The Love of God

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Pete

While I think I pretty well get it, I’m sure I pretty much do not fully grasp it.

Finished up John 17 as part of my morning readings. “Christ’s High Priestly Prayer” is how it’s summarized in my Bible. Jesus’ final discourse. Directed this time not to those around Him but to Him who had sent Him.

And I get to eavesdrop. I’m the proverbial fly on the wall as Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven and talks with the Father.

“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son that the Son may glorify You” ~ Jesus

(John 17:1b ESV)

What’s at stake is the glory of God. His divine glory made manifest through “the hour.” The hour of Jesus’ death for the sin of mankind. The hour of His once for all atoning sacrifice. The hour when He bears the wrath for our transgressions. The hour when, with His last breath, He declares, “It is finished.” The hour of His burial.

And then, on the third day, the hour of His triumphant resurrection from the dead. Exhibiting, for all who have eyes to see and ears to hear, that He has conquered sin and has vanquished death. Glorify Your Son, Father . . . that the Son may glorify You!

Wonder of wonders!

But then, get this, the glory is linked to a people. First, tied to those who were with Jesus, those to whom He directly manifested the Father’s name. Those the Father had given Him. And, as I continue to eavesdrop, not to them alone.

Jesus then also prays for those who would believe in His name through their witness and word. And that would be me. That would be us. All who have come to faith in Christ. Believing the truth of that hour. Receiving the forgiveness offered through the finished work of the cross. And Jesus great supplication for us? That we be woven into the tapestry declaring the glory of God.

“The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me.” ~ Jesus

(John 17:22-23 ESV)

I get it, I think. But do I fully grasp it? I’m guessin’ not.

Those redeemed by the Son, bearing, in some manner, the glory of the Son as they are brought into relationship with one another. A unity which Paul says is through the Spirit (1Cor. 12:13, Eph. 4:3). A unity which reflects the essence of the Triune God, “one even as We are one.” And a unity which actively binds not only believer with believer, but believer with the God of their belief–Jesus in us, the Father in Him. Perfectly one.

And, here’s the beyond fathoming part for me this morning, “So that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You love Me.”

Loved of the Father as the Father has loved the Son. What is that?!?

We have been brought into an eternal Triune love. The same love the Father has had for the Son since before the foundation of the world (17:24b). Divine love. Eternal love. Perfect love. The love of God.

And Jesus, before going to the cross, looks to heaven and intercedes for His people, Father, let’s show them that love . . . let’s love them with that love . . . let’s bring them into such love. That they might share in Our glory. That they might bear Our glory.

Loved with the love of God. I get it. But I don’t fully grasp it.

Oh, that through the Spirit’s illuminating work I might, more and more, know the power “to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:18-19).

To know that which surpasses knowledge. To not only understand the fact that great love has been shown to us. . . . but to grasp the essence, nature, and implications of His divine love. And then, to live in the light of being enveloped in such love.

Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so.
Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine!
In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.

His forever, only His:
Who the Lord and me shall part?
Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the loving heart.
Heaven and earth may fade and flee,
Firstborn light in gloom decline;
But, while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine.

– George Wade Robinson (1838-1877)

Because of grace. For His glory.

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Heaven’s Shelter and Shepherd

Posted on December 8, 2016 by Pete

Hovering over the latter part of Revelation 7 this morning. What an awesome sight John beholds. A great multitude. Literally beyond numbering. A diverse gathering. From every nation. Representatives from all tribes and peoples and languages. Diverse, yet all wearing the same thing. White robes. All the robes made white by the same purifying and cleansing agent. The blood of the Lamb. And this massive multitude is gathered to one place. Before the throne and the Lamb in the midst. And this massive multitude is gathered for one purpose. To worship!

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

(Revelation 7:10b ESV)

What a sight. How does John take it in? Myriads and myriads of shining white robes as far as the eye can see. Did John have to shield his eyes? And the sound of this great throng crying out in unison with a loud voice? Did he have to cover his ears? Yet, despite the sensory overload, this great gathering pales in comparison to the great God they stand before. The One sitting on the throne still commanding all attention. The Lamb in the midst never ceasing to be preeminent.

