God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3: 14
I me me mine Well, George Harrison sang about them. They are pronouns that are
best excluded from our vocabulary and our thinking. First person pronouns such as
these smack at pride and self-worth. All of us came into this world naked and
helpless and we will leave in exactly the same manner baring the return of Lord
Jesus prior to our earthly passing.
"Mine" is a pronoun that suggests that there are earthly things that belong to us. Not
so much. Anything we have in this world is a result of the grace of God and doesn't
actually belong to us. Any possessions that we have in this lifetime do not go with us
at our passing. If you've ever been on the earthly end of a probate hearing, you know that
things can get very very ugly when it comes to the sorting out of the "things" one leaves
behind. That's just another really good reason to avoid the collecting of "stuff" during
life.
We is one first person pronoun that can work for good. It suggests that one is not alone
in this worldly walk. Jesus made it crystal clear that any person wishing to enter the
Kingdom of God MUST be reborn with water and the spirit. When that moment occurs
the spirit of God enters into our lives forever, becoming our counselor and intercessor
between us and God. It's a shared existence that represents the best possible scenario
for those of us living in a broken world.
He brings to mind our God. The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is our King,
supreme, sovereign, regal and in charge. He is the creator of all and is able to manage
all things to the culmination of His good plan. He makes no errors. He tells no lies. He
knows us completely. He loves us as His own child. He wants to be in relationship with
His children and takes pleasure when they praise and glorify Him.
So... take it from an old English teacher. Keep track of those pronouns for a spell....
what do you hear and see?
As Rich Mullins wrote and sang.. Oh we are not as strong, as we think we are!
Praise You, Father God!
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
God's Providential Deliverances
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6: 8
In his book, Praying Backwards, Bryan Chapell makes the statement that All time and
space exist before the face of God. Isn't that fascinating to try and comprehend? In
essence, it means that He can see and work out events throughout time, simultaneously
because He is God.
Well we cannot have it both ways. We either look at our lives, the events that occur,
the people we meet and love, our individual life story and chalk it up to fate, karma,
coincidence, haphazardness... stuff just happens... OR.. we realize that there is a purpose
and reason behind all the things that occur. God is sovereign. That means that He is
in charge and in control of all things past, present and future.
All of us, I am sure, can look back at past events that just happened a certain way and
realize that, above and beyond our own individual efforts to see things done our way or
to control outcomes, things happen as if they were meant to happen or the way they
needed to for results to work out. Not that everything works out the way we wish. Yet,
we see God working to bring His outcomes.
Chapell also points out that there are providential "deliverances" that we are simply
not aware of. Things happen to us and around us that may affect our safety, our
jobs, our relationships that go on outside of our realization they are occurring. God is
simply doing what He and only He can do. He is affecting the world He created in
His ways according to His plan. We can go to Him, humbly, in the name of His Son and
petition Him with our desires, our problems and our hopes. He has called upon us to
do this. Yet we must remember, above all, that it is His will that must be done, not our
own.
We are His children so He knows us like no one else can. He is aware, always, of our
circumstances and our needs. It is desire to do what is best for us.. and He always will
because He is our God!
In his book, Praying Backwards, Bryan Chapell makes the statement that All time and
space exist before the face of God. Isn't that fascinating to try and comprehend? In
essence, it means that He can see and work out events throughout time, simultaneously
because He is God.
Well we cannot have it both ways. We either look at our lives, the events that occur,
the people we meet and love, our individual life story and chalk it up to fate, karma,
coincidence, haphazardness... stuff just happens... OR.. we realize that there is a purpose
and reason behind all the things that occur. God is sovereign. That means that He is
in charge and in control of all things past, present and future.
All of us, I am sure, can look back at past events that just happened a certain way and
realize that, above and beyond our own individual efforts to see things done our way or
to control outcomes, things happen as if they were meant to happen or the way they
needed to for results to work out. Not that everything works out the way we wish. Yet,
we see God working to bring His outcomes.
