all search out so diligently -- it is so much more profoundly simple -- it's the doing of the thing -- that's what keeps me back at the starting point instead of running steadily toward the goal ... the problem is not in the learning or understanding -- it's in the doing -- a knot in my will, not in my brain.

I need to look at that knot and begin unraveling it. Oh, I know it is the Holy Spirit that does that. But right now, these days, I don't go to Him for that. Why? I feel dry and empty these days. It shocks me how much harder it is to lean on Jesus, to come to Him in need and desperation, when my spirit is dry -- you would think it would be the opposite.

I am thinking about W. H. Auden's elegy to William Butler Yeats -- the last verse:

In the desert of the heart
Let the healing fountains start....

I need those healing fountains. And I know where they are.....why don't I just hurry up and GO?!?!?

Ye who are weary.....COME HOME!!!!

The last two lines of the verse are:

In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise...

This intrigues me...teach the free man how to praise...not the prisoner...the free man...

Can I get there from here?

As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?

O God, thou art my God, I seek thee, my soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is. So I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary, beholding thy power and glory.

I stretch out my hands to thee; my soul thirsts for thee.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

I will open rivers on the bare heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water

.

Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat!

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water.

And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fall, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows form the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.

Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Can I get there from where I am now? My soul trusts in Him who made me and carries me in His arms. YES, He can bring me back. Yes, He can take me there, even from where I am now, and YES, He will!


(Psalm 42:1-2; Psalm 63:1-2; Psalm 143:6; Psalm 87:7; Isaiah 12:3; Isaiah 41:18; Isaiah 55:1; Isaiah 35:6-7; Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:1-2; RSV)

Screwtape Letters - - C S Lewis

When I was growing up, C. S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters was a big hit. Later he wrote so many more books that Screwtape's (Screwtape was a senior demon) letters to his trainee (Wormwood, a junior demon)) have been almost forgotten, at least neglected.

Narnia, Mere Christianity, Weight of Glory and Til We Have Faces are on most people's bookshelves. I don't see Screwtape much any more.

These "Letters" were among Lewis' earliest writings. He was still a relatively new Christian.

He describes Screwtape  as a demon who holds an administrative post in the bureaucracy ("Lowerarchy") of Hell. He is mentor to Wormwood, the new, inexperienced apprentice tempter.

Screwtape gives Wormwood detailed advice on various methods of undermining faith and promoting sin.

Here's Screwtape's letter to Wormwood about Pleasure:

Screwtape -- Hell's View of Pleasure

Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy's ground.

I know that we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all of our research so far has not enabled us to produce one.

All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden.

Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable.

 An ever-increasing craving for an ever-diminishing pleasure is the formula. It is more certain; and it is better style. To get the man's soul and give him nothing in return--that is what really gladdens our Father's heart.
             
                                                             ***********************


Lewis includes a lot of doctrine and observations of human nature in these illuminating letters.

The world that Screwtape and Wormwood live in is a messed-up (or bent as Lewis would say) morally reversed world, in which greed and self-indulgence are seen as the greatest good. Neither demon is able to understand, or acknowledge, true virtue when he sees it.

Sounds like the same world we live in today!