The Radical Gift of God

Isaiah 7:14 tells us;

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

This verse has touched my heart many times over the years and yet I am still amazed. True, this passage is a prophetic one, it is a fine passage for the Christmas season, and it is a passage that most are familiar with. However, this year I am focused and drawn to the name Immanuel. As most know this means “God with us or God united with us” and that alone is so comforting, so encouraging, but this year there is more.

This passage speaks to the incarnation of Christ and what a radical gift that is. You have to stop and think about it for a while and as I do I become more amazed and in awe of our loving God. Of the incarnation, Benjamin Warfield said; “The glory of the incarnation is that it presents to our adoring gaze, not a humanised God or a deified man, but a true God-man - one who is all that God is and at the same time all that man is - and that means this: one on whose almighty arms we can rest and to whose human sympathy we can appeal.”

I just love that and want to say; Christ, thank you for being our God-man in whose almighty arms we can rest. What a gift indeed!

There is a familiar story I once read that provides a little perspective on this;

“The land of Persia was once ruled by a wise and beloved Shah who cared greatly for his people and desired only what was best for them. One day he disguised himself as a poor man and went to visit the public baths. The water for the baths was heated by a furnace in the cellar, so the Shah made his way to the dark place to sit with the man who tended the fire. The two men shared the coarse food, and the Shah befriended him in his loneliness. Day after day the ruler went to visit the man. The worker became attached to this stranger because he "came where he was." One day the Shah revealed his true identity, and he expected the man to ask him for a gift. Instead, he looked long into his leader's face and with love and wonder in his voice said, "You left your palace and your glory to sit with me in this dark place, to eat my coarse food, and to care about what happens to me. On others you may bestow rich gifts, but to me you have given yourself!”

This Christmas can you see beyond the material gifts of the season? Can you see beyond the commercialization of the season? Can you see the radical gift of God; the gift of Himself through Christ! Amazing. Merry Christmas everyone…

Grace and Peace!

On His Shoulders

The older I get the more I truly enjoy the Christmas season; not in a gift getting kind of way, but in a meditative, reflective kind of way. Isaiah 9:6 tells us;

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the Government will be on His shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This Christmas season I have been focused on this verse and really amazed by the statement that the Government will be on His shoulders. I am so comforted by that thought; I picture our Savior carrying the burdens of this world on His capable shoulders. I am in awe that on His broad shoulders rest the operations of all things; on His caring shoulders rest each and every one of my burdens, concern and issues; on His loving shoulders rest my many sins and I rejoice!

A theologian explaining the phrase; will be on His shoulders, said that all things were laid on Him as a load for him to bear. My heart cries out; thank you Christ for bearing the load!

Pastor Scotty Smith said of this verse;

“You are our Broad-Shouldered King. Knowing the government of the whole world already rests on your shoulders settles and centers me. This truth melts my fears and fuels my faith. It fills me with a joy only second to knowing your shoulders fully bore the sin of the world, including mine. As this day begins, I raise my shoulders and face to bask in your unparalleled beauty and sovereign reign.”

As Christmas approaches may we all be filled with the joy of knowing our Savior and knowing that our Broad-Shouldered King is there for each of us and there to bear the load!

Grace and Peace!

Advent

As you might know, we are in the middle of the Advent Season. I don’t know about you, but I really have never contemplated what that really means and how I should truly apply it to my life. As usual, I started with one of my favorite websites; thefreedictionary.com.

The Free Dictionary defines Advent as; the coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important; an arrival or coming, especially one which is awaited; the liturgical period preceding Christmas, beginning in Western churches on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and in Eastern churches in mid-November, and observed by many Christians as a season of prayer, fasting, and penitence.

So to me, Advent is a joyful, hopeful, expectant, forward looking spirit within believers. It is the knowledge that Christ will return and all will be right in the world, all will be restored, all will be completed. It is the expectant hope that the One who came will come again bringing peace and joy to all God’s children.

I see such a clear picture of this in Isaiah 11:6-9;

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Oh, isn’t that worth longing for; isn’t that the hope of Christians? So this Advent season may we all begin to live joyfully, hopefully; longing for the Advent of Christ! Amen and Amen.

Grace and Peace!

Thankful by Definition

Can you believe that the holiday season is upon us? What a year we’ve had! And as we approach the holidays I think it appropriate to pause and reflect. As we do I think one word would summarize my feelings – Thankful.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary tells us that the word thankful has 3 intents.

First, thankful means that we are conscious of benefit received. I think if we all just stop and think about it we can all be conscious of benefit received. With unemployment levels at historic proportion, I don’t know about you, but I am conscious of the many blessings in my life; I am conscious of the benefit of living in the greatest country known to man; and I am conscious of the benefit of the freedom to worship our great and glorious God. While I am at it, I am conscious of the benefit of a good church, family, friends and this Florida lifestyle.

Second, thankful means being expressive of thanks. So let me express my heartfelt thanks for all things; every breath, sight, smell, relationship (I guess you get the idea). 2 Corinthians 9:15 says; 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we just remained in a state of being thankful; expressing thanks in all things?

Third, thankful means being well-pleased and I have got to tell you I am well-pleased. I am extremely well-pleased when I reflect on all of life’s blessings. I am well-please when I think about all that Christ has done. There are so many negative influences in the world, but if we focus on what is really important in life shouldn’t we all be walking around in a state of being well-pleased. Not in a prideful, arrogant way, but in a humble and happy state of thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us; 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

When you really stop and think about it, being thankful should be easy for each of us. So on Thanksgiving 2010, let’s end with a Thanksgiving Poem written by Ralph Waldo Emerson;

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Grace and Peace!

Radical Generosity

Recently I have been studying a little about Christian Stewardship and have been driven toward a single verse. It seems appropriate at Thanksgiving, but the verse is 2 Corinthians 9:7;

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Somehow that just shakes me up! Can you see that it is not a command or a requirement; we are given complete freedom yet we are reminded that by being generous from the heart, being cheerfully generous is a true testimony of faith in Jesus? I just had to dig a little deeper and I looked up the Greek words for Cheerful Giver.

In Greek the word Cheerful is Hilaros – which means joyous and prompt to do anything and the word Giver is Dotes which literally means giver (ha – I couldn’t resist). But if you put it together what we are told is that God loves someone that is so joyous that they promptly give.

It reminds me of the people Pastor Francis Chan describes in his book; Crazy Love; people that are so radically transformed by the radical love of Jesus that they give in radical ways. It is a call to really come to terms with just how generous our loving God has been with us and that in turn we can honor him out of loving gratitude by being cheerful givers.

