Kingdom Power

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Pete

You get the sense that the Corinthians thought they had it all . . . and, in a manner they did . . . they had been abundantly graced. Paul says that, in every way, they “were enriched in Him with in all speech and all knowledge” . . . that they were not “lacking in any spiritual gift” (1Cor. 1:5-7). Saved . . . knowing the word . . . having down the lingo . . . equipped with all the tools heaven had to offer . . . BUT . . . there was something amiss . . . something not quite right.

Rather than walking in a manner worthy of their calling, they were having problems walking at all . . . still crawling like infants. Petty jealousies . . . an air of prideful partisanship present among them as they chose sides . . . “puffed up in favor of of one against another” (4:6b). They viewed themselves as rich in Christ (4:8) . . . wise in Christ . . . strong believers, held in honor (4:11). They had a pretty high view of themselves . . . a lot of big talk . . . but for Paul, talk was cheap.

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power.
For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. (1Corinthians 4:19-20 ESV)

The kingdom of God is about power. Not about talking about power, but about power. While all those who enter the kingdom do so by faith and through the grace of God, the kingdom is not about words, it is about works. The kingdom is not a theory to be discussed, but a dynamic to be experienced. The word for power is “dunamis” . . . the root from which we get dynamite . . . the kingdom is about “inherent power.” I can say I’ve entered the kingdom . . . I can talk about kingdom principles . . . I can glory in the kingdom’s future . . . but if there’s no “dynamite”, no power, then I really don’t know the kingdom at all.

And, it seems from this passage of Scripture, that arrogance subdues the kingdom.

Paul was just as graced as the Corinthians . . . just as knowledgeable . . . just as equipped . . . but, unlike the Corinthians he didn’t view it as something to boast in, but as a stewardship. “This is how one should regard us,” writes Paul, “as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (4:1-2). If there was ever a “super apostle” it was Paul. But the “S” Paul wore on his chest stood for steward . . . for servant . . . for slave of Christ. And in being a trustworthy steward of the gifts of God, in being diligent to faithfully put into effect that which God had entrusted him with, there was power . . . the kingdom of God was present. But not so with the Corinthians.

“For who sees anything different in you?” Paul asks the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (4:7)

That they were knowledgeable and spiritually gifted was not in dispute. But take knowledge and gift and mix it with arrogance and what you have is just talk . . . no real growth . . . no moving on to the meat of faith . . . nothing “different in you” . . . listless Christianity . . . an anemic dynamic . . . something less than the kingdom of God.

Oh, that I would resist any inclination to view myself worthy of God’s favor . . . that I would be on guard against feeling that somehow I deserve the grace. Instead, might I always view any talents, any gifting, any calling, all as a stewardship to be faithfully administered. Then, I believe, will I know the kingdom of God . . . in power . . . for His glory alone . . . amen.

Posted in 1Corinthians | Leave a comment

No Mere Human

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Pete

Ok . . . scratch that one from the list of excuses available to me. No more “Give me a break! I’m only human!” I might be a sinner saved by grace . . . I might be a jar of clay . . . I might be a work in progress . . . but I can’t hide behind being “merely human.” At least not according to Paul this morning.

“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?” (1Corinthians 3:1-4 ESV)

Being merely human . . . acting like mere men (NIV, NASB) . . . carnal (NKJV) . . . living after the flesh . . . navigating life according to the horizontal . . . settling for 3-D when 4-D or even maybe 5-D is available. That’s what the Corinthians were doing . . . and you sense it kind of frustrates Paul. Here they were, the people of God . . . the local testimony of the power of heavenly love and divine grace . . . and they were being mere humans. Bickering. Strife and jealousy running as an undercurrent in their midst. Some wearing “I Haul for Paul” baseball caps while others sported “I Follows Apollos” t-shirts. And Paul says, “I can’t even talk to you!”

Through faith in Christ they had become “new creations,” the old had passed away and the new had come (2Cor. 5:17). They were born again (1Peter 1:3). Sure, after a birth you have a baby . . . but babies are intended to grow up. So are “born agains.” But that wasn’t happening in the Corinth church. Spiritual people who were still being “merely human” . . . still behaving like babies in Christ. People who had been “in the program” for awhile but were still rookies. Acting just like they did before the were brought out of darkness and into marvelous light. Paul wanted to feed them some solid food . . . some meat from the Word . . . but they weren’t ready for it. They were still on milk and pablum. And Paul’s phrase, “Are you not being merely human?” is challenging me.

