Filled with the Fragrance

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Pete
Sometimes I go back in my e-journal and wonder what I wrote concerning a passage in a previous year’s devo. This morning I went back looking for this one . . . John 12:1-12 is one of my favorite passages . . . and this is one of my favorite posts. I re-read it this morning for my pleasure and to spur my meditation . . . recycling it hopefully for your encouragement . . . might we both be “filled with the fragrance” . . .

It never ceases to amaze me . . . never fails to cause me to pause and reflect . . . never loses its “awe-factor” as I try and picture in my mind’s eye (and nose) what it must have been like to have been there . . . and seen it happen . . . and smell it happen. I’m referring to those encounters with Jesus, recorded in the gospels, where He was anointed with costly aromatic oils by women who longed to touch Him and to shower upon Him extravagant worship. And, as I hover over the account in John 12 this morning, there is a desire to be filled with the fragrance.

Jesus is once again in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus . . . Lazarus the alive guy. And Jesus is around the supper table with His disciples and Lazarus . . . enjoying, no doubt, some sweet fellowship . . . when in walks Mary. And Mary finds her way to the feet of Jesus . . . that seems to be the setting on her “Jesus GPS” . . . “home”, for Mary, is at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:39, John 11:32).

Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair.  The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.   (John 12:3)

The house was filled with the fragrance. Ya’ think? Who hasn’t experienced coming across some lady who’s overdone it a bit with the perfume? Just a little dab too much and you can kind of smell her coming a mile way . . . and for mile after she’s left. So what’s the aroma like in the house after Mary has dumped a pound of perfume over Jesus. It’s everywhere! This simple, yet “no-holds-barred”, act of worship impacts everyone . . . not just those around the table . . . or in the room . . . but throughout the house. Everyone is made a participant in the adoration shown to Jesus . . . everyone is connected to this costly act of reverence and exaltation. To be in the house that day, was to have the smell of the anointed feet of Jesus burned almost permanently into your nostrils. Did Mary love Jesus? So much so you could smell the love.

And what about Jesus? If this is the same encounter as in Matthew 26, then not only did the pound of perfume find it’s way to His feet, but also over His head and entire body. Talk about your close encounters of the pungent kind. I have often thought that Jesus carried this anointing, done in preparation for His death, through the entire passion week . . . that all those who encountered Him that week . . . from those who arrested Him in the garden, to those who tried Him in the High Priests house, to those who beat Him, to those who nailed Him to the cross . . . that they all picked up on the aroma of costly perfume poured out on Him. His life literally a living sacrifice . . . His acceptable act of worship before the Father . . . as, in obedience, He completed the work He was sent to do. On Jesus too, you could smell the love.

But thanks to William MacDonald and his “Believer’s Bible Commentary” a new consideration was brought to my attention. What about Mary? She took that very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. Now 1Corinthians 11 says that a woman’s long hair is her glory (1Cor. 11:15) . . . and Mary took her glory and used it to wipe aromatic oils upon Jesus feet. So what did her hair smell like afterwards? And for how long? Her hair was filled with the fragrance of her worship. Her act of sacrificial love shown to the Savior would linger with her for days . . . maybe weeks. Her long tresses hanging over her shoulder would constantly emit wisps of her desire for Jesus. At night when she tied back her hair before going to sleep she would again be reminded of the precious privilege that was hers to touch His feet and declare her allegiance to His holy name. As she got back into the swing of life and the daily routine, would she still, every now and then, catch a whiff of the aroma of the extravagant worship she had directed to the One who alone is worthy of worship? How long, after worshiping Jesus, would she smell the love?

Oh, to know intimate communion at the table with Jesus . . . to take up my place at the feet of Jesus . . . to hold nothing back in declaring my love to Him . . . to reach out with hands of faith and touch Him in worshipful adoration . . . to pour out upon Him the oils of praise . . . do you think it could result in a bit of an “after aroma”. I’m thinking so! Oh, to be filled with the fragrance . . . for His glory . . . and my abiding joy . . . amen.

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The Glory Has Entered the Building!