Some time back I read a story that Charles Swindoll tells; it is the story of a soldier in WWII and an orphan and it was shortly after World War II came to a close, Europe began picking up the pieces. Much of the Old Country had been ravaged by war and was in ruins. Perhaps the saddest sight of all was that of little orphaned children starving in the streets of those war-torn cities. Early on chilly morning an American soldier was making his way back to the barracks in London. As he turned the corner in his jeep, he spotted a kid with his nose pressed to the window of a pastry shop. Inside the cook was kneading dough for a fresh batch of doughnuts. The hungry boy stared in silence, watching every move. The soldier pulled his jeep to the curb, stopped, got out and walked quietly over to where the young man was standing. Through the steamed-up window he could see the mouth-watering morsels as they were being pulled from the over, piping hot. The boy salivated and released a slight groan as he watched the cook place them onto the glass-enclosed counter ever so carefully. The soldier’s heart went out to the nameless orphan as he stood beside him. “Son...would you like some of those?” The boy was startled. “Oh, yeah...I would!” The American stepped inside and bought a dozen, put them in a bag, and walked back to where the boy was standing in the foggy cold of the London morning. He smiled, held out the bag, and said simply: “Here you are.” As he turned to walk away, he felt a tug on his coat. He looked back and heard the child ask quietly: “Mister ... are you God?”

Oh my, can you see that we are never more like God than when we give.

Friends beginning this Thanksgiving may we be transformed and truly understand the radical Generosity of God; may we begin to be radically generous with a world that so desperately needs it; may we all be cheerful givers.

Grace and Peace!

God's Word

Oh how I love God’s word! It is so amazing and it is so much more than a guide on how to live the Christian life. Michael Horton recently wrote:

“Scripture is of no use to us if we read it merely as a handbook for daily living without recognizing that its principle purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ and his gospel for the salvation of sinners. All Scripture coalesces in Christ, anticipated in the OT and appearing in the flesh in the NT. In Scripture, God issues commands and threatens judgment for transgressors as well as direction for the lives of his people. Yet the greatest treasure buried in the Scriptures is the good news of the promised Messiah. Everything in the Bible that tells us what to do is “law”, and everything in the Bible that tells us what God has done in Christ to save us is “gospel.” Much like medieval piety, the emphasis in much Christian teaching today is on what we are to do without adequate grounding in the good news of what God has done for us in Christ. “What would Jesus do?” becomes more important than “What has Jesus done?” The gospel, however, is not just something we needed at conversion so we can spend the rest of our Christian life obsessed with performance; it is something we need every day–the only source of our sanctification as well as our justification. The law guides, but only the gospel gives. We are declared righteous–justified–not by anything that happens within us or done by us, but solely by God’s act of crediting us with Christ’s perfect righteousness through faith alone.”

You know what? We do get some amazing insights into walking the Christian walk, but can you see that as we do that, as we grow in knowledge and maturity that every word, every verse, every passage points to Christ and His Gospel for the salvation of people like me. Amen and Amen!

Grace and Peace!

Desires

How much is enough? John D. Rockefeller was once asked a similar question and responded; “one more dollar”. I think that speaks volumes to human nature; more, more, more! I know I spent years trying to reach goals and once there it was never enough. I believe human nature just has this insatiable quality.

As such, we just spend lifetimes striving, seeking, earning, gaining, searching only to find it is never enough. But wait, there is hope! There is a way to quench that insatiable desire. That is through a real and loving relationship with Christ. That brings to mind Psalm 73;

23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isn’t that so satisfying? Earth has nothing I desire, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Pastor Scotty Smith recently wrote a prayer on this passage and what a fitting way to end this blog.

"Even if I lived in the climate of my choice, had all the money in the world, and had the church of my dreams … Even if I had a trout on every cast, sank every putt, and could run a marathon a day… Even if I could eat all the chocolate I want and not gain weight… spend time with all kinds of people and never have a disagreement… move my entire family and favorite friends to Switzerland… it would not be enough.

Jesus, you are heaven to me, period. Though I may want a bunch of other stuff, you alone are the One I desire. You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Keep me sane by the gospel… keep me free of all bitterness… keep me broken before you and make me a better man by knowing you. So very Amen, I pray, in your most glorious and gracious name."

Grace and Peace!

Worship

The Book of Job is revealing some amazing things. I am still in Chapter 1 and have been awestruck. Job has been tested; he has lost everything, he lost his wealth, his herds, his servants and even his children. So how did he react?
Job 1:20

20Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.

He worshiped! Simply amazing…concerning this passage David Atkinson writes; “Even in all this Job sees the hand of God. Amazingly, and significantly, his first instinct is to react Godwards – in worship. How few of us find that worship is our first reaction even at the best of times. But here is a man who is coping with a multiple bereavement. He has been afflicted with loss after loss. His sorrow is real and very great. How difficult it is to worship at such a time! Yet worship is Job’s reaction.”

So hard, but what lesson for us all! A lesson that no matter what we should rejoice, we should worship, we should love God because he is God! Amen.

That brings to mind Psalm 95:1-7;

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

3 For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Grace and Peace!

Giddy with Excitement

I have been concerned lately with my focus and came to realize my vision was a little blurry. I have been focused lately on task and getting away from God’s word. It came to a head recently and I am refocusing and what a wonderful thing it is. I once heard a young theologian introducing a well respected theologian saying he was “giddy with excitement” for the opportunity to hear this highly regarded speaker.

As I refocus, a window opened for me to be part of a study of the book of Job and I must tell you all I am “giddy with excitement” about this opportunity. My heart is just filled with enthusiasm over this and it is hard to explain. This is a book with such great wisdom, but a book that deals with some pretty tough issues. Yet, I am still so looking forward to this study.

I find myself reading more and more and just everything I can find on Job. I discovered that Tullian Tchividjian has just started a 10 week sermon series on Job and I am listening along as well. Pastor Tchividjian explained he was so caught up in preparing for this series that he was marinating in Job. That is how I feel as well. It is almost electric.

I am so thankful that my vision is clearing, my focus is getting better and I am just filled with energy. I can’t wait to see where God takes us in this study; it is a great group just itching to learn and grow.

Father, thank you so much for clearing my clutter, for helping me turn to your Word. Thank you that your Word is alive and active, thank you that your Word is there for each of us. Father, let us be immersed in your Word and as we are help us to understand; help us to apply; help us to help others all to your glory and in the most precious name of Jesus Christ - Amen!

Grace and Peace!

The Good Shepherd

My last blog talked about focus and has caused me to examine just what I am focused on. I was shocked. There is much going on, transition at church, busyness at work, a friend suffering emotionally, a friend in medical crisis. However, what I came to see that I was focused on task, self-reliance. I am trying to refocus and ensure that Christ is at the center of all. As I am doing this I have been lead to the first 3 verses of the 23rd Psalm;

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

So just to quickly share what has come to light (come into focus) in those 3 verses

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want – describes where my focus should be – on the Shepherd and if it is I shall not be in want – the phrase shall not be in want in Hebrew means not in need of anything.

