Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sign of the Times - Go Steelers!!
One of the blessings of living in Western Pennsylvania... the Steelers!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Man With the Withered Hand - Part 2
"... Get up and come forward!” And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. - Mark 3:3b-5
The Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus in a trap again. Was He going to break the Sabbath?! Jesus always confounded them with astonishing answers. He posed to them a rhetorical question: 'Well what do you guys think? Is it OK to do good on the Sabbath'. I guess they hadn't expected this kind of a question... if they had expected it, I imagine they would have responded. But they were silent. They weren't just 'outsmarted', they were caught in their own trap - by the One who already knew what they were thinking. He was grieved at the hardness of their heart.
It is both a comforting thing AND a scary thing... that, if Jesus knew these wicked Pharisees hard hearts and evil thoughts, then he certainly knows mine. Comforting, because He knows when I hurt, when I fear, when I lack faith... but also scary, because He knows those same wicked and evil thoughts that entertain my mind. This is incentive for me to seek purity of heart. It is incentive for me to take every thought captive. It is incentive for me to be on the lookout against the enemy who seeks to destroy me by using my own thoughts and imaginations. It is incentive for me to be vigilant to protect my mind from becoming dull and... withered.
The Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus in a trap again. Was He going to break the Sabbath?! Jesus always confounded them with astonishing answers. He posed to them a rhetorical question: 'Well what do you guys think? Is it OK to do good on the Sabbath'. I guess they hadn't expected this kind of a question... if they had expected it, I imagine they would have responded. But they were silent. They weren't just 'outsmarted', they were caught in their own trap - by the One who already knew what they were thinking. He was grieved at the hardness of their heart.
It is both a comforting thing AND a scary thing... that, if Jesus knew these wicked Pharisees hard hearts and evil thoughts, then he certainly knows mine. Comforting, because He knows when I hurt, when I fear, when I lack faith... but also scary, because He knows those same wicked and evil thoughts that entertain my mind. This is incentive for me to seek purity of heart. It is incentive for me to take every thought captive. It is incentive for me to be on the lookout against the enemy who seeks to destroy me by using my own thoughts and imaginations. It is incentive for me to be vigilant to protect my mind from becoming dull and... withered.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Man With the Withered Hand - Part 1
The account of the man with the withered hand in Mark 3 always intrigued me. I always wondered what a withered hand really looked like. What ever a withered hand is or looks like, Jesus Christ, the healer, fixed it. This is a passage loaded with many things.
"He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the withered hand..."
These people were 'watching' Jesus. It doesn't appear like they are 'watching' because they have been impressed by him. They are watching because they were looking to accuse him. In fact, not only did they want to accuse him, but even worse... they wanted to destroy him (verse 6). They kept their eyes peeled. They couldn't afford to blink. They didn't want to miss anything. And so they were watching intently, hoping he'd mess up.
"If they hate you, know that they hated me first", Jesus says in another place. In this passage in Mark, know that if they watched Jesus intently, know that 'they' are watching you too. This should be motivation for every Christian - every true believer - to live an exemplary life. We ought to be shining examples of the highest integrity and honor. Truthfulness and honesty should characterize our lives. We ought not to give anyone an occasion to speak poorly of us. We ought to be as blameless as is humanly possible and always run to Christ and His Word for help.
People watched Jesus. People are watching us.
"He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the withered hand..."
These people were 'watching' Jesus. It doesn't appear like they are 'watching' because they have been impressed by him. They are watching because they were looking to accuse him. In fact, not only did they want to accuse him, but even worse... they wanted to destroy him (verse 6). They kept their eyes peeled. They couldn't afford to blink. They didn't want to miss anything. And so they were watching intently, hoping he'd mess up.
"If they hate you, know that they hated me first", Jesus says in another place. In this passage in Mark, know that if they watched Jesus intently, know that 'they' are watching you too. This should be motivation for every Christian - every true believer - to live an exemplary life. We ought to be shining examples of the highest integrity and honor. Truthfulness and honesty should characterize our lives. We ought not to give anyone an occasion to speak poorly of us. We ought to be as blameless as is humanly possible and always run to Christ and His Word for help.
