Wow!

Posted on May 31, 2010 by Pete

There’s a verse in Ephesians 3 which, no matter how often I read it, never ceases to amaze me. It always catches my attention . . . always causes me to pause and consider . . . always evokes that great theological response of awe, “Wow!”

” . . . to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be make known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:10)

There’s some schooling going on in the heavenlies . . . God making known His wisdom, His supreme intelligence. The nature of this wisdom is “manifold” it is literally “much variegated, marked with a great variety of colors” . . . like a large, precious, flawless diamond that, when held up to the light at different angles, displays a different brilliance and beauty. It is a like a finely woven tapestry . . . intricately woven, magnificently detailed, wonderfully colored.

And who receives this schooling on the manifold wisdom of God . . . who are His students? The classroom consists of the principalities and powers. The angelic realm, both those doing God’s bidding and those in open rebellion to God . . . both being subject to this color-packed display of the wisdom and ways of God. They have front row seats, as they peer over the balcony of heaven and observe this great object lesson. The evidence of it also being seen in heaven itself, gathered around the throne, voices joined in praise to the Lamb and to the Father who sits upon the throne.

And what is this object lesson? What is worthy to effectively and accurately demonstrate the multi-faceted, glorious wisdom of God? What could God possibly hold up to angelic beings and say, “There! That’s it! You want to catch the eternal wonder of how I think? Look there . . . and keep looking . . . keeping turning it over in the light to see yet another aspect of My divine wisdom . . . look closely at how it evidences My thoughts above all thoughts . . . how it declares My ways which are above all ways!” So, what is it?

It is the Church. The company of “called out ones”. Those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Those who have been made new creations in Christ. Those who would be known simply as “sinners saved by grace.” A rag, tag bunch of “works in progress”. Pilgrims stumbling on their way home. Members of a body trying to figure out how to fit and work together. Living stones being chiseled and fitted into a spiritual building where God desires to dwell through His Spirit. Lights trying to shine in darkness. Sheep who have heard the Great Shepherd’s voice. Prodigals who have come to their senses and have come back home. You get the idea . . . the list goes on . . . there are any number of ways we, as the church, are described in Scripture . . . God’s inheritance . . . a royal priesthood . . . children of God . . . like I said, it goes on.

Pick up the diamond of the church and hold it up to the light and another facet shines forth . . . another aspect to be appreciated . . . another face to be viewed in awe as we consider that we are an object lesson to the heavenlies. That somehow God uses us to encapsulate and display His divine Wisdom.

And boy, don’t we know that it’s not about us. Not about how well we’ve “cleaned up” . . . not about the degree to which we have it all together. No, it’s all about the mystery of God’s plan to redeem those He loves. The wisdom of a God who would chose a man, and then a nation, through which we would seek to bless all people. That He would send His Son to become flesh and pay the once-for-all price to atone for our sin. That, through resurrection, death and sin might be defeated. That, through the wooing of the Spirit and our exercise of feeble faith, we might be made children of God . . . that we might be formed into the church of God . . . that we might display the manifold wisdom of God . . . to a heavenly host . . . in a heavenly classroom . . . to bring glory to our heavenly Father.

Like I said before, “Wow!”

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Dependent and Confident

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Pete

Me . . . me . . . me. Usually that repeated word indicates a problem. A problem with focus . . . a problem with self-centeredness. But this morning, the psalmist presents a case for it being “about me.” This morning it’s not about a problem with focus, but a recognition of dependence . . . and the “me . . . me . . . me” is, in fact, an expression of confidence.

As the psalmist pens this portion of his 176 verse, 22 stanza, “Ode to the Word of God”, he seems a bit overwhelmed with some situation in his life. “My soul clings to the dust,” he writes, “my soul melts with heaviness.” (Ps. 119:25a, 28a). His soul was glued to the dirt . . . crushed with an immovable weight . . . the strength of the inner man was ebbing away. Not a bad time to start making things “about me.” Not “woe is me” . . . but, “God help me!” And from where does the psalmist seek that help? From the Word of God. Check it out . . .

“Revive me according to Your word (v.25) . . . Teach me Your statutes (v.26) . . . Make me understand the way of Your precepts (v.27) . . . Strengthen me according to Your word (v. 28) . . . Remove from me the way of lying (v.29) . . . Grant me Your law graciously (v.29).”

