Are You OK?

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Pete

Thinking about staying awake . . . not because I’m having trouble doing it right now . . . but because my reading this morning in Matthew 24 commands it. And it brings to mind an event that occurred 35 years ago this summer . . . an event where I didn’t stay awake. It was around midnight and I was driving back to the rail cars where I slept. I was a young, in shape (. . . I’m in shape now, as well . . . but it’s pear shape . . . ), laborer on a Canadian Pacific Railroad extra gang in the Rogers Pass of the Rocky Mountains. That summer I had learned how to work hard during the day . . . and also learned how to blow off steam at night. It was after one of those nights, when driving back to camp, that I learned the importance of staying awake. One moment I’m cruising down an empty mountain highway . . . listening to some rockin’ tunes on my cassette player (like I said, 35 years ago) . . . and the next morning there’s some dude calling to me through my front windshield asking, “Are you OK?” . . . I wasn’t.

Long story short, I had fallen asleep while driving my car. While I snoozed, I went off the road . . . down an embankment . . . and into a large, large chunk of mountain. Never knew what hit me . . . more accurately, never knew what I hit. Not until I came to, with the car engine in the front seat with me and hearing that voice calling to me, did I realize what had happened . . . and the damage that had been done to my body. Had it not been for the Father’s determined will to give me into the hands of His Son . . . and, for a guardian angel or two which I’m sure were dispatched to the scene . . . I shudder to think of what the outcome could have been. So, as one who has fallen asleep at the wheel . . . the Lord Jesus’ words resonate deeply this morning . . .

. . . Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. . . . Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:42, 44 ESV)

Jesus is coming again.

He has come once already . . . visiting via a virgin birth . . . living incognito for most of the 33 years He was here as an unassuming carpenter . . . but then “going public”, as the Lamb of God come to take away the sin of world (John 1:29) . . . embarking on a three year whirlwind ministry tour . . . calling people to repentance . . . inviting them to come to Him as Savior . . . dying on a cross for their sins in accordance with the Scriptures . . . buried in a rich man’s tomb . . . and rising on the third day, also in accordance with the Scriptures . . . eventually ascending into heaven . . . angels declaring, with promise, His intent to return (Acts 1:9-11).

Jesus is coming again . . . but this time it will be a “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and glory” (Matt. 24:30). With a loud trumpet call He will send out His angels to gather His elect (v.31). Concerning the day and hour, no one knows (v.36) . . . in fact, it will be at an hour we do not expect (v. 44) . . . therefore, stay awake . . . therefore, be ready.

Oh, to be caught snoozin’ at the wheel when the King returns . . . as a servant of the Master, to be found goofing off when He returns . . . to all of sudden come to, and to be surprised as I behold the Son’s glory and hear the Savior’s voice saying, “Are you OK?” . . . I dread the thought!

Instead, that I might be ever mindful of His return . . . be ever determined, as much as lies in me, to be about the business the Master has asked me to conduct . . . that I might be found awake . . . that I might be found ready . . .

That I might be OK . . . by His grace . . . and for His glory . . .

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A Prophetic Word

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Pete

Not quite sure how Balak knew about him. Perhaps he was listed under “Prophets for Hire” in the “Beyond the Jordan Yellow Pages.” Maybe he had a billboard or two set up along the road . . . “Blessings for Bucks, Curses for Cash” . . . “You Pay, I Pray” . . . “You Hire, I’ll Call Down Fire” . . . whatever. Bottom line is Balak, king of Moab, was shaking in his boots . . . he had seen what Israel had done to the Amorites . . . he knew he was in their path . . . if he couldn’t prevail by military might, maybe he could with some magical mischief. Cue Balaam, prophet for hire (Numbers 22).

So Balak has his prophet . . . but God, it turns out, has the prophet’s mouth (Numbers 23, 24). Even though Balak tries three times to get Balaam to “curse my enemies”, each time Balaam blesses “the dust of Jacob” as he’s compelled to “speak what the LORD puts in my mouth” (23:11-12). And what grabs me as I read these oracles of Balaam are the words that the LORD puts in this sleazy prophet’s mouth concerning Israel.

