Have you ever wondered how Isaiah felt when He saw the majesty and glory of God as recorded in Isaiah 6? It was in the year that King Uzziah, an interesting character, died in which Isaiah "saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple" (v. 1, KJV), and that was only the start. He continues: "Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged" (vv. 2-7). WOW!
What if that was you? What if God in His grace were to show you a glimpse of the heavens and the throne of God, could you handle it? What would your reaction be? Isn't it interesting that when Isaiah saw the Lord, he immediately recognized his sinfulness? There is no room for pride or self-centeredness when we get a glimpse of the holiness of God. His holiness is like a light that shines and reveals our nature and character, but in a moment of surrender He not only takes away our iniquities but also purges our sins. God can do a lot of things in an instant!
The apostle John reminds us, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). While most of us may not have the same vision as Isaiah, those who spend time in God's Word come face to face with Him as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures. We too see Him in His majesty; we are confronted with His holiness. Yet how do we respond? We can both confess our faults and allow Him to do His work in our lives, or we can be like the one who "beholdeth himself [in a glass], and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was"(James 1:24).
When we "see" the Lord, things should not remain the same. Our lives, our attitudes, and our characters should be transformed by the power of His Spirit. We should become more like Him.
When was the last time you "saw" Him?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
“The Problem is Me”
The prayer was simple but rather profound. Eight words that zeroed in on the problem. "Dear God: I have a problem. It's me." There is no doubt that in our Western culture we are more individualistic than in other cultures. Generally speaking, things are centered on ourselves - the things we like or don't like, our desires, our needs. It is said that the three big issues facing our generation are consumerism, individualism and a sense of entitlement. Everything around us seems to reinforce that message - our individual rights to this, our individual rights to that. "What about me?" "How does this or that affect me?" "What is it in for me?" are just some of the questions we ask ourselves when faced with certain situations. It is as if we are wired for selfishness.
Not surprisingly, we take the same attitude into our spiritual lives. If we are not satisfied with what is happening in our places of worship, it’s "their problem" because our attendance is dutiful and we come only to be entertained and be served. Let someone else work with the children, including ours. Let someone else be a ministry volunteer. All of this while we sit critically of those who are giving of themselves, finding fault with what they do, how they do them, while thinking to ourselves we could do it much better. If only we had the time or the interest.
Jesus calls us to live above ourselves. In Luke 9:23-24 we read: "And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." In another instance Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:24-25). The words “verily, verily” underscore the importance of the truth of His Words. Though speaking of His death, we can apply the very same principle to our lives. As long as we live for ourselves, individualistically, we live alone. It is only when we die to self and start living for God and others that we bring forth much fruit.
"Dear God: I have a problem. It's me." My self, my ways, my desires, my attitudes. Isn't it time we yield to His lordship over our lives and allow Him to live through us? A time to surrender ourselves to His will and His ways? In the words of the hymn writer, “Let me lose myself and find it Lord in thee.” It is only then that our lives will be transformed from being centered on ourselves to being sweet smelling fragrances of God’s grace. How are you living?
Not surprisingly, we take the same attitude into our spiritual lives. If we are not satisfied with what is happening in our places of worship, it’s "their problem" because our attendance is dutiful and we come only to be entertained and be served. Let someone else work with the children, including ours. Let someone else be a ministry volunteer. All of this while we sit critically of those who are giving of themselves, finding fault with what they do, how they do them, while thinking to ourselves we could do it much better. If only we had the time or the interest.
Jesus calls us to live above ourselves. In Luke 9:23-24 we read: "And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." In another instance Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:24-25). The words “verily, verily” underscore the importance of the truth of His Words. Though speaking of His death, we can apply the very same principle to our lives. As long as we live for ourselves, individualistically, we live alone. It is only when we die to self and start living for God and others that we bring forth much fruit.
"Dear God: I have a problem. It's me." My self, my ways, my desires, my attitudes. Isn't it time we yield to His lordship over our lives and allow Him to live through us? A time to surrender ourselves to His will and His ways? In the words of the hymn writer, “Let me lose myself and find it Lord in thee.” It is only then that our lives will be transformed from being centered on ourselves to being sweet smelling fragrances of God’s grace. How are you living?
