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’ . . .

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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?

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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 . . .

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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?

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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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 . . .

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Purified for His Praise

Posted on March 16, 2011 by Pete

There’s something about knowing people, or knowing about people, who have been “been there, done that, got the t-shirt.” You know, those folks who have been where you’re now walking. Those who have experienced what you’re experiencing and now have some perspective as they look back. Those who have gone through a wringer that sounds a lot like the wringer you’re going through and, having come out the other side in tact, have drawn some conclusions and gained some wisdom. I think that’s part of what makes the Psalms so attractive . . . why they can resonate so deeply . . . there’s a certain level of identification . . . and by that association, a certain amount of encouragement. Check out how David describes the wringer Israel went through . . .

For You, O God, have tested us; You have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid a crushing burden on our backs; You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet You have brought us out to a place of abundance. (Psalm 66:10-12 ESV)

“I’ll take lesser known acts of God for 500, Alex.” “Okay then . . . the purpose for God in trapping His people in a net . . . in laying a back-breaking burden upon their shoulders . . . in letting men ride over their heads . . . in allowing them to go through the hottest flames . . . in permitting them to almost drown in a sea of oppression . . . in pushing them to their very limits.” “Uh . . . what is the manner by which God tests His people and purifies them like silver?” “Correct-amundo!”

We don’t often talk of God having cast people in a net . . . or of laying crushing burdens on their backs . . . or of letting men ride over their heads . . . but that God’s purposes were at play during those 400 years of Egyptian slavery is clear. Generation upon generation of continual testing and trying and purifying where all part of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would be blessed . . . and be a blessing to all nations. The desperation and increasing hopelessness was all part of readying a people for deliverance into a place of abundance.

And what amazes me about these not-so-much-talked about “acts of God” is that fact that they are embedded in a glorious Psalm of praise. A psalm which directs “all the earth” to praise God (66:1-4) . . . which calls upon His people to make the sound of praise heard (66:8) . . . and then gets immensely personal as the psalmist determines to offer his burnt offerings and cry unto God with “high praise” under his tongue (66:13,17).

David commands the earth to worship . . . David exhorts His people to praise . . . because he knows what it is to personally to be tested . . . tried . . . and purified . . .

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for my soul.” (Psalm 66:17 ESV)

David knew what is was to go through the wringer . . . he knew what it was to hunted by a jealous king . . . he knew what it was to be deposed and run out of town by his own son . . . he knew what it was to be crushed by the burden of guilt and sin . . . but, “Come here and listen”, he says, “and let me tell you what God has done for me and within me.” Though David knew what it was to call out in desperate prayer, this tried as silver saint also knew what it was to cry out in glorious praise. Exalted praise . . . high praise . . . not just on his tongue, but under his tongue . . . embedded deep within his soul . . . that soul that God had put through the wringer . . . the soul that God had purified for His glory.

“Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!” (66:20 ESV).

My trials may be different . . . but they are my trials . . . and for God’s purposes. That I too might say, “Been there . . . done that . . . purified for His praise . . . “

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"Able" Words

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Pete

I came across some “able” words in one of my readings this morning. Not “able” as in having sufficient power, skill, or resources to do something. But “able” as in the four letters a-b-l-e found at the end of three words in the ESV version of the latter portion of Romans 11 . . .”able” as in insufficient power, skill, or resources to grasp the glory and greatness of my God. “Able” words that leave me without words . . . “able” words that leave me unable to adequately express the awe enveloping my heart.

IRREVOCABLE . . . UNSEARCHABLE . . . INSCRUTABLE . . . . oh, praise God . . . unbelievable!

As Paul wraps up this part of his letter (ch. 9-11) which reveals his heart, and God’s plans, for his kinsmen, Israel, he says that the blood descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are living under a “partial hardening”. In large, they have missed the Messiah, though even now, as in the days of Elijah, there is a remnant (11:1-6) . . . God not having rejected his people, but allowing them this “partial hardening until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (11:25). As regards the gospel they are misaligned . . . “But,” says Paul, “as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (11:28-29).

