The Narrow Gate

The Slow Learner Gets Reading Glasses

2009-11-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

I'm back.

And before I share what the Lord showed me, I would ask readers to please set aside any preconceived notions about doctrine or eschatology. I promise, I'm not a crazy heretic who's pushing some "new and improved" version of salvation. And I'm sure our study of God's Word is never pointless. But the "extra" stuff WILL cloud our vision if we don't already clearly see the "big picture". God's people have been stuck too long contemplating such details as how works "work", who is "elect" and why some believers are "gifted" when others are not.

Please pray that the Lord would help you weigh carefully what I say here. Facing the whole truth and choosing to continue believing partial truths is not a light matter and I'm frightened at having been given such a precious treasure to share. I don't want to do this the wrong way.

And no. This is not Heather being dramatic. If we want to see the truth, we have to ask the One who IS truth. Otherwise, we will stubbornly continue in unbelief.

Alright. The simple, basic truth is really not so different than my father's summation of the Bible.

1. I am God. You are not

2. And I love you anyway.

There is much wisdom there. But I would change it to say:

1. I am your Father. And I know what is best. Leave the hard things to Me.

2. But even though you don't want to see this, I love you anyway. Come back and let Me take care of you.

Do you see what I see?

Read Genesis and Exodus. Everything Jesus said. John's Gospel and his epistles. Paul's writings. It's all over Scripture.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

"But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.".....(NASB)

The foundation of our faith is simple. It is a pure devotion to our Lord. But we make it hard because of our stubborn, sinful flesh that does not want to admit that we were made to need a Gentle Shepherd who will take care of us. We want to have it our way and try to scheme and plan and figure out a better path to everlasting life.

Look carefully at the "photographs" in the Old Testament. Look at the terminology in the New Testamrnt. Father, mother, Sister, Brother, birth, children....

God needs absolutely NOTHING from us. But He wants us to trust Him as little children would trust a loving Father. God wants a family. The "Kingdom" of God is a Royal Family and we are all to act as though we believe that. Our sinful pride (attitude of "I want to be the boss") messes with us constantly. And our greed causes us to reach for that which was not ours to take. Namely, the "knowledge of right and wrong": the right to BE God.

Now, I'm sure this is not a "new" concept to most professing Christians. But I have to ask, how many of us honestly believe this simple profession of faith? How many of us actually trust that God's wisdom and care is sufficient instead of relying on our doctrinal creeds or Calvinistic/Arminian/Lutheran/Catholic/Baptist/Charismatic/Reformed etc. teachings? Or perhaps we are obsessed with church programs, "uplifting" song services and social justice?

How many of us will stand up to "defend God's Word" against all opposition, yet we do it in our own "intellectual" way..totally missing the family portrait that is painted there? How many of us have reduced a relationship with our Father and His children to being a mechanical set of "Sunday-go-to-church-because -we're -not -supposed -to -forsake -the -assembly" rituals? Or, we've abandoned church altogether because no one cares?

Do we care when a Family member is sick, sad, hurt, going bankrupt, abandoned, struggling with alcoholism, p*rn*graphy or h*m*s*xuality? Are we concerned for the welfare of another professing believer who is known to be stuck in a pattern of sin? Do we care enough to go say "Daddy told us to not behave like that"-let's go together and ask Him to help you trust Him in this trial. Do we even notice the blatant disregard for the wisdom of the Father which runs rampant in the church? Does it break our hearts and cause us to plead with Him to open the eyes of those who are perishing? Or, do we shudder in self-righteous indignation, call down heavenly condemnation and then begin the 3-step "Church discipline" process?

That brings me to Matthew 18.

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety and nine and go into the mountains and seek the straying one? And if it happens that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety and nine which did not stray. Even so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. (v 11-16)

I only copied part of it, but I highly recommend a thorough reading of the whole context. Look at the words Jesus is using and please recognize that he is not laying out a formula by which we kick people out of our elite club. Our job is to first humbly, privately offer to help, fully acknowledging that any of us is a potential offender simply because we are living in cursed carcasses.

If our sibling in Christ chooses to not repent, then we are to bring in an ELDER sibling (this has nothing to do with some organizational hierarchy, BTW--it is acknowledgment of Family order, pure and simple). Call for one who's faith is recognized to be more mature and who might be able to better hear from Daddy what to do. If that doesn't work, get the whole local Family together so that they can all urge the errant brother back into the protective arms of his Father. The purpose here is reconciliation with Daddy, not the merciless gang-beating of one of His children by the rest. If the person still refuses to repent (Post on that topic), and will not act as though he believes Dad knows what He's saying, then we need to recognize that he most likely doesn't know Dad and doesn't want to be disciplined by Him. For, through Solomon, God said "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:11-12

We are to hand that errant person back over to the Lord for punishment (put him out of the "assembly"). The Lord will not fail to deal with him. And if he responds, we are to welcome him back with open arms---no questions asked. That is the forgiveness of agape.

But while He yet talked with the people, behold, His mother and His brothers stood outside, desiring to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, Behold, Your mother and Your brothers stand outside, desiring to speak with You. And He answered and said to him who told Him, Who is My mother? And who are My brothers? And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever shall do the will of My Father in Heaven, the same is My brother and sister and mother. Matthew 12:46-50

God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God wants a big family and "we" are the way He has chosen to go about it. I'm not going to speculate as to how certain doctrines fit that concept. Obviously, there is only one safe way to the Father-- through His Son, who purchased us for a price none of us can begin to imagine.

Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be "born again". We are to be stripped naked before Him and allow Him to cover us as He intended from the beginning.

If we are His children, we need to behave as though we believe that Daddy knows what is best.

There are many, many things in the Bible that are hard to understand and I don't think we are supposed to try to wrap our minds around every bit. Instead, we are to allow God to wrap His heart around us and show us what He wants us to know.

Then, we are to do what He has told us to do, as we seek Him and He reveals it to us as individuals. Just as a large natural family can have babies, preschoolers, elementary-aged, teenagers, young adults, middle aged, older adults...we should expect God's family to have similar stages of growth happening at any given time. We need to be careful to not consider others as being unworthy of adoption. And if we really believe He's building a family based in mercifully forgiving Love, it changes the way we look at our spouses, children, neighbors, bosses--even complete strangers.

My goal as a family member is to learn to trust my Father by accepting His discipline and to remember to encourage other family members to do the same. When I fail (commit acts of sin), I need to admit that I am helpless without Him, then turn from my own foolish dimwittedness and ask Him to teach me to love and trust Him more. In this, I am set free from the law of sin and death--because death is simply what happens when Life is taken away. Salvation really is that simple.

A word of caution to the proud and perverse:

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." Luke 18:15-17

And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Luke 17:1-2

The essence of sin is in not trusting that Daddy loves us and will take care of us. It is the rejection of His loving discipline that destroys our faith in Him. Causing anyone else to stumble in their simple, childlike faith is not a crime the Lord will simply overlook.

I must be humbled and learn to cry "Abba, Father! Help me, for I am helpless! Adopt me, for I am Fatherless. Discipline me, for I am foolish. Teach me to walk in Your ways so that I will no longer be stubbornly rebellious to your precious, life-giving care!"

Have I tried to build an intellectually logical framework into which I cram God? Is it my business to try to determine who is "elect" and who deserves God's wrath? Do I dare to stand in opposition to the family that Jesus is building through the Spirit? If that is my attitude, then I should be trembling in fear, for John tells us that

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because he first loved us. If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

One last thing. I have read through the Gospel of John a couple of times. The last time, we read it as a family about 6 months ago. And for the first time in my life, I noticed the way Resurrected Jesus addressed his fishing disciples...

Then Jesus said to them, Children, do you have anything to eat? They answered Him, No. John 21:5

Read the rest of that passage. As we read the Bible, we need to strive to catch a glimpse of the family that God is building. We need to beg him to take the scales off of our eyes and cause us to SEE what He's doing. Jesus' death and resurrection makes it possible for all of mankind to be reconciled with the Father. How He does it and who He chooses is none of my business. But I'd better not get in His way.

Love created us. It walked among us. Love is saving us and is building a permanent home for us. Love ran to us when we had wasted our beautiful inheritance. It hugged us while we smelled like manure. It rejoices when any previously thankless child turns and comes, filthy and broken, back to the Father. It washes us. It places royal robes on our shoulders and holds a feast out of pure joy...............

Love instructs us to touch others in the same way and we can't do it without Him.

Can you see it?

If this concept doesn't absolutely rock your world, beg God to tip you out of the boat--in the middle of the lake--during a storm--with no life jacket. He will not fail to lift you up when you plead with Him to save you.

He's promised. And His Promise is trustworthy.

Will return to the concept of the Bible as a love story ASAP

The Slow Learner in the Remedial Reading Room

2009-11-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

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Ever read some passage of the Bible and wonder what message God is trying to convey?

My dad tends to sum up all of Scripture by saying that God's message to mankind is

1. I'm God. Your not.

2. And I love you anyway.

Of course, that is a tad simplistic and it is difficult to fully subscribe to the second point as my dad states it. God is indeed patient and kind to all of us but has sent out a call to repentance. There is no way to benefit from His love unless we accept it in the way He desires for us to. So, while talking with my dad, I would find myself racing in my mind to thoughts concerning God's anger and wrath toward humanity and then want to strenuously protest. But my dad's smarter than I am. So I tend to keep my mouth shut.

