Month: June 2010

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18

Several years ago, I injured my shoulder throwing the football.  The injury has bothered me off and on ever since.  What’s the problem?  Well, I’ve never really known.  The sad truth is that I’m a typical hard-headed guy.  Rather than go to the doctor, we prefer to tough it out, right men?  Well, it’s been seven or eight years, and when I reinjured this spot a few weeks ago for the umpteenth time, I finally made a doctors’ appointment.  Now, not a word, ladies…

Anyway, I went to the doctor today.  X-rays were taken, and my arm was maneuvered into various positions.  Finally, the doctor decided on a course of action.  He injected me with steroids at two different spots.  Now, I know some of you must be grimacing.  This experience was my first with steroid shots, and for those of you that don’t know, let me warn you–it’ll make your toes curl!  Of course, I was mentally unprepared because the doctor forgot to mention the level of pain he was about to inflict.  What I know now, hours later, is that he also forgot to mention that the shot was mild compared to what I’d feel later in the day!

I want to learn from every experience, so as I began to talk to God about it, He brought the verse above to my mind.  I was surprised to find as I read ahead in Conformed to His Image this evening that this verse was the first one that Ken quoted.  Isn’t the Lord amazing in the way He reinforces His point!  What God was telling me is that often things have to get worse before they get better.  Trials are necessary not so that we’ll suffer, but so we’ll enjoy the benefit that comes as a result of the trial once we’re on the other side of it.  Jesus endured the cross for what reason?  Because of the joy waiting on the other side! (Heb 12:2) You see, the way steroid shots work is that they hurt when applied and cause even more pain not long thereafter, but don’t give up.  In a couple of days, if the doctor is treating the right spot, you’ll feel better than you’ve felt in a long time!

Now, unlike the doctor, the Lord always knows just the right spot!  Trials are tailor-made for God’s children.  He knows right where to apply the pressure and just how hot to make the fire.  And, rest assured.  It won’t be a single degree hotter than necessary.  He knows both what is required and what our limit is.  Maybe you’re in that place right now, Christian.  Maybe the fire is hot, and it seems it’s only getting hotter.  God promises that it’s only because He has something far better in store!  Job encouraged his heart in his suffering by remembering, “When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) As Ken says in our current reading, “God allows pain in our lives not because he loves us less but because he loves us more than we would wish.”  Don’t doubt it for a second.  Our heavenly Father knows best!  “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Heb 12:11)

Jamie

You have put gladness in my heart,
         More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Ps 4:7, 8

I recently read a quote from actor Lee Marvin in the later years of his life. “They put your name on a star on Hollywood Boulevard and you find a pile of dog manure on it. That’s the whole story, baby.”  How many stars over the years have been laid along that street? How many actors and actresses have dreamed of that day? How many of them have defined success by that achievement? Mr. Marvin’s point is well made.  The honor and glory associated with that experience is short-lived. The satisfaction it brings lasts only a moment. God gives so much more!

So many people need a “happening” in order to have “happiness.” They require the seasons when the grain and wine increase as in the verses above. It’s essential for their satisfaction, and yet they’re never truly satisfied. The next day or, in some cases, the next hour, they are depressed, lonely, and bitter again. Their happiness depends on external things, but God grants his people “gladness in [their] heart,” internally!

What would a man pay for such a thing? To be able to “lie down in peace and sleep”–what is that worth? To rest with a clear conscience–can you put a price on that? The rest that Christ gives is priceless! Some people have such an abundance in this life that they’re always looking over their shoulder wondering who’s going to try to take it from them next, but the Lord’s people have been granted that which can never be taken away. His blessings are eternal! Live this day with an awareness of the multitude of blessings the Lord has granted you. Rejoice, Christian, that you “dwell in safety” because the Lord, the Shepherd of your soul, will keep you! Surely the One that bore your sins in His own body upon the tree of Calvary loves you with such an everlasting love that He will never leave nor forsake you. (1 Pet 2:24, 25; Heb 13:5)

Jamie

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Pet 1:13-16

What a powerful statement at the end the above passage. We are called to be holy just as God is! If as Christians we are to be striving for that degree of holiness, then it’s obvious by the lives of many professing Christians that they have a low opinion of the holiness of God. I’m not sure that any of us can fully grasp His holiness this side of glory, but we do have several passages that help us in our awareness. One thing is clear. However holy our perception of God is, His holiness is far greater than we think.

