Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Proverbs 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. There are no heroes amongst the redeemed. These are just the redeemed, a passive position, implying that some other did the heroic work. Yes Christ, hero, Christ Savior, Christ Redeemer. Heros — “(in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semidivine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths — A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities — The chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize.” Far from heroes, nevertheless, we have been placed in Christ, our hero. Yes, baptized into…
Category: <span>Personal God</span>
Abraham’s story with Isaac has always miffed me. Why did God ask the elderly Abe to sacrifice his son? — the son of promise. Is there a mystery to be unveiled or a metaphor to be explained? It doesn’t seem possible that Abraham would comply to this “outrageous” demand of God, not to mention how different God, now, must have appeared to Abe. Was it a test? Yes it was. Was there a lesson to be learned? Yes there was. In a previous episode leading up to chapter 21, Abraham had received a promise from God of a ” son of his old age.” Tired of waiting, Abe tried to produce the promised child through a handmaid of his wife. Dishonoring God in unbelief, the promised couple, Abe and Sarah, made a mess of things. Ishmael, “God will hear,” represented the anti-promised child. Born in the interim of waiting for…
When I think of a person, fellow human sufferer; I well-up with love and compassion. So also did Jesus Matthew 9:36 tells us, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” And again in Matthew 14:14 “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” Also in Matthew 15:32 “Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.” New testament “compassion” was taken from a Greek word relating to our English word “spleen.” Spleen works in a man as a blood filter and also regulates the immune system…
Three notable “darkness” events happened in Bible history. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.” Exodus 10:21-22 Next one occurred at the Crucifixion of Christ. “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” Matthew 27:45 A third was predicted by Joel: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.” Joel 2:31 But, God sends encouragement: Isaiah 45:7a teaches “I form the light, and create darkness.” and Psalm 139:12 adds “Yea, the darkness hides not from thee; but the night shines as the day: the…
The snow fell stilly on the frosted ground . The warm 33 degree air welcomed us to wonder at it, to frolic in it, to savor the beauty of it — we rejoiced at its purity and cleansing effect. It was the last Christmas celebration — an occasion for those ‘loving His appearing’ to remember Him, His birth, incarnation; God born a man! Soon we would transfer to where He is, and then new celebration would outweigh any previous, a thousand to one. Regardless, this last Christmas carries infamy. Haters of Christ have notified the world — Christmas will no longer be celebrated — it is against the law. Yes, Christmas offends too many world-citizens and must cease. Just as the Christ Child was brutally extinguished a short season after His birth, so, now His memory must be erased also. We eat our ham and applesauce with sobriety; we refrain…
The downhearted must find grace to help in time of need. — a lash or rope to frap a floating boat to a secure dock. Boats can be carried by wind or current and so the soul of man. Hebrews 4:16 speaks of a grace to help “let us retain our acknowledgement.” — of what? Of our permanent attachment to our High Priest and our God. Hebrews 4:14 teaches. How? By realizing the nature of our High Priest, and what He has done. He is of sympathy with our feebleness — He knows our form of conception, He remembers us as “dust.” He was pierced — thrust into our abject human sphere to taste all, including death; and so identifying in utter compassion, with our broken souls. Our time of need aligns itself not just with failures, lapses, or sin. No, it can mean for us a daily essential, a coming…
We saw the body of Christ — standing, singing, moving, walking — and yes, praying. We went on the prayer walk at the D.C. Mall. The question came up to me at the onset of the march; would we walk and observe or would we pray? There was prayer, much prayer. Tears welled up in my eyes as our Vice President spoke and prayed to start us off. We were instructed to connect on our cell phones with the March leaders. For our little group, however, it did not seem to work. We were on our own with God and each other. He was enough. Along the 1.9 mile course, which became 3.8 miles because of zig-zagging, hundreds of small groups stopped, circled and prayed together, sometimes raising holy hands and praying out loud. Here was a group from a certain church, their Pastor was leading them, then a group…
Jean Valjean, a vagabond in the classic “Les Miserables” was a just released prisoner in midlife. “Nineteen years in French prison have left him rough and fearless. He walked for four days in the Alpine chill of nineteenth century southeastern France, only to find that no inn will take him, no tavern will feed him.” Max Lucado tells the story in “Grace.” “Finally he knocks on the door of a bishop’s house. Monseigneur Myriel is seventy five years old. Like Valjean he has lost much. The revolution took all the valuables from his family, except some silverware, a soup ladle, and two candlesticks.” “Valjean expects the religious man to turn him away. “ “But the Bishop is kind. He asks the visitor to sit near a fire.” “He explains, ‘This is not my house, but the house of Jesus Christ.’””… They dine on soup and bread, figs, and cheese with…
“Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are his.” “And, Let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19 “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” Psalm 139:1-5 Have you ever thought of it? God knows your name. He knows who you are. He knows you in all of your bodily postures. He knows your neural-pathways, your thought processes, your places of repose, and…
We scarcely know all that we have been delivered from, fellow believers. James Masterson lists ten “capacities” of the self life, in his book,”The Personality Disorders.” Among these we find the capacity for: spontaneity, one for entitlement: to appropriate experiences of mastery and pleasure and the entitlement to environmental support for these. the power for maintaining self-image, the power for commitment, the power for intimacy, the power for creativity. Masterson sees these as inherent in every man and also there are more listed. The problem that we have with these “capacities” lies in the truth which places them in that part of man which was crucified with Christ. The self. Dr. Stevens teaches in his booklet called, “A Living Faith,” “we may very well have an orthodox faith but not a correct faith. We may have the words of faith but a faith without the tune of grace. We may…