Can You Mega-Size That?

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Pete

To say that Paul lived a driven life probably would be an understatement. I’m guessing that, if they had used the term then, he’d have been considered a “Type A” personality. Even before his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus he seems to have been pretty driven . . . an up-and-comer in the ranks of the Pharisees . . . taught by the best . . . top of his class . . . with a zeal displayed by few others. Take this “natural” wiring for laser like focus and reconstitute the spiritual DNA from sinner to saint and you have a powerhouse, by the grace of God, for the kingdom of heaven.

I’m reading in Philippians 1 this morning and Paul’s single mindedness is so evident. Brothers, he says, I want you to know that my imprisonment is really furthering the gospel . . . the imperial guard and anyone else associated with my situation understands that it is for Christ that I am locked up . . . and beyond my prison walls, many others are becoming bold to speak the word of life . . . sure, some do it as a way of causing trouble for me . . . but others out of a love for Jesus and a love for the lost . . . bottom line is, it doesn’t matter as long as Christ is declared . . . and in that I am over the top pumped! (Php 1:12-15 PPV – Pete’s Paraphrase Version)

Paul was focused. It all funneled into one grand objective . . . one mission statement . . . one over-arching desire . . .

. . . it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.    (Philippians 1:20 ESV)

At the end of the day . . . whatever happened . . . whatever the circumstance . . . Paul’s fueling passion was to honor Christ in his body. The NIV and NASB translates it that Christ would be “exalted” in his body . . . and the NKJV, which I think nails this one, translates it, “so now also Christ will be magnified in my body”.

The original word is megaluno . . . literally to make great . . . to make conspicuous . . . to enlarge . . . to magnify . . . leading to deem or declare great . . . to highly esteem, extol, laud, celebrate . . . leading to bringing glory and praise. Whatever was going down around Paul his heart’s cry was that it would bring honor to Christ . . . that it would bring Him into greater focus . . . that within Paul’s circumstance Christ would be enlarged . . . that Jesus would be mega-sized.

And, whether you’re naturally a “Type A” or a “Type B” or “Type whatever”, as a believer you can’t noodle over this too long before being stirred to want to be a bit more like Paul . . . to wanting to also be a vessel through which Christ is magnified. I’m no Paul . . . I’m not sure I’d want Paul’s calling . . . nor would I want Paul’s confinement . . . but I am me . . . and I have my calling . . . and I have my circumstance . . . and in that, I too can desire that, with the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ within me, whether by life or by death, Christ would always be magnified in me.

Lofty goal . . . certainly beyond my natural ability to power my way towards . . . but with God all things are possible.

So Father, would you mega-size that? By Your grace . . . for Your glory . . .

Amen.

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Bring Me a Musician

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Pete

Sometimes you need a little help to connect with heaven. You know you’re in need of some divine one-on-one time but your heart isn’t focused . . . maybe it’s distracted . . . maybe it’s distraught . . . maybe it’s just in a bit of disarray. And so, you need a bit of help to “take a deep breath” . . . some assistance to re-establish a bit of equilibrium. In times like that, might not be a bad idea to take a cue from Elisha and say, “Bring me a musician!”

In 2Kings 3 Jehoram, son of Ahab, becomes king and continues in the ways of so many kings of Israel doing “evil in the sight of the LORD” and “clung to the sin of Jeroboam . . . which he made Israel to sin” (3:2). During his reign, the king of Moab rises up against him and so Jehoram pulls together his army to go fight Moab and he calls on Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom to join him against the Moabites. But before going into battle, Jehoshaphat, the godly one, asks, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD” (3;11)? And so the three kings go to Elisha to hear the counsel of God.

But Elisha is choked at seeing idol-worshipping Jehoram at his doorstep. You get the sense that he is really bugged by this hypocrite coming to him to hear the voice of the LORD. In fact, Elisha says that if it weren’t for Jehoshaphat being there he would not so much as look at Jehoram . . . much less intercede before God on his behalf (3:14). And then Elisha says the unexpected . . . something that wouldn’t have been on my radar . . .

