My wife always has ways of encouraging me. Today she emailed me at work a section from a book she is reading from Warren Wiersbe regarding what a 'good day' consists of:
What God means by "Good Days": They are not necessarily days free from problems. For the Psalmist in Psalm 34 wrote about fears, troubles, afflictions, and even a broken heart. A "Good Day" for the believer who "loves life" is not one in which he is pampered and sheltered, but one in which he experiences God's help and blessing because of life's problems and trials. It is a day when he magnifies the Lord, experiences answers to prayer, tastes the goodness of God and senses the nearness of God.
Showing posts with label Psalms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalms. Show all posts
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Pain and Pleasure
Joy is often elusive to the Christian. We wish it were within our grasp, but sometimes it just isn't there. We find ourselves desperately looking for it only to come away disappointed by another exercise in futility.
It is closer than we think. It involves a spiritual culture shift in what we think joy is rooted in. Am I wrong in saying that if everything is fine and everything is going our way... then we have joy... and lots of it? That may be true to some extent. But the Bible tells us another source of joy. Of course, God is the ultimate source of joy, as He is all other good gifts. But consider these passages:
Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us. Psalm 90:15
Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. Psalm 119:67
It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. Psalm 119:71
The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19
These passages indicate that gladness (joy) is sometimes related to affliction. BEFORE affliction, the Psalmist went astray. It appears that the affliction was instrumental in helping him keep God's word. It is GOOD that the Psalmist was afflicted... why? So he could learn God's law. This causes stability in one's life, and stability plays a vital part in whether or not someone is joyful.
But the ultimate affliction was what you and I caused to the one and only Son of God because of our rebellion:
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. Isaiah 53:7
Because of the pain that Christ endured on the cross, the one who follows Him in obedience of faith will enjoy the pleasures of heaven forever. That should not only bring a smile to the saddest face, but that should bring everlasting joy that nothing or no one can take away.
It is closer than we think. It involves a spiritual culture shift in what we think joy is rooted in. Am I wrong in saying that if everything is fine and everything is going our way... then we have joy... and lots of it? That may be true to some extent. But the Bible tells us another source of joy. Of course, God is the ultimate source of joy, as He is all other good gifts. But consider these passages:
Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us. Psalm 90:15
Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word. Psalm 119:67
It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. Psalm 119:71
The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19
These passages indicate that gladness (joy) is sometimes related to affliction. BEFORE affliction, the Psalmist went astray. It appears that the affliction was instrumental in helping him keep God's word. It is GOOD that the Psalmist was afflicted... why? So he could learn God's law. This causes stability in one's life, and stability plays a vital part in whether or not someone is joyful.
But the ultimate affliction was what you and I caused to the one and only Son of God because of our rebellion:
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. Isaiah 53:7
Because of the pain that Christ endured on the cross, the one who follows Him in obedience of faith will enjoy the pleasures of heaven forever. That should not only bring a smile to the saddest face, but that should bring everlasting joy that nothing or no one can take away.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Whiter Than Snow
My son, not realizing the allegory in his words, said 'Dad, I love the snow, God must love us alot to give us snow'.
My mind immediately raced to Isaiah chapter 1 and Psalm 51. "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow" and "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow". What could be whiter than snow?! It's pretty white! And yet God promises to wash us until we are whiter than snow.
I love snow for that very reason... it reminds us of the cleansing we received from the blood of Jesus Christ. The thistles of sin are covered by the atonement made possible by what Jesus did on that bloody cross.
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas? No need to dream about that. It's already a reality for those who put their faith and trust in the soul cleansing blood of the Savior whose birth we celebrate next week!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Prayers for My Children
Based on Psalm 119:1-11
May you walk in a way that is blameless.
May you walk in the law of the Lord.
May you keep His testimonies and seek him with your whole heart.
May you make every effort to do right and walk in God’s ways.
May you keep God’s precepts diligently.
May your ways be steadfast.
May your eyes be fixed on God’s commandments.
