Joy Before the Angels

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Pete

Luke 15 . . . one great chapter . . . three great parables. Sheep wanders off, shepherd searches for it until he finds it, laying it on his shoulders as he brings it home. Coin is lost, woman searches high and low until she finds it. A man takes his inheritance and goes south (literally), father waits patiently for him to come to his senses and receives him wholeheartedly when he returns. Interesting to noodle on why the lost sheep and the lost coin are searched for, but the lost son is waited upon . . . but that’s for another devo. This morning I’m thinking about joy before the angels.

In all three stories, when the lost is found there is rejoicing. The man with the sheep comes home and “calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'” (15:6). The woman, upon finding her coin, “calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost’ (15:9). And the father, who’s son comes home, tells his other son, whose nose is bent out of shape because he never got a dinner, that the right thing to do is “to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” (15:32). And Jesus, the storyteller, makes sure that the connection is clear . . .

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance . . . there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.    (Luke 15:7, 10 ESV)

First thing to note . . . there will be joy . . . there will be gladness . . . in heaven. If we extend this joy to include the implications of the third story, there will be celebrating in heaven. I’m thinking that reasons to rejoice won’t stop when the last sinner is called home . . . that joy will be a part of eternity.

But what’s grabbed my eye is the fact that, in the cases of these stories, . . . the parables of the lost things found . . . that the “joy in heaven” is equated with “joy before the angels of God.” Other translations render it joy or rejoicing “in the presence of the angels of God.” At first, I’m prone to think that it is the angels rejoicing among themselves. But something I read earlier this year (can’t remember what) has sown a seed about how you might understand this a bit differently. If the word is to be understood as “before the angels” . . . then what, or who, is before the angels rejoicing?

And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God . . .    (Revelation 7:11 ESV)

What’s before the angels? . . . the throne! Who’s before the angels? . . . Him who sits on the throne, Almighty God! So, if there’s joy “before the angels” over one sinner who repents, who’s doing the rejoicing? . . .

Is it too much of a stretch to think that God Himself rejoices when someone is saved? That the Father in heaven is ready to kill the fatted calf when one of His children who was lost is found . . . when one of them who was dead is made alive. Does God say, “Yes!” when a sinner receives His Son . . . when the shed blood of His Son is applied to the sin stains of a wayward soul and cleanses him white as snow . . . when a pauper is robed in the righteousness garments of Christ? Does God smile? Does He shout with gladness? Does He sing with joy? Pretty sure He at least sings with joy . . .

The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.   (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)

O’ the grace of God that seeks the lost . . . O’ the mighty power of God to save the sinner . . . O’ the overflowing love of God which sings with gladness . . . and displays great joy before the angels . . . when spiritually dead people are made alive in Christ!

To Him be all glory . . .

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God’s Good Hand

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Pete

Perspective . . . it makes all the difference. The filter through which we see life, and live life, really is what defines the “quality of life.” And, what’s got me thinking about this is a phrase that is repeated three times in my reading in Ezra 8 this morning . . . a phrase that I also encountered three times in Ezra 7. If repetition in the Scriptures is the Holy Spirit’s way of emphasizing something,and it is . . . then I better listen up, ’cause He’s shoutin’!

Even though it bears his name, we don’t actually meet Ezra in the book of Ezra until the seventh chapter. There we read of this “scribe skilled in the Law of Moses” returning to Jerusalem from Babylon . . . the king granting his request to return “for the hand of the LORD his God on him” (7:6).

There it is . . . the phrase . . . “the hand of God was on him” . . . first of 6 times it’s used in these two chapters.

Ezra found favor of the king to return to Jerusalem, why? . . . the hand of God was on him. Again, in verse 9 it says that Ezra “came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.” Ezra’s request . . . the king’s assent . . . God’s good hand. Then, after recounting the king of Persia’s edict permitting Ezra to return, Ezra says, “I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was on me” (7:28).

In chapter 8, as Ezra gathers together the troupe that would journey back to Jerusalem with him, Ezra notices that there are no sons of Levi . . . no priests . . . and so he goes to find some. And when he’s successful what does he say? “And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion” (8:18). Ezra’s idea . . . Ezra’s search . . . Ezra finds his Levite . . . but he sees it all as further evidence of God’s good hand.

