Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Fasting
Is your heart longing for something more today? Do you feel an unsettling or a restlessness? Are their some unexplained anxieties on your heart? Or are their some perfectly explainable anxieties? Is there some sort of suffering that is causing heartache? I know for myself that the answer to all these questions is a resounding yes. There seems to be a longing within me for something deeper and something eternally satisfying. I have come to the wells of the world only to find them drying out very quickly. I have been looking to many things recently to act as my "functional savior." That is, I long for something to satisfy me and leave me satisfied only to walk away and five minutes later feel the pain of hunger once again. This is true especially of food. I love food even to the point that I find happiness in it and long for it not for its practical function but for its comfort. The same can be said of every human on the planet though the object may differ. For example your "functional savior" could be television, sports, shopping, cars, movies, entertainment, or even yourself. But we all struggle with, when we are hurting, looking to the things of this world to satisfy the ache. While reading this morning the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that when I find myself longing for something to act as a functional savior I must abandon it and seek my true Savior. The best way to do this is by fasting. In Matthew 4:1-4 Jesus is led to the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to endure a time of testing and tempting by Satan. (Notice He was led there by God! vs 1) But before the tempting began He spent forty days fasting. He spent forty days abandoning anything that would stray His heart from His Father. Then when the enemy came He was ready. Was He pain free? NO! the Bible explicitly says He was hungry. He had not eaten in forty days. That had to physically hurt. The first thing Satan tempted Him with was food. He told him to just turn the stones to bread. That was small change to God. It was nothing. Yet Jesus would not do it. Why not? "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." What was Jesus saying? God was his sustainer not food. Jesus knew that it was the very words of God that gave Him life. The is echoed in the confession of Peter to Jesus "Where else will we go Lord for you have the words of life." This should be our confession to God. If there is something in your life that has captivated your attention more than Jesus then fast. Fast from that object whatever it may be. If it's food then fast from food. Tv then fast. Shopping then fast. Spend time away from whatever is controlling you and spend that time when the one who sustains you, and you will know what Jesus meant when he quoted, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word the comes from the mouth of the Lord." Jesus' words bring life. Let us draw near to our God and read the words life as He speaks to us through the Bible.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Hope and Change, God in politics
We have just finished the inauguration of new president of the United States and there are many who think it will be the beginning of a new era or the beginning of the end. I find it rather comical on one hand that we place so much in the hands of one man and yet painfully brokenhearted on the other that we have lost sight of God as Sovereign. Psalm 24:1 reads "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein." There is no doubt that God has given certain authority to men but only in so far as they accomplish His will. (Romans 13:1) There are many whose whole life is politics. That is their joy (or depression) and life spring forth from what happens in Washington. There are those who look to government to be their "savior." There are those who would just as soon the government would stay out of their life so that they may accomplish what they desire. All of these positions have a root flaw. They are placing their hope in something or someone other than Christ. For many, they place their hope in the government to rescue them. For others, they place their hope in themselves and the American people to rescue them. The fundamental truth here is that it is not government nor ourselves that is in control and can offer hope and change. Only Christ. Christ offers hope not from tribulation or recessions but in Himself. "He Himself is our peace." Ephesians 2:14. The hope we have is an eternal joy in the Person of Christ that leads to our changing to be more like Him that HE would be glorified. The more we know of the God that rules and owns this world the more joy we find. When we are satisfied with drinking from the fountain of God then He will no doubt be glorified(be made known for who He really is). That is our hope. Christ Jesus and no other. Do not be sucked into the political game and hateful speech that fills the airwaves between the parties, but rather be filled with the Spirit. Know that God is sovereign and all things happen by either His ordaining or allowance. Do not put your hope in any earthly thing (including yourself) for this is idolatry. Rather set your minds on the Word of God and know Him. For there we find our hope. There we find change. Not freedom from tribulation but eternal joy that is springing up from the fountain of God who is Jesus Christ.