May you learn God’s rules with an upright heart.
May you keep your ways pure according to God’s word.
May you not wander from His commandments.
May you hide the Word in your hearts that you might not sin against God.
May you walk in a way that is blameless.
May you walk in the law of the Lord.
May you keep His testimonies and seek him with your whole heart.
May you make every effort to do right and walk in God’s ways.
May you keep God’s precepts diligently.
May your ways be steadfast.
May your eyes be fixed on God’s commandments.
May you learn God’s rules with an upright heart.
May you keep your ways pure according to God’s word.
May you not wander from His commandments.
May you hide the Word in your hearts that you might not sin against God.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Action Words
I wondered this morning about the inactivity of myself and my fellow Christians. If we think about it, often times we are a bunch of immobile, sit-still, lay-down, bordering-on-lazy people. Even our minds are in 'park', our senses disengaged and dulled by the blue images radiating out of the electronic box in the corner of the livingroom. I sometimes find myself like a big, heavy, over-loaded truck parked along the side of the road, late for a delivery because I am out of gas or have a flat tire. Sluggish. Inactive. Immobile.
After my shower, my morning pre-work routine usually consists of briefly catching up on the news, pouring a bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, and then engaging in a refreshing reading in the book of Psalms. Today I found myself reading some 'action words'. Words that run counter to inactivity and immobility... You know, the kind of words or phrases that provoke you to want to 'do something', but at the same time strike you between the eyes because you know you've been like a sluggard turning in his bed like a door turning on its hinges... words like 'give' and 'call' and 'make' and 'sing' and 'speak' and 'seek' and 'remember'. Where are these punch-packing action words?
Psalm 105:1-5
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done,
Lets get moving!
After my shower, my morning pre-work routine usually consists of briefly catching up on the news, pouring a bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, and then engaging in a refreshing reading in the book of Psalms. Today I found myself reading some 'action words'. Words that run counter to inactivity and immobility... You know, the kind of words or phrases that provoke you to want to 'do something', but at the same time strike you between the eyes because you know you've been like a sluggard turning in his bed like a door turning on its hinges... words like 'give' and 'call' and 'make' and 'sing' and 'speak' and 'seek' and 'remember'. Where are these punch-packing action words?
Psalm 105:1-5
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;
Speak of all His wonders.
Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face continually.
Remember His wonders which He has done,
Lets get moving!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Our Response to God’s Law
We are not under the Law but under grace, right? But if God had a purpose for giving the Law, then we certainly should have some response to it, shouldn't we? What is our response?
1). Learn It - Deuteronomy 5:1 – Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully.
Psalm 119:73 - Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
2). Obey It - Obedience results in BLESSING; Obedience results in WISDOM; Obedience results in LIFE
Deuteronomy 5:31-33 – But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess. So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.
Joshua 1:8 - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Deuteronomy 4:5-6 - See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Deuteronomy 32:46-47a - 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.
3). Love It - Psalm 119:97 - O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
4). Teach It - Deuteronomy 4:6-7 - These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
1). Learn It - Deuteronomy 5:1 – Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully.
Psalm 119:73 - Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
2). Obey It - Obedience results in BLESSING; Obedience results in WISDOM; Obedience results in LIFE
Deuteronomy 5:31-33 – But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess. So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.
Joshua 1:8 - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Deuteronomy 4:5-6 - See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Deuteronomy 32:46-47a - 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.
3). Love It - Psalm 119:97 - O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
4). Teach It - Deuteronomy 4:6-7 - These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
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, December 12, 2008
Walking Away From the Truth?
A couple days ago I heard of a pretty well-known Christian music artist who left his wife and 'came out of the closet'. Nothing surprises me anymore. How does someone get to the place where he has spent his whole life writing and singing profound songs of faith and then announces he's gay. He's a gay Christian! (according to his own description of himself). Is this hypocrisy to the highest extent? Or is this just the sin he's got to deal with in his life. After all, don't we all have something we're dealing with?