But what really grabs me this morning is that while the multitudes worship, the Father and Son still minister. Though the many people may sing, the Triune God still serves. They are His servants, He is their Shelter and Shepherd.

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

(Revelation 7:15-17 ESV)

A Shelter and a Shepherd. Protection and provision. Shielded from hunger and thirst. Guided to springs of living water. Such is the on-going ministry of the God who loves His people . . . and loves them to the uttermost.

And I can’t help but think that what will be experienced then face to face we now see, though dimly. Though we are yet to fully know what it is like to be under the protective shelter of God’s presence, by faith we enter our day knowing He has promised never to leave us nor forsake. His presence provided through His Spirit. His shelter experienced as He guards our hearts and minds with a peace that passes understanding.

Moreover, though we long to see the Great Shepherd and have Him welcome us to that place He is preparing for us, we rise knowing the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. And by faith we hear and known His voice through the Helper He has left with us. Though, at times, we may feel dry and depleted, out of our hearts flow rivers of living water through His all-sufficient provision.

And so, even now we get a foretaste of what it will be for the hunger to be satisfied, the thirst to be quenched, and the tears to be wiped away. And by faith we await that time when we will know, up close and so very personal, heaven’s Shelter and Shepherd.

By His grace. For His glory.

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The Whole Promise

Posted on December 7, 2016 by Pete

If I’m honest, there are some promises in Scripture that I’d just as soon not claim as my own. Some, I’d rather not even be reminded of. I came across one of those in John 16 this morning where Jesus tells His disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation.”

Who wants to spend a lot of time noodling on that? Whether it’s something as big as the world economy, or something as personal as a struggling relationship; whether it’s society’s tendency towards, in the name of tolerance, becoming less and less tolerant of those who follow the Way, or something much more personal involving failing health, in this world, Jesus assures His own, we will have tribulation. Pressure . . . affliction . . . distress. It’s gonna be ours at some point. Count on it.

But I’m only focusing on a piece of what Jesus is telling His disciples. If I stop there, I’m going to miss the whole promise.

Sometimes we do that. Sometimes that’s exactly what the enemy would have us do–focus on a just a piece of the puzzle. And it can kill the “joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” if I focus just on the tribulation and trials. It can distract from the faithful walk if I’m crushed and discouraged by the hard things of life. It has the potential to hamstring the “abundant life” if I’m consumed by how tough or how unfair things seem.

I think about Paul and if anyone knew that in this world there would be tribulation it was him. Yet what does he say? “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; . . . we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day” (2Cor. 4:8,9,16 ESV).

So how could Paul write this? How did he live it out in day-to-day life? Paul remembered the whole promise.

“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  ~ Jesus

(John 16:33 ESV)

Yes, in this world we will have tribulation. Troubles, trials and sorrows are going to come. But take heart, says the Risen Savior. Be encouraged. Know also that I have overcome the world. And in Me, regardless of the nature of the storm, there is a great shalom to be known.

I was also reading in Revelation 6 this morning. And it is so obvious that the Lamb who has stepped forward as the One worthy to take the scroll is calling the shots concerning what happens on earth. As He opens seal after seal there is no doubt who is in control. No question as to who has overcome this world. And so, when the souls of those who had been martyred for the word of God ask Him, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth,” the Sovereign Savior says to them, “Rest a little longer.” And to the soul in this chair He says, as well, “Rest. Take heart. In Me you have peace!”

No promise of answers, necessarily. No guarantee that we’ll understand all that’s going on. No assurance of the resolution of our choosing. Just the whole promise that though we will have tribulation in this world, He has overcome the world. And thus, in Him, we can have peace.

Not ours to understand fully, but ours to appropriate by faith. A peace that passes understanding. A deep abiding sense of security and safety, because He has overcome.

Hard-pressed? Maybe, but not crushed. Perplexed? Sometimes, but not in despair. Feeling like we’re in the fire, like we may be going down for the count? Could be, but also knowing that we are not forsaken and will not be destroyed. Because He has overcome.