2a He makes me lie down in green pastures – thinking contextually this was not a land of green pastures and green pastures would require the sacrificial and loving work of the Shepherd and then; oh my goodness, for me to be able to lie down in my Shepherds pasture – what comfort. Read an interesting thought concerning this verse that for a field to bear fruit it must lie fallow – it must rest – not so reliant on my efforts.

2b he leads me beside quiet waters – Quiet waters just complete this Oasis provided by the Shepherd where the sheep can lie down in what John Piper describes as restful security – no worries!

3a he restores my soul – He, the Shepherd – restores my soul – not me; not my efforts; not you and with just a little focus on the Shepherd; oh how my soul is being restored! The phrase being restored in Hebrew has this connotation of refreshed, revived, restored!

3b He guides me in paths of righteousness – how are we guided in paths of righteousness – by the Shepherd, by His word, by study and by worship – Amen.

3c for his name's sake – All this done out of love, out of mercy, by His grace and for His names sake – all for His Glory – Amen and. Amen!

Father – You are so amazing, so glorious, and so wonderful. Please forgive me my lack of focus, my worry and my lack of trust. Thank you that we have a Shepherd, a Shepherd that provides; a Shepherd that will restore. I pray for each of us that we will have maximum clarity and even with all we have going on, the trials, the needs, the activities, and that our focus will be on our Great Shepherd – praying in the name of our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ Amen.

Grace and Peace!

Focus

I have a friend who is struggling right now. I am not sure how to help; he wants space. It has caused me to think and pray. You know life is full of stuff – trials, storms, tribulations. Yet, I think that no matter what is going on if our focus is correct we can persevere, we can move forward in this life.

Focus is an interesting word. It means the concentration of attention or energy on something, maximum clarity and a point where there is a convergence of light. So to me the question becomes where is our focus? Pastor Scotty Smith in a recent prayer helps provide me some clarity when it comes to focus.

He said, “It’s only because of your cross, Jesus, that we can be certain that trials don’t come to us as punishment for our sins, but for the purification of our faith. We praise you for exhausting God’s judgment against our sins. We praise you that your cross was our Judgment Day. The perfect love of the cross drives away all fear of judgment and punishment (1 John 4:18). What peace this give us… what hope… what freedom!”

So this stuff of life is not punishment and with focus we can see that the result will be the purification of our faith. With focus on God, Christ and the cross we can have true peace, eternal hope! Amen and Amen.

In Psalm 42:11 we see;

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Downcast, disturbed? Focus on the cross of Christ; put your hope in the Lord. May we all concentrate our attention, may we all achieve maximum clarity, may we find that point where there is a convergence of light. May that focus reveal the Love of our Savior!

Grace and Peace!

Treat Others As...

Our church is starting a series on 1 Thessalonians and so far it has been really enlightening. I just heard a sermon on chapter 2 and imbedded within it was some great instruction on how to treat others.

It comes from verses 6b – 12;

6bAs apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

To me it boils down to one word; love! But, what does that really mean or better yet what does that look like? Well, guess what; Paul tells us. Paul explains we should not be a burden to others; we should be gentle loving like a mother caring for her children. We should love so much because we care. We should care enough to share the gospel but we should also care enough to share our lives. We should deal with others as a father; encouraging, comforting, urging others to live lives worthy of God.

You know the world is in desperate need for a love like this. May we all reach deep and love others. Reminds me of a bumper sticker I once saw; Love Wins!

Grace and Peace!

Prayer of Glory and Splendor

Most Gracious Heavenly Father,

We humbly come before you praising you for all things. In the Psalms we are told to ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name, to worship the Lord in the splendor of His Holiness.

Father, we do just that, worshiping you in awe of your Holiness, worshiping you to the glory due your name as creator of all things, as our loving and merciful God. We thank you for that love and that mercy and we pray for forgiveness for our many transgressions.

Lord, we thank you for your Son, our savior Jesus Christ who by his sacrifice opened the door to forgiveness and restored the path back to you. We thank you for your Holy Spirit alive and active in each of us; our counselor, our comforter.

Father, we are so blessed, yet there are needs. So this day we pray for your Church as the only true hope in this world and we pray for your church to be ever expanding and ever glorifying. We pray for our nation, its leaders, its military and its people; praying for wisdom and love and a mighty movement by your spirit. We pray for all the saints everywhere praying for a peace that surpasses all understanding, praying for unity that brings a focus on you and away from external distractions.

We pray for our youth that in this world you will help them remain steadfast in their relationship with you and that you would protect, and that you would guide. We pray for those among us who are suffering, those who face economic uncertainty, health issues or emotional issues; praying for encouragement, provision, strength, healing, and an eternal hope that rests in you.

Lord, this day we pray as Paul did in Ephesians praying that we, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

So we pray that no matter the circumstance before us that we would have clarity in understanding the magnitude of your love for each of us and that we would be filled with the measure of all fullness by this love for you, your church, each other and our neighbors.

Abba Father, we love you, we trust you and pray these many things in Jesus name…Amen

Grace and Peace

I Am Thirsty

Three simple words have just been in my heart lately. I can’t seem to shake them; I am at once amazed, troubled, enlightened, and grateful. These words come from John 19:28;

28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."

Near death and from the cross; our savior utters these words; our savior who provides living water so that we may never be thirsty; our savior who can perform miracles; our savior who can quench any thirst, who can overcome any drought…says I am thirsty.

This phrase in Greek is actually one word; dipsao. Strong’s defines this as;to suffer thirst, to suffer from thirst and figuratively, those who are said to thirst painfully feel their want of, and eagerly long for those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened.


As Christ is suffering on the cross he cries out “I am thirsty”. Can you see the pain, can you see the longing, can you see the separation, can you see the substitution, can you see the atoning sacrifice, can you see the amazing love? This thirst must be physical and spiritual…Oh, I am so sorry for having caused this. Our savior longing for those things by which the soul is refreshed. Oh my.

The one who should never be thirsty was thirsty for us...so that we never will be.

Amen and Amen

Grace and Peace!

Be Still

How many of you are busy in life? No, really you don’t have to be humble here; so busy if you stop and think about it you are almost at war with busy. I got to tell you I am so busy that I am having trouble finding my shalom.

I just love that word – I always thought it just meant peace, but it means so much more. Strong’s defines it as completeness, wholeness, peace, tranquility, harmony, rest. I am troubled deep in my soul; I can’t find my shalom. Maybe this is a time of testing for me so I have been praying about this lack of shalom that is within me and feel I have been lead to Psalm 46.