You know, Israel . . . the people you even now have been marching around the wilderness for decades because they had refused to believe and obey the LORD at Kadesh Barnea. You know, Israel . . . whiners extraordinaire . . . “Moses, we’re thirsty!” . . . “Moses, we’re hungry!” . . . “Moses, why did you bring us here!?!” . . . “Moses, we wanna go back to Egypt!” . . . “Moses, we’re getting sick of this manna stuff!” . . . blah, blah, blah. Yeah, Israel . . . who had, more than once, risen in rebellion against Moses . . . who had, more than once, been on the verge of God’s calling it “a wrap” on the Jacob initiative, being ready to start over again with another people . . . who had more than once, been the object of ardent intercession as Moses, on his face, pleaded for God’s mercy for the sake of God’s glory. Yeah, this Israel. But check out some of what the LORD says concerning them through this pseudo prophet . . .

“. . . [God] has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has He seen trouble in Israel. . . . The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. God brings them out of Egypt, and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. . . . How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. . . . God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox . . . “   (Numbers 23:21-22; 24:5-6, 8 ESV)

Really? God has “no bone to pick with Israel, He sees nothing wrong with Israel” (MSG)? Their tents are lovely? . . . prospering like gardens beside a river? . . . like cedars beside the waters? What Israel is Balaam hovering over? What Israel is God talking about? Oh, praise God, it is the people of His calling . . . the people in whom He has begun a good work . . . the people through whom He will be known and glorified . . . they are God’s people of promise . . . and God keeps His promise!

“God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change his mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?”   (Numbers 23:19 ESV)

The prophet’s words weren’t deserved by Israel’s performance, but delivered because of their God declared position. They weren’t reflective of this band of nomads’ practice, but proclaimed solely on the basis of their God ordained potential. It wasn’t about how perfect they had been, but about how powerful the God was, the God who declares Himself “for them”. It was about His promise to redeem them, and then remold them, as His people.

And I hear a similar “prophetic word” spoken over me this morning . . . not by not some prophet for hire, but through the abiding Spirit of God. Words not uttered because of who I am, but because of what He’s done . . . spoken not because of what I’ve done, but because of who He is. God has begun a work . . . a work based on a promise . . . a work focused on potential . . . a work that will be completed because of His power (Php. 1:6) . . . a work that He has determined to bless, and not curse . . . for His purposes . . . for His glory!

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Keeping Count

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Pete

It’s kind of interesting to think about the things God counts . . . and the things God doesn’t count. I work in a world where, if we care about it, we measure it . . . track it . . . report it on a dashboard. Now, I don’t think God has a “dashboard” He updates with His latest numbers . . . but I have read about a book or two where He keeps track of stuff. And not the stuff I might track if I were the eternal Sovereign. In fact, there’s stuff I might keep track of which He blots out and forgets (Isa. 43:25) . . . removing it far from us . . . as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12). No, instead, that which God counts . . . that which He keeps track of . . . is intended as a reminder of His constant care for us . . . and becomes the basis for our determination to trust Him in all circumstance.

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?   (Psalm 56:8 ESV)

Psalm 56 is another one of those Psalms, where David’s taking it in the teeth . . . “man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me” (v.1) . . . “all day long they injure my cause” (v.5) . . . “they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life” (v.6). Relentless! It just doesn’t stop! The attacks keep coming . . . the oppression keeps squeezing the breath out of him . . . desperation sets in. And where does David turn when there’s nowhere else to turn? “Be gracious to me, O God . . . When I am afraid, I put my trust in You . . . in God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? . . . What can man do to me?” (v.3, 4, 11). And David turns to the Lord with unwavering faith, because David knows that God counts stuff . . . that God is intimately aware of the situation . . . that He tracks with every detail.

David felt like a ball in a pinball machine . . . getting bounced here and there . . . tossed to and for . . . feeling kind of out of control . . . wandering, it seemed, aimlessly, as he endured the gauntlet. But David knew that God knew. That his Deliverer was keeping track of each step . . . that his Refuge was intimately familiar with each staggering path he was taking . . . that his Fortress was aware of every unsure step and would keep his feet from falling (v.13b).

