ILYL

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Pete

Flashback . . . something I read this morning caused me to recall something that kind of overwhelmed me last night at music team practice. The first few words of Psalm 18 re-released a flood of feeling just as these same words had last night as we sang them over and over again trying to get a song right. Not complex words . . . not particularly theological terms . . . but words that ignite the heart.

We were working on the song “Saviour King” by Hillsong last night. It’s been a long time since we had done the song so it took a bit to get re-familiarized with it. And, we’re no Hillsong, and so it took a few run-throughs to get it packaged appropriately for the LTCC worship team. So, we ended up singing the song a few times . . . sometimes repeating it “from the top” . . . sometimes just going over the verse, or a chorus, or a bridge. And there were a couple of points in the song, chorus 1 and chorus 3, where, no matter how often I sang it, it stirred me from the inside out . . . “We love You Lord, we worship You, You are our God, You alone are good . . . I love you Lord, I worship You, Hope which was lost, Now stands renewed.” Every time I sang “I love You, Lord”, I sang to the Lord, “I love you.”

For the believer, I don’t know how those words ever get tiresome . . . how they ever become “ho hum” . . . how they ever lose their meaning. What an awesome privilege to close our eyes . . . to tilt our heads heavenward . . . and sing . . . or whisper . . . or think . . . or shout, “I love You, Lord!”

I was once “dead in trespasses . . . following the course of this world and the ways of disobedience to God . . . living for the passions of the flesh . . . carrying out the desires of the body . . . by nature a child of wrath” (Eph. 2:1-3). There was a time when there was never a thought to acknowledge God much less think that I could, or that I would want to, tell Him that I love Him. Dead to the His love shown to me . . . dead to the life He sent His Son to secure for me . . . dead to any emotion that I might seek to return to Him. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5).

I love Him . . . and never tire of saying “I love You, Lord” . . . because He first loved me (1John 4:19). While I was yet without ability or desire to know Him . . . while I yet a sinner intent on occupying the throne of my life . . . while I was yet an enemy of God, lifting my ways above His . . . God showed His love in that He sent His Son to die for me (Rom. 5:1-10). God said, “I love you” first . . . He provided the means for reconciliation . . . He initiated the conversation . . . extended the invitation . . . patiently and persistently drew me to Himself . . . because, I believe, He too wanted to hear, “I love You, Lord.”

David wrote, “He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me” (Ps. 18:19). Oh, to think that God delights in me. Not because of who I am . . . not because of what I’ve done (actually despite what I’ve done) . . . but solely because of who He is and what He has done and His immense love for a lost world . . . His eternal desire to have His creation hear, “I love you” . . . and to adopt them as His children that they might respond, “I love You too, Lord!”

Four words that I find are more felt then “tell’t” . . . more an emotion than just an articulation. Four words that never grow old . . . four words that grow with meaning the longer I know Him and the longer I try to serve Him. Four words that bring joy to my heart as I speak them, or sing them . . . four words that I think bring joy to the heart of God as well . . . to Him be glory . . .

“I love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps. 18:1-2) . . . . ILYL

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Say "So!"

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Pete

I tend to shy away from being a “Peter basher” . . . the apostle, not me . . . well, me too. The rap on the apostle Peter is that he was impetuous . . . that he acted before he thought . . . that he was quick to try and run before he had really figured out how to walk . . . that he sometimes thought the mind of Peter should be the mind of Christ. Often his nature manifested itself in a “Ready, Shoot, Aim” approach to spouting off at the mouth. Quick to speak . . . slow to think, sometimes. And while Peter certainly “loaded that gun” for us to “pull that trigger” . . . I relate way too much to him to be critical . . .

I’m reading Acts 10:1-23 . . . and I’m impressed again by the overhaul in thinking that Peter had to go through. Talk about your world being turned upside down — again! . . . talk about changing the rules of the game . . . talk about taking what you think you knew to be reality and finding out, “Not so much!” Peter often takes “the hit” here for speaking the three words, “Not so, Lord!” And it is well pointed out that to say “Not so” and “Lord” in the same sentence kinda doesn’t go together. If He’s Lord, then it is “So”!!! . . . and if it is “Not so” then, is He really Lord? But as I think about Peter’s “schooling” on that roof top, I think about how much of what Peter thought he knew about God and the ways of God were going to challenged and spun 180 degrees that day.