“Sweeter than Honey & the Honeycomb”
Recently I saw something rather interesting. Well, to me it was. On my morning commute, a lady across from me took out her Bible, read for two minutes, promptly closed and put it away. Then she took out one of the daily tabloids and read for the remainder of the journey. I should point out that the journey lasted about 40 minutes. Of course, there could have been all kind of reasons for the disparity in reading times. However, what made the whole thing interesting for me was that almost immediately the words of the Psalmist came to mind: "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:7-10, KJV).
The word translated "law" may be understood as meaning all that teaches us true religion, and therefore it is no exaggeration to agree with Matthew Henry that the Word of God "is of much greater benefit to us than day or night, than the air we breathe, or the light of the sun." When received by faith, it is more precious than gold; it is sweet to the soul, sweeter than honey. Honey is often touted not only for its sweetness and fine taste, but also for its curative (healing) effects. The honeycomb is often mentioned, for it is considered superior in flavor, sweetness, and richness to honey that has been exposed to the air for a time. It is no wonder the proverb states, "Pleasant sayings are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and a healing to the bones” (Pr 16:24; 24:13, 14).
If the honeycomb with all its sweetness is a healing to the bones, how much more the Word of God is a healing to our spirits? Bible Commentator John Gills observes: "They [the words of God] are the means of curing the diseases of the mind; of healing wounded spirits, and broken hearts, and broken bones; they make the bones which were broken to rejoice; what heals the bones strengthens the whole man, a man's strength lying much in his bones; these strengthen the inward man, cause believers to go from strength to strength, and to hold on and persevere to the end."
Knowing the benefits of staying in the Word, it is no wonder the enemy tries to keep us away from it! It is easy to find believers who have no problem becoming engrossed in reading secular novels and other materiel while complaining they find the Bible boring or do not have the time to read it. Yet true worshippers not only take delight in reading, meditating and acting on the Word of God, they also expect the Word to change their lives. In other words, the more time we spend in the Word, the more opportunities there are for the Word to shape our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes. So let us understand that while reading is a wonderful hobby, we should not neglect the reading of the Word. Once we start to "chew" on it, we too will discover "more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
What has been on your taste buds lately?
The word translated "law" may be understood as meaning all that teaches us true religion, and therefore it is no exaggeration to agree with Matthew Henry that the Word of God "is of much greater benefit to us than day or night, than the air we breathe, or the light of the sun." When received by faith, it is more precious than gold; it is sweet to the soul, sweeter than honey. Honey is often touted not only for its sweetness and fine taste, but also for its curative (healing) effects. The honeycomb is often mentioned, for it is considered superior in flavor, sweetness, and richness to honey that has been exposed to the air for a time. It is no wonder the proverb states, "Pleasant sayings are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and a healing to the bones” (Pr 16:24; 24:13, 14).
If the honeycomb with all its sweetness is a healing to the bones, how much more the Word of God is a healing to our spirits? Bible Commentator John Gills observes: "They [the words of God] are the means of curing the diseases of the mind; of healing wounded spirits, and broken hearts, and broken bones; they make the bones which were broken to rejoice; what heals the bones strengthens the whole man, a man's strength lying much in his bones; these strengthen the inward man, cause believers to go from strength to strength, and to hold on and persevere to the end."
Knowing the benefits of staying in the Word, it is no wonder the enemy tries to keep us away from it! It is easy to find believers who have no problem becoming engrossed in reading secular novels and other materiel while complaining they find the Bible boring or do not have the time to read it. Yet true worshippers not only take delight in reading, meditating and acting on the Word of God, they also expect the Word to change their lives. In other words, the more time we spend in the Word, the more opportunities there are for the Word to shape our thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes. So let us understand that while reading is a wonderful hobby, we should not neglect the reading of the Word. Once we start to "chew" on it, we too will discover "more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb."
What has been on your taste buds lately?
A Matter of Standards
Have you noticed how truth seems fairly relative these days? In other words, society would have us believe that truth is whatever a person, group, or culture deem it to be and to some extent, that is true. But what about absolute truth? Things that are true regardless of time, place, or culture? Beliefs that transcend individual and collective perceptions and opinions?