DAW
DAW
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Repentance
Nehemiah 1; Ezra 9:4-9
As I read this morning of a people who were repenting in the sight of God it is clear that we, in this time, do not have a clear understanding of the holiness of God. (I include myself among the foremost.) We have no fear of God nor a knowledge that we should fear Him. Even when we are convicted our prayers prove weak and halfhearted, as if to say we are more sorry that we can not get away with with doing what we desire. We have no idea to whom we are praying. If we did we would, with these men, fall on our faces and weep aloud at the evil we practice daily. We have so limited our view of God, that we see Him only as loving and gracious. While He is absolutely those things, His love and grace are cheapened if not seen in light of His holiness and justice. If we choose to never observe the wrath of God how then will we know from what we have been set free. God is not a box of chocolates that we may choose the pieces we like and then discard the rest. In so doing we cheat ourselves out of the joy of seeing His glory. Beware of those who seek to tell you only of God's love and goodness with no mention of His holiness and justice. That is a path to pride as we would seemingly see ourselves worthy of His love and mercy. Romans 1:18-32 gives a description of mankind that is not so flattering. It shows that man is deserving of God's wrath and it is because of this that Romans 5:8 is so sweet. "For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." God does not love me because I am worthy but because He is glorious. It is to this God, the God of justice wrath and holiness alongside love and grace, that we pray. This alone should cause us to forever have a repentant heart.
DAW
As I read this morning of a people who were repenting in the sight of God it is clear that we, in this time, do not have a clear understanding of the holiness of God. (I include myself among the foremost.) We have no fear of God nor a knowledge that we should fear Him. Even when we are convicted our prayers prove weak and halfhearted, as if to say we are more sorry that we can not get away with with doing what we desire. We have no idea to whom we are praying. If we did we would, with these men, fall on our faces and weep aloud at the evil we practice daily. We have so limited our view of God, that we see Him only as loving and gracious. While He is absolutely those things, His love and grace are cheapened if not seen in light of His holiness and justice. If we choose to never observe the wrath of God how then will we know from what we have been set free. God is not a box of chocolates that we may choose the pieces we like and then discard the rest. In so doing we cheat ourselves out of the joy of seeing His glory. Beware of those who seek to tell you only of God's love and goodness with no mention of His holiness and justice. That is a path to pride as we would seemingly see ourselves worthy of His love and mercy. Romans 1:18-32 gives a description of mankind that is not so flattering. It shows that man is deserving of God's wrath and it is because of this that Romans 5:8 is so sweet. "For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." God does not love me because I am worthy but because He is glorious. It is to this God, the God of justice wrath and holiness alongside love and grace, that we pray. This alone should cause us to forever have a repentant heart.
DAW
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Joy of Fatherhood
There is nothing that will change your life quite like having a child. I thought I was ready for this until my son was born. Everyone tells you that your life changes and that you have no idea what you will feel for your child and all of it sounded rather cliche to me and then I saw him. I heard that first cry and held his little frame in my arms and the tears flowed. It was true. All that I had heard was true. There were and are no words available in any language that can begin to describe what you feel and the love that you have for that child. I never thought it would dissipate but I had no idea it would become even stronger over the next six months. Yet it has. This morning I went to get my son out of his crib and just as with every morning he looked up at me and had the biggest smile on his face. Yet this time I experienced a truth of God that I have known intellectually for some time but this morning I felt it in my heart. As I looked at my son who was beaming up at me I thought of what it must be like for God when we beam up at Him not because of something He did or something He has, but simply because He is there. Do I truly delight in Him? Do I look into His face each morning and smile as big as I can just because He is there or do I start each day complaining because I have to get up and get to work? It is strange the things you learn from those who yet can speak. This morning God used my six month old son to teach me that a love for God culminates in a desire for Him. Do you smile at God each morning or run your laundry list of wants or worse yet not even acknowledge the fact that He is there to wake you up to Himself?