Prior to the roof top it’s not like Peter was doing his own thing . . . not like he was pursuing his own agenda . . . not like he was disobediently walking his own way. No, he was out there on the leading edge of proclaiming Christ (Acts 2) . . . and suffering for it (Acts 5:40-41). Peter was being true to the light he possessed. The thing though is that he didn’t know it all yet . . . and what he thought he knew was about to be radically enhanced. The coming together of Jew and Gentile, pictured in the sheet descending from heaven, to form a new body accepted as God’s people, was a mystery up to this point, revealed only at this time in history to and through the apostles (Eph. 3:1-7). Kind of hard to fault Peter, I think.

Ok . . . so maybe saying “Not so Lord” to a voice from heaven may have not been the best thought out response . . . but he got it . . . yeah, after three times, but I’m amazed it was ONLY three times . . . and then he acted on it. What about me? How many things do I think I know about God, and Christianity, and Church life . . . things I’ve been taught . . . things that I’ve read and studied and seen for myself . . . things that others acknowledge as true . . . and what if God said, “Do it differently . . . think about it differently”? Is it possible that I may not have some of those things quite right and God may have some more for me to learn? Or possible that, while I may not be wrong, it’s only a measure of understanding . . . a “little” to be faithful with before I’m given more . . . that as I increase in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and develop more the mind of Christ, that I too may find I need to change my thinking on certain matters?

Now, I’m not talking about the foundational things like the Person and redemptive work of Christ . . . or the basis for salvation being grace alone . . . or the inerrancy of the God-breathed Scriptures. I’m referring to those myriad of things that I think I know about the Christian experience, or am comfortable with in my Christian practice, where my understanding is partial or maybe even wrong . . . and God wants to correct my thinking . . . or to enhance my understanding . . . or even radically change my thinking.

And it’s likely not going to be a voice from heaven, but my indwelling Teacher, the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, who reveals it to me. Something in my reading . . . or during some study . . . or from the Sunday morning pulpit . . . where the Spirit through the Word of God says, “Hey, this is how it is . . . it’s not the way you have thought for so long.” What will I do in that situation? . . . will I say “Not so Lord” . . . or humbly recognize that this pilgrim is still learning on this journey and bow the knee and put away my preconceived reality and submit to the Word of God . . . and say, “So!”

Oh, that I would be as ready as Peter . . . seeking God on a roof top. That I would be as favored as Peter . . . God graciously schooling me and challenging my biases through His word. That I would learn from Peter . . . and be slow to say, “Not so” . . . and that I would be as quick to learn as Peter . . . and say, “So” . . . and then go . . . for His glory.

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In Fear and In Comfort

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Pete

You gotta know that Saul getting saved sure took a lot of pressure off of a lot of people. He had become pretty ramped up and obsessed with those who claimed to be disciples of a risen Jesus . . . breathing threats and murder against those who belonged to “the Way” (Acts 9:1-2). So, you just gotta think that when he met the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a believer, it provided a lot of relief to those he had led the charge against.

And that’s what Luke records towards the end of Acts 9, “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up” (9:31a). Dickens might have put it this way, “It was the best of times.” King David, this way, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed I have a pleasant inheritance” (Ps. 16:6). Bottom line . . . things were good . . . it was a pleasant season for the church at large . . . no persecution . . . no arrests . . . no running from crazy man Saul. Instead, peace . . . some normalcy . . . an opportunity to catch your breath . . . energy spent on growing rather than on running. It wouldn’t be that way always . . . but it was that way now . . . and they would enjoy it.

But check this out . . . during this time of peace and edification and multiplication . . . this is how the Holy Spirit describes how they did life, “In the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit” (9:31b).

Fear and comfort . . . the combo caught my attention . . . not two words that I would necessarily put together . . . not two “states of being” that I would consider compatible. But that’s how the church “walked” during this time of peace . . . that’s how believers did life . . . in fear . . . and in comfort.