To say that "all truth is relative" is self-defeating because such a statement within itself is absolute. In effect it says, "There is one absolute truth, that all truth is relative," at which point all truth would no longer be relative. The cunningness of the enemy in perpetuating the lie of relative truth extends to the Word of God, and it is not unusual for the absoluteness of divine declarations to be treated with relativism. The prevailing attitude is "that may be true for you but it isn't for me." However, authentic worshippers everywhere understand two truths: whatever is true at one time and in one place is true at all times and in all places, and whatever is true for one person is true for all people. God's Word is not true because we believe it to be true; it is true regardless of what we believe.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, on all three occasions He rebuffed the Tempter with the words, "It is written" (Matthew 4:4, 6, 10). He taught the authority and complete reliability of the Bible in everything it teaches. Whether our generation accepts or rejects it or not, the Bible is still God’s Word and is inerrant in whatever it teaches. Jesus affirmed the Bible’s total inspiration, inerrancy, and indestructibility when He said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35b, KJV). The Bible is still the supreme authority for Christians in all matters. It is not what we think Jesus would do or how we feel He would interpret the Scriptures, but “Thus says the Lord.”
What does all this mean for us today? Firstly, let us recognize that God stands behind His Word. Secondly, when we reject the unique, divine character of the Bible, we reject its authority, too. Thirdly, our attitudes and behaviors should not be informed by the world's standards, no matter how popular, but by the standards outlined in God's Word. The Apostle Peter reminds us that Jesus has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him (1 Peter 1:2-4). In other words, whatever He says is absolute; we don't get a vote. This is not a negative thing; rather we can rest comfortably in the knowledge that the truths of God's Word are timeless and sure. When we stand on the Word, we are not standing on something that is shifting; it is not true for someone else and not true for us. We can all lay claim to the promises of God.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday living, Which standards are you following?
To say that "all truth is relative" is self-defeating because such a statement within itself is absolute. In effect it says, "There is one absolute truth, that all truth is relative," at which point all truth would no longer be relative. The cunningness of the enemy in perpetuating the lie of relative truth extends to the Word of God, and it is not unusual for the absoluteness of divine declarations to be treated with relativism. The prevailing attitude is "that may be true for you but it isn't for me." However, authentic worshippers everywhere understand two truths: whatever is true at one time and in one place is true at all times and in all places, and whatever is true for one person is true for all people. God's Word is not true because we believe it to be true; it is true regardless of what we believe.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, on all three occasions He rebuffed the Tempter with the words, "It is written" (Matthew 4:4, 6, 10). He taught the authority and complete reliability of the Bible in everything it teaches. Whether our generation accepts or rejects it or not, the Bible is still God’s Word and is inerrant in whatever it teaches. Jesus affirmed the Bible’s total inspiration, inerrancy, and indestructibility when He said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35b, KJV). The Bible is still the supreme authority for Christians in all matters. It is not what we think Jesus would do or how we feel He would interpret the Scriptures, but “Thus says the Lord.”
What does all this mean for us today? Firstly, let us recognize that God stands behind His Word. Secondly, when we reject the unique, divine character of the Bible, we reject its authority, too. Thirdly, our attitudes and behaviors should not be informed by the world's standards, no matter how popular, but by the standards outlined in God's Word. The Apostle Peter reminds us that Jesus has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him (1 Peter 1:2-4). In other words, whatever He says is absolute; we don't get a vote. This is not a negative thing; rather we can rest comfortably in the knowledge that the truths of God's Word are timeless and sure. When we stand on the Word, we are not standing on something that is shifting; it is not true for someone else and not true for us. We can all lay claim to the promises of God.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday living, Which standards are you following?
"Not this man [Jesus], but Barabbas"
Originally written on Good Friday
As Jesus stood with Pilate, Pilate looked at Him with disbelief and skepticism. How could this man be the king of the Jews as they had charged? An itinerant preacher moving from place to place in the cities with people who were willing to follow Him was not a crime. More importantly, He was not a threat to Rome. He was not like the other freedom fighters the Roman army had to fight with as they tried to liberate themselves and their nation from the oppression of Roman rule. Albert Barnes in his commentary writes, "He [Pilate] regarded him, clearly, as a fanatic poor, ignorant, and deluded, but innocent and not dangerous." And so being satisfied that Jesus was not a king, at least not in the sense of which He was accused by His fellow Jews, and therefore not a threat to the establishment, Pilate declared Him innocent.
