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!

The Great Exchange

This is the mystery of the riches of divine grace for sinners:

For by a wonderful exchange our sins are now not ours, but Christ's,

And Christ's righteousness is not Christ's, but ours.

  -- Martin Luther

This is what it means to be  Christian: God takes our filthy garbage -- all our sin -- destroys it forever -- all of it -- and gives us -- in exchange -- the gift of His righteousness so we can live with Him forever.

What an incredible exchange! Greatest deal ever in the whole universe! An old garbage bag traded in for a treasure chest of unspeakable riches!

He did it on the cross.

Christ says, "I love you, I forgive you. Let's move on!"

Looks like He would rather die than live without us...

God's Masterpiece

 "For we are God's handiwork [masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

Certainly one of the most amazing verses in scripture! We are saved by grace, not by our good works -- but we are saved so we can do God's good works and glorify Him!

We are here for a reason. So we can do the  service He designed specifically for us to do and bring glory to Him.

(Remember the Westminster Catechism -- Q: What is the chief end of man? A: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever)

Otherwise He would have just beamed us up immediately the moment He saved us!

(Sort of like what happened to the repentant thief on the cross! Wow...imagine the relief...from the torture of the cross to the unspeakable splendor of paradise! In an instant! "Today you will be with Me in paradise").

Though, I admit, there are times being beamed up immediately sounds like  good option!

Who Wants a Tin Can Without a Can Opener?

                                      Who Wants A Tin Can Without a Can Opener?

We  can always count on God's timing. It's perfect, down to the last second accurate.

In Ephesians 2:10 He tells us that "We are God's handiwork [masterpiece], created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Not only did He prepare the tasks He wanted us to do, but He also prepared us to be able to do the tasks!

We read in 2 Timothy 2:16-17, that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

His timing is perfect! When the task is ready for us we are ready for the task!

Our human timing is not so great. 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 if kept safely in a secure container.

I don't know how he discovered that - but he talked about it - he didn't realize that by killing the bacteria and applying a sealed vacuum it was kept from recontamination - he just knew it kept food longer and preserved more of its taste.

A British inventor in 1810, applied this study to his own work, and created 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!

It wasn't till 50 years later that an American inventor, with thinner steel cans, invented an actual can opener that had a blade that could puncture a can and saw the lid off!  And it wasn't until 1870 that a rotary can opener  appeared on the market that could actually be used by home consumers.  A huge advancement in food consumption!

But it took 60 years for the practical, operational can opener to be invented so those marvelous cans of food could be opened!

I am thankful for the variety of food tin cans made possible. And how the ideas of "canning" food right at home changed our diets forever. But I am also thankful we can get into them without a hammer and chisel! 

Nothings compares to God's perfect timing in all He does.

He has a job He wants us to do. And He has already prepared us to do it!

What I Need Today

 James 1:20 -19-- "You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires."

So simple! So easy to understand! So hard to do!

Anger does not fix anything...and God wants us to fix things!

There is ample reason to get angry these days. Much of what we feel we call "righteous indignation."

I have found that much of what we call "righteous indignation" isn't! It's pride and empty ''virtue signaling' -- showy and self-serving.

The righteousness God desires is not produced by our anger. It takes intentional actions of calm resolution and persevering determination. It takes planning, organizing, stubbornness and relentless energy.

Since we are the ones who messed up God's perfect creation, it only makes sense that we fix the problems in front of us!

What's on your list of things to fix?

[P.S. I also need the first parts of that verse, "quick to listen and slow to speak."]

This Only Do I Seek

Psalm 27:4  -- "One thing I ask of the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD."

David's supreme priority is to 'gaze upon the beauty of the LORD.'

Gazing is not a one-time glimpse,  but a steady sustained focus.

David finds God Himself beautiful, not just a bestower of gifts.

'This only do I seek,' says David.   

Father, I know there is only one thing I need in life and I choose to want You above all else. I want to see and sense Your beautiful holiness  and love You for Yourself alone. I want  David's prayer to be my prayer, my gracious, kind Father.

"Give unto the LORD the glory due His Name. Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" Psalm. 29:2

Don't Think Less of Yourself!