Fear of the Lord . . . not the same type of fear they had of Saul and his murderous ways . . . but an abiding deep sense of awe concerning the holiness of their God, the wonder of their salvation, and the calling of their Savior. Every day being a day to walk in a manner worthy of being a child of God . . . a day to seek first the kingdom of God . . . a day to order one’s life as befitting a disciple and servant of Christ. Characterized by an ever-present reverence for the Lord, they continued to continue in the apostles doctrine (2:42) . . . they pursued the things of holiness and righteousness . . . they set their hearts on things above . . . more and more mindful that they weren’t living to please men here and now but were preparing to stand before the King, desiring to hear “Well done good and faithful servant”, there and then. Times were good . . . but the fear, the reverential awe of the Lord abided.

And long with it, the comfort of the Holy Spirit. As these saints sought to draw near to God, He, through His blessed Holy Spirit, drew alongside them. They pursued the holy and the Holy One pursued them. They lived for the things of God, and the living God lived through them. They practiced their “spiritual disciplines” and Spirit “practiced” an abiding presence within them. The more they lived in the fear of the Lord, the greater the comfort . . . the support . . . the encouragement . . . the pervasive presence . . . of the Holy Spirit. As they sought to follow Christ . . . as they yielded to “thy will be done” continually . . . the Spirit “stepped in front of the parade” and led and directed and strengthened.

Fear and comfort . . . I guess they do go together.

Oh that I might not snooze during peaceful times . . . that I might not grow complacent during those seasons when “the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places”. But that I might pursue the prize and drink of living water . . . that I might run the race and know the refreshing . . . that I might live in fear . . . and in comfort . . . for my benefit . . . for His glory . . . amen.

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Undercover

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Pete

Ok . . . so this year one of the TV shows that’s made it on my “to watch” list is Undercover Boss. That’s the show where some big kahuna in a company, usually the CEO, goes incognito and enters the inner-workings of his company . . . being filmed under the pretense of some other “reality TV” premise. And during the week, as he’s working different jobs in different parts of the company, he learns what life’s like on the “front lines”. He meets employees . . . hears their stories . . . does their work . . . and learns a few lessons along the way. And then, these employees are brought to headquarters where they are reunited with “the rookie” . . . this time not as a co-worker but as their bosses bosses boss. And at their meeting, these “lowly workers” are given praise . . . sometimes given correction . . . and often given rewards. So what’s got me thinking Undercover Boss? It’s another “reality show” I’m reading about in Matthew 6.

“Be real!” says the Holy Spirit through Matthew. Giving to the needy? Don’t be standing up in church or waving your gifts on the street corners trying to impress others of how great a friend to the poor you are. Do it in secret. Praying? Avoid seeking public platforms in order that others might hear your many eloquent (but empty) words, instead find a room with a door . . . and get in the room . . . and get on your knees . . . and get to talking with God. Do it in secret. Fasting? Quit letting your outer appearance try to reflect your inner striving so that others might be impressed. Have a shower, shave, put on some perfume (if you’re a lady) . . . don’t let on to anyone how starved you are. Do it in secret. (Matt 6:1-18 PLT – Pete’s Loose Translation).

Do it in secret because that’s where your Father operates. Three times that point is emphasized in this passage . . . “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (6:4, 6, 18). God operates, in a sense, undercover. It’s not that He’s trying to hide . . . or trying to fool anyone . . . it’s just that His place is the secret place . . . His realm is the hidden realm . . . His interest is in the inner person. Not that He’s gone undercover . . . not that He’s disguised Himself . . . in fact, the heavens declare the glory and presence of God (Ps. 19:1) . . . His people should be proclaiming the praises of God who has called them out of darkness into light (1Peter 2:9) . . . that the whole world might know that God exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). God operates in the secret, but not because He’s trying to hide . . . but because He’s interested in what’s real.