Irrevocable . . . without regret . . . without repentance . . . a promise that will be kept. What God has planned, He will deliver . . . what God has started, He will finish. There may be seasons and circumstance which indicate otherwise, but let it be known, people of God, that His gifts and calling are irrevocable! Isn’t that what I’m counting on . . . that His call and His grace are without retracting. If it was dependent upon me to conform myself into the image of His Son then I would be, of all men, in a most hopeless situation. But it’s His call on my life . . . it’s His unmerited favor that has declared me righteous through faith in the work of the cross and begun a work of forming within me the divine nature.

Do I fully understand exactly how it works . . . not so much . . . do I fully believe the dynamic is in play in my life . . . absolutely! How come . . . cause His gifts and calling are irrevocable.

But enough about me . . . for now . . . Paul here is talking about the yet-to-be-finished work with Israel. I read of some that this morning in my Deuteronomy reading. Moses recounting God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt, though they grumbled (Deut. 9:7) . . . reminding them of their failure at Mt. Sinai (Deut. 9:10-21) . . . encouraging them to circumcise their hearts and cut away their stubbornness (Deut. 10:!4) . . . commanding them to obey and be blessed. And it amazes me that thousands of years later, Paul would be writing to these Romans of God’s abiding care over this same people. And I’m in awe that even today, His hand is upon this “hardened Israel” awaiting the time when He will open their eyes to see the Messiah and “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27 ESV). The calling and grace put in play so long ago are still in play today . . . cue the other “able” words . . .

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! (Romans 11:33 ESV)

Beyond fully discovering . . . beyond fully comprehending . . . that’s my God . . . that’s the nature of His ways . . . so much bigger than my little mind . . . so beyond my feeble imagination. And though I may not be able to grasp the full implications of these “able” words . . . He is able . . . with a grace irrevocable . . . judgments unsearchable . . . and, ways inscrutable.

The awe that evokes within me? . . . Indescribable!

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The Response of Righteousness

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Pete

“Righteousness for us” . . . those words jumped off the page. Now, I’ve been reading a lot about righteousness over the past several mornings as I’ve journeyed through the book of Romans . . . but that’s not where I encountered this phrase this morning. In Romans I’ve read of a righteousness by faith . . . a truth that evokes awe and results in joy unspeakable. But the righteousness I read of this morning caused me to react with dread and a foreshadowing feeling of failure.

And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25 ESV)

In the past, when I’ve read Deuteronomy 6 I have focused on the “Shema” . . . the “Hear O Israel” . . . the greatest of all commandments . . . “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut. 6:4-5). Amen! He is the LORD our God . . . He is One . . . He is to be loved with all heart, soul, mind and strength. There’s not a higher or more holy calling than to love God unreservedly. But I realize that I embrace it through grace . . . that I aspire to it because it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. But what if my righteous standing before God depended on the degree to which I obeyed the Shema? What if that were the “price of admission” into the most holy of holies and communion with the Father? . . . dread . . . foreshadowing feeling of failure.

Isn’t that Deuteronomy 6:24-25 is saying? As the children of Israel are about to enter the promised land, Moses undertakes a final “pep talk” to prepare the people of God for being the people of God. He reminds them of the commandments given on the holy mount and exhorts them to “be careful to do them” (6:3). “Fear God,” he says, “do ALL these statues . . . and it will be righteousness for us . . . if we are careful to do ALL this commandment before the LORD.” Obedience to the law would be their basis for righteousness.

And I read that and it causes a shudder to run down my back. My righteousness dependent upon my ability to keep ALL the commandments of God? Talk about your no-win situation. Cue the sacrifices . . . bring on the sea of blood flowing from the jugulars of animal offerings to atone for failure. A righteousness resting fully upon my will and discipline to obey the law of God? Ugh!

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22 ESV)

There it is! A righteousness apart from the law. A righteousness, the need for which was made clear through the law (Gal. 3:19-24), but which is realized by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. My righteousness this morning is not dependent on my ability to power up myself to keep all His commandments. But my righteousness is through faith in the Son of God who loved me, gave Himself for me, and now lives inside of me.

And so, I seek not to love God in order that I might find favor with God . . . but I desire to love Him will all my heart, soul, mind and strength as a response to the unmerited favor I have already know in His Son. Far from the Shema being the requirement for righteousness, it is the response of righteousness — the righteousness I possess in Christ . . . amen?

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