People watched Jesus. People are watching us.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Heidelberg Catechism Questions #60 - #65
May these questions and answers from the Heidelberg Catachism make it clear that our justification is not only making a legal declarations that we are counted 'just as though we never sinned'. While that is true, that is only part of it. The other part is the fact that the Christian is clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Our sins are put to His account, and His righteousness is imputed to us! Jerry Bridges calls it 'The Great Exchange'... What a great description of what God, through Christ, has done for us.
60. Q. How are you righteous before God?
A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.[1] Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any of them,[2] and am still inclined to all evil,[3] yet God, without any merit of my own,[4] out of mere grace,[5] imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ.[6] He grants these to me as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me,[7] if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.[8]
[1] Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8, 9; Phil. 3:8-11. [2] Rom. 3:9, 10. [3] Rom. 7:23. [4] Deut. 9:6; Ezek. 36:22; Tit. 3:4, 5. [5] Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8. [6] Rom. 4:3-5; II Cor. 5:17-19; I John 2:1, 2. [7] Rom. 4:24, 25; II Cor. 5:21. [8] John 3:18; Acts 16:30, 31; Rom. 3:22.
61. Q. Why do you say that you are righteous only by faith?
A. Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, for only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God.[1] I can receive this righteousness and make it mine my own by faith only.[2]
[1] I Cor. 1:30, 31; 2:2. [2] Rom. 10:10; I John 5:10-12.
62. Q. But why can our good works not be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of it?
A. Because the righteousness which can stand before God's judgment must be absolutely perfect and in complete agreement with the law of God,[1] whereas even our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin.[2]
[1] Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10. [2] Is. 64:6.
63. Q. But do our good works earn nothing, even though God promises to reward them in this life and the next?
A. This reward is not earned[1]; it is a gift of grace.[2]
[1] Matt. 5:12; Heb. 11:6. [2] Luke 17:10; II Tim. 4:7, 8.
64. Q. Does this teaching not make people careless and wicked?
A. No. It is impossible that those grafted into Christ by true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness.[1]
[1] Matt. 7:18; Luke 6:43-45; John 15:5.
65. Q. Since then faith alone makes us share in Christ and all His benefits, where does this faith come from?
A. From the Holy Spirit,[1] who works it in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel,[2] and strengthens it by the use of the sacraments.[3]
[1] John 3:5; I Cor. 2:10-14; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:29. [2] Rom. 10:17; I Pet. 1:23-25. [3] Matt. 28:19, 20; I Cor. 10:16.
Friday, January 23, 2009
I Have Never Seen Anything Like This...
I don’t know what time it was… must have been around noon. The sun was beating down and it was hotter than blazes. I don’t usually spend much time down there in Capernaum, but I did notice that the crowds were unusually large that day. And then these lunatics came pushing their way through the busy street and then up the sidewalk to the run down home. What on earth was going on there? They couldn’t possibly be trying to get into that house – it was already full of sick people. It looked like the town clinic; people moaning in pain, others appeared to be in some sort of seizures or demon-possessed, blind people groping around tripping over the ones lying on the floor. It was mass chaos from my point of view.
I thought I’d leave and go back home, until I saw the four men carrying the paraplegic on a makeshift stretcher trying desperately but unsuccessfully to get in the front door… somehow ended up on the roof. They grabbed a crude shovel and started digging. Dirt and thatch was being thrown everywhere. “Watch what you’re doing!”, I yelled, rubbing the dust out of my eyes. After I removed the specks from my eyes, I didn’t see the paraplegic anymore. “Out of my way… c’mon, move it…”. I rushed to the door of the run-down home undoubtedly knocking a few bystanders aside. The one everyone was talking about was standing inside the dirt clay house. I had heard about the healings taking place in town. And now the crippled man lay helpless at the healer’s feet. “My son, your sins are forgiven”, I heard him say. What in the world? What kind of statement is that?!, I thought. What blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins… even I knew that – and besides, this man needed his legs fixed, not his sins forgiven. At that moment, the healer turned and gave me a piercing look. There were so many people in the room, he could have been looking at anyone, but I knew he was looking at me. “Why do you think this way in your heart?”, he asked me directly. My face went flush and I started to sweat. “What do you think is the easier thing, to say ‘your sins are forgiven’, or to say ‘get up and walk’. I didn’t even have time to process the question as I felt every eye in the place on me. “Pick up your make-shift stretcher and go home”, he said to the crippled man. Without hesitation, the lame man was instantly able to walk, and he left.