Rather, we’re the ones to go incognito, in a sense. When it comes to “practicing righteousness” (Matt 6:1) . . . when it comes to walking the talk . . . when it comes to putting flesh on Christianity . . . we are to do it but for an Audience of One. God’s people are to know that God searches the secret, and are to learn to operate in that realm. It’s not about how much people know we give . . . not about how eloquent we can be in a crowd at prayer meeting . . . not about how long we can abstain for food and how many people we can tell in that time. It’s about doing what we should be doing . . . because it’s the right thing to do.

And it’s about knowing that our Father sees in secret. That He’s present on the “shop floor” as we seek, by His grace and through His Spirit, to be about the kingdom’s business. That He knows not just what we do, but why we do it. And that ours isn’t to worry about the recognition but to check ourselves on the reality.

One day I’ll be called to HQ (Heavenly Quarters being prepared even now by the Savior), and I’ll behold Him face to face. That some of my works may not stand the scrutiny of Him who sees the heart is likely . . . that I might hear “Well done good faithful servant” for some service is my desire . . . that I might receive a crown or two to lay back at His feet in appreciation and worship is my hope. But for now, teach me Lord it operate “undercover” . . . to know the God who abides in the hidden place . . . to serve not for the eyes of men but of the eyes of Him who sees in secret.

For His glory alone . . . amen.

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WWPD?

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Pete

I know that, as a fad, it’s probably run its course. I know that during its day, it was overused . . . over marketed . . . and maybe, sometimes, a bit over the top. Think what you will of its hey-day, but you can’t argue with the sentiments behind WWJD. What Would Jesus Do? Fair question . . . not a bad reminder for people who are called to “be imitators of God” (Eph. 5:1). But the power of WWJD, of course, is not in the slogan or acronym . . . it’s not in the bracelets and other marketed paraphernalia . . . but its in actually doing what Jesus would do . . . in saying what Jesus would say . . . in responding in a manner in which Jesus would respond. And, I’m thinking it’s not so much what merchandise I’m wearing on the outside as it is what’s filling me on the inside that’s going to result in the degree to which I do what Jesus would do. Case in point . . . Stephen . . .

“But they (the high priest and the council) cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him (Stephen). Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him . . . And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:57-60)

Every time I read this passage I’m arrested afresh by how much Stephen, at his death, responded like the Lord Jesus at His death. The clarity with which he commended the care of his spirit into the hands of His Savior and the manner in which he prayed for his executioners . . . almost exactly like what Jesus said (Luke 23:34, 46). And I don’t think in those moments, when the stones started hitting him, he was thinking, “WWJD?” . . . no, I think he responded with what had become second nature to him . . . that second nature being the nature of Christ. It wasn’t about the slogan he memorized . . . it was about the Spirit he internalized.

You read about Stephen in Acts 6 and 7 and it isn’t hard to pick up on one of his major distinguishing characteristics: ” . . . they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (6:3) . . . And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders (6:8) . . . But they could not withstand the wisdom and Spirit with which [Stephen] was speaking (6:10) . . . But [Stephen], full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (7:55).”

Talk about someone who was “conformed to the image of Christ” (Rom. 8:29) . . . talk about someone who reflected the heart and mind of the risen Savior . . . talk about someone who responded naturally in such a supernatural way . . . then you’re talking about Stephen. And, it wasn’t what Stephen wore on his wrist that influenced how much he acted like Jesus . . . it was about what Stephen was filled with in his heart . . . a man full of the Holy Spirit.

Here’s a guy under the influence of the Holy Spirit . . . up to the very end. The divine nature becoming second nature . . . the Holy Spirit in full control when things were spinning out of control . . . what Stephen would do being what Jesus would do. Stephen living out to the most extreme extent Paul’s declaration that “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

And it occurs to me that, while I’m no Stephen, the same Holy Spirit that filled Him is the Spirit who resides within me . . . that I too can continually “be being filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) . . . that I too can learn and know what it is to live in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) . . . that I too can be so under the influence that my “natural” responses and actions start looking a lot like the responses and actions that one would expect from Jesus.

WWPD? What Would Pete do? By the grace of God . . .and through the filling and power of the Holy Spirit . . . more and more what Jesus would do . . .

