The Journey Through the Wall

Click here to listen to the message given at New Testament Baptist Church based on my reflections of our study of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero

John 18:15-18 (NASB) 
¹⁵ Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, ¹⁶ but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ Then the slave-girl who kept the door *said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He *said, "I am not." ¹⁸ Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. 


John 18:25-27 (NASB) 
²⁵ Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not." ²⁶ One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, *said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" ²⁷ Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed. 

Romans 5:1-5 (AMP)
¹ THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). ² Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. ³ Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. ⁴ And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. ⁵ Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

Rediscovering Sabbath - Winds Across the Water

Genesis 7:24 - 8:1 (NASB)



24 The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.  8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.

Hurricane Irene arrived in New England yesterday.  In my little corner of the world it was entirely uneventful, not like in some parts of New England that experienced tidal surges, heavy rains and wind accompanied by river flooding.  We were mostly on the windy side of the storm.  And as you can see below, Irene produced tiny little whitecaps on our quiet little lake.
 

Our morning began with a hummingbird flying in front of our sliding door, perhaps hoping that our living room would provide safe haven during the storm.  At that juncture the wind was starting to kick up along with intermittent driving rain.

I've always enjoyed watching the patterns of ripples or waves caused by the swirling winds on our lake.  I don't know what it is about it, but I find it kind of whimsical, and I am thoroughly entertained by it.  Now don't get me wrong, having lived on Cape Cod all my life I have witnessed the tremendous power of the raging Atlantic.  I understand that is just a glimpse of God's power and I am totally awed by it.  That being said, even the midst of Irene, I experienced something different.  Something unexpected.  I experienced the peace of God along with an invitation to come and sit in His presence.

We lost power around 9:30 in the morning.  That removed all the electronic distractions that invade my spirit.  I could no  longer watch endless loops of hurricane reports.  There would be no views of newscasters standing near sea walls telling viewers not to venture near the sea walls like they were doing with the ocean waves roaring in the background.  There would be no viewing the circular patterns of the hurricane on the weather channel's radar.  No internet.  No checking email.  No Red Sox baseball.  Rather I was given the opportunity to observe the reality of my immediate world around me in the "quiet" of a hurricane!  It was a Sunday without church responsibilities.  It was an enforced Sabbath.

I realized I've never done Sabbath very well.  For years I've carried several responsibilities at church.  Even though I have been deeply blessed, at times it has felt like a second job.  But this Hurricane Irene Sunday would be different.

There were a couple of things that I observed and kind of marveled at.  One was that all the wave action and current seemed to go upstream on our river fed lake.  It was like God was saying, "I will do the unexpected, like part the sea so my people can safely cross."  Another thing I observed was that while all the other wildlife we enjoy on the lake took shelter, the ducks seemed completely unfazed by all that was going on around them.  They swam, they flew, they spent the day feeding in the lake in front of our apartment.  What makes them so different from all the other fowl on the lake?  I just drew a real peace from watching them.  It was like they understood what God meant when He said, "Be still and know I am God."  Or in Psalm 23, where David says, "He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul."

Noah and his family along with his precious cargo aboard the ark witnessed the complete devastation of 150 days of rain.  Then ...

1 ...God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. 2 Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained; 3 and the water receded steadily from the earth, and at the end of one hundred and fifty days the water decreased.
                   Genesis 8:1-3 (NASB)
 
Sometimes God uses wind to bring about change.  This was a different Sabbath for me.  I was reminded of how He longs to have fellowship with His children.  I believe He has called me make some changes in my life.  I need to experience true Sabbath more often.

Atheism

As seen on a Christian School bulletin board:

"Atheism - the belief that there was nothing and nothing happened to nothing and nothing magically exploded for no reason, creating everything and then a bunch of everything magically rearranged itself for no reason whatsoever into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs. -- Makes perfect sense."

