When the details of life toughen, when serving God waxes near impossible, when crushing blows penetrate the consciousness — we approach a strange phenomena — the, insuperable, unattainable, undoable, unrealizable, unsolvable, place of utter dependency on God — A time and judgement that authoritatively requests, even demands, a relinquishing of all self-help — self reliance, control and power of will and exercise. We die. For all practical purposes — yes we find ourselves impotent, paralyzed. O, happy day. Imagine having all senses inoperable. First we lose hearing, the world stops. Then the eyes go blind — we take a seat. A panic settles in. A sense of smell does not help us now, our discerning taste buds bland out. We reach our hands to touch or feel, we engage emptiness. We cannot speak. But, God’s presence, which had never left us, now gains pre-eminence on the throne of our world. He speaks, He listens,…
Healing at the Cross Posts
Fishermen wade smack-dab into the water where fish swim, as a blue heron readies for it’s own breakfast, lunch or dinner. Why do they go in the water as opposed to fishing from the shore? Here are some answers: “…wearing waders permits me to fish down stream and positioning my lures in the spot that is only possible while being in the water.” “…helps me to avoid the many snags such as branches and tree trunks that are commonly found on the banks of many water ways.” “…With waders on I am able to go upstream 100 meters or so from the group and get the big ones all by myself. ” outdoors.stackexchange As Jesus promises to make us “Fishers of men,” in Mark 1:18, maybe lessons from fish anglers apply. The Pulpit commentary remarks, “It is plain that, in the pursuit of his calling, the fisherman has no power to…
“The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. ” “Nothing indicates a tongue befitting the disciples of God, so much as the gift of administering consolation; and such a gift is possessed by the speaker here. “To help with words him that is exhausted” (with suffering and self-torture).” K and D commenting on Isaiah 50:4 Exhausted? Self tortured? There is a word hastening, there is a word succoring. Yes, a word nourishes the soul, as in Proverbs 10:21. Those words from righteous lips know how to bring delight in 10:32. Pro 16:12 -13 teaches “It is an abomination (regarded with disgust or hatred), to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. “Righteous lips…
“The Invitation” requests your presence at a fellowship with Jesus Christ. It politely urges you to enter into love, for eternity. It welcomes your presence at a throne of pardon, one in which all of your faults will have disappeared. It reveals a gift of righteousness, a stamp of approval, forever. It removes every hindrance to a life of meaning and purpose. Only a devil would refuse this invitation, only a demon could beg to be excused. Only hell itself would accuse the Invitation Giver of lying To all people, whosoever will, this gospel-invitation explains God’s judicial enactments, which pave the way for the Invitation. God attributes to every person ownership of the name, “sinner” — alienated from God. God lays all of that “iniquity” on His Son, Jesus Christ, who carried it to a bloody death. God attributes ownership of the name “righteous” to all who receive Christ; and…
The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us in 10:1, “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.” What does it mean to have reputation? The Latin root tells us “reconsideration.” “to think again.” Webster’s says, “overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general. b: recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability.” So, reputation or “my qualifications as judged by others,” can be sullied by a dead fly? Yes, a Kamikaze fly could destroy a good perfume, causing a stench. But, Jesus made Himself of no reputation. He emptied Himself of qualifications; those judged by Men, but also real ones. see Philippians 2:7 What does that look like? Sounds like He refused to cling to an external judgement which stood on shaky ground, but also gave up…
The song goes: When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be, When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory! However, the Supreme joy of that “eternal” future is treasured in a lingering and finite present day earthen vessel. In our current “body of death” we may become apprehensive, worrisome, even fearful of the future. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds us of a natural “temperament” which makes us all unique. He says: “The human person is very delicately and finely balanced. Fundamentally, we all have the same general characteristics, but the relative proportions vary tremendously from case to case.” “…we have our own particular characteristics: Our virtues, Our failures, Our weaknesses, Our blemishes. Lloyd-Jones goes on to say, “The fact that you have become a Christian, does not mean that you cease to have to live with yourself.” In keeping with these observations,…
God’s handiworks fold up, but He never changes. This we know for sure. “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but you remain; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” Hebrews 1:10-12 Many, Christians and non, see this folding, and some see it today: Christopher Lasch has made this observation about our day, “the natural limits of human power and freedom… has become inescapable.” “Younger Americans today are perhaps the first generation to be certain that they are and will be ‘worse off’ than their parents.” “…optimism in progress is doomed.” I am convinced the prophets of doom have to be taken seriously. Maurice…
Romans 14:16 teaches: “Let not then your good be evil spoken of.” “Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemns not himself in that thing which he allows.” Romans 14:22 “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Galatians 6:4-5 Fellow believers, do you have this kind of confidence? Before I turn to the burdens of others I must bear my own burden. Is my faith before God? Am I living outside of condemnation? Does my walk before God carry more weight than any other, enough to ignore the evil spoken of me? What does it mean? Frankly put, do you know who you are? Do you carry with you this identity and set of values into every varying circumstance? In addition, does…
“The meaning of the word “grace” as used in the New Testament… it is nothing less than the unlimited love of God expressing itself in limitless grace.” Chafer “Grace is the free bestowal of kindness on one who has no claim to it.” Berkhof “Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected.” Edwards “…grace is His voluntary, unrestrained, unmerited favor toward guilty sinners, granting them justification and life instead of the penalty of death, which they deserved. Herman Bavinck “Grace is the very opposite of merit… Grace is not only undeserved favor, but it is favor shown to the one who has deserved the very opposite.” Ironside “Grace is favor shown to people who do not deserve any favor at all… We deserve nothing but hell. If you think you deserve heaven, take it from me, you are not a Christian.” Martin Lloyd-Jones R.C.H. Lenski shows the…
Life presents certain complexities, and within a course of life, choices impair or facilitate the better way. For example, a grandfather rates hanging with his grandchildren a top priority. He is enamored by the sweet exchanges, and they love him. But, he has a second love and that one presents a conflict. He eats late and long and uses little discretion on his food choices. One day his doctor warns him that if he doesn’t stop the binge eating, he will have a heart attack and could die. Granddad weighs his loves. He must make a choice — the toddlers or — pizza at midnight. Tim Keller tells this story and more in “Making Sense of God” A young person buys a sailboat. He or she wants to experience the exuberance of sailing on the bay. Quickly found out, a learning curve mandates itself. The laws of the winds and…