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields [b] with fire. 10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth." 11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

John Piper in a sermon on Psalm 46 talks about success vs. significance and how in our society we seem to be truly focused on success alone and by doing this we can miss out on some very significant things and live our lives in insignificant ways. Just to read a portion of the sermon;

“One of the reasons we invest our lives in some insignificant ways is that we never become still enough to let the great realities hit us. We are always on the move. Always in a hurry. Or when we do stop, we flip on the radio or the TV and let somebody else's hurry fill our minds.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still [or cease striving, cease hurrying, be still, be quiet] and know that I am God. I am [or: will be, it's probably a promise] exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

What that text says is that the life-revolutionizing impact of God's supremacy in the world and his inevitable triumph over the nations, and the coming of his glorious kingdom of righteousness and peace—the impact of this awesome reality doesn't hit us and hold us and shape us unless we become still, and quiet before God. GOD hits home in the stillness. If you want your life to be significant, you've got to stop running, and stop scurrying about, and turn off the TV and the radio, and get alone, and be quiet, and let the mammoth realities of human lostness and eternal judgment and never-ending joy and God's universal triumph take hold of you and change your life. “

I also read an article written by John Killinger discussing this passage and he writes;

“"Be still," says the Lord in that magnificent psalm, number 46. "Be still, and know that I am God." It's a beautiful thought—and it skewers me. I mean, how often am I still? Truly still. Quiet in body and serene in soul. That isn't the modern way, is it?

We live in the most frenetic culture that ever was. Radios and TVs blaring. Cell phones interrupting our meals. Blackberries in everybody's pockets. Traffic up to our kazoos. Construction sites all around us. Bells and whistles on all our appliances. And, as if that weren't enough: pagers, alarm clocks, talking calendars, even timers on our pill boxes.

I saw a cartoon that showed a family setting up camp in the woods. They had brought their TV set, camera phones, video games, and a box full of other electronic devices. "It's a good thing we've got this stuff," one of the kids is saying, "or we couldn't shut out the noise of that stream and the waterfall!"

"Be still, and know that I am God." That's a tough order in a world like this.

We almost forget that there is another world, don't we? A world of silence and serenity. A world of deep peace and soulfulness. A world of quiet healing, where our wounds are repaired and life grows over the broken places. A world of holiness and order, of mystery and transcendence. A world with God at its center.”

You know if we look at the context of Psalm 46, it is a context of war and trouble, yet as we bring this Psalm forward I really believe it can relate to the busyness in our lives. As we move forward I specifically want to focus on verse 10 and if we look at verse 10, it literally says cease striving and know that I am God. It is not a command to do nothing, but a command to quit the busyness and know that God is God, to cease striving for things and about things to stop scurrying about and truly connect with God. Craig Brolyes; a professor of religious studies at Trinity Western University wrote a commentary on the Psalms and about verse 10 he said; “This is not an invitation to tranquil meditation but an explosive command to allow God to be God!”

So what would it look like to be still and know God is God? I found a verse in Psalm 4:4 that might help;

Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. KJV

This thought/phrase stand in awe is in Hebrew the word Ragaz meaning to tremble, quake, quiver, be excited, be amazed! As we connect with God let us stand in awe!

Commune comes from the word - Amar – to say in one’s heart; speak, declare, promise. As we stand in awe let us commune with God in heart talk!

And finally the phrase Be still comes from the word Daman meaning to be still and silent – really meaning to eliminate the busyness, distractions and noise of life as we stand in awe and commune with God!

Father God, we thank you that you are God. Father, forgive me my busyness, my lack of stillness before you and as we move out in this life help each of us to do so in Peace, help us to be still and we pray for great calm. Father, we pray for a time for each of us to connect, really connect to commune with you as your children. Father, we pray these things in Jesus most holy name. Amen!

Grace and Peace!

The Cross of Christ

The Cross of Christ has such meaning for believers, yet it is still so complicated. I sometimes struggle with the means and the meaning of the cross. Yet, in my moments of clarity, I see so much. I see the love, the reconciliation, the atonement, and the sacrifice. Charles Spurgeon said of the cross;

“The sufferings of Jesus have power to bless others, seeing they were not necessary for Himself. He had no need to suffer as the result of sin, nor yet that, by the discipline of suffering, He might be purged from its evil. There was no reason in Himself why He should ever know pain, or heave a sigh. His sufferings all had reference to His people. His object in suffering, bleeding, dying, was to secure the salvation of His chosen. Our souls may now trust Jesus, the perfect man, with the utmost confidence.”

So as we come to terms with this magnificent sacrifice done for God’s chosen, I can’t help but drop to my knees in amazement and thankfulness. As I continue to dwell on the significance of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. It is all at once troubling, humbling, mysterious, wondrous, glorious, and oh so very necessary.

John Stott so brilliantly states;

“When we are united to Christ a mysterious exchange takes place: he took our curse, so that we may receive his blessing; he became sin with our sin, so that we may become righteous with his righteousness. . . . On the one hand, God declined to ‘impute’ our sins to us, or ‘count’ them against us, with the implication that he imputed them to Christ instead. On the other, God has imputed Christ’s righteousness to us. . . . We ourselves have done nothing of what is imputed to us, nor Christ anything of what is imputed to him. . . . He voluntarily accepted liability for our sins.”

In 1 Peter 3:18 we are reminded;

Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God

So let’s close this humble offering with the conclusion of a Spurgeon sermon on the cross delivered on a Sunday in 1856;

“Ah! Poor sinner, what do you say? Are you offended by the cross? No, you are not, for it is there that you wish to be set free from your sins. Do you desire this moment to come to Christ? You say, “I have no offense against Christ. Oh, that I knew where I might find him! I would come even to where he sits.” Well, if you want Christ, Christ wants you; if you desire Christ, Christ desires you. Yes, more than you desire him; if you have one spark of desire for Christ, then Christ has a whole burning mountain of desire for you. He loves you better than you can ever love him. Rest assured that you did not first seek God. If you are seeking Jesus, he has first sought you. Come, then, you destitute, weary, lost, helpless, ruined, chief of sinners; come, put your trust in his blood and his perfect righteousness, and you will go on your way rejoicing in Christ, set free from sin, delivered from iniquity, rendered as safe, though not as happy, as the very angels that now sing high hosannas before the throne of the Most High! Amen”

WOW!

Grace and Peace!

I Know that my Redeemer Lives

Scripture is so amazing that even a verse or part of a verse can contain such meaning. Every once in a while a passage will really just come alive for me. It is not often, but it is just an amazing thing. Recently this happened with me on just part of a verse; and while it is a famous verse, one that I have blogged about before there was more. In Job 19:25a we are told;

“I know that my Redeemer lives”.

