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!

Posted in Isaiah, Matthew | 1 Comment

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

That Future Now

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Pete

As I’m reading the first eight verses of Revelations 21 this morning, and trying to take in all that awaits those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, it occurs to me that the blessings of that future day . . . that much of what awaits me in heaven, when I’m “face to face” . . . I can know, in some measure, today . . . that, in a sense, the future is now.

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3 ESV)

Am I not, today, part of a living temple of God (Eph. 2:21-22)? Does He not now dwell with me . . . and in me . . . through His blessed Holy Spirit? To be sure, it will be glory when faith gives way to sight and I’m before the throne, but let me not miss the blessing of knowing His presence NOW because I’m waiting for “then” to participate in it.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4a).

How I anticipate that time when there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying . . . no more pain. But isn’t my God the “God of all comfort” now (2Cor. 1:3)? Isn’t there a peace that passes understanding available now (Php. 4:7)? While I look forward to that day when the hand of God will touch my eyes and wipe away the tears, let me not be dull to the reality of knowing His comfort today.

“Behold I am making all things new . . . To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment . . . The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” (Revelation 21:5-7)

How glorious are those future promises?!?!? But I can participate in them now. Not fully, of course, for that will be realized when the Lamb takes His bride to be with Him. But these promises are mine now to know and experience.

Wasn’t I “born again” and made a new creation in Christ through regeneration, old things having passed away and all things becoming new (2Cor. 5:17)? Didn’t Jesus promise the Samaritan woman that “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14)? Can’t I participate today in that life giving water from heaven? And, though my sonship will take on a whole new reality and dynamic when I am before my God and in the midst of the Lamb, I don’t have to wait until that future day to hear Him say, “I will be his God and he shall be My Son.” Today, I possess the Spirit of adoption by whom I can cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:6). The “abundant life”, which Jesus came to give those who would believe in Him, is the life of heaven . . . the life of being in the very presence of God. But it is not just a future life . . . it is a life that I can experience now . . . through the walk of faith . . . and by the active working of the Holy Spirit within me.

So . . . as excited as I get about thinking about the future portrayed in Revelation 21, I’m pretty pumped about my present too! While I can’t wait to be in that place where there is no temple, “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (21:22) . . . and while I look forward, with eager anticipation, to being in that new city that has “no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (21:23) . . . I also want to experience, by His grace, all I can of that future now . . . that the heart of worship which will be known in a future heaven, would be active on this present earth . . . for His glory . . . amen!

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That You May Believe

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Pete

So . . . almost done . . . approaching the end of this year’s reading plan . . . finishing off Job, the Minor Prophets, John’s Gospel, and Revelation . . . and a lot of good stuff to take in! This morning, it’s Thomas in John 20 who’s got me thinking . . . well, not so much Thomas as Jesus’ revelation to Thomas.

There is no question as to John’s purpose in writing his gospel . . .

” . . . but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31 ESV)

Pretty clear . . . pretty simple. John’s objective? . . . the “mission statement”? . . . “That you may believe.”

If you’re counting, in the ESV you find some form of the word “believe”, at least once, in 85 verses. And I can’t help but be in awe of the lengths to which Jesus goes so that “you may believe.”

In this case, Thomas is told about the resurrection of Jesus and his response is, “I don’t believe it! Nope. Once bitten, twice shy. I’ve put too much of my life into Him already and what good did it do? Remember the cross? Not too glorious . . . not much victory there. Uh, uh! Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (20:25)

You can’t blame him . . . he and all the disciples had given up a lot and been through a lot . . . and life over the past few days wasn’t making a lot of sense. Kinda’ hard to keep on “believin’ the dream.” And, really, you wouldn’t blame Jesus if He said, “Fine . . . be like that! You’re not getting anymore than anybody else to go on . . . there’s a lot of people who, in the future, will have far less “eye evidence” than you have had to base their faith on. You’ve had your chances to believe.” But that’s not my Savior . . . that’s not His voice . . . that’s not His heart.

The Great Shepherd cares so much for the ones given to Him by the Father that He will love them to “the uttermost” and go “the extra mile” in order to fuel their faith. Isaiah says of Jesus . . . the prophesied Messiah . . . God’s holy Servant . . . “A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench” (Isa. 42:3). Thomas was hurting . . . confused . . . disillusioned . . . he was a broken reed . . . his candle was flickering and almost completely out. And Jesus, the risen Son of God, comes and stands before him and says, “Peace to you! . . . Draw near to Me . . . and believe.” (John 20:26)

My Lord doesn’t chastise him . . . doesn’t give him the old “what for!” No, instead He strengthens this crushed reed . . . He fans into flame the flickering candle. The resurrected Christ . . . Victor over the grave . . . comes into a closed off room and stands before a man of wavering faith and He says, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (20:27).