After much asking, seeking and knocking (not to mention desperate crying, crawling and begging), the Lord has given me a peek at the heart of His revelation to us. And I wanted to pass it on.

The Bible is not primarily a "manufacturer's instruction manual" from which we are to extract certain principles for daily life. That implies that we could somehow fix what is wrong in our own lives.

It isn't a self-help book full of handy tips on how to be a "better" person--thus working our way into God's favor. That would offer suggestion of good works and good behavior resulting in clean conscience and material blessing.

And it's not (as some would claim) a horror story in which an angry, terrifying, bloodthirsty deity is determined to force men into worshiping Him --even if it means He would murder His own son to get what He wants. God is not a maliciously vengeful tyrant Who is looking for the perfect opportunity to simply crush and destroy people who He specifically made to not be able to meet His qualifications.

I've noticed that the more I read, the more I realize that I do not measure up to the standard that God is. Left to my own efforts and wisdom, I could never be able to be considered worthy to stand in His presence. We certainly should heed the instruction on what good behavior looks like. And the consequences of rebelling against God are indeed terrifying.

And, not being remotely perfect, I have often felt Scripture weigh down my heart til it feels as though it is being crushed under the enormity of my imperfection.

The Bible is a book of condemnation. A testimony against all unrighteousness--and a Holy declaration of what that unrighteousness justly deserves.

But if that is all we see, we have missed the main theme. For God is LOVE.

For a while I thought the Bible might be something of a photograph album, with random pictures of the predicted Messiah sprinkled throughout. In a way, it is. But while I was busy examining snapshots, I didn't notice how they made up the details of a much larger portrait.

At the risk of sounding irreverent, I've come to think of the Bible as a Divine Romance novel (with hundreds of illustrations) depicting God's ferociously sacrificial love for His creation, which initially spurned His advances.

Sound weird? I would have thought so until about a week ago. Then God taught me how to read and He even showed me how His wrath fits perfectly into the scenario.

:o)

Hopefully will post more on this later.

Prayer Request

2009-11-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

I was wondering if readers would pray for a blogging brother?

His site and request are Here

Thank you.

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The Slow Learner Contemplates "Repentance"

2009-11-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, God directed me to 2 Corinthians 11:3

"But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.".....(NASB)

...which resulted in a bit of chastisement over the fact that I often suffer spiritually because I disobediently allow myself to get tied in knots over complex aspects of Scripture that I don't readily understand.

I happily adopted the verse as a reminder to always aim for singleness of devotion to Christ Jesus.

That is actually a much healthier perspective than my standard aerobic approach:

When in danger, when in doubt, Run in circles, scream and shout.

Recently, I realized that I had no personal understanding of what it means to "repent and believe the Gospel" according to Jesus' instruction in Mark 1:14-15

And, that little verse from Matthew 24:13 (But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe. ) has been cause for serious concern about whether God will disown someone after (s)he has truly placed faith in Christ.

I've noticed that there are numerous voices which offer contradictory views. Some present the Good News as simply "trusting in Jesus' finished work on the cross--no strings attached" while others insist that certain specific behavior modification must accompany this trust. James makes it clear that "works" of obedience are proof of saving faith, and the sheer number of "Scripturally based human frameworks for genuine Christian life" are staggering.

Of course, I tend to latch onto the most condemning point of view and immediately begin to doubt whether I've truly been saved. Honestly, I'm not into self-torture, but the concept of standing before God's throne and discovering that I was just a goat is terrifying.

So, we must repent, believe, obey and endure to the end. "Repent of sin and believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father" don't seem to be too hotly disputed. But there appears to be a lot of disagreement about what that "obedient endurance" looks like. What happened to pure simplicity?

This time, I ran to God. Pounded incessantly on His door until He opened it. And wrestled with Him until He agreed to bless me. What else could I do? Only He knows what He meant when He gave the command and I have to know for myself what it means to "repent".

So He sent me to the beginning to discover what actually "went wrong"....

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them... Genesis 1:27-28

God made the man first.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die" Genesis 2:16-17

Abundant blessing and only one rule. God reserved for Himself the right to discern the difference between right and wrong. Man was originally instructed to accept that ONE directive.

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." Gen. 2:18

"And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." Genesis 2:25

Like newborn babies, Adam and Eve had no concept of what it meant to stand before God while unclothed. That is interesting, because it appears that other areas of Scripture suggest that clothing represents righteousness. Man was made in God's image, but he was not an exact representation. He was not perfect, as God is. I think a more appropriate word would be "innocent", in that he had no idea that he had no covering before the Lord. And, as long as the man didn't try to find out what good and evil were, he would not have realized that he was not perfect.

The account states that Satan, in the form of a serpent, opened dialogue with the wife. He called into question the "rightness" of God's command to "not eat".

Interestingly, Eve's version of the instruction doesn't match what God apparently said to Adam.

She said that they weren't even to touch the fruit. Not sure what that means, but it looks like there was already a breakdown of communication somewhere that God was overlooking because the people didn't know any better.

At any rate, the wife was duped into eating as the serpent promised she would not die, but instead would become wise, like God--able to determine for herself what was and was not "good". And, Adam followed suit, thus deliberately disobeying the Lord's one rule.

In their haste to become their own authority, Adam and Eve actually chose to serve the serpent, stepped out from God's protective boundary and realized that they were guilty of sinning against God. They tried on their own to cover their nakedness, but their efforts were not adequate to hide the fact that they had thanklessly disregarded God's gift of a simple life of just getting to know Him and being amazed at all He had given them. There is nothing we can do to cover our own nakedness before the Lord.

God cursed the serpent. And He punished the humans. Spiritually, they were tarnished and would have to physically die. It actually was a merciful thing as it would be a torment to live eternally bearing a burden that human beings were not designed to carry. He provided covering in the form of animal skin and a promise to send a Deliverer Who would clear a way for reconciliation by way of payment for the crime and the necessary covering.

Jesus Christ graciously loves and accepts those who will humble themselves and acknowledge that they are indeed unable to approach the throne of God in their "nakedness". When we continue in this attitude, He is faithful to forgive us when we confess that we have transgressed His law and honestly recognize our failings. If anyone chooses to reject this unmerited, priceless offer, there is no help left as there is no one greater than God.

For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and if every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by those who heard Him; Hebrews 2:2-3

I find the Genesis account to be a fascinating parallel to Romans 1:16-25

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because the thing which may be known of God is clearly revealed within them, for God revealed it to them. For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse. Because, knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, neither were thankful. But they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves. For they changed the truth of God into a lie, and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Farther down in Romans ch 1 is an extensive list of sinful behavior that stems from the original attitude of "I want to be god". We "inherited" the tendency to rebel (and enjoy it) from Adam. And we are held responsible for the evil choices that we make. But at the root of everything is the pridefully lifted up heart that does not search for direction from God.

We were not created to take upon ourselves the heavy responsibility of knowing what is good and evil. It literally is what kills us. Our "yoke" was supposed to be light and pleasant as we enjoyed communion with God and explored the wonders of His creation in humble gratitude.

The essence of "enduring, obedient repentance" is the heart that has been "brought low" so as to acknowledge that there is only One who is worthy to be called "Jehovah". It is the agonized cry of the drowning sinner pleading "Lord, save me--COVER me in the sight of Almighty God because I cannot do anything to save myself!" And it is the life that is marked by adoring, single-minded devotion that is expressed toward the heroic, self-sacrificing Rescuer by freely giving to others as we have received.

I do believe I can now see why Jesus said:

"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14

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For consideration:

The Lord to the "king of Babylon": How you are fallen from the heavens, O shining star, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will go up to the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will go up above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Isaiah 14:12-14

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank You, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the sophisticated and cunning, and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things are delivered to Me by My Father. And no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son will reveal Him. Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. Matthew 11:25-30

Samuel's words to King Saul (Israel's first human king and perhaps representative of Adam). For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idol-worship. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king! 1 Samuel 15:23

Zedeki'ah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD. He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnez'zar, who had made him swear by God; he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 36:11-13

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

David: "Deliver me from the guilt of shedding blood, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Jehovah, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice; or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then shall You be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. Psalm 51:14-19

For so says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity; whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, even with the contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend forever, nor will I be always angry; for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid Myself, and was angry, and he went on turning away in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace, to him far off, and to him near, says Jehovah; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked. Isaiah 57:15-21

And now be wise, O kings; be instructed, O judges of the earth. Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled in but a little time. Blessed are all who put their trust in Him. Psalm 2:10-12

Egyptian Sojourn 13: Always Remember

2009-11-07T07:04:00.000-08:00

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The last Egypt post was too "full", I think. So I want to back up a bit to reiterate a point that I think is key to understanding what God was doing here. Actually, I think it is key to understanding what He is doing today....but I don't want to run ahead of myself.

As He led them out, God gave some instructions to the Hebrews concerning certain customs that they were to observe. Namely, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Salvation from God's judgment and removal of sin. Not exactly the same thing--but undeniably interconnected.