Just six words but what can we take from them; what came alive for me? I have a friend who gave me some great advice that when studying scripture it will sometimes help to break the structure of the verse down. So it helped me to break this verse into two parts; I know that; and My Redeemer lives. I see so much in each of those segments.

First, I think we can learn a little about faith. Notice with all Job is going through, all that he has lost he says I know that…he doesn’t say I hope that or I suppose that or I think that; he states emphatically, I know that! Can you see the great faith Job shows; great faith even though just five verses earlier he tells us he has lost everything but the skin on his teeth. It’s truly a faith that seems to surpass understanding, a faith we can read about in Hebrews 11 with the heroes of faith. It is a faith we can see in Genesis 22 with Abraham; a faith that no matter the trial or circumstance knowing the lord will provide.

That reminds me of a story of a man and his son that live in an old farm house. One night the house catches fire and the father manages to get everyone out except for his son. The father stands staring at the inferno when suddenly from the highest window in the house he sees his son crying for help. There is smoke everywhere and the father yells for his son to jump and I will catch you; but the son replies I can’t because I can’t see you. The father replies; Son I love you and it doesn’t matter that you can’t see me, what matters is that I see you. By faith (not blind faith, but trusting faith) the boy jumps and the father catches him.

So what I take from this is that faith enables us to face life, its circumstances and tragedies not because we see all or know all the answers, but because we are seen and we are known. We can have faith in all circumstances.

The second part of the verse; my Redeemer lives, is equally amazing to me. I notice first the word my – how personal is that and it’s followed by Redeemer lives. So to me each of us has a personal living redeemer; one that pays our debt that we are unable to pay, one that sets us free, one that recovers us, one that delivers us from penalty, one that atones and restores; one that buys us back; a personal and living Lord and Savior.

So bringing it all together; by faith we can enter into a personal relationship with our personal redeemer and it would seem to me that prayer would enable that relationship, prayer would enhance that relationship, and prayer would build that relationship.

I once heard of some missionaries that reported that some recent tribal converts just became so devoted to prayer. In fact each of these recent converts had a spot in the jungle where they would spend time praying their hearts out to God. Over time there became some well worn paths to these prayer spots. As a result if someone started neglecting prayer the others would say; brother, the grass grows on your path!

So may the grass never grow on our path which brings us back to Job 19:25a; “I know that my Redeemer lives.” Charles Spurgeon said of this verse, “A living redeemer truly mine is joy unspeakable!”

Grace and Peace!

Storms of Life

You know I just love our assistant pastor; he really in such a caring way stretches me. He many times asks me what is God teaching you? And you know recently I believe God has been leading me to a certain passage in Matthew.

It is a famous passage; one that points out the differences of being religious and trusting Christ; one that is used to help understand maturing as a Christian; and it is a passage that keeps coming before me. So as this happens I now ask myself what is God teaching me. This passage is the final parable and the final portion of the Sermon on the Mount. The sermon where Christ Himself teaches us things like turn the other Cheek, be salt and light, forgive one another, Do not judge and do not worry. This is the parable of The Wise and Foolish Builders; this is our Lord and Savior speaking;

24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

What can we take from this parable? I see a truth; a path; a divine lesson on how to weather the Storms of Life! Quickly unpacking this passage I see two key points; first I see the contrasting foundations of this passage. Can you see that one foundation was rock solid and deep while the other was shallow and weak? Can you see that one foundation has no real substance, is centered on worldly ideals, might even look good, but is it really built to last? The other foundation is Christ centered, grounded by the Gospel and with an eternal hope.

In the storms of life which house would you want to be in? You really have to think about that and I challenge each of you to really ask yourselves what has been built in your life? Are we as believers on that foundation of Rock; that foundation laid by Christ? Romans 8:31 tells us “If God is for us, who can be against us!”

And that brings us to our second point; kind of an amazing thing that I’ve got to confess has only recently become clear, as we read the parable did you notice even those well built houses; the houses built on rock were not exempt from the storms of life. We see this in verse 25; 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Christians, as believers we are not exempt from storms! Look around, there are those that have suffered mightily. Do you know anyone who has weathered an economic storm, a health storm and emotional storm? But,you know what; when we are grounded by faith we are able to weather those storms. Was Christ; our Lord and Savior exempt from storms?

So Friends, no matter the condition; no matter the news before us, there is great hope this day. When our foundation is centered on Christ and solidly built on the eternal Word of God we are grounded, we are anchored, we are secured and we can weather any of life’s storms. With the right foundation we will survive the storms of life. When we recognize that our strength comes from the Lord, when we trust in the Lord and not ourselves, when we focus not on the struggle, but on the future hope provided by Christ; when we in times of storm we turn to Christ knowing he will rescue, save, restore, our foundation is solid.

In John 16:33 Christ says; I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Today, right now, this very minute, no matter the storm in front of us; may we all take heart!

Grace and Peace!

Grace is Sufficient

I last posted about doubts which can truly be a thorn in a believer’s side and we examined where to turn which brought to mind Paul’s encouragement from 2 Corinthians 12:9;

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Paul shares that no matter our “thorns”, the grace of God will get us through all things. That is truly a powerful and loving statement; yet how can we be sure of this, how do we find this grace? I truly believe that one way to find this grace and to get through whatever is ailing us is to turn to God’s Word!

Jerry Bridges is so helpful in his book Transforming Grace. He points out that Romans 15:4-5 show the connection between Scripture, God and his grace;

4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus

Bridges points out that verse 4 shows us that we receive endurance and encouragement from scripture and verse 5 shows us that God gives endurance and encouragement. Can you see the vital link of scripture as a means of finding and receiving the grace of God for whatever our need?

Bridges also reminds that Scripture is often called Word of His grace and that God uses Scripture to mediate His grace to each on of us. Bridges quotes R. C. H. Lenski who said; “God and the Word of His grace always go together; God lets His grace flow out through that Word.”

Bridges says; “If we are to appropriate the grace of God, then, we must regularly expose ourselves directly to the Word of God…as the regular eating of proper food is necessary to sustain a healthy physical life, so the regular intake of God’s Word is necessary to sustain a healthy spiritual life and to regularly appropriate His grace.”

So amazing is God’s Word! As Bridges points out it is food for our soul. Bridges also quotes Charles Hodge on the importance of God’s Word. Hodges says; “In opposition…to all the suggestions of the devil, the safe, simple, and sufficient answer is the Word of God. This put to flight all the powers of darkness. The Christian finds this to be true in his individual experience. It dissipates his doubts; it drives away his fears; it delivers him from the power of Satan.”