And I think of the lengths Jesus goes to so that we may believe. I recall how often Jesus has met me in my doubt . . . how, from time to time, He has seen my struggles and frustrations and unbelief . . . and instead of giving me a slap on the back of the head and saying, “Get with it” . . . He, in grace abounding, gently and tenderly reveals something of Himself to me and says, “Peace be with you! Come near. Touch Me. Let Me touch you. Believe.”

Oh what a premium He places on faith . . . how committed He is to His mission . . . “That you may believe”.

Then Thomas answered Him (and Pete does too) . . . “My Lord and my God!”

Posted in John | 2 Comments

Just a Peek

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Pete

You know, if just “peeking into heaven” can so excite me, what will it be like when I’m actually there? If just reading about the throne and the Lamb in the midst gets my heart pumping, I’ll need a new super strong ticker to handle the adrenalin rush (or, its heavenly equivalent) that surges when I’m actually before that throne. Revelation 19 is this morning’s “peek” . . .

To read of a “great multitude in heaven” lifting their voices in praise like “the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder” (v.1,6) is, in and of itself, stirring. Actually, I’ve noticed throughout my readings in Revelation that not much is said in heaven in a quiet voice. Instead, it’s the “loud voice” of angels or of the redeemed multitude that’s referred to again and again. Imagine what our ears are going to have to be like not to pop from the decibel level of heaven! They’ll be super-charged . . . as they ring from the sound of loud, loud, voices . . . glorious, harmonious voices. And these voices will be proclaiming, “Hallelujah! . . . Hallelujah! . . . Amen! Hallelujah! . . .Hallelujah!” (vv. 1,3,4,6) Not since the Old Testament do we hear this word combo — “hallel” . . . praise . . . “Yah” . . . the Lord! You don’t encounter it in the New Testament until Revelation.

And what is it that invokes this repeated chorus of “Praise the Lord!!!?”

“Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to our God!!” (v.1) . . . “He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality . . . the smoke from her goes up forever and ever” (v.2-3) . . . for He is “God who was seated on the throne” (v.4) . . . “For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (v6).

If just reading about it stirs my heart and creates within me a longing to join in this “Hallelujah Chorus,” what will it be like when I am there?!?!?! When my ears hear the voice from the throne prompting me to “Praise our God, all you His servants” . . . when I experience the thunderous call, “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His Bride (ah . . . that would be me . . . and all those saved through faith by the grace of God) has made herself ready” . . . when, up close and personal, I hear those words, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (v.5,7,9).

And then . . . after my ears have been so stimulated . . . what kind of optic nerve will I need to allow my eyes to take in His Wonder . . . to gaze upon His glory . . . to Behold my God!!! To behold the One called “Faithful and True” . . . the One whose “eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems” . . . the One who is identified as “The Word of God” . . . . the One who has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (v.11-16).

And all that, is just a peek!

I know the song says, “I can only imagine” . . . but can I really??? I can “taste it” . . . I can meditate on it . . . I can enter into it a bit . . . but can I really imagine it? I don’t know . . . .

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing ‘Alleluia!’? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine! I can only imagine!  — Lyrics from MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine”

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Give Your Head A Shake

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Pete

For me, Haggai has always resonated deeply. I think I find it easy to connect with his message because I find myself connecting with his audience. He’s not speaking, as did some of the other prophets, to a people who had blatantly and overtly rejected God in pursuit of immoral pagan idolatry. Instead, he’s addressing folks who had left the life they were becoming used to as exiles in Babylon to return to a pursuit of the things of God. They rallied around a noble calling . . . the rebuilding of the temple . . . the reconstruction of Jerusalem . . . building once again a place where the glory of God might be known. But once they got back . . . after a good start . . . as time passed . . . they lost focus. And so, in its simplest form . . . as my truck-driver friend, Wynne, would always say . . . Haggai’s message to them was . . . “Give your head a shake!”

Five times in this short book (vv. 1:5, 1:7, 2:15, 2:18a, 2:18b), Haggai exhorts the people of God to think about how they’re living their lives . . . to “consider” (ESV, NKJV, NASB) . . . to “give careful thought” (NIV) . . . to “take a good hard look” (MSG) . . . to “give your head a shake” (Wynne). Think about it, he says.

“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house [the temple] lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:4-7 ESV)

They were spinning their wheels . . . trying to re-establish the “good life” while neglecting the “abundant life” . . . trying to fill their cupboards without first emptying themselves for the things of God . . . so intent on putting clothes on their back that they forgot about putting on garments of righteousness. And it just wasn’t happening. They were working hard, but never seeming to get ahead . . . eating and drinking, but continually thirsty and hungry . . . the money coming in, but always feeling poor. And Haggai says, “Give your head a shake! Connect the dots! God has called you to return to rebuild the temple . . . it is in that pursuit they you will find blessing.” Said another way, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33)

Can’t we relate? What has God asked us to do? And then, don’t we find ourselves so often fitting what God wants us to do in around other stuff . . . and then wondering why it’s hard and why we have no joy? And the Spirit whispers to our spirits, “Give your head a shake . . . consider your ways . . . think about them . . . are you doing what the Father has called you to do . . .with the priority He wants you to place on it . . . with the passion He wants you to pursue it with?”