And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, This is because of what Jehovah did for me when I came out from Egypt. And it shall be a sign to you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that Jehovah's Law may be in your mouth. For the Lord has brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. You shall therefore keep this law in its season from year to year. Exodus 13:9-10 (MKJV)

So, "What did God do?" and "Of what is this sign a mark?" Answer to question #2 is probably easier to answer I think. Craig pointed out that the sign on the hand would have been one of ownership. The memorial (I think) is that the religious observances themselves would be a visible reminder--so the parents would have opportunity to tell their children and grandchildren about God's miraculous intervention on their behalf. He wanted them to remember.

BUT, REMEMBER WHAT? It appears that, by the time Jesus arrived on the scene, "something" of this meaning had been lost. Or perhaps not yet revealed.

I think the answer is twofold:

They set out from Ram'eses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the passover the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, while the Egyptians were burying all their first-born, whom the LORD had struck down among them; upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. Numbers 33:3-4

And

And now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt. Exodus 3:10

And He said, I will be with you. And this shall be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain. Exodus 3:12

And it shall be for a token upon your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes. For Jehovah brought us out from Egypt by strength of His hand. Exodus 13:16

And Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, At evening, then you shall know that Jehovah has brought you out from the land of Egypt. Exodus 16:6

When Israel was a child, then I loved him and called My son out of Egypt. (Mark this!!!)Hosea 11:1

And he was there until the death of Herod; so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the LORD through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called My Son." Matthew 2:15 (When Herod went on a murderous, fear-driven rampage and Joseph was given instruction to hide in Egypt with Mary and Jesus until it was safe to return. Refers back to Hosea 11:1)

So, what God did was:

1. Administer justice. Against the false gods of Egypt and those who served them.

2. Affect deliverance of "the sons of Israel", which also were physical descendants that were promised by God to elderly Abraham. In turn,this foretells an event in the life of the promised Messiah. Jesus was the promised Son and heir to His Father's inheritance. God was acknowledging "Israel" as His son.

The Irsaelites were not only to remember what God did---but Who He is to them. Their nation represented the family relationship of the children of promise. The children of promise are God's children who are united to Him through His Son, Christ Jesus. They were supposed to remember.

I can't express with words how excited I am to be able to see that because it has changed the way I read everything in the Bible.

I need to stop here and will hopefully get back to this topic very soon. I recently found an interesting piece on Egypt and, after reading it, want to dive into the whole series. But I need to finish my own homework first. Don't want to inadvertently plagiarize, so I'm highly motivated to press on.

Contemplating Christ

2009-11-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

Digesting some things.

Thought I'd repost this video of Phil Keaggy's thought-provoking Maker of the Universe.

As an aside, the first time I saw him play, I noticed that Mr. Keaggy hold's his right hand in a "strange" position and Craig recently came across an interview in which Mr Keaggy explains that he lost half of his middle finger in an accident when he was a child. In spite of, he plays beautifully and this is one of my favorite songs.

Meanwhile, the Israelites are approaching the Red Sea and God's glory is still on my mind.

(This is far more edifying than worrying about politics or finances)

The Centrality of God's Glory

2009-11-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to me how God weaves together life's many intricate details. My comment section generally remains pretty quiet. Not sure if I only have four regular readers, am not controversial enough to spark any interest, or am simply so boring that people fall asleep on their laptops. But recently, one post got quite a bit of attention. The discussion took a turn from the original topic and centered on God's glory. I found it to be very interesting and have been thinking about it for days. As I am a person of very little brain , I've come up with a lot more questions than appear to be readily answered at this time. But it is definitely a worthwhile thing to contemplate, is it not? What is God's glory? What does it look like? How does it relate to me? Is it something we can even define in human terms?

Today, I noticed John Piper had a post on his blog which focused on the same thing. Not surprising since "God's glory" is a central theme in his ministry. But I find the timing to be interesting.

Anyway, I'm going to stick it up here for reference and hopefully come back later with my own thoughts.

Rebuilding Some Basics of Bethlehem: The Centrality of the Glory of God

By John Piper November 4, 2009

We use the term “glory of God” so often that it tends to lose its biblical force. But the sun is no less blazing, and no less beneficial, because people ignore it.

Yet God does not like to be ignored. “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!” (Psalms 50:22). So let’s focus again on the glory of God. What is it? How important is it? What Is the Glory of God?

The glory of God is the holiness of God put on display. That is, it is the infinite worth of God made manifest. Notice how Isaiah shifts from “holy” to “glory”: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). When the holiness of God fills the earth for people to see, it is called glory.

The basic meaning of holy is “separated” from the common. Thus, when you carry that definition all the way to the infinite “separation” of God from all that is common, the effect is to make him the infinite “one of a kind”—like the rarest and most perfect diamond in the world. Only there are no other diamond-gods. God’s uniqueness as the only God—his God-ness—makes him infinitely valuable, that is, holy.

The most common meaning for God’s glory in the Bible assumes that this infinite value has entered created experience. It has, as it were, shined. God’s glory is the radiance of his holiness. It is the out-streaming of his infinite value. And when it streams out, it is seen as beautiful and great. It has both infinite quality and infinite magnitude. So we may define the glory of God as the beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections.

I say “manifold perfections” because specific aspects of God’s being are said to have glory. For example: “the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:6) and “the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). God himself is glorious because he is the perfect unity of all his manifold and glorious perfections.

But this definition must be qualified. The Bible also speaks of God’s glory before it is revealed in creation. For example, Jesus prays, “Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:5). So I would suggest a definition something like this: God’s glory is the outward radiance of the intrinsic beauty and greatness of his manifold perfections.

I am aware that words are poor pointers here. I have replaced one inadequate word with two others: glory with beauty and greatness. But we must try. God has revealed himself to us in words like “the glory of God.” And he does not want them to be meaningless.

We must constantly remind ourselves that we are speaking of a glory that is ultimately beyond created comparison. “The glory of God” is the way you designate the infinite beauty and the infinite greatness of the Person who was there before anything else was there. In other words, it is the beauty and the greatness that exists without origin, without comparison, without analogy, without being judged or assessed by any external criterion. It is the all-defining absolute original of greatness and beauty. All created greatness and beauty comes from it, and points to it, but does not comprehensively or adequately reproduce it.

“The glory of God” is a way of saying that there is objective, absolute reality to which all human admiration, wonder, awe, veneration, praise, honor, acclaim, and worship is pointing. We were made to find our deepest pleasure in admiring what is infinitely admirable, that is, the glory of God. The glory of God is not the psychological projection of human longing onto reality. On the contrary, inconsolable human longing is the evidence that we were made for God’s glory. How Central Is the Glory of God in the Bible?

The glory of God is the goal of all things. “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). All things were created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43:6-7).

The great mission of the church is to declare God’s glory among the nations. “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Psalms 96:1-3; Ezekiel 39:21; Isaiah 66:18-19). What Is Our Hope? Seeing the Glory of God

Seeing the glory of God is our ultimate hope. “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). God will “present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 24). He will “make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:23). “He calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12). “Our blessed hope [is] the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Jesus, in all his person and work, is the incarnation and ultimate revelation of the glory of God. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3). “Father, I desire that they . . . may be with me where I am, to see my glory” (John 17:24). What Is Our Hope? Sharing in the Glory of God

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed” (1 Peter 5:1). “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). “We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7).“This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). “Those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30).

Summary

Seeing and sharing in God’s glory is our ultimate hope through the gospel of Christ.

Hope that is really known and treasured has a huge and decisive effect on our present values and choices and actions.

Get to know the glory of God. Study the glory of God, the glory of Christ, the glory of the world that reveals the glory of God, the glory of the gospel that reveals the glory of Christ.

Treasure the glory of God above all things.

Study your soul. Know the glory you are seduced by, and know why you treasure glories that are not God’s glory. Study your own soul to know how to make the glories of the world collapse like Dagon (1 Samuel 5:4) in the pitiful pieces on the floor of the world’s temples.

Hungering to see and share in more of the glory of Christ, the image of God,

Pastor John

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Why Love?

2009-11-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

Photo Courtesy Freefoto.com

1 Corinthians 13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.

Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (RSV)

Paul wrote that without love, I am simply an annoying noise-maker. If I "do" all manner of things for God, but have no love, I have gained nothing.

Paul made a point of saying that prophetic insight, staggeringly brilliant intellect and unshakable faith are worthless unless love is present.

As an aside, I wanted to compare that statement with Jesus' words in Matthew 7:21-23

"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.'

Doesn't it seem overly harsh for Jesus to say "I don't care that you sacrificed everything for me--I don't know who you are, you will have to leave." ? Perhaps. But He also says that only those who do the will of His Father will enter the kingdom.

Paul goes on to give a description of what love is...and what it is not. Then he again reiterates that the greatest of all gifts is love.

Perhaps the rejected people in Jesus' illustration are those who lack love. Could it be that the will of God is that we LOVE?

Why is love so important? And why would Jesus say He doesn't know those who don't have love?

I think the answers to both questions can be found in John's statement that He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

Catch that? God is love. I don't mean to seem as though I'm yelling, but it's really important to recognize this, I think.

God's very being defines the essence of what love is.

I think it is very interesting to go back and re-read 1 Corinthians 13 by substituting "God" for "love".