Now, I know I’m not to think of myself more highly than I should . . . but I’m also to think with sober judgment (Rom. 12:3) . . . to appropriately recognize who I am in Christ and conduct myself in a manner consistent with that. And, if I’m picking up what Paul is laying down, then I ain’t no mere human. I’m not super human . . . by no stretch of the imagination . . . but I am more than just a “natural man” subject to the “natural ways” of my “natural being.” I, according to the word of God, am “spiritual people.”

When I, by faith, acknowledged Jesus as Lord and Savior and received His death on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for my sin, I got re-wired. When I believed that Jesus rose from the dead, is alive, and wants to live in me, I underwent an “extreme makeover.” My spiritual DNA went from being twisted in sin to being tuned to the kingdom of heaven. The cloud that enveloped my brain was replaced with the mind of Christ. I underwent a heart transplant, my old heart of stone replaced with a “heart of flesh”, capable of being soft and supple to the things of God. The “old man” was given the boot and the Holy Spirit of God moved in, took up residence, and offered to take control. None of this was my doing . . . all of it God’s doing. Mine however, is to grow up . . . to live in a manner worthy of my calling . . . to stop being “merely human.”

By the grace of God given me, I am to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ laid within at my re-birth (1Cor. 3:10-11). No more “I’m only human” (though I am so aware of my human-ness), but I’m to live as a child of light who grows up to become a mature believer. I’m to feed on the Word that I might develop a “digestive system”, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit in me, that is able to feast on the deep things of God and the high and lofty things of the kingdom of heaven. And this, not that I would boast . . . no bragging to be done, it is the work of Christ in me . . . but that I might, by His grace, be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29) . . . no longer being “merely human” . . . but living as “spiritual people” . . . for His glory alone! Amen?

Posted in 1Corinthians | Leave a comment

God’s PQ

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Pete

Unobservable . . . imperceptible . . . imponderable . . . such are the things God has prepared for those who love Him. But doesn’t that present a bit of a problem? If these things are beyond what any eyes have seen . . . so hidden that no ear has heard of them . . . so out there that our minds can’t even imagine them . . . then it’s good stuff beyond our reach . . . beyond our even knowing that there’s something to reach for. Stuff beyond any natural connection. Cue the supernatural . . . cue God’s PQ . . .

” . . . these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” (1Corinthians 2:10 ESV)

A bit blown away this morning as I consider Paul’s assertion that, as believers, we have the mind of Christ (2:16). That we have received “the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (2:12). That we might comprehend things which are beyond the natural man’s comprehension. Not because we have a particularly high IQ . . . but because God has an out of this world PQ . . . because of God’s Power Quotient . . . the blessed Holy Spirit.

When Paul hit Corinth he didn’t come trying to convince them of the testimony of God with “lofty speech or wisdom” but determined, instead, to know nothing among them “except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2). He didn’t approach the pagan culture with “plausible words of wisdom” but instead preached the foolishness of the cross that, any difference it made, would be a demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . “that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (2:4-5). And once God’s PQ was manifest in this way . . . hold on to your hats . . . the flood gates of the unimaginable just open up.

“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age . . . But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” (1Corinthians 2:6-7 ESV)

Secret things . . . hidden things . . . things ordained of God before even the creation of the world. High things . . . lofty things . . . heavenly, spiritual things . . . things beyond the grasp of natural man. And these things are imparted to us. The flood gates of the unobservable and imperceptible has been open to those who, by faith, have “seen” Christ crucified . . . risen on the third day . . . ascended into glory . . . interceding at the right hand of the Father . . . making ready a place for us . . . preparing for the day of His return. A little bit of faith opens up a lot of “secret and hidden wisdom” through the Spirit of God . . . through God’s PQ.

Oh, what danger when I start to think that I’m the one who’s getting it. Nope . . . instead, I’m the one who’s receiving it. It’s not about my skill in interpretation . . . but all about His grace in illumination and revelation. Not about my intelligence quotient . . . but about His power quotient, manifest through the Spirit of God, the One who will lead us into all truth (John 16:13) . . . even truth beyond our imagination.