Nobody said a word for a minute or two. We all stood there in amazement looking at one another. We had never seen anything like this. This was amazing. So much so, that some people were praising the Hebrew God. Amid all the activity, I lost sight of the healer. Where did he go? Someone needs to keep an eye on him, the way he talks… but then again, he might be worth finding and following…
I thought I’d leave and go back home, until I saw the four men carrying the paraplegic on a makeshift stretcher trying desperately but unsuccessfully to get in the front door… somehow ended up on the roof. They grabbed a crude shovel and started digging. Dirt and thatch was being thrown everywhere. “Watch what you’re doing!”, I yelled, rubbing the dust out of my eyes. After I removed the specks from my eyes, I didn’t see the paraplegic anymore. “Out of my way… c’mon, move it…”. I rushed to the door of the run-down home undoubtedly knocking a few bystanders aside. The one everyone was talking about was standing inside the dirt clay house. I had heard about the healings taking place in town. And now the crippled man lay helpless at the healer’s feet. “My son, your sins are forgiven”, I heard him say. What in the world? What kind of statement is that?!, I thought. What blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins… even I knew that – and besides, this man needed his legs fixed, not his sins forgiven. At that moment, the healer turned and gave me a piercing look. There were so many people in the room, he could have been looking at anyone, but I knew he was looking at me. “Why do you think this way in your heart?”, he asked me directly. My face went flush and I started to sweat. “What do you think is the easier thing, to say ‘your sins are forgiven’, or to say ‘get up and walk’. I didn’t even have time to process the question as I felt every eye in the place on me. “Pick up your make-shift stretcher and go home”, he said to the crippled man. Without hesitation, the lame man was instantly able to walk, and he left.
Nobody said a word for a minute or two. We all stood there in amazement looking at one another. We had never seen anything like this. This was amazing. So much so, that some people were praising the Hebrew God. Amid all the activity, I lost sight of the healer. Where did he go? Someone needs to keep an eye on him, the way he talks… but then again, he might be worth finding and following…
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Who Has the Moral Clarity?
Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the death sentence to millions upon millions of Americans - the Roe v. Wade decision. The following is a conversation I had with my seven-year-old in the car yesterday. He brought up the topic, out of the blue. You tell me who has the moral clarity, your new president or my seven-year-old...
Son: Why does our new president kill babies?
Dad: Well, he doesn’t personally kill them, but he doesn’t have a problem if someone else does it.
Son: So, he thinks its OK to murder?
Dad: He says he isn’t sure if a baby in the womb is really a baby.
Son: He’s not sure?! What else could it be? He’s the president, and he doesn’t know?
Dad: Well, what do you think about this? Is a baby really a baby when it’s two weeks old?
Son: Yes...
Dad: Do you think that a baby is a baby two weeks before birth?
Son: Yes!!
Dad: What about two months before birth?
Son: YES!!!!!! But why doesn’t the president know this? Isn’t he a smart person?
Dad: I don’t know, son.
Son: [... silent... staring out the window...]
Son: Why does our new president kill babies?
Dad: Well, he doesn’t personally kill them, but he doesn’t have a problem if someone else does it.
Son: So, he thinks its OK to murder?
Dad: He says he isn’t sure if a baby in the womb is really a baby.
Son: He’s not sure?! What else could it be? He’s the president, and he doesn’t know?
Dad: Well, what do you think about this? Is a baby really a baby when it’s two weeks old?
Son: Yes...
Dad: Do you think that a baby is a baby two weeks before birth?
Son: Yes!!
Dad: What about two months before birth?
Son: YES!!!!!! But why doesn’t the president know this? Isn’t he a smart person?
Dad: I don’t know, son.
Son: [... silent... staring out the window...]
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
An Open Letter to the President
Dear Mr. President;
I did not vote for you. I disagree strongly with you on many fronts. However, that does not mean you aren't MY president. You are just as much MY president as you are some liberal whacko from California or New York, and I will learn to respect that fact. You are not just the president of those who voted for you, but you are also the president of those who didn't. You represent 'all of us' here in the United States, including me. Whether you like it or not, you also are the president of those who will be born tomorrow, next week and next month. Like I said, you are the president of ALL of us that live in this country and that includes those in the womb right now.
