Calls Me Brother

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Pete

It was a year ago today that we were abruptly ushered into our current season. After my readings this morning I couldn’t help but pull up the e-mails of a year ago and read through them. E-mails to a network of praying people who were petitioning a listening God. E-mails that tried to inform of the emerging details of a crisis that surprised us . . . and that tried to also convey the reality of the presence of the God which sustained us. Sustained by the One who is not ashamed to call me “brother” . . .

For it was fitting that He, for Whom and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers . . .   (Hebrews 2:10-11, 14a ESV)

O the degree to which our God determined to enter our world! The depths to which His blessed Son willingly chose to identify with His wayward creation. God in flesh . . . God doing life on this orb . . . God subject to the frailties of the human body . . . God experiencing the realities of a world spoiled by sin. All that the Shepherd might know experientially what it was to be a sheep . . . “that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God” (2:17).

And because “He himself partook of the same things”, sharing in the flesh and blood of the children (2:14), He is able to help those who are being tempted (2:18) . . . able to come alongside those who have been thrown into the spiral of confusing circumstance . . . able to stabilize the shaking ground . . . able to impart Spirit-infused grace sufficient to maintain equilibrium.

Because He became flesh, He is not ashamed to identify with us as brothers and sisters. And because He has graciously elected to so connect Himself with us . . . to so encounter our realities . . . to so engage in our lives . . . we can know that ever present help in times of need.

And the wonder is less about realizing a happy ending than it is about knowing His abiding presence. It’s not great just because it could have been worse, it’s amazing because of the tangible reality of that which we embrace by faith. It’s not praiseworthy because it’s turns out how the way we want, it’s worthy of praise because He is all He has promised to be.

He calls me brother. I own Him as Lord.

Having promised me His world, He prepares me for it . . . having entered my world, He helps me through it . . .

A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.   
                                                                        (Proverbs 17:17 ESV)

Kind of rambling this morning . . . kind of thankful this morning . . .

By His grace . . . for His glory . . .

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Pay Attention!

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Pete

It’s been getting a lot of press over the past couple of years. More and more of us are multi-tasking behind the wheel . . . and it’s getting a little dangerous. The old “10 and 2” two hands on the steering wheel is increasingly becoming one hand at 12 or 6 and the other hand all over the place . . . holding a phone to our ears . . . quickly responding to a text . . . putting on a bit of makeup . . . stuffing that burger in our mouths. Not casting stones . . . I’m guilty (not so much of the phone, texting, or makeup . . . but a burger every once in awhile). And who hasn’t been next to that vehicle with the distracted driver? Often, even before you see what they’re doing behind the wheel, you know something’s not being attended to because the vehicle starts to drift. Kind of that way with the things of God as well . . .

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.   (Hebrews 2:1 ESV)

The writer to the Hebrews is contending for a group of believers who have heard and believed the Word . . . who have started to run the race . . . but are now getting distracted. For many of them, they are spending more time looking in the “rear view mirror” of the religious system and life they left rather than staying focused on the road in front of them. Doubts are setting in as they focus on the fact that they have left the popular for the unpopular . . . have left the majority opinion and adopted the position of the minority . . . have moved from the ranks of the multitude on “the wide road” and are experiencing the counter currents of trying to navigate the narrow way (Matt. 7:13-14). And they’re starting to drift . . . leaning again towards the shadows rather than the substance . . . being drawn again to the ritual rather than the reality . . . fading towards the temporal rather than staying the course toward the permanent (thanks Bill MacDonald for the contrasts).

And to this “distracted driving” the writer to the Hebrews cries, “Pay attention!” Stay focused, keep you eyes on Jesus . . . the fulfillment of the shadows . . . the reality behind the ritual . . . the King of kings forever. Put all your effort and concentration to keeping the things of Christ near to you . . . fixate on the wonder of His Person . . . meditate often on the amazing grace of His salvation . . . speak often of the hope that lies before . . . draw near often within the holy of holies offering worship to Him who is alone worthy. Pay attention . . . otherwise there’s the danger of “the drift”.