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Pete

At men’s Bible study last week I was trying to be a bit facetious in order to make a point. In our “fly over” of the Old Testament we were “touching down” in Psalms. And so, to make the point that the book of Psalms is probably among the better known of the OT books, I asked, “Who has a favorite chapter in Leviticus? Who has a favorite chapter in Ezekiel? Now, who has a favorite chapter in Psalms?” Ain’t I witty! But what got me was a brother came up to me after the study and said, “You know, I do have a favorite chapter in Ezekiel . . . Ezekiel 43!” This morning it was clear to me why . . . the glory has entered the building!

In the eleventh chapter of Ezekiel’s prophecy, the prophet witnesses the glory departing from the temple. Of all the awful judgments leveled against hard-hearted, idol-worshiping, adulterous Israel, perhaps the worst was God’s personal evacuation of the temple. The glory in their midst was withdrawn . . . the presence of God was removed . . . the seat of His Holy Name was emptied. Oh, of all the consequences of their sin, I’ve got to think this was the worst.

But in chapter thirty-six, there’s a shift in the prophetic vision given to this “son of man.” It is a vision of restoration . . . of wholesale renovation . . . of sprinkling of clean water to rid Israel of their filth . . . of hearts of stone replaced with hearts of flesh . . . of a new spirit infused within their spirits . . . of dry, dead bones being brought to life . . . and of the assurance that a King would again rule (ch. 36-37). The vision continues with predictions of a returning conqueror . . . and the promise that God will again set His glory among the nations (ch. 38-39). And then, the prophecy slows to snails pace as Ezekiel is given a vision of a new temple . . . a detailed, you can draw blueprints from it, type of vision (ch. 41-42). So consistent with God’s past revelations concerning the place where He would determine to dwell.

And then, chapter forty-three . . . my friends favorite Ezekiel chapter . . . the glory re-enters the building!

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory. . . . And I fell on my face. As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple. . . . I heard One speaking to me out of the temple, and He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever . . . “   (Ezekiel 43:2-7a ESV)

The glory will again fill the temple. And this time it won’t be in the form of a pillar of fire. It won’t be an enveloping cloud falling upon the ark in some inner sanctuary which drives people from the inner courts so that the glory can only be beheld from afar. But the glory of the Lord will enter as a person. A person who’s presence will cause the earth to shine . . . a person who will claim the holy of holies as the place for His throne . . . a person who will speak make Himself known from the temple . . . a person who will dwell in the midst of His people. Behold, the glory of the LORD!

Can there be any doubt this is Jesus of Nazareth . . . the babe in the manger . . . the carpenter’s son . . . the radical rabbi . . . the Lamb of God . . . the Resurrection and the Life! The glory will return . . . bodily . . . boldly . . . and brightly. The glory will emanate from this Son of David and shine forth in majestic light. And you got to think that the response of those who behold the glory will be that of the prophet . . . “And I fell on my face.” What a day that will be!

But, as I pause, I’m reminded that the glory has already entered this temple. That God, by His Spirit, has taken up residence within this sinner-saved-by-grace . . . that He has “shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” . . . that the glory is dwelling within this jar of clay (2Cor. 4:6-7). And so this morning, I too would fall on my face . . .

Praise God that the Glory has entered the building! Amen?

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Double Speak

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Pete

No lack of material in John 11 to evoke wonder. Other than the cross itself, this, it seems to me, is the pinnacle of Jesus public ministry. A dead friend . . . grieving sisters . . . a tomb that’s been sealed for 4 days. It all comes together that Jesus might declare that He is “the resurrection and the life” . . . it all comes together that Jesus might ask, “Do you believe this?” A Shepherd weeping at death’s destruction . . . a Sovereign commanding that the stone before the tomb be taken away . . . a Savior crying out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And out walks a dead man alive . . . and many dead souls are also made alive as many believe in Him who is the resurrection. Amazing! Awesome! But there’s something else in this chapter which amazed me this morning . . . the double speak of Caiaphas, the high priest.