There it is . . . all “about me” . . . a cry of dependence. The psalmist, led by the Spirit of God, self-prescribes the remedy for his crushed soul, . . . the Word of God . . . taken in liberal doses . . . multiple times per day . . . no worry of overdose . . . likely to become addictive . . . healing and restoration guaranteed. But, lest we think the “medicine” is self-administered, the psalmist reminds us that apart from God’s intervention, the words we read from the pages of the Bible are just that, words . . . oh, how we need the psalmist’s heart in asking the Author to take the words and make them revelation.

The balm for a crushed soul is application of the Word of God by the Spirit of God. And so, we too must cry out, “Revive me . . . teach me . . . make me understand . . . strengthen me . . . grant me.” It is the cry of dependence. The expression of a heart that has already determined to chose the way of truth (v.30) . . . to cling to His testimonies (v.31) . . . to run the course of His commandments (v.32). But determination alone isn’t enough . . . it needs to be yoked with dependence. A recognition that apart from God’s active agency, there is no revelation, there is no understanding, there is no strengthening, there is no revival.

The latter part of verse 29 caught my attention in particular . . . and I think Peterson nails it in his “The Message” commentary, “Grace me with Your clear revelation.” How arrogant to think that I can study the Word and I can learn it and I can master it. No, anything I understand of the precious Word of God is because of His grace in revealing it to me. When it moves from “facts and data” to heart-stirring, soul-reviving, “words of life”, then know that it is the grace of God working through the Spirit of God to bless the child of God. O’ God, make it about me . . . for without You granting me “eyes to see”, Your Word would just be words.

The other thing that catches my attention is that the psalmist’s dependence isn’t just a desperate sort of “shot in the dark.” He’s not turning to the word of God as He might rub a lucky rabbit’s foot . . . superstitiously covering all his bases . . . approaching the word with an “I don’t know if it will help, but it sure can’t hurt” sort of attitude. No, there is a confidence that God will respond as this song-writer cries out to God to grace Him with understanding of the word . . “For You shall enlarge my heart” (v.32b).

God delights to enlarge one’s heart . . . to broaden one’s spiritual comprehension . . . to widen one’s heavenly understanding. Jesus said that if we ask, we will receive . . . if we seek, then we’ll find . . . if we knock, then the door will be open (Matt. 7:7). Oh, to hunger and thirst for the Word of God . . . in all circumstances of life . . . to cry out to the Father in holy dependence, seeking His gracious revelation . . . then, we can be confident that He will rescue our souls from the dust and lift the heaviness that crushes the soul with concern . . . confident that He will enlarge our hearts.

Dependent and confident . . . to Him be the glory . . . amen!

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Good Seats!

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Pete

I like good seats. When I go to a sporting event or a concert or some other special presentation in a large venue, I like to get good seats . . . I don’t like paying for them . . . but I like to get good seats. I like to be near where the action is . . . I’m not much of a binoculars guy, so if I’m going to watch it, I need to be near enough, or at least have a good enough vantage point, to clearly see what’s going on.

On a few occasions, I’ve been invited to a Seattle Mariners game and to watch it from one of the hospitality rooms — sitting in those perfectly placed box seats. Now that’s how to a watch a game. Perched over the third base line . . . with the game in front of you . . . and a room full of food behind you. Able to move from seat to buffet table without having to say “Excuse me . . . pardon me . . . excuse me”. Those are good seats!

This morning, as I read Ephesians 2, I read about some more good seating . . .

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-6).

Were I to list all the benefits of salvation, in addition to forgiveness of sins, relationship with God, and eternal life, I’d have to write down, “Good seats!” Through faith in the finished work of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, on the cross, I have been made alive, raised up, and seated in heavenly realms in Christ. There’s a seat with my name on it . . . purchased with the blood of Christ . . . and, it is a front row seat . . . center stage . . . behind the home plate . . . on the 50 yard line . . . pick whatever picture you want . . . just know that, as believers, we have sweet seats together with Christ in heavenly places.