Father, by Your grace, through Your Spirit, continue to open my eyes to the unobservable . . . and give me ears to hear the imperceptible . . . and a mind to ponder the imponderable. That I might know You . . . and the power of the Spirit in me. For Your glory . . . amen.

Posted in 1Corinthians | Leave a comment

Who’s In Charge?

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Pete

Kind of an interesting meeting . . . sort of a weird conversation . . . resulted in some less than typical behavior. It was an encounter between a commander and the Commander . . . it was an “either / or” question that received a “yes / no” answer . . . and it was a situation that merited doing that which ready soldiers didn’t often do. It was a meeting outside of Jericho . . . Joshua and Jesus getting straight on who’s in charge.

The transfer of leadership from Moses to Joshua was pretty much complete. If there was any doubt that Joshua had been given the mantel of authority, it was erased when they crossed over the Jordan river. Under Moses, God had dried up the Red Sea as the people left Egypt . . . and now under Joshua’s direction they had crossed over the Jordan on dry ground as they entered the promised land (Joshua 4). In addition, the land had been spied out . . . the report back from the spies was favorable, “Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us” (Joshua 2:24). Leadership transferred . . . reconnaissance favorable . . . all that was left was the taking. Ah, . . . not so fast . . . one more thing . . . let’s be clear who’s in charge here.

Joshua’s out and about and sees a man “standing before him, with his drawn sword in his hand” (5:13). Strange. Shouldn’t have been one of his men . . . no need to have his sword drawn. So who was it? A Canaanite? An enemy? Well, ask him. “And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?'” Pretty straight forward question . . . it’s either / or . . . it’s one or the another . . . for us or against us . . . should be pretty simple to get to the bottom of this. But the answer would arrest him . . . more than that, it would drive him to his knees in submission . . . put him facedown in awe and worship.

“No; but I am the Commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” (Joshua 5:14a ESV)

Either / or question . . . yes / no answer . . . it’s not about whether or not I’m for you . . . it’s about I’m in charge!

That this was a pre-incarnate visitation of Christ seems clear. Messiah is the Commander of the army of the LORD. The One who one day, riding a white horse, will lead the armies of heaven against the enemies of God. The One called Faithful and True . . . in righteousness He judges and makes war . . . a sharp sword being wielded from His mouth . . . ready to tread the winepress of the wrath of God the Almighty . . . recognized by all as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:11-16). And on this, the eve of God’s chosen people starting the campaign to take the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Commander of the army of the Lord meets with the commander of the army of Israel . . . and gives a “No” answer to a “for us or against us” question. It’s not about how He would align with the purposes of Israel, but about how Israel would align with the sovereign intent of God . . . about who was in charge.

And face-to-the-ground before Him in worship, Joshua submits to His authority and asks the Commander, “What do you want me to do?” The answer? . . . “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy” (Joshua 5:15). Strange thing to ask of a soldier. A prepared soldier was a soldier with his shoes on . . . a ready leader was leader ready to enter battle at any moment. They were in enemy territory. It should be shoes on . . . swords at the side . . . prepared, at a moment’s notice, to fight the fight. But now, Joshua in complete submission, “stands down” . . . takes off his shoes . . . the holiness of the presence of the Commander taking precedence over the self-preparedness of a servant. Not about Joshua’s readiness, but about the Lord’s holiness . . . and believing that He’s in charge.

How often do I ask the wrong question? Wanting to know if the Lord will bless my agenda . . . whether He’s for it or against it. Instead, I need to be reminded that He’s the Commander . . . that it’s about aligning my will to His . . . not about an “either / or” response, but about my “Yes, Lord” state of heart. And when I recognize that, will it not drive me facedown as well . . . stripping away my self-preparedness, my misconceived self-sufficiency . . . gladly receive the grace to stand on holy ground . . . to abide in His presence . . . to trust that the battle is His . . . to know that mine is simply to remember who’s in charge?

I’m thinkin’ . . .