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God's love. He loved that which was incapable of returning His love so that in Him we may have life. "Life" and "love" are intertwined in Christ's person in such a way that they cannot be separated.

No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because he first loved us. If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also. 1 John 4:12-21

There are numerous religions and even socially concerned atheists that believe it is important to be nice and try to get along with others. But that isn't love as described by Paul and John. As Jesus said, there will be many who come to Him saying "Look at all that we did for You!" But He won't recognize them because they had no relationship with Him as they did those things.

Love is not primarily what we do or feel, although action and emotion are involved.

As Christians, Love defines who we ARE. And in this, we identify with the love that God IS. The actions and (sometimes) feelings follow as verification of this reality. We are being molded into Christ's image and we "do" because of who we are in Him.

Put simply: No Love, no Life. Or, more precisely....No God, no Life. Therefore, without love, I am nothing.

Thinking Out Loud: Justification, Obedience and The Finished Work of Christ

2009-10-31T00:10:00.000-07:00

For a few months now, I've been trying to wrap my mind around the concept of "how" God works to save me, the role Jesus plays--and my responsibility.

The Dilemma

Jesus' words have often haunted my thoughts :

"Go in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it. Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14

Ok. I know the narrow gate is Jesus Himself. But beyond that acknowledgment, the questions begin to accumulate. Exactly HOW constricted is that WAY? And HOW FEW are the few who find it? What path am I on? How do I know if I've found the right one? If I'm on the right trail, am I being good enough to remain in the constricted way? I'm getting a little nervous, here.

He also said: If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15) and If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:10)

What commandments are we talking about? The sermon on the mount? The messages in the parables? Since Jesus is also God incarnate, are we talking about the Law that He instituted from the smoking mountain? On that note, Jesus said He didn't come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it....Does that mean it was incomplete before and Jesus upped the stakes through His teaching? Anxiety begins to grow.

It certainly looks as though Jesus is setting a burden of personal responsibility for salvation squarely in the laps of His listeners. Those who love God should be able to provide proof by their obedience to His direction .....and, I begin to hyperventilate.

I need some answers.

Let's see. The epistles are full of instruction concerning how believers ought to live. Paul wrote:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor abusers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Those are pretty sobering words. What exactly does Paul mean by "and such were some of you"? Does this indicate that those who are truly saved will no longer sin, or even have the desire? That definitely would suggest that the way to life is indeed very narrow. So narrow that no one has ever walked on it.

Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another. Galatians 5:19-26

I expect that every person who has ever lived can identify with at least one of the sinful tendencies that are mentioned in the above passages. Isn't Paul, urging readers to work hard at shedding all vestiges of sinful self so as to not be turned away when we finally stand before the gates of heaven? Doesn't the indwelling of the Holy Spirit enable us to pull ourselves out of the muck and persevere in obedience to Christ's commands? If he wasn't writing such things to instruct readers on how to be "good enough" to get into heaven, then what was Paul's purpose?

Perhaps he is giving readers a reminder to choose to live in a way that honors Christ who paid such a high price for our deliverance? If that is the case, it does not mean that I am responsible for cooperating with God in the salvation process. Rather, it means that I, as His rescued and adopted child do not wish to add to the pain that Christ suffered on my behalf. Was Paul simply giving written instruction because even Christians don't just automatically know and remember what is the right thing to do?

Maybe John's letter will offer enlightenment... My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. John first seems to be saying that Christians 1 John 2:1

John writes so that readers may not sin--then turns around and says that *if* anyone sins, Jesus has things under control. Is he unable to make up his mind about whether a Christian is able sin?

I do realize here that there is a reasonable explanation concerning the difference between living a lifestyle that is marked by unrepentant sin and a redeemed yet imperfect life that is being molded into a more Christlike image. But the text can be somewhat confusing, no? Fortunately, the rest of the book of 1 John does help clarify the meaning. This is a good example of why it is a BAD idea to start ripping verses out of context.

Let's see. Concerning obedience to God's commands, James says:

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not kill." If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. James 2:10-11 (RSV)

Yikes! So, if I am to be measuring my efforts at obedience, it has to be done according to God's standards. And when I fail in my efforts to please, I have broken the WHOLE LAW! So, then I'm left saying "Oh, great! I can't be good enough." And again, a good example of why it is not smart to lift verses out of their full context because the next verse says:

So speak and do as those who shall be judged by the Law of liberty. James 2:12

So, that clarifies everything, right? Back to laws. In this case, I just need to figure out what is the "Law of liberty".

Does that mean I can "trust in Jesus" and then do whatever I want? That would be pretty easy.

For he who has shown no mercy shall have judgment without mercy, and mercy exults over judgment. My brothers, what profit is it if a man says he has faith and does not have works? Can faith save him? James 2:13-14

Guess not. Actions still count. But what role do they play? What am I supposed to do?

Jesus again:

For I say to you that unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:20

I'm sunk. It appears that I can't do anything.

And I'm desperately crying out, "Then, WHO can be saved?" And how?

The Contemplation

In my search for answers, I've spent time considering some conflicting ideas.

Some people apparently believe that Jesus' perfect life and teachings were primarily meant to be instructive to followers who are serious about entering into eternal life. My understanding of the teaching is that His death and resurrection clear our past sins and give us hope, but the burden of continued obedience is a matter of willpower that is set on our own heads.

Within the accompanying framework, the setting of our faith in Christ's righteousness alone is sometimes said to be rooted in a desire for "cheap grace", which requires nothing of those who claim His name.

However, I would note here that if a person has no respect for what our salvation cost God, I would suggest that person needs to carefully consider whether (s)he has actually met with God and been convicted of the desperate need for a Savior. I submit to the reader that there is no such thing as "cheap grace". And James clearly states that "faith without works is dead". So I absolutely believe that obedience to God is essential if I am to call Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.

According to the "maintain your own salvation" schematic, it seems that Jesus unlocked the gate and invites us to pass through. The accepting traveler must, (with God's guidance) then make enough right decisions to ensure he stays saved. However, this perspective also assumes that if a Christian makes enough mistakes (especially if they are deliberate), he will eventually accumulate too many bad marks (by way of an incrementally hardened heart) and be kicked out of God's Kingdom.

The "Jesus saves you but you also have to save yourself" line of thinking is especially confusing for me, since there seems to be an inexhaustible array of opinions on where the line for loss of salvation actually is located. So, that way of thinking leaves me wondering how one might determine whether he has crossed that line. Also, I wonder where might one find joy in his salvation if he is constantly struggling to ensure he is not treading too closely to the edge of that dangerous cliff.

One might assume that a professing Christian who wishes to constantly toy with disobedience is not really a true Christian. I wouldn't argue against that too strongly, even though it isn't my place to determine whether someone else is born again.

On the other end of the stick, I am wondering how a person can strive to stay in the perceived safety zone and not end up feeling just a tad smug over his/her efforts. Couldn't that perspective eventually cause a believer to begin to think (s)he has somehow earned a little piece of heaven?

Another perspective stresses that we cannot be good enough for God and focuses on God's pre-ordained selection and subsequent perfecting of His people. This way of thinking offers a measure of comfort to those who believe themselves to be in that particular group. And it can offer relief from the stress of "performance anxiety". While I see Biblical support for the doctrine of "God's election of the saints", I have to admit I don't really understand what all that means. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2) and Jesus said He won't lose anything that the Father has given to Him (John 6:39). I firmly believe that God is trustworthy and will complete whatever work He started (Philippians 1:6). That is about the extent of my understanding of "eternal security".

It is interesting to me that while the concept of being specially chosen by God has a humbling effect on some, it can cause others to swell with pride and even become abusive to others. An extreme variation of that particular view takes the form of legalism that only "the elect" will be able to accept as "the" truly God-pleasing way to live. Anyone who disagrees must not be God's chosen (or so it is claimed).

Also, I don't believe God's gift of salvation is a thing that can be lost. But, I have caught myself repeatedly worrying how I can know for sure that I am actually a part of the "elect". Oddly, my focus will shift from looking at Christ and His finished work on the cross to attempting to measure the perceived pile of fruit which is said to be evidence of having been made a new creature in Him. Fruit is evidence--but it shouldn't be the main focus.

It is amazing to me how I have such a strong desire to place myself at the center of everything. And when I do, I get a really good picture of how pathetic I am in my efforts to please God.

On my best day, I still fall way short of perfection. And, according to James, an arrow that hits even a smidgen outside the bullseye is unacceptable.

Ideally, we should all be obeying--ALL of the time. But, even the Apostle Paul's resurrected spirit was at war with his still active sinful nature.

For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:18-25) RSV

He wasn't exactly a baby Christian when he wrote that. Yet, he admitted to having a very real battle with doing what he knows is not right. How often he lost that battle, we have no way of knowing. I've wondered whether Paul struggled with the desire to complain, lie, steal or lust. In his letter to Titus, it appears he is saying that God's grace is actively training us into godliness. It's a lifelong process in which we should expect to fully engage.

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:11-14

The goal is to be good like Jesus, and His life and teachings present an intimidatingly perfect example. Paul, John and James all point to our need to follow in His footsteps. We are to strain after Him with every fiber of our being. Yet, it appears no one will ever be "good enough".