Unfortunately, you have taken a position against those in the womb. I ask, how can you claim to be the president of 'all of us' and yet actively seek to promote extinguishing the lives of 'some of us'? You are in a perilous position if you expect to stand before God someday to offer an explanation as to why you took such a position. I would not want to be you when God asks you why you didn't defend the lives of innocent children. The very hand you use to sign into law the radical views you have on abortion will be stained with the blood of countless babies. I ask you to reconsider your position on 'life' as it relates to the pre-born.
If your daughters 'made a mistake' and got pregnant, I would have a hard time knowing how you'd label your grandchildren as 'punishment', as you stated in the campaign. Children, according to the Bible, are a blessing not a punishment. That may come as a surprise to you, but you should already know that, you have two beautiful children! In practice, you are pro-life - at least with your own family. Quit hiding behind the woman's choice argument. Don't cave in to the political pro-abortion pressure. Be a real man... no, be a real human... and use your office to protect our little babies.
Your conservative, pro-life, pro-family constituent,
Mark
I did not vote for you. I disagree strongly with you on many fronts. However, that does not mean you aren't MY president. You are just as much MY president as you are some liberal whacko from California or New York, and I will learn to respect that fact. You are not just the president of those who voted for you, but you are also the president of those who didn't. You represent 'all of us' here in the United States, including me. Whether you like it or not, you also are the president of those who will be born tomorrow, next week and next month. Like I said, you are the president of ALL of us that live in this country and that includes those in the womb right now.
Unfortunately, you have taken a position against those in the womb. I ask, how can you claim to be the president of 'all of us' and yet actively seek to promote extinguishing the lives of 'some of us'? You are in a perilous position if you expect to stand before God someday to offer an explanation as to why you took such a position. I would not want to be you when God asks you why you didn't defend the lives of innocent children. The very hand you use to sign into law the radical views you have on abortion will be stained with the blood of countless babies. I ask you to reconsider your position on 'life' as it relates to the pre-born.
If your daughters 'made a mistake' and got pregnant, I would have a hard time knowing how you'd label your grandchildren as 'punishment', as you stated in the campaign. Children, according to the Bible, are a blessing not a punishment. That may come as a surprise to you, but you should already know that, you have two beautiful children! In practice, you are pro-life - at least with your own family. Quit hiding behind the woman's choice argument. Don't cave in to the political pro-abortion pressure. Be a real man... no, be a real human... and use your office to protect our little babies.
Your conservative, pro-life, pro-family constituent,
Mark
Monday, January 19, 2009
Outrageous Disguise
Human rights groups are outraged over the accusations that soldiers in Thailand are taking hundreds of people out to sea on unmotorized boats and leaving them out there to starve, dehydrate and die. If it is true, it should be an outrage.
Why is it not an outrage in America when we are doing the same thing under the disguise of a woman's right to choose? It IS an outrage - and the human rights groups, the United Nations, your Congressman, your Senator, your new President and sadly many of your brothers and sisters in Christ are silent in their outrage... if they have any at all. Maybe the most outrageous disguise of all is the pro-lifer that never says or does anything in the defense of the pre-born...
Why is it not an outrage in America when we are doing the same thing under the disguise of a woman's right to choose? It IS an outrage - and the human rights groups, the United Nations, your Congressman, your Senator, your new President and sadly many of your brothers and sisters in Christ are silent in their outrage... if they have any at all. Maybe the most outrageous disguise of all is the pro-lifer that never says or does anything in the defense of the pre-born...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
What Does God's Forgiveness Look Like?
In the Puritan Thomas Watson's work "The Lord's Prayer", he tells us what God’s forgiveness of us looks like. He says it is God passing by sin, wiping off the score and giving us a discharge:
1). To forgive sin is to take away iniquity – when the heavy burden of sin is upon us, God in pardoning, lifts it off from the conscience and lays it on Christ – Isaiah 53:6 – “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
2). To forgive sin is to cover it – Psalm 85:2 – “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin.”
