Just As He Said

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Pete

I kind of like the way Genesis 21 begins. Somewhat understated, actually . . . kind of matter of fact . . . almost with an air of “what else did you expect?” about it. But it jumps off the page . . . it’s one of those bottom-line statements . . . a bit of rock-solid truth worthy of planting my feet upon . . .

The LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as He had promised. (Genesis 21:1 ESV)

Not a lot of fanfare . . . no trumpets blaring . . . no confetti and streamers falling from the sky . . . just a bit of laughter — laughter of joy, laughter heavily seasoned with awe, laughter ascending as a sweet smelling aroma of adoring worship to the throne of God (21:6). A baby at her bosom . . . Jehovah having visited her, just as He said . . . the God of creation, creating life in an old, worn-out women, just as He promised.

Just as He said . . . just as He promised. Sounds so simple . . . so easy . . . so, “why didn’t you just trust and believe?”

But, if I’m doing the math right, it had been 25 years since this chosen couple of God first heard the promise. Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran . . . where he had first heard God’s promise that he would become a great nation (12:3-4). Now, as he learned to change diapers, he was 100 years old (21:5). It had been 15 years earlier that “Operation Hagar, Plan B” has been conceived . . . literally . . the 14 year old son of an Egyptian maidservant a constant reminder (but not for long) at how desperate they had become to try and help God make good on His commitments. Sounds foolish . . . but think about . . . 25 years . . . waiting on the promise! Who’s going to throw the first stone? Not me!

But time is our nemesis, not God’s.

If there’s anything I can take away from the biography of Abraham and Sarah, it’s that God will do just as He says . . . just as He promises.

Mine is to know the promise . . . believe the promise . . . and trust in Him during the time of it’s fulfillment. To not be discouraged when doubts arise . . . to not be derailed when my impatience causes me to question . . . to not quit the race because I tried to take a dumb short-cut. But, like Abraham, to keep going back to the Father with my, “Really LORD? When LORD?” . . . to return to His word . . . and believe His word (15:1-6).

Simple . . . not easy . . . but true . . .

Just as He said . . . just as He promised. That’s how my God operates. Amen?

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The Answer Is . . .

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Pete

It’s one of those penetrating questions. Not a complicated question . . . in fact, the answer is sort of a no-brainer. However, the implications of the answer are such that it gives occasion to pause and reflect . . . to consider the implications of the answer . . . to noodle on what difference the answer makes if I were to truly believe the answer.

I’m reading in Genesis 18 this morning. Though God has long ago promised Abraham and Sara they would have a son . . . nothing! Though God has covenanted to provide Abraham with descendants beyond counting, so far, not one. Time passes . . . and no “tummy” forms on Sara. They get so desperate trying to figure out how God is going to fulfill His promise that they take matters into their own hands, Sara insisting that Abraham father a child through her maidservant, Hagar . . . bad idea.

So, in Genesis 18, the Lord appears to Abraham for the express purpose of hand-delivering a post-dated birth announcement, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son” (18:10). Sarah’s eavesdropping outside the tent . . . hears the conversation . . . and laughs. Not laughs as in “Wow! This is great! Ha, ha, ha . . . who would have thunk!” No, she laughs as in, “Yeah? Really? Heh, heh. Not only am I past my prime . . . I’m past my secondary . . . and tertiary, as well. Menopause is but a faint memory. And Abraham’s no spring chicken himself. Really? Will I really know the joy of bearing a child? You’ve got to be kidding. Heh, heh, heh.”

You can’t blame her. Time has a way of eroding “the dream”. At some point you just need to get real. Cue the question . . . time to get unreal!

The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:13-14 ESV)

That’s the question that caught my attention this morning . . . “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Not a lot of choices when it comes to potential answers . . . I’m thinking just two. Not a lot of choices, really, if God is God . . . I’m thinking just one. So why’s it even necessary to ask the question?

