The Lord is a Warrior

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Pete

I just don’t know that you’re going to find it in a list of the names of Jehovah. Can’t ever recall seeing it among His attributes or included as part of a role of descriptors Scripture uses of His nature. Too be sure, if it were included it would be in under the “lesser used” category–only once, as a I can see. But it jumped off the page this morning as I was reading in Jeremiah. A picture of God that I rarely consider. But a two-word descriptor of the LORD which so characterizes Him as Jeremiah declares God’s “enough is enough” response to the sin of His people. My God is a dread warrior!

But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me.

(Jeremiah 20:11a ESV)

For Jeremiah, the proclamation had turned personal. He was no longer “just the messenger,” he had become the message. When the leaders denounced the warning of impending Babylonian captivity, they denounced Jeremiah. When the people laughed at and mocked God’s warning of judgment because of their stiff-necked disobedience, they laughed at and mocked Jeremiah. When they were angered by God’s no-holds-barred condemnation of their adulteress idolatry, they turned their anger on Jeremiah.

And in the midst of a prayer of desperation born out of the persecution he was enduring, Jeremiah, moved by the Spirit, encourages himself with these words, “But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior.”

Jeremiah had prophesied of the outstretched hand which God would raise against His people for their persistent rebellion. He had declared God’s intent to Himself fight against His chosen people with a strong arm, “in anger and in fury and in great wrath” (21:5). And, in a time of great personal need, Jeremiah was reminded that this warrior God would fight on his behalf as well.

How often do I reflect on my God as a God ready to engage in warfare? When’s the last time I mediated on the meek and lowly Jesus and remembered that He too is a warrior?

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. . . From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

(Revelation 19:11, 15-16 ESV)

Our God took on the record of debt that stood against us because of our sin, setting it aside by nailing it to the cross, thus disarming “the rulers and authorities” that stood against us (Col. 2:13-15). And He put them to shame by triumphing over them in Christ.

The Lord is a warrior.

Not only is sin defeated, but He has freed us from the slavery of the fear of death. Through His death, and by His resurrection, the Christ has gone toe-to-toe with “the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14) And He is destroying him! The fear of death wiped out for everyone who comes to faith in the Lord of life.

The Lord is a warrior.

And while we yet wrestle not “against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12), the promise is ours that one day the fight will be over. That “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20).

The Lord is a warrior.

Mighty in the cosmic battles of eternity, awesome in power for the earthly skirmishes of time and space. Ready to fight the beast, ready to draw alongside His beloved.

The Lord is a warrior. Might we, as did Jeremiah, rest and rejoice in Him.

Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD!
For He has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.

(Jeremiah 20:13 ESV)

By His grace. For His glory.

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Tapping Into Grace

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Pete

As the saying goes, “What you win them with is what you win them to.” So, for those of us who know that any merit we have before a holy God is by grace alone, we desire nothing more than that grace would abound. Having been saved by grace, we are sold on grace. We have tasted and seen that God’s grace is good. Thus, we have an appetite for God’s grace and desire it more. His grace has been weighed in the balance and found to be all-sufficient. As such, His grace is sought for the day in order that it might be ever-sustaining. Newton’s song has become our song: God’s grace, His unmerited favor, has brought us “safe thus far,” and that same unmerited favor will “lead us home.” Grace, more grace. We thirst for grace.

So how do we tap into grace? James, at least in part, provides the answer.

But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

(James 4:6 ESV)

God gives more grace. Doesn’t matter how much grace we’ve know, there’s more. No matter how big grace has been in our lives, it can occupy even more space. Regardless of how amazing it’s been, we ain’t seen nothing yet. To sort of quote someone else, grace is an ocean and we’re all sinking.

So, if He’s giving, how can I be receiving?

God gives grace to the humble. James said it. Peter said it (1Peter 5:5). The smartest and wisest guy to ever live said it (Prov. 3:34). Do I really believe it?

Humility. Not exactly my default position. Something about the flesh that wants to exalt the flesh. Something about the natural man that wants to lift up the natural man. Something about me that kind of wants to promote me. But something that James says God opposes.

Peter says I am to clothe myself in humility. I am to cover myself in my “littleness.” Instead of standing up for myself, I’m better off to keep low to the ground.