In Is 6:5, the prophet sees God in His holiness and exclaims, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” “Undone” is translated in other verses as “cut off, cease, perish, etc.” In other words, he is in utter hopelessness as he examines himself next to God in his holiness. When John sees Christ in His glory, fully aware of His holiness, he falls at His feet as dead in Rev 1:17. Similarly, Ezekiel is found repeatedly on his face as He sees the glory of God. (Ez 1:28, 3:23, 44:4) These men weren’t wicked, lewd worldlings. They were the cream of the crop as far as men were concerned. Two were prophets of God, and the other was referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Our lives would pale in comparison to the faithfulness and obedience of these men, and yet they all had an overwhelming sense of their unworthiness when viewing God in His holiness.

I’m continually grieved these days to see those that claim to be Christians around the saints of God but have little to no witness among the world. In fact, in environments outside of the church, you can’t really tell any difference between them and everybody else. Paul said the practice of himself and those who labored with him was a one of “providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” (2 Cor 8:21) They didn’t become someone else when they were outside of religious gatherings. They had hearts fixed on the Lord at all times.

Why are we still here upon this earth, church? Aren’t we to be salt and light in a dark and unsavory world? Doesn’t that mean our manner of life should be different from the rest? I’m not saying that we should go beating everyone over the head with Bible verses while pointing out all of their shortcomings. Christ wasn’t nearly as offensive to the average lost person as he was to religious hypocrites. But one thing’s for sure. When Jesus opened His mouth, he spoke words of life. Consider his encounter with an average worldling when he meets the lost Samaritan woman at the well. He wasn’t concerned that talking about spiritual things would push her away. He didn’t just want to be a good friend to her. He did what we would consider unthinkable today by acknowledging her past and present sinfulness with the men that had been in her life, yet He did so without being condescending. And, He doesn’t leave her without hope. He uses the present experience of drawing water from a well to declare to her the living water that He could give her. He wasn’t hindered by the socially-acceptable lines that had been drawn to separate Jews and Samaritans. He crossed those barriers and expressed a sincere care and concern for her soul.

Why aren’t we more like Him? Why does witnessing to the truth feel so forced and insincere? Why are we more comfortable talking about the game last night, the latest blockbuster movie, or the current weather conditions? The answer is simple. We are not striving for the holiness that has God as its source and example. Are we obedient children, or still walking in the old familiar paths of our former lusts? That existence was one of ignorance, Peter says in our text above. He calls that the “past lifetime” in 1 Pet 4:3 when “we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.” Is that really our past? There’s a problem if those things sound more like our present experiences? If we look at our hearts and say we’re doing pretty good, we simply don’t know God in His holiness. But if we’ve seen Him in His glory, if we’ve measured ourselves by His standard, then we know there’s much more work to be done to be holy as He is holy! May we continue to pray and strive to that end.

Jamie

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Heb 10:24-25

The above passage reminds us that we have a responsibility toward one another as members of Christ’s body and that our diligence in that role should increase as the day of the Lord draws near.  This passage sums up that role as “exhorting one another.”  What does “exhorting” mean exactly?  I was surprised at what I found as I dug a little deeper.

The word “exhorting” is an interesting one because in the original language it is a basically a derivative of the word used for the Holy Ghost in Jn 14:16.  In the John passage, it is often translated “Comforter,” “Helper,” or “Counselor” depending on your translation, but what the word literally means is “called to one’s side.”  It is the word “Paraclete,” a term you may have heard applied to the Spirit of God.