Because sometimes it’s a struggle for a barren woman to connect the promises of God with the empty crib in the baby’s tent. Because sometimes its hard to wait on God’s timing when we have our own ideas of how things should play out. Because sometimes, while we believe nothing’s too hard for God, we don’t really believe God wants to act. Because sometimes we just want to lean to our own understanding. And so, though maybe not out loud like Sarah, we snicker to ourselves and say, “Really?”

That’s when we need to be reminded of the question . . . that’s when we need to stop obsessing over ourselves and our situation and re-focus on the LORD . . . that’s when we need the Spirit to ask us again, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” And that’s when we need to say firmly, “No!” Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). With God all things are possible (Matt. 19:26). “For all the promises of God find their Yes in [Christ]. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory” (2Cor. 1:20).

God is able . . . period. As to His purposes . . . His timing . . . those I need to leave to a God for Whom nothing is too hard. And then, by His grace, I can laugh . . . laugh with joy . . . laugh with wonder . . . laugh knowing that I can trust in the Lord, acknowledging Him in all my ways, confident He will direct my paths.

Is anything too hard for God? The answer is . . . ?

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Uneducated, Common Men

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Pete

Did they cringe when they heard that name again? Was it like nails being dragged on a chalk board to hear His name declared with boldness as the power behind the miracle? They thought they were done with Him. Sure, there was the empty tomb . . . and all the rumors that were flying in the weeks after that fateful weekend . . . but, I wonder, did they think that they were done with Him? But now, they were once again confronted with Jesus Christ of Nazareth . . . it was “deja vu all over again.” Here they were . . . hastily gathered together as a council . . . father-in-law and son-in-law at the forefront . . . current high priest and former high priest . . . learned men . . . men of privilege . . . men of understanding . . . men of influence and power. And before them? . . . Uneducated, common men.

The first part of Acts 4 is a classic showdown. On one side of the room, the religious establishment . . . each holding a degree at “Rabbinical U” . . . PhD’s in the things of God . . . having climbed the ladder and reached the top . . . the movers and shakers of the synagogue movement . . . the top of the food change . . . the big kahunas. And before them, Peter and John . . . blue collar types . . . fishermen . . . laborers . . . high school graduates, at best. They are way out of their natural element . . . instead of being in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, they were arrested on Solomon’s portico at the temple in Jerusalem . . . instead of mending nets, they are preaching the power of faith in Jesus . . . declaring the power of resurrection . . . asserting that a risen Christ is actively engaged with broken people . . . calling for repentance “that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (3:20) . . . proclaiming that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved” (4:12).

So there they stand, fishermen before learned men . . . nobodies before somebodies . . . rank and file before the commanders and chief . . .

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13 ESV)

They may have been infuriated by hearing the name of Jesus again . . . they may have scoffed at the ridiculous notion of resurrection . . . but they were blown away by the boldness of these men. They marveled . . . even, perhaps, admired the manner with which Peter and John responded to their questioning. Answering with such clarity . . . with such confidence . . . with such conviction. Laymen with nothing more than the basics in Scripture training, referring to the prophets as though it were second nature . . . identifying the risen Jesus as the foretold cornerstone (4:11).

And that was the other thing the council recognized . . . they recognized that these two rag tag commoners had been with Jesus. Perhaps they recalled seeing them with Jesus during His itinerant ministry . . . maybe they remembered their faces during that chaotic day of His arrest, trial, and crucifixion . . . but I wonder if, in addition, there was something about them, as they stood before the council, that just exuded Jesus. After all, disciples become like their teachers . . . servants eventually take on the characteristics of their masters. Yeah, I imagine that there was something about these two fishermen . . . the words they spoke . . . the manner in which they spoke . . . indicators that they were filled with the Holy Spirit (4:8) . . . the evidence, written all over them, that they had spent quality time with Jesus. These uneducated, common men.

O’, that this uneducated, common man might be so bold . . . the he might be so filled with the Spirit of God that the Son of God would be recognized . . . and that it might be for the glory of God . . .

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Altars As Anchors

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Pete

How important are anchors? Solid fixtures that we can tether ourselves to that provide stability . . . things we can latch onto when life gets a little chaotic . . . structures put in place that help re-establish our equilibrium. And I’m thinking worship can be one of those anchors in our lives . . . a touch point which, whenever we return to it, helps get our legs back underneath us . . . our internal GPS reset . . . our feet set again on solid ground. It’s Abram’s journey into the promised land that’s got me thinking about altars as anchors.