Pleasantly Surprised

Acts 3:1-12 (NIV)



1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
 

Well, today marks the end of a long journey for me.  Today I had my final checkup after several months of recovery and healing from eye surgery.  No more lying completely still, face down.  No more eye drops several times a day.  The healing process is declared complete.  The doctor was "pleasantly surprised" at how well everything healed.  He was "surprised" at the quality of vision I have in the repaired eye.  My vision in that eye without glasses is "better than expected."
 
For my wife, Lynne, it raised some questions, like, "What did you expect?"  But for me, I could only smile because I knew God had touched me and therein lies the "unexpected" result.  I had so many dear friends go to the throne God to ask for full restoration of sight.  Thank you so much.
 
What did I expect?  I think my answer would be, "Something unique."  I have learned in the last few years that it is not about me.  It really wasn't about my eyesight.  Rather it was about how God would display Himself.  How would He be glorified?
 
Was I surprised?  No, I don't think that is the word for it.  I don't really have a word for it.  I know that once again, today, I was touched by God.  Today, He touched my spirit.
 
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NASB)


20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Lord, You Are Good, Everything You Do Is Good

Psalm 119:68 (NIV)

68 You are good, and what you do is good; 
 
Our former pastor would often start his prayer by saying, "Lord, You are good, and everything you do is good."
 
I've taken that as a launching point for many of my prayers as well.  It puts God in His proper place.  It puts me in my proper place as well.  Let me explain.
 
First, we agree with God that he is good.  Scripture teaches us that his creation was "very good." (Gen. 1:31)  From that point on, through the Old and New Testaments, we see God's acts of love, promise, protection and redemption.  
 
Secondly, it reminds me that what I read about in scripture, he continues to do today.  God does not change.  He is still good and everything He still does is good.
 
OK, so what about the bad stuff?  We live in a broken, fallen world with people who are broken and fallen.  Some folks are good-willed people prone to making poor decisions.  Others are simply evil in their intent.  David found himself in the  midst of his enemies.  They were people who sought to damage his reputation if not cause him physical harm.
 
Read carefully what David says to the Lord, in the midst of trial.
 
Psalm 119:68-72 (NIV)
68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. 69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart. 70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. 71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. 72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
 
I was listening to my iPod this morning and the words of a modern psalmist, David Crowder, caught my attention.

"And all of a sudden, / I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory / And I realize just how beautiful You are / And how great Your affections are for me / Oh how He loves us / Oh how He loves us / How He loves us all"

The phrase that jumped out at me was "these afflictions eclipsed by glory." 

This brings me to my third point.  If He is good, and everything He does is good,  then my afflictions aren't necessarily a bad thing.  I must surrender them to Him so that I may witness His glory.  It reminds me of my place as His child.  If I hold on to my afflictions, that is all I will see.  My afflictions.

My afflictions this year have dealt mainly with eye health.  I just received an excellent report and prognosis from the doctor after 3 surgeries and 8 months of recovery.  But I have to tell you, I would not change a thing about these past 8 months, because I now understand what it means to be suddenly "unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory."

Lord, You are good, and everything You do is good.

Solemn Assembly Continued - A Lifestyle of Confession and Forgivness

1 John 1:9 (NASB)

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

How can we bring what we learned at Solemn Assembly into our everyday lives?  Dr. Paul Tripp gives us thoughtful insights into a lifestyle of confession and forgiveness in our marriages.  I would suggest that these insights apply to all our interactions with other people.

The following is excerpted from What Did You Expect? – Redeeming the Realities of Marriage by Dr. Paul David Tripp (pp. 80 – 83):

“[W]hat does it look like when we take the grace of confession seriously, to get the elephant out of the room and make honest admission of wrong the regular habit of a marriage? Well, here are the daily habits of a confession lifestyle.”

1. “We will be lovingly honest. …It requires a willingness to approach the other when he or she has acted or spoken in a way that God says is wrong. We must be committed to deal with such issues in a way that is driven by Christlike love. This means that before we can speak to the other’s heart issues, we first need to deal with the hurt, anger and bitterness in our own heart. Remember, truth not spoken in love ceases to be helpful because the message gets twisted and distorted by human emotions and agendas.”