I’m guessing the number of people who wake up one morning and consciously make the decision to stop pursuing the things of the kingdom are relatively few . . . my bet is that for most who disengage it is a slow drift . . . caused by “distracted driving”. The focus becomes the trial . . . the prize becomes the wealth . . . the blessing is the happiness I can know here and now . . . the priorities look a lot like the priorities of the world. And the reading of the Word becomes more superficial and eventually skipped altogether . . . and meeting with God’s people just doesn’t fit into the weekend schedule . . . and fellowship with God is no longer nurtured but somehow assumed by default. Nothing terribly overt . . . just checking a text . . . putting on a bit of makeup . . . enjoying a burger. But enough to start the drift.

Oh how I need to keep first things first. How I need to be disciplined in seeking first the kingdom of God. How I need to keep my eyes on the road.

Not that I can power my way to the destination . . . that is a work of grace . . . by the Spirit of God . . . through the Word of God . . . in the Son of God. But I can seek to keep myself on the road. To pay attention to the things I have heard . . . to stay focused on those things which are being revealed by the Spirit . . . to hold fast — a “10 and 2” two-handed grip — on the things I have believed . . . lest I drift away.

I need to “put down the phone” . . . to resist the temptation to text . . . to trust Him to satisfy my hunger and let go of the burger . . . to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares me and run with endurance the race that is set before me (Heb. 12:1).

By His grace . . . for His glory . . .

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A More Excellent Name

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Pete

It’s a no-holds-barred type of argument. It comes out of the gates quickly and hits hard. It’s unrelenting in its rapid fire delivery of the facts. If it were being backed by an orchestra, as each example is given, the music would get louder building to a crescendo . . . the implications evident . . . the conclusion un-mistakable . . .

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.  
                                                                            (Hebrews 1:1-4 ESV)

Faith was fading for a number of these believers . . . questions were entering in . . . the temptation to go back to the old ways was, for many, increasing . . . and so the writer to the Hebrews comes out hard and comes out heavy in his letter. And he hits at the core of the gospel . . . he shines the light on the foundation of salvation . . . he starts by re-connecting the dots . . . it would all come down to what they believed about the Person known as Jesus of Nazareth.

The books of history would record the simple facts and data that, for most of His life, Jesus was a little known son of carpenter . . . that He surprisingly exploded on the scene when He was thirty and turned Israel upside down with His teaching and the signs and wonders that accompanied His claims about the kingdom of God . . . that the religious establishment was quick to put Him on their “most wanted” list for His blasphemous claims that He was Son of Man, the promised Messiah, the Son of God . . . that He was crucified on a Roman cross . . . that He was buried in a rock hewn tomb . . . and that His body disappeared. Them’s the facts . . .

Cue faith . . .

Did He simply die on a cross or did He make “purification for sins” . . . did His body mysteriously disappear or did He rise again, as He said He would, and ascend to heaven to sit down “at the right hand of the Majesty on high”? Was He “just Jesus” . . . or is He the Son by whom God is speaking to this world in these last days? Was He “just a man” . . . or, as He claimed, is He in fact the Son of Man . . . Heir of all things . . . Creator and Sustainer of all things . . . the radiance of God’s glory . . . the exact imprint of His being?

Was He just another human being . . . or was He God in flesh . . . superior to any and all created beings, superior even to angels? To which of the angels did God say, “You are my Son (1:5) . . . Your throne, O God, is forever and ever (1:8) . . . You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning”? Answer: None! Implication: He is superior and above all things . . . His name is not just another . . . His Name is the most excellent of names!

And when that is settled by faith . . . following just becomes the Spirit-infused, supernatural thing to do. The questions find answers . . . the temptations to go back or to give up are told, “Get behind me!”