Faithful Abram has heeded God’s call . . . a call founded on the promise of an inheritance . . . a call to leave his country and go . . . a call to be going without knowing exactly where the going was to. And Abram responds to the promise . . . “so Abram went, as the Lord told him” (Gen. 12:4).

And as they enter the land of Canaan, the Lord appears to Abram and says, “Abram, this is it . . . this is the place of promise . . . the place where I will establish you as a great nation . . . the place where I will bless you . . . the place where I will establish you so that in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (12:7, 2-3). And Abram’s response to this revelation?

So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:7 ESV)

From there, Abram moves deeper into the land. Walking, literally, on the promise of God, he again lays done another anchor . . .

From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:8 ESV)

As Abram tastes the reality of God’s promises . . . as he experiences the reality of God’s presence . . . as his feet come in contact with the solid ground of God’s place . . . he responds with an offering. He builds an altar . . . a place of sacrifice . . . a place on earth that acknowledges the God of heaven . . . a place where the heart’s desire is to propel a sweet smelling aroma to the portals of heaven . . . that the blessing of the day might be tethered to the God of tomorrow.

And there He calls upon the name of the LORD. There He cries out to the God of the journey . . . praising Him for the land He has seen . . . invoking His continued favor as He continues, by faith, to explore the land He will one day possess. As the smoke arises . . . as Abram’s voice is lifted up . . . I imagine awe and worship. “Who am I, Lord that I should know such favor? Who am I, that I should stand amidst such promise? I am nothing . . . but You! . . . You, O God of my calling . . . You are everything . . . I worship You!”

The next time I read of Abram at an altar, calling upon the name of the Lord, is in Genesis 13 . . . after a little “side trip” to Egypt. Talk about your precarious time . . . Abram heads into “the world” in order to meet his basic needs as famine strikes Canaan. There, because of His deceit and deception, he ends up losing his wife to the courts of Pharaoh. There, by the grace and sovereign purposes of God, his wife is protected . . . and Abram is prospered . . . and they leave Egypt. And Abram returns to his anchor . . . to “the place where his tent had been at the beginning” . . . “to the place where he had made an altar at first” . . . “and there Abram called upon the name of the LORD” (13:3-4).

The altar, an anchor . . . the place of worship, a tether to the throne of God . . . the offering of the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, a means of re-gaining some equilibrium in chaotic life circumstances. O’ that my altars would be many . . . that my offerings would be frequent . . . that my feet would be set on solid ground . . . that He might be receive all the glory . . .

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The Mighty Works of God

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Pete

The two scenes couldn’t have been more different. One involved in a huge crowd, the other just a few people . . . one involved a cacophony of sound, the other, I imagine, hushed whispers . . . one centered primarily around 12 men who had been hanging out in Jerusalem, the other focused on a small child, overshadowed by His mother, in a small, non-descript home in Bethlehem . . . one involved proclamation, the other worship . . . both however, were sourced in the same subject matter . . . the mighty works of God.

My reading plan has me in Matthew 2:1-12 and Acts 2:1-21 (even that looks pretty similar). Matthew’s account is that of the magi’s visit to Bethlehem in search of a king . . . Luke’s account, in Acts, is the visitation of the Spirit of God upon a band of apostles waiting for a promise.

In Matthew’s account three men (I know, I know . . . nowhere does it say three . . . but, there were three gifts given . . . and it was a small house . . . so, I’ll go with three) are welcomed into the house and then, are ushered into the kingdom of heaven. Their journey of faith culminates with them face to face with the one spoken of by Micah, the prophet. And I can imagine these men of wealth, and power, and influence . . . these who were more accustomed to having people bow down to them . . . I can see them humbling themselves . . . falling at least to their knees, and perhaps even facedown . . . and worshiping the One who, though appearing as a baby, they believed to be a King. And, as they worship, they open their treasures and offer him gifts. Pretty subdued . . . just a small group . . . not a lot of talking . . . just the Spirit’s whisper to searching hearts . . . and a whole lot of worshiping . . .