And it’s not, as again others have said, that I am to be occupied with thinking little of myself, it’s that I shouldn’t be occupied with thinking of myself at all. Humbling myself, as Christ did, by making myself nothing, taking the form of a servant, and counting others more significant than myself (Php. 2:3-7).

Lowliness opens the flood gates of grace. Humility invites revival from Him who dwells in a high and holy place. Contrition is the calling card by which heaven RSVP’s with a life-energizing loving-kindness sourced in Him who inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15).

God gives grace to the humble. Yes He does!

Abundantly flowing grace for His everlasting glory!

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.

(James 4:10 ESV)

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Let Your Words Be Few

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Pete

It would seem that for the Preacher not an area of life was exempt from frustration if lived out but “under the sun.” He had sought wisdom, he had worked hard. He had held back no desire which his heart desired, and took extreme living to the max. His riches were beyond counting, his accomplishments had been recorded for posterity, and his bucket list was complete. Yet he hated life “because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Eccl. 2:17).

And as I continue to read Solomon’s ledger of his pursuit of meaning and his failure to find it, I’m hovering over the fact that what was true in every other area of his life was also true of his pursuit of God.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

(Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 ESV)

How easy it had been to simply carry over the bravado with which he had lived life into the temple. Without a second thought he could offer sacrifice without limit because of his wealth. To sing God’s praise had become second nature. After all, his dad had written the Psalter, he could sing most of the songs from memory. And, being somewhat of an orator and writer himself, prayer could flow freely from his lips–whether or not his mind was engaged with any of the words his mouth uttered. Easy to go through the motions. Easy to go big even if it was meaningless and without substance. Even in the house of God.

Thus, concludes the son of David as he takes stock of this area of his life, when you go to the house of God, guard your steps . . . let your words be few.

And as I chew on this I can’t help but heed his words. The vast majority of my Sunday mornings over the past 38 years have been spent in “the house of God.” Though specific practices have varied, for the most part the elements are the same. Go, connect with God’s people, offer sacrifices of praise through song, receive the meat of the Word from the pulpit, remember at the Lord’s table, serve as able. Repeat next week . . . and the week after that . . . and that week after that . . .

Shouldn’t be surprising if it can kind of become routine. Not beyond the realm of possibility that meaning might decrease and mindlessness might increase. That what is increasingly familiar can spawn that which kind of feels futile. That vitality can be lost and vanity is all that is left.

So guard your steps, says the Preacher, when you go to the house of the God. Think about where you are going and what you about to do. Remember whose presence you seek to enter. For God is in heaven and we are on earth.

So draw near to listen. Recognize that each week the seed is being sown. As much as lies within you, ensure the soil is ready to receive it. Lean in, engage fully, and “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

So watch your tongue. “Dont shoot off your mouth” (MSG). Before you add your amen to the prayers, think about what you are agreeing with. As you sing those songs, “dont be too quick to tell God what you think He wants to hear” (MSG). Measure your words. Monitor your utterances. Let your words be few.

Even good things can become vain things if allowed to be simply done “under the sun.”

But when the people of God . . . enter mindfully into the presence of God . . . to engage by the Spirit of God . . . in lifting up the Son of God . . . then, by the grace of God, will be known the glory of God.

Amen?

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You Saw Me

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Pete

Philip was pretty sure Jesus was Messiah. Nathanael? Not so much. Philip had met Jesus and encountered Him. Nathanael hadn’t. Understandably then, he was somewhat skeptical–his skepticism fueled by a couple of things. First, he could not recall anything in Scripture indicating that Messiah would be from Nazareth. Secondly, as far as cities go, Nazareth wasn’t anything to write home about–it was definitely the other side of the tracks. Thus his objection, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And thus Philip’s charge to Nathanael, “Come and see” . . . check Him out . . . judge for yourself.

But who had really checked out who?

