GOD DOESN'T LOVE AN IMPROVED VERSION OF YOU - a Christmas blessing

 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.    (Romans 8:28-30 ESV)
GOD DOESN'T LOVE AN IMPROVED VERSION OF YOU.... HE LOVES YOU RIGHT NOW! 
THAT'S A GIFT WORTH CELEBRATING!

Christmas Comfort and Joy

 "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
  and cry to her
 that her warfare is ended,
  that her iniquity is pardoned,
 that she has received from the LORD's hand
  double for all her sins."     (Isaiah 40:1-2 ESV)
The comfort and joy of Christmas is this;  God invaded planet earth to fix the mess we made of His good Creation... Our God speaks tenderly to us in our distress.
In Christ, our warfare is ended.
The war in won - IN HIM.
Our sins are forgiven - BY HIM.
The pardon we receive outweighs the severity of our crimes - HE MADE THE PAYMENT.
 
*THE LORD'S COMFORT AND JOY SNUFFS OUT ANY GRIEF THAT OUR SINS HAVE CAUSED HIM. 
It's now that we can truly sing, "Joy to the World" ....

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The words of the beautiful Christmas hymn, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" capture the meaning of Christmas for us in the truest possible way. Far removed from Elves, presents under trees, candy canes and reindeer, we see Christmas for what it was intended to be - not what it has become. God sent His Son to deliver His people. "Immanuel" means "God with us". God Himself would dwell among His people once again. The promised deliverer of Isaiah 7:14 would appear... The people of Israel had been in exile and bondage. They were not the victim, however... They had turned their back on God and worshipped others.. But God, who is rich in mercy and steadfastly committed in His love, promised that they would not suffer for their sin forever. He would bring about their deliverance. The Messiah would suffer for their sin - in their place.
Just like captive Israel in the days of Jesus' birth, we are born captives. Held in the chains of our own sin. Without a deliverer we have no hope. Our eternal destiny rides on the shoulders of another. The deliverer would carry our sin to the cross with and tomb with Him.
The long-awaited rescuer hears our cries...
The long-anticipated redeemer paid the price for our sin...
The longing for wholeness, peace, deliverance is here - Immanuel (God with us) has come.

We Killed Him - But God Raised Him

"Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ."  - Acts 8: 4 - 5
Notice what Philip proclaimed -  the Christ. Jesus was the essence of his message. The entire apostolic body of preaching was, as Paul puts it, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). The preaching of the early church was essentially, "You killed him - but God raised him" (Acts 2:22-24, 32, 36; Acts 3:14-15; Acts 4:10-12; Acts 5:30-32; Acts 7:51-53) . . .
The church didn't grow because of strategic planning - God had done all the strategic planning in eternity past. The church didn't grow because of programs to reach all ages - the message was simple and compelling and reached all ages - You killed him, but God raised him...
In the complex world we live in with so many options, it is difficult to not cave in to giving people what the want rather than what they need. There is a big difference between what humanity thinks they need and what they truly need. We need Jesus. And we need Him in heavy doses. We think we want "7 Ways to Unlock the Door to Financial Success", "4 Steps Toward a Happy Marriage",          "3 Reasons Why Stress Must Be Managed", "How To Have a Better Behaved Child"... All these things could well be important - but not at the expense at what is truly needed.
The message of the Bible is clear -  and it's not about making your life happier. The message of the Bible is that the Holy Creator of the universe gave His only beloved Son to die in our place for our sins. Jesus Christ left heaven and became human and obeyed all God's laws like we were commanded to and failed at doing. He paid the price for our failure and succeeded on our behalf, by obeying His Father's perfect will for us. He endured every temptation and never sinned. And He died the death that we should have died. We (because of our sin) killed him - but God raised him...
Philip and the rest of the apostles proclaimed to their listeners the Christ. That's all....
A dying world needs to hear the good news that will outlast the latest craze and will outlive the temporary things in this world that we value far too much. We need Jesus.