Lest anyone think I am a homophobe, let me be clear. I know homosexual people. Some of them have been, and are friends of mine. I don't hate them. I care about them. I just don't agree with their lifestyle. I know at least one person who was miraculously delivered from that destructive life of sin and got married to a beautiful Christian woman and he is now a father of a pretty little girl.
But this is the problem I have with this whole deal: Yes, Christians stumble. We're sinners! But when someone makes a choice to ignore God's Word and enter into a habitual lifestyle and practice of sin, then I have got to question whether they are saved at all. My Bible tells me that God 'hates those who practice iniquity' (Psalm 5:5). Did this man throw in the towel? Did he decide to quit the battle? Did he give up fighting the good fight? Did he decide perseverance was not for him? Was his sexual urges more important to him than God's commands?
Who am I to cast stones? Who am I to judge? There are no stones being thrown here. There is no final judgment call coming from this blogger. I will only hasten make mention that God's Word does not equivocate on the issue of homosexuality. God calls it a sin... and He hates those who practice sin. Just the same as someone practicing adultery, hatred, stealing or lying.
The issue is self-control. It is a fruit of the Spirit, you know. We shouldn't be practicing murder because we have self-control. We shouldn't be practicing rape or incest, because we have self-control. We shouldn't gorge ourselves with a dozen donuts or drink a keg of beer because... say it all together now kids... we have self-control. Self-control is evidence that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. A lack of self-control - in any area of our lives - may not indicate that we are not Christians, but it should make us question where we really are. A lack of self-control is a serious character flaw, and I might suggest that it could be eternally fatal. Someone who claims to be a Christian who cannot control their sexual urges had better do some serious soul searching and self examination. They might be deluded.
I obviously don't know where this man stands in regard to his self-proclaimed relation with his creator. But I do know that his experiences do not validate whether the Word of God is true or not. God's Word stands no matter what - and according to this Word, this man is in sin and needs to repent. He is in a dangerous position, appearing to have walked away from the truth. God forbid that I would ever walk away from the truth. The older I get, the more I see it all around me. And it scares me to death.
Lest anyone think I am a homophobe, let me be clear. I know homosexual people. Some of them have been, and are friends of mine. I don't hate them. I care about them. I just don't agree with their lifestyle. I know at least one person who was miraculously delivered from that destructive life of sin and got married to a beautiful Christian woman and he is now a father of a pretty little girl.
But this is the problem I have with this whole deal: Yes, Christians stumble. We're sinners! But when someone makes a choice to ignore God's Word and enter into a habitual lifestyle and practice of sin, then I have got to question whether they are saved at all. My Bible tells me that God 'hates those who practice iniquity' (Psalm 5:5). Did this man throw in the towel? Did he decide to quit the battle? Did he give up fighting the good fight? Did he decide perseverance was not for him? Was his sexual urges more important to him than God's commands?
Who am I to cast stones? Who am I to judge? There are no stones being thrown here. There is no final judgment call coming from this blogger. I will only hasten make mention that God's Word does not equivocate on the issue of homosexuality. God calls it a sin... and He hates those who practice sin. Just the same as someone practicing adultery, hatred, stealing or lying.
The issue is self-control. It is a fruit of the Spirit, you know. We shouldn't be practicing murder because we have self-control. We shouldn't be practicing rape or incest, because we have self-control. We shouldn't gorge ourselves with a dozen donuts or drink a keg of beer because... say it all together now kids... we have self-control. Self-control is evidence that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. A lack of self-control - in any area of our lives - may not indicate that we are not Christians, but it should make us question where we really are. A lack of self-control is a serious character flaw, and I might suggest that it could be eternally fatal. Someone who claims to be a Christian who cannot control their sexual urges had better do some serious soul searching and self examination. They might be deluded.