As Nathanael nears the Carpenter from Nazareth, Jesus gets pretty familiar pretty fast, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body” (MSG). And I’m thinking it isn’t just what Jesus said but how He said it that set Nathanael back on his heels a bit. There was an authority. Something that conveyed that Jesus wasn’t guessing this to be true but really knew it to be true. A sense that not only did Jesus know this to be true, but that He knew a lot more about Nathanael than He was revealing at the moment. So Nathanael asks, “How do You know me?” And Jesus responds:

“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

(John 1:48b ESV)

And that sealed the deal for Nathanael. Jesus of Nazareth had seen him when no one but God could. Jesus the son of Joseph had spoken words that indicated that He knew Nathanael from the inside out. And this skeptic’s response?

Nathanael answered him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!

(John 1:49 ESV)

And the three words that capture my thoughts this morning are Messiah’s declaration, “I saw you.”

Seen by the Son. Known by the Father. Searched through by the Spirit. No place to hide . . . no secrets that can be buried. “I saw you.”

And while I think this can be a pretty frightening concept to grasp–total transparency before a holy, holy, holy God–yet I find a measure of comfort in that these words true of Nathaniel are also true of me. Comfort, not because I’m squeaky clean and my house is all in order. The encouragement is not found in me thinking that there’s nothing I would rather He didn’t see, because there is stuff I wish wasn’t there. But it’s in the fact that it is Jesus who’s doing the seeing.

The Author of my salvation is the One who knows where I am and how I’m doing. The only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14), is the One who knows those things that I wish weren’t there to be known. He whose blood was shed to cover all my sin knows my failures. It is God’s blessed Servant, He who “will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle” (Isa. 42:3 NLT), who knows my compromised state and the things I would just as soon keep hidden.

And there’s a sense in which I marvel that He would even want to see me “under the fig tree.” That He would care enough to know my goings and comings. That He would be interested in my walk . . . would take note of my talk . . . and would search and know the motives behind both. For, in so doing, it is not to judge and condemn, but that it would direct His on-going work of sanctification within me. It’s part of His divinely initiated transformation process. That Jesus would see us . . . and know us . . . and, as a Potter, uniquely shape us based on what He has determined for us to become.

The words of the Psalmist come to mind . . .

O LORD, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. . . . How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! . . . Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

(Psalm 139:1-3, 17, 23-24 ESV)

To know that Jesus sees us . . . how incredible is that? Pretty!

By His grace. For His glory.

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Something Else to Glory In

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Pete

Don’t know why it was on our radar, but it was. Can’t really point to anything in either of our backgrounds that caused us to discuss this early in our married life, but we did. As I recall it, after the birth of our first child, or maybe it was after the second, we consciously and verbally agreed that we would not find our worth through our kids.. We resolved that we would not put the pressure on our girls to be responsible for our sense of accomplishment. That what they did or who they became would not be the basis for how we would feel about ourselves. Sure, we wanted them to do their best. We were proud when they shone because of their character or conduct. But we would not press their performance so that we could feel good about ourselves.

And it’s not just our kids that we might be tempted to define our achievements by. For some, it could be their career–how well they’ve done climbing the ladder. For others it might be how much they know. Some might measure the weight of their accomplishments by the size of their bank accounts or the number of toys in their yard. Still others might attach worth to how well groomed and tuned their body is. Not saying that any of these things aren’t valid things to pursue and enjoy. But, after reading in Jeremiah this morning, I’m reminded that none of these are really what we should be boasting about. But that there is something else to glory in.

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

(Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV)

They just hadn’t got it. Somehow they figured they could go through the motions of worshiping the God of Israel and still service the god of their appetites and the god of the world. The people of God thought they could bring their offerings to the altar of Jehovah in the morning and then bow down before the altar of Baal in the afternoon. That they could claim all the benefits of being the chosen of the Holy One of Israel, with little or no thought as to their own personal pursuit of holiness. That they could listen to God’s word and then decide to follow their own hearts. For far too long the people had been on the slippery slope of “perpetual backsliding” (Jer. 8:5), finding their sense of well-being in all the wrong things. And in the midst of God’s word through Jeremiah pronouncing judgment on a wayward and hard-hearted people, the Almighty makes an appeal, “Glory in something else.”

“Boast in this,” says our God, “that you understand and know Me.” That you get what makes Me tick. That I am the God of steadfast love. That by My very nature I define love (1Jn. 4:8, 16). And that I am the God who delights in justice, placing a premium on integrity and impartiality. Moreover, that I am the God who, because of my very being, demands holiness. So much so, that I sent my Son to cleanse away the impurity of sin and replace it with His own Divine perfection. Crediting righteousness to the account of everyone who believes.