DAW
DAW
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Hideously, Beautiful Cross of Christ
"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of Christ by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world." - Galatians 6:14
Let us not boast in our "righteous" accomplishments, but rather in the cross through which we are empowered to obey. Any good or righteous act done by a believer is done through the empowerment of the living Christ. By His death on the cross we have been set free from the curse of the law. What then is the curse of the law? The curse of the law is the condemning power of the law for those outside of Christ. For those that do not know Christ and have not been redeemed from their sin by His death and resurrection, the law stands as their judge to condemn them to eternal life in Hell. "For there is none righteous not even one." There is no one that does good, and no one that seeks God. There is no one who can keep the law in all points not even the most zealous. So what then, are we left on our own to toil on this earth and then die only to have eternal torment as our future with no hope of escape. No! "For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." We can be free from the curse of the law through Christ's death. How? He led a sinless life, a life that kept all of the law from birth to death. He was indeed sinless. Yet before the earth was formed God chose that He should die a murderous death as sacrifice for sinful people (all people) by pouring out His wrath and judgment of sin on Jesus, that we may experience not condemnation but life. It was and remains His good pleasure to show us mercy by placing His justice on Christ. We are the ones who failed and chose to fail. We are the ones who found satisfaction and pleasure in everything else except that which is supremely valuable, Jesus. He decided to show us mercy not because we are so great but because He is so gracious. Not because we are so lovable but because He is so loving. In light of this we who are believers should boast in nothing except the cross. Because through the cross we have been crucified to the pleasure of this world that would lure us away from our Treasure, Jesus. For those of us who do not believe, what would hinder your heart from experiencing the joy knowing God? Boast not in your "good" deeds but in His goodness.
DAW
Let us not boast in our "righteous" accomplishments, but rather in the cross through which we are empowered to obey. Any good or righteous act done by a believer is done through the empowerment of the living Christ. By His death on the cross we have been set free from the curse of the law. What then is the curse of the law? The curse of the law is the condemning power of the law for those outside of Christ. For those that do not know Christ and have not been redeemed from their sin by His death and resurrection, the law stands as their judge to condemn them to eternal life in Hell. "For there is none righteous not even one." There is no one that does good, and no one that seeks God. There is no one who can keep the law in all points not even the most zealous. So what then, are we left on our own to toil on this earth and then die only to have eternal torment as our future with no hope of escape. No! "For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." We can be free from the curse of the law through Christ's death. How? He led a sinless life, a life that kept all of the law from birth to death. He was indeed sinless. Yet before the earth was formed God chose that He should die a murderous death as sacrifice for sinful people (all people) by pouring out His wrath and judgment of sin on Jesus, that we may experience not condemnation but life. It was and remains His good pleasure to show us mercy by placing His justice on Christ. We are the ones who failed and chose to fail. We are the ones who found satisfaction and pleasure in everything else except that which is supremely valuable, Jesus. He decided to show us mercy not because we are so great but because He is so gracious. Not because we are so lovable but because He is so loving. In light of this we who are believers should boast in nothing except the cross. Because through the cross we have been crucified to the pleasure of this world that would lure us away from our Treasure, Jesus. For those of us who do not believe, what would hinder your heart from experiencing the joy knowing God? Boast not in your "good" deeds but in His goodness.
DAW
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Don't Waste Your Life
These are excerpts from John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life.
