Monday, September 14, 2020
Preparing the Table - Higher Ground
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5
Often the conscientious shepherd actually prepared the tableland for his sheep in advance.
Going up to the highland summer pasture he would eliminate hazards, pulling poisonous plants, driving out wolves and other predators. Even sharp rocks hiding in the grasses would be located and removed, to avoid injury to the head of the sheep as they grazed. Carcasses of other animals that would attract scavengers would be removed. All of this would be done before the sheep even arrived!
Even with enemies lurking nearby, the sheep had a place of safety.
If an insect bit the sheep, or if he was cut by sharp rock while grazing, the shepherd was there with oil to anoint his head and soothe and cleanse the injury.
In the Bible oil and wine speak of joy and prosperity. Growing olives and grapes and their transformation into oil and wine took time and gentle care.
In a land like Israel, hot and dry, the oil brought relief from the sun and wind. It soothed the skin, especially the face. And wine eased the parched throat.
"...wine to gladden his heart and oil to make his face shine..." we read in Psalm 104:15.
"Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love" (Psalm 31:16).
A shining face was the face of a friend.
When the Good Samaritan stopped to help the robbery victim, he "poured on him oil and wine and bandaged his wounds" in Luke 10.
David knew that his Good Shepherd provided for him abundantly, cared for him, and sought his safety. His own face was shining and his heart was merry because of his faith.
If we allow God to lead us to where He wants us to go, we will find He has prepared our place for us, and He has anointed our head will oil and filled our hearts to overflowing with the wine of true joy, writes James Montgomery Boice in his book on the 23rd Psalm.
Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world"
(Matthew 25:34)
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him (1Corinthians 2:9).
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Defeated? Are you sure? From Jerry Bridges
From Jerry Bridges - The Pursuit of Holiness
It is time for us Christians to face up to our responsibility for holiness.
Too often we say we are "defeated" by this or that sin.
No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient!
It might be good if we stopped using the terms "victory" and "defeat" to describe our progress in holiness.
Rather we should use the terms "obedience" and "disobedience."
When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me.
But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me [where it belongs!]
We may, in fact, be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.
We have chosen to entertain lustful thoughts, or to harbor resentment, or to shade the truth a little.
We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for our thoughts, attitudes and actions.
We need to reckon on the fact that we died to sin's reign, that it no longer has any dominion over us, that God has united us with the risen Christ in all His power, and has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us.
Only as we accept our responsibility and appropriate Go's provisions will be make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.
-- From The Pursuit of Holiness,
Chapter 8, by Jerry Bridges
It is time for us Christians to face up to our responsibility for holiness.
Too often we say we are "defeated" by this or that sin.
No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient!
It might be good if we stopped using the terms "victory" and "defeat" to describe our progress in holiness.
Rather we should use the terms "obedience" and "disobedience."
When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside of me has defeated me.
But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for my sin squarely on me [where it belongs!]
We may, in fact, be defeated, but the reason we are defeated is because we have chosen to disobey.
We have chosen to entertain lustful thoughts, or to harbor resentment, or to shade the truth a little.
We need to brace ourselves up and to realize that we are responsible for our thoughts, attitudes and actions.
We need to reckon on the fact that we died to sin's reign, that it no longer has any dominion over us, that God has united us with the risen Christ in all His power, and has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us.
Only as we accept our responsibility and appropriate Go's provisions will be make any progress in our pursuit of holiness.
-- From The Pursuit of Holiness,
Chapter 8, by Jerry Bridges
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Easter Revisited
He was born in a stable,
In an obscure village.
From there He traveled
Less than 200 miles.
He never won an election.
He never went to college.
He never owned a home.
He never had much money.
He became a nomadic preacher.
Popular opinion turned against Him.
He was betrayed by a close friend,
And His other friends ran away.
He was unjustly condemned to death,
Crucified on a cross among thieves
On a hill overlooking the town dump,
And when dead, laid in a borrowed grave.
Twenty centuries have come and gone.