Not only did Ezra recognize the hand of God in his circumstance, he counted on it. Before leaving for Jerusalem he gathers together his entourage to fast and pray and seek God for direction and protection. For, although the king had offered Ezra an armed escort to guard him and all the treasures he was taking back to the promise land, Ezra refused it . . .

” . . . since we had told the king, ‘The hand or our God is for good on all who seek Him . . . ‘” (Ezra 8:22 ESV)

Ezra saw it as kind of inconsistent if he professed to rely on the good hand of God but took an armed escort of pagan soldiers as an insurance policy. “So,” he says, “we fasted and implored our God for this, and He listened to our entreaty” (8:23). Despite what was often a trek where enemies and bandits would lie in wait for traveling caravans, they arrive safely . . . and what does Ezra credit that to? . . . you got it . . . “the hand of our God was on us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way” (8:31).

Whether it was conceiving the idea to return . . . or the king granting the request . . . or them finding Levites willing to return . . . or having a safe journey . . . Ezra saw it all through eyes that recognized the good hand of God upon him. He was encouraged by it . . . he counted on it.

Oh, that I would navigate my day-to-day with such a filter . . . the recognition of the good hand of God upon me. How much do I take credit for, when really it is God’s hand? How smart do I think I am sometimes when, in fact, it’s the good hand of God? I still have to make decisions . . . I still need to engage the task . . . I still need to embark on the journey . . . but at the end of day . . . when the decision turns out to be the right one . . . when the task is successfully accomplished . . . when the journey is safely completed . . . isn’t that all the good hand of God on me? I’m thinkin’ . . .

It is the grace of God to place His hand upon a life . . . and it is the power of God to work all things together according to His purpose. And if I believe these things to be true . . . and I do . . . then God forbid that I should take any credit or have any boast in anything other than God’s good hand. Amen?

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Don’t Be A Budger

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Pete

When they were little, my girls called it “budging” . . . and those who did it, “budgers.” Budging happens where people are required to line up for something. Budgers are those who, when they arrive, rather than take the next available place at the end of the line, find someone they know who is towards the front of the line and they join them . . . some say they butt in . . . my girls would say, “Hey, they budged! What budgers!” Doesn’t matter whether you’re standing in line to enter a theater, waiting in line to get something to eat, or lined up in traffic . . . nobody likes a budger. Truth be told though, in those situations, most of wish we could budge . . . but were taught it’s not polite to do so, and so we don’t . . . but if we could, we would. Naturally, we want to budge . . . Jesus warned against it.

In Luke 14 Jesus tells a story. He’s been invited to the house of a ruler of the Pharisees for a meal. It wasn’t just a quiet dinner for two . . . it was more of a banquet, Jesus being one of many guests. And Jesus notices something . . . that as the guests arrive, at least some of them jockey for position . . . “they chose the places of honor.” They wanted to sit at the head table. If there was focal point in the room, they wanted to be there . . . if there was to be a limelight, they wanted it shining on them . . . if there was a front of the line, they were budging in order to be there.

So Jesus throws a parable out there . . .

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”   (Luke 14:8-11 ESV)

Don’t claim the place of honor . . . don’t exalt yourself . . . don’t be a budger.

Though to differing degrees, there is something in the heart of little boys and girls, and of grown up men and women, that naturally makes them want to be budgers . . . to want to place themselves above others . . . to want their interests to be of greater importance than the interests of others. Jesus says, “Don’t do it!” Rather, go to the end of the line . . . sit in the lowest place . . . humble yourself.

That’s what Jesus did. Though He was God, very God, He didn’t consider the majesty and honor associated with His being something to be contended for and demanded. Instead, He made Himself “of no reputation” . . . and “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Php. 2:7-8 NKJV). Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, went to the end of the line . . . presenting Himself as the meek and lowly Jesus. He who deserves the highest place, took the lowest place. He, before whom every knee will one day bow, relinquished His own interests for the sake of others. The Son of God, in order to redeem a fallen creation, willingly became the Lamb of God.