3). To forgive sin is to blot it out – Isaiah 43:25 – “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” The Hebrew language here alludes to a creditor when his debtor pays him. It is ‘accounting’ terminology: when God forgives sin he blots out the debt, he draws the red lines of Christ’s blood over it and so crosses out the debt in the book.
4). To forgive sin is to cast our sins into the depths of the sea, which implies burying them out of sight. Micah 7:19 – “Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” – God will throw them in, not as a cork that rises again, but as lead that sinks to the bottom.
Who wouldn't want this kind of forgiveness. Run into the arms of Christ who is ready and willing to intercede on your behalf.
1). To forgive sin is to take away iniquity – when the heavy burden of sin is upon us, God in pardoning, lifts it off from the conscience and lays it on Christ – Isaiah 53:6 – “and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
2). To forgive sin is to cover it – Psalm 85:2 – “Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin.”
3). To forgive sin is to blot it out – Isaiah 43:25 – “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” The Hebrew language here alludes to a creditor when his debtor pays him. It is ‘accounting’ terminology: when God forgives sin he blots out the debt, he draws the red lines of Christ’s blood over it and so crosses out the debt in the book.
4). To forgive sin is to cast our sins into the depths of the sea, which implies burying them out of sight. Micah 7:19 – “Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” – God will throw them in, not as a cork that rises again, but as lead that sinks to the bottom.
Who wouldn't want this kind of forgiveness. Run into the arms of Christ who is ready and willing to intercede on your behalf.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Real Miracle on the Hudson
Amazing drama unfolded yesterday in New York, in what is being called 'The Miracle on the Hudson'. Bravery, heroism, sacrifice... There are stories yet to be told of the rescue of all the passengers on that flight. It really was nothing short of miraculous that no one died in this crash.
Not to take anything away from the efforts in the rescue, but this event is a graphic illustration of what takes place every day. We just don't necessarily 'see' it and it isn't sensationalized. Every day, people are plunging headlong toward sure destruction, just like those people on the plane. Only the saving power of Jesus Christ through his shed blood on the cross makes it possible for ANYONE to live another day. And only the saving power of Jesus Christ delivers people from their ultimate destruction in an eternal, conscience punishment in a literal hell.
Those 155 people woke up today, alive. They are doing interviews and playing with their kids and will return to work... There was no tragedy here. This was no 'accident' - this was a miracle. God, for some reason, let them live another day. It was not their time to slip into eternity. For those who witnessed or were involved in this event: if they lived another day and didn't see God's hand of grace, THEY have experienced the real tragedy, and THEY missed the real miracle.
Not to take anything away from the efforts in the rescue, but this event is a graphic illustration of what takes place every day. We just don't necessarily 'see' it and it isn't sensationalized. Every day, people are plunging headlong toward sure destruction, just like those people on the plane. Only the saving power of Jesus Christ through his shed blood on the cross makes it possible for ANYONE to live another day. And only the saving power of Jesus Christ delivers people from their ultimate destruction in an eternal, conscience punishment in a literal hell.
Those 155 people woke up today, alive. They are doing interviews and playing with their kids and will return to work... There was no tragedy here. This was no 'accident' - this was a miracle. God, for some reason, let them live another day. It was not their time to slip into eternity. For those who witnessed or were involved in this event: if they lived another day and didn't see God's hand of grace, THEY have experienced the real tragedy, and THEY missed the real miracle.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Recipe for Success
In 1 Kings 2:1-9, David gives some instructions to his son Solomon. It is typical in history for leaders to pass along exhortation to the one who would be their successors. President Bush probably has, or will, give advice to the incoming president. David knew the recipe for Solomon’s success: Be a man; and walk in the ways that God has instructed. These are strikingly familiar words to us if we know the account of Moses. When Moses spoke to the assembly of Israel he said these words: “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47a).
Not too long after Moses commissioned the people, God charges Joshua with similar commands: “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:7-8).
The message is clear: Be strong, be a man, obey God’s instruction, and you will have success. Obedience to the Law of Moses was a necessary condition for the fulfillment of God’s divine promises back then. And if we want blessings in our country today, our leaders need to recognize the importance of God's Law as we read it in God's Word.
Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the LORD
your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His
ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses,
that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn. - 1 Kings 2:2b-3
Not too long after Moses commissioned the people, God charges Joshua with similar commands: “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:7-8).