I’d do well from time to time to give “careful thought” to how I steward this life God has given me. Is it with my agenda, or His? . . . my priorities, or His? . . . my strength and wisdom, or in the power and leading of the Spirit of God within me? And, if my “to do” list has to be re-prioritized, then I need to shuffle the list and make sure first things are placed first. It says in Haggai 1:12-14 that the people “obeyed the voice of the Lord their God” and “feared the Lord” and that the Lord responded by “stirring up” their spirit. Once they re-focused on doing first the right stuff, God ignited them from the inside out . . . filled them with a renewed vision, and excitement, and energy for the work. Not a bad place to be . . . pursuing the things of God . . . with a passion from God . . . for the praise of God.

“Give your head a shake!” Not bad counsel to heed from time to time.

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Big

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Pete

It’s one of those mornings . . . the words just don’t flow . . . a topic doesn’t jump out at me. Instead it’s more about just sitting quietly thinking over what I’ve read this morning . . . a little bit of awe-induced silence, I think.

Four readings this morning, as usual, from my reading plan. Three are “big” readings . . . “big” as in God is big. First, I’m reading in Job 38 where God has “stepped up to the podium” interrupting the debate between Job and his buddies. And God says, “Listen up . . . and stand up . . . and ‘fess up . . . ‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding'” (Job 38:4). And the LORD drills Job . . . and you imagine Job’s jaw dropping . . . you imagine his knees buckling . . . not a stretch to think of this one, who wanted an audience with the Almighty, facedown before the God who engineered, manufactured, and controls all of creation. God is so “big” in this passage!

Then I read the prophet Zephaniah and his declaration that “the great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there” (Zeph. 1:14). And the wrath of God is prophesied. “In the fire of His jealousy” (1:18, 3:8) the Lord GOD will reveal Himself in might and power, putting an end to any notion that there are other gods to be bowed to . . . “The LORD will be awesome against them; for He will famish all the gods of the earth, and to Him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations” (2:11). And following His big judgment will be great rejoicing as Zion is restored . . . and in her midst stands “the LORD your God” . . . “a mighty One who will save” . . . and “He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing” (3:17). Big wrath followed by great joy. Great love . . . accompanied by big singing. Oh, the wonder of God!

And then to Revelation 17 . . . carried by the Spirit (Rev. 17:3) . . . the nations gathering to make war on the Lamb . . . but “the Lamb will conquer them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings” . . . just as Zephaniah foretold . . . “and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful” (17:14). The Lamb, the victor in battle . . . how big is that?

But my fourth reading, at first, doesn’t come across as “big.” In fact, it’s kind of empty . . . eerily quiet . . . not much said. John 20 says it was on the first day of the week . . . three days after Jesus had died on a cross and had been buried . . . that Mary “came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (John 20:1). She runs to tell Peter and John, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb!” The two disciples immediately high-tail it to the place where Jesus was buried. John outruns Peter and gets there first and pokes his head in to have a look . . . but Peter, when he arrives, storms into the tomb and is the first to enter the place where Jesus had been laid . . . John following him in. And they see “the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus head, not lying with the line cloths but folded in a place by itself” (20:6-7).

Like I said . . . at first it doesn’t seem as “big” as God quizzing Job . . . or Zephaniah’s vision of God’s singing in the midst of the redeemed . . . or the Lamb conquering the armies of earth raised in opposition to Him. But then you hover over the quiet, empty tomb . . . and it gets big, too. The tomb could not hold the One conceived by a virgin and born in a manger . . . the grave could not contain the Man hung on a cross to redeem a lost world . . . death could not triumph over the Son of God, in Whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily . . . Who is the head of all rule and authority” (Col. 2:9-10)! It says that, as John went into to examine up close that quiet, empty tomb, that “he saw and believed” (20:8). You gotta’ know that for for John and Peter . . . this was big!

Oh, the victory that is ours through the empty tomb . . . the hope that is ours because of a silent grave . . . the power that is ours because of His risen life . . . how big is that? Pretty!

Posted in Job, John, Revelation, Zephaniah | Leave a comment

Finished Not Done

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Pete

It occurs to me that, at the end of the day, every living being will be under one of two banners . . . that every man, woman, boy, and girl will be able to link their eternal future to one of two “bottom lines” . . . that each person will be wearing one of two t-shirts . . . either “It is finished!” or “It is done!”