” . . . But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the LORD came upon him.    (2Kings 3:15 ESV)

Here are three kings at his doorstep . . . with their armies parked in his front yard ready to go to war. And they are asking Elisha to do his “prophet thing” . . . but Elisha’s “not feeling it.” So what does Elisha do? . . . “I need someone to put on a concert” . . . and then, when the musician plays, the hand of God comes upon Elisha . . . the Spirit connects . . . direct cause and effect relationship. And I have to think, wow!!! How powerful is music??

Seeing Jehoram, Elisha was in no spiritual state to hear from God . . . he was torn up inside . . . vexed by this king who was leading Israel into continual sin . . . he was choked . . . miffed . . . ticked off. But if he were to fulfill his responsibilities as prophet he needed to “get right” . . . and that would be done through music. What a powerful ministry that musician had that day.

What a lesson to me on the potential power of music to shape my soul and spirit’s condition and help me be in a state to hear from the Spirit of God.

And I don’t think its just any music that can do that . . . and so I need to pick carefully what I listen to . . . to listen to music that will soothe my soul . . . will open my heart to hear the promptings of the Spirit. Paul says that there’s a direct connect between the moving of the Spirit and the making of music . . .

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart . . .    (Ephesians 5:18 ESV)

It’s not that the music itself will fill me with the Spirit . . . but the right kind of music can soothe a distressed or vexed soul . . . can prepare a heart . . . can open a person’s receptivity . . . such that the Holy Spirit’s voice can be heard. Would it surprise me that Satan might work to create a whole set of counterfeits which do nothing for the soul . . .which in fact clog up the heart and mind so that the Holy Spirit is quenched . . . I think so. Being aware of this then, I need to be thoughtful about the “musicians” I ask to play.

Be still my soul . . . bring me a musician . . .

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Word of God Speak

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Pete

The atmosphere in that Nazareth synagogue on that morning must have been charged with anticipation as Jesus stood to read. I bet you could have heard a pin drop as all eyes were fixed on Joseph’s son. It had been about a year since they first started hearing reports of Jesus stirring up things down south. I’m thinking they had heard about John the Baptizer’s outlandish claims concerning the “kid” they knew as the carpenter’s son . . . that the report of Jesus’ baptism and heavenly visitation had been the talk of the town. I’m guessing that news had continued to trickle back to His home town during the time He was away, His ministry in Judea getting more and more attention. And now He was home . . . He was with them in the synagogue . . . He had been handed the scroll containing Isaiah’s prophecy . . . He was getting ready to read . . .

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”    (Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

What must it have been like to hear Jesus speak? I imagine that the manner in which He read that passage conveyed so clearly that He was reading about Himself. Undoubtedly they had heard this passage concerning Messiah, and many like it, read before . . . but His reading was different . . . He wasn’t just reading about Messiah . . . it was clear that He was declaring that He was Messiah. Luke says that after He closed the book and sat down, “the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him” (4:20). They had just heard something read which they had heard countless times before . . . yet, they had just heard something that they had never heard before. And then, as if to verbalize what that everyone was trying to grasp, Jesus said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

And, initially at least, they all nodded their heads . . . they “bore witness to Him” (NKJV) . . . they “spoke well of Him” (ESV) . . . maybe you even heard a whispered “Amen!” here and there. They marveled, Luke writes, at the gracious words which were coming out of His mouth (4:22). Though the mood would change very quickly and they’d soon want to throw Him off a cliff (literally), at this moment, there was hushed amazement. It isn’t everyday You hear Messiah speak . . .

What must it have been like to hear Jesus’ declaration that morning? How do you process the Scriptures fulfilled before your very eyes? How do you take in the word of God when it is spoken up close and personal by the Son of God? Grace personified before you . . . proclaiming good news and liberty and healing and freedom. How do you respond to the concept of the year of the Lord’s favor when the Lord is there in your midst? They were in wonder . . . they were captivated by awe . . .