I always find it strange that it is this incident, Jesus raising a dead man to life, which in effect seals His fate. This is the final straw for the hard-heart, stiff-necked band of Jews who have responsibility for the spiritual welfare of the people. He’s raised someone from the dead, they acknowledge . . . if we let Him keep going like this, soon everyone’s going to believe in Him . . . and what will that mean for us? . . . and what will the Romans do if we lose our seat of power? (John 11:47-48) We’ve got to kill this Giver of life, they say . . . and while we are at it, we need to take out this Lazarus guy, as well (John 12:9-11) . . . we need to kill the dead guy who was made alive and make him dead again so that we get rid of the evidence of the power of the One who made Him alive. Crazy, huh?

Specifically, it’s Caiaphas, the high priest, who puts “the hit” out on Jesus. While the others fret over the loss of their prestige if more and more people start believing in Jesus, it’s Caiaphas who declares what must be done . . . but it’s also God who is speaking through him . . . it’s double speak . . .

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.    (John 11:49-52 ESV)

And I wonder at the Sovereignty of God that His ways are declared even through the mouth of a twisted, darkness-infested, sham of a religious leader. That while these puppet rulers of Israel think it’s their idea to put to death the Son of God for the sake of the nation, it has, in fact, always been the eternal purpose of The Ruler of Creation to offer His Son as a once-for-all sacrifice for the sin of His people and for all those who become children of God by faith. I’m amazed afresh at the reminder that God directs the events of earth in order to accomplish the purposes of heaven.

What man intended for evil, God, from before the foundations of the earth, had architected for good. Though they thought they were taking matters into their own hands, they were in fact exercising their warped will within the determined will of the Redeemer of men. The words Caiaphas thought he was speaking to protect his own self interest, was, in reality, the declaration of a God who so loved the world that He would give His only Son to reclaim His creation.

O’ what a Sovereign . . . O’ what a Savior!

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Show Me Your Face

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Pete

“Show me your face!” That’s the cry of wanting someone to make themselves known. You might be aware of their presence in a room . . . you might see their form in the shadows . . . even if they are standing right in front of you but with a shrouded head . . . until they show you their face, you can’t really know who they are. I’m reading in Ezekiel again this morning and God “fast forwards” the prophet. He tells Ezekiel to speak concerning the “latter days” when God will allow Gog, the king of the land Magog and all the peoples of the north, to come against Israel “like a cloud covering the land” . . . those days when God will bring them against the land of His people, “that the nations may know Me, when through you, O Gog, I will vindicate My holiness before their eyes” (Eze. 38:14-16).

It will be the battle to end all battles when God makes known His glory know among the nations and the house of Israel will “know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward” (Eze. 39:21-22). And how will they know? What will be different this time than in times past?

And I will not hide My face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.   (Ezekiel 39:29 ESV)

God’s face is no longer hidden when His Spirit is poured out. He is no longer just the presence in the room . . . not just a form in the shadows . . . not there but shrouded in a cloak of unknowableness (probably not a word). When He pours out His Spirit on those He has called for Himself, He shows His face . . . makes Himself known . . . is able to be beheld, if though only as a through a mirror dimly at first.

I read this prophecy from an ancient day concerning a future day and am in awe that, by the grace of God, I am actively engaged in a foreshadowing of its fulfillment in this present day. As believers we have had the Spirit poured out into our lives. For those who have “heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him” we have been “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:13-14).

And the seal of God leads to the reveal of God . . . “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God . . . the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God . . . we have the mind of Christ.” (1Cor. 2:10, 12, 16b).

And the guarantee of inheritance is the manner of His inhabitance . . . “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1John 3:24).

God’s Spirit dwelling in God’s people making known God’s face. O’ to the think of the intimate fellowship afforded to the child of God through the indwelling Spirit of God. Isn’t it a cause for awe and wonder? Isn’t it a catalyst for praise? Doesn’t the fact that God has made His face available compel us to cry out with Moses, “Please, show me Your glory!” (Ex. 33:18)

I’m thinkin’ . . .

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It Ain’t About Me!

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Pete

We . . . I . . . do have a way of making it all about us . . . me. And I get why. The gospel is such good news and has had such a huge impact on the life of the believer that it’s hard not to sit back in awe of the blessings we have been graced to receive. I was going there this morning as I spent some extended time in Ezekiel this morning amazed at God’s pursuit of Israel and, by application, His pursuit of me.