Ecce Homo

"Ecce homo" - the Latin phrase used by Pontius Pilate is translated; "Behold the man." ... Without knowing it, Pilate is presenting Christ as the representative of sinful humanity. "The man" is term referring to Adam in the garden of Eden - Genesis 1:26 tells us that man was made imago dei - "in the image of God. Genesis 2 tells us that "the man" was formed from the dust of the ground that God had created and formed man from the dust and breathed the breath of life into him. Adam would become God's image bearer, and all who follow after him would as well. Adam would be the federal head of the human race, and as Adam goes, humanity goes. We know what happens from here. Adam disobeys God's Word and rebels against God. God would put a plan in action for a "New Man" to succeed where Adam (and the rest of us) failed.
Romans 5:12-20 lets us know that Adam's sin infected us all and Christ's obedience to God's law and His death in place of ours, places our life into Christ's life (Col.3:3). We become righteous because Jesus is righteous. We live eternally because Jesus lives eternally. Jesus is the federal head of God's new creation. If we are "in Christ" we are God's new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
Behold THIS Man! - This man Jesus is the fulfillment of God's Law that we are called to obey, yet continually fall short of (Matt. 5:17). This man Jesus is the perfect sacrifice that God requires for us to enter His holy presence (Heb. 4:14-16). Behold the Man, Jesus - God in the flesh who has a perfect compassion and understanding of our every frailty and weakness - and He gives us the righteousness we need to approach God. Behold this Man who loves us this much - to live and die for the undeserving and give the eternal life and righteousness that only He deserves.

Today You Will Be "With Me"

        

39 hOne of the criminals who were hanged irailed at him,1 saying, “Are you not jthe Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds;but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me kwhen you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in lParadise.” (Luke 23:39-43, ESV)

The picture of human suffering and the wages of sin are graphically displayed in the crucifixion story. However we also we the beauty of God's plan of redemption clearly set forth in the conversation. One thief, represents unrepentant sinners. Mocking and deriding God to his last breath. The second thief represents repentance and faith which includes:
1. The awareness of his sin ("Don't you fear God? We are getting the justice our deeds deserve)v.41a
2. The recognition of Christ's sinlessness ("this man has done nothing wrong")v.41b
3. The belief that Jesus is entitled to a kingdom - thus, acknowledging His right to rule ("Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom... the most religious of Jesus' day should have been the one's most eager to welcome the King - but although He fit God's criteria, He didn't fit theirs)v.42
Jesus' response to the man's confession - The greatest promise we could ever hope to hear ..
"TODAY - You will be with me in paradise." v.43 - To be "with Christ" is paradise- no matter the suffering at the present time (Romans 8:18).
Grace for the guilty. Peace for the restless. Mercy for the sufferer. All in God's garden. All in God's Son.

Lift The Veil From Our Eyes

 

“It is he who made the earth by his power,
  who established the world by his wisdom,
 and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
 When he utters his voice there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
  and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
 He makes lightning for the rain,
  and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses..." - Jeremiah 51:15-16

God created the earth by His sheer power and established the universe- and how nature works- by His brilliant wisdom. God is in all senses of the word a genius.

In His understanding of all that He would create, He designed all things in such a way as to bring Him glory.

The natural, created order is prepared by God's design to cause mankind to marvel.  

 

"Every man is stupid and without knowledge;
  every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,
 for his images are false,
  and there is no breath in them.
 They are worthless, a work of delusion;
  at the time of their punishment they shall perish.
 Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,
  for he is the one who formed all things,
 and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;
  the LORD of hosts is his name." Jeremiah 51: 17-19

 

By comparison, does everything he can to look the other way - to reject the Creator in order to create gods that they can control. The ancient struggles continues -

man seeking to be God...

But the eternal, all-powerful, ever-present God will win this battle (v.18) the created, putting themselves in the Creator's place is delusional thinking and they are of no worth. No value will be given to God rejecters on the day of judgment: The self-exalting man will receive what is due him. "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a); But God will lift the veil off the eyes of His people (v.19). They recognize the greatness of the Creator - "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23b).

Power and Status vs. Humility and Helplessness

An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
                                                                                                           Luke 9:46-48 ESV
In our sinfulness, we, like the disciples, seek out power and status - But Jesus only receives the humble and helpless. The faith of a child is one of absolute dependence.. Jesus will have it no other way. 

The Angels Are Jealous?

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look." 
                                                                                                               - 1 Peter 1:10-12 ESV   
Christian - the angels long to look into the gospel that we have..  and all to easily ignore. 

Think Big!

Isaiah chapter 40 gives the answers to a lot of questions about God. 
Here are a few to consider: 

How big is God? (v. 12)
"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
 How wise is God? (vv. 13-14)
Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel?
Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
How powerful is God? (vv. 15-17) 
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
Does anyone else compare? (v. 18) 
To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?  (Isaiah 40:12-18 ESV)
Idolatry rears its ugly head when we allow ourselves to have small thoughts of God - Think big when you think of God... Think as big as you can - and He is bigger still. 

All I need I already have

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.     (Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV)
The Christian is - 
 adopted by the Father (vv. 3 - 6) 
 redeemed by the Son (vv. 7-12)
 sealed by the Spirit (vv. 13 - 14) 
The key to true revival is to remind ourselves of who we already are and what we 
already possess. 