Tribulation in the world? Yup, gonna happen. But that’s only part of it.

Peace in the inner man? Just as sure. For He has overcome the world.

That’s the whole promise.

By His all sufficient grace. For His everlasting glory.

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Crown Casters

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Pete

Whoever they are, they are obviously very important. While there are different views as to who the twenty-four elders are who sit on the twenty-four thrones around THE throne of heaven, though there are different interpretations of who and what exactly they represent, at face-value you got to know they are kind of a big deal.

A big deal if only by the fact that they are so few in number in a place occupied by myriads and myriads of those redeemed throughout time. If only because they are those clothed in garments of white next to Him who lives in unapproachable light. Those who wear crowns of gold, indicating a kingly order, in the midst of Him who is Sovereign over all. If only by the nature of where their thrones are located–up close and personal, VIP circle seats, before the One of whom the angels unceasingly declare, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

But it’s not trying to figure out who they are that grabs me this morning. Who exactly these big kahunas of heaven are, whatever they are ultimately intended to represent or symbolize, when it comes to what was written for our learning, I’m thinking that what’s significant is what they do. I’m chewing on the fact that whoever they are, they are crown casters.

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.”

(Revelation 4:9-11 ESV)

They were seated on thrones, but they fell to their faces. They were twenty-four in number, and they all bowed before the One. They had been given crowns of gold to wear, but instead removed them and cast them before Him who alone is worthy to receive glory and honor and power.

Crown casters. That’s what they do. And isn’t that what God is calling us to be as well?

Graced abundantly by God. Redeemed eternally by the blood of the Lamb. Robed too in garments of white, garments of righteousness gifted to us by the Son. Elevated by God; raised up with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly places. Those once far off now brought near to His holy throne. Built up as His spiritual house, made to be a holy and royal priesthood.

And all wearing crowns.

For those who obeyed the call to shepherd His people, an unfading crown of glory (1Peter 5:4). For those who love His appearing, a crown of righteousness given (2Tim. 4:8). And for all those who remain steadfast through trial and testing, faithful even unto death, the crown of life presented by the Author of Life Himself, Jesus the Risen One (James 1:12, Rev. 2:10).

And on that day, when we stand before the throne with those from every tribe and language and people and nation, and we hear the sound of the four living creatures declare above the throne and Him who sits on it, “Holy, holy, holy,” we will race those twenty-four elders to be facedown before they even start to bend the knee. And we will without hesitation cast our crowns before the feet of Him who alone is worthy of honor and praise.

Wherever we are permitted to stand in relationship to the Father’s throne, only because of the finished work of the Son. Anything we are in heaven, only because of His great love. Any position we hold in the kingdom, due solely to His merit. Whatever manner of glory which may be ours, only because of the abundant grace that has always been His.

Crown casters. Won’t that be something to behold? Won’t that be something to be part of?

I’m thinkin’ . . .

All by His amazing grace. All for His eternal glory.

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Buy from Me

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Pete

‘Tis the season. When everyone wants us to buy something. When there are more opportunities to spend our money than perhaps we ever realized. For those of us south of the border, we’ve been through Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday (where did that come from?). Our mailboxes, both real and electronic, fill up with promotions beckoning us to take advantage of these once a year deals. Maybe that’s why when I saw the word “buy” in one of my readings this morning I paused to reflect on what was being sold.

“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.” ~ Jesus

(Revelation 3:18 ESV)

Jesus, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness” tells it like it is to the church of Laodicea. “I know your works,” He says. “Lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,” He says. Hard to stomach, He says.

They were going through the motions. Devotions in the morning, distracted disobedience through the rest of the day. Doing church on Sunday, living for the world the rest of the week.

They thought they were doing pretty well tracking for the kingdom. Not so, says the King. They saw themselves as rich and having it all when, in fact, they were “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked”–having nothing. And to those in such a state, to those Jesus loves even though in such a state, He makes the offer, “Buy from Me.”