2. “We will be humble when exposed. Humility when we are approached by the other means willingness to consider. It means quieting that background noise of our inner defense system. It means remembering that we have not yet arrived, that we are still sinners in need of daily grace, and that at this moment we are being loved by our Redeemer. Humility means the willingness to look in the mirror of God’s Word and being glad that whatever we see there is already been covered by the blood of Jesus.”

3. “We will not excuse. It is such a typical impulse for us all: someone points out a wrong and we are immediately filled with an alternative view that places us in a very different light. Refusal to excuse means resisting the urge to build arguments for our righteousness. It means refusing to turn the tables on the other, making sure that he or she knows that we are not the only sinner in the room.”

4. “We will be quick to admit wrongs. … We refuse to pout. We refuse to live in the silence of hurt, anger, and vengeance. When we have done wrong, we will be quick to approach the other and lovingly help him see what he has said and done. We will make our approach in the spirit of forgiveness and hope. We will refuse to let the ‘sun go down our anger’ (Eph. 4:26).”

5. “We will listen and examine. Each of us has to work to quiet our emotions and the self-righteous tendencies of our hearts. When approached, we all need to require ourselves to hear clearly and to think carefully. This means working to understand and consider. It means taking the light that is handed to us by the words of the other and shining it on ourselves, being willing to see things about ourselves that we have never seen before. Change is not only about admitting wrong; it is about progressively growing in self-knowledge. It is about developing a greater and greater grasp of the themes of strength and weakness in our marriage. It is about being ready, willing, and waiting to learn new things about ourselves and our marriage that will lead to lasting growth and change.”

6. “We will greet confession with encouragement. Few things crush a confession lifestyle more quickly than judgment. It is a tendency in every sinner to want the person who has hurt us to hurt in the way we have been hurt… Nothing encourages the courage of confession more than grace. If God were only a judge, nobody would confess anything to him. It is his goodness that leads us to repentance. His love draws us. His grace encourages us. His patience gives us hope… When we greet the confession with the same grace that we have been given by the Lord, we give the other hope to confess all the more.”

7. “We will be patient, persevering, and gentle in the face of wrong. The fact of the matter is that change is most often a process and seldom an event… Change is pushed upon us by a persevering Redeemer, who will not walk away from the work he has begun in both husband and wife. He will put the need of change before us in the most inopportune moments. He will not submit to our schedule or agenda for our day. He has not promised that change will be enjoyable each time or a comfortable process over the long haul. He has promised to stay near us, giving us everything we need, and he has guaranteed that we will be more than we ever thought we could be… He calls us to be patient. He calls us to be willing to wait. He calls us to continue when continuing is hard, and as we are continuing, to look for any way we can to incarnate his transforming love.”

8. “We will not return to the past. Sadly, many marriages are held hostage by the past. Every current discussion of wrong gets kidnapped by the failures and hurts of the past… The conversations don’t move toward resolution; each conversation is just a reminder of how bad things are and of how long they have been that way… So we establish a pattern of short accounts where a daily cycle of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation settles issues, alleviating any need to address them again. And we will resist, in moments of hurt and anger, resurrecting what has already been resolved.”

9. “We will put our hope in Christ. Confession is all about hope. First, confession unavoidably leads us to give up hoping in ourselves. It calls us to abandon our trust in our own wisdom, righteousness, and strength. It welcomes us to admit how weak, selfish, needy, fickle, and rebellious we actually are. It faces us with the reality that we are still people in deep and daily need of rescue… So, we lay down the hope we had in ourselves, and we take up a new, brighter hope. This hope is at the cross of Jesus Christ… He became the perfect sacrificial lamb, taking our sins on himself, satisfying the Father’s wrath and purchasing our forgiveness… We can live in the liberating light of humility and honesty, a needy and tender sinner living with a needy and tender sinner, no longer defensive and no longer afraid, together growing nearer to one another as we grow to be more like him.”

What Did You Expect? - Paul Tripp Ministries

Solemn Assembly

Joel 1:14 (NASB)

14 Consecrate a fast, Proclaim a solemn assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land To the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.
 