Chapell also points out that there are providential "deliverances" that we are simply
not aware of. Things happen to us and around us that may affect our safety, our
jobs, our relationships that go on outside of our realization they are occurring. God is
simply doing what He and only He can do. He is affecting the world He created in
His ways according to His plan. We can go to Him, humbly, in the name of His Son and
petition Him with our desires, our problems and our hopes. He has called upon us to
do this. Yet we must remember, above all, that it is His will that must be done, not our
own.
We are His children so He knows us like no one else can. He is aware, always, of our
circumstances and our needs. It is desire to do what is best for us.. and He always will
because He is our God!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
God, if you please....may I please You!
Psalm 19:14
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (NIV)
Alistair Begg's great book, Made For His Pleasure, begins with a wonderful story
about Mr. Begg watching his 8-yr-old son play soccer. He describes the haphazard nature
of the youngsters running about with energy, but without apparent purpose, on the
soccer pitch. Then, amazingly, his son makes a move and ends up driving the soccer
ball into the net. Alistair's reaction is probably very similar to the one any of us has had
when observing our little one do something successful in any arena...We feel very happy
and pleased for the child!
It's a classic parent-child happening. We, as parents, want what is best for our children;
we care about their well-being because they are our children. We take a great deal
of pleasure in seeing them happy and successful.
Well, as hard as it might be to imagine, the Majestic God of this Universe, omniscient and
omnipresent, is pleased when His children do and say the things that bring glory to Him.
When, for example, God becomes aware of something we do that shows our continuing
transformation into someone more like His son, Jesus, He is pleased! When we are able
to pray openly and honestly, seeking Him with confidence and appropriate honor,
He is pleased. When we are able to cast off worldly treasures and desires in order
to do things whose basis is glorifying Jesus, God, because He loves the Son, is pleased!
The bottom line is that now that we have been adopted into the family of God by
the glorious work of Jesus at the cross, we are given purpose in our lives; the purpose
being to do that which glorifies and pleases He who breathed life into us. We aren't
prefect in this goal. We have a wondrous spirit that dwells within, that helps us in
this regard. It is altogether appropriate that we place the desire of pleasing God
at the very top of our priorities.
We read His word, we pray to praise and glorify Him, we ask Him for what we need
that is in line with His good plans and we love Him with all our energy and passion!
Praise you, Father God!
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (NIV)
Alistair Begg's great book, Made For His Pleasure, begins with a wonderful story
about Mr. Begg watching his 8-yr-old son play soccer. He describes the haphazard nature
of the youngsters running about with energy, but without apparent purpose, on the
soccer pitch. Then, amazingly, his son makes a move and ends up driving the soccer
ball into the net. Alistair's reaction is probably very similar to the one any of us has had
when observing our little one do something successful in any arena...We feel very happy
and pleased for the child!
It's a classic parent-child happening. We, as parents, want what is best for our children;
we care about their well-being because they are our children. We take a great deal
of pleasure in seeing them happy and successful.
Well, as hard as it might be to imagine, the Majestic God of this Universe, omniscient and
omnipresent, is pleased when His children do and say the things that bring glory to Him.
When, for example, God becomes aware of something we do that shows our continuing
transformation into someone more like His son, Jesus, He is pleased! When we are able
to pray openly and honestly, seeking Him with confidence and appropriate honor,
He is pleased. When we are able to cast off worldly treasures and desires in order
to do things whose basis is glorifying Jesus, God, because He loves the Son, is pleased!
The bottom line is that now that we have been adopted into the family of God by
the glorious work of Jesus at the cross, we are given purpose in our lives; the purpose
being to do that which glorifies and pleases He who breathed life into us. We aren't
prefect in this goal. We have a wondrous spirit that dwells within, that helps us in
this regard. It is altogether appropriate that we place the desire of pleasing God
at the very top of our priorities.