Buy from Me gold. Genuine, 24 carat faith. Don’t avoid the fire of the world’s animosity towards Christ and His kingdom by pretending to be of the world. And don’t cave under the pressure of various trials that will inevitably come your way. Instead, stand fast, take it on the chin for Jesus, feel the heat of a hostile world. Take it on the chin with Jesus and endure the crucible through all manner of adversity. For in this, “the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1Peter 1:7).

And buy from Me white garments. Clothes that you could never make for yourself. Be covered with garments of salvation, envelope yourself in robes of righteousness. The righteousness of Another. His spotless life credited to your account. His holy nature infused with yours. Stop trying to sew such garments for yourself–it’ll never happen. Buy them from Me.

And buy from Me salve for your eyes. Receive the anointing of my Holy Spirit and He will reveal things as they truly are. Gain true spiritual vision through His enlightenment. He will show sin for what it is and will remind you afresh of the once for all atoning sacrifice for sin. He will keep it real. And He will keep the cross in focus.

Buy from Me! Not ’cause it’s cheap at this time of year. Nothing inexpensive about it. Gold, garments, and salve available only because a great price was paid.

Yet free to us. Ours for the asking. And what’s more, He delivers it Himself to our door.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” ~ Jesus

(Revelation 3:20 ESV)

Talk about your Prime delivery! Jesus Himself. At the door. With the gold. With the garments. With the salve.

Purchased in full. Ours to appropriate with but sincere desire and heartfelt repentance (3:19).

No gimmicks. No qualifying credit score needed. No minimum down with a convenient payment plan to follow. Just Jesus, Himself. Beckoning the lukewarm, pleading with those He loves, “Buy from Me.”

Because of grace. For His glory.

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Friended

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Pete

Friended.  It’s a word . . . at least in the Urban dictionary. As in a verb “to friend.” As in, “Hey dude, friended you last night on Facebook. Did you see it?” Crazy.

For years I’ve thought that Facebook has redefined what friendship is . . . and not for the better. I appreciate the connected-ness it facilitates and, to be sure, it has enabled people to maintain a breadth of relationships that simply could not be matched by letter-writing, phone-calling, or e-mailing. But can you really have hundreds and hundreds of friends? Real friends? People who you know inside and out. People who know you through and through. People that you’ve shared real life with, not just virtual life. People you’d go to the mat for . . . and are pretty sure would do the same for you. It matters how we define friends. Because it makes a world of difference when Jesus says, “You are My friends . . . I have called you friends.”

Thinking about Jesus “friending” me this morning. Came across something I wrote back in 2010. Thought I’d update it a bit, clean it up a bit, and re-share it. So thankful this morning that Jesus has friended me.

According to Facebook, I have 263 “friends.” I know that in the Facebook world that’s not a lot of “friends.” And I’m only mentioning it ’cause that’s what Facebook says.

I’m not a really engaged “Facebook-er.” I don’t post except to post a link to my devo. I’ll send messages occasionally. Every so often I might even “Like” something. But mostly I just leverage Facebook to keep tabs on “my friends” . . . 263 of them.

Really? Maintain 263 “friendships?” Is that even possible? And, like I said, my list, from what I gather, is relatively small. I guess there are “friends” and then there are “friends.” But I wonder if, in the world of Facebook, we haven’t cheapened a bit what it means to be “a friend.”

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” ~ Jesus

(John 15:15 ESV)

Now there’s a “friend request” you don’t want to decline. Friended by Jesus. How amazing is that?

He was their Teacher. He was their Master. They increasingly recognized that He was the Son of God and so they called Him Lord. And now, as He instructs them for the last time before heading to the cross, He calls the disciples His friends.

And what made them friends? They knew what Jesus was doing. They were be being let in on what Jesus was thinking. They were brought into the inner circle of what Jesus had heard from the Father. They were being schooled in the things of the kingdom of heaven. And, as such, Jesus called them friends.

What a thought . . . that I might also be considered a friend by the risen, glorious, reigning Christ. Invited to commune and abide with Him. Told that He desires to commune and abide with me.