"At these moments, when the trifling fog of life clears and I see what I am really on earth to do, I groan over the petty pursuits that waste so many lives—and so much of mine. Just think of the magnitude of sports—a whole section of the daily newspaper. But there is no section on God. Think of the endless resources for making your home and garden more comfortable and impressive. Think of how many tens of thousands of dollars you can spend to buy more car than you need. Think of the time and energy and conversation that go into entertainment and leisure and what we call “fun stuff.” And add to that now the computer that artificially recreates the very games that are already so distant from reality; it is like a multi-layered dreamworld of insignificance expanding into nothingness." pg 125
"How will it help me show that I do treasure Christ? How will it help me know Christ or display Christ? The Bible says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). So the question is mainly positive, not negative. How can I portray God as glorious in this action? How can I enjoy making much of him in this behavior?" pg 119
"Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family. So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud—just lots of hard work during the day, and lots of TV and PG-13 videos in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend—woven around church (mostly). This is life for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more, far more." pg 119
"It is one of the defining marks of Our Time that God is now weightless. I do not mean by this that he is ethereal but rather that he has become unimportant. He rests upon the world so inconsequentially as not to be noticeable. He has lost his saliency for human life. Those who assure the pollsters of their belief in God’s existence may nonetheless consider him less interesting than television, his commands less authoritative than their appetites for affluence and influence, his judgment no more awe-inspiring than the evening news, and his truth less compelling than the advertisers’ sweet fog of flattery and lies. That is weightlessness. It is a condition we have assigned him after having nudged him out to the periphery
of our secularized life. . . . Weightlessness tells us nothing about God but everything about ourselves, about our condition, about our psychological disposition to exclude God
from our reality." David Wells pg 121
Ponder these things today and ask yourself if you are wasting your life. Are you using the time God has given you on this earth to make much of Him or make "your" life comfortable?
DAW
"At these moments, when the trifling fog of life clears and I see what I am really on earth to do, I groan over the petty pursuits that waste so many lives—and so much of mine. Just think of the magnitude of sports—a whole section of the daily newspaper. But there is no section on God. Think of the endless resources for making your home and garden more comfortable and impressive. Think of how many tens of thousands of dollars you can spend to buy more car than you need. Think of the time and energy and conversation that go into entertainment and leisure and what we call “fun stuff.” And add to that now the computer that artificially recreates the very games that are already so distant from reality; it is like a multi-layered dreamworld of insignificance expanding into nothingness." pg 125
"How will it help me show that I do treasure Christ? How will it help me know Christ or display Christ? The Bible says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). So the question is mainly positive, not negative. How can I portray God as glorious in this action? How can I enjoy making much of him in this behavior?" pg 119
"Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family. So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud—just lots of hard work during the day, and lots of TV and PG-13 videos in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend—woven around church (mostly). This is life for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more, far more." pg 119
"It is one of the defining marks of Our Time that God is now weightless. I do not mean by this that he is ethereal but rather that he has become unimportant. He rests upon the world so inconsequentially as not to be noticeable. He has lost his saliency for human life. Those who assure the pollsters of their belief in God’s existence may nonetheless consider him less interesting than television, his commands less authoritative than their appetites for affluence and influence, his judgment no more awe-inspiring than the evening news, and his truth less compelling than the advertisers’ sweet fog of flattery and lies. That is weightlessness. It is a condition we have assigned him after having nudged him out to the periphery
of our secularized life. . . . Weightlessness tells us nothing about God but everything about ourselves, about our condition, about our psychological disposition to exclude God
from our reality." David Wells pg 121
Ponder these things today and ask yourself if you are wasting your life. Are you using the time God has given you on this earth to make much of Him or make "your" life comfortable?