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Eyelids

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Pete

Ever look at something really closely? Not just glance at it . . . not just observe it . . . but lean in and really try and make out the detail? What do your eyes do? . . . more specifically what do your eyelids do? The brow kind of furls . . . and then the eyelids kind of press closer together . . . don’t they? Whether we want to better make out something in the distance or want to examine something up close we employ our eyelids . . . we kind of squint when we want to become intimate with the details of something that’s caught our attention . . . that’s peaked our curiosity . . . that’s become an object we want to understand. God too!

“The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; His eyes see, His eyelids test, the children of man.” (Psalm 11:4)

Observation: God has eyelids. Most of the translations  I checked out, even the Message, speak of God’s eyelids. Now I know that God doesn’t actually have eyelids (I think) for God is spirit (John 4:24). But what I also know is that God is often spoken of in terms of human attributes so that we might know something of a God who is beyond human comprehension . . . that we might have a touch point anchored to how we’re wired in order to understand how God’s wired. And that God has eyes to see is not news to me this morning . . . but that He has eyelids to test . . . now that’s caused me to pause and reflect.

The word “eyelid” is only used 9 times in Scripture . . . but this is the only time it is used in reference to God. And check out the “big and small” of this statement about God. The “big” is that He dwells in His holy temple and that His throne is in heaven. High and lifted up . . . apart from men . . . so far above the earth . . . in a place with a vantage point that overlooks and sees all creation as well as the heavenly realm. Talk about your panoramic view . . . your wide angle lens . . . your big picture. God sits above it all and takes it all in . . . “His eyes see.”

But then . . . zoom in . . . switch from wide angle to telephoto . . . from viewing myriads of galaxies to focusing on one . . . from considering who knows how many solar systems to taking a closer look at but one . . . from looking past all the planets and stars to fixing His gaze on the third planet from the sun . . . from observing the ebb and flow of billions of people to singling out just one . . . from seeing not only what that individual is doing, but what what they’re thinking as well. “His eyelids test the children of men.”

My handy dandy online Hebrew dictionary indicates that, while God’s eyes see, that His eyelids “examine, try, prove, or scrutinize.” He leans in, as it were. He squints in order to see the fine detail . . . perhaps closes one eye as the other peers through the microscope trained on our thoughts, attitudes, and motives. Yeah . . . God sees everything as in the big picture . . . but I’m reminded He sees everything as in “everything” . . . even those things I perhaps prefer no one really see or notice.

And while there’s any number of applications to this observation about God having eyelids . . . right now, I’m simply in awe. And my little mind tries to take in that while God’s glory fills the holy temple of His dwelling . . . and that while He sits as majestic Sovereign on the throne which is the center piece of heaven . . . that He also, from that high and holy and lofty place where He sees it all . . . He also sees me . . . really, really sees me . . . through and through. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it” (Ps. 139:6). Said a little differently, “Wow!”

It’s a little unsettling, perhaps. But then I’m reminded that, while the Shepherd knows His sheep . . . intimately, . . . with all that He knows, He still chose to give His life for the sheep . . . and then give them eyelids too, that they might know Him (John 10:11, 14). Oh, that I would lean in . . . furl my brow . . . press together my eyelids . . . and seek, by His grace and through His Spirit, to know Him better who knows me oh so well. Amen?

Posted in Psalms | 3 Comments

The Birthright

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Pete

You got to think that, as the boys grew up, they had heard the stories more than once around the dinner table. The stories of how God had appeared to their grandfather and told him to leave his country and to go to a new land that God would show him. That they’d be aware of how granddad had grown in wealth and power . . . how he had rescued his nephew Lot from marauding renegade kings . . . how he had interceded for Sodom and witnessed its destruction . . . and how, at a hundred years of age, he and his wife had been blessed with a son, the boys’ dad. And you think they would have known the promises made to granddad Abraham . . . the promises that through him and his offspring God would make a great nation . . . which would inhabit a great land . . . and would be a great blessing to all peoples (Gen 12:2-3; 15:5,18; 17:4,7-8; 22:17-18). You got to think they would have known the stories.