It’s not just that every so often He’ll post something on “my wall” . . . or comment on something I’ve shared. No, instead it is about intimacy. About getting really real. About imparting to us His mind through the Spirit via the Word. About knowing us from the inside out–our thoughts, out motivations, our highs, our lows. It’s not played out on some public forum for all our other “friends” to follow along with. Instead, mostly it’s played out in the quite times . . . when we’re one on One with Him.

That Jesus would call me His friend should cause me to pause and reflect in awe and wonder. Me . . . once dead in trespasses and sins . . . once an enemy of God . . . now a friend of Jesus. Not because of who I am . . . not because of what I’ve done (actually despite what I’ve done). But only because of who He is and because of what He’s done to make possible and enable such relationship. All through the finished work of the cross. All by His unfathomable and immeasurable grace.

We don’t “friend” Jesus, He “friends” us (John 15:16). It’s not His privilege to be added to our list, but our eternal blessing that our names should be written in His Book.

I draw near as I would to a friend, and He draws near to me. I confide in Him as to a friend, and He comforts and gives a peace that passes understanding. I, heeding His invitation, boldly approach His throne as would a friend, and the King of kings welcomes me into His presence.

He calls me friend. I bow before Him as Savior and Lord.

What a friend we have in Jesus.

By His grace. For His glory!

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The Morning Star

Posted on November 30, 2016 by Pete

Four churches down, three to go. I’ve been reading in the second chapter of Revelation over the past couple of mornings and, so far, have sought to have “ears to hear” what the Spirit says to the churches at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira.

I’m a pattern guy and the color on the page of my Bible indicates there’s a pattern in these short exhortations from the One who stands in the midst of the seven churches. He addresses the angel of the church and then He gives a short bio concerning Himself. He then declares He “knows their works.” Where commendation is due, commendation is then given. And where rebuke or reproof is appropriate He calls them also to repent and return to their first love and first works. And then, then there’s the promise. Not gonna lie, that’s kind of my favorite part.

To “the one who conquers” (ESV) . . to him who overcomes (all other translations) . . . to such a one there is reward to be anticipated. For the person who holds fast their faith, . . . for the one who victoriously responds to the Masters call to remain clean and remain focused, . . . to those who, by God’s grace and the Spirit’s power, obediently keep on keepin’ on . . . there is reward promised.

So far it has entailed a promise of eating of the tree of life in paradise (2:7); of receiving a crown of life (2:10); of a white stone with a new name written on it (2:17); and, the one that has me noodling this morning, of being presented with the Risen, Glorious, Christ Himself.

“The one who conquers and who keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I Myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the Morning Star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ~ Jesus

(Revelation 2:26-29 ESV)

Written to the church at Thyatira, but written for us.

Written for our instruction. What does the Head of the church value in His people? Love, faith, service, patient endurance, and works that continually bear greater and greater fruit (2:19). Written for our correction. What grieves our risen Head? Members of His body who tolerate the spirit and influence of “that woman Jezebel”–who practice sexual immorality and participate in idolatrous activity (2:20-23). And what does He promise those who conquer such temptation and remain faithful, holding fast until He comes? Himself!

Sure, He also promises that there are those who will rule the nations under His authority. And as cool as the thought of that might be, its part two of the promise that I’m chewin’ on.

And I will give him the Morning Star.

The Morning Star. That’s how Jesus describes Himself later in the revelation:

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the Root and the Descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star.

(Revelation 22:16 ESV)

And to him who conquers, to her who overcomes, He will give them the Morning Star. He will give them Himself.

The Bridegroom will finally take His Bride, presenting “the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). And the Bride will forever behold her Bridegroom whispering to herself, as foreshadowed by the Shulammite, “I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine” (Song of Solomon 6:3).

What will it be to be given the Morning Star? What manner of relationship will be ours when we are absent from the body and present with the LORD? How will heaven, in it’s eternal vastness, still accommodate intimate communion when He gathers us to His banqueting table for the marriage supper of the Lamb?

He is the bedrock foundation of our faith, the Rock upon which we stand. He is also the height of heights of our aspiration, the Morning Star who has promised to give even more fully of Himself. He is our foundation and He is our future. He is the First and the Last. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. And to him who overcomes, says the eternal Christ, I will give the Morning Star. I will give Myself.