I don’t think of David as a crier . . . but he must have shed a tear or two (or three) along the way . . . for he believed that the God of Creation collected his tears and put them in a bottle. That the drops that fell from his eyes, and ran down his cheeks, were collected, counted, recorded in a book (along with the associated reason for their being shed, I’m thinkin’) and stored by a God who is big enough to notice and track the smallest details of our lives. And, as the Spirit interceded with David’s spirit . . . assuring Him of God’s divine collection and counting ministry . . . in the midst of the tempest, David could pen with confidence, “This I know, that God is for me” (v. 9b).

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  (Romans 8:31, 37 ESV)

Oh, to be reminded that God is intimately aware of the details of our lives . . . even to the shedding of our tears.

” . . . in God I trust, I shall not be afraid . . .”

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The Free Gift

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Pete

Not all gifts are free. Some you might buy for yourself. Some might come with no cost up front but have an “easy payment plan” attached to them. Some might be given to you, free of any initial cost, but the expense and effort to maintain them makes you wonder if they are your possession or, if in fact, they possess you. And some might come with strings attached . . . free as long as you meet a condition or two . . . but gone if you mess up. This morning, as I savor the last part of Romans 5, I’m repeatedly reminded of a gift which is truly a free gift.

. . . For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many . . . For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification . . . much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.   (Romans 5:15-17 ESV)

The free gift brings justification . . . declaring the recipients “justified” . . . “just-as-if-I’d” . . . “just-as-if-I’d” never sinned. The case heard in the highest courts of heaven . . . the evidence presented . . . the verdict declared, “Guilty” . . . but the payment rendered . . . the blood of Jesus shed for the sins of many . . . atonement for sin made, once for all, for “whosoever believes” . . . the sentence commuted . . . no, more than that, the sinner declared just . . . the transgressor set apart and made holy . . . those once far off, brought near.

The free gift brings righteousness. A righteousness not of our own making . . . a righteousness not as a result of our own goodness and discipline . . . but a righteousness bound up in the Person of His spotless Son . . . a righteousness gifted freely to all who come to the cross and, by faith, receive the the abundance of His grace.

This gift is sourced in the grace of God . . . it is through the grace of His blessed Son, the man Jesus Christ . . . and it abounds for many . . . it overflows those who willing place themselves in its path . . . washing away all sin — past, present, future . . . exceeding what we could think or imagine as it raises us to sit with the King of Kings in heavenly places . . . conferring on us the rights of adopted children . . . heirs and joint heirs with Christ.

And that might be the most amazing aspect of it all . . . that, for those who receive the free gift, they will “reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.” What an interesting phrase, “reign in life”. It’s the terminology of royalty. We recipients of the free gift gain far more than escaping judgment . . . we are elevated far beyond just “getting by” . . . but are, in glorious reality, declared to be royals. Members of the King’s court beyond just the spans of this life, but carrying forward into the next . . . the gift exceeding the things of this earth, but extending to the new earth, as well. Think of it . . . we will reign with Him!

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
(Revelation 5:9-10 ESV)

A free gift that not only rescues . . . that not only renews . . . that not only reforms . . . but that repositions us to reign in life — now and forevermore.

Can I really grasp that? Do I really appreciate the full extent of the free gift?

O’ Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift! Amen?

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My Servant Moses

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Pete

She was done! No more playing second fiddle. No more living in the shadow. It was time to assert herself. She was Moses’ big sister . . . probably the one who had followed him as a baby as he floated down the river into the hands of Pharaoh’s daughters . . . watching from afar as he grew up and gained prominence in Egypt . . . wandering where he was during those 40 years he was in exile . . . rejoicing and leading worship after their deliverance from Egypt and crossing the Red Sea . . . privileged of God as a prophetess, God making Himself known to her in visions and dreams. But now, it seems she wanted more . . . she sought some of her brother’s spotlight . . . “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” (Numbers 12:2). Not a good move on her part . . . can anyone say, “Bad skin day!” (12:10, 15)

But it provides a forum for us to hear God’s testimony concerning Moses . . . three things the LORD declares in defense of “my servant Moses” (12:7, 8).