How could my righteousness possibly exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees so that I may be counted as worthy to stand before a Holy and perfect Creator who cannot tolerate sin in any amount?

Jesus said: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

And, I've been drawn back to the concept of "double imputation", wherein my sin (and the well-deserved punishment) was laid to the spotless Lamb of God--while simultaneously, His righteousness was applied to my freshly cleared account. So, as a result of this exchange, I am able to not only appear before God as "innocent" of wrongdoing, but also to have Jesus' perfect obedience be accredited to my name so that "my" righteousness does indeed exceed that of the scribes and pharisees.

I once heard missionary Paul Washer say that only God can withstand the wrath of God. I agree, and would like to add that only God's goodness can be counted as "good" by Him.

In response to this amazing gift of Himself, I have no choice but to fall on my face before my God and gratefully choose to obey Him, knowing that He is now actively refining my heart so that I might better reflect the image of His son. How could I refuse such an amazing opportunity?!

And yet, sometimes I do resist. And I'm certain that for every deliberate offense, there are a half dozen others of which I am not aware. And I find myself praying, like David, who recognized that his only hope for salvation from God's wrath was to be found in Him:

But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:12-14

I recently came across a video that touches on the significance of Jesus' perfect submission to God's will. I'm still considering this, but was definitely touched on a heart level when faced with the truth of my own helplessness and desperate need to be covered on all sides in Jesus' blood when I stand before the judgment seat of God.

Just thinking out loud.

HT : Glen

Egyptian Sojourn 12: God's Plan for Deliverance of His People--In Pictures

2009-10-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy FreeFoto.com

I was tempted to simply skim through chapters 12 and 13. At first glance, they didn't seem to fit with the flow of my original theme concerning the possibility of God allowing (or even orchestrating) the development of an eventually oppressive socialistic form of government. However, the longer I considered, the stronger was the realization that my perspective was terribly wrong. The account that is related in these two chapters is central to all of history as it foreshadows the coming of Messiah. As a result, this particular post has become quite lengthy, touches many other passages of Scripture, still has not done a reasonably thorough job of examining these two chapters of Exodus. Quotes from Exodus 12 and 13 are in green, and other passages are cited in purple. Readers are welcome to share their own insights or corrections.

So, here we go...

Oh, it appears to me that chapter 13 may follow a similar pattern as chapter 11, in that the preceding chapter is an overview, and then Moses gives a more detailed picture of some aspect of the account. I could be wrong, but thought I'd make a note as there are verses in both chapters that appear to coincide.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Exodus 12:1-2 (Using RSV today as the reading is easier than MKJV)

In His freeing of the Israelites, God even gave them their own unique way of keeping track of time. Of course, He wasn't simply "being nice". The need for this distinction had a lot to do with the accurate observance of God's appointed feasts and sacrifices, which, in turn (among other things) verify the fulfillment of prophecy. The designated first month of the Jewish calendar is Abib, (aka the Babylonian name, Nisan). Abib means "ear" and signifies that at this time of year, the grain is in the ear. The time span overlaps March-April.

Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household; and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Exodus 12:3-4

The lamb (either a young sheep or goat) was to be an unblemished, year-old male. On the 14th of the month of Abib, the lamb was killed at twilight. My Ryrie study Bible makes a note that twilight literally means "between the evenings", which could either mean between sunset and nightfall (about 6-7 pm) or between the sun's decline and sunset (3-5 pm). (v6)

Craig made mention that this lamb was intended to be a sacrifice (foreshadowing that of Jesus Christ), and was treated as such. Interestingly, this particular sacrifice was not performed by the priest, but by the people themselves. And, as I noted that distinction, Exodus 19:5-6 came to mind: Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." (emphasis mine) I'm thinking this recalls the promise that God made to Abraham (see Craig's post) and reinforces God's announcement that He is choosing and perfecting for Himself a kingdom of priests who will faithfully serve Him. This intention is echoed throughout Scripture (Deut. 4:20, Isaiah 61:6, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 8:8-11, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6)

Moving on>>>

The animal was to be roasted whole (head, legs and intestines included) over a fire, and the meat was to be eaten along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (which represented the bitterness of their time spent in slavery)-- no part of the animal was to be boiled or eaten raw. (v8-9)

Nothing was to be left until morning and anything that was not eaten was to be completely burned up with fire. (v10) I may need to be corrected on this, but Scriptural reference to fire appears to be indicating either purification or righteous judgment.

No foreigners, sojourners or hired hands were to be allowed to partake of this meal, but a purchased slave who had been circumcised was allowed to eat. (v43-45) I've been wondering if we gentiles are represented by the "purchased slave" who is allowed to freely partake of Christ as is any natural born Jew who will accept Him as Messiah.

None of the meat was to be taken outside of the house and all the bones were to remain unbroken.(v46) This specification is very interesting to me. Numbers 9 details Passover observance, and in v 12, the breaking of bones was again forbidden. In Psalm 34:20, David wrote: "He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken." The prophetic symbolism was made manifest at Jesus' crucifixion as we can read in John 19:32-33, 36 "So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs" ...For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." I haven't yet found a substantiating verse, but am supposing that Jesus' death (or the confirmation of it) occurred at twilight.

Blood from the sacrificed lamb was to be painted on the doorposts and lintel (overhead beam) of the houses in which the meat was to be eaten. A plant called hyssop was to be used as the paintbrush (12:7, 22) A member of the mint family, hyssop was also used during purification of lepers (Leviticus 14:2-7) the cleansing of a plague (Leviticus 14:49-52) and in the sacrifice of the red heifer (Numbers 19). References cited in Ryrie study Bible.

BTW, The red heifer sacrifice carries much significance, as well--Briefly, an unblemished red heifer was slaughtered in the presence of the priest, who would dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it toward the front of the meeting tent seven times. Then, the whole animal was burned to ashes and the priest would add cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet material into the burning carcass. "And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the people of Israel for the water for impurity, for the removal of sin. (Numbers 19:9). Specifically, the ashes were used in the cleansing that was performed after having touched a dead body. For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and running water shall be added in a vessel; then a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the furnishings, and upon the persons who were there, and upon him who touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave... (Numbers 19:17-18) Craig told me that water is often used to represent the Holy Spirit.

The presence of hyssop in the account of the first Passover is revisited at the crucifixion, when Jesus said that He was thirsty A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:29-30)

Back to Exodus:

In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:11-14

Here is an illustration of both God's wrath about to be unleashed upon the Egyptians and His protective covering of those whom He has chosen as His own. The application of the lamb's blood to the doorposts is a sobering physical picture of the application of Christ's blood to the heart of the believer.

There is a sense of urgency and total dependence upon God's provision. The meat was to be eaten quickly, and apparently the bread was baked sometime later: And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any provisions. (Exodus 12:39)

At this time, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was also instituted. Passover marked the first day of this special time. On the first day, all leaven was to be cleared from the people's homes and no leaven was to be found in anyone's home for an entire week. Throughout the Bible, "leaven" represents evil, or sin. Symbolically, "sin" was removed for the entire week. Anyone (visitor or native) who ate anything leavened during this time was to be "cut off" from the congregation of Israel. (v 15-20) The feast of unleavened bread previews the week which followed Jesus' crucifixion. (Luke 22:1)

Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. At midnight the LORD smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of the cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where one was not dead. And he summoned Moses and Aaron by night, and said, "Rise up, go forth from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!" And the Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste; for they said, "We are all dead men." Exodus 12:28-33

How devastating for the Egyptians! Just as God had promised, they were not only allowing the Israelites to go, but were shoving from behind, begging them to leave. Next up is the dedication of the firstborn.

The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me all the first-born; whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." And Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten. This day you are to go forth, in the month of Abib. Exodus 13:1-4

Here, I believe, is yet more shadow-imagery:

He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; (Colossians 1:13-15; emphasis mine)

This was also meant to remind the Hebrews of God's mighty hand intervening for them--both in rescuing them while simultaneously punishing their oppressors. (Exodus 13:14)

And a phrase I find to be rather interesting: It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt." (v 16). I mentioned to Craig that this concept is also in Deuteronomy 6:8 and reference to the same type of "marking" is used of beast worshipers in Revelation. He said it signifies ownership of a slave.

When this impressively sized group made their exodus (about 600,000 men plus children), Moses remembered to carry along the bones of Joseph, who had been certain the Israelites would someday return to the land of Canaan (v 19). I'm thinking this *might* suggest the catching up of believers when Christ returns to take His position as rightful ruler of the earth: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16). I'm not going to make speculation about "the rapture", but it is interesting to note that Paul does point out here that those who have died "in Christ" will NOT be left outside of the promise when He arrives.

In the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (v21-22), God led the people out of Egypt. But He chose to take the "wilderness scenic route", because He did not want to frighten them by marching them straight through the land of the Philistines. (Exodus 13:17).

Whew!

While I don't fully understand what all is represented here, the importance of the Jews keeping the ritual symbolism true to God's instruction is becoming pretty clear. And I'm starting to understand a little better why God would later deal so severely with those who would dare to alter His carefully designed illustration.