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  
                                                                                (John 6:68-69 ESV)

O’ that we would see Jesus . . . and know afresh that Name that is above all names! Amen?

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Like Wool

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Pete

The prophet wastes no time. The vision is clear . . . the indictment is swift . . . the LORD has spoken. They were the children He had reared and brought up, but they rebelled. They had become a “sinful nation” . . . “a people laden with iniquity” . . . having forsaken and despised the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 1:1-4). Though they continued to go through the motions . . . though they continued with sacrifices and sacred ritual . . . God calls them on their “vain offerings” and declares, “I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly” (1:13). In a word, they were a mess. And in that mess, there was a word . . .

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”   (Isaiah 1:18 ESV)

Eighteen verses into this major prophet and you know two things. One, God is pretty much done with Israel’s game playing and their sin . . . He’s hit the wall with their rebellion . . . He’s fed up with their sham sacrifices . . . He will not endure their unfaithfulness any longer. Two, God is NOT done with His people. Even as judgment looms, there is a call to repentance . . . a continuing plea for His people to say no to sin (1:16-17). But should they do that, what about the damage already done . . . what about the stain that has discolored their souls . . . what about the dirt they have ground into the very fabric of their being?

Come, says my God, let’s noodle this through. I would not call you to repentance if there was no means by which to make you clean. I would not plead with you to turn if there was no way back. I would not call you into fellowship with Me if there was no means by which you could stand in My holy presence. True enough, the impact of sin is severe . . . it is contaminating . . . its impurities are wide ranging . . . the discoloration it brings is seemingly permanent. But I am God . . . and I say come . . . and so there must be a way. It is a way that removes the impurities . . . a way that doesn’t just white wash over the sin . . . but a way that takes the fabric of your being and restores to its original undyed whiteness . . . like wool.

This morning I marvel afresh that by God’s grace I am like wool. The stain not just hidden, but removed. The soiled fabric of my soul not replaced but re-born . . . having become a new creation . . . having boldness to approach the very throne of a God who is Holy, Holy, Holy . . . not because of any merit in me . . . but because the stain has been removed by Another.

And I wonder afresh at the gift of the “stain remover.” The blood of Jesus . . . sufficient to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

What price was paid that God might say, “Come . . . listen to me . . . let’s work this through”? What sacrifice was made by heaven that sinners, stained and discolored, might be made white as snow and become again as pure wool?

Praise God for the Son of God . . . come to remove stains . . .

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high . . .   (Hebrews 1:3 ESV)

Praise God that we might be counted as sons and daughters of God . . . like pure wool . . . having attained purification of sins . . . by grace alone . . . through faith alone . . . for God’s glory alone.

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Me Too!

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Pete

So I’ve been working my way through Esther this week as part of my reading plan. And a word has popped out at me a number of times. The word? “Favor.” The object of this favor? Esther.

First, Esther obtains or wins the favor of Hegai, the king’s custodian of the women brought for evaluation to replace Vashti as queen (2:9). And as Esther becomes known in the palace it says that she obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her (2:15). Then, after spending time with her, “the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight” (2:17).

The next time we see Esther finding favor is when she enters the kings courts uninvited to start her plea on behalf of the Jewish people. High risk proposition for Esther for she knew that anyone entering into the kings court without being called was to be put to death “except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, so that he may live” (4:11). “And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand.” (5:2).

The last three times we find the word favor, they are spoken by Esther to the King. “If I have found favor in your sight, come to a banquet” (5:8) . . . “If I have found favor in your sight, spare my life and the lives of my people” (7:3) . . . “If I have found favor your sight revoke the edict made by the evil Haman” (8:5).

So in this wonderful portion of Scripture that makes no specific mention of God or anything else religious (except maybe for fasting) there seems to be this theme of “favor”. Seven times the word is found . . . twice it translates a Hebrew word which means “mercy” or “kindness” . . . the other five times it translates a Hebrew word which means “grace”. And I sit back and say, “Yes! Isn’t the record of Esther a record of grace?”