Posted in Joshua | 1 Comment

Willing and Able

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Pete

I’m wrapping up Paul’s letter to the Romans this morning. As I look back, I’ve covered a lot of ground . . . talk about your “drinking through a fire hose.” Ton of stuff behind me . . . doctrines of sin, salvation, and justification by faith. Teachings on putting to death the old man and putting on the new man and the dynamic of the Holy Spirit in living in newness of life. Promises to claim . . . all things works together for good . . . we are more than conquerors . . . nothing will separate us from the love of God. Commands to obey . . . I’m to present my body as a living sacrifice . . . I’m to be zealous in spirit and serve the Lord . . . I’m to cast off the works of darkness and put on Christ . . . I’m to pursue peace and edification . . . I’m to avoid judging my brother and to stop “majoring on minors”. And that little summary just scratches the surface. Yeah . . . a ton of stuff! How do I try and live up to it all? Well, it seems to me, that while I am to be willing, I need to know too that ,praise God, He is able.

“Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith–to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:26-27 ESV)

He is able.
He, the only wise God, is able.
He, the only wise God, is able to strengthen me.
He, the only wise God, is able to strengthen me in order to bring about the obedience of faith.

Chew on that a bit. Mull it over. Absorb it.

He who created the heavens and earth . . . He who has been faithfully fulfilling His promise to Abraham for thousands of years . . . He who spared not His own Son but so loved the world that He offered Him a once-for-all sacrifice . . . He who conquered death as evidenced by the empty tomb . . . He who abides within me through His indwelling Holy Spirit . . . He is able.

Able to illuminate me to understand the deep doctrines. Able to convict me of my sinful stubbornness to hold on to parts of the old man. Able to convince me in the inner man of the reality of the Spirit’s sanctifying work within me. Able to encourage me to take a risk and love and serve like He’s asked me to love and serve. Able to take my feeble attempt at crawling onto the altar of sacrifice and use the offering, such as it is, for His glory. Yes, He is able.

God is able . . . and mine is to be willing.

My “willing” and His “able” produces “the obedience of faith.” My “willing” and His “able” results in a walk worthy of the calling. My “willing” and His “able” leads to an authentic . . . not perfect, but an authentic expression of what it is to be a child of God and a follower of Christ.

And when we believers bring the “willing” and He faithfully brings the “able” . . . and there is, by His grace, some measure of fruit produced . . . then we too look heavenward with Paul and worshipfully exclaim, “To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ!, Amen.”

My willing . . . His able . . . all for the glory of God. Amen?

Posted in Romans | Leave a comment

Self-Regulating

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Pete

It really was kind of a risky proposition . . . the church. I think if it were me setting up a new world-wide institution, I’d have put in place a lot more structure . . . put in place a lot more direct oversight . . . maybe dispatched a few legions of angels to keep things lined up. But God, in His wisdom, took these sinners saved by grace . . . these once spiritually dead people who were now made alive in Christ . . . the lost but now found people . . . these people who had been brought out of darkness into marvelous light . . . God took these people, sealed them and infused them with His Holy Spirit . . . and said, in essence, “Now go be the church . . . the representation of the kingdom of heaven on earth.” All, with really very little formal organization or training . . . with a limited number of “mentors” to go around . . . heavily reliant upon the Spirit of God . . . and counting on the fact that they could be “self-regulating.”

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. (Romans 15:14 ESV)

There’s a number of “one anothers” in the letters of the New Testament . . . I’ve encountered a few of those already in Romans. We are to love one another and honor one another (12:10) . . . live in harmony with one another (12:16) . . . not judge one another but receive or welcome one another (14:13, 15:7). And there are ton of “one anothers” . . . a couple that come to mind are that we are to submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) . . . bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) . . . serve one another (1Peter 4:10) . . . and the list goes on . . . check it out, it’s a great study. This morning it’s the “one another” in Romans 15:14 that caught my attention . . . we are to instruct one another . . . and in that sense, the church is self-regulating.

Paul had not yet been to Rome (1:9-13), yet there was a church there. Not talking about a building, but an assembly of blood-bought trophies of grace gathered together to display the manifold wisdom of God to heavenly realms (Eph. 3:10) and to bring the good news of salvation by faith to a lost city and society. And it was a thriving church . . . not a perfect church . . . but a church whose faith was “proclaimed in all the world” (Rom. 1:8). And part of that, it seems, is that they were able to instruct one another.

How important is it for brothers and sisters in Christ to be able to instruct, or as the NKJV says, “admonish” one another? God raises up gifted men and women to teach and preach in a local church . . . but God also asks “ordinary believers” to draw alongside other believers to speak a word of encouragement or admonition . . . that we might build each other up in the faith. The Roman believers were full of goodness, the result of the sanctifying work of the Spirit . . . and they were filled with knowledge, the result of the illuminating work of the Spirit . . . and so, they were to teach each other, the body-building work of the Spirit.