God calls out the unfaithful shepherds of Israel and then says, “I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out . . . I will rescue them . . . I myself will be their shepherd . . . I will seek the lost” (34:15-16). When He has gathered the sheep, the Lord GOD then determines to reconstitute the sheep . . . after cleansing them with clean water, He determines to give them a new heart and a new spirit . . . to remove their hearts of stone and replace them with a heart of flesh . . . to put His Spirit within them . . . so that “you shall be My people, and I will be your God” (36:22-28). He also declares that He will take those who once were like dry bones and remake them . . . breathing life into them . . . placing His Spirit within born again dead people (37:1-14). He then covenants to save them from their backsliding and to set a king over them who will shepherd them . . . through whom He says He will establish an everlasting promise of peace (37:23b-26).

How blessed is Israel to be? How blessed am I? But wait . . . it ain’t about me!!!

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name . . . (Ezekiel 36:22 ESV)

To be sure, I am a recipient of grace . . . I am a benefactor of His unmerited favor . . . but let me not think that it’s about me. God has determined to act for the sake of His holy name. God has sought and saved so that He might be known. The wonder of the gift should not supplant the wonder due the Giver. Amazing grace should lead to awe-inspired worship.

Seems to me that if we . . . I . . . get too fixed on the blessings, then I run the danger of starting to think that somehow I deserved them . . . that I did something right. If I become locked on the benefits I enjoy as a child of God, I might start to measure God’s goodness by how good things are for me right now. Instead, I need to be reminded that I God has acted for the sake of His Name . . . that it might be exalted . . . that it might lifted up . . . and that the redemption I’ve known . . . and the restoration I’m experiencing . . . and the resurrection I’m anticipating . . . are all about glorifying that altogether wonderful Name.

Mine is to live for the glory of that Name. Mine is to praise Him for His benefits not because of what they do for me but because of what they say about Him. That He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Ps. 103:8).

To be sure, I . . . we, as believers . . . have been blessed . . . blessed “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3). We have been chosen by a Shepherd seeking lost sheep . . . we have been spiritually reconstituted “that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4) . . . we have been made His people by “adoption as sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:5). But it’s not about us . . . me. It is all “to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6).

It is ALL to the praise of His glorious grace.

O’ may the redeemed lift up the Name of the Redeemer . . . may the blessed bless the Blessor . . .

Bless the LORD, O you His angels,
   you mighty ones who do His word,
   obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the LORD, all His hosts,
   His ministers, who do His will!
Bless the LORD, all His works,
   in all places of His dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!     (Psalm 103:20-22 ESV)

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Our Anointing

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Pete

I’m hovering over a thought in 1John this morning. The thought that I have been anointed . . . the thought that this anointing doesn’t just rest on me, but abides in me. Often we identify “the anointing” with those who seem to have a special calling or a unique gifting . . . “They are anointed,” we say. But John is writing to his “little children” (2:1) . . . encouraging them to “walk in the light” (1:7) . . . admonishing them not to “love the world or the things in the world” (2:15) . . . and warning them of the antichrists, those who deny the Father and the Son, who twist the truth and speak lies and would seek to deceive the people of God (2:18-22, 26). And what is it that the allows the “little children” of God to walk in the light . . . and say no to the world . . . and to stand fast in the truth? Our anointing.

But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge . . . But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything–and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you–abide in Him.   (1John 2:20, 27 ESV)

I have been smeared . . . that’s the literal idea behind the word “anoint.” Probably the picture that comes to mind is that of the priests of old who had a mixture of oil and aromatic herbs sprinkled on them as preparation for serving in the sanctuary . . . or perhaps, the woman who poured out perfume of worship upon the head and feet of Jesus is what we envision. You think anointing and you think of being covered . . . and the covering isn’t visible, but it’s presence is known through the aroma of the oil or perfume emanating from the anointed.

