Let's look at the answer to this question from God’s Word. The Psalmist says is verse one of chapter fifty-seven, "For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds." Truth, in God's economy, is beyond our comprehension in magnitude, to be sure.
Our response? It should be as the Psalmist's, which is two-fold. First, "Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name” (86:11). Second, "Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth” (115:1). We should plead with God to teach us His way, so that we would walk in truth. Knowing God's way results in us seeing the path of truth lighted, namely by His word. Why should this be our desire, our passion? So that His glory will be more clearly and brightly displayed through our lives.
What is God's response? "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Ps. 145:18). As we pray and receive and meditate and walk in the truth, our Sovereign Lord reveals Himself walking close beside us. This does not mean the way is always easy, but that the way is right, because it is in the truth.
Lord Jesus, may we know your way of truth, and give us the strength to walk in it. We pray that unto you, not us, be glory forevermore. Amen.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Depths of His Love
Paul, in his wonderful letter of Romans writes, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (5:6). The measure of God's love through Jesus Christ is beyond all human comprehension. In our state of total powerlessness, Christ Jesus demonstrated His love for us by becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross. When we could not and would not go to Him, He came to us. Christ comes and pays the penalty for the sins of all who would ever believe in Him and bears the wrath of God as if we were on that tree. What a Savior!
When a person comes to this saving knowledge and submits his or her life by faith in Christ, they are plunged beneath "that cleansing flood and lose all their guilty stains". That is the power of the cross! We are justified, clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. We come before the God of the Universe, the Almighty, in right standing. We do not have to say anything in our defense, for Jesus has already said and done all that is needed, all on our behalf.
Therefore, as we live our lives now in time and later in eternity our song is and shall always be, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (Rev. 5:12).
When a person comes to this saving knowledge and submits his or her life by faith in Christ, they are plunged beneath "that cleansing flood and lose all their guilty stains". That is the power of the cross! We are justified, clothed with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. We come before the God of the Universe, the Almighty, in right standing. We do not have to say anything in our defense, for Jesus has already said and done all that is needed, all on our behalf.
Therefore, as we live our lives now in time and later in eternity our song is and shall always be, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (Rev. 5:12).
Friday, February 18, 2011
HE IS LORD
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Paul proclaims this remarkable benediction at the end of Romans 11. What a glorious reminder to us that Jesus Christ is the centerpiece and apex of all things.
John places this statement at the beginning of his gospel: "without him was not any thing made that was made." Notice also these following statements found elsewhere in the New Testament. He is before all things and He holds all things together. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. He is truly Lord.
Paul also says in Philippians that God has given him a name that is above every name. What is that glorious name that God reserves only for His son? Is it Jesus? Is it Christ? Listen to verse 11 in Philippians 2: "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (emphasis added). The name God has given His son is “Lord”. One day, across the universe, angelic beings and all the heavenly hosts, all human beings and beasts, and all demonic beings and even Satan Himself will fall to their knees and confess aloud that Jesus Christ is LORD.
Why will we all do this? For the glory of the Father! The concluding display of all things on this earth will be the wonderful magnification of Jesus Christ as Lord for the total satisfaction and glory of our God.
Oh Jesus, how we want to presently and continually bow the knee and make confession with our lives that you are truly Lord of all to the glory of our eternal Father.
John places this statement at the beginning of his gospel: "without him was not any thing made that was made." Notice also these following statements found elsewhere in the New Testament. He is before all things and He holds all things together. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. He is truly Lord.
Paul also says in Philippians that God has given him a name that is above every name. What is that glorious name that God reserves only for His son? Is it Jesus? Is it Christ? Listen to verse 11 in Philippians 2: "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (emphasis added). The name God has given His son is “Lord”. One day, across the universe, angelic beings and all the heavenly hosts, all human beings and beasts, and all demonic beings and even Satan Himself will fall to their knees and confess aloud that Jesus Christ is LORD.
Why will we all do this? For the glory of the Father! The concluding display of all things on this earth will be the wonderful magnification of Jesus Christ as Lord for the total satisfaction and glory of our God.
Oh Jesus, how we want to presently and continually bow the knee and make confession with our lives that you are truly Lord of all to the glory of our eternal Father.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Better Than Life
The Psalmist proclaims in Psalm 63:3 "Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you". As I meditate on this truth in God's Word, I am overtaken by the weight of this statement. Do you realize what David is saying? He is saying that the consistent, everlasting, never-failing love of God is better than life itself!
How did David come to realize, experience and therefore be able to truly say such a statement? I'll tell you how; he discovered this wonderful truth by shepherding, singing and sorrowful repentance. As he grew up, he came to know His creator as almighty protector and lover of his lonely shepherd soul. God defeated bears, lions and other life-taking dangers as David watched over Jesse's sheep. When he was Israel’s king in waiting, the troubled king Saul attempted to take his life by spear and sword. Even then, David experienced the better-than-life love of God upholding, guiding, and protecting him.
When David had succumbed to sin as an adulterer, a murderer and deceiver, he was able to truly know God's everlasting love. Here are his words in Psalm 51:1a, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love." What hope did David plea against for God’s mercy? His steadfast love, of course. He knew that he must cry for mercy and repent "up against" the attribute of God's consistent, never-changing love in order to receive forgiveness from his God.
And so it is with you and I. Our hearts will come to know through the experiences of this wonderful, Christian life that God's steadfast, rock-solid, never-shifting love will always be there to see us through anything! Therefore, we can know that this kind of love is far better than life itself.