And so, you got to think that they understood the implications of being the sons of Isaac, the grandsons of Abraham. And you got to think that they understood the importance of the birthright of the eldest. Though they were twins . . . only one could be the oldest . . . only one could own the birthright . . . only one could expect to be the line through which God would specifically fulfill the promises he made to their grandpa. But, I guess understanding the birthright is one thing . . . valuing it is another.

Jacob got it . . . he knew the value of being top of the food chain when it came to the birthright. He knew that it entitled the his older brother, Esau, to a double portion of their father’s possessions and that it meant becoming the tribal or family head. And I think he probably got too that, through the birthright, came the passing of the baton of the great and awesome promises made to Abraham and later to his dad, Isaac (Gen. 26:3-4, 24). Jacob got it. Maybe Esau did too . . . but, says the Scriptures, he despised the birthright (25:34).

And while there’s whole set of questions surrounding Jacob the Schemer and the manner in which he extorted the birthright from Esau and eventually conned the blessing from Isaac, it’s Esau that has me thinking this morning. A guy born into privilege . . . a possessor of promises . . . whose priorities around satisfying his fleshly needs led him to sell out for a bowl of soup (Gen. 25:29-34).

He must have known his unique and blessed standing. The oldest grandson of Abraham the friend of God (James 2:23). The oldest son of Isaac, himself a son of promise through a miraculous birth to a couple of centenarians. Esau must have been told what was his as the firstborn. But, in the end, he was more desperate to find food for his stomach than he was to find fulfillment as the firstborn . . . in the end, the call of the flesh trumped the call of God.

And it occurs to me that I too have a birthright . . . not a lot unlike Esau’s. Now, mine isn’t through a natural birth but through a supernatural rebirth . . . through the work of Christ on the cross and by the grace of God. And, having been born again, I have received the Spirit of adoption by whom I cry out to God, “Abba (aka Daddy) Father” (Rom. 8:15). Because I am Christ’s, then I too am “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise . . . an heir of God through Christ” (Gal. 3:29, 4:7). I too am a child of promise (Gal. 4:28) . . . a son of potential. I know the story . . . I know the promises . . . and, I know the temptation to sell out for a bowl of soup.

There are so many things that call out to the natural man . . . that seek to take priority . . . that try to deceive me to relinquish the pursuit of my birthright. So many voices offering up so much stuff that ultimately only “satisfies” for a season. So many pursuits promoted by empty promises to distract me from pressing onward for the real prize. So many schemes devised by my enemy that would entice me to compromise my calling in Christ in order to settle for a bowl of soup. Oh that I might be like Moses, refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh that He might own his calling as a son of God . . . “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” because he was looking for the reward of his birthright (Heb. 11:4-27)

What a birthright to be valued and pursued . . . what a Savior to praised and glorified . . . amen?

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Seeing the Creator

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Pete

Because Saturday is usually tagged for preparing for my high school Sunday School class and Sunday starts early with final music team practice, it is very rare that I pull out my reading plan on the weekends. And so, if I’m going to keep up with a 25 days per month reading plan and take weekends off, then I need to get ahead in order to not get behind. Make sense? Nevertheless, its the “need” to keep ahead of the plan that sometimes has me taking in a “double portion” some mornings. This morning was one of those mornings. As such, I read Psalm 8 and Psalm 9 together . . . and together, as a duet of praise, they reminded me of a truth I picked up from Chuck Swindoll years and years ago . . .

Man is man, and nothing more . . . God is God, and nothing less.

In Psalm 8 the psalmist looks up . . . way up . . . and takes a few minutes to noodle on the heavens. He is blown away as he looks at the moon and the stars set in place, for He sees in the nighttime skies the work of the fingers of God (8:3). The fingers of God . . . fine motor skills . . . the work of an artist . . . far from some random big bang, everything is precisely formed and set in place. And so, says the Psalmist, “How majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (8:1) And then he asks the question, “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Now, as I think about the things of creation, I perhaps could make an argument that mankind is the greatest of God’s creation. That men and women stand apart from all other works of His fingers because we were created in His triune image (Gen. 1:26). A body, the workings of which are absolutely beyond full appreciation . . . as I think, even now, of my heart pumping . . . my lungs taking in and distributing oxygen . . . and my brain, such as it is, trying to process what I’ve read as it tells my fingers what to type. And beyond the body I have a soul which defines the seat of who I am and which will exist forever . . . and a spirit which provides the means for connecting with things that transcend flesh and blood. Amazing creation, we human beings.