Blog Maintenance

2009-10-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

1. A few days ago, I got a fun surprise in my e-mail. Thank you, Karina for sharing your photograph and talent, so that I can have a lovely new header! :o)

2. After God got my attention, I finally admitted that I need to severely rein in my internet usage. My time is not my own and I have a lot of responsibilities around here. Priorities are being rearranged and I'm working on creating a schedule that allows for blogging but does not interfere with my housekeeping and child raising. For now, Friday is "B-day" and I'm wondering how many posts I can smash into one sitting.

I hope my head doesn't explode during the week :oS

3. I plan on having the next "Egypt" installment up later today.

Reconstructing Babylon

2009-10-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to try to play end-times prophecy, interpreter, here. But came across a rather breath-catching headline this morning.

It reminded me of man's early rebellion against God, shortly after the flood waters subsided.

And they said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower, and its top in the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered upon the face of the whole earth. Genesis 11:4 (MKJV)

According to the biblical account, God thwarted their efforts and scattered the rebels by ingeniously confusing their ability to communicate. The people had to stop their work but there is no record that God intervened concerning the hidden aspirations of the heart. The Psalmist wrote:

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. Psalm 2:1-3

In fact, history attests to the reality that the scenario in Psalm 2 has played out repeatedly in various locations, throughout the centuries that followed. Empires have risen and fallen--conquering rulers have severely oppressed those who are conquered (especially those subjects who refuse to worship their new emperor as god.

Today, we can see that the "language barrier" has been, to a degree, broken. On the one hand, it is an amazing opportunity for Christians of one nationality to be able to witness to those of foreign tongue who have never heard the Gospel. On the other hand, the restraint to evilly-ambitious god-haters has also been breached on a grand scale.

The modern message of godless humanism is clear. It is based in the ancient, Satanic lie that we don't need God and can determine for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. Today, Man is perceived as divine. His earthly kingdom must be secured at all costs. Once, again, rebellious humanity is boldly saying "Let us build for ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to heaven." And this time, the blueprints encompass the entire globe.

I can't help but have a prickly "something big (and really bad) is about to happen" feeling. There are persistent rumors of increasing government control over the private lives of American citizens, and pressure for us to not only allow but approve of homos*xual marriage, abortion and religions that are squarely opposed to the God of the Bible. The growing global hostility toward Israel and Jews is disturbing. Add to that, worldwide reports of soaring inflation, famine, disease and death and that odd encounter I had with a homeless man. Death is everywhere and I can only conclude that this man-centric empire is being demonically inspired by the dragon who is bent on destroying even his own loyal subjects.

I'm still trying to figure out the majority of Revelation (and other prophetic writings)--although I've relaxed a lot in recognizing that God promised He would not abandon His own, regardless of what happens. Interestingly, my focus has settled on the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3. There is a timeless, repeated warning to repent and overcome--before it is too late. And I've been asking God to show me where I am being disobedient, so I will be willing to allow Him to expose and clean my heart.

I do believe mankind is swiftly wending it's way toward a final, climactic self-destruction. And God, as He did at Babel, will "come down from heaven" and intervene (Genesis 11:5-7). But this time, His purpose will not be to simply break up the party. Jesus will be returning as reigning King and He will crush the opposition. Whenever the final curtain falls, I don't want to have been caught up in political strife, self-absorbed temporal pursuits, pseudo-Christian religion, or wealth-induced stupor. And, regardless of what hard times or mortal peril may befall, the ONLY way for any twig to survive is to be firmly attached to the True Vine.

PS. Egypt is still on the radar. I've been reading but just haven't been able to properly sort my thoughts concerning the next passage. Looks like it's time to get serious about it, though.

Thatcher adviser: Copenhagen goal is 1-world government

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Ouch, Ouch, Ouch

2009-10-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Josh Harris: Self Control in a Wired World

HT Glen

Okay. Maybe I'm not quite as bad as his description. But the fact that I can relate at all is really embarrassing. More than once, I've gotten on the computer for "just a few minutes" and an hour and 12 links later, I get off :oS

Definitely need to work on time management.

Hmmm....

2009-10-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

And when He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying "Come." And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.

And I heard as it were a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius*, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine. Revelation 6:6-7"

ETA: I noticed that widespread food shortage could also lead to death by hunger or war over food supplies.

Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:8

*My study Bible has a note which indicates that a denarius is a Roman silver coin which normally would be able to purchase 8 quarts of wheat or 24 or barley. So, it appears that severe inflation/food shortage is a marker of this particular rider's release. The "do not harm" phrase is confusing to me but I wonder if it indicates that the famine is actually manufactured and is controlled by ruling elite who escape hardship.

Just thinking aloud again.

Hebrews 13:1-3

2009-10-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Let brotherly love continue.

Do not be forgetful of hospitality, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, those who suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

MKJV

Wonderful opportunity to be able to share our abundant blessings with members of Christ's family who have lost nearly everything.

The Times They are A-changin' (for the worse)

2009-10-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

The Ominous Success of Re-Education

HT Berit Kjos @ Kjos Ministries

The traditional Christian family has been a continual obstacle to the globalist vision of solidarity. And for over sixty years, the United Nations and its mental health gurus have fought hard to eradicate those old "poisonous certainties" that stood in their way. They seem to be gaining ground!

Since Hitler outlawed homeschooling about 70 years ago, German parents have faced the harshest battles. Now other nations are catching up. Notice the government attitudes in the following examples:

"A critical hearing is scheduled in Germany in that nation's war against homeschoolers to determine whether a family can continue to control the education of its high-performing son, 14.... 'One of the fundamental rights of parents is the right to educate their children according to the dictates of their own religious beliefs.'"[5]

That "fundamental right" is fast being replaced by government-defined "community" or "collective rights." The fact that those homeschooled children have "extraordinary academic abilities" and are "socially competent" doesn't matter. Today's rising global system doesn't want "competent" Christian leaders. Not in Sweden, not in America -- not anywhere!

"A North Carolina judge has ordered three children to attend public schools this fall because the homeschooling their mother has provided over the last four years needs to be 'challenged.' The children, however, have tested above their grade levels – by as much as two years.... The judge... explained his goal ...to make sure they have a 'more well-rounded education.' ...the judge also said public school would 'prepare these kids for the real world and college' and allow them 'socialization.'"[6]

Such socialization tactics "worked well" in the Soviet Union. Based on the Marxist/Hegelian dialectic process, they include collective thinking, manipulative peer pressure, denial of absolutes, shameless "tolerance" for immorality, and irrational intolerance for contrary views.

The results can be disastrous. Students trained to scorn God's guidelines and conform to the crowd are anything but free. Most are soon driven by evolving new notions that undermine all truth and certainty. Loosed from moral constraints, many are bound by their own lusts, obsessions, and (ultimately) despair..... Please Read the whole article HERE

While I am deliberately trying to avoid getting tied in a knot over disturbing headline news, I can't help but believe that (should the Lord tarry) Christians need to at least become aware of how much spiritual danger such things present to our children and grandchildren. ETA: My purpose for posting this is not to try to scare people or push a "Christians must home school or else they are sinning" agenda. I'm sure there are many Christian families that have not felt conviction over sending their children to a public, government regulated school. Perhaps that is what God wants for them. Or, maybe these families need to pull out but have not yet come across the Scripture or other information which God intends to use to show them what to do.

I do understand that we westernized people have been trained to believe that a "good education" is the key which unlocks a myriad of lifestyle/social opportunities. After all, it is nearly impossible to obtain food, clothing and shelter in our society without some sort of job. But, I have been brought to a place which causes me to wonder whether our priorities have been contaminated with secular humanist ideals. We often want more than food, clothing and a modest shelter, so we end up straining for the high paying positions. Or, we want to be able to influence others on a grand scale, so we seek employment in positions which require diplomas and degrees. In order to move up in the world, one needs a "good education" (that being : one that is recognized by whoever is making the rules for society).

The "good education" that our public schools provide appears to be the gateway for the satanic destruction of many, many souls. Parents are often told that we are incapable of properly educating our own children--and we listen! It begs the question as to whether our priorities line up with God's.

The conflict here isn't about the quality of home education verses that of public, or political maneuvers, or "rights" or conservative values versus liberal ones. It is a spiritual battle in which we have engaged a powerful, subtle and aggressive enemy of God and everything He is. Satan is a master deceiver. He doesn't need to attack those whom he has fooled. In fact, he may even temporarily reward his faithful followers with worldly gain. However, those who break ranks to side with the "Enemy" should expect to have a target painted on our foreheads. In the end, though, the devil is not just anti-God or anti-Christian. He's anti creation and anti-human and will happily lead to destruction whomever he can.

1 Peter 5:8-11

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

NASB

Popping in For a Minute

2009-09-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to those who periodically check in and comment. I've been MIA due to the putting into practice of some things God has been teaching me.

One thing He has made very clear is that my tendency toward distraction and worry over politics, global issues, "tomorrow", etc is a sinful rejection of His sovereignty in the affairs of this world. The resulting tidal wave of spiritual and familial unrest that results is an obvious sign that I'm not being obedient to what He has given me to do "today".

A few months ago, Craig directed me to Psalm 2.

Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate on a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers plot together, against Jehovah and against His anointed, saying,

Let us break their bands in two and cast away their cords from us.

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; Jehovah shall mock at them.

Then He shall speak to them in His anger, and trouble them in His wrath.

Yea, I have set My king on My holy hill, on Zion.