In the company of Jesus . . . He whose “exclusive seating” is located at the right hand of the throne of God (Eph. 1:20). You don’t get much closer to “the action” than that. Reserved seating in the heavenly Holy of Holies . . . so close you can reach out and touch Him . . . ah, no . . . so close you would do nothing but fall on Your face and worship Him! And it says we occupy those seats even now . . . we are seated there now . . . our presence is known there even at this moment as He makes intercession for His beloved children (Rom. 8:34). But then, a day will come, and just as we have been raised in newness of life spiritually, we will be raised in newness of life physically and transported to our seats . . . taking up our place at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9) . . . settling into the customized venue that Jesus has been preparing for us for the last 2,000 years (John 14:1-3) . . . oh, don’t you love good seats!

I can’t afford premier seating at a professional sporting event . . . and I could never pay the price for seats in the heavenly places. And I certainly don’t merit front row seating because of who I am or what I’ve done . . . in fact, were my seating based on what I’ve done, I’d be seated in the basement . . . far, far away from the where the action of glory is. Nope, my seat was graced to me. Even when I was dead in trespasses and sin . . . even when I was still an enemy of God, caring nothing for the things of the kingdom of heaven . . . it was then He made me alive together with Christ . . . by grace I was saved. And He determined to bless me beyond “just” the salvation of my soul . . . He reserved for me a seat . . . a real good seat . . . a spot in heavenly places in the One I love.

By faith I enjoy, in some measure, the vantage point of heaven from that seat today . . . the Spirit of God interceding with my spirit to reveal something of the glory that awaits. But the day is coming, perhaps very soon, when I will take that seat “face to face.” I’ll enter the venue . . . won’t need an usher, I’ll know just where to sit . . . and the glory of the place with fill me with indescribable awe . . . only to pale when I see the One who loved me so much He sent His Son to redeem me and purchase for me a place in the heavenlies. And, I’m guessing I won’t sit in that seat very long before I find myself either standing or facedown as I join the choir of heaven and declare, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13). Those are good seats! Amen?

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The Wander of It All

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Pete

Lot of praying going on in my readings this morning. Solomon asks for an understanding heart that he might discern against good and evil (1Kings 3:9). Mary asks the angel how she’s going to conceive the Son of God and is told it will be through a visitation of the Holy Spirit, Himself, “for with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:34-37). And Paul prays for the Ephesians, that God would give them “the spirit of wisdom and revelation . . . the eyes of your understanding being enlightened . . . that you may know . . . the hope of His calling . . . the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints . . . and . . . the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:17-19). Yup, a whole lotta’ prayin’ goin’ on this morning. But it’s the prayer in Psalm 119 that grabs my attention . . .

“With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” (Psalm 119:10)

As I read of Solomon’s request and God’s answer, I find myself saying, “Me too, Lord! Give me a discerning heart . . . a heart that hears.” And I read of Mary, the highly favored one, the gracingly-graced one (same word as my fuzzy warm feeling of yesterday), and I say, “Yes, Lord! With You, truly nothing is impossible!” And as I meditate briefly on Ephesians 1, I whisper, “Bring it on Lord! Give the spirit of revelation, eyes that are open, that I might know the reality of the riches of every spiritual blessing I’ve been given in Christ!” You read these prayers and your heart just soars! “Amen” is on your lips, and praise is in your heart. And then, I go to Psalm 119 . . . blessed Psalm 119 . . . a love letter to the word of God . . . and it’s there that I embrace another prayer, “Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments.”

Wandering . . . not doing a 180 . . . not rejecting the word of God or the God of the word . . . but slowly drifting off course . . . more through inattention than conscious determination. Being distracted . . . by a problem . . . by a pleasure . . . by a pursuit . . . such that the word of God fades for awhile . . . and life becomes ordered under the umbrella of something other than the wisdom and ways of the One who redeemed us for Himself. Oh Lord, let me not wander.

You read this portion of Psalm 119, verses 9 through 16, and this guy’s on fire! “How can a young man cleanse His way? By taking heed according to Your word . . . Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You . . . Teach me Your statutes . . . I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies . . . I will meditate on Your precepts . . . I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” Yup, on fire! Full of determination. Face set toward pursuing the things of God. Yet, in the midst of such determination, he prays, “Oh, let me not wander.”

How I need to passionately pursue the things of God with a humble heart . . . with a real recognition that, apart from His sustaining, focusing grace, I can be somewhat flakey . . . that, though my spirit is willing, my flesh can be weak . . . though I want my GPS pointed to “true north” sometimes it can stray to the left or the right. And so, I need to pray, “Oh, let me not take my eye off Your word . . . let me not wrap Your wisdom around this world’s ways . . . let me not have such confidence in my discipline that I stop crying out for Your direction . . . by Your grace, through the Spirit, keep me focused on the wonder of it all . . . that I might not know the wander of it all.”