Flash forward some 33 years . . . to a day of Pentecost . . . and, before the day is done, three thousand souls will be added to the legions of the redeemed (Acts 2:41). Hear the noise! Far from the Spirit’s whisper, this scene entails the Spirit’s shout! A sound like a mighty rushing wind descends . . . tongues of fire resting on the twelve . . . each of them speaking in other languages as the Spirit gives them utterance. And it draws a crowd . . . . a bewildered multitude . . . as each of them hears the message in their own language . . . an amazed and astonished flash mob as they hear, in their own tongue, “the mighty works of God”. Talk about your revival!

I’ll be honest . . . I’d love to be part of a Spirit descending, wind blowing, tongues of fire resting, revival . . . but it seems to me that most often it is the quiet working of the Spirit within searching hearts that most of us are called to be part of. And, as I noodle on these two very different visitations of the Spirit, I am drawn to the common element in both stories . . . the mighty works of God .

Behold the mighty works of God . . . Immanuel . . . God in flesh . . . God with us. Come to Him . . . Jesus . . . Jehovah saves . . . “for He will save His people from their sins.” Bow before Him . . . the King . . . “a Ruler who will shepherd My people”.

Sense the Spirit’s moving . . . sometimes in big and loud ways . . . but most often, just like it is now, in the quietness of a small room . . . before a desk with an open Bible . . . stirring the heart . . . lifting the soul . . . forming offerings of worship ready to be given as gifts of adoration.

Two very different stories . . . two very different outpourings of the Spirit . . .

One common focus . . . Jesus. One common response . . . awe . . . wonder . . . and worship. One common desire . . . to Him be all glory. Amen!

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The Question

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Pete

It’s the question that set the course of history. It’s the first question encountered in the Scriptures. That it is encountered so quickly, might seem kind of amazing . . . but there it is . . . put out there by a slimy deceiver . . . fumbled with by God’s still relatively fresh, and obviously frail, creation . . . the set up that would establish the essence of the battleground for all the days of the earth. Did God really say . . . ?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”   (Genesis 3:1 ESV)

The Fall . . . pretty familiar story . . . pretty far-reaching consequences . . . but I’m stuck, this morning, on the fact that it began with a question. A seed of doubt planted . . . a bit of confusion created . . . human rationale appealed to . . . human reasoning relied upon . . . the ways of God processed within the context of the wisdom of man . . . and BAM! . . . off the edge of the cliff . . . nothing but air under your feet . . .

And it occurs to me that the serpent’s bag of tricks, while maybe looking more sophisticated to us today, really hasn’t changed a lot. Whenever God’s creation starts to get too “up close and personal” with God’s revelation . . . then, insert question mark. God made the universe? . . . Really? There’s a higher moral law than that set by society? . . . Is that true? God loves this world so much He would come in flesh and offer Himself as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind? . . . Is that reality? It’s all recorded in this inspired volume on my desk, available to all who have ears to hear? . . . Yeah? . . . Did God really say . . . ?

I probably do well to remember this tactic of the enemy. As I open my Bible . . . as I encounter the revealed mind of God through the Holy Word . . . as I chew on old truths, and, by God’s grace and the illumination of the Spirit, encounter some new insights . . . I shouldn’t be surprised if, from time to time, a thought forms . . . seeded by the father of lies — a self-proclaimed master of truth . . . a thought that, at it’s essence, boils down to, “Did God actually say that? Did He really mean it? For me? Or, just for somebody else? For today? Or, for some bygone era? Really?”

How I need to recalibrate from time to time . . . to remind myself that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [and woman] of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2Tim. 3:16-17). To determine to subject all things to the authority of the word of God affirming that “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18) . . . to determine to “let God be true though every one were a liar” (Rom. 3:4) . . . really? . . . Yeah! Really!