Therefore, it says, God highly exalted Him (Php. 2:9). He who allowed Himself to be subject to the shame of the cross and the weakness of death, was lifted up . . . raised from the dead on the third day . . . ascended into heaven . . . exalted at the right hand of the Father on high . . . given the name which is above every name. “For he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you . . . .   (1Peter 5:5-6 ESV)

I don’t need to make sure I’m at the front of the line . . . I don’t need to be a budger . . . I just need to trust in the One who created me and loves me so much that He sent His Son to redeem Me. I don’t need center stage . . . that’s Jesus’ place . . . the back row works just fine if only to be in His presence. Oh, that I might be content with the lowly place that He might be lifted up.

By His sanctifying grace . . . for His eternal glory.

Amen?

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All In

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Pete

Last year, a business matter I was involved with went to mediation. A dispute had risen between the company I work for and another, and though we tried to work it out among ourselves, it just wasn’t happening . . . and so, we went to a third party. Interesting process. We arrived at the mediator’s offices and were seated in one conference room. Representatives from the other company were seated in another room. The mediator then went back and forth between the two rooms . . . getting more facts . . . seeking understanding . . . passing on information . . . tendering offers . . . providing legal expertise as appropriate . . . trying to bring the two parties together on a mutually agreeable resolution. But one thing that the mediator made sure to let us know was that he was impartial . . . he had no “dog in this fight” . . . the outcome was of no personal interest or importance to him.

This morning, as I continue reading in Paul’s letter to Timothy, I’m reminded of another mediation I’ve been involved with . . . but in this case, the Mediator had a very personal stake in the outcome . . . He had deep convictions about what needed to happen . . . far from being an impartial third party, this Mediator was all in.

For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.    (1Timothy 2:5-6 ESV)

God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1Tim. 2:4). But there’s a problem . . . a three letter word . . . begins with “s” . . . ends with “in”. Holy, holy, holy and just God in “one room” . . . less than holy men and women in the other . . . their sin separating them from their Creator . . . their transgression creating a chasm that no human effort can bridge. But God in His great love for us, initiated mediation . . . appointed a Mediator . . . His own blessed Son . . . second Person of the Trinity. And He, far being some some impartial, aloof go-between, was all in.

First the Mediator entered our stage . . . making “Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Php. 2:7). For the sake of reconciliation, the Son of God took on flesh that He might enter the dynamics of “the dispute” in a very close and personal way. Not that it was about God understanding man, but that Jesus might be able to reveal to men something about God . . . and about His kingdom . . . and about the problem . . . and about the solution.

But though He could teach of the kingdom . . . though He could call people to repentance . . . though He could reveal the Father in and through Himself . . . though He could turn people’s hearts towards heaven . . . there was still this chasm to be dealt with. There were wages of sin to be paid . . . there was a debt owed that needed to be settled . . . and frankly, the party this side of heaven (aka me) was bankrupt . . . nothing to be offered . . . no amount of good works or sincere effort that could be enough. I needed a Mediator who was all in.

And so, my Mediator gave Himself as a ransom for all . . . “and being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Php. 2:8). He paid the price for my release . . . He settled the debt with His own blood . . . He bridged the chasm through His sacrifice on the cross and through the victorious power of His resurrection from the grave. And then, by His loving grace, the Shepherd sought me and brought me into the fold . . . through His wooing Spirit, the Bridegroom allowed my heart to hear Him calling me to be His betrothed . . . all possible because “Jesus paid it all . . . all to Him I owe . . . sin had left a crimson stain . . . He washed it white as snow” (good ol’ hymn).

There is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all . . .

Praise God for a Mediator who is all in! Amen?

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In Hot Pursuit

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Pete

I wouldn’t consider myself to be what some would call a “go getter.” While I try and be faithful to what I think I’ve been called to do, I wouldn’t consider myself really “driven.” I think I put in a “fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay” . . . but rarely will I bring it home with me. When I get home, the things that I enjoy doing are pretty simple . . . and frankly, most often don’t require a lot of physical energy. I don’t have a bucket list that I’m checking off . . . or a set of goals I’m trying to achieve. Overall, I think I’m pretty chilled (though my girls might have other thoughts). But this morning I’m exhorted to, at the very least, be passionate about one thing . . . to be driven by one grand goal . . . to be in hot pursuit of one great outcome . . .

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.   (Proverbs 2:1-5 ESV)

See the “if / then” argument? If you do this, then you will have that.

“That” is understanding the fear of the LORD . . . “that” is finding the knowledge of God. Hmmm . . . sounds kind of big and ambitious, doesn’t it. What’s your goal? . . . to understand what it is to fear the LORD. What’s on your bucket list? . . . to find the knowledge of God. Ok, why not add in “to discover the meaning of life” while your at it? . . . Good idea, it’s on the list!

