Strange and mysterious is my life;
What opposites I feel within!
A stable peace, a constant strife;
The rule of grace, the power of sin;
Too often I am captive led,
Yet daily triumph in my Head.
- John Newton
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
What Jesus knew and when did he know it
John 2:24, 25 – But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
Jesus could not trust the people he came to save. His lack of trust had nothing to do with unfounded or half-baked suspicion – like so many of us and our distrust of others. Nor was it a “once-burned-twice-shy” kind of distrust. Rather, he knew what was in man.
He knew in absolute and no uncertain terms what people were thinking and feeling. He knew exactly how easy it is for people to praise and worship today and scream, “Crucify! Crucify!” tomorrow.
He knew the exact length of their attention spans and exactly when their distractions turned to lust, or envy, or greed, or fear, or anger -- or arrogant boredom.
He knew their mental twitches of impatience as they listened to the very Word made flesh. He knew their belief had yet cost them anything, how untested their faith was, how the praise of men is a never-absent motivation.
He knew every sinful thought and word and deed that oozes and spews from sin-sick deceitful hearts.
He knew how miraculous and spirit-wrought saving faith is.
He knew all that and much, much more and still he went to the cross in their place – in my place – knowing all people and what was in all people.
In this is love not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – I John 4:10
Jesus could not trust the people he came to save. His lack of trust had nothing to do with unfounded or half-baked suspicion – like so many of us and our distrust of others. Nor was it a “once-burned-twice-shy” kind of distrust. Rather, he knew what was in man.
He knew in absolute and no uncertain terms what people were thinking and feeling. He knew exactly how easy it is for people to praise and worship today and scream, “Crucify! Crucify!” tomorrow.
He knew the exact length of their attention spans and exactly when their distractions turned to lust, or envy, or greed, or fear, or anger -- or arrogant boredom.
He knew their mental twitches of impatience as they listened to the very Word made flesh. He knew their belief had yet cost them anything, how untested their faith was, how the praise of men is a never-absent motivation.
He knew every sinful thought and word and deed that oozes and spews from sin-sick deceitful hearts.
He knew how miraculous and spirit-wrought saving faith is.
He knew all that and much, much more and still he went to the cross in their place – in my place – knowing all people and what was in all people.
In this is love not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – I John 4:10
-- TWMathis
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Seeing suffering as great gain
Hebrews 5:8, 9 - Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
Hebrews 12:5-7 - And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Learn today the secret of never suffering loss in the soul by the sufferings of life -- yea, rather, of always making them your greatest gain. Link them to God and to Jesus. It is God who sends them. He sent them to Jesus and perfected Him through them. He sends them to thee in the same love, and will make them thy highest gain. "Receive every inward and outward trouble, every disappointment, pain, uneasiness, temptation, darkness, desolation, with both thy hands, as a true opportunity and blessed occasion of dying to self, and entering into a fuller fellowship with thy self-denying, suffering Savior." - Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All
Hebrews 12:5-7 - And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Learn today the secret of never suffering loss in the soul by the sufferings of life -- yea, rather, of always making them your greatest gain. Link them to God and to Jesus. It is God who sends them. He sent them to Jesus and perfected Him through them. He sends them to thee in the same love, and will make them thy highest gain. "Receive every inward and outward trouble, every disappointment, pain, uneasiness, temptation, darkness, desolation, with both thy hands, as a true opportunity and blessed occasion of dying to self, and entering into a fuller fellowship with thy self-denying, suffering Savior." - Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
On schedule, on target
Jesus: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show what kind of death he was going to die. - John 12:32,33
"And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock. . . You do not believe because you are not of my flock. . . My father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them ouf of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." - John 10:16-30
The Gospel is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing. The sheep are being brought into the flock. They are hearing the voice of Jesus. They are in the Father's hand. The Son and the Father are one.
No need to tweak the message to speed things up or slow things down. No need to sweeten the offer, the Gospel needs nothing added or removed; we're not believing it ourselves if we think adjustments are needed. Our father, who is greater than all, is on schedule and on target with his plans determined in eternity past. The intensity of our proclamation cannot change the outcome nor hasten the timing of what God is doing; rather, our zeal is for the message itself and the glory it reveals of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
Faithful is He who called you, and He will bring it to pass.