And if I can identify with the “little children” whom John is writing too (and I think I can), then I have been anointed by the Holy One. An anointing given the moment I believed (2Cor. 1:21). An anointing that rests upon me . . . an anointing which abides in me. The oil of God given to permeate every aspect of my being . . . my heart, my soul, my mind.

The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is our anointing. He is the oil . . . He is the perfume. And it’s not that “special believers” have an anointing . . . it’s that all believers have a “special anointing.” We’ve all been smeared. The Holy Spirit has been poured out into our lives. His mission is to make Christ known to us . . . to enable us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior . . . and, by that knowledge transform us, conforming us to the image of Christ . . . making us like Him . . . in thought . . . in action.

It’s so easy to think of this anointing as some “force” within us . . . and all too often we settle for a “dormant force.” But that is so far from how I think the Holy Spirit wants to operate. First, He’s not an “it” . . . He’s a “He”. Second, He is God. And third, He desires to abide with us . . . to engage in continual fellowship . . . to engage in our lives 24/7. He is the “personal” as in “personal relationship” with God. He’s the “in you” as in “Christ in you.” He is what makes it happen.

Praise God for our anointing! O, that we might become more adept at hearing His voice and recognizing His leading. That we might truly be permeated by His presence. That the aroma of God Himself would emanate from our beings through this blessed anointing of His Holy Spirit.

By His grace . . . for His glory.

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Living at Dawn

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Pete

I remember as a kid it being a pretty big deal to see the sun come up. Based on how I remember it, I think I must have been a pretty good sleeper . . . it was a special happening, like getting an early start on family vacation, when mom or dad would get us kids up so early that we’d be conscious for sunrise. Now, most of my days start in the dark and I just take seeing the dawn for granted. But something I read in 1John this morning may change that . . .

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.    (1John 2:7-8 ESV)

John’s purpose in writing this letter is “so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1:3). The reality of communion with one another is founded on the reality of our communion with the Father and His Son. The Father having made full provision for such intimate fellowship between the Creator and His creation as “the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin” (1:7) . . . and “He is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins” (2:2) . . . Jesus Christ the righteous not only making the way but bringing us into the way as the “Advocate with the Father” (2:1).

And the evidence of such relationship? “And this is how we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments” (2:3). Obedience is the not the basis for fellowship, it is the evidence. It’s not that I try to serve Jesus hoping it will put me in good stead with the Father . . . rather, because I am in good stead with the Father through the finished work of His Son, I love Jesus and desire to serve Him. And so the old commandments are given new power . . . the right stuff is still the right stuff but now I have the right enabling to do the right stuff . . . because I’m living at dawn.

The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining . . .

In a very real sense I’m living at dawn . . . seeing, by the grace of God, the darkness of the old man giving way more and more to the light that has been placed within my heart, “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2Cor. 4:6). I’m not there yet . . . oh, so not there yet! But the darkness is passing away . . . and I’m living more and more in the reality of the marvelous light I have been called into (1Peter 2:9). I’m not there yet . . . but I’m also not where I once was . . . praise be to God alone!

I’m living at dawn . . . the light before me becoming more and more attractive than the darkness around me. The shadows dissipating as the glory on the horizon captures more and more of my attention and my interest. It’s the work that God has begun in me, the work He has promised to complete at the day Jesus returns (Php. 1:6) . . . to bring me more and more in line with the reality of my deliverance from the domain of darkness and my transfer to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col. 1:13) . . . my walk being more in the light and less in the dark.

I don’t know how long this thought might stay with me, but I’m thinking it has the possibility of changing how I view sunrise . . . that each dawn becomes a reminder that just as the night gives way to the day, so too for the believer . . . for this believer . . . the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

O’ shine true Light . . . remove the shadows . . . fill the house . . . that the fellowship might be sweet . . . that our joy might be made complete (1John 1:4).

By Your grace . . . for Your glory!

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A Life-Changing Answer

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Pete

It really is one of the best dramas in all of Scripture. There are a number of characters in the mix . . . plots and sub-plots playing out . . . winners who appear to lose and losers who think they are winning . . . and it all culminates in one grand question and in an equally grand, life-changing answer.