Exult in this, that through My word and by My Spirit you have, in some measure, come to possess the mind of Christ who is the radiance of My glory and the exact imprint of My nature. Brag about the fact that the things of this earth continue to grow dim as the pursuit of a heavenly kingdom becomes more prominent. And this not because of your great works, but by the great work in you by Him who has called you to be His own.

So many things that we can attach our carts to. So many things that we can look to for how successful we are. So many things we can glory in. But there’s something else to glory in.

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

(Galatians 6:14 ESV)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

(1John 5:20 ESV)

I will glory in something else. I will boast in the LORD my God.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Legacy

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Pete

Solomon held nothing back. When it came to life, he was all in . . . peddle to the metal. If he could learn it, he’d study around the clock. If he could grow it, he’d devote acres to it. If he could build it, he’d mega-size it and wouldn’t skimp on the materials. If he could accumulate it, whether it be riches, livestock, slaves, or wives, he would make sure he had a lot of it. No calm waters left in his wake. Look back on a lifetime of effort and there was achievement and success scattered everywhere. But at the end of it all, he hated it all.

So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.

(Ecclesiastes 2:17-19 ESV)

When our girls were growing up we taught them that hate is a strong word. Maybe that’s why it kind of jarred me this morning to see it repeated as the ultimate grade given to a life lived so massively.

What caused Solomon to give himself such an epic fail on doing life? It’s not that he didn’t know stuff. It’s not that he wasn’t a good king. Nothing wrong with the structures built, the vineyards planted, and the forests established. Bank account was looking good, and retirement wasn’t a concern. The hills were full of his herds and flocks and, it wouldn’t surprise me if most everyone who worked for him probably liked him . . . I’m guessing the 1,000 ladies in the Hotel Harem were sweet on him as well. So what’s not to look back on with a certain sense of accomplishment?

It wasn’t what he saw when he looked back. It’s what he realized as he looked forward. Everything he had built, accumulated, and loved would be left to someone else. None of it was going to do him a bit of good. His lifetime of investment “under the sun” ultimately would be someone else’s to enjoy . . . or destroy.

And so, at the end of his life, he looked back in despair and hated his life–it was just a striving after wind. He considered all his toil had produced and, knowing it could very well end up in the hands of a fool as easily as it could the wise, he hated all that he had worked for.

Heavy sigh!

But what if, instead of a lifetime devoted to building a legacy he’d have to leave behind, he could have worked for a legacy that could be enjoyed not just for this lifetime but also for the one to come?

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

~ Paul to Timothy (1Timothy 6:17-19 ESV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

~ Jesus to those with ears to hear (Matthew 6:19-20 ESV)

It’s not that going big is bad. Not that working hard should be avoided. Not even that desiring to build a legacy is wrong. But if it’s just about investing in what’s “under the sun,” take heed. The reality of that being the sum total of a life lived may not be too satisfying. But, if instead the investments are truly about the future, our eternal future . . . if the treasures we seek to store up are in the B of H (Bank of Heaven) . . . if the legacy that compels us is that which is done for the glory of Another . . . then, like Solomon, hold nothing back.

Legacy. What would we want? He walked in a weary manner, or he walked in a worthy manner? She built herself up, or she lifted her Savior up? They accumulated a lot of stuff, or they distributed a lot of grace? They accomplished their bucket list, or they had completed God’s bucket list for them, running the race and fighting the good fight? Everything left behind, or treasures in heaven drawn upon for an eternity?

Might we establish a truly living legacy . . . laying hold of that which is “truly life.”

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.

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If I Knew . . . I Still Would

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Pete

Kind of interesting how observations from two completely unrelated passages can come together to get the mind churning. Something I read this morning from a preacher and then a reminder concerning a prophet came together and started me thinking. Noodling on this journey of faith we are on and wondering “what if.” What if, back then, I had known all that would lie ahead? What if, when I received Christ as Savior and started to run the race set before me, I had been given a detailed program of every stage of the race? What if I had a play-by-play description of all that would lie ahead of me–every mountain top, every valley? Every victory, every defeat? Every blessing, every hardship? If I knew then what would befall us now, would I still embrace the journey. By God’s grace, I think I still would.