The message is clear: Be strong, be a man, obey God’s instruction, and you will have success. Obedience to the Law of Moses was a necessary condition for the fulfillment of God’s divine promises back then. And if we want blessings in our country today, our leaders need to recognize the importance of God's Law as we read it in God's Word.
Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the LORD
your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His
ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses,
that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn. - 1 Kings 2:2b-3
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Persistent Prayer
“Ask and it shall be given to you…” - Matthew 7:7
Dr. John MacArthur states, “Persistent prayer is the prayer that moves mountains, because it is truly believing prayer.” So I wonder, do we keep going to God for our concerns because we don’t believe he’d answer?! Of course not. We see his track record. We see how he answers our prayers of fervency. And we run back to the well that never goes dry. MacArthur continues: “When the church is impotent, as so much of it is today, it is because so many Christians are impotent. And Christians are impotent because they are not persistent in praying for what God wants, believing he will provide it".
A.W. Tozer in ‘The Gaze of the Soul’ chapter in his classic work, The Pursuit of God says: “the man seeking mercy looks straight at the God of mercy and never takes his eyes away from Him till He grants mercy”. Wow! We need to thrust ourselves into the presence of God with the force of persistent and fervent prayer – asking, seeking, knocking – until we have experienced all the blessings he has waiting for us. But really this is not for us ultimately – we surge into the presence of God so that HE is the one that receives every bit of the glory that he so richly deserves. God’s glory should be the underlying motivating force in all that we do, including our persistent praying.
Mark
Dr. John MacArthur states, “Persistent prayer is the prayer that moves mountains, because it is truly believing prayer.” So I wonder, do we keep going to God for our concerns because we don’t believe he’d answer?! Of course not. We see his track record. We see how he answers our prayers of fervency. And we run back to the well that never goes dry. MacArthur continues: “When the church is impotent, as so much of it is today, it is because so many Christians are impotent. And Christians are impotent because they are not persistent in praying for what God wants, believing he will provide it".
A.W. Tozer in ‘The Gaze of the Soul’ chapter in his classic work, The Pursuit of God says: “the man seeking mercy looks straight at the God of mercy and never takes his eyes away from Him till He grants mercy”. Wow! We need to thrust ourselves into the presence of God with the force of persistent and fervent prayer – asking, seeking, knocking – until we have experienced all the blessings he has waiting for us. But really this is not for us ultimately – we surge into the presence of God so that HE is the one that receives every bit of the glory that he so richly deserves. God’s glory should be the underlying motivating force in all that we do, including our persistent praying.
Mark
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Preserved by Thy Love and Truth
Thou, O LORD will not withhold Thy compassion
from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will
continually preserve me. - Psalm 40:11
Wilt Thou, O LORD withdraw Thy tender mercies from me?
Though I blaspheme, though I slay thee with my wicked deeds?
Stained with sin, a crippled soul –
Blind at birth, my doom is sure.
A prison sentence for my crimes
Is nullified by He who removes the darkness from my weary eyes –
By He who causes healing for the lame.
Delivered by the righteous One,
Judgement and wrath are no longer mine to bear.
Love and truth Thy Son impart,
To preserve Thy son and cleanse his heart.
from me; Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will
continually preserve me. - Psalm 40:11
Wilt Thou, O LORD withdraw Thy tender mercies from me?
Though I blaspheme, though I slay thee with my wicked deeds?
Stained with sin, a crippled soul –
Blind at birth, my doom is sure.
A prison sentence for my crimes
Is nullified by He who removes the darkness from my weary eyes –
By He who causes healing for the lame.
Delivered by the righteous One,
Judgement and wrath are no longer mine to bear.
Love and truth Thy Son impart,
To preserve Thy son and cleanse his heart.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Pride and Humility
God's Word has much to say about pride and humility. These verse need no comment or interpretation - they are self-explanatory. Brace yourself.
2 Chronicles 7:14 -
[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Psalm 10:17 -
O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear.
Psalm 25:9 -
He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.
Psalm 37:11 -
But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
Psalm 101:5 -
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
Proverbs 6:16-19 -
16There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
Proverbs 8:13 -
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.