I obviously don't know where this man stands in regard to his self-proclaimed relation with his creator. But I do know that his experiences do not validate whether the Word of God is true or not. God's Word stands no matter what - and according to this Word, this man is in sin and needs to repent. He is in a dangerous position, appearing to have walked away from the truth. God forbid that I would ever walk away from the truth. The older I get, the more I see it all around me. And it scares me to death.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Enjoying God Forever
"Thou wilt make known to me the path of life;
In Thy presence is fullness of joy;
In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever."
- Psalm 16:11
Q:What is the chief end of man?
A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever – according to The Westminster Confession of Faith Shorter Catechism.
John Piper, in his book ‘Desiring God’ states it a little differently by stating, "The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever".
Are people, are Christian people glorifying God? Are they enjoying God? Jonathan Rauch in the May 2003 issue of Atlantic Monthly magazine coined the word ‘APATHEISM’. He defined it as ‘a disinclination to care all that much about one’s own religion, and an even stronger disinclination to care about other people’s’. He says that apatheists ‘are neither controlled by godly passion nor concerned about the religious beliefs of others’. He goes on to say that ‘even regular church-goers can, and often do, rank high on the apatheism scale’.
What about us? Are we indifferent, middle-of-the-road, fence-straddling apathetic people or passionately awestruck and devoted, zealous lovers of God?
Take a look at the following quotes:
Dr. Sam Storms - "One Thing":
"God created you... for the heart-pounding joy and mind-bending fascination and white-hot happiness that comes from relishing and rejoicing in the beauty of Jesus Christ. To relish and rejoice in the beauty of God alone accounts for why we exist. It’s also the solution to our struggle with sin. Enjoying God is the catalyst for substantive and lasting change. And enjoying God is the soul’s sole satisfaction, with which no rival pleasure can hope to compete."
A.W. Tozer - "The Pursuit of God":
"God wills that we should push on into His presence and live our whole lives there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than just a doctrine to be held; it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day".
Charles Spurgeon
"Delighting in God exerts a transforming power upon us and lifts us above the wrong desires of our fallen nature".
Because we were created in the image of God and created for His glory we need to respond to his great love by magnifying Him above all things. Psalm 34:3 - O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Sam Storms draws a vivid analogy using microscopes and telescopes. Both microscopes and telescopes are designed to magnify objects. A microscope magnifies by focusing on something quite small causing it to look much larger than it really is - this is magnification by distortion. On the other hand, a telescope magnifies by focusing on something indescribably huge and massive and causing it to appear as it really is. Are we viewing God through a microscope or a telescope?
To see God (and enjoy him) through the telescope requires a few disciplines:
1). A focused heart - Philippians 4:8 - endeavor to increase your spiritual appetite by meditating on spiritual objects. This requires an intensity and exclusivity of your devotion
2). Proper posturing - endeavor to promote your spiritual appetite by laying yourself in the way of allurement – that is, exposing your soul to the things that awaken spiritual desire and deepen holy longings
3). Expressing worship - we should express our longings to God; they will increase by being expressed. Our passions often wither in silence. "...we delight to praise what we enjoy...praise not merely expresses, but completes the enjoyment" - C.S. Lewis
Knowing and enjoying God with you,
Mark
In Thy presence is fullness of joy;
In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever."
- Psalm 16:11
Q:What is the chief end of man?
A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever – according to The Westminster Confession of Faith Shorter Catechism.
John Piper, in his book ‘Desiring God’ states it a little differently by stating, "The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever".
Are people, are Christian people glorifying God? Are they enjoying God? Jonathan Rauch in the May 2003 issue of Atlantic Monthly magazine coined the word ‘APATHEISM’. He defined it as ‘a disinclination to care all that much about one’s own religion, and an even stronger disinclination to care about other people’s’. He says that apatheists ‘are neither controlled by godly passion nor concerned about the religious beliefs of others’. He goes on to say that ‘even regular church-goers can, and often do, rank high on the apatheism scale’.
What about us? Are we indifferent, middle-of-the-road, fence-straddling apathetic people or passionately awestruck and devoted, zealous lovers of God?