I will declare the decree of Jehovah. He has said to Me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You.

Ask of Me, and I shall give the nations for Your inheritance; and the uttermost parts of the earth for Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

And now be wise, O kings; be instructed, O judges of the earth.

Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled in but a little time. Blessed are all who put their trust in Him. (MKJV)

And, just recently, I realized that it says that the nations (KJV says "heathen") are the ones who plot and scheme over such things as political agendas and international borders/treaties. They make and break promises, declare wars, oppress harmless citizens, maneuver, and give their best shot at thwarting God's decreed design...

And God laughs at them. The final verse instructs readers to be reconciled with God before time runs out. If I'm really on God's side, I can laugh, too. Or, at least, I can rest easy, knowing that He has everything under control and I am not an object of His coming wrath.

At any rate, I came across an article by Bill Randles which relates this Psalm to current events. It was interesting to me, so I thought I'd pass it along.

Part 1

Part 2

And Again...

2009-09-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today, I happened upon this:

...which appears to be yet another confirmation of the message I keep getting lately.

(That being to just follow Jesus' instruction to live one day at a time and let God worry about tomorrow)

The Taming of The Tongue

2009-09-21T08:41:00.001-07:00

Very short, worthwhile reminder.

"Gossip often veils itself in acceptable conventions..." Continue reading "Gossip" - Delivered By Grace | Theology Blog

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A Long Story. A Lesson Learned. A Faith Strengthened.

2009-09-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been debating all weekend whether I should post this experience. On the one hand, it's too good to not share, but on the other, I hesitate because it involves an "act of charity" which Jesus instructed us to keep to ourselves. After weighing the overall picture, and my reason for wanting to share, I've decided that it is probably acceptable because the lesson I learned is an amazing testament to the way God cares for and trains His children (even the slow learners like myself ). So, here we go...

First, I need to link to THIS POST which God used to cement into my brain that I have been horribly double minded concerning the balance of duty to Him and existence in an ungodly world. Since the Presidential inauguration, I've struggled with almost paralyzing fear over the future and it seems I constantly need to be resettled with my eyes on God alone. After reading the post, I confessed my sin of distraction and worry--and once again felt peace in my soul. At any rate, the article is a good read and I expect I'm not the only one who needs the reminder. Besides, it directly relates to my recent experience, and I will refer back to it later.

All summer, Craig's been wanting to take the family to Yellowstone Park. I've been dragging my feet because I can envision a cranky toddler, fussing in her seat and the spending of money that we might otherwise use to pay down our mortgage or use in some other productive manner. The cloud of a crashing economy and potentially hostile government has also been nagging at my overly imaginative brain cells, and that doesn't help me to relax much, either.

Determined to spend some time showing the kids a bit of God's beautiful (in spite of the ever-present sin-scars) creation, Craig planned a vacation week and decided we ARE going. Until last Thursday, I was still internally resisting. I know. So much for being a godly wife and cheerful helpmeet :o( But, God's been working in my heart and has exposed the ugly, selfishness that causes me to so often not look beyond my own immediate wants or fears.

I finally, grudgingly, determined that if we were to take this car trip, I had better be sure the house was really in order. After realizing that we may very well return with 4 days worth of laundry, I insisted that all clothes hampers be emptied so I could run to the laundermat and catch up everything at one time. Instead of lugging the large bottle of detergent with me, I figured I could pick up a small bottle while in town.

While at the supermarket, I also grabbed a bag of animal cookies for the kids to munch while we were hanging about.

After distributing a few sweet and crunchy creatures to the children, we steered out toward the highway---and at the stop sign stood a man with a cardboard sign that read something like "LEAN SHEEP BEGS A FEW PENNIES". Now, normally, I roll up the window and pretend to not see such people. After all, a lot of them are transients who just will take their haul down to the local liquor store. But this time, I almost automatically reached down and plucked a couple dollar bills that had not been folded away in my purse. After handing them out the window, the man gratefully said "Thank you so much, now I will be able to get a shower and wash my filthy clothes" And he asked where he might be able to find a public shower. I only know of one place in town and started to tell him but cars were backing up so he said to never mind.

On the way back to the laundermat, I was alternately experiencing amazement that I had given the man money and feelings of guilt that he probably had not had a nourishing meal for several days while our family members don't even know what it feels like to truly be hungry. It really bothered me. So, I started talking to God about it, asking whether I was supposed to go back and take the man some lunch. And I kind of laid out a Gideon-style fleece that I would load the machines and then return. If the man was still standing there, I would get him some chicken and veggies and a couple apples or something.

He was still there, so I headed into the store. But when I came back out, he was gone. Wondering if I had misunderstood God's instruction, I got back into the car and headed back toward our laundry. Halfway there, the kids noticed the man on the sidewalk, so I pulled into the next parking lot and called him over so I could pass out the food. Thin as he was, he tried to turn down the offer of a meal--"Oh, no ma'am, I couldn't take this...I already have all I can carry in my pack, here". Again, there was a slight feeling of having jumped to my own conclusions. But I insisted anyway that he take the food as a gift--even if he couldn't carry all, he could take what he wanted and eat lunch.

So, he looked in the bag--noted aloud that it was "all good food" and then looked directly at me asking "You bought this for me?"

Feeling a little more uncomfortable, but still fairly sure God had sent me back, I said "Yes."

He gratefully decided on the chicken and said that the meat would be enough for him. I told him where to find a shower. And he smiled and thanked me as he backed away from the car.

Wanting to relay that it was not I but God who was responsible, I offered "God bless you" and a wave. And the man stopped and came back to the car.

He then asked if I was aware of what the European Union was up to these days. According to him, there is a huge financial crisis about to overtake the world and that somehow the Jews are responsible. A little taken aback, I admitted that I had ideas but not anything sure--and that I wasn't really blaming anyone in particular.

(Side Note) Although the man didn't say it with any particular sense of rancor, I believe "evil banker Jews" theories are rooted in anti-Semitism. God did allow Israel to go it's own way after Jesus was rejected as Messiah but that does not mean I am supposed to hate Jews or blame them for a collapsing global economy.

The man asked if I had a pen and something to write on because he wanted to give me a couple web addresses that had important information that most Americans won't get in our media. While he was writing, he said a couple of times to be sure to share with my God-fearing friends because we are almost out of time. Then, he gave me the paper and went on his way.

Now, that was kind of weird, to have a street person offer to inform me about international financial/political goings-on. He was sober, spoke articulately and didn't appear to be "on" anything, so my mind started going crazy trying to figure out what it all meant. How did he know I regularly wonder about the state of our nation, the alarming worldwide level of hostility toward Christians and whether we are the "terminal" generation that will witness Christ's bodily return?

I was reasonably sure God had sent me back to that man. One of the lessons He has been teaching me is to look for people with whom He wants us to share His blessings. Yet, I had also JUST read the above link concerning the need to get my eyes off of worldly distractions about the future and get them back on what I need to obediently be doing right now. So I was confused. Had God sent that man with a message of instruction that we need to take seriously?

When I got home, I looked up the websites and they don't appear to be put together by crank conspiracy groups. The first one looks like some sort of European financial journal or something. It says nothing about "evil banker Jews" but does suggest that we are on the brink of a global economic disaster and that there is an impending worldwide crisis which is due to hit possibly fall of 2009.

The other site is out of Canada and monitors globalization efforts. I suppose it could be considered more "conspiratorially focused" because there is obvious opinion about such things as whether the swine flu pandemic is really a danger or simply a hyped up excuse to force people to do things they would not otherwise do.

When Craig got home, I told him about my day and had him look at the sites. He didn't have a lot of insight about the end of the world. But pointed out that I do appear to be learning to listen when God gives instruction. He said he'd pray and wait to see if God gave him any ideas. I prayed that God would give Craig wisdom about whether we need to be doing/sharing based on the stranger's information. Wondering, but not especially troubled, I went to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up and knew. It was a two-fold test. And I passed :o)

God's been drilling into me two things:

1. I need to be daily about my Father's business. That involves reading His Word, maintaining my end of our relationship through prayer and thankfulness, obedience in the areas I have received instruction etc. My previous habit has been to follow personal whim and waste time and resources on treasures that will eventually rust and disintegrate. For months, now, God has been prompting me to let go of these idols and start looking for ways to honor Him with the "talents" He has entrusted to our family.

2. Fear and a consuming desire to know and control the future has been preventing me from doing today what I already know. My lack of trust in God's unquestionable goodness is disobedience, pure and simple. Jesus was pretty clear about the need to "seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness" and let Him take care of the peripherals.

I got the "textbook" lesson from the above link. And the message was crystal clear. As a citizen of Jesus' Kingdom I am to be primarily concerned with the affairs of Kingdom life. Satan prowls around, roaring at believers and trying to get us to look at him. But he cannot touch us unless God has first given him permission. And, if He allows it, then it is for a VERY good reason which I need to trust even if I don't understand. I can't afford to be distracted by political maneuvers, potential future dangers, internet intrigue or even strange messages that tempt me to take my eyes off of Jesus. If I am in the habit of following hard after and obeying Him today, I will be where I need to be tomorrow.

I got the "real life" object lesson the very next day. I was able to practice obedience to a God- directed conscience as well as obedience to the Scriptural instruction to not get distracted.