 

                                        Don't Think Less of  Yourself!

Thinking about humility this morning. Praying about it, to be more accurate.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:3 -- "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think."

And we have Christ's supreme example of taking a servant's role continually.

So are we supposed to sit around counting our faults, listing our failures, considering how we don't (ever) measure up to what Christ wants?

I turn to C.S. Lewis who says the key is "not to think less of yourself, but to think of yourself less"!

Pretty smart, right?

We should stop thinking of ourselves so much! Keep our focus on Jesus. His beautiful holiness, His humility, concentrate on Him. Just stop thinking so much about ourselves, good or bad.

I think this is good advice! Just think of ourselves less and Him more!

So How Should We Live?

 

Just a reminder of how we should live these days --

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to prove what God's will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2)

   Paul wrote this to the Christians in Rome about 2000 years ago! (Remember the old saying, "The more things change, the more they remain the same''? Perfect example!)

  What happens when the Spirit renews our mind? We can see Christ as who He really is, in all His perfect beauty, and also see ourselves as we really are -- broken and hopeless and helpless -- in dire need of a Savior!

  But that is good news! It rids us of our pride and arrogance -- it throws us back on the mercy and grace of God. 

All of life becomes centered in God - charged and energized by His presence. And we begin to focus on Jesus. 

As we do that the Spirit renews our thinking and our behavior and we start to become like Him. He will actually transform us into the image of Jesus. We will know and obey His will... all of our life activities will become acts of worship!

And His love will overflow fro our lives into the lives of others...and we will help bring God's Kingdom to earth, as Jesus prayed."Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven..."

Maybe we should give it a try -  starting right now!

Be Reconciled to God

 

                                                           Be Reconciled to God!

He told us to do it, and He did all the work!

 Paul wrote to his friends in Corinth, "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: 'We implore you, on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God'" (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Then he said, "For He made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

So that's how God Himself arranged for us to be reconciled to Him! He took the punishment His holiness required, paid our debt  for us - and gave us His favor! All we do is thank Him and praise Him!

Father, You have done it all. You  my took my sin and paid the penalty. You tore open the veil that kept me from You. You allow me to come to You --  I  can approach You ANYTIME!

You will never let go of me! How could I forget that? Forgive me, Father, for forgetting that sometimes. You are standing right here beside me -- eager to be my  Friend and Helper. You will never let go of me. How could I forget that?

Forgive me, Father, for letting distractions cloud my thinking. My greatest joy in life is knowing and loving You. All else is 'trivial pursuit.'

Hold me close today and help me remember how much You love me, my abba Father. 

Amen!

Working For God or With God?

 

Here's what Max Lucado says about it --

   "It's a wonderful day indeed when we stop working for God and begin working with God.

For years I viewed God as a compassionate CEO and my role as a loyal sales representative. He had His office and I had my territory. I could contact Him as much as I wanted. He was always just a phone or fax away. He encouraged me and supported me. 

Then I read 2 Corinthians 6:1 -- We are 'God's fellow workers.'

Fellow workers? Co-laborers?  God and I working together?

Imagine the paradigm shift this truth creates. Rather than report to God, we work with God. Rather than checking in with Him and then leave, we check in with Him and then follow. 

We are always in the presence of God. We never leave church. There is never a non-sacred moment. 

His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of His presence may falter, but the reality of His presence never changes." 

   From Just Like Jesus, Chapter 5, by Max Lucado

Each day, not "What do I have on my schedule today?"

But, "God, what we are doing today?"

That's because we are working with God now, not for God!

Zechariah Prays and God Works!

Zechariah Prays...


When Zechariah went into the temple to perform his term of service, "the whole multitude of the people were praying outside" (Luke 1).

What were they praying? What the Jews always prayed for....salvation from our enemies...and from the hand of all who hate us.....that God would remember to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.....

Did they realize God was at work? Maybe veiled from their eyes, but that for the last 500 years He had been preparing the world for the coming Messiah.

But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, that we might receive the full rights as sons (Galatians 4:4-5).

Or as in the King James Version..."in the fullness of time..."

God sent His Son, that we might be called the children of God (I John 3:1).