It’s the story of the man blind from birth in John 9. A man chosen by God in eternity past “that the works of God might be displayed in him” (9:3b). This guy who has never set functioning eyes on anything has a “chance encounter” with One who created everything he’s never seen. Take a bit of dirt . . . add some saliva . . . shape into a mini mud pack . . . place it on the non-functioning eyes . . . go wash in the pool of Siloam . . . and BAM!!!! . . . this dude “came back seeing” (9:6-7).

Don’t know how old this guy was . . . but it says he was a man . . . an adult . . . an adult who had never processed anything through his optic nerve . . . but now, he’s in overload mode. Color . . . shapes . . . for the first time connecting smells he had long known with the objects that produced them . . . experiencing the wonder of attaching sounds he had heard for a lifetime with the sound-makers they came from. Once relegated to being a stationary beggar at the side of the road, to now independently navigating his way around town. And was it ever creating a stir around town. His story of the mud-maker named Jesus who touched his eyes and gave him sight was on all the local news outlets . . . and they end up bringing him to the Pharisees that they might provide insight was to what happened and who this Jesus was. Bad move!

It’s absolutely unbelievable . . . almost comical . . . the dialogue these “learned men of God” have with this once blind beggar of newly found sight. They were intent on denying the implications of such miracle . . . “this man is not from God” (9:16). They argue eye to eye with this blind man . . . they verify his identity . . . they confirm his reality, that he was born blind . . . and they still refuse his testimony.

But how do you argue with a blind man whose eyes peer into your own? How do you debate someone whose bottom line is “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see?” (9:25) You don’t . . . you either concede the miracle and the implications it has for the miracle-producer . . . or, as was true in this case, you get rid of the evidence from before your eyes . . . you, in effect blind yourself . . . and so, the Pharisees cast out the man from their presence.

And that sets up this man’s second encounter with Jesus. Jesus looks not only for the blind . . . but also for the castaway. And so this time the man beholds the Savior as he talks to Him. The man recognizes the voice . . . he knows he is talking to the mud-slinger, to the one who gave him sight . . . and so he’s all ears . . . ready to learn from the One who is the proven blindness-breaker. And the Savior asks the man the question . . . the question asked at some point of all men and women . . . the eternity defining question, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (9:35). And in order to answer, the man asks one clarifying question of his own, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” (9:36)

Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.   (John 9:37-38 ESV)

Lord, I believe! That, my friends, is a life changing answer. It sets the course for eternity. It connects heaven and earth. It is the answer given by those who have eyes to see. Jesus is the Son of Man . . . He is the Son of God . . . He is the Giver of sight . . . He is the Light of the world . . . He is the Savior of all who believe!

And this man of recently received sight, now has his tongue loosed . . . and he worships. Talk about your two-fer!

The touch of the Master . . . a life-changing answer . . . and worship from those who were once blind. To Him be all glory! Amen?

Shackled by a heavy burden,
‘Neath a load of guilt and shame,
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.

Since I’ve met this blessed savior,
Since He’s cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I’ll shout it while eternity rolls.

He touched me! Oh! He touched me!
And O’ the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened, and now I know,
He touched me, and made me whole.    (He Touched Me – Bill & Gloria Gaither)

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Too Soon?

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Pete

Is it too soon to start focusing on the incarnation? In a sense, it’s kind of a crazy question. What’s happened to us that we’ve relegated the wonder of Immanuel to a once a year consideration starting after Thanksgiving (here in the USA). Many of us cringe that the sellers of goods start “decking their halls” before Halloween . . . while Christmas is much anticipated, please not too soon! But back to Immanuel . . . back to God in flesh . . . what a chunk of wonder we put in the closet, along with the decorations, for most of the year. Well, John’s not waiting . . .

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life–the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us–that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.   (1John 1:1-3 ESV)

That which was from the beginning . . . the Word of life . . . the eternal life . . . with the Father . . . manifest to us . . . seen with our eyes . . . looked upon and touched with our hands . . . it’s enough to make the awe-o-meter go off its scale!