Yup, whole lotta prayin’ goin’ on this morning. And while my heart soars, my heart is also humbled. How I need a God who keeps me from wandering . . . that I might remain focused and faithful . . . at all times . . . in all things . . . that He might always be glorified. Amen?

“O to grace how great a debtor . . . Daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, . . . Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.” — Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Robert Robinson

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A Warm, Fuzzy Feeling

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Pete

I came across a phrase in Ephesians 1 that was kind of like a cup of hot chocolate milk. It was like wrapping my hands around that hot cup and carefully lifting it to my lips, and taking in that sweet-tasting creamy liquid, enjoying the warming comfort of it as it went down so smooth . . . aaahhh! . . . so good! That’s kind of how I feel as I mull over this short phrase in Ephesians 1.

” . . . by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6b)

Interesting that, as I look at other translations, it is only the NKJV that translates it in my “hot chocolate” sort of way. Other translations are a little different . . . one says, “with which He has blessed us in the Beloved” (ESV) . . . another, “which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (NASB) . . . or, “which He has freely given us in the One He loves” (NIV). Not too different but different enough. How come?

I don’t really know, but as I try and peer at the original language through my Bible program I notice that it’s all about grace . . . literally.

Paul, just before this, says we were saved “according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace.” Redeemed by His sovereign choosing for the purpose of bringing front and center the glory of His grace. By which, the NKJV translators say, He made us accepted in the Beloved. And that phrase has a variation of the word “grace” repeated twice . . . so that I think it might go something like “the grace by which He grace-ingly graced us” in His Beloved Son, the Agape, the personification of self-sacrificing love.

So translate it “accepted” . . . translate it “blessed” . . . translate it “freely bestowed” . . . translate it however you want, but let the sweetness and the warmth and the comfort of the phrase fill you. Those who are in the Beloved (that would be me) are glory-displaying, praise-generating, objects of worthy-of-repetition grace.

It is amazing grace . . . grace that is greater than all my sin . . . grace that was poured out on the day I was saved and grace that is sufficient for everyday thereafter . . . grace that seats a place for me at the table of God Himself.

And this grace is found in the Beloved. The Son who delighted to do the Father’s will . . . to be obedient to the requirements of redemption . . . obedient to death, even death on the cross. The One who knew no sin, yet became sin for us. The One who is risen, alive today, and seated on high . . . continuing to “grace-ingly grace” us through His Spirit of promise by which He has sealed us (1:13).

Accepted in the Beloved . . . a phrase evoking a response that I find difficult to put into words . . . a phrase which, for me this morning, is better felt than tell’t. Just like a hot cup of chocolate milk . . . creating that warm fuzzy feeling deep down inside

O thank God for so much grace that translators can’t agree on how to translate it . . . except to know that it is all found in the Beloved . . . to Him be the glory . . . amen.

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Seed ’em and Reap

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Pete

It’s like gravity . . . one of those laws of nature that governs how things work. I’m no scientist, but I know basically how gravity works . . . you let go of something, and it falls to the ground. Simple . . . always true . . . and once you get it, you can leverage that law and work with that law to your benefit. Such is the law of the harvest. Not too complicated really, what you sow, you reap. Plant wheat seed, and given the right conditions, eventually you’ll harvest wheat. Plant corn seed, plan on picking corn in the late summer. If you want to enjoy strawberries, you better not be planting radish seed in the spring. Simple. Sure. And, probably one of the most significant spiritual principles the believer can take hold of.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to this flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:7-9)

It’s kind of interesting that Paul would end his letter on grace . . . his defense of “Christ plus nothing” as the means of salvation . . . with an exhortation about doing stuff. But the works he encourages here are not works to earn or merit salvation . . . they are the works of the saved. It is the labor of the redeemed, those who, by faith alone in the Person and Work of Christ, have been forgiven of their sin and have been given the Spirit of adoption, being made children of God because of belief in Christ. And Paul says (kinda’), “Now that you’re saved . . . quit putting your efforts into trying to merit God’s acceptance and favor — that’s done. And stop investing in the old man and the old ways — you’ve been saved from that. Instead, start farming the promised land. As you live your life, you’re going to be dropping seed along the way . . . make sure it’s seed that results in a heavenly crop.”