When you hear Him who is the Word of God speak forth the word of God, you can’t help but marvel . . . you can’t help but go silent and fix your eyes upon Him . . . you can’t help but sit back and quietly seek to absorb the words of grace spoken by the Giver of Grace . . . you can’t help but worship . . .

Word of God speak . . .

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The Real Victory

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Pete

What would it have been like to have been there? To be on Mount Carmel that morning when the ultimate smackdown, royal battle occurred. Imagine the headlines . . . “Elijah vs. the Prophets of Baal” . . . “1 vs. 450” . . . “Who’s Might is Right?”

We know the story . . . we know how crazy the prophets of Baal got trying to “wake up” their God to consume their sacrifice with fire. We know how Elijah mocked them . . . and then how he set up one of God’s most awesome displays of power. The wood laid out . . the bull sliced and diced and placed on the altar . . . 12 huge containers of water poured over the altar . . . and then . . . “BAM!!” . . . “the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench” (1Kings 18:38).

Those are the details that immediately stand out when I read of Elijah’s victory on Mt. Carmel . . . they tend to be what comes to mind when I think of the power of God displayed that day.

But reading 1Kings 18 again this morning, I’m reminded that, while I tend to remember the “wowie zowie” stuff of this story, that really wasn’t the main event . . . that ashes and dead pagan prophets wasn’t the real victory. Yeah, Elijah put Ahab and his prophets in their place . . . yeah, God showed Himself way-powerful . . . but the “hill that needed to taken” in this battle wasn’t Mt. Carmel . . . the real target that day was the people who watched.

Before anything happened that day Elijah addressed the people of God . . .

“How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow Him.” And the people did not answer him a word.   (1Kings 18:21 ESV)

This day wasn’t about Ahab . . . it wasn’t about the prophets of Baal . . . it was about a people who’s hearts had become cold and calloused toward God . . . it was about a limping people . . . a people who hobbled along the fence of two opinions . . . who couldn’t or wouldn’t pick and choose . . . who wanted to “play it both ways” . . . that was the real contest that day . . . that was the real battle. Contending for the hearts of wishy-washy people of God who lived like people of Baal.

After the prophets of Baal had cried out to Baal and slashed themselves and spilled their own blood and nothing had happened then, it was Elijah’s turn. And, after making the ready his sacrifice, Elijah then pleads with the God of heaven . . .

“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back.”   (1Kings 18:37 ESV)

There! That’s what this is all about! A gracious God going to great lengths in order to turn the hearts of His people back to Him. His chosen people who wouldn’t utter a word in response to Elijah’s challenge to declare their allegiance one way or the other — it was their hearts that Elijah was seeking that day. And when the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the most awesome display of power wasn’t what was going down on the ground but was happening in people’s hearts . . .

And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.”   (1Kings 18:38 ESV)

That was the main event . . . that was the real victory . . .that’s what I should recall first when I remember the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel . . . God turning His people’s hearts back to Him.

Oh the lengths to which God will go to seek and secure hearts that are wholly devoted to Him. How I need to beware of sitting on the fence . . . of limping along . . . of wanting the best of God and the best of this world . . . because ultimately it results in me not following God. How I need to guard my heart. But what a blessing to be reminded of the lengths to which the Father will go to restore His children . . . He who spared not His own Son will continue to patiently, lovingly, and powerfully draw my wandering heart back to Him.

Oh, that I would go facedown this morning, declaring my allegiance, “The LORD, He is God!” . . . that my limp would become a purposeful stride in following Him who alone is worthy of my my whole-hearted devotion . . .

For His glory . . .