How did David come to realize, experience and therefore be able to truly say such a statement? I'll tell you how; he discovered this wonderful truth by shepherding, singing and sorrowful repentance. As he grew up, he came to know His creator as almighty protector and lover of his lonely shepherd soul. God defeated bears, lions and other life-taking dangers as David watched over Jesse's sheep. When he was Israel’s king in waiting, the troubled king Saul attempted to take his life by spear and sword. Even then, David experienced the better-than-life love of God upholding, guiding, and protecting him.
When David had succumbed to sin as an adulterer, a murderer and deceiver, he was able to truly know God's everlasting love. Here are his words in Psalm 51:1a, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love." What hope did David plea against for God’s mercy? His steadfast love, of course. He knew that he must cry for mercy and repent "up against" the attribute of God's consistent, never-changing love in order to receive forgiveness from his God.
And so it is with you and I. Our hearts will come to know through the experiences of this wonderful, Christian life that God's steadfast, rock-solid, never-shifting love will always be there to see us through anything! Therefore, we can know that this kind of love is far better than life itself.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Entrance of His Word
Psalm 119:130 says, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." It is interesting to note the distinct change in the atmosphere when certain persons enter a room. The conversations may change or even stop. People's attention may turn to that person in order to speak or recognize their presence. This is particularly apparent when it is considered a person of import and influence.
However, when God's Word makes an entrance, the change is most apparent. His word penetrates from darkness to light, from deceit to truth, and from wicked to righteous. The beauty of His word is that it produces the same life-changing results in the greatest thinkers or simplest hearts. He creates life, calms seas and storms, subdues demons, and, in the end, will defeat "that old serpent" and his followers by the word of His mouth.
That being said, doesn't it make perfect sense for us, as His disciples, to bow under the authority and security of God's Word? Even when His word comes into direct conflict with our beliefs, traditions or desires, what He says takes precedent over any and all of these.
Lord Jesus, may you purify and cleanse our hearts that they may be continually filled with the entrance-changing light of your Word!
However, when God's Word makes an entrance, the change is most apparent. His word penetrates from darkness to light, from deceit to truth, and from wicked to righteous. The beauty of His word is that it produces the same life-changing results in the greatest thinkers or simplest hearts. He creates life, calms seas and storms, subdues demons, and, in the end, will defeat "that old serpent" and his followers by the word of His mouth.
That being said, doesn't it make perfect sense for us, as His disciples, to bow under the authority and security of God's Word? Even when His word comes into direct conflict with our beliefs, traditions or desires, what He says takes precedent over any and all of these.
Lord Jesus, may you purify and cleanse our hearts that they may be continually filled with the entrance-changing light of your Word!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Overflowing Light
True worship. What is it? Jesus defines and prescribes worship in many places in the Gospels, not the least of which is the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Listen to Christ in Matthew chapter five verse sixteen: "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." I love how the New American Standard translation reads "in such a way". That is to say "your light", namely Christ's light, should reflect through our lives in a manner that reveals the value and worth of our God. In other words, true worship is an overflow of the light of our Lord Jesus Christ that shines so deep and bright in our hearts as believers.
How we are as His poor-in-spirit, meek, sin-mourning, pure, hungry for His righteousness, persecuted people is displayed as light in this dark world by the good works in which we walk (Ephesians 2:10). Oh Jesus, help our lights to be placed brightly on the mantles of our homes, workplaces, recreation and every other context of our lives. May they NOT be hidden beneath the baskets of sin, shame, doubt, complacency and every other light-hiding source that tries to distort the view, and thus the worth and value of the one, true God!
How we are as His poor-in-spirit, meek, sin-mourning, pure, hungry for His righteousness, persecuted people is displayed as light in this dark world by the good works in which we walk (Ephesians 2:10). Oh Jesus, help our lights to be placed brightly on the mantles of our homes, workplaces, recreation and every other context of our lives. May they NOT be hidden beneath the baskets of sin, shame, doubt, complacency and every other light-hiding source that tries to distort the view, and thus the worth and value of the one, true God!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Overpowering Light
As I write my first post, my first attempt ever to blog, I am pondering one of the greatest truths in all of Scripture. Listen to John in the opening of his gospel. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5 ESV). The English Standard Version (ESV) accurately translates the Greek word "katalambanÅ" as the phrase "has not overcome it". The ESV gives rich and relished meaning to the understanding that no matter how hard Satan and his evil forces may spread and grow their darkness; it can never overcome the Light of Life, Jesus Christ.
This brings me to the heart, the center and core of our being. Jeremiah says our hearts are terribly wicked. Paul says we are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, in our "darkness" in other words. So, the burning question is how can this deep, infective and total darkness of the heart be overcome? Paul gives us the answer in his second epistle to the Corinthians with the following statement: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Cor. 4:6).
As Christ's light shines in on the darkness of the heart, it brings with it creative and redemptive power. Paul's quote within this verse is taken from Genesis chapter one where God speaks to the earth that was without form and void. Darkness was over the face of the deep and the Spirit of God, Sovereign of the Universe, hovered over the waters and said, "Let there be light" and the light had no choice but to shine!
In the same way, the Spirit of God hovers over a dead, void, and dark heart of a sinner. He speaks light, and the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ shines in such a way that it overpowers and overcomes the darkness of the heart. This light creates a new heart and thus, changes every aspect of a person. This truth and reality is one of the sweetest in the entire Bible. Praise God for His overpowering light!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)