“The man Moses was very meek” (12:3). Given that all Scripture is God-breathed (2Tim. 3:16) . . . and that “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2Pet. 1:21) . . . this self-assessment, made by Moses, I take to be an attribute highlighted by God. Moses was a humble man . . . he was a lowly man . . . he was “gentle in mind.” Give him a personality test, and he’d be the guy happy to stay at home . . . maybe an introvert at heart . . . not seeking out a stage . . . not one to say, “Look at me!” Just the kind of guy God wanted (though it took a bit of coaxing to get him out of his comfort zone) . . . a courageous heart ready to respond in obedience . . . but a meek and gentle spirit . . . that the glory might be God’s alone.

“He is faithful in all My house” (12:7). God could count on Moses. He was a faithful steward . . . his heart tuned to the things of the LORD . . . taking seriously his role as God’s mouthpiece to God’s people . . . jealous for the reputation of the LORD, interceding for the people in their failure, that the Name of the Lord would not be disparaged. So God gave him the “run of the house.” It’s what happens with a faithful servant . . . they are faithful with the little initially entrusted to them, and are then given greater responsibilities . . . provided deeper access to the presence of the master . . . allowed more intimate contact with all aspects of his domain. Moses trusted the Lord and, in turn, was entrusted by the Lord.

“He beholds the form of the Lord” (12:8). A lowly spirit . . . a faithful servant’s heart . . . key factors, I think, making way for the privilege of intimate interaction with the living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Moses, above all things, desired the presence of the Lord . . . his passion was to behold God’s glory . . . and God, graciously invited him into deep and up-close communion. With Moses, God spoke “mouth to mouth” (ESV) . . . God conversed “face to face” (NKJV). The words were clear . . . not muddled in riddles. The conversations had moved from talking to a mysterious burning bush, to beholding the likeness of God . . . to interacting with some form of representation of the Almighty . . . to going one-on-one with the very presence of the Holy One of Israel.

Oh, that I would be less like Miriam and more like Moses.

That I would not seek the limelight . . . that I would not despise those called of God to a more public and acknowledged ministry . . . that I would not demand that which God has not given.

But instead, that self would be secondary . . . that I might be found faithful, with whatever my charge, as an entrusted servant . . . and that, by His grace and through the Spirit, I might behold the form of God, knowing intimate communion with the Savior of my soul, with the Lord of my life.

For His glory . . .

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Fully Convinced!

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Pete

I almost cringe as I think back to some of the things said about him at our men’s study just a few weeks ago. I guess it’s kind of easy to be an “arm chair quarterback” when it comes to scrutinizing the walk and decisions of others. To be sure, there were some decisions he made that causes you to shake your head and mutter, “What was he thinking?” There was more than one instance of him coming up with his own “plan B” because he couldn’t figure out how God was going to pull off God’s “plan A.” But as I read Romans 4 this morning, this divine commentary on Abraham, the father of faith, I’m reminded of what an example he is . . . reminded of the trail he blazed . . . stirred as I see the gospel played out in this Ancient . . .

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3, 20-22 ESV)

Faith, says the writer to the Hebrews, is the substance, or the assurance, of the things hoped for . . . it is the evidence, the conviction, of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). Or, as Paul would say of Abraham, it is being fully convinced that God is able to do what God has promised.

Promise . . . when you think about it, it’s all about promise. The promise of sins forgiven . . . the promise of new life imparted . . . the promise of transformation . . . the promise of one day being in His presence . . . and the list goes on. It’s about a work that God has started and that He promises He will complete (Php. 1:6) . . . it’s about a walk that God has called us to that He has promises He will enable us for . . . it’s about a way that runs counter to the world around us that He promises will serve as a witness of the manifold grace and wisdom of God to a world in darkness. And so we submit to the work . . . and try to walk the talk . . . and seek to follow the way . . . because of a promise . . . and because we are fully convinced God is able.