2 Chronicles 7:14 (AMP)

14 If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
 
Psalm 66:18 (NIV)

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
 
1 John 1:9 (NASB)

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
 
Last Sunday our church gathered for Solemn Assembly.  The Solemn Assembly is a sacred service of prayer, confession, repentance and reconciliation.  I am sure that we will look back on this service as a turning point in the life and ministry of our church.  But even as we look at a specific time or event we are not called to remain there, but to move forward.  What is it that we can take with us that God taught us at Sacred Assembly?
 
It is important for us to remember that we left our sins, our differences, and our failures at the cross, never to be taken up again.  As Pastor Brooks reminded us, "to take them up again is to deny the power of the cross."

What I Learned in 2010

Matthew 21:21-22 (AMP)

21 And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.

Needless to say 2010 has been a very different year for me.  For the first time, really, I've had to deal with the frailty of the human body.  The parts sometimes wear out and need repair or replacement; like the frame on my 2001 Toyota.  Or the retina (repair) and lens (replacement) in my eye. 



In spite of it all, I don't think I'd ask for anything different or seek to change any of the events of the past year.  God has been good to me; I mean really, really good. I've had lots of quality quiet time to spend with Him.  I feel like I'm just learning to study God's Word and interact with it.  This blog has been part of that experience.  If it has been a blessing to you, the blessing is from God.  My blessing doesn't mean much in the scheme of things.

If there is one big lesson I've learned, it is the correlation between being a student of the Bible and confidence in prayer.  I've learned that often we don't know how to pray because we don't fully understand how God acts or what He wants for us and others.  I can easily fall into the trap of making the will of God into a huge mystery.  When we study scripture, we know that we are naturally separated from God and that it is His will to redeem us through the giving of His Son on the cross.  It is His will that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as much as we love and care for ourselves.  It is God's will for us to meditate on His Word, and to pray about everything with thanksgiving in our hearts.  We are to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth and speak the truth in love. 

This is part of the revealed will of God.  There is no mystery here.  He wants us to know clearly His plan for us.  While God has some plans that are still hidden from us, like when He will return to earth, much of His will is made plain if we take the time to look for it.

E. M. Bounds said, "Unless the power of prayer is supplied by God's Word, prayer, though earnest, is empty."



That is what I've learned.  Knowing God's Word and prayer go hand in hand.  Knowledge of God through scripture breathes life into prayer.  Now the challenge for me is to know God so intimately that prayer becomes second nature to me.  To be at a place where I don't have to wrestle with how I should pray is what I really long for.  My desire for 2011 is to witness the power of God in answer to prayer.

I want to declare, "That's something only God can do.  No plan of mankind could produce that result."

Have a Merry Christmas.  God bless us, every one.

All Things

Colossians 1:15-20 (NASB)



15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
 
We all have Christmas songs that we like to play on our stereos and iPods that remind us that "Christmas Time Is Here."  That one that will do it for me from Charlie Brown's Christmas.  Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" is another.  Music from the movie "Polar Express" will turn me into a kid in an instant and gets me pumped for Christmas.  Moving from the secular to the sacred, I love Michael W. Smith's first Christmas Album.  Ray Charles' rendition of the familiar Christmas song, "What Child Is This?"  is running through my head as I reflect on the passage above that was part of my devotions this morning.  If you are familiar with it it's probably in your head now, too.
 
What is the apostle Paul telling me and telling the church at Colossae about this child we know as Christ the Lord?
 
He tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God.  The invisible is made visible.  What we could not see or fully comprehend, we now can see and begin to understand.  He was not created as we were.  He was involved in the Creation itself.  All of creation is for Christ.  Paul refers to Jesus as the "firstborn of all creation."  The hearers of Paul's letter would have understood this term not as the first thing God created, but as have the same rank, privilege and position of the firstborn.  As we read our Old and New Testament we read over and over the value God places on the firstborn. So therefore, we can understand the statement that all of creation is for Christ.  It's His.  It was created for Him.
 