What More Do You Need?

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."   - Romans 8:38-39 
I was reminded once again this morning about this passage from a good friend. What a promise we have in Christ.. Paul himself had to be awestruck as he wrote these words through the power of the Holy Spirit ..  

"For I am sure... Not just a hunch - A rock solid belief.
 that neither death nor life,... The things I encounter each day and what my ultimate end of days in my earthly body consist of.
 nor angels nor rulers,... heavenly beings that I do not see and those in positions of authority that I do see and submit to in my earthly existence.
 nor things present... My everyday experiences.
 nor things to come,... The unknown events of this present moment and beyond. 
 nor powers, nor height nor depth, ... Powers- both earthly and unearthly.
 nor anything else in all creation,... Anything not covered in the above statements.
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord..." Not even in my own stupidity and sin trying to "help God" .. He's loved with an everlasting love, and given His Son so that we can have Him, and with having Him we have eternal life and hope.                                                                                                             
That pretty much sums it all up doesn't it? .. God loves His children and will not let us go. He loves us just like we are, and loves us too much to let us stay the way we are. He's got all the bases covered... If we'll trust in Him. 

When Judgment and Grace Kiss One Another: A Good Friday Meditation

"No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. " (John 3:13-15)

"Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die."   (John 12:31-33)   

Good Friday of Holy Week, Jesus was lifted up on a cross to die a horrific death that He didn't deserve to die... He died in our place - for our sin.

When righteousness and peace meet, they kiss one another    (Psalm 85:10)

When righteousness and sin meet, it is a violent collision (Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8) 

When God's wrath (toward His enemies -sin) and God's grace meet, it is at the cross               (2 Cor 5:21) 

Because of God's great mercy, He poured out His wrath on His Beloved Son (Isaiah 53:10), and we move from being sentenced on death row to a new, abundant, and eternal life!       (John 3:16-17) 

At the cross, Judgement and Grace kiss one another!

A Holy Week Meditation

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." - Zechariah 9:9 

    This mysterious prophecy is given a little over 500 years before Jesus made His entry into Jerusalem for the final time.. Throughout Jesus' earthly life He consistently obeyed God's Law. The final three years of His earthly life He consistently fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.. Some would see and rejoice - some would see and be angered. The time was approaching for Jesus to fulfill the supreme purpose for which He had come to earth (die for our sin) and fulfill the most incredible prophecy given (rise from the dead) Some understood that He was actually fulfilling prophecy - John writes; "And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" - His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him." -  John 12:14-16.

     Although a relative few realized He was fulfilling prophecy, no one misunderstood what Jesus was doing... They believed the prophecy, they just didn't believe in the One fulfilling it.  The Jews were expecting a king...  Jesus rode into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday presenting Himself as the King of the Jews. Even without saying a word about being King, Jesus' actions show them the claims He is making. He presents Himself as Israel's long awaited King.. A one greater than David. Again to quote the apostle John; "He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him." - John 1:11. Later that week, after event filled days and many more prophecies fulfilled, Jesus is arrested and He is charged with blasphemy -  So Jesus, who had ridden into town presenting Himself as King is rejected - The Jewish authorities go so far as saying that Caesar was their only King (talk about your blasphemy!?) John 19:15. - This rejection also fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies.. Jesus is put to death on a cross and three days later, rises from the tomb (fulfilling prophecy). 

This Holy Week, take special time to read through the Gospel accounts. Note well the Old Testament quotations - this will strengthen your faith as you realize God not only WAS, but IS! 

Rejoice this Easter season with the hope of resurrection! This life is NOT all there is.. We MUST be prepared for the next... Have you trusted in the death of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to pay for your sin? If not, trust Him by faith. Place all your hope in Him... He is mighty to save! He rose from the dead to prove He is who He claimed to be, and to show that new, resurrection life awaits  all who trust Him by faith!  Rejoice, the Lord is King!  

Once Far Off - Now Brought Near

"Christ also suffered, once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God." - 1 Peter 3:18

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." - Ephesians 2:13 

Peter and Paul give us a double knock out punch of grace... in both these passages we see that a believer's status has changed from being unrighteous (Peter) 1 Peter 3:18 and far off (Paul) Ephesians 2:13, to being "brought near" to God. Peter and Paul both attest that this miraculous change of status is because of the suffering and blood of Christ. We who were away from God because of unrighteousness and sin are drawn in close to God through Christ... We who once were His enemies are now His friends... Once strangers - now family... For a believer, Jesus Christ has changed the conversation... From hostility and aloofness on our part and sacrificial love on God's part. Once we were far away from God... but He has brought us near... very near... REJOICE! 