My reading plan has been taking me through the last days of Jesus’ life in John’s gospel as well as the last days of earth in Revelation. On the one hand, I’m being reminded that the babe in the manger of our Christmas remembrance, was born to redeem men . . . and, in order to do so, He would be offered as a once forever sacrifice for sin. Jesus knew that’s why He came . . . He architected the plan of salvation . . . He ordained that without the shedding of blood . . . His blood . . . their could be no just basis for God to erase the debt of sin I owed. And so, as my Savior hung on the cross that day . . . giving His life in exchange for mine . . . knowing that all the Father had asked Him do, He had done . . . He declared, I imagine with a voice of victory, . . .

“It is finished!” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30 ESV)

My other reading is also focused on the Lamb of God. But here He is no longer the lamb led to slaughter, the sheep who before its shearers is silent (Isa. 53:7). No, the Lamb of Revelation is the risen Christ . . . Jesus, the mighty warrior . . . the One worthy to lead God’s final judgments on an earth that has determined to reject Him and to curse Him until the end . . . the King of kings who comes in might and power and opens the scrolls . . . and initiates the trumpets . . . and gives permission for the seven bowls of God’s wrath to poured out on world that has refused to “listen” at Christmas . . . which has refused His gift . . .which says, “No!” to His grace. And here too, I hear a cry of finality . . .

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” (Revelation 16:17 ESV)

And so it occurs to me that on that day when, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Php. 2:10-11) it will be because they either heard Him say, “It is finished!” . . . or because they’ve heard Him declare, “It is done!”

We approach another season where the birth of the Savior is celebrated by many . . . and denied and ignored by many others. But through it all, there is a resounding whisper going forth for all who have ears to hear, “It is finished!” To look again to Bethlehem . . . to consider afresh the wonder of God manifest in flesh, Immanuel . . . to take in the angels’ proclamation, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” . . . it all directs the searching heart to a cross . . . and a cry . . . “It is finished!”

Oh, that men and women, by the grace of God, might hear the Lamb’s declaration of victory this season. That they might respond in faith . . . that they might know the reality of the hope God so desires His people to possess . . . “Finished not Done!” . . . for their eternal blessing . . . for His everlasting glory . . . Amen?

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I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Pete

check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zCsFvVg0UY

Anyone remember it? If you do, then you’re declaring yourself of a certain vintage. I would have been 15 years old when it first aired. A Christmas commercial (they still called it Christmas then) . . . a Coca Cola commercial . . . a make you feel warm and fuzzy inside commercial. “I’d like to build the world a home and furnish it with love . . . I’d like to see teach the world to sing in perfect harmony . . . I’d like to see the world for once all standing hand in hand . . . that’s the song I hear, let the world sing today . . . ” And who knew? If only everyone would drink Coke, we just might get a little closer to world peace . . . to world harmony . . . to all voices singing the same song. Well, Coca Cola ain’t the “secret sauce” to all peoples singing in unity . . . it isn’t the grand theme that will unite the world . . . but this morning, I was stirred by what will . . .

“And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire–and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.'” (Revelation 15:2-4 ESV)

“For all nations will come and worship You” . . . that’s the phrase that triggered my flashback. As I continue my readings in Revelation . . . as I try and follow along with the last days of earth . . . as I try and take in what living after the “age of grace” will be like . . . as I shudder at the wrath that will be poured out on a world that will continue to choose to reject, rebel, and revile God . . . I so welcome pausing at these “commercial breaks” where we are given some insight to the goings on around the throne of God . . . they are like an oasis.

I consider these ones who have conquered the enemy “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (12:11). I think of them joining their voices in the victory song of Moses . . . I hear them request “the song of the Lamb” . . . I imagine them singing, in perfect harmony, before the very throne of God. Their theme is that of His “great and amazing deeds” . . . of His “just and true ways.” Their purpose is to glorify His name . . . to exalt Him as the “King of the nations” . . . to declare that He alone is holy . . . Now, that’s a song I’d like to teach the world to sing!

And, they prophesy, that all nations will come and worship Him! That there will be a day when all peoples will bow down the knee and lift up their voices to sing the song of the Lamb. And then, won’t that be a hymn sing?!! Won’t that stir the heart?!!

And, while I anticipate that day, when I will be part of that “all nations choir”, I’m reminded that where it starts is with this season . . . this time of year which provides opportunity to focus on the One who came to bring peace . . . the One who came to do the Father’s will . . . the One who came to finish the work of salvation . . . the babe born in a manger to be the Lamb of God, come to take away the sin of the world . . . so that the redeemed of the Lord might one day join in single voice, unified around the throne of God . . . that all voices might one day be lifted up together, in perfect harmony, singing, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (5:13)

That’s that the song I hear . . . and it begins with this time of year . . .

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