Maybe we should spend more time chewing on the wonder of “God with Us” apart from “the Season” . . . away from all the craziness . . . separated from the events and the traditions. More frequently taking some downtime, setting apart some quiet time to consider afresh that the eternal Word of life was manifest to men . . . seen and handled . . . encountered and engaged. To ask again, What manner of love compelled God the Father to send His Son Jesus Christ to humble Himself, take on the form of a man, own the essence of servant, and interact with a fallen world with the purpose of giving His perfect life as a substitutionary death for fallen men and women? To think that the plan of redemption required that the Redeemer become like those He desired to redeem . . . yet without sin.

And then to consider anew that He came not only to pay the price for our sin . . . but to also restore the relationship we were created for. Redeemed and reconciled . . . and our fellowship is with the Father and His Son . . . unreal! Amen?

How easy to take it for granted . . . to become complacent at the magnitude of privilege that is mine to get up each morning knowing that the Spirit looks forward to my morning devo’s as much as I do . . . that as I long to “re-connect” through the Word, meditation, and prayer, He too is equally anxious to commune with me. Really? Yeah, I’m thinkin’ . . .

Fellowship with the Father . . . communion with the Son . . . by faith seeing and handling the Word of life . . . through the Spirit hearing His voice . . . O’ praise God for the Word manifest among us.

Forgive us Lord for packaging the incarnation into a distraction filled box of time at the end of the year. Instead, Spirit who desires to make Him known, let us never stray far from the wonder of the Life that was manifest among us.

Too soon to start focusing on the incarnation? Evidently not!

O’ come let us adore Him!

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People In Pursuit

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Pete

There are some questions that just get to the core of the issue. Questions that don’t take a lot of words to form but can take volumes to answer. Questions that might seem pretty simple on the surface but, if pondered, take you way below the surface and to the deepest of implications. Questions that cut right to the heart . . . leaving no place to hide . . . no room to wiggle around the answer. Peter’s pen, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is moved to ask such a question:

. . . what sort of people ought you to be . . .   (2Peter 3:11 ESV)

Peter has spent two letters encouraging these saints to “keep on keepin’ on” . . . to remain faithful. Four times in this letter (2Peter 1:12,13,15; 3:1) he says that his purpose in writing is to stir up these believers by reminding them of what they know to be true concerning their salvation, their Savior, and His soon return. And after reminding them that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night . . . and that the things of this earth will be destroyed . . . he asks them, “What kind of people ought you to be?” (NIV)

Literally, it seems, the question could be translated, “from what country, nation or tribe are you?” . . . and the secondary sense is “what sort of quality should mark you?” The people of God should be marching to the beat of different drummer than this world.

. . . what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God . . .   (2Peter 3:11-12a ESV)

Our values . . . our priorities . . . our tastes . . . should all declare the type of people we are . . . and the country we hail from. We are to reflect something of the King into whose courts we have been brought . . . we should mirror something of the Father into whose family we have been adopted . . . we should display something of the nature and being of Him who is transforming us into His image. And thus, holiness should mark us . . . godliness should describe us. That’s the kind of people God’s people ought to be.

Not that we’re up to the task in ourselves . . . doesn’t take much self-examination to realize that left to our own abilities, we fall terribly short. But that’s why Peter writes to these believers and stirs up their remembrance . . . the whole point is that we are not left to our own . . . that “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” (2Peter 1:3-4 NLT)

As a believer in Christ I have all the tools I need to participate in the divine nature . . . God doesn’t call me to live in a holy and godly manner without equipping me to do so.

And I know it’s complex . . . I know that the lust of the flesh and the seducing voice of the world can be so strong and at times overwhelming. But I also know that God has promised that no temptation will overtake us which is not common to man . . . and that God is faithful . . . and that He will not let us be tempted beyond our ability, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that we might be overcomers (1Cor. 10:13). God is faithful . . . what we need to bring to the table is a holy determination to seek His voice . . . hear it . . . and to obey it.

What manner of people ought we to be? It’s a question worth asking . . . a question worth answering . . . and an answer worth pursuing.

We should be people in pursuit . . . the pursuit of holiness and godliness . . . by the grace of God . . . through the Spirit of God . . . for the glory of God.

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