At the Cross We Shrink to Our True Size...

"Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to say to us, 'I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.' Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size."

 - John R.W. Stott, The Message of Galatians, London, 1968 

HUMILITY

"There is nothing that will put you in your place, nothing that will correct your distorted view of yourself, nothing that will yank you out of your functional arrogance, or nothing that will take the winds out of the sails of your self-righteousness like standing, without defense, before the awesome glory of God." - Paul David Tripp, "Dangerous Calling",

Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2012, pg.121

Be Careful What You Treasure

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)

   To treasure something is to assign value to it. When we treasure something we are assigning it's worth. When Jesus says that heavenly treasures are to be desired over earthly ones, He is telling us where to assign value -  To delegate "worth."

    The word, "worship" comes from the word, "worth."  "Worth-ship" describes the value we place on something or someone.   So what Jesus is calling us to in the passage is a life of worship (placing Him - the "heavenly things" above all else). 
 So the question is -  "What is Jesus worth?"  
                           - More pointedly, what is He worth to you?   

   Paul Tripp writes this very convicting statement: 
 "Once something is our treasure, it will command our desires and shape
   our behavior."      (Dangerous Calling, 2012, Crossway Books, pg. 103)
                           


My prayer for myself - and for you, is that more and more each day we will see "the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."  (Philippians 3:8), 
and that HE will be my treasure.    

"... till we are united to Christ."

"The eyes cannot see what is right, and the ears cannot hear, and the feet cannot guide us in the right way, till we are united to Christ."  - John Calvin, 1509 - 1564 

False Teaching: The Response, The Result, and The Remedy

.

"... Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”      (2 Timothy 2:14-19 ESV)  
The reason that Paul reminds Timothy of the importance of the proclaimed Word (gospel message) is because it is so easy to depart from it... Without guarding the message against false teaching the church sets itself up as contrary to the Word and the Man on which the Church is founded, Jesus Christ... Paul urges Timothy to preach, know, and practice the Word of God... Paul's concern is that as false teaching is not only tolerated, it is celebrated.. Much like the culture we live in in our present day,  the Church is to be protected now as it was to be then... Paul lays out the plan of how to guard against and respond to false teaching and false teachers with the following: 
1)  The response to false teaching and teachers - Avoid them (v. 16) 
       - Why? Because of the results.
2)  The result of false teaching and teachers - It / They disease and disturb God's people, thus
      rendering them ineffective in the work of the gospel (v. 17) 
3)  The remedy for false teaching and teachers - God's firm foundation (v. 19)
       - The foundation is none other than Jesus Christ and the good news that God saves 
      sinners... This foundation is marked with a seal (statement of proclamation from God)
     "The Lord knows those who are His..."  
What a blessing it is to be "known by God!" (Galatians 4:9) ...  All who trust wholeheartedly in the finished work of Christ on the cross are "known by God."  False teaching about God shrinks God down... It makes Him become a god we can manage and manipulate... This is not the God of the Bible...   False teachers need not apply. 

True Faith = God Or Total Collapse

"Pseudo-faith always arranges a way out to serve in case God fails it. Real faith knows only one way and gladly allows itself to be stripped of any second way or makeshift substitutes. For true faith, it is either God or total collapse. And not since Adam stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him." 
  - A.W. Tozer, "The Root of Righteousness" . Harrisburg: Christian Publications 1955 pg 50 

God Makes Nothing Into Something

"God created the world out of nothing, and as long as we are nothing, He can make something of us."  - Martin Luther

The Further We Go the Deeper We Get ...

"The lessons of the cross are ones we never outgrow, for the further we go the

 deeper we get." 

- Rebecca Pippert, "Hope Has It's Reasons", (New York: Harper and Row, 1989), pg.159

True Worship: Humble and Glad

"Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets itself in remembering God; worship celebrates the truth as God's truth, not its own. True worship doesn't put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn't forced, isn't half-hearted, doesn't keep looking at its watch, doesn't worry what the person in the next pew may be doing. True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark." 

- N.T. Wright, "For All God's Worth: True Worship and the Calling of the Church", (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997), pg. 9

A Mighty Church of Dirty People

"Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, the same God who made man from the dirt will make a mighty church out of dirty people."  - Jared C. Wilson, via twitter 

Do You Believe This?

"Jesus said to her, [ Martha ] 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.
 Do you believe this?'"          ( John 11: 25 - 26)     . . . Well? . . . do you?