Sadly however, too many of us “works of wonder” stop there . . . believe our own press . . . think that we are top of the food chain . . . that it is about us . . . as Paul says we worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25).

Not the psalmist . . . he considers the glory of creation . . . and sees the evidence of the fingers of a God who is so big . . . and he says, “God who are we? I look at you macro-skies and my micro-self and wonder why you bother with us (MSG).” Far from thinking he’s the glory of creation, the psalmist is enraptured with the glory of the Creator and in awe that He would have a place for men and women in His amazing tapestry. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name!” (8:9).

And then I read Psalm 9 . . . and the perspective continues . . . as does the praise. “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, I will recount all of your wonderful deeds (9:1) . . . the Lord sits enthroned forever (9:7) . . . the Lord is a stronghold (9:8) . . . sing praise to the Lord, tell among the peoples His deeds! (9:11)” Again, with the wonder of God’s person and marvels of God’s works churning within him . . . as he’s is moved to praise Him who is enthroned on high forever . . . the song-writer concludes, “Let the nations know that they are but men!” (9:20).

Yeah! . . . Amen! God is God, and nothing less. And man is man, nothing more.

Oh that I would never stop looking at the creation without it revealing the Creator. That I would never cease to be amazed that He who is high and lifted up, . . . that He who inhabits eternity, . . . that He whose name is Holy, . . . that He would desire to even look upon, much less dwell with, those who are broken and contrite in spirit (Isa 57:15)

O Lord, my Lord, how majestic is Your name!

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Boldness

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Pete

It’s a simple prayer that has grabbed my attention this morning. One of those requests that, as you linger over it, you ask yourself, “Am I prepared to prayer such a prayer? If God granted the petition, am I ready for the implications?” What’s the prayer? In a word . . . BOLDNESS.

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” (Acts 4:29)

The healing of the lame man created quite a stir . . . and provided quite the opportunity for Peter and John. That’s the intent of healings, signs and wonders . . . to provide a platform to point people to Jesus, the One who has the power to heal . . . more importantly the One who has the power to save. And they preached it! No holds barred. And many of those who heard the word believed (4:4).

And the happenings that day at the temple got back to the rulers and elders . . . both concerning the miracle and the message they were preaching . . . and so they brought Peter and John up on the carpet. Then they “loaded the gun” and Peter “pulled the trigger.”

“By what power or what name did you do this?” they said (4:7). Thanks for asking, replies Peter . . . and “filled with the Holy Spirit” Peter declares the source of such power as Jesus . . . whom they had crucified . . . whom they had rejected as the chief cornerstone . . . whom God had raised from the dead . . . “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (4:10-12)

BA-BAM!!! These nobody fishermen stood before these high-falootin’, uppity-ups and preached it . . . told it like it is . . . didn’t back down. And the Holy Spirit, through Luke, records, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (4:13).

They had spoken with boldness . . . they were warned by the religious leaders to stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus (4:18) . . . and, as they gathered with the saints to pray, they asked for more boldness. Their reliance wasn’t upon cleverly formed arguments . . . they didn’t need a well put together PowerPoint presentation. What they asked for was freedom in speaking . . . for openness and frankness in talking . . . for unreservedness in sharing . . . for free and fearless confidence in declaring that Jesus is the only name by which men must be saved.

They had spoken with boldness . . . because they were filled with the Holy Spirit (4:8) . . . and they asked for more boldness. Their reliance wasn’t upon their own courage . . . it wasn’t about “gutting it out” in their own strength. But what they asked for was the continued filling of the Holy Spirit. As Paul would put it, in his letter to Timothy, they were seeking to stir up the gift within them . . . realizing that they hadn’t been given a spirit of fear but of power . . . and, as such, not wanting to be ashamed of the testimony of Christ . . . but instead to stand for the gospel according to the power of God (2Tim. 1:6-8).