But I’m realistic enough to know that I may be tripped up, on occasion, by the belly-crawler at my feet. Though I seek to be faithful . . . though I ensure I have seekers-of-truth in my life to help me steer true . . . that there will be times when my “wisdom” prevails. And for those times . . . when I’ve blown it . . . when my natural inclination is to follow me and/or try and hide from the presence of God . . . I’m so thankful for the second question recorded in Genesis. Not a question of doubt but a question of determination . . . of a Shepherd seeking lost sheep . . . of a Savior looking for those who know their need of forgiveness . . .

But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”   (Genesis 3:9 ESV)

I’m reminded that I seek Him this morning, because He first sought me . . . that I have been brought near by the blood of Christ . . . that the work He has begun, He will finish . . . that nothing can separate me from the love of Christ . . . and that His blood is sufficient payment to forgive all my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Did God really say? Yeah, He really said . . .

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Wanting a Blessing

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Pete

Who doesn’t want a blessing? Sometimes you have to dig to find them in a situation . . . sometimes, like Jacob, you have to wrestle until you limp in order to secure one . . . and sometimes, they are just handed to you and all you need to do is make sure you’re in the right place . . .

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)

Sometimes we go looking for the blessing in all the wrong places. Without really thinking, we’ll assemble with, and listen to the wisdom of, those who arrogantly scorn the things of a kingdom they are ignorant of . . . thinking that with these “learned ones” there might be some new insight which leads to a blessing. We might be drawn to stand and join hands with those who, while perhaps wanting to do what is right, define “right” by what is right in their own eyes while denying the One who is righteousness. And some, in order to find that elusive blessing, will walk in the ways of a world intent on feeding it’s depraved nature . . . societal norms being accepted as the way of happiness . . . modern enlightenment and freedom mined for gems of fulfillment . . . all of which, at the end of day, far from brining a blessing, results in “chaff that the wind drives away” (1:4).

But the blessing is not found in following the ways of a wayward world. Instead it is found by focusing our hearts desires . . . by setting our face toward ground where we can put down deep roots . . . by believing that the source of blessing is in the law of the LORD. What a great reminder as I kick off my reading plan for another year.

A new year is a great time for a new determination to sit in the seat of the Spirit of Truth’s teaching . . . to stand in the ways of the Savior’s kingdom . . . to walk in the counsel of the Sovereign God of all creation. And there . . . to expect to find a blessing.

Oh, that I might delight in the law of the LORD . . . that to open my Bible in the morning would be more than just a good habit, but it would be the first pleasure of the day. That working through my reading plan would not just be about checking the boxes but be about satisfying a longing . . . a thirsting . . . a hungering . . . for the living and active word of God. That, as I read, the words wouldn’t just flow through as through a sieve (although, as I was once encouraged, I’d at least have a clean sieve), but that they would be in reality living water and heavenly food . . . real sustenance . . . suitable for real growth.

Who doesn’t want to be like a tree planted by streams of water (1:3) . . . established on solid ground . . . fertile soil into which thick roots can sink deep? What a blessing. Who doesn’t want to fulfill their calling . . . make good use of their gifting . . . and yield fruit aligned with the intent of Him who has crafted us as “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand” (Eph 2:10)? That would be a blessing. And who doesn’t want the stamina to weather the storm . . . the endurance to walk the valleys when they come . . . to rest assured that their “leaf does not wither” when they encounter the crucible’s heat of life’s trials? Uh . . . a blessing! Who doesn’t want a game plan that guarantees that “in all he does, he prospers” . . . that, when we give an account of how we have built on the foundation of Christ’s redeeming work on our behalf, there’ll be much gold, silver, and precious stones (1Cor. 3:11-15) . . . and we’ll hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant . . . enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21). Talk about your blessing!

So I open the Word . . . and ask that the Word would open me . . . and that by the grace of God . . . and for the glory of God, alone . . . I might know the blessing . . . amen?