Here’s how it played out this morning. First observation? Something Solomon wrote.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. . . . “For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”

(Ecclesiastes 1:1, 18 ESV)

Modern translation: Ignorance is bliss. Yeah, it is. Hard (though not impossible) to get bent out of shape about something that isn’t even on the radar. But apply your heart as Solomon did to “search out wisdom and all that is done under the sun” (1:13) and set that in the brain of a guy with the IQ that David’s son must have possessed, and that’s a lot to handle! Especially when so much of it seems to make so little sense “under the sun.” So that was the “set up” for what grabbed me afresh in my next reading.

Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. . . . They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.”

(Jeremiah 1:4-5, 19 ESV)

Modern translation: I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news. Good news? I am God, I formed you, I knew you before you were born, and I have called you to be my spokesman. Not so good news? Most won’t want to listen. In fact, a lot of them won’t settle for just an apathetic deafness but will respond with aggressive opposition. And it’s gonna hurt . . . sometimes a lot! It’ll be a battle at times, a battle you’ll feel like your losing. But . . . and this is a pretty big BUT . . . they shall not overcome you, for I am with you.

So how’s that for “God made you and has a wonderful plan for your life?” Jeremiah was told up front that his race wouldn’t just be a marathon . . . it would be an extreme endurance race through an obstacle course he couldn’t fully imagine. Ignorance gone . . . the bliss disappears. Buckle up, Jeremiah!

And he did. By God’s grace . . . clinging to God’s promise . . . drawing on God’s enabling Power, Jeremiah still sets out to be God’s man doing God’s work knowing more about God’s plan for his life than most of us ever do.

And so I think to myself, “Self, what about you? If God had revealed to you all that would lie before you on that day He revealed Himself to you, would you still?” And I sit here this morning finding myself answering, “If I knew . . . I still would.”

Not because of anything I am. Not gonna find me signing up for an “Iron Man” or a Spartan obstacle course of any kind. It’s just not in me. And I still would, not just because the blessings have far exceeded the hardships, but because of something else that jumped off the page in my last reading this morning:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

(James 1:2-4 ESV)

If I knew, I still would . . . because I believe God’s word is true. That His promises are sure. And so, I trust God through it all–the mountains and the valleys–to complete the work He has begun in us (Php. 1:6). That He allows our faith to be tested so that it might bear the fruit of patient endurance. And that patient endurance will be one of the tools used to chisel the very nature of Christ into us as He conforms us to the image of His Son (8:29). And that the grace which has led us safe thus fall, will also lead us home. That everything endured “under the sun” is just that, “under the sun.” But it will give way one day to beholding the Son of glory, in a state “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” And the former things will pale in comparison.

Honestly, I’m good with a bit of “bliss.” Don’t need to know a lot about tomorrow. Enough to handle today.

But I know who holds tomorrow. And He whispers in my ear, “They shall not prevail against you, for I am with you.”

If I knew . . . I still would.

By His all-sufficient grace. For His all-deserving glory.

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The Promise and The Power

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Pete

Confession time: I do lousy at long-distance relationships. I don’t see you, I have a tough time (aka I fail miserably) keeping in touch with you. I envy those who phone, write, and travel in order to maintain relationships with people outside their zip code (postal code for my Canadian brothers and sisters). And it’s not that I don’t value the friendships. I do and I’m so glad when we have the rare opportunity to cross paths. But, for whatever reason, I pretty much tank when it comes to doing life with those many miles way.

Maybe that’s why something I read in the closing verses of Luke’s gospel has got me thinking. Because it’s a reminder to this out-of-sight-out-of-mind guy to make the effort to be working my relationship with Someone else who I never see. And it’s not that I don’t see Him because He lives far away. In fact, He occupies the same space as I do around the clock, seven days a week. But this long distance feeling is way too easy to experience because, though He’s ever present, He’s also invisible. He is spirit. He is the Holy Spirit, third Person of the Trinity. So this morning I’m chewing on the reminder of the Promise and the Power.