Continued boldness, however, would mean continued opposition . . . more conflicts . . . eventually beatings and imprisonment . . . and, for some, it would mean being “bold unto death.” So they prayed . . . God answered . . . “the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (4:31) And so, I hover over this prayer and ask myself, “Am I prepared to pray this prayer?”

Oh, that God would grant boldness . . . that the reality of the filling of the Holy Spirit might be known . . . that opportunities to testify of Christ might be seized . . . that it might be recognized that I have too been with Jesus. His power . . . my willingness. His gospel . . . my tongue. His glory . . . yes, His glory.

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Leaping and Praising God

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Pete

Despite the irrefutable proof, there was still a decision that needed to made . . . an exercise of the will that needed to occur. That the man stood before them was undeniable . . . that he stood at all was unbelievable. His legs had not worked since birth (Acts 3:1) . . . for over forty years they had hung limp about him (Acts 4:22). But in an instance . . . at the uttering of a command to “rise up and walk” by the authority of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, this guy’s legs were regenerated and he stood up. Electronic pulses from the brain found their way for the first time to the man’s lower extremities . . atrophied thigh and calf muscles took shape . . . dislocated bones were relocated, ligaments and tendons regaining their strength . . . and this guy doesn’t just stand up, but he leaps up . . . and continues walking, and leaping, and praising God (3:6-8).

And the crowd that day at the temple saw this once lame man now in acrobatic worship, many recognizing him. And, as they watched him doing cartwheels in the temple, they were filled with wonder and amazement (3:10). That he had been healed was not up for discussion . . . that a miracle had occurred was a given . . . the only thing left for consideration was “how?” and “so what?”

The “how”, says Peter, is simple . . . it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (3:6, 4:10) . . . the same Jesus who had been crucified and who God had raised from the dead. The “so what?” Just as God had raised Jesus from the dead . . . and as the Name of Jesus had raised this lame beggar from the ground . . . so too Jesus fulfilled the promise to Abraham of blessing to all peoples by delivering them from sin (3:25-26) . . . believe it or not!

And, the Scriptures say, “Many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.” (4:4)

That the lame man walked was irrefutable . . . that he was leaping and bounding about the temple was clearly understood . . . that it was because of Jesus . . . crucified . . . risen from the dead . . . proclaimed to be the Messiah . . . identified as the One foretold of by the prophets as “the stone rejected by the builder, the cornerstone” (4:11) . . . that would take another kind of leaping . . . a leap of faith.

This is the second time this morning I’ve read of “a leap of faith”. My earlier reading in Genesis records God’s repeated promise to an aging Abram that he and Sarai would “defy the odds” and conceive and give birth to a son. “Look toward heaven,” God speaks to Abram, “and number the stars, if you are able to number them . . . so shall your offspring be” (Gen. 15:5). Mmmm . . . that Abram would be the father of a son was enough of a stretch . . . but that he would then be the father of a multitude of people (13:16) . . . and a multitude of nations (17:4) . . . and the source of blessing to the whole world (12:3) . . . whoo-boy! . . . that’s more out there than a lame dude walking. Yup!

“And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6)

Abram believed that what God had said was true . . . he took that leap of faith . . . just as the crowd, that day in the temple, believed that what God had said through Peter was true. And to them all, it was counted as righteousness. Faith is the “secret sauce” of the kingdom of heaven. It is by faith that we know Jesus saves . . . by faith that we are declared redeemed and righteous in Him . . . by faith that we know God is in control and that all things work together for our good according to His purpose . . . by faith that we appropriate the promises of God given us in His word . . . by faith that we await that day when we will move into our room which Jesus has been preparing for us in His Father’s house (John 14:1-13).

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. If we would draw near to Him we must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him (Heb. 11:6). And when we believe . . . whether for the first time as we come to Him for forgiveness and regeneration . . . or for the umpteenth time when we submit to His ways and receive His promises . . . then let the leaping begin! For that is life and life to the max . . . that is getting your legs underneath you. Oh, that I might know more of leaping and praising God . . . for His glory.

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