The point is that we are called to be in the flesh what the Holy Ghost is in the spirit–we are called to one another’s side!  Just as the Holy Ghost stands by us and watches over us as He comforts, exhorts, instructs, rebukes, and encourages, we are to do that for one another!  It is our responsibility as part of this body. In Heb 3:13, the term is used again.  Here the passage reads “exhort one another daily.”  Did you notice when we are to exhort? Daily! Whenever we encounter one another–not just on the Lord’s Day or at religious gatherings, but at every opportunity–we ought to encourage each other in the Lord.  Christ summed up the role of the Spirit in Jn 15:26: “But when the Helper comes…He will testify of me.”  That’s our job, brethren, in a nutshell.  Get one another to Christ!  Testify of Him!  Shake off the distractions of this world and point to Jesus.  He’s the only hope any of us have…

Jamie

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you
    faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty,
    dominion and power, both now and forever.  Amen.
Jude 24-25

I’ve been guilty in the past of reading quickly over the final verses of New Testament letters. They often are so similar in their language—a brother expressing his goodbye and well wishes for the church while praising the Lord. Not that these things are without worth.  We say “amen” to them, but don’t think much about them after that. But, I sure am glad the Lord parked me on this passage and made me stop and think.  Just listen…

“Now unto Him who is able”
Jd 22-23 speaks of the pursuit of saving of souls. That’s the language used in  v. 23: “others save with fear”. It is important that we read v. 24 after v. 23 because the ability for the saving of souls is right here. God is able! Some of us have been praying for lost loved ones for a long time seemingly without effect. Maybe we’ve seen at times a glimmer of hope—an apparent concern for eternal things or an awareness of the brevity of life. Maybe some have even attended church for a period. But just as quickly as we got our hopes up, our dreams were dashed as they faded right back into the lifestyle they had before. We pray for them still, trembling as we think about the verse concerning the dog returning to his vomit and the sow to her mire. (2 Pe 2:22) The words of 2 Pe 2:20 ring in our ears: “the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.” How far is too far? When will God’s mercy on that soul run out? Brothers and sisters, that’s between them and the Lord. That’s not for us to decide! Consider the sins of men in the Bible like Manasseh, Lot, David, Saul of Tarsus…to name a few. We might have written them off after what they did! But, we’re talking about “Him who is able!” Listen, it is a miracle any of us get saved! We stand dumbfounded with the disciples asking, “Who then can be saved?” (Mt 19:25) But, we hear the gracious response from our Lord: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26) As Is 59:1 says, “the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save”! God asks in Jer 32:27, “I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?” Let the church shout a resounding, “NO!! There is nothing too hard for You!” Be encouraged, dear soul! Live godly before those loved ones and pray for them to Him who is able! With God all things are possible!

“to keep you from stumbling”
So, what is God able to do? What about the struggling Christian? The previous verses in Jude reveal an influx of deceivers that have crept into the church without anyone noticing (v. 4). Jude’s warning every one that’s naming the name of Christ to examine their hearts. Make sure you’re not one of these ungodly dreamers (v. 8) upon whom the judgment of God is sure to come (v. 14, 15). Yes, examine yourself Christian, but he isn’t giving this word to undermine your faith, for you to cast off your assurance. What an encouragement in this thought: yes, if left to yourself you would have no hope, but God is able to keep you from falling! It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks or says, God is able to make you stand! (Rom 14:4) You say, “You don’t know what I’ve done!” You don’t know what I’ve thought!” When does a man cross that line in Heb 6:4-6 so that it is impossible for him to be renewed again to repentance? V. 6 says these “fall away,” but sinner, this God is able to keep you from reaching that point! He is able to keep you from falling! We might have written David off after what he did in light of all He knew and had experienced of God, but listen to 2 Sam 12:13: “So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.'” What hope do we have with these liars infiltrating the church in Jd 4? Jesus said they will come, and they’ll be dazzling! In Mt 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders…” But does He stop there? What’s the rest of it? “…to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” If it were possible, i.e. it’s not! Can you lose your salvation? Not if God has anything to do with it, and He has everything to do with it!