“And behold, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”   ~ Jesus

(Luke 24:49 ESV)

The risen Christ is soon to be the ascended Christ (24:51). Goodbye earth, hello heaven. Talk about your far away feeling. But though He is about to leave His own, He will not leave them alone. He has already told them that He would ask the Father to send them Someone else to draw alongside them (John 14:16). Another Counselor, like Christ Himself, to lead them into truth and teach them what they need to know (John 14:26). An Advocate connecting these pilgrims on earth with their kingdom in heaven (Rom. 8:16, 26). Someone who will take their discipleship to the next level–so much so that Jesus said, “Me going, and Him coming, is to your advantage” (John 16:7).

And this One that Jesus said He would send is the Promise and the Power.

The Promise of the Father. Spoken of long ago through the prophets as the Game-Changer. The Regenerator of diseased spiritual DNA. The Revealer of the Word and Ways of the Creator. The Reviver of those trapped in lethargic, two-faced religious rites. Through Jeremiah, He promised a dynamic given by which He would write His law upon their hearts (Jer. 31:33). By Ezekiel, He promised a new spirit put within His people so that hearts of stone would become hearts of flesh (Ezek. 11:19). And through Joel, God said He would pour out His spirit and give power (Joel 2:28-29).

The power of God. Such power as never conceived. The power of signs and wonders that testified to the truth of the gospel (Rom. 15:18-19). The power that raised Christ from the dead (Rom. 1:4). Immeasurably great power given to those who believe (Eph. 1:19).

Invisible power? Yes. But not unknowable power. An out of sight Promise? Unfortunately, for me. But not out of reach. I can walk by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and live by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 18, 25). I can bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). I can sow to the Spirit and reap the realities of eternal life (Gal. 6:8).

The Promise and the Power. It is mine by His grace. O, that I might nurture and know the reality of this relationship for His glory.

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A Bit of the Presence While Waiting for the Promise

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Pete

One of those mornings where I feel a bit dry even after having sipped from the well of His Word. Nothing really coming to mind and so I go back through my journal and see what thoughts were stirred in previous years when I read these passages in my reading plan. And this morning, a bit of a surprise. Something I captured back in 2011 just seemed to be the encouragement I needed. Chewed on it this morning as I re-worked it a bit. God is good . . .

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Part way through Isaiah 63 you kind of get the sense that the prophet “hits the wall.” It’s been 63 chapters detailing the sin of Israel and God’s determination to judge them via the violence and oppression of the nations surrounding them. And of God’s righteous judgment upon those nations who, while being His rod of judgment on wayward Israel, would not escape His wrath for their arrogance and vile behaviors.

And though Isaiah is also given a vision of the mercy of God and the restoration of Israel, informed of the promise of God to send His Holy Servant to redeem His people, he doesn’t really see that happen in his lifetime. Instead, he witnesses the destruction and the judgment of God. And then in Isaiah 63 it seems he pauses. He takes off his prophets hat and puts on his prayer shawl. He turns his face upward and cries out in need of God. And it seems to get very personal.

“Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are Your zeal and Your might? The stirring of Your inner parts and Your compassion are held back from me.”

(Isaiah 63:15 ESV)

At some point it’s hard for it not to become about us. While we know the promises of God . . . while we seek to rest in Him and trust Him and wait for Him, let’s not be surprised if there comes a time when we also find ourselves crying out, “Where are You?” We shouldn’t be shocked if, at some point, we find ourselves thinking, “God, I know You’re up there in Your holy and glorious dwelling place. But I need You to look down . . . or at least let me know You’re looking down.”

We can know the promises of God, but sometimes we just need to experience a bit of the presence of God. Isaiah knew that the Redeemer of Israel would eventually act on their behalf, He just wanted it now!!! And maybe not so much about acting on Israel’s behalf, but how about just a reminder that God cared for Isaiah?

Isaiah stood in the fiery ruins of what was once their holy and beautiful temple. He could look around and see that Zion was a wilderness and Jerusalem a desolation. All the physical glory of Israel was laid waste. (Isa. 64:10-11) He knew the promises of God–that one day He would restore all things–but, for right now, He just needed a bit of a reminder. He needed a bit of the presence of God while he waited for the promise of God.