He is the head of the church.  The church is His.
 
Not only is Jesus the image of God.  All of God, "the fullness of God", dwells in Him.  In our culture we place a lesser value on a copy of the original.  We may find the copy to be interesting, but we don't value it as highly as the original.  The fullness of God dwells in Christ, who was involved in Creation. 
 
Jesus was not only fully God, He was fully human.  In Paul's account we see the terms "fleshly body", "blood", and "death." 
 
Colossians 1:21-23 (NASB)



21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
 
Here's the best part.  The Firstborn, the Creator of all things, was given so that all things could be reconciled to Himself, the One to whom all things belong.  He came to restore broken relationships with God.  He came to restore broken relationships with His people, even though we "were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds."  Though we were ugly and undeserving, He gave Himself through death "in order to present [us] before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach."
 
What a gift we are given!  The God of all things is given as a ransom for us.  This is reason to celebrate!
 
 

Quantity or Quality Membership

18 “Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! 19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD? 20 You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.”

Isaiah 42:18-20 (NLT)

I was given a copy of a collection of writings by E.M. Bounds on prayer.  The entry for November 16 caught my attention.

"There is a blindness in the church with regard to members choosing a life of sin over God's way of life.

The truth is, there is such a lust for members in the church, that the officials have entirely lost sight of the members who are living in open disregard of God's Word.  The idea now of quantity in membership, not quality.

Prayer can change this.  Through prayer, members would either confess their sins, or leave the church."

"I pray, God, that you will open the eyes of Your people.  Especially those in leadership positions in Your church so they will focus more on quality than quantity of members.  Amen."

-- taken from The Power of Prayer by E.M. Bounds, compiled by Kobus Sandenbergh, published by Christian Arts Gifts

Thanksgiving 2010 Revisited

Thanksgiving Reflection

What a marvelous day we enjoyed yesterday! One family, four generations and over twenty-eight people celebrating God’s goodness and love over the past year. I woke up this morning marveling at God’s power and grace because I come in contact with many people for whom this kind of event would not likely happen. I know of families where people can’t be in the same room with certain aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters mothers or fathers without an argument or something worse happening.

God has been very good to us.

Psalms 51:11 (NIV)


11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.


Dr. Paul David Tripp in his book Whiter Than Snow, Meditations on Sin and Mercy, asks some penetrating questions. He asks:


o What is the thing in the world for which I am most thankful?

o The loss of what thing do I fear the most?

o The existence of what in my life gives me meaning, purpose, and that inner sense of well-being?


If I am completely honest with my answers, and not simply giving the answer that I think should be correct, I will see a true reflection of my heart. I have to come to grips with the fact that it may not be a pretty site. As I look at my life I will see that my actions follow the passions of my heart.


All of us fear losing something. The loss of God’s presence in the Psalmist’s life is what he feared most. What is it that you fear most?

Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew, 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

What is the treasure of your heart?

As we transition from Thanksgiving to advent let us celebrate the treasure we have been given in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving 2010

18 Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" 19 And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."

Exodus 33:18-19 (NASB)
 

Blessed be the Name of the Lord

Holy and blessed is Your Name

We gather in Your Name to celebrate Your goodness to us

You are good

And everything You do is good

Your grace is sufficient

Blessed and holy is Your Name

Not Watching and Not Hearing

19 Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD?

Isaiah 42:19 (NIV)

In a previous post I mentioned how sometimes God's Word brings conviction.  This passage is a warning against worldly thinking and selfish attitudes (42:17).  It reminds me of how easily I can fall into these traps.  It is addressed to those who have entered a covenant relationship with the Lord.  It describes my relationship to God as servant; and  my job is described as messenger. 

I am well aware of the limitations poor eye health can bring.  There are things I cannot do very well right now because I cannot see very well. 

And what about hearing?  How can a messenger deliver a message he cannot or does not hear?

What am I to do to break out of this silent darkness?

I need to look closely for the evidence of the things around me that only God could have done.  And because often my hearing is not so good, I need to draw close to the Lord, so I can hear the message He wants me to deliver.