Proverbs 11:2 -
When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 15:33 -
The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.
Proverbs 16:18-19 -
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 18:12 -
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty but humility goes before honor.
Proverbs 21:4 -
Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin.
Proverbs 22:4 -
The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life.
Proverbs 27:1-2 -
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.
Proverbs 29:23 -
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
Isaiah 66:2b -
But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Jeremiah 13:15 -
Listen and give heed, do not be haughty, for the LORD has spoken.
Daniel 4:37b -
“…for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Zephaniah 2:3 -
Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’S anger.
Mark 7:20-23 -
20And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23“All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
Luke 1:51-52 -
He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.
Romans 12:3 -
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Romans 12:16 -
Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Ephesians 4:1b-3 -
…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Philippians 2:3-4 -
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Colossians 3:12-13 -
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
James 1:9-10 -
9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
James 1:21 -
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
James 4:6b-10
“GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
1 Peter 3:8 -
To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 5:5-7 -
5You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
1 John 2:16 -
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
2 Chronicles 7:14 -
[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Psalm 10:17 -
O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear.
Psalm 25:9 -
He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.
Psalm 37:11 -
But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
Psalm 101:5 -
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
Proverbs 6:16-19 -
16There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
Proverbs 8:13 -
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.
Proverbs 11:2 -
When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 15:33 -
The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.
Proverbs 16:18-19 -
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 18:12 -
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty but humility goes before honor.
Proverbs 21:4 -
Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin.
Proverbs 22:4 -
The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life.
Proverbs 27:1-2 -
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.
Proverbs 29:23 -
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
Isaiah 66:2b -
But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Jeremiah 13:15 -
Listen and give heed, do not be haughty, for the LORD has spoken.
Daniel 4:37b -
“…for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”
Zephaniah 2:3 -
Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’S anger.
Mark 7:20-23 -
20And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23“All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
Luke 1:51-52 -
He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.
Romans 12:3 -
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Romans 12:16 -
Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Ephesians 4:1b-3 -
…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Philippians 2:3-4 -
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Colossians 3:12-13 -
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
James 1:9-10 -
9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
James 1:21 -
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
James 4:6b-10
“GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
1 Peter 3:8 -
To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 5:5-7 -
5You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
1 John 2:16 -
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Aiming Higher
I am reading great book by Bishop J.C. Ryle called ‘Holiness’. This book is a case study on why it is important for Christians to be consistently reading soul-satisfying, thirst-quenching, sin-convicting books. So far, Ryle draws a clear distinction between God’s role and our role in the sanctification process. While God is intimately involved in our growth, there is none of this ‘Let-go-and-let-God’ philosophy. We are to participate in our own growth… we just don’t stand by idly and hope that God is going to hold us by the lazy hand and do everything for us (for example, see 2 Peter 1, where we see God’s part and our part in the growth process clearly outlined).
Believers have settled for a brand of Christianity that lacks vision and is content with mediocrity. We embrace every wind of doctrine because diligent study of God’s word is ‘too hard’. Our worship is lackluster and our evangelism stinks because we think people will laugh at our devotion and think we’re religious nuts.
I say we aim higher. Did not Christ die to deliver us? Could we not put a whole-hearted effort into our relationship with Him? Should not our prayers be more fervent and our Bible intake be more regular and meaningful? Aim higher. Should not our affections of Jesus Christ be more sincere? Shouldn’t we have a white-hot passion for the things of God regardless of what people say or think? We ought to aim higher! When we’re cut, we ought to bleed scripture. When we breathe, words from God’s Word ought to burst forth from our souls. Aiming higher in our faith… that’s when people will start to realize that Christians are for real, and God will get the glory.
Believers have settled for a brand of Christianity that lacks vision and is content with mediocrity. We embrace every wind of doctrine because diligent study of God’s word is ‘too hard’. Our worship is lackluster and our evangelism stinks because we think people will laugh at our devotion and think we’re religious nuts.
I say we aim higher. Did not Christ die to deliver us? Could we not put a whole-hearted effort into our relationship with Him? Should not our prayers be more fervent and our Bible intake be more regular and meaningful? Aim higher. Should not our affections of Jesus Christ be more sincere? Shouldn’t we have a white-hot passion for the things of God regardless of what people say or think? We ought to aim higher! When we’re cut, we ought to bleed scripture. When we breathe, words from God’s Word ought to burst forth from our souls. Aiming higher in our faith… that’s when people will start to realize that Christians are for real, and God will get the glory.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
What Shall We Say Then?