Empires have risen and fallen.
Mighty armies have marched.
And powerful rulers have reigned.
Yet no one affected men as much as He.
He is the central figure of the human race.
He is the Son of God,
JESUS CHRIST.
In an obscure village.
From there He traveled
Less than 200 miles.
He never won an election.
He never went to college.
He never owned a home.
He never had much money.
He became a nomadic preacher.
Popular opinion turned against Him.
He was betrayed by a close friend,
And His other friends ran away.
He was unjustly condemned to death,
Crucified on a cross among thieves
On a hill overlooking the town dump,
And when dead, laid in a borrowed grave.
Twenty centuries have come and gone.
Empires have risen and fallen.
Mighty armies have marched.
And powerful rulers have reigned.
Yet no one affected men as much as He.
He is the central figure of the human race.
He is the Son of God,
JESUS CHRIST.
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Long , long ago and far, far away
Once upon a time, long, long ago and far, far away there lived a self-existent, all- powerful, absolutely holy and righteous Creator God. He was loving and compassionate. In His plan to share His love and glory He created a universe with bright, shining stars and glowing suns and other celestial forms, circling and spiraling through space in constant rhythm, a cosmic dance that brought delight to His angels. They clapped their hands in boundless joy as He spun out colors and brightness and sparkling balls.
He decided to select one of those spheres and place special creatures on it. These creatures would inhabit the sky and sea and land, all domains the God made on the sphere. It was all so very beautiful -- colors in the sky matched colors on the earth and in the sea. More colors than anyone could imagine. Everything was sparkling in its clear beauty.
Then He decided to bring into being a new creature -- a new race of beings that could exercise their own free will and worship Him happily for all His gifts to them. This would bring Him pleasure.
He decided these new creations could have fellowship with Him. He had just one small restriction He placed on them. Otherwise, they could enjoy their perfect home and know the joy of His presence.
But one day they violated His rule. He did not destroy them. Rather, He sought them out and promised to redeem them -- to enable them to come back into His presence. They had to move to a new home. A home that was not as perfect and welcoming as their first home, but still a place where they had plenty of food and water and great beauty to admire. And they could still communicate with Him!
But their children and their children's children became more and more disobedient to God. They even refused to worship Him. They would not even thank Him for His gifts!
But the gracious and loving compassionate God was determined still to redeem them. He gave His special message to one man and to his descendants, purposing that through that one group of people the whole world could be blessed.
He even delivered this group of people from slavery in a foreign land, working great miracles as He liberated them.
But then, once they were freed from slavery they rebelled over and over again.
God never gave up. His love was never-ending. He gave them rules to live by--rules to show them how to live happy lives, how to know Him, how to live in freedom and peaceful joy.
But they didn't like His rules. They kept rebelling. And God kept loving. He sent special messengers to them -- messengers He had given words of wisdom and comfort to. These messengers pleaded with the people to return to worshiping God.
The situation on the planet got worse and worse. The people mocked the messengers. They killed many of them. They refused to listen. At those times when they did listen, they forgot to tell their children how God wanted them to live. And so the children went their own destructive ways.
The people even began to make ridiculous images and idols, hand made them themselves, silly objects of wood and stone, to worship instead of worshiping the God who loved them. (I know this story is hard to believe -- how could people do such awful things to the God who made them and loved them?)
Instead of looking at the truth God gave the people, they started inventing their own kinds of truth. (Yes, I know it is all too incredible to believe, but, remember, this is just a story!)
One day God decided to make the ultimate, the most drastic, act to redeem His wayward children. He sent His Son, Himself, to live in a body like the people, to be with the people. He would look like them, but would lead a life that honored God's perfect goodness.
He would come down to earth to live, not to condemn the people, but to redeem them.
But the people, seeing His goodness, tortured Him and murdered Him. Only a few people received with joy the great message that God loved them!
But God's never-ending love continued. He offered the killers of His Son amnesty, total forgiveness, and the transcendent peace that comes when people are free of all guilt.
