Hurried

God is not hurried along in the Time-stream of this universe any more than an author is hurried along in the imaginary time of his his own novel. He has infinite attention for each of us.

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Verse of the Day

"Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?"
-Jeremiah 23:29, NASB

God's Will

Specific examples of God's will from 1 Thessalonians 5:112-27.

1. Appreciate/Acknowledge those who diligently labor among you (v.12)
2. Esteem them very highly in love (v.13)
3. Live in peace with one another (v.13)
4. Admonish the unruly (v.14)
5. Encourage the fainthearted (v.14)
6. Help the weak (v.14)
7. Be patient with everyone (v.14)
8. See to it that no one repays evil for evil (v.15)
9. Always seek after that which is good for one another and all people (v.15)
10. Rejoice always (v.16)
11. Pray without ceasing (v.17)
12. In everything give thanks (v.18)
13. Do not quench the Spirit (v.19)
14. Do not despise prophetic utterances (v.20)
15. Examine everything carefully (v.21)
16. Hold fast to that which is good (v.21)
17. Abstain from every form of evil (v.22)
18. Pray for us (v.25)
19. Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss (v.25)
20. Have this letter read to all the brethren (v.27)

I AM WHO I AM

Just a thought: What does it say about God that when Moses asks for His name (Exodus 3:13) God simply says "I AM WHO I AM"? You can come up with all sorts of magnificent titles and descriptions for God and His attributes, but He chose to go by "I AM" instead.

Distinguished

Most men will content themselves and quiet their consciences by avoiding the more gross acts of sin, by avoiding an outward gratification of lusts; but it becomes Christians to distinguish themselves here, and avoid sinning so much as in their thoughts, not to indulge any lust so much as in their imagination.

-Jonathan Edwards, Christians A Chosen Generation, A Royal Priesthood

I fix my eyes ahead.

Prepare in urgency to race
Casting off the wieght that burdens me
I cannot dare to force the pace
Marathon for life the road I face

Commited
determined
My gaze is set on finishing

I’m straining to extend my lead
With every evil chasing me
One day, one hour, every step

I know
I know
I fix
my eyes
Ahead

Straining on to run without remorse
Casting off mistakes that came before
In my mind I see a hallowed door
Open arm embrace, I’m reaching for...

Just like a breeze is passing me
My stammers, a distant memory
We cannot afford a glance to see
What’s gaining or what is history

-The Black Brigade, Project 86, Picket Fence Cartel

Who do I belong to?

Who do I belong To?
Not Earth
Not world
Not Evil
Not mortals
Not wretches
Not horrors

Who do I belong to?
Unchanging
Unbreaking
Unfailing
Creator
Immortal
Eternal

-To Sand We Return, Project 86, Picket Fence Cartel

Verse of the Day

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
-Psalm 46:10

"...I repent in dust and ashes."

I just finished reading Job and noticed something interesting. Most of the book is spent with Job's friends giving speeches about how God only punishes the wicked, so the fact that multiple tragedies befell Job meant he had sinned against God. Job argues that he has walked the path of righteousness and his friends are wrong. God shows up and confronts Job: "Gird up your loins like a man," and "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" Job gives up his argument: "I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes." Then God says Job spoke rightly of Him while Job's friends were wrong. Job is restored in everything he lost.

But God never explains. He doesn't tell Job of the debates with Satan that occur at the beginning of the book. The answer to Job's questions are simply: I Am.

Severe Sickness

Now here's a prophecy you don't want to hear about yourself, from 2 Chronicles 21:12-15:

Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, "Thus says the LORD God of your father David, 'Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you, behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great calamity; and you will suffer severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.'"

Ugh.

Dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life.

I just read this passage from the NASB, Luke 21:34-35:

Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.

The context of the passage is Jesus telling his disciples about His return. It's pretty obvious how "drunkenness and dissipation" can dull the senses and keep you unaware of important things around you. I suppose it's also easy to see how worry can distract you and keep you from being alert. But even the biggest worldly concerns are only temporary. Not exactly a groundbreaking revelation, but something about how it came across in this passage this evening struck a cord.

The Cross

On Good Friday, some excellent thoughts on the Cross. A standout bit:

The cross shows God’s power because it shows the strength of his forebearing love. It would have been easy for Jesus to come down from the cross and annihilate those who opposed and mocked him. He could have demonstrated to everyone his brute force as God. If Vince McMahon were God, that might have been the way it played out. Jesus, rather, like a parent who doesn’t retaliate with superior physical force against an infant who strikes him, resists on account of his superior moral strength. Through his apparent weakness, he paradoxically shows the full power of total trust in God the Father.

I believe that is the first time I've ever seen Vince McMahon used in a spiritual metaphor.