We read His word, we pray to praise and glorify Him, we ask Him for what we need
that is in line with His good plans and we love Him with all our energy and passion!
Praise you, Father God!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
The Wondrous Spirit of Holiness
Isaiah 11:2
- And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of the LORD...
Yes, we have a spirit within us because we have been given this gift as a member of
the body of Jesus. He is a spirit person so we won't find him in an x-ray or a scan. I am
learning more about this member of the Trinity; the one that is in constant contact with
us, as the Father and Jesus reside in Heaven. The more I learn about Him, the more
glorious and important He is to all of us.
In reading a book by Bryan Chapell called Praying Backwards, I have come to
understand, a little more clearly, more of the things the Spirit does for us, often
in ways we do not perceive. The book, obviously, is about prayer, God's invention-
the first Wireless Communication System. Praying is a wonderful gift given us by the redemptive work of Jesus that allows us to be allowed to petition God, to ask, seek
and knock with the assurance that He is listening, will answer and is pleased when we
come to Him in prayer.
The problem, it seems, is that people like me are basically ignorant when it comes to
how to pray and what to pray for. The apostle Paul admitted that even he was not sure
about correct prayer. One overlying answer seems to be that we tend to mold our
prayers into our will instead of God's sovereign will. Well, we are blessed because this
Spirit within us intercedes and molds out prayers into ones that are acceptable to God
and that fit His providential will and purpose. He is our divine translator! He understands
God because He is God. What a wonderful person to rely on.
This spirit is also essential in helping us attack our sinfulness. He is the one who
allows us to recognize our sins; in a real sense, He is our second conscience, if you will,
challenging us by making us aware when we sin. Left to out own devices...well, you
know how that works.
I'm still in the early stages of learning about this wonderful counselor and am looking
forward to being more aware of Him.
Isn't it so amazing that the more we learn about God, about Jesus and about the
Holy Spirit, the more amazed we are and the more we love the Trinity.
Praise and Thank our Majestic Lord God!
Yes, we have a spirit within us because we have been given this gift as a member of
the body of Jesus. He is a spirit person so we won't find him in an x-ray or a scan. I am
learning more about this member of the Trinity; the one that is in constant contact with
us, as the Father and Jesus reside in Heaven. The more I learn about Him, the more
glorious and important He is to all of us.
In reading a book by Bryan Chapell called Praying Backwards, I have come to
understand, a little more clearly, more of the things the Spirit does for us, often
in ways we do not perceive. The book, obviously, is about prayer, God's invention-
the first Wireless Communication System. Praying is a wonderful gift given us by the redemptive work of Jesus that allows us to be allowed to petition God, to ask, seek
and knock with the assurance that He is listening, will answer and is pleased when we
come to Him in prayer.
The problem, it seems, is that people like me are basically ignorant when it comes to
how to pray and what to pray for. The apostle Paul admitted that even he was not sure
about correct prayer. One overlying answer seems to be that we tend to mold our
prayers into our will instead of God's sovereign will. Well, we are blessed because this
Spirit within us intercedes and molds out prayers into ones that are acceptable to God
and that fit His providential will and purpose. He is our divine translator! He understands
God because He is God. What a wonderful person to rely on.
This spirit is also essential in helping us attack our sinfulness. He is the one who
allows us to recognize our sins; in a real sense, He is our second conscience, if you will,
challenging us by making us aware when we sin. Left to out own devices...well, you
know how that works.
I'm still in the early stages of learning about this wonderful counselor and am looking
forward to being more aware of Him.
Isn't it so amazing that the more we learn about God, about Jesus and about the
Holy Spirit, the more amazed we are and the more we love the Trinity.
Praise and Thank our Majestic Lord God!
Sunday, January 5, 2014
I know now, God, that you will not see ME!