God’s grace is sufficient for all things; may we all turn to his Word; seeking; yearning; finding His grace.

Grace and Peace!

Doubts?

Would you believe that some with great faith have doubts? Would you believe that some struggle to the point that they ask can I be Christian if I have doubts. I believe we can answer both with a resounding, of course! You know this is a tough subject for me and who among us doesn’t have doubts. That being said, we should deal with our doubts and not let them fester. We must recognize that it is ok to ask tough questions. We must also recognize that there is a difference between doubt and unbelief.

I read somewhere that doubts are ok, doubts are saying something is hard to believe, but unbelief says something totally different, unbelief says I won’t believe. I also read somewhere that doubt is looking for light while unbelief is being content in darkness. To me that is the key; with our doubts we can never become content in the darkness; we must strive to find the answers.

There is a great passage in the bible that shows someone with great faith having doubts during a trying time. From Matthew 11 we see:

1After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. 2When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" 4Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[b]are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 6Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." 7As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. 9Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is the one about whom it is written: " 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'[c] 11I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15He who has ears, let him hear.

This is an amazing and encouraging passage; it is amazing that even John the Baptist had doubts and such an encouraging example of what to do with our doubts. John the Baptist, the one who pointed the way now imprisoned facing certain death begins to have doubts and these doubts could be intellectual or emotional or both. He pointed the way for a savior, a king and now finds himself in peril; who wouldn’t have doubts and then notice what he does. He asks the tough question. Can you imagine asking Christ; “are you the One?” And then; oh my, how does Christ respond? Does he ignore, does he shy away from the tough question, does he belittle? No, he embraces the doubter, He answers the tough question, he points to the evidence. You know that is a beautiful thing about our Lord, he embraces the doubters; John the Baptist, Thomas, the man who cried out; "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

You know there are more important lessons from this passage. Have you noticed that it seems like there are CSI shows on every night of the week now? And the premise of these shows is that there are factual, scientific forensic links to every question. That with the proper investigation things can be proven beyond a doubt. Well is that how life really works? I think it is great to look for the answers; to search for answers, but there are a couple things to note in that search.

First, we must challenge ourselves to find proper sources for the answers. In other words, where do we turn for our answers? Where did John the Baptist turn for his answer? John the Baptist was facing a life shaking doubt and where did he turn for his answer? To Christ! Can you go to other sources? Can you turn to sources like the discovery channel or the media? Certainly, but as a seeker of truth shouldn’t you also turn to Christ; to God’s word for the answers? Shouldn’t we ask the tough questions directly through prayer and seek answers in the written Word? For questions of faith there are many other good sources and a few that come to mind are Lee Strobel’s; The Case for Faith and The Case for Christ and F. F. Bruce’s book; The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

Second, we must really check our hearts in our search and be really, really sure that we want an answer. Have you ever seen someone so biased that they ask questions, but are so hardened there is really no search, no desire for truth. Perhaps they are content in the dark. Unlike CSI, with questions of faith our answers may not come in solid, scientific, forensic evidence, but they will come with enough evidence to believe. Hebrews 11 reminds us that “1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” With hearts open there will always be enough evidence to make informed decisions.

You know the Bible also has some advice about how to find answers for our doubts. During my times of doubt (and yes they are numerous) I try to remind myself to look at Jeremiah 29:13; “13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” I ask myself am I truly seeking and am I truly seeking with all my heart?

Is it normal to have doubts? Absolutely! A wise person once told me to take comfort in my questions and doubts that unbelief would have no questions or doubts. Take heart my friends. We have a great God. A God that is loving, merciful and faithful. He is not afraid of our doubts, our tough questions. But, we must truly seek the answer, we must prepare our hearts for the answer and we must turn to the proper source for the answer. Turn to Christ my friends!

Grace and Peace!

Prayer of Grace

Heavenly Father, God of Grace,

We humbly come before you today; praising you for all things; praising you that you are a loving God, a God full of grace. Grace that each of us needs as we are so inadequate and unworthy. Father, forgive us our shortcomings and transgressions!

The Psalmist tells us; Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Father, this picture of your grace is truly marvelous in our eyes; that you have opened the gates of righteousness, you have sent our capstone, our very salvation in our Lord and Savior; Jesus Christ and we cry out with thanks. This is the day the Lord made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.

And, we do rejoice. We rejoice and thank you for the work of Christ that we might rest in a restored relationship with you; we thank you for your church and the fellowship of believers. We thank you for this great nation where we are free to worship and we thank you for families, for our youth, for smiles, for joy and for the eternal hope that only you can provide.

Father, we are a blessed people, yet there are still needs and this day we lift up all those facing crisis, illness, and trials; praying for your grace, your healing touch, your comfort and your strength. We lift up those awaiting medical results praying for wisdom for the doctors and positive outcomes and those recovering from surgery praying for encouragement and continual progress.

Lord this day we lift up our nation with seemingly more issues everyday; this nation facing economic trials, security issues, unemployment, healthcare, immigration and now oil leaking in the gulf. Father, we pray that you will hear our cries and grant us your favor as we trust in your sovereignty. We pray for our church leaders, our pastors, our elders, deacons, ministry leaders and their families praying for comfort, encouragement, strength and wisdom.

And Father at this special time of graduation for many of our youth, we pray for our youth. Father, that you will make their paths clear, that you will lead, guide and direct, that you would protect and Father that by your spirit you will use their gifts in amazing ways; ways that honor and glorify you.

Abba Father, we love you, pray your will be done and pray all these many things in the most holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Grace and Peace!

Running Through the Tape

I have had several events converging that when combined create this perfect storm. It has encouraged me to rely less on myself and more on God’s grace. These events are not really impacting my well being, but that of some of those closest to me. Two in particular weigh heavily on my heart. Without revealing too much detail, both involve very long paths; long races, much effort to complete or overcome.

This has brought a few memories back to me from my “old” track days. We would prepare and prepare and then the day of the race would arrive and the one thing our coach instilled in us is that during the race no matter what run through the tape; whether in first place or last run as hard as you possibly could all the way through the tape.

Another way to say it comes from my favorite football coach who has this motto; finish the drill – no matter the circumstance; let your last step be your best step; let your last block be your best block; your last pass be your best pass. I think the Apostle Paul would have appreciated this mindset.

Think of Paul and all the trials he faced from shipwrecks to deserts to prison to illness yet he encouraged us all to finish the race. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul instructs us;

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Can you see Paul encouraging us to finish strong. There will always be obstacles, there will always be trials, and there will always be influences, but no matter what finish strong. We have a great, loving, healing and glorious savior waiting at the finish line with arms open wide. So my friends what ever may be going on in your lives know that Christ is there for you and finish the race just as Christ finished His race for each of us.