“and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory”
That word “faultless” is also translated “without blame, without blemish, without spot, without fault.” That would be good news if you were in an auto accident and standing before the judge. It would be good to hear you were not to blame, and you were in no way at fault. But, we’re not standing in a county courtroom in this verse, are we? Where are we? “Before the presence of his glory.” What?!!! When Isaiah was there, he exclaimed, “Woe is me!” (Is 6:5)When John saw Christ in his glory, he fell at His feet as dead! (Rev 1:17) But, consider the effectiveness of the blood of Christ upon aliens and enemies in Col 1:21,22! To paraphrase, God says of these, “You look perfect in every way to me. You’re not just good. You’re holy! I find no spot or stain at all. There’s not a single sin for me to bring up. There’s not even a mild word of correction for you. I have only eternal love and acceptance for you. You are in no way offensive to Me!”

Have you ever considered the sins of the Old Testament saints in the light of the New Testament? If there was ever an apostate prophet, we’d assume Jonah was one. He explicitly disobeyed God’s command, running the other way when God said go to Nineveh. Only after severe correction did he obey, but only in deed. His heart wasn’t in the message to Nineveh! He preached the bare minimum, and then ran to the hills to see what God would do. When God showed mercy, he got mad and pouted like a little child! In fact, the last thing we have in the book is God rebuking him for his lack of mercy. The only good thing we can say about the whole account is that he was a picture of Christ as he was three days in the belly of the whale! And guess what? That’s the only thing we have mentioned about him in the New Testament! So much more could have been preached and taught using Jonah as an example, but there’s not one mention of his sin! The same holds true for David, Moses, and Abraham. David’s murder and adultery—never mentioned! Moses’ excuses at the beginning of his calling and his sin in striking the rock—not even hinted at. Abraham and Sarah’s unbelief concerning God’s promise of a son resulting in Ishmael—never even alluded to! What about someone like Samson? His entire life is characterized by worldliness—the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh. Surely there’s nothing good to say about him. The only mention you have of him is in Heb 11:32,33 as he’s listed along side men like Gideon and Samuel “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.” What?!! Did the Holy Spirit have temporary amnesia when He wrote about these characters? Nope, it wasn’t temporary. It was permanent! What is the new covenant (or testament) characterized by in Heb 10:14-17? “There sins…I will remember no more!!!

“with exceeding joy”
With that last thought, it’s no wonder we can stand before God in this state of joy! Listen, if you’re depressed right now, this will raise you up! How can we complain or be downcast if we’re conscious of this fact? How can this thought not prompt us to praise! Are you in a hard place like the psalmist in Ps 43:1? Look at how his countenance changes as his heart considers his God and that which God will do for him! Now, if you haven’t been washed in the blood of the Lamb, you have no reason to rejoice, ever! This experience is foreign and completely contrary to what those outside of Christ will experience. There’s not even a hint of joy in Rev 6:15-17, only terror! They call on rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb!  Will anyone be able to stand in that day? Yes! Those spoken of in Jude because Christ’s blood cleanses them from all unrighteousness! (1 Jn 1:7) If you’re outside of Christ, you won’t meet a loving God that’s welcoming you with open arms but instead a God of wrath speaking the worst words you’ll ever hear, that will ring in your ears through out eternity. In fact, according to Mt 7:21-23, a lot of church-folk are going to hear these awful words—men and women that called “Lord, Lord,” that prophesied, cast out devils, and did wonderful works in Christ’s name. What will they hear? “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Meanwhile, the redeemed will bow with exceeding joy before a God that welcomes them to enter eternally into His joy! (Mt 25:21). With hearts overflowing with love, they will cast their crowns at their Lord’s feet and say “amen” to Jude’s final verse: “To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.  Amen.”

Jamie