But if we walk in light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of
Jesus, His son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
It's a truly daunting scenario! The Bible tells us that we will, at the day of judgement,
be called upon to account for each and every sin we have committed. Now that's a
situation that we cannot and will not avoid; it is God's promise and there are no
broken promises when it comes to God's word.
Now there is going to be a real problem accounting, one at a time, for the sins I have
committed in this lifetime. They are too many and too varied to even begin to
remember or consider. Yet, there I will be.. and you, as well, whether you happen to
believe in Jesus Christ or not. Time won't be an issue because time isn't a factor to
a God who is not under the limitations of time.
Well, it took some time, but I have come to understand and appreciate the ramifications
of the work Jesus did at the cross. He completed and paid the ransom for all those many
sins that have been a part of my life and, unfortunately, even with my best intentions, will
continue, at some pace, until that judgement day. He paid the price, and in so doing,
made it possible for a wondrous moment.
When our Almighty God looks upon me, and all those who have accepted the need for
the savior, Jesus, and who believe upon Him and call Him Lord, He will not see me. He
will not see a trembling, needy, fallen, sin-riddled soul. He will, instead, be gazing upon
the pure righteousness of His glorious son, Christ Jesus. He won't see me; He will see
Blessed Jesus.
Talk about a miracle, talk about a gift, talk about Grace...it's the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It's the one and only way to be assured of Life everlasting in the presence of God, Jesus
and the Spirit.
Thank you, God! All praise and glory to You!
Jesus, His son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
It's a truly daunting scenario! The Bible tells us that we will, at the day of judgement,
be called upon to account for each and every sin we have committed. Now that's a
situation that we cannot and will not avoid; it is God's promise and there are no
broken promises when it comes to God's word.
Now there is going to be a real problem accounting, one at a time, for the sins I have
committed in this lifetime. They are too many and too varied to even begin to
remember or consider. Yet, there I will be.. and you, as well, whether you happen to
believe in Jesus Christ or not. Time won't be an issue because time isn't a factor to
a God who is not under the limitations of time.
Well, it took some time, but I have come to understand and appreciate the ramifications
of the work Jesus did at the cross. He completed and paid the ransom for all those many
sins that have been a part of my life and, unfortunately, even with my best intentions, will
continue, at some pace, until that judgement day. He paid the price, and in so doing,
made it possible for a wondrous moment.
When our Almighty God looks upon me, and all those who have accepted the need for
the savior, Jesus, and who believe upon Him and call Him Lord, He will not see me. He
will not see a trembling, needy, fallen, sin-riddled soul. He will, instead, be gazing upon
the pure righteousness of His glorious son, Christ Jesus. He won't see me; He will see
Blessed Jesus.
Talk about a miracle, talk about a gift, talk about Grace...it's the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It's the one and only way to be assured of Life everlasting in the presence of God, Jesus
and the Spirit.
Thank you, God! All praise and glory to You!
Friday, January 3, 2014
Yes, GOD loves as only HE can love!
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4: 8
Rob Bell's book, Love Wins, is one that I read when it first came out, and I found it
very positive and encouraging. I have also found that there are those who do not
feel positively about the message of the book, those who fear that we risk looking at
God as a "God of Love" and forgetting His other attributes.
The gospel message, as an important example, is based on the fact that God hates
all sin, He is Holy and without sin. This puts us humans in a precarious position
because we all sin. It is a part of a fallen nature that dates back to the original sin.
Therefore, to be somehow acceptable to a God that cannot accept sin, we have the need
of a savior, Jesus, who came into the world to defeat Satan, death and provide a
sacrificial atonement for our sin. We, as sinners, can only be acceptable to God as
righteous if we accept this payment by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour,
repent and love God with our heart, soul and mind.
So where does this leave us with God's love?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3: 16
It seems to me that being created in the image of God means that we share emotions
common to God. To accept God as loving, does not ignore His other attributes. Each
of his attributes is a "maximum" attribute. He is fully and completely transcendent,
Holy, majestic, omniscient, omnipresent...the list goes on.
