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