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Captivated by the Wonder of Immanuel

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Pete

So . . . having finished my reading plan for this year . . . and having yet to start up again for next year . . . I’m left a bit rudderless . . . left more to “nibble” here and “sample” there as I hover over the Scriptures this morning . . . Christmas hymns playing in the background . . . and the wonder of the Christmas story in the forefront of my mind. And something that has been sloshing around in my mind over the past few weeks comes to mind again . . . that there is a difference between celebrating “the season” . . . or even celebrating “the reason” . . . and being captivated by the wonder of Immanuel.

Christmas is so defined by tradition . . . at least for me. Decorating the house the way we always decorate it . . . putting on the favorite Christmas music . . . singing the songs I’ve sung since I was kid . . . watching movies together that we watched when the kids were kids . . . anticipating the warm feelings of family being together . . . conceding that I’ll have a few pounds (ok . . . maybe more than a few pounds) to lose in the New Year . . . and, not gonna lie to you, a bit of curiosity around what will be under the tree.

Yet, by the grace of God, there is a depth to this time of year. Something that casts the tradition in the shadow of the remembrance of a Child born . . . a Savior given. Each gift given . . . each gift received . . . a reminder of God’s gift to a blind world, the Light of His Son . . . God’s present to a world dead in sin, the Life of His Son . . . God’s “surprise” given to all who believe, the Legacy of His Son as we have been made children of God and joint heirs with Christ, graced with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.

But while I love the season . . . and am so grateful for a saving grace that allows me to appreciate the reason . . . as I’ve been “doing December” and a variety of Christmas activities, there’s been this nagging thought in the back of my mind that it comes up short if we don’t get beyond it all to the wonder of what God did on that night . . . in that place . . in the small town of Bethlehem.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”

Prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14) . . . revealed to a young Joseph by an angel which appeared to him in a dream (Matthew 1:23) . . . Immanuel . . . God with us. God incarnate . . . God with skin on . . . the Creator entering into His creation . . . the Almighty veiling Himself in the ordinary . . . words failing, really, to describe adequately the depths to which God determined to go in order to redeem men.

The baby born who, “though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself . . . ” (Php. 2:6-8a). The One who is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Heb. 1:3) . . . “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15) . . . “for in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:19).

God incarnate . . . Immanuel . . . oh, the wonder . . .

As much I enjoy the tradition of the season . . . as grateful as I am that I have been changed forever because of the reason . . . may I not miss out on the opportunity to worship afresh because of Immanuel. Beyond my joy . . . beyond my thankfulness . . . might there be also a healthy dose of facedown awe. More than just taking in the sights and sounds . . . more than opening the gifts . . . more, even than thanking Him for His indescribable gift . . . might there be worship . . . inner-core, beyond words, make your heart swell to almost bursting, worship.

Immanuel . . . Glory to God!

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Grace

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Pete

There’s something about reading Revelation 22 at this time of year . . . as the year comes to an end . . . a natural time of reflection . . . a time to assess . . . and a time to anticipate. Three times in this final portion of Scripture, Jesus declares, “I am coming soon” . . . and three times the Spirit infused Bride of Christ responds, “Come . . . Come . . . Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” Talk about your anticipation! What will it be like when “His servants will worship Him . . . they will see see His face . . . and His name will be on their foreheads?” (22:3b-4) But what until then? What’s the “secret sauce” for living in the “here and now” as we await the “there and then?”

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21 ESV)

There they are. The last 10 words of the God-breathed Scriptures. Way too easy to gloss over as they are such a common benediction in the letters of the New Testament writers. And, at first glance, almost out of place given the apocalyptic visions of the preceding 22 chapters . . . given the face-to-the-ground insight to life before the throne of God and the Lamb. Too easy to skim over those ten words and almost not give them a second thought. But not this morning. This morning it is “full stop” . . . Behold! . . . Consider! . . . Let it sink in! . . . and then, . . . Worship!

Think of it . . . the last words of a future revelation. The last words of a compilation of writings inspired of God . . . written by men as they were moved by the Spirit of God . . . all with the purpose of revealing the Son of God. And when all is said and done . . . just before the page is turned on the final chapter . . . just before the final check mark is made on the reading plan . . . John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, pens, “The grace of the Master Jesus be with all of you. Oh, Yes!” (MSG)

And I respond, “Amen. Yes, Lord! Let me know the fullness of Your grace!”