There’s a dynamic present when believers get together over a cup of coffee and an open Bible and share with one another what God has shown them. There’s a depth of fellowship created when a brother or sister in Christ cares about another brother or sister in Christ enough to speak a bit of truth in to their lives. It makes everyone sharper (Prov. 27:17) . . . and it’s a big part of how the body builds itself up in love (Eph. 4:16).

When I spend time in the word, it shouldn’t be just for my benefit, but for the benefit of others. Not that we get all puffed up and start preaching at our family in Christ about what they need to be doing better . . . but instead, we view the knowledge we glean through our time in the word and the instruction of the Spirit as something that might benefit someone else. We’re ready to provide a word of encouragement when it’s needed . . . able to share some insight we’ve been graced with . . . even able to humbly and gently steer someone back on track, if required.

Risky proposition, the church. But if God be for us, who can be against. And, with the Word of God before us, and the Spirit of God inside of us, we are called to, and able to, self-regulate . . . for one another’s benefit . . . and for God’s glory . . .

Posted in Romans | Leave a comment

How to Please God

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Pete

There may be many things we are not certain about when it comes to the will of God and what pleases Him, but there are some things of which we can be absolutely certain. While there are some portions of Scripture that, even after noodling on them for awhile, you’re still not sure you’ve got it . . . there are other truths from God’s word that are laid on the surface, just waiting for harvesters of truth to come along and glean them . . . pick them up, put them in their satchel, and own them. I picked up one of those “there for the taking” truths this morning in Psalm 69 . . .

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
This will please the LORD more than ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.” (Psalm 69:30-31)

What pleases God? A song of praise. What makes God glad? Thanksgiving concerning His mighty works which brings into view His greatness. Pretty simple, huh . . . not too hard to dig that out of the Word . . . and talk about being doable.

Right here, right now . . . I can offer up a song a praise. As I type I’m listening to a song of praise being sung . . . “Not to us O’ Lord, but to Your Name be the glory” . . . these lyrics streaming out of iTunes become my tunes and my words . . . and I know that it pleases God. He has given us a new song to sing (Psalm 40:3) . . . so let’s do it! ‘Cause it makes God smile.

Has God done great things for me? Yeah . . . while I was yet without power . . . yet a sinner darkened to the things of heavenly light . . . yet an enemy of God determined to exert my will above His . . . in that condition, God showed His love in sending His Son to die on a cross . . . sending His Son to seek and save the lost . . . sending His Son, through the Spirit, to woo me to Himself . . . removing the scales from my eyes . . . taking my heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh . . . taking me from darkness into marvelous light . . . delivering me from the domain of the prince of this world and conveying me into the kingdom of His beloved Son. I can certainly give thanks for that. I can certainly magnify the grace of God by confessing that mighty work in my life. And that’s, quite literally, just the beginning. And that, quit truthfully, pleases God.

The Psalmist says it is the greatest of sacrifices . . . Peterson puts it this way, “For GOD, this is better than oxen on the altar, Far better than blue-ribbon bulls.” Give God a choice of a burnt offering or a praise offering . . . He’ll take the praise offering every time. Offer God bleating sheep or a song sung (even if it’s just a “joyful noise to the Lord”) and, hands down, He’s all about the song. Ask God what He prefers . . . the first fruits of livestock, sliced and diced and placed on the altar . . . or the fruit of lips, the sacrifice or praise (Heb. 13:15), offered by those who have placed themselves on the altar (Rom. 12:1)? He’ll take the praise every time . . . and He does so with joy . . . and gladness . . . it pleases my God!

Some things that are asked of us as followers of Christ, as children of God, though they may be simple, are often not easy. But this “command to obey” . . . this act which brings God such pleasure . . . is both simple . . . and easy.

Whether it be a little child’s voice offering up, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so” . . . or a symphony backed choir of dozens singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” at the top of their harmony woven lungs . . . the song offered to God in praise, pleases Him. Whether it’s relating again the story of our salvation . . . or the reminder of His nearness that He graciously provided me yesterday . . . giving Him thanks magnifies the King of Heaven . . . and pleases Him.

