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?