In 2 Timothy, Paul provided something that one day I hope we all can say;

7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Grace and Peace!

Divine Grace

Recently I have been focused on how wonderful the grace of God truly is! Just because we can rest in God’s grace doesn’t mean things will be better and better. I remember the lesson Paul gives telling us that God’s grace is sufficient for all things; telling us because of God’s grace he would boast in his weakness; telling us that he would be glad about his weakness so that Christ’s power might rest on him (2 Cor 12:9).

That is how amazing Grace really is. It doesn’t mean we won’t have trials, hardships, or troubles. John Calvin said; “For men have no taste for it [God’s Power] till they are convinced of their need of it and they immediately forget its value unless they are continually reminded by awareness of their own weakness”. Think of Paul and all he endured during hist ministry. His attitude and teaching is amazing to me considering all that he experienced. In 2 Corinthians; he says;

10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So to me when we are enduring we are being made strong through Christ! So to know more and more of the Grace of God there will be difficulties. Now, believe me I know that we are all human and sometimes these difficulties can be overwhelming even impossible to overcome however Christ reminds us to take heart because he has overcome this world! Amen.

So whatever we are facing or going through we can trust; we as believers can take heart that that God’s grace is truly sufficient; His love is there. So take heart my friends; no matter what. God’s grace is enough!

Let’s end with Psalm 145:8-9;

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love, The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Abba Father, we praise you that you are gracious and compassionate, full of love and perfectly good. Good and gracious God, we love you.

Grace and Peace!

Biblical Hope

Does it ever seem just too much? Does it seem the world has gone crazy; economically, politically, with floods and oil spills? If we are honest don’t we just want to scream out enough!

I have recently been reading a book called Engaging God’s World by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. and there is a chapter on longing and hoping. What I am getting from this is that as broken humans we will view things with a self centered bias; we can’t help it. And what we truly need is to view things with a Christ centered lens. Only then can we truly trust and hope.

In this book, Plantinga calls this hope, Biblical hope and says; “Biblical hope has a wide angle lens. It takes in whole nations and peoples. It brings into focus the entire created order – wolves and lambs, mountains, plains, rivers and valleys. When it is widest and longest, Biblical hope looks forward toward a whole “new heaven and new earth,” in which death, and mourning, and pain will have passed away (Rev 21:1,4), and in which the Son of god receives the treasures of nations who parade into the city of God (Rev 21:22-26).”

That really puts hope into perspective for me! My hope is too small and too scattered and as believers who trust in our God there is the greatest hope. So as believers, no matter what is going on in this world, we can trust that our sovereign God is on His throne overseeing all things. We can find peace and comfort and strength and hope. We just need corrective lenses to truly see and God loves us so much he has supplied just that lens in his word.

So as things build up, may we all turn to scriptures to bring our worldview into focus. That brings to mind Psalm 25:5 which says; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Abba Father, we pray for great hope in troubling times, we pray for gospel peace and gospel strength and gospel encouragement for all your people. We pray for those facing uncertainty from things such as floods and leaks and war and illness and economic turmoil praying for the greatest hope of all – Eternity with You! Amen and Amen.

Grace and Peace

Forsaken

I have often wondered about Matthew 27:46;

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

I struggle with this verse, it pains me. I struggle with what it means; what are we supposed to get from this? I know theologians have pointed to this verse saying it provides a glimpse into the intensity of Christ’s suffering; I know they point to this verse as a fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 22:1). However, I have this feeling deep down there must be more.

The definition of forsaken is a good place to start and I kind of blended several different sources to come up with my definition; forsaken means to renounce or turn away from entirely, to abandon, to go and leave, to leave stranded or isolated with little hope of rescue. So for our savior to cry out in this way just shakes me to my core!

I have trouble describing how this verse makes me feel. I understand that at times we may all feel a little “forsaken”, but this was a real physical and spiritual forsaken that our Lord was suffering through. Charles Spurgeon writes; “since even the thought that He has forsaken us gives us agony, what must the woe of the Savior have been when he exclaimed, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Can you begin to feel the emotion of this verse; yet what are we to take from it?

Spurgeon helps here as well writing; “No man can enter into the full meaning of these words. Some of us think at times that we would cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” There are seasons when the brightness of our Father’s smile is eclipsed by clouds and darkness; but let us remember that God never does really forsake us.”

What a thought, that Christ suffered, was abandoned, renounced, stranded, and isolated with little hope of rescue; so that we as believers will never be! Amen and Amen. Christ was forsaken in order that we may never be forsaken. What hope we now have; no matter the circumstance, no matter the tragedy, no matter what!

Hebrews 13:5b tells us; because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Abba Father, thank you for your Son who was forsaken so that we will never be forsaken. What a loving God you are and what a loving Savior we have forever and ever.

Grace and Peace!

A Guiding Prayer

Good and Gracious God,

In the Psalms you tell us; for this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. Father, we praise you that you are our God for all time; you are our most high guide providing our path in this thing called life; providing our everything and all this despite our shortcomings, our many failures, our sinful natures. Father forgive us as we cry out with thanks!

Oh, how you must love us; what a wondrous and loving God you are and for that we say thank you.

Thank you for your son Jesus Christ; our Lord and Savior, the one, who restored our path; the one whose sacrifice makes forgiveness possible; thank you for your Spirit; our comforter and counselor; the one who helps us see your path. Thank you for laughter and fellowship; thank you for your Church that beacon of the only true and eternal hope and we pray that your church will continue to be ever expanding and ever glorifying; Thank you that we all have a place to praise you, to worship you and we pray that each of us will grow in our love for You, in our love for one another, that we will reach out to our neighbors in love and service.

This day we lift up our missionaries around the world that you would protect and provide as they spread the good news. We pray for safety, encouragement and that their gifts will be used to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray for our country as we face untold pressures, we pray that there would be a spiritual renewal; an awakening; and a turning to you for all things.

We pray for for those battling illness, we pray for healing and comfort and strength; for those facing economic troubles we pray for guidance, assistance and resolution; for those in despair we pray for encouragement and support and something we all need; Hope!

Lord, you are the God of Hope and that is our prayer for all. Praying as Paul did in Romans;

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, may we all overflow with hope!

We pray for so many things, but mostly we pray your will be done.

Abba Father we love you and pray these many things in the most holy name of Jesus. Amen

Grace and Peace!

Overwhelmed

Our Church is in the middle of a series on faith; working through Hebrews 11. We are looking at all the heroes of faith and their example. As Easter has been approaching I have been thinking a lot about what an example (the perfect example) we have in Christ.