DAW
Friday, November 14, 2008
True Love
"Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was." John 11:5-6
What an interesting set of verses to explain the love of God. What a warped view of the love of God we have. This is the story of the death of Lazarus and Jesus raising him from the dead. While reading this passage this morning these two verses leaped off the page at me. They seem so paradoxical. Could it be that perhaps this was just a mistake in writing by John? (If you believe that then we must have an entirely different discussion) Absolutely not! We know that every word of Scripture is inspired by God. It is put together exactly as He desires and in this passage He is showing us how His love works. We have become so accustomed to this new definition of love that our culture has thrown on us that we can scarcely see the truth about love. We believe love to be an attempt at making another person happy. That is, we believe that we must say or do whatever we must to make someone feel good about themselves and us, even at the expense of the truth. We have dilemmas over whether to tell someone the truth at the expense of their feelings. Or to put it another way, we wonder whether it is better to tell someone a painful truth or let them continue in ignorant happiness. This is not love. This is not the love of God that is found in Scripture. God never withholds the truth from us or pain from us so that we may feel good. God allows such events in our life that we may see Him and find Him all satisfying. That is the case here with Lazarus. Jesus knew full well that Lazarus would die. He knew that Mary and Martha would grieve tremendously for four days before Jesus arrived. He knew that they believed all to be lost and would even be angry with Him for His delay. Yet "he stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Why? "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." So how is this love made manifest? Mary and Martha are weeping in anguish and Lazarus is dead. How is that loving? How can Jesus possible show His love from this? How could His delay possibly be loving? the answer is found in Jesus' reply to Mary and Martha one verse prior to verse 5. "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son may be glorified through it." What was Jesus' objective in this situation? It was their overflowing joy in the glory of God not their temporary happiness in seemingly "perfecting" their circumstances. What Mary and Martha wanted most was to be with their brother. The wanted him to have relief from His physical ailments. What God wanted most was to be wanted most. He wanted them to be able to say "though he slay me yet will I trust Him" He wanted them to see Him for who He is and find their ultimate satisfaction in Him. If took the death of Lazarus to do it, then so be it. If it took temporary pain to make eternal joy then so be it. We must not be so short sighted in our suffering but rather understand the truth of God's love. It always leads us to be satisfied in Him ALONE! Though there may be pain, there will be great reward because we will see the glory of the only begotten in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. That my friends is love. God's revelation of Himself at the expense of temporary happiness. May we find Him more satisfying than anything this world offers, for that is what it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ.
DAW
What an interesting set of verses to explain the love of God. What a warped view of the love of God we have. This is the story of the death of Lazarus and Jesus raising him from the dead. While reading this passage this morning these two verses leaped off the page at me. They seem so paradoxical. Could it be that perhaps this was just a mistake in writing by John? (If you believe that then we must have an entirely different discussion) Absolutely not! We know that every word of Scripture is inspired by God. It is put together exactly as He desires and in this passage He is showing us how His love works. We have become so accustomed to this new definition of love that our culture has thrown on us that we can scarcely see the truth about love. We believe love to be an attempt at making another person happy. That is, we believe that we must say or do whatever we must to make someone feel good about themselves and us, even at the expense of the truth. We have dilemmas over whether to tell someone the truth at the expense of their feelings. Or to put it another way, we wonder whether it is better to tell someone a painful truth or let them continue in ignorant happiness. This is not love. This is not the love of God that is found in Scripture. God never withholds the truth from us or pain from us so that we may feel good. God allows such events in our life that we may see Him and find Him all satisfying. That is the case here with Lazarus. Jesus knew full well that Lazarus would die. He knew that Mary and Martha would grieve tremendously for four days before Jesus arrived. He knew that they believed all to be lost and would even be angry with Him for His delay. Yet "he stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Why? "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." So how is this love made manifest? Mary and Martha are weeping in anguish and Lazarus is dead. How is that loving? How can Jesus possible show His love from this? How could His delay possibly be loving? the answer is found in Jesus' reply to Mary and Martha one verse prior to verse 5. "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son may be glorified through it." What was Jesus' objective in this situation? It was their overflowing joy in the glory of God not their temporary happiness in seemingly "perfecting" their circumstances. What Mary and Martha wanted most was to be with their brother. The wanted him to have relief from His physical ailments. What God wanted most was to be wanted most. He wanted them to be able to say "though he slay me yet will I trust Him" He wanted them to see Him for who He is and find their ultimate satisfaction in Him. If took the death of Lazarus to do it, then so be it. If it took temporary pain to make eternal joy then so be it. We must not be so short sighted in our suffering but rather understand the truth of God's love. It always leads us to be satisfied in Him ALONE! Though there may be pain, there will be great reward because we will see the glory of the only begotten in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell. That my friends is love. God's revelation of Himself at the expense of temporary happiness. May we find Him more satisfying than anything this world offers, for that is what it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ.
DAW
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)