What a perspective that puts on life’s efforts. We can sow according to the game plan of this world . . . plant according to our old man and our old ways . . . and be assured that what we will reap, will be stuff of this world and stuff of this flesh . . . stuff that ultimately will perish . . . stuff that starts rotting almost as soon as it is harvested . . . stuff that won’t last. Or, we can take everything we do . . . from the mundane to the significant . . . from the pragmatic to the visionary . . . and consecrate it . . . and dedicate to Him who loved us unto death . . . and do it all under the banner of “for God’s glory alone.” And, in doing that, it becomes a spiritual seed which will result in an everlasting harvest. The promise is ours, “Sow to the Spirit, and of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” It’s the promise that we can start to experience “here and now” and will fully enter into “there and then.” We can, each day, determine, by His grace, to plant Spirit-filled, Spirit directed seed and will, in due season, reap the stuff of heaven . . . the riches of the kingdom of God. It’s a law of the natural and, it’s a law of the supernatural, as well.

But as I read Paul, while the cause and effect are sure, the timing can be a bit of a wild card. Unlike physical seed, which is pretty predictable in terms of when it will harvested (given the right conditions), the harvest of Spirit-sown seed is somewhat less predictable. Hence Paul says, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” I guess that’s the faith part . . . we sow because He has promised that we will reap even though we don’t know exactly how long the “due season” will be. We determine to sow in accord with the Spirit’s will and leading because we are convinced that the return will be out of this world, literally. We plant not because it’s necessarily appreciated, or even noticed, but because we believe Him to be faithful who has ordained the law of the harvest.

Oh, that I might be more led by the Spirit. That I might lay down Spirit-filled and Spirit-willed seed. That I might see something of the harvest being formed within me, the fruit of the Spirit, ” . . . love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). That I might sow to the flesh less and less, instead planting seed that, by the promise of God, will have eternal benefit. Oh, that I might seed ’em and reap! . . . for my blessing . . . for His glory . . . amen!

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Tied Up In Knots

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Pete

For me, it was kind of a “sleeper Psalm”, at first. I read it through . . . pretty much sounded like a lot of other psalms. A call to give thanks . . . a remembrance of the Lord’s goodness as manifest in His mighty deeds on behalf of the psalmist . . . frequent declarations of praise scattered throughout. Yup, pretty much your standard Psalm. Oh, give your head a shake, Pete! First, there are no “standard psalms” . . . just God-breathed songs able to capture the child of God’s experience and evoke wonder and worship. Second, there’s something in this Psalm that I don’t think I’ve really seen in other psalms . . . something that ties me up in knots . . . or at least should . . .

Linger over Psalm 118 and it’s not long before you start to soar. It’s book-ended with a call to “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (118:1,29). The NIV says “His love endures forever” . . . the NASB, “His lovingkindness endures forever” . . . NLT, “His faithful love” . . . ESV, “His steadfast love” . . . and Peterson says it in classic MSG style, “His love never quits.” Pick one of those . . . anyone of those . . . and tell me you can’t say, “Amen!” So, give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

The Psalmist then goes on to recount the evidences of His faithful love and to respond in outbreaks of spontaneous praise. Along the way he draws some pretty pragmatic conclusions, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” (118:8). And so, says the Psalmist, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation” (118:14).

My strength, my song, my salvation . . . and I say, “Yes!” to the “S” words. Salvation is mine through the finished work on the cross . . . deliverance accomplished . . . rescue from the bondage and penalty of sin secured. I have known His sustaining grace as He has strengthened my inner man time and time again. And, the song of the redeemed as been placed on my lips . . . a melody of praise interwoven within my soul . . . “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord!” (118:19)

Psalm 118 helps put on the garment of praise . . . leads the reader through the gates and into the temple area . . . creates a processional of praise and worship . . . “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous” (118:15) . . . “I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation” (118:21). But then I encounter something in verse 27 that causes me to pause . . . that, at first, stems the tide of praise a bit . . . evoking an image that maybe seems a bit out of place . . . and then not . . .

“Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” (118:27b)

So why “interrupt” this parade of praise . . . this storming the gates of heaven with songs of redemption . . . with the image of a lamb bound to the altar of sacrifice? At first, I think it’s perhaps an allusion to the Lamb of God sacrificed for my sin, the One the psalmist has introduced as “the stone which the builders rejected” . . . the One who “has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (118:22-23).

True enough. But as I think about it a bit more, Romans 12:1 comes to mind . . . “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God . . . ” (Oh, give thanks to the Lord . . . For His mercy endures forever) . . . “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, . . . ” (bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar) . . . “holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

It’s great to give thanks to the Lord . . . it brings Him delight when the voice of rejoicing is heard from the tents . . . He is lifted up through our worship . . . but let’s not forget, says the Psalmist, to bring and bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. My worship is complete when I offer myself as a living sacrifice . . . when I submit myself to the altar . . . when I bind myself to it . . . when I’m “tied up in knots” of surrender . . . for His praise . . . and for His glory. Oh, gives thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love lasts forever! Amen?

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Four Simple Words . . . One Simple Phrase

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Pete

Maybe if I had a better memory, I wouldn’t continually be surprised by the same stuff over and over again . . . but then again, maybe not. Psalm 116 is on my reading plan this morning and what “grabbed me” this morning is something which I know has “grabbed me” in the past. I had to verify it anew this morning . . . because I really didn’t remember I had seen this before until I then went and checked out an old devo I had written. Anyway, here’s the deal . . . Psalm 116 begins with four words which you would think would be a very common phrase in Scripture but, when you read them, you realize that you haven’t seen them anywhere else . . . and they aren’t. I wonder why . . .

“I love the Lord” (Psalm 116:1a)

There it is . . . that’s the phrase . . . a simple declaration by a thankful Psalmist . . . just 4 simple English words (found in all translations) . . . found only once in all of Scripture . . . “I love the Lord.” But four simple words that stir the heart of the believer . . . a simple phrase which evokes such deep gratitude . . . an unambiguous declaration which connects so deeply with all those who know the grace of God . . . and who know the God of grace.

And, while I am surprised that it is only found this once in Scripture, I find myself asking, “How often is this phrase found in my vocabulary? When is the last time I put these four words together and directed them heavenward?” Not that I haven’t often thanked God for His goodness . . . not that I haven’t lifted my voice in praise and worship frequently . . . but when was the last time I closed my eyes . . . and sought, by the Spirit’s enabling, to approach the Father . . . asked the Spirit to help me see Jesus . . . and uttered these simple four words, this one simple phrase, “I love the Lord”. Not often enough, I’m thinking.

Later in the Psalm, the psalmist asks, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” And he answers his own question with, “I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.” (116:12-13) There’s another phrase you only find here in Psalm 116, “the cup of salvation.” It kind of has the idea of a toast . . . of a special libation . . . a cup of blessing raised in reverence to honor the One who had brought deliverance to the psalmist. Doesn’t seem like much to “render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me” . . . but I’m guessing that in the overall economy of heaven, such a gesture is highly valued by the Lord. To take time away from doing . . . and pause and raise the cup of salvation, calling upon the name of the Lord, declaring, “I love the Lord!”

That’s the sacrifice of thanksgiving (116:17) . . . that’s “the sacrifice of praise to God . . . the fruit of our lips . . . giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). It’s expressing the deep-seated response of our hearts in four simple words . . . one simple phrase . . . to a great and awesome God . . . “I love the Lord!”

Oh, that I might raise the cup more often . . . that I might not grow complacent of all his benefits . . . that I might never forget the wonder of my deliverance . . . that I might sincerely . . . and frequently declare, “I love the Lord” . . . for His glory . . . amen.

I love You Lord . . . and I lift my voice . . . to worship You, O my soul rejoice! Take joy, my King . . . in what You hear . . . may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear . . .

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To the Uttermost!

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Pete

That the love of God was manifest on the cross of Calvary some 2,000 years ago is beyond dispute. And this morning, as I read the crucifixion account in Mark, I am again impressed that the love of God as manifest in Christ is beyond fully taking in. This morning, I see that love displayed as Jesus determines to love the world that was rejecting Him to the very end . . . to the uttermost.