She is part of a group of people who chose not to return to Jerusalem to rebuild when they were given the chance. The absence of anything religious in the account might indicate they were pretty secularized. And yet, God’s hand is so clearly on His people. The “coincidences” in the book can only be seen as the sovereign orchestration of a God determined to protect His people. Why? Not because of their devotion . . . but because of His grace and favor.

Esther’s position and power were through the favor she found . . . not because of the favor she merited. Her influence was because of the grace extended to her not because of the greatness in her. Esther’s protection was because of the mercy toward her not because of the magnificence within her.

It’s the grace of the King of Kings that holds out the golden scepter in acceptance.

And as I read Esther . . . and see my God quietly working behind the scenes . . . and see His care and protection for those He has made His own . . . I can’t help but fall in love with Him afresh. I can’t help but place myself in Esther’s shoes . . . a sinner who has found favor . . . a person with no rights to be in the King’s court yet who is accepted into His presence by the grace extended to me . . . and so I enter . . . and I love the King . . . because He first loved me.

Oh wondrous King . . . thank You for grace . . . thank You for finding favor in Your sight . . . thank You for the way into the inner courts through the blood of Christ Jesus . . .

When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. (Esther 8:4-5 ESV)

Me too!!!!

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Refresher of Hearts

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Pete

He was known for his love and faith . . . love and faith shown toward his Savior as He sought to live in response to the gospel . . . love and faith shown to his brothers and sisters in Christ as He sought to live out the implications of the gospel. Because he was grasping more and more “the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ” the living of his faith became more and more authentic and effective. And he gained somewhat of a reputation . . . Philemon was a refresher of hearts.

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. . . . Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
                                                                                       (Philemon 7, 20 ESV)

It really was kind of a complicated situation. In addition to being a believer, as well as a being perhaps an elder in the church that met in his home, Philemon was also a slave owner. Master and slaves were kind of a common part of the economy of the time . . . and he was in the master category. And a guy by the name of Onesimus . . . was in the slave category . . . he was Philemon’s slave . . . and he had gone AWOL . . . and there were certain rules and consequences when it came to slaves going AWOL. But this slave who had been lost to Philemon ended up being found by Christ through the apostle Paul. Paul “fathered” this fugitive slave into the kingdom of light . . . and now Paul, “the dad”, was appealing to Philemon, the transgressed against slave owner, on behalf of Paul’s child in the faith, Onesimus, “Receive him as you would receive me.” Like I said, a bit complicated.

And risky too. It’s not like Paul negotiates the terms of return in advance. It’s not like Paul goes one-on-one with Philemon, ensuring that Philemon will be cool with the whole “forgive the slave who betrayed you” thing before he sends Onesimus back to him. No, instead, because it’s the right thing for Onesimus to do, Paul sends him back with the letter making the request of Philemon to not only forgive this traitor slave but to receive him as he would any brother in Christ. Kind of high expectations on Paul’s part . . . but reputation sets expectation . . . and Philemon had a reputation and was known to be a refresher of hearts.

I love that term. At it’s simplest “refresh” means “to give rest” . . . but I like this little more wordy definition . . . “to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength”.

Philemon had a reputation for easing the burdens of others that they might be able to catch their breath and rejuvenate. The saints had known respite and renewal through Philemon’s practical expressions of love towards the family of God. And Paul was confident that Onesimus would know it too . . . and Paul anticipated the personal encouragement and refreshing of seeing Philemon step out of his master role and submit instead to the Master as he welcomed into fellowship this former slave as now a sibling in Christ.

The pictures of Christ in this little letter are pretty clear. Paul clearly plays the intercessor role pleading on behalf of this once wayward but now redeemed slave. Paul offers to recompense Philemon for any loss suffered as a result of Onesimus’ defection just a Jesus paid the price for my transgression. And Philemon is a reflector of Christ as well. He models the One who says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” . . . I will refresh your hearts . . . same word.