Saving grace. The grace of the cross of Christ. Immanuel . . . God with us . . . God in flesh . . . God incarnate . . . come, that He might be the Victor over sin and death . . . and, in that victory, lead others victorious. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2Cor. 8:9). Saved not of any merit of my own . . . in relationship not because I first loved Him . . . but anticipating the wedding supper of the Lamb this morning because He first loved me . . . because of the grace that brought me out of darkness and into the marvelous light of the kingdom of God.

Sanctifying grace. I am His workmanship (Eph 2:10) . . . a work in progress, to be sure . . . but a work that He has promised to complete until that day He takes me home (Php. 1:6). And it’s not that the Potter has some exceptional clay to work with . . . not that I’m particularly “good material” in and of myself. But, in Him . . . in Christ . . . I am the material of adoption . . . received by Him as a blood-bought heir . . . and so, He says, “I’ll make you like my Son.” By grace transformed . . . by grace conformed.

Sustaining grace. Grace that casts doing life here on earth within a context of storing up treasures in heaven. All sufficient grace for the trials of the day. The abiding favor of God for pilgrims looking for a city to come. The rest and peace that comes from knowing that it doesn’t depend on my ability or efforts but upon His power and promises. Mine is to pursue the King . . . in the power of the Spirit . . . and He, in return, will faithfully provide strength for the day.

Amazing grace! Grace enough for my past . . . grace abounding for my present . . . grace that secures my future.

Grace . . . for His glory . . . amen?

Posted in Revelation | Leave a comment

The Covenant of Levi

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Pete

Two passages of Scripture “collided” for me this morning. One, I was reading . . . the other, I believe, my Teacher brought to mind as I was read the first. Bam! Instant application. While I was reminded of an Old Testament structure, I came way with a renewed desire for a New Testament dynamic. While I read of a “shadow” contained in an ancient covenant, I was reminded of a reality that should be evident in today’s church.

Here’s the scripture I read . . .

“So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that My covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared Me. He stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:4-7 ESV)

Here’s the Scripture that came to mind . . .

” . . . you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . . you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1Peter 2:5, 9 ESV)

I don’t think the term “My covenant with Levi” has ever really hit me before. Levi, the tribe of Israel redeemed of God to minister in and around His holy sanctuary. A people chosen from among their brethren to bring sacrifices before the living God. A people chosen by the living God to bring the things of God before their brethren. Given great responsibility as it pertained to serving amidst His glory . . . given great privilege as it allowed opportunity to “rub shoulders” with that glory.

It was a covenant of life and peace and privilege . . . but also a covenant that commanded reverential fear and responsibility. To be a priest was to stand in awe of the name of the LORD of hosts. It was to speak truth . . . to walk in uprightness . . . to turn others from iniquity . . . to guard knowledge . . . to dispense instruction . . . to be “the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” And this, not so that they might prove their holy worth and merit being priests . . . but this as a response to having been Sovereignly called to this high calling, apart from any merit on their part. Called, by the purposes of God, to a place of privilege . . . and then promised the tools to dispense the responsibility that came with such privilege.

So, isn’t there a reminder here for this “priest” sitting in this chair this morning? As one brought into a covenant relationship by the blood of the Lamb . . . given access into the very presence of God through the finished work of the cross . . . called, apart from any merit, to offer spiritual sacrifices and to proclaim the excellencies of the Him who has brought me into marvelous light? As I consider afresh my calling and the precious covenant binding me to the LORD of hosts, I too would stand in awe . . . bow in reverence . . . offer up worship . . . guard the truth . . . . . . walk, by His gracious enabling, in uprightness . . . and speak, with humility, the word of God. Mine, in this covenant relationship, is the desire to live out my part in this holy priesthood . . . His, is the enabling and enduring power of the Spirit within me. The result? . . . life and peace.

Hmmm . . . the collision of scriptures . . . the covenant of Levi . . . the call of the believer. By His grace . . . for His glory . . . amen?

Posted in Malachi | Leave a comment