For To Me, To Live Is Christ - Part 3

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 (NASB)
 
What is the one thing that gives you purpose and meaning in your life?  Is it your job?  Is it your car? Is it your family?  Is it Dunkin' Donuts?
 
Click on the the link below to hear the message I presented on October 3, 2010 at New Testament.
 
New Testament Sermon Blog

God's Word

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)
 
Sometimes God's Word is a source of comfort and strength.  Other times it delivers powerful conviction. 
 
Certainly this passage suggests that an encounter with God's Word is intended to bring about change in our lives.  Whether it is for education or training in righteousness, or correction; God's intention is clear.  He means to bring about change in our lives, "so that the [men and women] of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."  For all of us that requires some sort of change. 
 
Once again, I am reminded of the Old Testament image of the implements used in worship in the Tabernacle.  These implements were sanctified, that is, set apart, cleansed, for holy use. 
 
Under the New Covenant, those implements are us.  It is God's intention, as today's passage suggests, that we be sanctified, set apart for God's holy use.  For all of us this requires God's redeeming grace.  For all of us this requires the gift of the blood of God's only Son.  Only by accepting this gift can we make a difference for God, equipped for every good work.
 
The result is change.  But change can be really, really hard.  Left to our own devices, we will return to our old ways, the habits and lifestyles that place us on the throne that belongs to God.  This is why it is really, really important that we encounter and engage God through the study of His Word daily. We need to take the time to wrestle with it, ask the tough questions, and seek His answers.
 
From start to finish it took me seven long years to get my college degree.  When it comes to the Word of God, I am so aware that I must be a lifetime student.

Speaking With Spiritual Authority - Is Your Message Veil Worthy?

Exodus 34:29-35 (NASB77)
²⁹ And it came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. ³⁰ So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. ³² And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, ³⁵ the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.


There are people in my life that I pay special attention to if they have something to say.  Especially if they have something to say about spiritual matters.  And even more especially if it has something to do with my spiritual health and well being.

What gives these people the right or authority to speak to me about these things?  Why do I stop and listen?  Is it the person, the message or both that catches my attention?  Why is it that these people earn my special respect?

Today's passage may give us some insight into these questions.  As we consider Moses, because of his stuttering problem, he would not be considered to be a great public speaker.  I don't think people would flock to hear the marvelous tone and eloquent vocabulary of Moses.  His past was even a bit sketchy.  Would we be impressed by his resume?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  What was it about Moses that made people stop and listen to him that day so many years ago?

The reason people stopped and listened was because Moses had been in the presence of God.  Scripture tells us that Moses' face glowed in Exodus 33:11.  We read that God spoke to Moses face to face just as a man speaks to his friend.  It was evident to all that Moses had been in God's presence. His life, in fact his face, reflected that fact.  He was changed, even in appearance, because he had been with God.

There is something about the important people in my spiritual life that I recognize as God's spirit upon them, too.  How they live their life, and the things they say reflect the fact that they have spent time with God.  They too, shine for the Lord.  If they have been in God's presence, they speak with spiritual authority.  I know their words will be kind and constructive.  They will be redemptive to my soul.  They will not be harsh and destructive.  They will not promote themselves at my expense.  Rather, they will build me up.  They will invite me to join them in the awesome presence of God.  The power of God speaking through their words will heal my soul.

I have to return to A.W. Tozer who said in The Pursuit of God, "Men of the breaking hearts had a quality about them not known or understood by common men.  They habitually spoke with spiritual authority.  They had been in the presence of God and they reported what they saw there."


Pastors, elders, deacons, parents, teachers, government officials have authority due to their position.  Their power is in their position.  They may earn our respect or not.  Their lives may reflect God or not. They may or may not have spiritual authority as well as positional authority.   But there are also people who have no special position, who possess spiritual authority by the powerful presence of God in their lives.


I need people like the ones Tozer described to be involved in my life,  "[people] of breaking hearts who have a quality about them not known or understood by common men."  