At the exact right moment, God intervened in history and sent to us His Son so that we, too, could become children of God!


God is at work.....


From the destruction of the temple in 586 BC, through the Babylonian captivity, through the return from exile, through the oppressions of the Persians, Greeks and Romans, God was busy at work, preparing His people and the world for His great rescue mission.

Look at some of the things that God did during those 500 years, preparing the world for His Visitation:

   1. The Greek culture had saturated the known civilized  world and its language was spoken throughout all the kingdoms. A common language makes communication so much easier!

   2. The Old Testament canon was organized and, in its entirety, translated from Hebrew into Greek, making its message accessible to all. (Translation was known as the Septuagint, completed around 270 BC, commonly called the LXX. It was written particularly to accommodate the dispersed Jews who were by then speaking Greek as their usual language.)

   3. God used the destruction of the temple in 586 BC and the exile of the Jews to Babylon to create a synagogue structure, a model for local congregations of the coming Church. People learned to worship God without the temple. 

   4. God purified Israel from idolatry and mixing with other religions. After the destruction and fall of Jerusalem, Jews never again embraced other "gods." They were cleansed.

Not only that, as monotheism became permanently central to Israel it became the foundation of Christian thought and all of western civilization.

   5. The dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the Greek/Roman empire provided a mission base by which Paul could carry the gospel to small Jewish communities throughout the world.  Because of the synagogues and scattered groups of Jews, Paul could organize his vast mission trips and begin the spread of the gospel.

   6. Because of their strict belief in monotheism, Christ's claims to be God led to the priests delivering Him up to be crucified, which, of course, was the central issue of God's rescue plan!

   7. The Greek culture unified the world, and the Roman Empire with its vast system of roads (used initially for military conquest and control) united the world in a way never before in world history. It was convenient for the gospel to flow from nation to nation, and there was easy access to all areas of the empire.  That made the spread of the gospel possible.


God worked His plan through the suffering of His people....

God was busy at work, weaving a extraordinary historical tapestry. But it all worked through the suffering of Israel. Without the Babylonian captivity, there would have no coming of the Messiah, no cross, no Christianity, and no civilization today as we know it.




In Psalm 137 we read about the sorrow of the Jewish people in captivity in Babylon:

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 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?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, 

may my right hand forget its skill

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,

if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

Five hundred years before Christ as born, the Jews were praying that they be saved from their enemies and that Jerusalem be restored to them.

Now, here, in Luke's account, while Zechariah was in the temple praising God for His revealed redemption, his family and friends were outside having a prayer meeting.

And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshippers are praying outside...

(Luke 1:10).

They prayed. God worked. The Messiah arrived...

"in the fullness of time."

Our God is always at work. 

Our Best Option? Adoption!

Romans 8:23

   "We ourselves groan inwardly as we wait patiently for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies." 

Thoughts from Charles Spurgeon --

  "Even in this world, saints are God's children, but the only way people will discover this is by certain moral characteristics.

The adoption is not displayed; the children are not yet openly declared. Among Romans a private adoption might be kept secret for a time, but later there would be a public adoption, when the child was brought before the authorities, its old clothes removed, and the father would give new clothing suitable for its new status in life.

We are not yet clothed in the apparel of heaven's royal family; we are still wearing in the flesh and blood just what we wear as children of Adam.

Can't you imagine that a child taken from the lowest ranks in society and adopted by a Roman senator, would say to himself, 'I long for the day when I shall be publicly adopted, Then I shall discard these poor clothes and dress in clothes that depict my senatorial rank.'  Glad for what he has already received, but he still yearns for the fulness of what has been promised him.

So it is with us today; we are waiting until we can put on our fine clothes and are declared as the children of God for all to see. We are young nobles who have not yet worn our crowns. We are young brides, and the marriage day has not arrived."

The Angel Waiting at the Tomb

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay, then go quickly and tell His disciples...'"

   The angel was there, watching over the tomb (probably waiting for the women to arrive), as the angels had been watching at His birth, and attending Him when being confronted by Satan in the wilderness, and countless other times during His life on earth.