Now that’s awesome! That’s beyond comprehension. But that’s the promise. (Did I mention the promise is kinda’ my favorite part?)

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!.

Abiding by grace. Awaiting His glory.

Amen?

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On Earth as in Heaven

Posted on November 29, 2016 by Pete

Bildad done good . . . though he didn’t even realize it. Asking the right questions is a big part of getting to the right answers. And Bildad asks a good one, in fact, he asks two real good ones. What he didn’t realize though is that he already knew the answer. What he was missing was the “on earth as in heaven” part.

Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said: “Dominion and fear are with God; He makes peace in His high heaven. Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not arise? How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?”

(Job 25:1-4 ESV)

Bildad is about done with Job. He and his friends have relentlessly been trying to “comfort” Job by connecting Job’s suffering with what must be Job’s sin. You must have done something wrong, they argue, why else would a just God allow you to go through what you’re going through? But Job will not come down from his high horse. God is righteous, Job acknowledges, but so am I . . . let me talk to Him and we’ll settle all this.

And so, Bildad tries to get a last word in . . . tries to make his final argument. Pretty simple really, how can anyone born of woman be righteous or justified before God? How can anyone who is but a maggot or worm (a bit overly dramatic, I think) next to a holy God (25:6), be clean and pure in His sight?

Good questions. Both of them. That’s the mystery of the ages. The irreconcilable dilemma since the rebellion of Eden.

And Bildad kind of knew the answer though he didn’t quite get the connection or application. How can a man stand before God boldly and confidently in righteousness? Because God is a peacemaker . . . on earth as in heaven.

Bildad argues that God is so awesome–that His dominion is so far-reaching and His presence so dread-inducing–that by the great power of His presence He establishes peace throughout the heavenly realms.

There is no challenging His might. There is no countering His will. God is god above all things. He is Sovereign over all creation, celestial and terrestrial. His dominion is without exception. Thus, He is the peacemaker of heaven through the power of His very person. So Job, argues Bildad, how are you to stand before such a God in righteousness and purity?

But that’s the answer, isn’t it? The God who “makes peace in His high heaven” by His very presence is the same God who has brought peace on earth through His divine presence. God in flesh. Immanuel.

How can someone be clean before God? By being cleansed of their unrighteousness through the once-for-all atoning sacrifice–Jesus, the Lamb of God, sent from heaven to earth that He might take away the sin of the world. How can someone be in the right before God? By being robed in God’s own righteousness. The Father’s holy nature and character imputed to redeemed men and women as the Spirit of God infuses within them the perfect, spotless life of the risen Son of God. And thus, He who makes peace in His high heaven, also brings peace to earth.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace . . .

(Ephesians 2:13-14a ESV)

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.

(Colossians 1:19-20 ESV)

Good questions Bildad. Great reminders this morning. The right focus to have as we enter into this Advent season.

Because to us a child is born, because to us a son is given, God has done on earth as in heaven. He who makes peace in His high heaven has made possible peace on earth. The Prince of Peace has come.

What wondrous grace. To Him be all the glory.

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The Living One

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Pete

When John saw Him, all he could do was go facedown before Him. John, “on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus,” was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when the Lord appeared to him. And to see Jesus was to worship Jesus. His appearing glorious. His presence majestic. His countenance shining like the sun. Behold the holiness of God manifest in the second Person of the Trinity. Cue the fear of God within this servant of God in exile.

Then, with the same hand that commands the mighty angels over the churches, Jesus makes contact with His facedown servant and says to him:

“Fear not, I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” ~ Jesus at Patmos

(Revelation 1:17b-18 ESV)

In a way, Jesus could have left it unsaid. For, if there was anything that John knew afresh at the moment, it was that Jesus was alive. That He was the Living One. That even though, many years ago, John had seen Him crucified, had witnessed the blood and water flowing from His side, had seen Him laid in the tomb, John had also seen Him when, on the third day, He rose again. Yes, Jesus had died. But behold He is alive forevermore.