Abraham reminds us that it’s not about our ability . . . not about our performance . . . not about how right we get it the first time . . . but, at its core, it’s about what we believe concerning the Promiser. Abraham was promised an heir . . . but time passed . . . and nothing. He was getting old . . . Sarah’s womb was barren . . . sure, there were some misguided attempts at taking matters into their own hands, but even that was because they believed the promise. They did not waver concerning the promise . . . what they needed to realize was that God was able. And so, the longer they waited, the more they had to depend on God to fulfill the promise, the stronger their faith grew . . . giving glory to God — for He alone could bring life to a dead womb . . . they had to be fully convinced that God was able to do what He promised . . . and that, says Paul, is why faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

Keep the faith . . . might sound like one of those pat answers that some say doesn’t cut it . . . I’m thinking it does.

Oh, to be fully convinced that God is able. To rest not on my efforts but on His all sufficient grace alone. To keep on keepin’ on . . . not because I’ve got it all figured out, or because it’s all going my way, . . . but because I am sure that God will make good on what He has said (MSG) . . . that I am fully persuaded that what God has promised, He will perform (KJV).

And to those who believe, righteousness is imputed. To those who believe, righteousness is imparted. Really? Yeah, really. He promised!

It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:24-25 ESV)

Fully convinced . . . by His grace . . . for His glory!

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The Perfect Time

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Pete

They really are a series of very bold requests . . . especially considering that David had no right to ask for such things. We’re talking “busted” . . . found out . . . exposed . . . guilty as sin . . . literally! Kingly power compromised by unbridled passion . . . God’s favor leveraged for fleshly desires. And Nathan the prophet, David’s trusted advisor, nails him to the wall, “You are the man! You are the one who deserves to die! You are the rich man who steals the only sheep in the flock of a poor man . . . and then puts the poor man to death to cover your tracks!” (2Samuel 12). Like I said, “Busted!” And David gets it, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Not exactly the time you might think of going to God with a series of requests . . . but actually it was the perfect time.

Check out David’s list of requests in Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God . . . Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity . . . Cleanse me from my sin . . . Purge me with hyssop . . . Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow . . . Let me hear joy and gladness . . . Create in me a clean heart, O God . . . Cast me not away from Your presence . . . Restore to me the joy of Your salvation . . . Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God . . . O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth with declare Your praise.

You got to know the enemy of our souls went nuts when David decided to get on the “down elevator” and pushed the “rock bottom” button. No doubt, David had crashed and burned big time . . . no minimizing his transgression . . . no rationalizing his sin . . . no way of reducing the size of offense he had committed against a thrice holy God. But you also know that, in addition to the remorse that had gripped David, there was another voice hissing in his ear, “It’s hopeless! Your hopeless!” You can hear the accuser . . . “Game, set, match, buddy! That’s it. You have so blown it . . . no going back now. Inexcusable. God is done with you . . . turned His back.” But David knew another voice . . . the whisper of grace . . . the sound of a Savior. So . . . though broken . . . though crushed . . . with his chest so heavy, he could barely breathe . . . he makes petition to His God . . . knowing it was the perfect time to do so.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.    (Psalm 51:17 ESV)

To be sure, David knew his sin . . . but David also knew His God. David realized how bankrupt he was . . . but also remembered the depths of the riches of the mercy and grace of the LORD. David had no place to turn . . . nowhere to go . . . nothing he could do to make up for his folly . . . but he knew his way to the mercy seat of God. And there, he made his requests known to God.

And I’m taken with wonder of the salvation that God has wrought for us Davids. The One who is just, is also the justifier of those who have placed their faith, who have staked their lives, on the sufficiency of the finished work of Christ on the cross. Because of the blood shed, I can dare ask to be washed thoroughly from my iniquity . . . cleansed from my sin . . . made whiter than snow in the enveloping righteousness of the Son of God. Because of the abiding Spirit, guaranteeing that God will complete the work He has begun in me, I can ask that He would continue to create a clean heart in me . . . that He would continue to invite me into His presence. Because His grace is greater than all my sin, I can bring the desires of my heart before His throne, asking to know once again the joy of my salvation . . . to once again know gladness . . . to have my lips opened so that my mouth might declare His praise.