John writes in His gospel, “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) As the final countdown began that night, Jesus’ determination was to love to the end . . . or, as could be translated, to the uttermost. It’s the same word used in speaking of Jesus eternal ministry: “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost [i.e. save to the end] those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:24-25) Get that? Jesus ministry as priest was to make intercession . . . to mediate on behalf of any and all who would come to God . . . to save to the uttermost . . . to intercede to the end. And that’s what He did on the cross.

What caught my attention this morning was that when they brought Jesus to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. That’s what arrested me this morning . . . .He did not take it. Why?

After having flogged Him . . . after having beaten Him . . . after having inflicted such suffering that He was incapable of carrying His own cross . . . they offered Him a bit of escape. They offered Him a drink to suppress the senses . . . to anesthetize the soul. They knew that what He had been through was nothing compared to what He was about to endure physically on the cross (they had no clue what He would endure spiritually). So, they offered Him a drink which would cloud the mind and deaden the awareness. But Jesus refused . . . Because He had determined to love this own and to love this lost world to the end. As long as He lived, He would make intercession for those He came to save. He couldn’t do that in a drunken stupor. His has a 24/7 unchangeable priesthood . . . and He would discharge His heavenly duties even on the cross.

Proverbs 31 says, ” . . . it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.” (Prov. 31:4-6) Jesus qualified for strong drink . . . He was going through the pain of death . . . He was in bitter distress . . . but He would not relinquish His Kingly duties . . . He would not abdicate His throne though it was shaped like a cross. He would care for the afflicted . . . He would promote justice . . . He would lead His people to victory . . . until the end . . . unto the uttermost.

No, a drunken Christ, could not have loved to the end. So, my Lord, refused anything that would prevent Him from interceding to the end . . . He said, “No” to that which would cloud His ability to lead His people to victory. He refused the drug spiked wine . . . and instead, in clarity of mind, continued to minister from the cross. He interceded for those who abused Him, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” . . . He saved those who turned to Him, even at that last hour, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise” . . . He even cared for the needs of His mother from the cross, “He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ ” . . . and, as King fully in charge, He led the way to victory as the Lamb of God declaring with all authority and clarity, “It is finished!”

Oh, the love of God! Oh, the degree to which the Son was determined to fulfill the Father’s will and to love His own to the end. I will praise Him . . . I will praise Him . . . praise the Lamb for sinners slain. Give Him glory all you people . . . for His blood can wash away each stain. Give Him glory all you people . . . to the end . . . to the uttermost . . . amen!

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A Promise Person

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Pete

You know, there are some Scripture passages that, after reading them, you have this intense desire to respond by doing something. Passages that cry out for action such as “Go into all the world” . . . or “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling”. But then there are other passages that you read and you sit back and realize there’s nothing to be done. Those are the passages concerning our salvation . . . those are the passages like Galatians 3.

Paul is defending the gospel in Galatians . . . combating those who preach a “Jesus plus” form of the good news as in, Jesus plus obeying the rules and regulations of the law, . . . which, he says, is really no good news at all. Instead, Paul says in the latter part of Galatians, it’s all about a promise. A promise made by God to Abraham concerning God’s intention to bless all peoples . . . and to do so through one of his progeny . . . the God Man, Jesus Christ. “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” (Gal. 3:16).

The promise was concerning blessing and inheritance. The promise was made to Abraham . . . the covenant established with him. The promise spoke of his Seed, as the means of enacting the promise. The scope of the promises availability was to all nations throughout all ages. The promise being received by those who have, by faith, been baptized into Christ and put on Christ (3:27). “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (3:29).

So I sit back this morning and consider again the implications of being a “promise person.” It’s almost overwhelming. Nothing I could have done, nor could ever do, to merit the inheritance associated with the promise. No “to do” list long enough to make me a “worthy recipient” of the blessings promised through Abraham. Instead, by His grace, I have been made a child of God through faith in Christ Jesus (3:26). A child of God and joint heir with Christ . . . heir to an inheritance of unimaginable riches reserved in heaven for all those “promise people.”

So what does a “promise person” who can do nothing to merit the promise do? Right now, it is to chew on and enjoy the truths concerning promise . . . to bask in the light of His glorious blessing . . . and just to thank Him and praise Him.

There will be opportunity as the day begins to “respond” to the promise with a holy determination to live in a manner consistent with being a child of promise . . . but for right now, I just sit back in wonder . . . in awe . . . in gratitude . . . and rejoice in being a “promise person.” Amen.

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