This is very similar to what happened when I was struggling with how to recognize false teachers. Or when I was pestering Craig about what it looks like to be a "silly woman" (who is always learning but never comes to a knowledge of the truth) and the very next day, God brought two Jehovah's Witness --an ex-Catholic and ex-Lutheran-- ladies to my doorstep). Or when I was berry picking and God enlightened me to the way I so often will snatch at keeping the things I can see rather than trust His word that eternity with Him is far better.

These things are not just random occurrences but instead, directly related to personal matters of faith that I was working through. And God is gracious to let me know that He cares and is listening--and is intimately involved in directing the course of my life.

As the world gets darker, the Light of Christ will shine brighter through His people. Yet, the world in general will despise it and seek to snuff it out. Jesus already said this so it shouldn't surprise me at all to see that there is a concentrated effort to erase Christianity or any roadsigns that happen to suggest that there is a God who created and is rightful owner of the universe.

While Satan is the prince of this world and the "ruler of this age", God has always been King. This is my Father's world and I can rest in the knowledge that He has promised to exact justice and will right that which has gone wrong.

Afterword: I told Craig my story and he said it appears that I am getting the message concerning the need to allow God to focus my attention on obedience to what I know "right now". He seemed relieved because I can get really unbalanced when I'm afraid. (His patience and prayers for me did not go unheeded by God)

My mom thanked me for sharing with her, saying that when we talk, it often confirms things that God has been teaching her. (And underlines the need to not forsake the "assembling of ourselves" with other believers) I told my sister and she said she had been concerned for me and praying that God would deal with my irrational fearfulness. He answered her request and I had no idea she was worried for my sanity. ( Don't hesitate to pray for someone who is on your mind.)

My children often wonder whether God really listens to our prayers so I used the experience to explain to them that He most certainly does. He even talks to those of us who run crazily from one distraction to the next. (And we can actually hear Him when we are still long enough.)

Considering the track record here, I though perhaps someone else might benefit.

May God bless you, dear reader.

Heather

A Lot on my Mind

2009-09-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Visitors are welcome to listen in (or not, as the soundtrack is a little on the "loud" side).

Hope to return after the dust settles.

Sunday Afternoon Worship

2009-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Psalm 8

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

KJV

Weekend Worship

2009-09-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

I really like this hymn. While not everything that happens these days appears to be "good", it is comforting to remember that God really does have everything under control--and that I need to just rest in that knowledge.

Has America Officially Become an Enemy of Israel?

2009-08-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not even going to pretend to understand how Biblical prophecy relates to current events. But I can't help thinking how deep a hole the US is digging for itself as we align ourselves with those who openly oppose the God of Scripture :o(

God isn't going to tolerate our arrogance indefinitely.

Egyptian Sojourn 11: Returning to Finish the Course

2009-08-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I caught wind of more alarming circumstances which are well beyond my control. So, I'm back in Egypt today.

God visited nine plagues on the land of Egypt and the king's heart remained stone hard. Oh, sure, he "almost" changed his mind a couple of times. And he even had the audacity to try to cut a deal in order to assure the return of his slave-population. But God (through Moses and Aaron) insisted that they meet on His terms alone. Once again, the king refused and threatened Moses with his life.

And Jehovah said to Moses, I will still bring one plague yet on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out from here altogether. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor, and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and jewels of gold. And Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. Exodus 11:1-3 (MKJV)

It appears that the account of chapter 11 is actually a parenthetical close-up of the previous text and is something that happened before/during the time Pharaoh and Moses had their final confrontation. While most versions I have read statesomethin akin to "And God said to Moses" or "Then God said to Moses", the NIV reads "Now the Lord had said to Moses..." (italics mine) which makes more sense of the reading. Otherwise, it looks as though Moses left the king saying "Don't worry, you won't see me again!" (10:29) yet thought of "just one more thing", called a quick meeting with the Israelites, then charged back in with the final demand and got away with it. Not being a scholar, I can only go by what I have heard concerning the method of Hebrew story-telling--and my conclusion seems to match the tendency to give first a "big picture" and then back up and give details of a certain point in time (like the Creation account followed by a zoom-in on Eden). Anyway, I'm happy to receive correction if I'm confused.

For now, I'm going with my assumption that chapter 11 represents an overlap of time and so, while Moses is speaking to the king, the Israelites are peacefully plundering the Egyptian people just as God had predicted back in chapter 3:

But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that stays in her house, jewels of silver and jewels of gold and clothing. And you shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters. And you shall plunder the Egyptians. Exodus 3:22

The last message that Moses and Aaron delivered to the obstinate, self-absorbed, deluded king was:

And Moses said," Thus says Jehovah: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. And all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sits upon his throne, even to the first-born of the slave-girl that is behind the mill; also the first-born of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the sons of Israel not even a dog shall move his tongue, against man or beast, so that you may know that Jehovah puts a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these, your servants, shall come down to me and bow themselves down to me, saying, You and all the people that follow you get out. And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. Exodus 11:4-8 (Moses' leaving in "great anger" seems to also match up with the last verse of chapter 10. The specific message here would also explain the apparently violent reaction the king had when he promised to have Moses killed should he show up again)

And Jehovah said to Moses, "Pharaoh shall not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. " And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh. And Jehovah hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the sons of Israel go out of his land. (Exodus 11:9-10)

Interesting. It is as though God is reminding Moses of what He said when they met in the desert.

And Jehovah said to Moses, When you go to return into Egypt, see that you do all those wonders which I have put in your hand before Pharaoh; but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. (ch 4:21)

Now, the NIV says "The Lord had said to Moses...", so again, this may be a recording of something that had already happened at a different time. But I think it is notable that Moses was prompted to write it again. Perhaps he was thinking back to the initial conversation (see Exodus 6) when God made a curious announcement:

And God spoke to Moses, and said to him, "I am Jehovah. And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty. But I was not known to them by the name JEHOVAH. ....Therefore say to the sons of Israel, I am Jehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you out of their bondage. And I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God. And you shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

God intends here to reveal an aspect of Himself that had previously been unknown--even to the patriarchs. He said that They knew Him as "God Almighty" and Moses' generation would recognize Him as "Jehovah" (some translations use "Lord") . (Copied from Egyptian Sojourn 7--and expanded below because I apparently had not finished my thought). I was interested to know the difference between "God Almighty" that the patriarchs know and "Jehovah" Who would be revealed to this generation of Israelites, so I did a little digging around and found the following:

"God Almighty" is a compound of "Elohim" and "shadday" The concept that is relayed is that of strength and power.

"Jehovah" means "I am the One Who is". God is not only the "Strong One" but also the One who is "self existent" (I believe this concept was also relayed when God referred to Himself as "I Am that I Am").

According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, (p 140), "Apparently Adam knew Him by this personal or covenantal name from the beginning..." and goes on to say that God revealed Himself to Abraham in "promising redemption in the form of national existence." And the "promise became reality through Moses, to whom God explained that He was not only the 'God Who exists' but 'the God Who effects His will'"

In a similar manner to the way God graciously gives me visible object lessons, He appears to be giving the Israelites (and the rest of the world) a snapshot picture of Who He really is. He didn't just make everything, wind up the universe and step back to watch. He didn't have a "perfect plan" that is continually messed up by our paltry efforts--thus requiring Him to repeatedly race back in to put us back on course. He didn't simply "know ahead of time and work with what He could see would happen". He has laid a deliberate course for history and has been intimately involved with everything that happens.

There sometimes surfaces disagreement that is focused around "God not being a puppetmaster" and "God doesn't make people sin". And I am aware that it doesn't make sense (or seem fair) that God has a specific map that includes everything that everyone does, chooses to enlighten some and leave others in the dark etc. My purpose here is not to try to build a lopsided argument for the sovereignty of God while disregarding man's ability to make choices. What I'm saying is that God describes Himself as the One who "effects His will".

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines "effect" as: v.

1. To produce, as a cause or agent; to cause to be.

2. To bring to pass; to achieve; to accomplish; as, to effect an object or purpose.

achieve: v.

1. To perform, or execute; to accomplish; to finish or carry on to a final close.

2. To gain or obtain, as the result of exertion.

accomplish: v.

2. To execute; as to accomplish a vow, wrath or fury.

3. To gain; to obtain or effect by successful exertions; as to accomplish a purpose.

I can see how someone might argue that the definitions of the various words could indicate that God has a desired outcome and is currently working to make sure things go the way He wants. But in the context of the Exodus account, I see that a very deliberate course was already set before Moses ever engaged Pharaoh. God even told Moses that He would be personally involved in the hardening of the king's heart.

I conclude here that everything that happened was decided by God beforehand. But, this concept doesn't cause me to feel that God is mean or unjust. Instead, it offers me a tremendous amount of comfort as I look around at the way our country seems to be rebelliously careening along toward it's inevitable destruction. While I don't fully understand the need for this ongoing fight between humanity and God and am not feeling particularly thrilled at the prospect of living under an openly hostile government, I can at least rest in the knowledge that I worship a God who effects HIS will, regardless of the circumstances.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers. But whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified. And whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he condemning? It is Christ who has died, but rather also who is raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For Your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep of slaughter." But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39