Oh, that I might too be a refresher of hearts . . . an encourager of the saints . . . a refuge and oasis by which others are able to catch their breath . . . and in so doing, be a reflection, if but a dim reflection, of the Savior . . .

. . . by His grace . . . for His glory.

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The Destructiveness of Pride

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Pete

It’s funny how the Scriptures can “talk to you” sometimes. Through events which occurred thousands of years earlier, and situations which you’d never find yourself in, there still arises a connection to an incident that gives cause to pause and reflect. I’m working my way through a reading plan . . . but the Holy Spirit is seeking to work the reading of Scriptures through me . . . that it might benefit me through “teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2Tim. 3:16). And as I sit back and think after this morning’s set of readings I can’t help but think that Haman would have done well to have read Proverbs.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.   
                                                                                     (Proverbs 18:16  ESV)

I read that short verse of wisdom after reading chapters five and six in Esther . . . and it jumped off the page of the warning Haman leaves for those with “ears to hear.”

Esther has a number of storylines that converge through a mysterious set of “circumstances”. There is a king who has, in my opinion, an over the top response to a wife trying to assert a bit of independence. There’s a set of cousins, the older assuming a father role as he brings up his younger female relative — they are Israelites who, rather than choosing to return to Jerusalem to rebuild, stay in the land of exile . . . and there’s an up-and-comer in the king’s courts who’s rising quickly through the ranks . . . gaining power and prestige at a kingdom level. And, though God is not mentioned once in this book, His fingerprints are all over it . . .

And while I have little in common with the setting, the situations, and the players in this drama, there are lessons to be learned from each of them. This morning, it’s the up-and-comer that teaches me a thing or two about the destructiveness of pride.

Apparently Haman’s name literally means “magnificent.” Kind of fits with the guy in this story . . . he was magnificent. Must have been very capable . . . I imagine that he might very well have been quite charismatic . . . a combination of all the right stuff . . . recognized by the king and rewarded with advancement to the top of the food chain of royal officials. Not only blessed with ability and position, you get the sense that he was also a man of means as he offers to finance a small war out of his own pocket. Had it all . . . except one thing . . . an old Jew (as in fatherly cousin above) refused to show him respect. While others bowed before him, this old man kept his seat at the gate . . . and became a festering thorn in Haman’s prideful side.

And Haman recounted to [his family and friends] the splendor of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honored him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the servants of the king . . . “Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”   (Esther 5:11, 13 ESV)

Really? It all means nothing because one man won’t bow the knee? How consumed is this guy with himself? Pretty!

And in his insatiable need to serve self he ends up, in effect, opposing God. In seeking to feed his own appetite for magnificence, even to the point of exterminating an entire people within the kingdom, he ends up destroying himself. He will build his own gallows unwittingly . . . he will set himself against the king’s in-laws . . . and even find himself assaulting the king’s wife. Talk about a fall . . . talk about pride going before destruction.

And while I can’t really relate to the extreme circumstances, I am warned about the insidious allure of pride. I’m reminded that promoting self can have a blinding effect. I’m cautioned about lifting myself up and the associated danger of finding myself in opposition to my King.

Oh, that by God’s grace, through the redeeming blood of His Son, and the renewing power of the Spirit, I might keep myself from such destructive arrogance.

For His glory . . .

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Making Jesus Cry

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Pete

The thought of Jesus weeping kind of arrested me this morning. I’m reading the account of His triumphal entry . . . that foreshadowing of His entry into Jerusalem as King . . . accompanied by such an outburst of public praise and worship that it rightly only belonged to God . . . that moment when the stones were queued up, ready to declare His glory, should the mouths of His disciples be silent. And amidst the adulation . . . unnoticed by most during this praise fest . . . Jesus wept.