Big goals . . . high desires. So, if the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God are the “that’s” . . . what’s the “if”? Check it out . . . in a nutshell the “if” is hot pursuit.

If you receive . . . if you treasure up . . . if you make your ear attentive . . . if you incline your heart . . . if you call out . . . if you raise your voice . . . if you seek like you would seek silver . . . if you search as you would for hidden treasure . . . if you are in hot pursuit of God’s word, then watch out!

It’s a promise to claim . . . it’s a passion to pursue.

Jesus put it this way, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8).

God’s Word is God’s way to God’s wisdom. It’s not some good luck charm to rub in the morning through our devo’s. It is the revealed mind of the Creator . . . illuminated by His Spirit . . . available to all who believe . . . and accessible through our pursuit of the high, the holy, the lofty fear and knowledge of God.

If there’s anything worth being a “go getter” for, it’s the Word of God. If there’s anything worth being “driven” by, it’s the desire for the knowledge of the Divine. If there’s anything worth being in hot pursuit over, it’s the fear of the LORD . . . ’cause that’s the foundation for skillful and fruitful living.

Better get at ‘er . . . by His grace . . . for His glory.

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Truth in Advertising

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Pete

Apparently there are laws in place to protect the consumer and ensure that advertisers don’t misrepresent their products. But who hasn’t ended up with a product that wasn’t quite as shiny as the one shown on television . . . or ended up with a gadget that seemed a lot slicker in the hands of the demo’er than it was when they used it at home . . . or didn’t quite do everything that its seller claimed . . . including making julienne fries (whatever those are). So, even though we, the consumer, are supposedly protected there’s still some caution . . . a hesitancy to buy in when something sounds almost too good to be true. But I came across a bold claim this morning . . . a product advertised in such a way that to believe it would be to run . . . not walk . . . to run and get it. This morning I encountered some truth in advertising . . .

The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth — Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. (Proverbs 1:1-6 ESV)

There’s always a sense of anticipation when I enter the Book of Proverbs as part of my reading plan. And part of that is because of the “hard sell” of the book’s early chapters. Wisdom is crying aloud in street . . . she raises her voice in the market . . . she tries to be heard over the noisy streets . . . and seeks to catch the sleeve of those who walk into the city gates (1:20). There is a full-court press by Wisdom to be heard . . . and heeded.

And the promise of this book is that Wisdom, at least in part, is encountered through these ancient writings of Solomon and others. These proverbs are bite-sized models of reality . . . God inspired insights as to the real mechanics of life. Swindoll said that wisdom is skillful living . . . and the claim of this book is that these Proverbs are profitable for building a toolkit of understanding in order that we might be adept at navigating the paths before us. And the claims are big . . . even though they don’t include making julienne fries (whatever those are).

The proverbs of Solomon aid in knowing wisdom . . . in gaining discipline . . . in sharpening skills of discerning . . . in receiving valuable course-correcting instruction in our dealings with others, in our pursuit of righteousness and justice. The promise is that they will produce a shrewdness in those who are naïve to the ways of this world . . . imparting the basis for skillfully maneuvering through the many choices and possibilities put before us. The bold claim is that, whether just a beginner at this wisdom thing or someone already possessing a certain level of wisdom, learning, and guidance, that through these vignettes of insight into real life, there is an equipping for the complex and perplexing enigma’s of everyday life.

Pretty bold promises. Talk about your truth in this advertising!

And I think part of what stirs my soul with this hard and aggressive “sales pitch” in Proverbs 1 is that the claims made by this book, are also the reality of what is offered in The Book. In the whole Word of God before me are depths of understanding . . . profitable for skillful living . . . ready to be illuminated by the Author Himself through the active agency of His Blessed Spirit . . . available to all who have hears to hear. Nothing is “oversold” . . . all the promises are “Yes” and “Amen” in and through the Son of God who saved me and now lives in me (2Cor. 1:20, Gal. 2:20).

That’s truth in advertising. Can’t wait to get started . . . maybe I’ll even figure out what julienne fries are.

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What’s the Big Idea?