Huge implications on death and hell. As in, defeated and powerless. But something I read in John’s gospel this morning also reminds me of the huge implications of a risen Christ for us regular Christians.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live.” ~ Jesus in the Upper Room

(John 14:18-19 ESV)

Because I live, you also will live.

Specifically, I think Jesus was talking to His disciples of His resurrection three days out. Jesus would come to them after He shed the bonds of death. Jesus would reconnect with them after having born the wrath they deserved to bear for their sin. Jesus would meet with them, eat with them, and ready them for a life empowered by His Spirit. But what was foretold of those days immediately following His death and resurrection would foreshadow a reality for all who believe for all time.

I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. I am the Living One.

“Because I live, you also will live.”

Yesterday as a family we rejoiced and shed tears for all that we have to be thankful for. A day of being together primed the pump for recalling years of memories. We looked back and gave thanks and praise to a God of inexhaustible grace. We reflected on days of childhood and friends not seen for years and were reminded of a God who has never left us nor forsaken us. And, while looking back was wonderful, looking forward, quite frankly, is a bit scary. But Jesus says, “Fear not.”

Fear not, I am the Living One. And because I live you also will live.

What a great reminder on the morning after the day before. What a source of strength for whatever lies ahead even while all that’s been continues to linger.

We serve a risen Savior.  He is the Living One.  And as my friend Billy G. said so well, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”

Amen & amen.

By His all sufficient grace. For His everlasting glory.

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You Know the Way

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Pete

It’s the night of His betrayal. It’s the night of their last supper together. It’s a night which, before it’s over, will result in outward testing, inner turmoil, and a trial like no other trial. Expectations would be dashed. Hope would be seemingly crushed. And confusion in front of a Roman cross would reign. And in preparation for what lay before His own, Jesus says to them, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

They are barely into the evening and already things are being turned upside down. Jesus the Master, in an unprecedented act, has washed their feet. And then a betrayer has been outed and has skulked into the darkness leaving only the eleven and no small amount of confusion. And though the rest sought to pledge their allegiance to Him, Jesus said at least one of them would deny Him three times before the rooster crows. The evening is shaping up to be one like no other. Unsettling. Unpredictable. Unavoidable.

And Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Refuse the agitation. Combat the inner commotion, the anxiety, and the stirred up mind. Stand fast against the disquietness and restlessness. How? Believe in God. Believe in Me. Because you know the way.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Fathers house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” ~ Jesus

(John 14:1-4 ESV)

“You know the way.” That’s the phrase that reverberates as I hover over this passage this morning.

So many things they didn’t know. Too much to come that they wouldn’t understand. But Jesus says, calm your hearts because you know the way. Believe in what you have laid hold of and let it provide the stability you need for what remains unknown. Trust in what has been revealed and it will be sufficient to carry you through what is yet to be experienced.

And if that was the “secret sauce” to getting through that night for His disciples, how much more is it for us in our nights of confusion? They were the first graduating class, the text books not even written yet. And we have the full counsel of God available to us accompanied by a live-in Teacher ready to illuminate to us all things concerning our great Savior, the Good Shepherd, Jesus the Christ.

Believe in God; believe also in Me . . . you know the way . . .

And so, while we may not know all there is to know, we know the way. The way of salvation. The way of sanctification. The way of glorification. We know the way to where He is and to the place He is preparing.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” ~ Jesus

(John 14:6 ESV)

How I can take for granted what I know. How easy to lose the sense of awe and wonder that I have any understanding or appreciation at all for things unseen, for matters concerning eternity. That I should know that Jesus is the Son of God come to redeem and reclaim. That I should own Him as Lord for “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1Cor. 12:3). And it’s this knowledge that Jesus says I am to draw upon in order to calm the troubled heart.

Dwelling on what I don’t know does nothing to quite the disquieted spirit. But having faith in what has been revealed, believing what I do know–and I know the way–that’s the balm for the troubled heart.

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand   – Ira Stanphill

All by His wondrous grace. All for His everlasting glory.

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