Isn’t that what I need sometimes–a bit of the presence while I wait for the promise? A reminder of God’s zeal and heart for me? Some touch from heaven that assures me of His promise that He will never leave me nor forsake me? Something that reminds me of His steadfast love so that I might confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.” (Heb. 13:5b-6)?

And so, like Isaiah, I can find myself also crying out . . .

“Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence . . . ”

(Isaiah 64:1 ESV)

Isaiah is so ready for the Mighty Redeemer of Israel to step on to the scene, intervene, and make things right. He has heard heaven declare that the glory of the Holy, Holy, Holy LORD of Hosts fills the whole earth (Isa 6:1-3), now he wants to see it. Now it’s time to “get ‘er done.” No more waiting . . . “Let’s get ready to rumble!!!”

Isaiah is looking for the Glorious Appearing of Christ to once for all do battle with His enemies and set up His kingdom of righteousness here on earth. He knows the promise . . . time for the Presence.

And I’m reminded that God has come down. That the heavens have been breached in Jesus’ first coming. That through His death and resurrection the curtain to the Holy of Holies has been rend from top to bottom. And that the need for a “bit of presence” is entirely within my reach. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8)

Sin has been judged. The sinner declared righteous by faith. Heaven opened up. The Holy Spirit descended.

And I can look up . . . ask Him to look down and remind me of His thoughts to me . . . and through His Spirit inside me, know a bit of the presence.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

(Romans 8:16 ESV)

Oh, that I would have ears to hear the Spirit within me. That I would keep the way open for His still small voice to speak. That I would know a bit of the presence while I cling to the promise.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Acceptable Worship

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Pete

It seems there’s going facedown and then there’s going facedown. One almost out of compulsion–almost forced through trembling fear. The other an act of glorious freedom, willingly fueled by high regard and godly, reverent fear. The first, going facedown because you’re shaking in your boots. The other, hitting the ground because of an overwhelming desire to bow the knee. Both have their place, I guess. But the latter, according to my reading this morning, is acceptable worship.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

(Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV)

Hebrews 12 concludes with a discussion about two mountains, Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Both revealing the glory of God. Sinai like an erupting volcano, “a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest” (v.18). The voice of God rumbling over it and then exploding like “the sound of a trumpet.” DO NOT ENTER! signs posted around the perimeter lest anyone should approach too close to this holy hill and die. So terrifying was the sight of this footstool of God that even Moses, who was somewhat accustomed to standing on holy ground, would say, “I tremble with fear” (v. 21).

But . . . oh glorious word, but . . . “But you have come to Mount Zion” (v.22-24). Unlike Sinai, where the glory descended in order to give the law, this mount is the city of the living God where all are welcomed and invited to come. And anyone can RSVP simply by trusting in the blood of the Lamb shed for their sin. It is the heavenly Jerusalem, a place of gathering. Countless angels in festive celebration congregated there. Joined with the souls of myriads more who constitute “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.” And in their midst is Jesus, “the mediator of a new covenant.”

Mount Zion, that’s the hill we’ve been called to.

Sinai had it’s day but was temporary, pointing to something better. Just as the law given on that mount was never intended to bring about lasting righteousness before God but could only act as “our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24). And though it drove people to go facedown because of the clouds and flames and deafening thunder, it was always intended to give way to a better hill and better motivation for worship.

For, while Sinai was only intended for a season, Zion was established for eternity. It is everlasting. Persevering through the ages in the hearts of those who wait for the day when this kingdom of faith is manifest in all it’s glory–the glory of God. And we shall behold our King, and He shall gaze upon His people. And it will be a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Therefore, let us give thanks. Thus, let us offer to God, acceptable worship.

Not because we have to but because we get to. Not out of compulsion where we are forced to our knees, but out of celebration because we have been welcomed into the Holy of Holies through the blood of Christ by the wooing of the Spirit according to the loving desire of the Father.

And so, though humbly, we enter confidently. The gates open. The way prepared. And we worship with acceptable worship. Not in trembling dread, but in reverence, awe, and godly fear.

We gladly and willingly go facedown. Continually offering, in a manner well pleasing to the God of Creation, the “sacrifice of praise . . ., that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name” (Heb. 13:5).

Because of His wonderful grace. Ascribing forever His everlasting glory.

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