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A Fragrant Offering

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Pete

It wouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind if were someone were to ask me to summarize what happened on the cross of Calvary . . . if were someone were to ask me to describe what took place on that hill some 2,000 years ago. Humanly, it was tortuous . . . horrific pain . . . unimaginable agony. Logically, it was incomprehensible . . . the Son of God, He who created all things, nailed to a tree . . . the perfect spotless Son of Man, without blemish, crucified for the “crimes” He committed . . . the Author of Life giving up His life. Theologically, it is my only hope and standing before a holy God . . . that through the precious blood of His blessed Son I have been redeemed . . . my sins atoned for . . . my debt paid.

But this morning, the Spirit reminds me of another “spin” on the significance of Calvary. Not a human perspective . . . not a logical view . . . less a theological statement of what was accomplished but more a view of how it was received. A view from the throne of God . . . one which stirs my soul . . .

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.    (Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV)

Usually when I read these opening verses of Ephesians 5 what catches my eye are the commands to obey . . . “be imitators of God” . . . “walk in love.” This morning what’s grabbed me is the great example Paul presents . . . that of Christ . . . the One who loved us while we were yet sinners . . . the One who gave Himself up for us that we might die to self for Him. And it’s the “color commentary” the Spirit has Paul add that evokes awe, wonder, and worship.

The tortuous cross . . . the incomprehensible cross . . . the cross of redemption . . . was also the cross of “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” . . . as the NKJV says, “a sweet-smelling aroma” ascending to the very portals of heaven.

How would you describe what happened on the cross? . . . Sweet-smelling! . . . Fragrant! . . Well-pleasing! Not answers that come to mind immediately . . . but meditate on them a bit and the “aroma of Calvary” starts to impact your own soul.

Sweet-smelling to the God of heaven as it was a sacrifice of God’s prescription . . . an offering of His own design. Perfectly prescribed and orchestrated . . sufficient to purchase back a lost creation . . . fully adequate to make a way for lost souls to be found . . . wholly capable of atoning for all sin, past, present, and future . . . a just manner by which sinners might be declared righteous by faith . . . the perfect expression of the love of God . . . the perfect demonstration of the grace of God. Sweet!

A pleasing aroma as it was His beloved Son on the altar . . . “the One in whom I am well pleased.” Second Person of the the Holy Trinity . . . God with us . . . manifest in flesh . . . come to do the Father’s will . . . come not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many . . . holy, blameless, spotless . . . a Shepherd willing to lay down His life for His Sheep . . . a fountain of living water prepared to be poured out so that those dying of thirst might drink and thirst no more . . . the Lamb of God come to take away the sins of the world.

Oh take it in, my soul. Draw deep breaths of such a God-pleasing aroma. Smell afresh the blessed scent of the Son of God. Inhale the well-pleasing odor of heaven . . . praise God for such a fragrant offering!

And then . . . having breathed deep . . . be an imitator of God . . . walking in love . . . just as Christ loved us . . . by His grace . . . and for His glory.

Even so, amen!

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The Connection

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Pete

It looks like there’s a connection . . . a cause and effect . . . an “if you want this” then “don’t be surprised if you get this” sort of relationship. Sometimes you need to be careful what you ask for . . . but if you want it bad enough, then you need to be prepared to “endure the pain” in order to “achieve the gain.” As I’m reading Psalm 119:65-72 I think I’m seeing such a connection.

What I notice at first is a repeated request by the psalmist . . . “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments” (119:66) . . . “You are good and do good; teach me Your statutes” (119:68). So the songwriter desires to be a student. Because he trusts in God’s word, he says, “Teach me” . . . because He has come to taste something of the nature of God, that God is in essence the definition and source of good, he prays, “Teach me.” I get that.

Teach me, Lord. That’s what I want. But, to be honest, where I go first with that thought is the classroom. As I open God’s word on my desk in the morning, I want His Spirit to open my eyes. I want to read and I ask Him to reveal. I want to study and I trust Him to instruct. And that’s a great way to learn. But then I notice a different venue for learning . . . I notice “the connection.”