And when He drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. . . . And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”    (Luke 19:41-42, 44b ESV)

Jerusalem . . . the place of “double peace” . . . the city of God’s choosing that His glory might dwell among His people. The city of peace which tragically did not recognize the Prince of Peace . . . the place of peace which did not see in Him the things that made for peace. A city which did not know the time of its visitation . . . a city so so wrapped up in prideful, blinded, man-made religion that it did not recognize that the Messiah they had been waiting for was entering its gates for one last inspection. And, as Jesus paused before entering Jerusalem’s gates, He wept.

It kind of puts a pit in your stomach to consider that the creation can be so lost that it causes the Creator to cry. Your heart breaks as the Shepherd looks to those who He would have as His flock only to be rejected by them. The Savior is in their midst . . . and they didn’t know it . . . they wouldn’t have it . . .

I wonder if sometimes I move Jesus to tears. I don’t know. But I wonder if there are times when He desires to reveal His glory but my heads so not in the game that I don’t recognize His entry. If there are times when He seeks to draw near but my face is turned away, distracted by some other “priority”. If there are times when He comes to visit and I don’t even know it. And if, in those times, it grieves my Savior.

But as I consider Jesus weeping, I’m also reminded of His compassion and commitment towards those He has called to be His own. That any tears of His that may fall in heaven over my denseness are reflective of His desire to complete the work He has begun in me. His blood being sufficient to cleanse me from all sin . . . His grace sufficient to cover my failures as I stumble while trying to walk in a manner worthy of the calling . . . His Word living and active and able to transform as it penetrates my thick skull . . . His Spirit powerful and persistent to conform me, more and more, to the image of the blessed Son of God.

I don’t want to make Jesus cry . . . if that’s possible. But how I thank God for a Lord who is compassionate and whose tender mercies never fail. How I praise the Father that the Son longs to dwell within me through the Spirit and, though there are times that I might “miss the visitation”, He will stand at the door and knock . . . and come in when invited . . . and clean house as necessary . . and forgive sins when confessed . . . and continue to reveal Himself as the Shepherd King.

For His glory . . .

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Worth Waiting For!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Pete

I missed one. Last week I was asking, “Who’s Your Savior?” I said that in Titus the term “our Savior” was found five times . . . that three times God was identified as “our Savior” and that twice “our Savior” was declared to be Christ Jesus . . . concluding that if God is our Savior and Christ is our Savior then they must be one and the same . . . evidence of the Scriptures revelation of God as a triune being . . . one God known in three Persons. But I missed one . . . didn’t show up because of the search string I typed into my handy-dandy Bible study program . . . perhaps I should have just diligently read the entire letter. Anyway, there’s one more . . . “hidden” from my search because of an adjective . . . overlooked because what was “implied” about the Godhead through the other verses is stated so clearly here . . . but worth waiting for . . .

. . . waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ . . . (Titus 2:13 ESV)

Paul’s encouraging Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (2:1). And the teaching being referred to is not the high and mind-stretching stuff of the Trinity but practical, down-to-earth instruction on how those who name the name of Christ are to live on a day-to-day basis. Whether older men and women, young people, or bond servants, there is a character to be developed and manner in which to live which will “adorn the doctrine” of the Savior (2:10). The walk complements the talk . . . the authentic cover of holy character beautifies the call of the kingdom. And the heart of this plea to live “self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age” (2:12b) is the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Ours is a call to go against the flow . . . to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions” (2:12a) . . . to instead pursue that which is aligned to being the redeemed, “a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works” (2:14). And the great motivator? The appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ! It will be worth waiting for . . .