   How gently he reminded the women that Jesus had told them about His resurrection before He was crucified. He didn't scold them, just kindly reminded them.

   The angel knew why they were there. Then he asked them to look for themselves...to know for certain.....how thoughtful he is to them. He could tell how much they loved Him.

   But then, he gave them their task....."Go quickly and tell..."

   That's what he is telling us...'It's true! He is risen...as He said...now go and tell! Right now! Don't waste a moment! They are waiting!'

   There is a sense of urgency. What is your priority today?

How to Not Forget

 Psalm 103:1-2 --

 "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits"... 

David, in talking to himself, reminds himself not to forget all the LORD has done for him....I do this, too, and probably you do, too....when things seem overwhelming, or just confusing, I  remind myself of all God has done for me already, and how He has promised to always be there to help me and defend me.

"Hey," I say to myself, "you can get through this. You have God to help. His Spirit is giving you wisdom and divine revelation. You are strong and you will figure this out. Remember the 'joy of the Lord is your strength!" and things like that. I can boost myself up and point myself in the right direction. Help myself focus on what is happening and Who is there to guide me.

Talking to ourselves is usually very helpful. David apparently thought so, too. He seemed to talk to himself quite a lot in the Psalms. Always positive, encouraging advice!

"Forget not all His benefits..." The best way to not forget is to remember! That's a brilliant observation, right?

Thinking about that old song, "Count Your Blessings" again. What good advice!

     "When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed.

     When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost

     Count your many blessings, name them one by one

     And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

        Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

        Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

        Count your many blessings, every doubt with fly

        And you will be singing as the days go by!"

Get out that big journal and make a list - what's first?

Start now...and you will be singing as the day goes by....

A

The Tongue - Not Just A Weapon?

 

                                                 When is the Tongue a Weapon?

From James, Chapter 3:

"The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider how a great forest is set in fire by a small spark. The tongue is also a fire...it corrupts the whole body...no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who have been made in Christ's likeness. My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

Lord, You caution us in Your Word to be careful with our tongue. It is a small but powerful tool. It can be a dangerous weapon! Our words can harm, wound, discourage people around us who are made in Your image.

We are surrounded by people who want to damage others -- social media, TV, speakers and ranters, all pouncing on others and  causing chaos.

It is all around us. They distort truth and spread malicious lies.

Help us to discern truth in the midst of all the hateful rhetoric.

But also help us model a different way of communication -- Your way. Make our words speak the truth in love, thoughtful and kind, and full of Your grace and mercy -- like You speak to us.

As You have been to us, help us to be to others.

We want to bless the world with Your beauty. Help us be different from the world around us! Where there is hate, help us bring love.

And praise and gratitude  to You for hearing our prayers.

Amen

It All Comes With Jesus - Immanuel!

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.

(Hebrews 4:16)

Where else could we go in time of need? His Throne is the only place we can receive mercy because He is the only One who can extend it to us. With open, empty hands we approach Him and He fills them to overflowing with His mercy and His grace.

Mercy is when we don't get what we deserve. We deserve judgment, but we get mercy. It's a full pardon for all we have done that shows our disobedience and rejection of God.

Grace is when we get even more than mercy -- we get the added bonus of Christ's righteousness being credited to us.

So mercy is when we don't get what we deserve. And grace is when we do get what we don't deserve.

It's the ultimate exchange. We get rid of our dirty, sinful clothing and replace it with the perfect spotless new garments of Christ's righteousness.

There is no better deal in the universe. It's the most drastic, and certainly most important, makeover ever!

Everything in our life is reversed. Everything is turned upside down.

We approach the Throne, which should be the Throne of Judgment for us, where we should receive His just punishment for our sins and failures. But because we come dressed in the righteousness of His Son, our Redeemer, God is able to be kind and gracious to us, without in any way trivializing His requirement for perfect holiness.
He welcomes us as we approach Him.

The Cross took care of all of it!

So this is the picture we have as we approach the Throne. He is there waiting for us -- eagerly desiring to bless us. A throne is the symbol of authority. And God's Throne is where He commands His goodness to fall upon us.