It was the custom then that at Passover one prisoner would be pardoned (John 18:38). Pilate sought to have Jesus release under this custom but the crowd would have none of it. The narrative tells us, "Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber" (v. 40). The last four words in that verse--"Now Barrabbas was a robber"--present an interesting contrast in that He was not just a robber, but one of the freedom fighters. In they eyes of the crowd shouting his name, unlike Jesus, Barrabbas had tried to do something for them. Like the other freedom fighters, he was regarded as a hero. It wasn't that long ago that Jesus was seen as such by some of these same people, for when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem for the Passover, they "took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." (John 12:13). Somewhere between then and that first Good Friday, they grew disappointed with Jesus as the promised Messiah. He failed to liberate them from the Romans and clearly had no such intentions. Faced with the choice between a freedom fighter and the Son of God, they chose the freedom fighter.
Today as we celebrate another Good Friday, we are faced with the same choice. Have we become disappointed with Jesus? Has He failed to "deliver" what we expected of Him? Did we expect that our bank accounts would always be healthy? That hardships would be a thing of the past? That our journey through this life would be easy? Because if that is what we expected when we accepted Him, then we would have missed the real reason He came into the world. John tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (3:16) and so to that end, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). He came to restore, to heal, the relationship between God and man and it was only through His sacrificial death on the cross could this be made possible.
Our outward circumstances may not reflect our inner realities. As we reflect on and celebrate the death of Jesus, let us remember there was a resurrection three days later. But today we look at the cross in the middle with much thanksgiving for in that bloody spectacle is our redemption. We should have been the ones on that cross, but He came and took our place. He paid the debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. He paid the price on our behalf that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Like the Apostle Paul we too can say, "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).
"Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man [Jesus], but Barabbas." Who is your choice?
As Jesus stood with Pilate, Pilate looked at Him with disbelief and skepticism. How could this man be the king of the Jews as they had charged? An itinerant preacher moving from place to place in the cities with people who were willing to follow Him was not a crime. More importantly, He was not a threat to Rome. He was not like the other freedom fighters the Roman army had to fight with as they tried to liberate themselves and their nation from the oppression of Roman rule. Albert Barnes in his commentary writes, "He [Pilate] regarded him, clearly, as a fanatic poor, ignorant, and deluded, but innocent and not dangerous." And so being satisfied that Jesus was not a king, at least not in the sense of which He was accused by His fellow Jews, and therefore not a threat to the establishment, Pilate declared Him innocent.
It was the custom then that at Passover one prisoner would be pardoned (John 18:38). Pilate sought to have Jesus release under this custom but the crowd would have none of it. The narrative tells us, "Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber" (v. 40). The last four words in that verse--"Now Barrabbas was a robber"--present an interesting contrast in that He was not just a robber, but one of the freedom fighters. In they eyes of the crowd shouting his name, unlike Jesus, Barrabbas had tried to do something for them. Like the other freedom fighters, he was regarded as a hero. It wasn't that long ago that Jesus was seen as such by some of these same people, for when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem for the Passover, they "took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." (John 12:13). Somewhere between then and that first Good Friday, they grew disappointed with Jesus as the promised Messiah. He failed to liberate them from the Romans and clearly had no such intentions. Faced with the choice between a freedom fighter and the Son of God, they chose the freedom fighter.
Today as we celebrate another Good Friday, we are faced with the same choice. Have we become disappointed with Jesus? Has He failed to "deliver" what we expected of Him? Did we expect that our bank accounts would always be healthy? That hardships would be a thing of the past? That our journey through this life would be easy? Because if that is what we expected when we accepted Him, then we would have missed the real reason He came into the world. John tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (3:16) and so to that end, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). He came to restore, to heal, the relationship between God and man and it was only through His sacrificial death on the cross could this be made possible.
Our outward circumstances may not reflect our inner realities. As we reflect on and celebrate the death of Jesus, let us remember there was a resurrection three days later. But today we look at the cross in the middle with much thanksgiving for in that bloody spectacle is our redemption. We should have been the ones on that cross, but He came and took our place. He paid the debt He did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay. He paid the price on our behalf that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Like the Apostle Paul we too can say, "Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).
"Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man [Jesus], but Barabbas." Who is your choice?
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
"I Choose to Worship"
Wess Morgan's "I Choose to Worship" is an absolutely amazing song! The more we think of worship, the more we realize that worship is a choice; it is something we choose to do. It transcends circumstances. In other words, regardless of what is going on around us or situations we find ourselves in, we can worship. I hope this song blesses you as it has blessed me.
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