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Pete

Some portions of scripture you really need to dig into to try and determine what it’s trying to say. Only after you’ve worked through the historical context . . . and have rightly placed it within the context of why it was written . . . and have worked through some difficult terminology or concepts . . . only after you’ve spent time in detailed observation are you ready to move on to interpretation. And even then, sometimes the interpretation isn’t readily apparent . . . maybe one or two or more ways to look at it . . . some controversy on how it should be understood . . . sometimes you just need to live with some ambiguity. And then . . . even after the detail work of observation . . . and wrestling with the interpretation . . . the application may not, at first, be apparent. Fortunately . . . that wasn’t the nature of my reading in the Book of Psalms this morning. Pretty easy to figure out the songwriter’s “big idea” . . .

WHAT are we to do? Praise the Lord (150:1) . . . there it is . . . Hallelujah! 13 times in 6 verses the reader is told to “Praise the LORD” or, “Praise God” or, “Praise Him.” Our boast . . . our focus . . . the activity we are commanded to perform is to praise Him who is worthy of praise. That’s what this Psalm is about . . . He is the One to whom our praise is directed. The big idea is to praise Him!

WHERE are we to do it? We are to praise Him in “his sanctuary” and in “His mighty heavens” (150:1) . . . on earth and in heaven. My call to praise Him will transcend my time here on earth. Getting practiced up in praise now will prepare me well for that time when I have opportunity to be facedown in His very presence. And as I think about the “where” . . . what a tragedy when we restrict to only happening “at church.” God forgive us for compartmentalizing our praise . . . it should happen during my morning devotions . . . it should happen when I’m driving in my car and I’ve got music on that exalts His name . . . it should happen instantaneously when I recognize a blessing . . . and yes, it should even happen when I’m going through tough times and call upon Him who is faithful. Praise’s proximity should only be limited by heaven and earth . . .

WHY are we to praise Him? For His “mighty deeds” and according to His “excellent greatness” (150:2). For what He has done and for who He is!!! Ok . . . so that sounds like quite a bit of “subject matter” to work with. If my praise is getting stale . . . repetitive . . . same old, same old . . . the problem is with me — not with the One who is to be the object of my praise. I wouldn’t need another “mighty deed” of God in my life other than the mighty act of being saved to evoke praise to Him for eternity. The cross . . . the blood . . . the Lamb of God come to atone for sin . . . oh, Praise the Lord!!! The resurrection . . . the promise of a house being built with many rooms — one for me . . . the assurance that He will come to take me to be with Him . . . eternity face-to-face . . . oh, Praise the Lord!!! And after I’ve exhausted praising Him for what He’s done (like that’s gonna happen) . . . let’s focus on who He is!!! Start listing out His “omni” attributes . . . omnipresent . . . omniscient . . . omnipotent . . . mix that with His compassion and grace and lovingkindness . . . throw in a bit of faithfulness . . . and you’ve just started to scratch the surface of our God who is God and nothing less. How weak and shallow and superficial my praise must seem sometimes. Going through the motions . . . yada yada yada. Oh, for a mind focused on the works and person of my God . . . get a group of those people together and see the roof lifted off!!! Speaking of lifting the roof off . . .

HOW is praise to happen? Half of the psalm deals with the “how” (150:3-5). In two words? Without reservation!!! Bring it on . . . trumpets . . . lutes . . . harps . . . tambourines . . . stringed instruments (ok . . . my guitar’s in . . . ) . . . flutes . . . loud cymbals . . . really loud cymbals . . . and dancing too (at least in your heart if not with your feet). How anemic my praise is sometimes. How little I sometimes bring to the table. And it’s not really up to the worship band to make it happen . . . although well tuned and well played instruments combined with spiritually tuned musicians certainly can be a catalyst for heart soaring praise. It’s about what I’m prepared to bring. “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30) What if I determined to praise God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Oh, that I would be such a worshiper.

And finally, WHO is to do the worshiping? Everything that has breath (150:6). That would include me. To leave it up to the band . . . to leave it up to those who can play an instrument or carry a tune . . . is to be disobedient (did I mention that every time the word “praise” is used in the psalm it is in the command format?). If I’m not praising . . . then am I really breathing? If I’m not adoring then am I really tuned into the abundant life Jesus promised? If I’m not exalting Him continually then am I really focused on things above rather than things of this earth?