I want to be a person who has been in the presence of God, who can report what was seen there.  My friends, this can only happen through diligent prayer and the study of God's Word.   Please join me.

What's Behind the Curtain?

Mark 15:37-38 (AMP)
³⁷ And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life. ³⁸ And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.




I love Fall here at the Lake House.  We've had the first cold nights of the season and the result is the changing color of the leaves reflecting on the lake.  Each day brings a new degree of beauty.

When I first get up in the morning, this is my view of the lake.

You really can't get very excited about the foliage by the lake from this view can you?  The light shining through the curtain may tell you that there is something on the other side.  But really there is no way you can describe what is out there, let alone tell anyone about it.  In fact there's not much to tell.  You might be curious to see what is out there based on the fact that I've told you that I've seen it and I think it's beautiful.  But maybe not.  Maybe you're content to admire the curtains.  If that's the case, this is all you'll see.  Enjoy.

In the Old Testament Tabernacle and later the Temple, a blue, purple and scarlet curtain separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place.  In the Temple God resided in the Most Holy Place, behind the curtain, separated from His people.  He would be present, but separate.  Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place.  God's people could only observe the work of His hands.  Even then it was not face to face.  Sinful man cannot stand in the presence of God and live.  This was a very different scene than what we witness in the early chapters of Genesis, before man's fall, when God walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve and they were not ashamed of their nakedness before Him.

Our sin is just like Adam's.  We want to be god.  We were made to worship, so we focus that worship either on ourselves, or where it was intended, the one true God.

A.W. Tozer said, "Self is the opaque veil [curtain] that hides the face of God from us.  It can be removed only in the spiritual experience, never by mere instruction."

God gave His one and only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice, to pay the punishment for our sin.  And at the moment He gave up His life, the curtain into the Most Holy Place in the Temple tore in two, granting us access to our most holy and loving God.

He invites us to throw off the "opaque veil of self" and enter into His presence and worship the Lord God through Jesus Christ His Son.

Tozer said, "Such worship ... can never come from a mere doctrinal knowledge of God.  Hearts that are 'fit to break' with love for the Godhead are those that have been in the Presence and have looked with opened eye upon the majesty of the Deity.  Men of the breaking hearts had a quality about them not known or understood by common men.  They habitually spoke with spiritual authority.  They had been in the presence of God and they reported what they saw there."

Hebrews 10:19-23 (NIV)
¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

I Feel Like Leaping

Malachi 4:2 (NIV)
² But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

This verse was shared with me during my face down eye recovery time to encourage me and to give me something to look forward to; the day I would feel like leaping.

As I meditate on this verse, I am reminded how awesome God is and how it is His desire to provide what is needed and what is best for me.  He has forgiven my sins and called me to Himself.  God is good and everything He does in my life is good.  He brings joy and gladness to my heart and praise to my lips.

Come leap with me!

For to me, to live is Christ, Part 2

Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

During my recovery from eye surgery, I wish I could have used the time to catch up on my reading.  But that was just not possible.  At first I couldn't read at all, or even watch TV.  Eventually, I was able to watch a little TV and read newspaper headlines, look at pictures, and read magazine article titles.  Friends and family kept in touch either by phone or they were kind enough to send email in a large bold font.  Thank you so much for your prayers, kind words of encouragement, and uplifting Scripture.  How grateful I am for the written word and for the Word!

Recently the title of an article from Discipleship Journal caught my attention. (Titles are usually in larger font which was helpful.)  Why I'm Not a Committed Christian (And Why That's a Good Thing) by Bob Butler begged for further reading.  The article introduces us to Dr. Josef Tson from Romania.  He is a pastor and author, and president of the Romanian Missionary Society.  He survived years of persecution and exile under Communist rule.  When asked about his perception of Christianity in America he replied, "The key word in American Christianity is commitment."  


The author goes on to say, "Rather than being a positive thing, he (Tson) saw it as an inadequate replacement of an older Christian teaching: surrender."