…but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Cholera Outbreak
In the 1830’s a cholera epidemic was rampant in England. The church bells tolled almost non-stop for months as people held funerals for their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. One man was prepared for the disaster that descended on his country. That man was George Muller. He spent all his waking hours encouraging those who had contracted the disease or comforting their survivors. He read the Bible to them and spent time in prayer with them. Thousands of people died from the disease. Seeing children in the streets whose parents had fallen victim to the horrible outbreak of cholera led George into a ministry with eternal consequence. He and his wife Mary had started a ‘breakfast club’, inviting hungry children into their house each morning for a warm breakfast and a Bible lesson.
A long time ago in a distant land… it sounds nearly impossible for us to even imagine something like a widespread epidemic with such far-reaching consequences. But I think we can learn much from a man like Mr. Muller. Christians need to be prepared. We need to be ready to do what George Muller did. We may not face cholera, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that we’d face a different epidemic. It might be a health epidemic. It could very well be the results of the looming economic meltdown of our financial structure. When the dust has settled from all the bailouts, the move to spreading the wealth around, the Obama presidency, the corruption in Washington and New York, we could very well be looking at hungry children in our streets in massive numbers. Unemployment and crime could spike to all-time heights. Despair and hopelessness could be the predominant landscape of our near future.
Are we going to crumble like those who have no foundation? Or will be ready, like George Muller, with the message of hope from the Word of God? The time is now for us to gird our loins and arm ourselves with the scriptures. The time is now to be ready to give someone a cold drink of water, literally, in the name of Jesus. Get ready for the coming outbreak of cholera in your town.
A long time ago in a distant land… it sounds nearly impossible for us to even imagine something like a widespread epidemic with such far-reaching consequences. But I think we can learn much from a man like Mr. Muller. Christians need to be prepared. We need to be ready to do what George Muller did. We may not face cholera, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that we’d face a different epidemic. It might be a health epidemic. It could very well be the results of the looming economic meltdown of our financial structure. When the dust has settled from all the bailouts, the move to spreading the wealth around, the Obama presidency, the corruption in Washington and New York, we could very well be looking at hungry children in our streets in massive numbers. Unemployment and crime could spike to all-time heights. Despair and hopelessness could be the predominant landscape of our near future.
Are we going to crumble like those who have no foundation? Or will be ready, like George Muller, with the message of hope from the Word of God? The time is now for us to gird our loins and arm ourselves with the scriptures. The time is now to be ready to give someone a cold drink of water, literally, in the name of Jesus. Get ready for the coming outbreak of cholera in your town.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Is the Word Alive???
For Christmas, a great friend of mine gave me a CD. On this particular CD, the weak candy lyrics that so much characterizes contemporary Christian music these days were left behind. A couple paragraphs go like this:
The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe
The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive
And so I asked myself - Is the Word REALLY alive? Does it REALLY cut the darkness like a sword? Does it REALLY have a message? A message of life? Does it REALLY remain? Is it REALLY alive? If the answer to any of these questions is 'NO', then we may as well continue the way we are... cold, calloused and indifferent to those who go about us every day. If the answer to any of these questions is 'YES', then how can we continue to be ashamed to share the life-giving truth that we claim it contains.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. - Hebrews 4:12-13
The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe
The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive
And so I asked myself - Is the Word REALLY alive? Does it REALLY cut the darkness like a sword? Does it REALLY have a message? A message of life? Does it REALLY remain? Is it REALLY alive? If the answer to any of these questions is 'NO', then we may as well continue the way we are... cold, calloused and indifferent to those who go about us every day. If the answer to any of these questions is 'YES', then how can we continue to be ashamed to share the life-giving truth that we claim it contains.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. - Hebrews 4:12-13
Thursday, January 1, 2009
If Your Eye is Clear...
Happy New Year! May your vision for 2009 be clear. May you have single-minded devotion to Christ. May your worship and service to the Lord be pure and undistracted.
The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. - Matthew 6:22
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