I’m not looking to sin . . . not wanting to get so low that the only place to look is up . . . but I thank God that, when I do mess up and trip up, there is a means of restoration . . . a way back. For He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9). Mine is to confess . . . mine is to petition . . . mine is to know that, in such circumstance, it’s the perfect time to bring before Him a series of very bold requests.

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A Matter of the Heart

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Pete

It’s funny . . . I’ve been staring down at this phrase for almost 30 minutes now. I’ve had at least 4 or 5 “false starts” on trying to put together some thoughts on a truth in Romans that has captured me this morning. The thought is that of a distinctive . . . a characteristic that marks the believer . . . something which sets apart the child of God . . . an act, which has been performed on the flesh since almost the beginning of time, but which God also enacts upon the inner beings of those He has called into His kingdom. When it comes down to it, it’s a matter of the heart.

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
(Romans 2:28-29 ESV)

The “procedure”, given to Abraham back in Genesis 17, was linked to the covenant God was entering into with Abraham and his seed . . . it was a means of Abraham and his progeny to associate themselves with the covenantal relationship God had called them into. In addition, it was symbolic of the cutting off of the flesh, the old nature, in order to pursue a life of consecration to their God . . . of putting off that which was impure and defiled in order to enjoy a relationship based on God’s calling of a holy people. But this distinctive had become a source of pride and boasting . . . as if, somehow, this outward act somehow translated into a spiritual reality.

But in his Romans 2 discussion of that which marks a true child of Abraham, Paul assets that it is not merely a matter of the “outward and physical”, but a matter of the heart.

And it’s not a matter of what what we can do to shape our hearts . . . not a matter of our discipline and performance . . . but an act of the Spirit. An act which marks the covenantal relationship we’ve been brought into with the God of our salvation . . . which puts to death the flesh . . . which enacts the power to put away that which defiles . . . which creates within “the patient” a desire to pursue the things of faith and obedience.

It’s not something I can do to myself . . . not a procedure I’m capable of performing . . . not something I can will into being . . . but it is the work of the Spirit of God. It is part of making a dead man alive . . . part of making an old creation new . . . part of making blind eyes see. It is what marks the child of God.

So, what can I do but thank Him? How can I not pause and praise? Oh, forgive me for the times when I’ve just blown over this truth without stopping to behold the wonder and to worship.

It’s a matter of the heart . . .

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Walking Erect

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Pete

From pictures I’ve seen, shows I’ve watched, there’s something about hard slavery that bows the back. It’s the classic portrait of a mistreated slave . . . shackles on the feet . . . head hung low . . . hopelessness embodied in their slow, plodding gate. Caged by a cruel master . . . crushed by oppression . . . curved by hard labor . . . that’s the picture in my mind of a slave. But God seeks to set the captive free . . . to rescue from the taskmaster . . . to liberate . . . to straighten the back . . . that those who were once slaves, might walk erect.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.   (Leviticus 26:13 ESV)

Wrapping up Leviticus this morning. God, speaking to Moses on Mt. Sinai, concludes His instructions with some “straight talk” on the blessings associated with obedience and the harsh discipline that will result from disobedience (ch. 26). And as God talks about His purposes in rescuing His people from Egypt, I go into “application mode” . . . ’cause I am, by the grace of God, and through the finished work of Christ, “His people.”

God’s desire is to dwell or “tabernacle” among His people (26:11a). He wants to be in their midst . . . to interact with them . . . to be present among them. He wants to walk with them . . . and to be owned by them . . . and, in turn, declare them to be His precious, holy possession (26:12). He is the LORD God . . . Jehovah . . . the I AM . . . the One who brought them out of Egypt, out of the word, with a mighty hand. And His intent is that they should no longer be slaves to a taskmaster of destruction . . . but that their yoke should be broken . . . that they might stand straight . . . that their heads would be lifted up . . . that they would walk erect.