Despite His true hatred for sin, aware that we, His creation, are mired in sin, He
has provided a way for atonement. He has provided a means to be welcomed into
His presence and family as adopted children. He has offered up His son to be
sacrificed, as the only possible propitiation for our sinfulness. To me, this
shows His amazing gracious LOVE.
It is best that we not look at God as a God of Love at the expense of forgetting
His wrath toward sin, His coming judgment on the earth...but it is also a bit
frightening to allow this to shade our acceptance and appreciation for the emotion
He invented and has shone in our direction...His Glorious LOVE!
Rob Bell's book, Love Wins, is one that I read when it first came out, and I found it
very positive and encouraging. I have also found that there are those who do not
feel positively about the message of the book, those who fear that we risk looking at
God as a "God of Love" and forgetting His other attributes.
The gospel message, as an important example, is based on the fact that God hates
all sin, He is Holy and without sin. This puts us humans in a precarious position
because we all sin. It is a part of a fallen nature that dates back to the original sin.
Therefore, to be somehow acceptable to a God that cannot accept sin, we have the need
of a savior, Jesus, who came into the world to defeat Satan, death and provide a
sacrificial atonement for our sin. We, as sinners, can only be acceptable to God as
righteous if we accept this payment by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour,
repent and love God with our heart, soul and mind.
So where does this leave us with God's love?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3: 16
It seems to me that being created in the image of God means that we share emotions
common to God. To accept God as loving, does not ignore His other attributes. Each
of his attributes is a "maximum" attribute. He is fully and completely transcendent,
Holy, majestic, omniscient, omnipresent...the list goes on.
Despite His true hatred for sin, aware that we, His creation, are mired in sin, He
has provided a way for atonement. He has provided a means to be welcomed into
His presence and family as adopted children. He has offered up His son to be
sacrificed, as the only possible propitiation for our sinfulness. To me, this
shows His amazing gracious LOVE.
It is best that we not look at God as a God of Love at the expense of forgetting
His wrath toward sin, His coming judgment on the earth...but it is also a bit
frightening to allow this to shade our acceptance and appreciation for the emotion
He invented and has shone in our direction...His Glorious LOVE!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Lord, wake US up!
"Wake Me Up" Josh Wilson
Where have I been all my life?
What have I done with my time?
What ever happened to me?
How long have I been asleep?
Wake, wake me up, wake me up,
Wake me up inside.
Light up my heart with a spark
From Your burning light.
God please just wake me up
I wanna rise from the dead
And feel this heart beat again
Don't wanna waste one more day
Lord do whatever it takes
What have I done with my time?
What ever happened to me?
How long have I been asleep?
Wake, wake me up, wake me up,
Wake me up inside.
Light up my heart with a spark
From Your burning light.
God please just wake me up
I wanna rise from the dead
And feel this heart beat again
Don't wanna waste one more day
Lord do whatever it takes
A good Christian friend brought this song to my attention over the holidays, and I am
blessed to have heard it.
Disclaimer: This is one that will stick in your head, big time!
What made this all the more meaningful, is that it speaks to my life story; years of being
without any real knowledge of Jesus, the gospel, the Bible and God. When I realize that
sixty years of my life went by before a combination of God's grace reaching out to me and
my daughter taking me to a house church in Oxford,Ohio brought me to the knowledge
of the light of Jesus, it is frightening. I was truly ignorant; the kind of ignorance that can
lead to eternal existence away from the God of this universe.
So I have a prayer that I would offer in the name and to the glory of what Jesus does
for those he has reached out to. I humbly pray that it would be in the will of God to
reach out to anyone reading this blog who has not taken to his knees and asked
Jesus to be his Lord and bring them into the family of those who love Jesus as their
Lord and savior. Wake them up, God. bring them, I pray, to the peace and grace
that can only come when they become part of the shepherd's flock.
Wake us up, please precious Jesus!
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