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes. 
                                                                                      (Psalm 119:71 ESV)

The NLT puts it this way, “My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your decrees” . . . Peterson in The Message offers this paraphrase, “My troubles turned out all for the best–they forced me to learn from Your textbook.”

Truth be told, I prefer the classroom . . . reality be known, often God’s word is best understood in the furnace. Something about trials that solidifies the trustworthiness of God’s promises . . . something about the crucible that reveals the goodness of God . . . something about being humbled as you’re reminded that you’re not in control that causes you to cleave to the One who is . . . something about tribulation which provides “teachable moments”.

Theory’s great . . . asking the Spirit to help you see the promises . . . and understand the precepts . . . and grasp the principles . . . all that, is needful. But I’m thinking that, at some point, the heart that really wants to be taught is going to have the theory brought to life with some testing. At some point circumstances will be such that the Word needs to become the way.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.
                                                                                  (Psalm 119:67 ESV)

Really easy to be familiar with the “playbook” but still decide to “call audibles” according to my own wisdom . . . but something happens when the game gets out of control . . . something changes when my wisdom and my ways aren’t cutting it. It’s in those situations, when I need an anchor to hold onto . . . where I need something solid to stand upon . . . that I need ways and wisdom beyond my own . . . it’s in those situations, where I can learn the most concerning His truth. The promises come alive . . . the precepts ring true . . . the principles become a very practical GPS.

Yup . . . I think there’s a connection. Not that I’m looking for affliction . . . but I know that even in trials it is good for me . . . for in that “real-world classroom” He will reveal His word to me . . . that I might learn . . . that I might know . . . that I might walk in His ways . . and, ultimately, that He might receive the glory.

Amen?

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An Add to My Wish List

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Pete

I’m guessing we all have a wish list. Not saying that we’re covetous necessarily, but that if we were asked, “If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?” . . . most of us would have an answer . . . one or two (or three) things that we intensely desire. And it might not be material stuff . . . it might be a desire for a cure or restored health. And it might not even be for ourselves . . . it might something on our wish list that is for someone else. But, I’m guessing, if asked, we’d all come up with something.

In my reading in Psalm 119 this morning I was struck by something on the psalmist’s wish list. Actually on his “beg list” . . . on his “I-want-it-so-bad-I’m-at-the-point-of-being-sick-with-desire list”. And as I noodle on it, I can’t help but wonder why it wouldn’t be at the top of my list.

I entreat Your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise. (Psalm 119:58 ESV)

The psalmist, from the depths of his inner man, begs God for His face. Literally he is sick and weak with a consuming longing for the presence of God. His whole being cries out to know the countenance of God. It is the cry of Moses, “Please, show me Your glory” (Ex. 33:18).

The song writer sings from the depths of his heart of the desire to know afresh the favor of the LORD. Make Your goodness pass before me . . . proclaim Your name afresh such that I might know You more. You, O God, are gracious . . . show me Your grace . . . You, O God, abound in steadfast love and faithfulness . . . I want to know the depths of Your love . . . I want to comprehend the measure of Your beyond measure faithfulness.

Turn Your face toward me, O God! According to Your promise, let me comprehend and receive anew Your unmerited favor.

Spurgeon writes that “the presence of God is the highest form of His favor” and thus should be “the most urgent desire of gracious souls.”

And I wonder why it isn’t at the top of my wish list.

Maybe because I just assume His presence by default . . . after all He has taken up residence within me through the blessed Holy Spirit. Maybe because I’m content with yesterday’s encounter. Maybe because I’m must too busy or too distracted with more tangible desires and goals.

Whatever the reason, having known the favor of God should fuel a desire to know more the favor God. Having experienced God’s smile in the past should create a hunger and thirst for continual and increasing intimacy with His shining countenance. Having been awakened to the presence of God I should beseech the Lord with all my heart to know it in its fullness. Having known Him as my portion should fuel an intense passion to behold His fullness.