-- TWMathis
"And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock. . . You do not believe because you are not of my flock. . . My father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them ouf of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." - John 10:16-30
The Gospel is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing. The sheep are being brought into the flock. They are hearing the voice of Jesus. They are in the Father's hand. The Son and the Father are one.
No need to tweak the message to speed things up or slow things down. No need to sweeten the offer, the Gospel needs nothing added or removed; we're not believing it ourselves if we think adjustments are needed. Our father, who is greater than all, is on schedule and on target with his plans determined in eternity past. The intensity of our proclamation cannot change the outcome nor hasten the timing of what God is doing; rather, our zeal is for the message itself and the glory it reveals of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
Faithful is He who called you, and He will bring it to pass.
-- TWMathis
Connecting with culture overrated
In our quest to be missionally engaged, hip and cool, I think we have lost the "edge" for a radical, passionate engagement with God. Connecting with culture is overrated; connecting with God is underrated. - Scott Thomas, Acts29 Director
Sunday, November 8, 2009
All-Sufficient Bread
John 6:35-39 Jesus is all-sufficient for eternal life because he came down from heaven not to do his own will but the will of him who sent him. Human response did not determine the value of his offer (see 6:66) The will of the father who sent the Son is that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and (the Son) will raise him up on the last day.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The God-head of God
http://newdemonstration.com/reformed-theology/reformation-theology-an-introduction
Excerpt from excellent article:
That which was seen as generally crucial and core to the Christian faith generations ago, in the vast majority of what names itself evangelicalism today sees is as non-essentials and minor issues.
Why is this? Because a low view of God has been the main creed of postmodern Christian religion. A faith not grounded on the revealed Word and God-hood of God but faith grounded on faith itself that is grounded on what men perceive of what faith is. Whether or not it be drawn from emotion or a philosophical conception it does not matter as long as it feels Christian, filled with love and is intolerant.
In our world today full of widespread ignorance of the truths of Scripture we do not have the luxury that the Reformers had in their time. To discuss and present a Biblical case of the doctrines of the reformation will not and can not be understood with out a proper view of God.
When I talk about the God-hood of God, I mean God’s proper right of Kingship. God’s sovereign right over all His creation. The sovereignty of God.
Quite honestly this concept is difficult to understand in our day and age. Why? Because we don’t have anymore any real apprehension of what it means to be ruled by a king. Men love democracy and the freedoms that come from the Republic’s constitution and bill of rights. We want our freedom to choose and our freedom to pick those we want to ruler over us. To have a sovereign king over us is the last thing we as postmodern human beings would want.
This idea reverberates even in the Christian psyche. We see Christians all over affirming Christ as their personal Savior, some sort of Lord, but never would you openly hear a main stream evangelical say: “The Lord is my King and I am His servant, His slave.”
“Slave? Servant-hood? What are you talking about? Don’t you encroach on my rights and my ‘freedom’ in Christ!”
Excerpt from excellent article:
That which was seen as generally crucial and core to the Christian faith generations ago, in the vast majority of what names itself evangelicalism today sees is as non-essentials and minor issues.
Why is this? Because a low view of God has been the main creed of postmodern Christian religion. A faith not grounded on the revealed Word and God-hood of God but faith grounded on faith itself that is grounded on what men perceive of what faith is. Whether or not it be drawn from emotion or a philosophical conception it does not matter as long as it feels Christian, filled with love and is intolerant.
In our world today full of widespread ignorance of the truths of Scripture we do not have the luxury that the Reformers had in their time. To discuss and present a Biblical case of the doctrines of the reformation will not and can not be understood with out a proper view of God.
When I talk about the God-hood of God, I mean God’s proper right of Kingship. God’s sovereign right over all His creation. The sovereignty of God.
Quite honestly this concept is difficult to understand in our day and age. Why? Because we don’t have anymore any real apprehension of what it means to be ruled by a king. Men love democracy and the freedoms that come from the Republic’s constitution and bill of rights. We want our freedom to choose and our freedom to pick those we want to ruler over us. To have a sovereign king over us is the last thing we as postmodern human beings would want.
This idea reverberates even in the Christian psyche. We see Christians all over affirming Christ as their personal Savior, some sort of Lord, but never would you openly hear a main stream evangelical say: “The Lord is my King and I am His servant, His slave.”
“Slave? Servant-hood? What are you talking about? Don’t you encroach on my rights and my ‘freedom’ in Christ!”
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