Many times I get drawn to Matthew 26:36-39;

36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." 39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

This passage has such an impact on me; I can’t seem to shake it. My Lord and Savior is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. I’ve often wondered what this really means; was He overwhelmed knowing the pain and torture; was he overwhelmed knowing the denial He was about to face; was He overwhelmed by the prospect of some type of separation from God; was He overwhelmed for each of us? I think it is some combination of all and even more.

And what an example he provided. By faith he prayed for the cup to be taken; by faith (and this is remarkable to me) He prayed “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Trusting God’s plan no matter what; knowing all things are for the good of those that love Him!

I just get overwhelmed to the point of shouting; Hallelujah! This Easter I was struct by a lyric from a Chris Tomlin song; I Will Rise. In this song Chris sings that Jesus has overwhelmed the grave. I linked these two overwhelms together and was in awe. Going from overwhelmed by sorrow to overwhelming the grave for each of us.

Psalm 65 tells us;

3 When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.

Easter means so much to me, knowing no matter how overwhelmed by sin I am; Christ loves me and sacrificed His all for me; He forgives me with open arms. That is just so overwhelming! Amen – Happy Easter All…He is risen!

Grace and Peace!

A Prayer About Prayer

Holy Father,

To paraphrase John Newton; “what a blessed privilege it is to love you”, Father, forgive me for so many times taking that for granted. It is truly amazing that part of that amazing statement includes the privilege of having a deep and personal relationship with you through Christ and through prayer.

A relationship where we can praise you, a relationship where we can confess our shortcomings and failures, a relationship where we can thank you for your many blessings in our lives, a relationship where we can humbly make our requests known.

Father, I confess my prayer life is not what it should be. It is often hurried, sometimes mechanical, and oh so many times simply ends up with me giving you a “to do” list. Please forgive me.

Lord, I am so thankful for Your Son; my Lord and Savior, Your Spirit; my Comforter and Counselor, and for prayer. No matter the struggle, no matter the trial, no matter the situation we are forgiven, we are loved, we are cared for. And no matter what is going on all we have to do is reach out in prayer. How rich we truly are.

And that is my prayer for each of us, that we would all develop a rich prayer life, that each of us would find our prayer closets and come into deep and meaningful relationship with you, that each of us through prayer would recognize the blessed privilege of loving you. Abba Father, we love you!

I pray these many things in the most holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen!

Grace and Peace!

Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer once asked his wife:

""Edith, I wonder what would happen to most churches and Christian work if we awakened tomorrow, and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer, were removed from the Bible. I don’t mean just ignored, but actually cut out—disappeared. I wonder how much difference it would make?" We concluded it would not make much difference in many board meetings, committee meetings, decisions and activities."

This short paragraph just stopped me in my tracks. Would it make a difference; would we even notice? In the introduction to his book; Forgotten God, Francis Chan writes;

"From my perspective the Holy Spirit is tragically neglected and, for all practical purposes, forgotten. While no evangelical would deny His existence, I’m willing to bet there are millions of churchgoers across America who cannot confidently say they have experienced His presence or action in their lives over the past year. And many of them do not believe they can. The benchmark of success in church services has become more about attendance than the movement of the Holy Spirit."

Powerful words, but even more to think about!

In his book, Chan quotes A. W. Tozer who said;

"We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone… [We] have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost."

Could this be true? I pray we take this as a challenge; a challenge of reflection, recognition and a realization of the wonderful gift of the Spirit that dwells among us; our comforter and counselor.

Abba Father, may your Spirit move mightily among us, may we never forget, and may we all stop to understand the difference of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Amen.

Grace and Peace!

Pay Attention

Recently I was reading in Matthew and once again read the parable of the wedding banquet. It is amazing to me that no matter how many times I read a passage something new seems to be revealed. Anyway, as I was reading verse 5 just stuck with me;

5"But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.

As I read this over and over, it just struck me that the business of life, the struggles of the day, the technology we enjoy, recreational opportunities, media, etc. just overwhelm us. And as they do I worry that we are not (I am not) paying attention.

Philip Yancey wrote that as a writer he is a busy person and it sometimes impacts his focus on Christ, his focus on prayer, his focus on things most important. However, he quickly pointed out he was not too busy for his e-mail, his favorite recreational activities perhaps a favorite show. You know I can really relate to that.

As busy as we all are, we must ensure right priorities; we must fight to ensure these right priorities. We must pay attention! I know it is a struggle; I know the temptations are strong; I know we can’t do it alone, but there is good news. We don’t have to do it alone.

We have a good and loving God, we have a Lord and Savior to rescue us, we have a Spirit to comfort and counsel us. Oh, how can we not pay attention!

As you know, that parable doesn’t really end with simply a call to pay attention; in fact the parable ends with a rather chilling statement in verse 14;

14"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Oh, Abba Father you are so good; help us to “pay attention”, help us to recognize the wonderful invitation and to join you at your banquet for all eternity. Abba Father, we love you!

Grace and Peace!

The Fall

Recently I have been reading Tullian Tchividjian’s book entitled; Unfashionable. In this book he eloquently describes how living the Christian life can be counterintuitive, countercultural; in fact it can truly be “unfashionable”.

There is a point in the book where Tullian (I hope he doesn’t mind me calling him that) discusses the fall. He points out Romans 8:20a which tells us;

For the creation was subjected to frustration


He is pointing out that because of the fall the entirety of creation has been upset. As beautiful as things can seem; there is still this level of frustration in creation. He quotes Vern Poythress who says;

“As a result of the Fall human beings who have descended from Adam suffer sin and death, and end up hurting one another in the sin and misery. But the curse that God pronounces because of Adam’s fall also results in alterations in the broader created order. One thinks of mosquitoes, tapeworms, rabies, all the carriers of diseases so debilitating to human beings. Who can guess all the ways in which the created order may have been put out of joint as a result of the Fall?”

Out of joint – doesn’t that just describe how life can feel sometimes? He further quotes Michael Wittmer who describes it;

“Life a stone tossed in a pond, the corrosive curse of sin rippled out to destroy the entire world: human society, the animal kingdom, and even the ground itself began groaning beneath the weight of sin.”

We can find reference to this in Romans 8:22;

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

All this has just helped to show the level of frustration, the futility of a groaning life without hope. But, there is hope! The hope of a savior, the hope of salvation, the hope of redemption, the hope of restoration. We can begin to see the hope in Romans 8:23-25

23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.


So as Christians we have hope for an eternity of better things and we wait patiently. As Paul concludes in Romans 8:38-39

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christian, isn’t that so comforting? Even with the frustrations of life, the suffering, the groaning; nothing and I mean nothing will ever separate us from the Love of God through Christ! Amen and Amen.

Grace and Peace!