“If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?” It would be something out of this world . . .

I would beg to see Your face, Father . . . with all my heart, to know afresh Your presence . . .

Add that to the wish list.

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On Being Stuffed

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Pete

It’s kind of a funny thing to say, if you think about it. You know, you have eaten way more than you should have . . . you passed the daily recommended portion about two portions ago . . . and then you sit back, undo the button on your pants, and exclaim with a sigh, “I’m stuffed!” You know the feeling . . . you’ve packed it in . . . no more room left . . . one more bite and you’re going to burst. This morning, something I read in Ephesians, has me thinking not of eating but of being maxed out . . . topped up . . . at capacity . . . or, as Paul says, “filled with all the fullness.”

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.    (Ephesians 3:14-17 ESV)

Paul’s prayer for the saints was that they would be “filled with all the fullness of God.” Hmmm. Really? What does that even mean? Big, big, big God poured into puny people. Feeble, weak, “like the grass” creation jam packed with the abundance of the Creator of immeasurable power (Eph. 1:19) and who dwells in unapproachable light (1Tim. 6:16). Kind of hurts the brain a bit to think of what it means “in real life” to be filled with fullness of God. But if it weren’t possible . . . the God-breathed word of God wouldn’t say it was.

Whatever it is it is “according to the riches of His grace” . . . that’s a lot! It happens as we are strengthened by the Spirit of God and as the Son of God dwells in our hearts. The pump of this overflowing fullness is primed by being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ . . . and in pursuing the comprehension of the dimensions of this love which “surpasses knowledge.” And as we seek to know . . . as we hunger and thirst to understand . . . as we cry out for the Spirit to reveal and illuminate . . . as we invite Jesus to abide with us, Him in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9) . . . the word says we’ll get stuffed! . . . filled with the fullness of God.

I think it’s akin to what Peter refers to as partaking in the divine nature (2Pet. 1:4). Barnes says it means, “that you may have the richest measures of Divine consolation and of the Divine Presence; that you may partake of the entire enjoyment of God in the most ample measure in which he bestows his favors on his people.”

And if the child of God can really be filled with the fullness of God, then you got to think “there’s no room left for dessert.” As I’m filled with the fullness of God won’t self be displaced . . . as I overflow with the love of God, doesn’t that mean there’s no room left for hatred or bitterness . . . as the righteousness of Christ permeates every corner of my being, won’t that mean that the old nature has less and less to feed on . . . as He increases, don’t I decrease?

Filled with the fullness of God . . . a phrase so easy to read . . . so easy to just skim over . . . but just pause a moment and noodle on it . . . it overflows my cognitive capability . . . it wells up within my heart a worship response . . .

One of my favorite phrases from a Josh Wilson song is “it’s like trying to put the ocean in a cup.” That’s what I imagine being filled with the fullness of God to be like . . . great, big ocean poured into a teensy-weensy cup. But to quote another song writer, “Fill my cup, Lord!”

That I would be stuffed . . . that I would be filled with the fullness of God . . . for His glory . . . amen.

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A Glimmer of Glory

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Pete

There’s something about the glory of God that when you get a glimpse of it . . . when you sense something of the essence of His name . . . not only are you struck with awe . . . but you are also made keenly aware that “there’s more where that came from” . . . that what “meets the eye” is only a foretaste of something greater . . . that whatever you think you understand about the glory of God only serves to make it clear that you understand so little of the glory of God.

Reading in 1Kings 8 this morning . . . the temple is finished . . . the priests have brought in the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle which served them in the wilderness . . . and then they bring in the ark of the covenant of the LORD into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. And then it happens . . .

And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.    (1Kings 8:10-11 ESV)

The glory of God, seen in the cloud, fills the magnificent temple built by Solomon. What a sight!!!