Take a look at the following quotes:
Dr. Sam Storms - "One Thing":
"God created you... for the heart-pounding joy and mind-bending fascination and white-hot happiness that comes from relishing and rejoicing in the beauty of Jesus Christ. To relish and rejoice in the beauty of God alone accounts for why we exist. It’s also the solution to our struggle with sin. Enjoying God is the catalyst for substantive and lasting change. And enjoying God is the soul’s sole satisfaction, with which no rival pleasure can hope to compete."
A.W. Tozer - "The Pursuit of God":
"God wills that we should push on into His presence and live our whole lives there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than just a doctrine to be held; it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day".
Charles Spurgeon
"Delighting in God exerts a transforming power upon us and lifts us above the wrong desires of our fallen nature".
Because we were created in the image of God and created for His glory we need to respond to his great love by magnifying Him above all things. Psalm 34:3 - O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Sam Storms draws a vivid analogy using microscopes and telescopes. Both microscopes and telescopes are designed to magnify objects. A microscope magnifies by focusing on something quite small causing it to look much larger than it really is - this is magnification by distortion. On the other hand, a telescope magnifies by focusing on something indescribably huge and massive and causing it to appear as it really is. Are we viewing God through a microscope or a telescope?
To see God (and enjoy him) through the telescope requires a few disciplines:
1). A focused heart - Philippians 4:8 - endeavor to increase your spiritual appetite by meditating on spiritual objects. This requires an intensity and exclusivity of your devotion
2). Proper posturing - endeavor to promote your spiritual appetite by laying yourself in the way of allurement – that is, exposing your soul to the things that awaken spiritual desire and deepen holy longings
3). Expressing worship - we should express our longings to God; they will increase by being expressed. Our passions often wither in silence. "...we delight to praise what we enjoy...praise not merely expresses, but completes the enjoyment" - C.S. Lewis
Knowing and enjoying God with you,
Mark
Monday, October 13, 2008
Burning Hatred
"Thou dost hate all those who do iniquity."
- Psalm 5:5b
Elsewhere in Psalms, God is one who is referred to as having ‘indignation every day’ (7:11). The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and He made them to wander in the dry, dusty wilderness of the desert for forty years. In the NLT, Romans 2:8 warns us of this sobering truth: "But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds". Isaiah the prophet, speaking on behalf of God, pronounces judgment on the people by crying, "Woe to the wicked" (3:11). Hate. Indignation. Burning anger. Wrath. Judgment. Woe! This doesn’t sound like the Celestial Grandfather we’ve conjured up in our minds who might ‘wink’ at a couple of our small sins. No, this doesn’t sound like the "God is Love" we learned about in second grade Sunday School.
While the Celestial Grandfather label might be a little irreverent, God could not be ‘more love’ than He is when he is adhering to His perfect standard of justice. Sin that is swept under the carpet and ignored is the speeding car of injustice that is an inevitable twisted wreck waiting to happen. Sin has a price tag attached to it and it is extremely expensive. Eternity in hell is the cost for one small act of disobedience. A ‘forever’ of torment for the wrong view of God. The lake of fire for a little white lie. Everlasting, conscious punishment for looking the wrong way at a woman or hating a brother in my heart.
‘Hatred’ most often gets associated with being the opposite of ‘love’. But for God, ‘hatred’ and ‘love’ co-exist perfectly. They are not opposites, but rather compliments. Because there is perfect hatred of sin, there is perfect love of the very ones who commit the sin. God’s Son Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that love, delivering all those who forsake their sin from God’s ultimate act of punishment.
"God hates the sin and loves the sinner" is a phrase often heard. And while that is a true statement in one regard, God does hate that one who practices his iniquity. For one who refuses to give up his sin, who will not die to his lawlessness… he will eventually give up and ultimately die in the spiritual sense of the word, unless the blood of Christ washes away his iniquity.