And I guess the unasked question here is WHEN? And I’m thinking the answer is always. On the mountain . . . in the valley . . . when He giveth . . . and when He taketh away . . . when I’m near . . . and when I’m drifting . . . when I feel like it . . . and when not so much. He is God . . . He is worthy of my praise at all times . . . in all places . . . with all my being. Praise the Lord!!!!

So what’s the big idea? . . .

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Come Just As You Are

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Pete

For all intents and purposes, it was unprecedented. Not since Solomon had there been such a call to come and worship the Lord . . . and that was when the kingdom was united. The invitation had gone out to all Israel under King Hezekiah to come to Jerusalem and to observe the Passover. Couriers went from city to city with the call for God’s people to return to God’s temple that they might remember God’s mighty works of deliverance and worship God, who alone is God! Some RSVP’d with laughter and scorn and mocking . . . but others, moved by the hand of God . . . responding to a reviving of soul sparked by the Spirit of God . . . others, many others, came (2Chron. 30). And what’s moved my soul, this morning, is that they came just as they were.

For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves . . . For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.    (2Chronicles 30:17a, 18-20 ESV)

They weren’t clean. Ya’ think? For two hundred years . . . literally, for generations . . . these northern kingdom dwellers had been up to their eyeballs in idolatry and pagan practices. Their lack of “consecration” . . . their “uncleansed” state went way beyond the “sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.” They were a mess. And those of the southern kingdom, Judah, weren’t in any better condition. Though they had preserved the temple . . . their whoredom (ESV lingo) . . . their unfaithfulness to the LORD God had grown with increasing abandon of the word of God. But Hezekiah had put out the call . . . the hand of God had moved the hearts . . . and they came just as they were.

It’s not that Hezekiah wasn’t aware of God’s holy standard . . . but that he interceded on behalf of a less than holy people. He appealed to “the good LORD” (only time the phrase is found in the Bible) to pardon everyone . . . NKJV says to “provide atonement for everyone” . . . the idea is to cover everyone. The “price of admission” wasn’t their cleanness, it was their hearts set after seeking God. It wasn’t the state in which they came . . . but that they wanted to come. And, having set their hearts toward the place where God dwells, the covering grace of God would provide access . . . and the healing grace of God would wash away the uncleanness and accept the offering.

Come just as you are!

Less about my state than about me heeding the call. So not about the degree to which I have my act together and all about the degree to which His grace abounds and His covering is sufficient.

And, you know, it’s interesting. The chronicler says that after they came . . . and were received in their less then fully consecrated condition . . . and had worshiped the God of their covering . . . that afterward, “when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all” (31:1). They came just they were . . . they were received by God’s grace as they were . . . they worshiped as they were . . . and then they left different . . . and went and cleaned house. Revival begot return which led to repentance.

Come just as you are! Oh, how the sinner still apart from God needs to hear the call. Oh, how the sinner saved by grace needs to heed the call.

Our God is a gracious God. He invites hearts to seek Him . . . he invites wayward souls to return to Him . . . and has made provision through the work of His Son on the cross to provide a covering sufficient for all the grime . . . that men and women might come just as they are.

How great is our God? Pretty!!!

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Director of My Heart

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Pete

To be sure, the Christian is to walk in a manner worthy of their calling (Eph. 4:1). We are to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2). We are to seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). We are to lay up treasure in heaven (Luke 12:33-34). We are to run the good race, fight the good fight, and keep the faith (2Tim. 4:7). But I am reminded this morning that, in all this holy determination to be holy, there is a dynamic that is present . . . an agency that is active. Ultimately it is what primes the pump . . . and is the fuel for the fire. It is that which, at regeneration, took my heart of stone and made it a heart of flesh. Any desire I have to please God is because of it . . . any motivation I have to live for God is sparked by it. It is the Director of my heart.

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.   (2Thessalonians 3:5 ESV)

Paul wrote his letters to the Thessalonians to contend for their faith. He had only been able to be with them a few weeks when he had first led them to faith in Christ and established their gathering, before persecution arose from the Jews causing him to leave town (Acts 17:1-10). So they were babes in Christ left to fend for themselves amidst a hostile environment. Having received new birth, their lives were changed . . . as manifest by their faith which was spoken of throughout the region (1Thess. 1:7-8). Though the word of God had worked powerfully among them . . . though they had gotten out of the starting gate strong . . . Paul knew that the Christian race isn’t a sprint, but a marathon. And so he was concerned for them . . . and wanted to know how they were doing . . . and wanted to encourage them to keep on keepin’ on. And in that encouragement he appealed to the Director of their hearts.