All Israel stood around the temple in absolute amazement and awe!! I can’t imagine the stirring of their heart to be “that close” to God . . . to behold His glory. And Solomon gets on his knees, spreads out his hands toward heaven, and prays . . . and isn’t far into his prayer before he asks . . .

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house that I have built!    (1Kings 8:27 ESV)

Solomon gets it. This display of the glory of God on earth is just an indicator of that glory which cannot be contained. When I start thinking that I “get” the glory of God . . then I’ve lost sight of it.

The glory of God evokes wonder, awe, humility. The glory of God drives people to their knees. The glory of God causes people to understand that there is so much more . . . and stirs within people the intense desire to see more . . . to know more . . . to experience more . . .

“Will God indeed dwell on the earth?” Yes!!!! And again, Yes!!! But not in temples of stone . . . instead in hearts of flesh . . in and through the church . . . a building being fitted together . . . a holy temple in the Lord . . . a dwelling place of God in the Spirit . . . to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places!! (Eph. 2:21-22, 3:10) But this too is a but a shadow of the glory that is His who is enthroned in heavenly majesty.

Oh that something of the glory of God would be known in and through His people . . . not that we, as the but the vessel, might be noticed . . . but that the world might see Him and something of His glory and desire more.

The earth can’t contain Him . . . the temple couldn’t contain Him . . . the church can’t contain Him . . .but we can reveal Him . . . just a glimmer of glory.

Show us Your glory O God!!! Reveal Your glory in and through us, Lord!!! . . . “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other” (8:60). Amen.

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At the Opposite End of the Spectrum!

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Pete

It’s the contrast that grabs me . . . the difference between the “before” and “after” pictures. As I started in on my reading in Ephesians 2 this morning I’m told to remember the “before”. Words I highlighted are “separated” . . . “alienated” . . . “no hope” . . . “without God” (v.12). By the end of the passage the descriptors have changed . . . “fellow citizens” . . . “saints” . . . “members of the household of God” . . . “a holy temple in the Lord” . . . “a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (v.19-22). Talk about your opposite ends of the spectrum . . . from being estranged to being part of the family . . . from being without God to being a dwelling place for God. And what’s made difference?

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.    (Ephesians 2:13 ESV)

But now . . . you gotta love those two words, “But now!” They shout the love of God. Earlier in the chapter Paul reminds his readers that at one time they were the living dead . . . followers of the prince of the power of the air . . . passion driven . . . self-gratifying . . . “by nature children of wrath”. And then he writes, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (2:4-5). Moving to the opposite end of the spectrum starts with “but now”. It’s while I was still due south that God made the way for me to find true north . . . while I was still doing my own thing that He started to reveal to me His ways . . . while I still far off that He completed the work for me to be brought near.

And it’s “in Christ Jesus” where “spectrum travel” is possible. Never could I have earned the right to be a child of God . . . never could I have picked myself up and powered my way from being a son of disobedience to a being a member of God’s family. Just wasn’t going to happen. Apart from my identification with the risen Son of God there’s no getting from hopeless “point A” to His glorious “point B”. Apart from donning His righteousness and clothing myself with His holiness there’s nothing I bring that takes my sad “before” picture and turns it into an “after” picture worthy of being displayed as a trophy of God’s grace.

It’s the blood of Christ which provides the power for movement from one end of the spectrum to the other . . . the work of Christ on the cross which takes the stranger and adopts him as a son . . . the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God for my sin which allows an enemy to be called a brother and received as a joint heir . . . the grace of God which invites those who were once far off to be brought near . . . which calls to the dead to be alive.

There’s a blessing to be experienced by taking a few moments to remember that I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum. There’s a stirring of praise as I consider afresh that though once I was blind, now I see. There’s a sense of awe and desire to worship as I look back at what was . . . and consider what is . . . and imagine what will be.

This morning I thank God I am at the opposite end of the spectrum . . . all because I am “in Christ” . . . made possible only by the blood of Christ . . . and all for the glory of God. Amen?

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