Now there’s a truth available for the taking. To overuse a term, there’s some “low hanging fruit.” Oh, but to take this low hanging fruit and do it has a high and holy impact. The song of praise ascends beyond the confines of this earth and magnifying thanksgiving reaches into heaven itself . . . and they touch the very heart of God. That, my friends, is how to please God. Amen?

Posted in Psalms | Leave a comment

Living Behind the Curtain

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Pete

It was intended to separate the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. While there were daily duties to be preformed in the area before the curtain, behind the curtain was reserved for the ark . . . for the mercy seat . . . for the glory of God. To go behind the curtain, apart from the once a year appointed time, for the once a year appointed purpose, by the only appointed person, was to invite the wrath of God. The glory dwelt behind the curtain . . . those who were able to draw near to God got only as close as the curtain . . . so what privilege it is this morning to be living behind the curtain?

Yesterday, our pastor encouraged us to stay near the cross as a means of preventing the root of bitterness from taking seed and growing within us. Preaching from Ephesians, he exhorted us with the words of Paul to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 5:32 ESV). By staying near the cross, by considering afresh the lengths to which our God went in order to extend forgiveness to us, we develop a capacity to show compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to those who have wronged or offended us. And so this mornings, as I read in Matthew 27, I drew near to the cross . . .

Leading up to the cross they scourged Him . . . stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on him . . . knelt before Him and mocked Him . . . spit on Him . . . struck Him on the head . . . and then led Him away to crucify Him (27:26-31). And as he hung on that cruel cross . . . the soldiers gambled for the garments they had taken off Him . . . those who passed by wagged their heads at Him and derided Him . . . the religious leaders poked fun at Him, sarcastically calling on Him to show some Son of God miracles . . . and even the robbers, who hung there with Him, joined in and reviled Him. But as much as all that makes me cringe, the worst had to have been when the Father forsook Him. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (27:46)

And then it happened . . . Jesus cried out with a loud voice . . . yielded up His spirit (no man taking it from Him) . . . “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (27:50-51).

From top to bottom it was torn . . . God’s doing . . . the wall of separation removed . . . the way into the Most Holy place opened up . . . the glory of God made accessible . . . living behind the curtain now available.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:19-22 ESV)

Confidence to enter the Holy of Holies . . . that’s living behind the curtain. Beholding the glory of God in the face of the Son of God through the indwelling Spirit of God . . . that’s living behind the curtain. Drawing near with absolute certainty concerning the things we believe . . . that’s living behind the curtain. Confidently drawing near to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Heb. 4:16) . . . that’s living behind the curtain. A new and living way . . . all behind the curtain.

Oh, to be, this morning, on most holy ground because of the cross! To behold the glory of His grace . . . to abide in His presence through the Spirit . . . to anticipate a time when faith will give way to sight . . . O glorious life behind the curtain.

Thank you Father for the cross . . .

Posted in Matthew | Leave a comment

Almost There!

Posted on March 18, 2011 by Pete

“Are we there yet?” Who can’t remember asking that question as a kid in the backseat of a car on what seems to be a “take forever” trip? Which parent hasn’t heard that question asked, often over and over again, from the backseat . . . they too being just as anxious to get to the destination as are their impatient passengers. “Almost there,” we’d say to our kids, “We’ll be there soon . . . just a little while longer.”

“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light . . . put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:11-12, 14 ESV)

So, if someone asked me, “List some of the attributes of salvation” . . . how might I respond? Salvation is a gift . . . it is free . . . it is by grace . . . it is through faith . . . it is forever . . . those might be some of the things that come to mind immediately (they just did). But I don’t think I’d be as quick to answer, “Salvation is nearer now than when I first believed.”

We’re getting nearer . . . we’re almost there . . . won’t be long now. It’s closer now than on the day I first believed . . . closer now than on that night I yielded . . . closer now than when “my calling” seemed to become clearer . . . closer now than it was yesterday. And so? So, time to keep my head in the game . . . time to resist the urge to snooze . . . time to refresh the holy determination to put on Christ. It’s time to get ready . . . time to reset . . . time to renew . . . time to revive . . . for my salvation is nearer now than it was then . . . for the day is at hand.

The day is at hand . . . the day of His return? . . . that day of shining glory in heaven? Yes to both!!! . . . the day is at hand. The culmination of my salvation is as close now as it has ever been. The past is gone . . . the present soon will be too . . . but the future only gets nearer. And oh, what a glorious future it is for the believer . . . I need to keep it ever before me.