And, as I sit and noodle on this verse, I’m again reminded that what has been a work begun by the Spirit will be a work that is perfected by the Spirit (Gal. 3:3). While there is a role for me to play . . . a determination to be determined and a discipline to be enacted, . . . apart from His continuing work in my heart, I’m destined to come up short. That’s the nature of the flesh . . . to fall short of the glory of God. That’s the necessity of the gift of God . . . grace which lifts up . . . grace which empowers . . . grace which is sufficient for all deficiencies.

And so Paul’s prayer is that the Lord, through the active agency of the Spirit of God, would direct their hearts. That the Counselor would make straight their inner beings . . . that the Power which raised Christ from the dead would remove the hindrances of the flesh . . . that the Illuminator would continue to reveal the eternal depths of the love of God . . . that the Third Person of the Godhead would enable the reality of a steadfast pursuit of the kingdom of heaven through Christ living in me (Gal. 2:20).

May the Lord direct your hearts . . .

Oh, the folly of trying to power through on my own apart from acknowledging my need for His continued active agency in circumcising my heart . . . in setting my affections towards Him and His holy place . . . in working in me “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Php. 2:13).

Director of my heart . . . direct.  Out of the abundance of Your grace . . . through the power of Your Spirit . . . for the glory of Your magnificent Son.

Amen?

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The Best Is Yet To Come!

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Pete

The herd had been spooked . . . they were “shaken in mind” and “alarmed.” From some supposedly authoritative voice they had been told that the Day of the Lord had come. The trumpet had sounded . . . the Son had collected His own . . . the Father had judged the wicked . . . game, set, match — so they were told. Yet there they stood . . . feet still planted on terra firma . . . the world still doing the world’s thing . . . the weeks after the Coming looking pretty much the same as the weeks before . . . the troubles of today feeling pretty much the same as those of yesterday. So, they were thinking, this is it? Really? And so, Paul writes to these confused, agitated, and unsettled believers . . . and assures them that the Day of the Lord had not yet occurred . . . that the best is yet to come.

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm . . .    (2Thessalonians 2:13-15a ESV)

Jesus is coming again. That’s been the message of God to His people since Jesus left (Acts 1:11) . . . the message to His followers even before He left (John 14:1-3). The question has always been, “When?” . . . the answer has always been, “Perhaps today!” And, while there are definite signs of the times, and certain milestones which will occur leading up to His return, no one knows exactly when (Matt. 24:36). But one thing Paul assures these wavering believers, is that when the Day has come, they will know it.

Paul explains some of the events which will take place leading up to the Lord’s return and, he lays out the dark dynamics that will envelope the world as the Day approaches (2:3-12). But it won’t be because these have happened that God’s people will know the Day of the Lord must have occurred. It will be because they have obtained “the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That’s the end game . . . it’s what Jesus desired of the Father for those He had been given . . . that they would know His glory . . . up close and personal (John 17:24). That just as the risen, ascended Christ had been the first to be raised with a body imperishable . . . and raised in glory and power (1Cor. 15:42-44) . . . so also, those who are His own, through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, will too be risen in glory. And it’s not just about how they will have been changed, but what they will have inherited . . . and Who they will be able to behold face-to-face.

There is, for the child of God, a glory to be obtained . . . there is a wonder to be entered into that defies description this side of heaven . . . there is a unreal reality that is reserved for those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We will be in the presence of the majestic King of Kings, and Lord of Lords . . . we will know the radiating reality of the holy, holy, holy nature of God emanating from His throne . . . we will behold His glory.

Many have already gone on to know such a reality . . . though their bodies are yet to join them. For those of us remaining, it remains to be seen whether or not we enter that reality through the grave . . . or through the clouds. But enter that reality, we will.

The best is yet to come . . . the prize of God’s call on our lives . . . the culmination of the Spirit’s sanctifying work . . . the hope of the good news that Jesus came to save sinners.

That’s how we’ll know for sure the day has come . . . we will have obtained the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . by His grace . . . and for His glory.

So then brothers & sisters . . . stand firm.

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