And that was not all. He also promised them eternal life, a future life without pain, sadness, sickness, and death. A life of joy in His presence.
All God asked was that the people honor His Son and worship and serve Him alone.
That's all. What a deal! The best deal in the universe!
But some people, even then, said, "God, you haven't done enough!"
I know. This is just a story. And a story that is not believable. One that could certainly never happen. No people would ever be that silly and self-centered.
He decided to select one of those spheres and place special creatures on it. These creatures would inhabit the sky and sea and land, all domains the God made on the sphere. It was all so very beautiful -- colors in the sky matched colors on the earth and in the sea. More colors than anyone could imagine. Everything was sparkling in its clear beauty.
Then He decided to bring into being a new creature -- a new race of beings that could exercise their own free will and worship Him happily for all His gifts to them. This would bring Him pleasure.
He decided these new creations could have fellowship with Him. He had just one small restriction He placed on them. Otherwise, they could enjoy their perfect home and know the joy of His presence.
But one day they violated His rule. He did not destroy them. Rather, He sought them out and promised to redeem them -- to enable them to come back into His presence. They had to move to a new home. A home that was not as perfect and welcoming as their first home, but still a place where they had plenty of food and water and great beauty to admire. And they could still communicate with Him!
But their children and their children's children became more and more disobedient to God. They even refused to worship Him. They would not even thank Him for His gifts!
But the gracious and loving compassionate God was determined still to redeem them. He gave His special message to one man and to his descendants, purposing that through that one group of people the whole world could be blessed.
He even delivered this group of people from slavery in a foreign land, working great miracles as He liberated them.
But then, once they were freed from slavery they rebelled over and over again.
God never gave up. His love was never-ending. He gave them rules to live by--rules to show them how to live happy lives, how to know Him, how to live in freedom and peaceful joy.
But they didn't like His rules. They kept rebelling. And God kept loving. He sent special messengers to them -- messengers He had given words of wisdom and comfort to. These messengers pleaded with the people to return to worshiping God.
The situation on the planet got worse and worse. The people mocked the messengers. They killed many of them. They refused to listen. At those times when they did listen, they forgot to tell their children how God wanted them to live. And so the children went their own destructive ways.
The people even began to make ridiculous images and idols, hand made them themselves, silly objects of wood and stone, to worship instead of worshiping the God who loved them. (I know this story is hard to believe -- how could people do such awful things to the God who made them and loved them?)
Instead of looking at the truth God gave the people, they started inventing their own kinds of truth. (Yes, I know it is all too incredible to believe, but, remember, this is just a story!)
One day God decided to make the ultimate, the most drastic, act to redeem His wayward children. He sent His Son, Himself, to live in a body like the people, to be with the people. He would look like them, but would lead a life that honored God's perfect goodness.
He would come down to earth to live, not to condemn the people, but to redeem them.
But the people, seeing His goodness, tortured Him and murdered Him. Only a few people received with joy the great message that God loved them!
But God's never-ending love continued. He offered the killers of His Son amnesty, total forgiveness, and the transcendent peace that comes when people are free of all guilt.
And that was not all. He also promised them eternal life, a future life without pain, sadness, sickness, and death. A life of joy in His presence.
All God asked was that the people honor His Son and worship and serve Him alone.
That's all. What a deal! The best deal in the universe!
But some people, even then, said, "God, you haven't done enough!"
I know. This is just a story. And a story that is not believable. One that could certainly never happen. No people would ever be that silly and self-centered.
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
How Should We Live Today?
No secret about that!
God made it really clear:
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
BE:
1. Joyful .... always
2. Prayful .... continually
3. Thankful ... all the time
He tells us what to do and when to do it!
So this is how I should live today and how I can please God
today!
God made it really clear:
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16
BE:
1. Joyful .... always
2. Prayful .... continually
3. Thankful ... all the time
He tells us what to do and when to do it!
So this is how I should live today and how I can please God
today!
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