- Psalm 5:5b
Elsewhere in Psalms, God is one who is referred to as having ‘indignation every day’ (7:11). The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and He made them to wander in the dry, dusty wilderness of the desert for forty years. In the NLT, Romans 2:8 warns us of this sobering truth: "But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds". Isaiah the prophet, speaking on behalf of God, pronounces judgment on the people by crying, "Woe to the wicked" (3:11). Hate. Indignation. Burning anger. Wrath. Judgment. Woe! This doesn’t sound like the Celestial Grandfather we’ve conjured up in our minds who might ‘wink’ at a couple of our small sins. No, this doesn’t sound like the "God is Love" we learned about in second grade Sunday School.
While the Celestial Grandfather label might be a little irreverent, God could not be ‘more love’ than He is when he is adhering to His perfect standard of justice. Sin that is swept under the carpet and ignored is the speeding car of injustice that is an inevitable twisted wreck waiting to happen. Sin has a price tag attached to it and it is extremely expensive. Eternity in hell is the cost for one small act of disobedience. A ‘forever’ of torment for the wrong view of God. The lake of fire for a little white lie. Everlasting, conscious punishment for looking the wrong way at a woman or hating a brother in my heart.
‘Hatred’ most often gets associated with being the opposite of ‘love’. But for God, ‘hatred’ and ‘love’ co-exist perfectly. They are not opposites, but rather compliments. Because there is perfect hatred of sin, there is perfect love of the very ones who commit the sin. God’s Son Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that love, delivering all those who forsake their sin from God’s ultimate act of punishment.
"God hates the sin and loves the sinner" is a phrase often heard. And while that is a true statement in one regard, God does hate that one who practices his iniquity. For one who refuses to give up his sin, who will not die to his lawlessness… he will eventually give up and ultimately die in the spiritual sense of the word, unless the blood of Christ washes away his iniquity.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Shame and Consequence
I received an email today that had several pictures of the concentration camps in Germany during WWII. There were hundreds, thousands of dead bodies. The email stated that President Eisenhower ordered that photos be taken because people someday would deny that this ever happened. I am not sure if the executive order on the pictures is an urban legend or not, but no one in their right mind can deny that the holocaust happened. The point of the email was to use vivid imagery to compel people to remember that ‘the only way for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing’. It was a call to make sure that mankind never exterminates mankind.
Unfortunately, this is still happening in our very own country. It’s called abortion.
The shame and the consequence belongs to us for allowing this to continue. The shame and the consequence belongs to our country for giving hearty approval of it. Nazi Germany’s got nothing on our culture when it comes to atrocities.
Lord have mercy.
Unfortunately, this is still happening in our very own country. It’s called abortion.
The shame and the consequence belongs to us for allowing this to continue. The shame and the consequence belongs to our country for giving hearty approval of it. Nazi Germany’s got nothing on our culture when it comes to atrocities.
Lord have mercy.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
- Psalm 139:13-16
Thursday, September 18, 2008
In His Grip
I have held the hands of my children tight before. When we've been in crowds, or crossing a busy street or in an otherwise dangerous situation. I am not letting go. They are not getting loose. If it were possible for me to lose my grip in those circumstances, the results would be disastrous and I would not be trustworthy.
John chapter 10 says that no one... NO ONE can snatch his children out of God's hands. How secure do you think that makes you when you belong to him? In an interesting passage in Psalm 107, the psalmist says that God has 'redeemed you out of the hand of the adversary'. The adversary has a strong grip. Many people are caught in that grip and held there. But his grip is not nearly as strong as the One who cannot let you go. The believer has been delivered out of the enemy's hands.
Whose hand are you holding? Or rather, whose hand is holding yours?
John chapter 10 says that no one... NO ONE can snatch his children out of God's hands. How secure do you think that makes you when you belong to him? In an interesting passage in Psalm 107, the psalmist says that God has 'redeemed you out of the hand of the adversary'. The adversary has a strong grip. Many people are caught in that grip and held there. But his grip is not nearly as strong as the One who cannot let you go. The believer has been delivered out of the enemy's hands.
Whose hand are you holding? Or rather, whose hand is holding yours?
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