The Scriptures remind me, again and again, that it’s so much about perspective . . . that thinking about the right stuff will motivate me to faithfully desire to act with the right behaviors. I am to think about things that are true and honorable and just and pure and lovely and commendable and excellent and worthy of praise (Php. 4:8) . . . I am to set my mind on things above and not on things of the earth (Col. 3:2) . . . I am to lift up my eyes to the hills from where my help comes from and see the LORD who made heaven and earth (Ps. 121:1) . . . and I am to remember that my salvation is nearer now . . . and that the day is at hand.

So, it is time. Time to wake up . . . time to get my head in the game . . . time to engage with the high and holy calling with which he has called me . . . time to put off that which is darkness and put on the armor of light . . . to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, that by His grace and through His power I would live in the light of His imminent return . . . live in the anticipation that this could be day I find myself facedown at His feet . . .

Are we there yet? Almost . . .

Posted in Romans | Leave a comment

Getting Warmer?

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Pete

You hit Romans 12 and the focus of Paul’s letter changes dramatically. From doctrine to doing . . . from right teaching to right living . . . from the wonders of the mercies of God to the call to present our bodies as living sacrifices in view of those mercies. I look down at my Bible and count over 20 times were I have underlined a “command to obey” in chapter 12 alone . . . there’s more to come . . . and this in a letter concerned with righteousness by faith and the gospel of grace. And one of those commands has jumped off the page this morning . . . the command to “get warmer.”

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” (Romans 12:11 ESV)

Be fervent in spirit . . . that’s what caught my attention this morning. Fervent’s not a word I hear a lot . . . not a word I use in “normal conversation” a lot. The NIV says to “keep your spiritual fervor” . . . the NLT says to serve “enthusiastically” . . . Peterson says “keep yourselves fueled and aflame” in the Message. The Amplified Bible expands it this way: “Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.”

The original word for “be fervent” is the Greek verb zeo . . . “to be hot.” Be hot . . . be like boiling water . . . be glowing like fired metals . . . figuratively, be earnest . . . be passionate . . . be zealous . . . be on fire . . . get warmer!

By default, I probably tend to think of being passionate as something that is “hot-wired” into a person’s DNA . . . an inherited characteristic. But if I’m reading Paul’s exhortation here correctly, we’re not “born hot” but we are to “be hot” . . . an objective to pursue . . . a trait to cultivate. Don’t be slothful in zeal . . . don’t lag in diligence . . . don’t be lazy . . . but be hot. Passion is to be pursued . . .

And it’s not really clear as to whether we are to be “fervent in spirit” or be “fervent in the Spirit” . . . not sure it makes a lot of difference . . . because we are not going to self-manufacture zeal. A soul on fire for Christ is a soul infused by the Spirit living within it. Mine, I think, is to recognize the command and then, by His grace and through the Spirit’s power, to seek to obey it.

I need to reject being half-hearted in the things of the kingdom of heaven . . . being lukewarm should be as distasteful to me as it is to the Lord. By the way, that’s the other place where this word is found . . . in it’s adjective form (I think that’s right) . . . the Greek word zestos . . . aka “hot” . . .

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Jesus, Revelation 3:15-16 ESV)

Paul says, “Be hot” . . . Jesus says He wants us “hot” . . . so, shouldn’t we pursue hot-ness . . . shouldn’t we seek to get warmer?

How? I’m thinking it starts first with desire . . . wanting to get in the game and break a sweat. Expressing, then, that desire through prayer . . . “Father, cultivate within me a passion for You and the things of Your kingdom!” And then pursuing . . . starts with the Word of God, I think . . . and the renewing of our minds which lead to the transforming of our lives. And then, it’s about caring less about what this world thinks and seeking to please only our “Audience of One”.

I recall a conversation I had with my brother many, many, many years ago. I had been saved barely a year . . . he had just come to Jesus only a few months prior . . . and I recall him saying to me, with passion in his voice and a glint in his eyes, “Pete, I don’t want to be a spark for Jesus . . . I want to be a flame!”

Oh, that I would seek to obey Paul’s command . . . that I would be fervent in spirit . . . that I would be boiling hot in THE SPIRIT . . . serving the Lord . . . for the glory of God. Oh, that I might be getting warmer . . .

Posted in Romans | 1 Comment