Tson described the difference, "When you make a commitment, you are still in control, no matter how noble the thing you commit to.  One can commit to pray, to study the Bible, to give his money, or to commit to automobile payments, or to lose weight.  Whatever he chooses to do, he commits to.  But surrender is different.  If someone holds a gun and asks you to lift your hands in the air as a token of surrender, you don't tell that person what you are committed to.  You simply surrender and do as you are told . . . Americans love commitment because they are still in control.  But the key word is surrender.  We are slaves to the Lord Jesus Christ."

The author, Bob Butler, shares his reflection on Dr. Tson's statement.

"As I pondered, I realized Tson was right in identifying the root issue as control.  My commitments seek to gain blessings of God without giving up autonomy.  My commitments may be righteous or noble but are merely promises about what I will do and depend entirely on me.  I am retaining control to some degree, as if I could negotiate with God's sovereignty.

 Surrender concedes that in the battle of wills, God has already won.  Surrender begins with the understanding that I am not God's partner -- not even a junior partner.  He is my creator and absolute Lord.  I am ruined and worthless without Him.  Surrender is really so distasteful to us because it exposes the core issue of our sin: pride."

The heart of a man who is fully surrendered to Christ is seen as you read Paul's letter to the Philippians in its entirety. It's a bold thing to say, "For to me, to live is Christ." (Phil 1:21)  But it's clear from his writing that Paul can make that claim. In chapter 3 he lays out his credentials for us to see.  Yet he considers them rubbish because he had surrendered them for the sake of Christ.

 Philippians 3:7-8 (NASB77)
⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,"

So I've been pondering the aforementioned article as well as Paul's letter to the Philippians for several days.  Check out the article for yourself and join me in asking, "What would surrender look like in my life?"   I'd be interested in your thoughts and comments.

To read Why I'm Not a Committed Christian (And Why That's a Good Thing) in its entirety, click on the link below. 

 http://www.navpress.com/dj/content.aspx?id=4422

For to me, to live is Christ

Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

I like to be happy, and lots of things can make me happy.  Spending time with my wife, children and grandchildren makes me happy.  Ice cream can make me happy.  I'm happy when I'm on vacation in Nova Scotia where my everyday concerns seem so far away.

I think we would all agree that given the right circumstances or situation, or flavor of Four Seas ice cream, it is easy for us to find happiness.

I drafted the opening paragraph on the evening of July 25th before going to bed to reflect on the character of Paul who despite his situation (imprisonment) found great joy in Christ. (Phil. 1:21)

What about me?  Can I make that same statement?  I want to say, "Well, yeah.  Of course, it's true."

But on the evening of July 26 my situation changed.  I wasn't thinking of ice cream or vacations.  I was in the hospital awaiting emergency eye surgery.  I was thinking, "What's going on?  Will I get my sight back?  Will it hurt?"

In those hours I could claim the sufficiency of Christ, but it was in the back of my mind and I kept having to bring it forward.  Calmness and fear kept passing by me like two very different looking horses on a carousel.

A second, more involved operation was required a week later.  The healing process involves some pain and discomfort, even though the original symptoms were painless.  It involves some discipline.  Following the doctor's orders is not easy.  More procedures are required in the coming months.

A dear friend of mine has asked and will ask again, "So what has God been talking to you about during this time?"

So today, August 28th, here is my answer.  God has given me the precious gift of time alone with Him.  I have never fully appreciated how precious it is.  I am His child despite the fact that in so many ways I am not like Him.  He loves me enough to not let me stay the way I am, but in His time with me He desires to shape my heart to be like His.  He is not finished with me.  There is still work to be done.

Like Paul, I want a heart that prays for my brothers and sisters.  I want for them what Christ wants for them; hearts that abound in love, in real knowledge and all discernment, so that they may discover and approve the things that are excellent, so that they may be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.  I want for them to be filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes from Christ to the glory and praise of God. (Phil 1:9-11)

I want that heart.  I need that heart.

I want and need people to pray that prayer for me.  I am so grateful for a friend who keeps asking, "What is God talking to you about?"  I desperately need that.  Please keep asking.

For to me, to live is Christ.