You Are A Stubborn People

I was just reading Deuteronomy 9:5-7 and was struck by the lengths God goes to to impress on the Israelites that they are not being rewarded because of their own righteousness:

"It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people. Remember, do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD."

And that's being charitable. It seems like Israel is creating an idol or complaining every single page from Exodus to Deuteronomy. It's hard to believe God didn't simply destroy them all, which He threatened multiple times.

But here's the thing I come back to every time I read this section of scripture: Are we any better? Sure, we look the Israelites and say "Hey, they got to see God in a pillar of fire, what morons they are for disobeying." But we have the Spirit. No one gets any excuses.

Culprit Or Child

I seem to remember when I was younger hearing discussions about the necessity of confessing sins as a Christian. This paragraph from Morning and Evening is as concise an explanation as I've read.

Lust

Here's an interesting article on lust from a Catholic website.

Matthew 4:1-11

I just read Matthew 4:1-11 and then checked out this commentary. Two interesting things stuck out:

1. First read James 1:14- "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust." But Jesus had no sin nature, so He couldn't be enticed by His own lust. The Devil had to show up and tempt him personally.

2. Jesus answered temptations with "it is written." Strength of will and determination are litte protection from temptation, we need to stand firm on the Word of God.

Brown City Camp

July 31 - August 10 was Brown City Camp. Because I had to be in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, I did not get to make it until August 6. But, for what I was there for, the teaching/speakers were excellent. I tried taking basic notes at night, so I'll see what I can post in the next few days.

Glory

Here's something that was pointed out at church on Sunday. Take a look at Mark 10:35-39:

James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You."

And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory."

But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"

They said to Him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

Now look what happens to John when he actually sees Jesus in his glory, Revelation 1:17-18:

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Now, John was as close a friend as Jesus had on earth, and he still clearly didn't get it. It would seem he thought of Jesus to some extent as his "buddy", but when he saw His glory, bam, down on his face. So what should our response be?

One more thought: How would we live if we really believed that the being described by John in Revelation 1 loved us?

An MVP Dad

Notes from Pastor Bob Bressert's at Grace EFC on 6/15/08. (I admit to being somewhat distracted during the beginning of the sermon because Pastor Bob, a Cardinals fan, used a picture of David Eckstein hoisting the World Series trophy circa 2006 to illustrate what an MVP is. That was tough on a Tigers fan.)

This Father's Day, did, I challenge you to be that MVP your family needs.

1. Hit for average! Jeremiah 35:1-19
The main point here was to make contact every time you step into the batter's box. Luckily for us, in spiritual matters God provides the ablility to make that contact. This has a lasting impact. The sons of Jonadab (who we'll look at in point #2) were still following his example 240 years later.

2. Hit for power. 2 Kings 10:15-31
Jonadab was put in a position here where he had to come through in a big way, and he did. The verses note he was even more faithful than his king. Most of the time moving the runners is enough, but sometimes God will expect us to knock one out of the park. Again, thankfully for us, God provides the strength to do the job, we just need to stay in the box and swing.

3. Hit for the team.
A. Sometimes a bunt is just as important as a homerun! Jeremiah 35:1-7
Jonadab set an example and left commands for his sons to remind them who they were. Doing the little things kept them on the right path.

B. Sometimes moving the runners into scoring position wins games. Jeremiah 35:8-19
Jonadab's example, and his the obedience of his sons, led to this remarkable promise from God: "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to (AG)stand before Me always." As long as men live on the earth, a son of Jonadab will be faithfully serving God. Now that's a legacy.

Stupified

I've been reading Jonathan Edwards on Knowing Christ, a collection of sermons by Jonathan Edwards, and came across this passage from the sermon "God Makes Men Sensible of Their Misery":

There is much in your own heart, which tends to stupify you. It is the natural tendency of sin and lust, to stupify the conscience. And as corruption is reigning as yet in your heart, it will ever be ready to exert itself in such acts, as will have a great tendency to drive away your convictions. And Satan is doubtless diligently watching over you, striving in all ways to abate, and to take off, your convictions. He joins in with the sloth and lusts of your heart to persuade to negligence, and to turn your mind to other things. And the world is full of objects, which tend to take off your mind from the soul’s concern, and are constantly, as it were, endeavouring to take possession of your mind, and to drive out the concerns of another world.

Now the context of this passage deals with unbelievers coming to Christ and how they are distracted and pulled away by various things, but it struck me how applicable it is to Christians too. Two points I see worth dwelling on:

1. Sin deadens your spiritual senses, leaving you to walk blind and deaf in the world. The Spirit is unlikely to be heard when you've stopped up your ears because of sin.

2. There are lots of good (or not bad) things in this world that can distract us from the important matter of spiritual growth. I've found this many times myself lately when I feel I should be studying or reading something, but choose to watch TV instead. We can turn a "good" thing into a "bad" thing if we choose it instead of the things we know God want us to do.