Jesus is coming again. Having appeared once to bring salvation for all people (2:11), He is coming again to reveal His glory as King of all people. Having come the first time as the Lamb of God, He will come a second time as the Lord of Lords. And mine is to wait for His glorious appearing . . . to anticipate it . . . to look for it . . . to live in light of it. His glorious appearing becomes the filter through which I encounter life. It provides context for my priorities . . . it provides perspective concerning my trials . . . it provides a point on the horizon of the “there and then” which I can fix on, helping me in navigating the “here and now.”

It will be worth waiting for . . .

Oh, that I might live more in anticipation of our blessed hope. That I might more consistently be fixed on His imminent return. That I might adorn the doctrine of Christ with an authentic expression of what is means to be “a people for His own possession”.

All by His grace . . . all for His glory.

Worth waiting for? Absolutely!

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On Climbing Trees

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Pete

If you pause to reflect, he really does kind of capture the imagination. The guy’s a shrimp . . . just a little squirt . . . I also imagine him as being kind of out of shape . . . or in shape if you consider a pear a shape. You know he’s not liked very much . . . and I wonder which came first, being disliked because he was a tax collector, or becoming a tax collector because nobody ever liked him anyway. And I also sense that he’s not someone overly concerned with maintaining the status quo . . . that he had a bit of brass about him . . . not afraid to make a bit of scene if that’s what he felt he wanted to do. And, given the reputation of tax collectors of the day, the irony is not lost on me that this guy’s name literally means “pure” . . . I don’t think he was too pure. But what does surprise me as I form this Zacchaeus image in my mind is that this guy climbed trees.

And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for He was about to pass that way.   (Luke 19:2-4 ESV)

Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree. This small statured rich guy hoisted up his garment and shimmied his pudgy little body up one of the large branches/trunks emerging from the ground. This enemy of the people who had been lost in the crowd draws attention to himself as the leaves fall and the bark flakes off. He climbed a tree . . . because he wanted to see who Jesus.

That’s what Zacchaeus wanted . . . he wanted to know who Jesus was. From a human perspective, that set the ball rolling . . . that was the starting point to an encounter with Jesus which would change his life forever. And it occurs to me what a disservice we do this portion of God-breathed holy writ, if we think of it as only a kids’ story or we apply it only to salvation.

Now to be sure, it is a great salvation story . . . the coming together of one wanting to know Jesus and the Son of Man coming to seek and save the lost(Luke 19:10). It’s a great illustration of Jesus’ promise that for those who seek they will find (Matt. 7:7). But why would we think that this stops at salvation . . . that once we’ve seen Jesus, we don’t need to seek to see Him more? Shouldn’t the saved be climbing trees too?

Shouldn’t I continually be like Zacchaeus, seeking to see Jesus? Shouldn’t that be one of my priority life pursuits . . . to want to know the Son of God more and more? Couldn’t Zacchaeus be a daily inspiration? Even though I may be “too short” to see Him on my own, my desire to want to know Him should propel me to climb whatever tree I can find to see Him and interact with Him. And if I have the seeking heart of a Zacchaeus wouldn’t I expect that Jesus would be just as faithful to me as He was to ol’ Zach . . . that if I ask, and seek, and knock, then Jesus will answer and reveal and open . . . and the Jesus I seek to know more and more, I actually will know more and more?

How can I comprehend the width and length and depth and height of the love of Christ . . . if I don’t, like Zacchaeus, seek Jesus? Why wouldn’t I make the effort to “go out on a limb” every so often in order to seek to know the one who personifies that love which surpasses knowledge? Why wouldn’t I take God at His word and pursue knowing the un-knowable because God promises that He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Eph. 3:17-20)

That’s what happened to Zacchaeus that day. He climbed a tree in pursuit of knowing Jesus . . . and, it turns out, Jesus already knew him . . . and they connected . . . and they communed . . . and that pudgy little guy was never same from that day forward. And it all started with climbing a tree . . .

Who knows what encounter I’ll have with the living God, manifest in His Son, residing in me through His Holy Spirit, if I but seek to see Jesus . . .

Maybe I’ll climb a tree today . . .

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