And I can’t help but reflect on my own rescue. Once a slave of sin. Captive to a mind in subjection to pride . . . in bonds to the taskmaster of the flesh . . . conscripted to serve the ways of this world . . . not even aware of the burden being carried . . . of the hopelessness being embraced . . . thinking that walking with a bowed back was just the natural thing to do. But praise be to my Redeemer . . . to my Rescuer . . . to my God . . . who called me out of darkness into marvelous light (1Peter 2:9). Through His work on the cross, the grip of sin was broken . . . by His resurrection, the taskmaster of death was defeated . . . the totality of the things of earth gave way to the possibility of the things of heaven . . . and God, who desires to tabernacle with His people, moved in. The chains were stripped away . . . my feet were loosed . . . my hands were freed . . . my back straightened . . . my head lifted . . . and by His grace, I can walk erect.

My head raised, not because of who I am, but because of who He declared me to be in Christ . . . because of who He is making me to be through the sanctifying work of the indwelling Spirit . . . because of the hope that is mine and the land that awaits me . . . because, by His grace and power, He has rescued me. My head raised, knowing I am blameless before Him, having had my trespasses forgiven, as the price of redemption has been fully paid. My head raised, because I have been adopted as a child of God through Jesus Christ. My head raised because, according to the riches of His grace, He has given insight to the mystery of His will that, in day soon to come, He will unite all things in Him. My head raised, because I have obtained an inheritance . . . even now there is treasure being laid up . . . a place being prepared. My head raised, because I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of that which is now held by faith. My head raised because it is for freedom that Christ has set me free. (Eph.1:3-14, Gal. 5:1)

And so, by His grace, I walk erect. Trading the bonds of sin for the bonds of righteousness (Rom. 6:17-18). Pledging allegiance to a new Master . . . one whose yoke is easy, whose burden is light . . . who is gentle and lowly in heart and offers rest for the soul (Matt. 11:29-30). Exchanging the shackles that would trip me up and drag me down for an anchor for the soul . . . tethered to heaven itself . . . a hope that welcomes me into the very Holy of Holies (Heb. 6:19). Fixing my gaze upon the beauty of my Deliverer . . . desiring Him above all things!

Praise God for walking erect! Amen?

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There Is A River!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Pete

It pretty much happen every year. Weather gets warmer, rains seem to increase, and the rivers swell. “Flood watch” gets to be kind of a common term around here at this time of year. I drive over a small river on my way to work. Amazing how quickly it rises . . . and how close it can get to overflowing the berms put up to contain it. I was talking to a guy at work yesterday who said he grew up in a home along the Cedar River . . . “Never again,” he said, “Never again will I live by a river.” He talked of how dirty it was . . . of the anxiety that his parents felt when it started to breach its banks and water filled their yard . . . of the almost annual task of bringing in and placing sandbags to hold back the potentially destructive waters. How different from the river I’m considering this morning . . .

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.   (Psalm 46:4-5 ESV)

In the city of God . . . the place of the Most High’s habitation . . . there is a river. And far from being a threat, . . . instead of over flowing its banks with destructive flooding, . . . this river sends out streams of cheer . . . rivulets that cause rejoicing . . . channels of water that bring gladness . . . river fountains that “splash joy” (MSG).

As I think about, the thought of waters of refreshment is repeatedly associated with the place where God dwells . . . the place where His presence is known.

A Samaritan woman was told that if she would, by faith, receive the water that Jesus offered, that it would become in her “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Jesus also promised to those who thirsted, that if they would come to Him to meet that thirst . . . that if they would believe in Him . . . then out of their hearts would “flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). The source of that river? The abiding presence of God through His Spirit. And, in the heavenly New Jerusalem, where God will dwell, in all His glory, amongst His redeemed, there is “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city” (Rev. 22:1-2). God, in the midst of her, is the source of that river that makes glad the city of God.

There is a river . . . within all, and available to all, who have been made a holy habitation of God . . . whose bodies have been claimed as a temple of God.

There is a river . . . which should flow, even now, within this quieted heart which sits before Word in awe and wonder.

There is a river . . . which should reach flood stage, Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day, when the people of God come together, combining their trickling streams into a grand fountain of worship.

There is a river . . . which, regardless of circumstance, brings gladness and joy . . . refreshing waters that lead to rejoicing and praise . . .

Oh God, by Your grace . . . and for Your glory . . . may the river flow!

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