We so approach with grateful hearts, in confidence, knowing He has already extended the scepter -- not like an early king's scepter -- His scepter is shaped like a cross -- and we approach as children to their loving Father.
 Remember what it was like to fun full speed, laughing joyfully, into your father's arms?

Is there a more joyous place in the universe? I don't know of one.

Neither did the Psalmist.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

(Psalm 16:11)

There's a sign over the gate to Disneyland reminding us that we are entering "The Happiest Place on Earth." And it is a very happy place!

But that happiness pales when compared to the joy we find at the eternal Throne of God.

Sometimes we get carried away with comparing the various words associated with joy.
We define "happiness" one way, and "joy" another way.

The Psalmist approached it differently:

But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

(Psalm 68:3)

Look at those words: be glad, rejoice, be happy, joyful -- four different words, and they all result from being in God's presence.

The Psalmist who write those words was King David, the one who sang and danced in the procession that brought the Ark of God's Presence into Jerusalem.

He was joyfully celebrating and dancing before God. It wasn't planned. It was a spontaneous reaction to just being close to God. And that's the kind of joy available to us! Today! Right now! At this precise moment! Just grab it!

Satan's Strategy of Attack

 

The very fact that you are under attack must mean you're on the right side, accomplishing important kingdom work that annoys and frustrates Satan. 

Notice someone else who struggled with his attacks: Read Romans 7:14-25. See how the Apostle Paul describes it -- "I do not understand," "It is sin living in me...", "I do not do the things I want...I see another law working in my body...what a miserable man I am..."   

He is writing in the present tense, describing a struggle at the present time. This means the Apostle Paul battled sin while he was writing a book in the Bible!

Can you think of a more strategic time for Satan to attack?

Grace Notes

A Glimpse of Grace
           .....from an unexpected place....

"Because of the love that was between this man and me, My Lord King Arthur and his noble knights now lie dead. Therefore, Sir Lancelot, I now repent; and I would enter the kingdom of heaven through the grace of the passion of our Lord Jesu: for many are now in heaven who were on earth as sinful as we."
(Words of Lady Guinevere)
                 
--from Le Morte D'Arthur [The Death of King Arthur], by Sir Mallory, published in 1485





From Jerry Bridges, written in 2008. "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." We are never 'beyond the need' or 'beyond the reach.'




From Philip Yancy, written 2007. "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. And there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less."

What Does It Mean to Open a Bible?

 From David Platt in his book "Radical" --

"God has chosen in His matchless grace to give us a revelation of Himself in His Word.

It is the only Book that He has promised to bless by His Spirit to transform you and me into the image of Jesus Christ. It is the only Book that He has promised to use to bring our hearts, our minds, and our lives into alignment with Him.

I'm not saying that God has not used or blessed other books throughout Christian history, but there is only one Book that He has perfectly inspired by His Spirit for the accomplishment of His purpose.

When you or I open the Bible, we are beholding the very words of God -- words that have supernatural power to redeem, renew, refresh, and restore our lives to what He created them to be.

If we want to know the glory of God, if we want to experience the beauty of God, and if we want to be used by the hand of God, then we must live in the Word of God."

[supernatural power to restore us to what He created us to be....]

God's Right Man for the Right Job

Wisdom from C S Lewis

   "We have in our day started getting the whole picture up-side down. Starting with the doctrine that every individual is of 'infinite value,' we then picture God as a kind of employment agency whose business it is to find suitable careers for all of us, square holes for square pegs. 

In fact, however, the value of the individual does not lie in him. He is capable of receiving value. He receives it by union with Christ.

There is no question of finding for him a place in the living temple which will do justice to his inherent value. The place was there first. The man was created for it. He will not be truly himself until he is there."

Ephesians 2:10 --"For we are His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

 

How Does God Help Us?

 Can we do what God wants us to do if He helps us?

Yes, but how does He help us?

"We mean God is putting into us a bit of Himself, so to speak. He lends us a little of His reasoning powers and that is how we think. He puts a little of His love into us and that is how we love one another. 

When you teach a child writing, you hold its hand while it forms the letters; that is, it forms the letters because you are forming them. We love and reason because God loves and reasons through us and holds our hand while we do it."

    --- From Mere Christianity by C S Lewis