Wisdom in the Word for Thinking 'Christian-ly'

Know, Trust, Wait...

2010-01-12T00:55:00Z

"I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD. "   (Psalm 40:1-3)

My Pastor preached this text on Sunday. I've read it a hundred times, but never seen in it the patience of Christ, a picture of which Pastor Sabella so eloquently painted in his sermon. I have seen, in this text, the love and faithfulness of the Father, who heard His Son's cry and answered. I've seen the vindication that was promised and brought to pass on Christ's behalf by His Father. But, those first 6 words are powerful and telling. When did vindication come? Even for Christ, it came after patient waiting on God.  Should vindication come any sooner for me? May it never be!

So, why was Christ able to wait so patiently on His Father to 'make things right', to bring about the promised vindication and glory? Also, why am I unable to wait patiently for God to hear my cry?  If you had asked me these questions a week ago, I would have answered, "Because He's God, and I'm sinful flesh!" That is true, but only half the answer. Jesus was patient -- is patient -- because He KNOWS His Father's promises, and He has perfect faith and trust that His Father will bring them to pass.  Jesus' faith, and our faith too, is rooted deeply in the knowledge of God's promises and trust in God to bring them to fruition perfectly in space & time.. When we fail to know God's promises, and fail to trust His ability to fulfill them, then we cannot wait with any sort of patience. In fact, we do the opposite. We fret, worry, cry, feel sorry for ourselves, pout, even get angry.

While Jesus has complete knowledge of the Word, "the Word" is also one of His names. This is because He embodies the promises of God. Of course, He also embodies the perfect holiness, justice, goodness, truth, sovereignty, mercy, grace (and much more) of God. Back to the promises though ... many of those promises are yes and amen in the very person of Christ. "For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." (2 Corinthians 1:20) As a believer, I have alien faith and righteousness.  My faith and righteousness come from none other than Jesus Christ. Therefore, I can look to the patience of my Saviour as the perfect example. As His patience was rooted in His Father's promises and sovereign goodness, mine must be as well.

Simply enduring trials will not prove to increase my patience. On the contrary, my faith (and therefore patience) will surely increase when, through the trials of life I'm drawn by the Holy Spirit into the Word, where God's promises are written. Then, as I internalize the promises therein, and see His faithfulness to bring them to pass on behalf of many who walked in faith before me, I gain a more firmly rooted trust in God's sovereign goodness. I know, trust, and can therefore wait paiently.

Patience is the fruit born of trust. As my Pastor said, "Patience is casting oneself onto the promises of God in faith."

When God grants that we wait patiently on Him, and He proves faithful to His promises to us, two things happen, according to v. 3. First, we are given a new song of praise to sing to the Father in response to His faithfulness. Second, others see our patience followed by God's action, which brings about fear in their hearts. Since fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, that fear brings forth the fruit of trust in the Lord. Hallelujah! [Conversely, I despair to think what happens in the hearts of onlookers when I fail to wait patiently on my God. Praise God that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:1) Otherwise I would wallow in despair over my unfaithfulness.]

Oh Lord! Thank you for revealing these beautiful truths to my heart! Thank you for my Pastor who has shone a light (an Elzetta light, that is...) on this text for my encouragement, and that of others as well. Please draw me ever deeper into Your Word, that I may drink of Your rich promises and grow to trust You so perfectly that I may wait...patiently as my Christ did. Oh, to sing in chorus with Him that song of praise to You!

Flee ... run ... as fast and as far as you can!

2010-01-05T13:25:00Z

1 Corinthians 10:14-22
"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say. Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?"

This was the passage my Pastor preached this past Sunday. I have to say that it was a very impactful sermon and my heart was pierced as the Holy Spirit brought conviction and grief over my sin. I wanted to share a couple of things God weighed upon me from this sermon, which continue to fill my mind and heart with conviction and encouragement. May Christ strengthen His people to truly flee this deadly sin of idolatry!

* We should avoid idolatry at all costs! God must be pre-eminent over every concern, every interest, every person, and every commitment in our lives.

* "God plays second fiddle to no one or nothing." (Pastor Sabella)

* We should pray that our New Year is one in which we love God as never before! We should pray that He enables us to give Him our utmost loyalty. We should evaluate our lives and hearts and ponder whom or what we value most.

* "To neglect the church is to neglect Christ!" (Pastor Sabella)

* If we seek to please men rather than to please God, then we are guilty of idolatry. This brings to mind Colossians 3:23-24, which says, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."

* The word flee has the connotation of running as fast and as far as possible in the opposite direction from some danger or threat. I should apply this to idolatry. When I see my heart bending toward serving or treasuring some earthly thing, activity, or even person -- I should, in my heart (and if necessary, physically), run as far and as quickly as possible in the opposite direction. The opposite direction would be toward serving and treasuring Christ alone, toward His Word, toward His church.

* "When believers take the Lord's Supper, they partake of the substance behind the symbolology." (Pastor Sabella)

* To adore anything or anyone more than we adore Christ is idolatry -- and demonic!

* You cannot possibly give God His due worship if your heart is even the least bit bowed to any idol.

* Idolatry is deadly and will suck the joy out of you if you fail to flee from it. "Tear down your idols while there's still hope!" (Pastor Sabella)

*Practicing idolatry invites God's jealous discipline. Don't pick a fight with the Supremely Sovereign God of the Universe because He will always prove Himself stronger! He is fearsome! He is mighty!

* God has purchased my soul and defined His territory. He will protect me as His own -- even against myself and my own weak flesh. Whoah!

* If I fail to flee from idolatry, I'm dabbling in the table of demons.

* I can rejoice that victory has been won! Christ already hung on the cross to pay for my sin of idolatry, therefore it is possible to live victorious over that sin. He has conquered my adversaries, particularly the adversary which is my sinful flesh. Idolatry has been defeated on my behalf, by the Savior Jesus Christ! Glory!

Encouragement from across the globe...

2009-11-05T14:40:00Z

I received the most uplifting and encouraging comment from a gentleman today and had to share something that popped to my mind. The purpose of the "Wisdom from the Word -- Thinking Christianly" blog has always been to share the glory of Christ and seek to magnify His name to people all over the world. That's the beauty of blogs and the internet, we have access to not only our brethren all over the globe, but to the lost as well. I pray that God will use this blog not only to explore the Scriptures and discuss Biblical living, but to open the eyes of the blind and soften the hardest of hearts, granting blessed repentance and faith in the hearts of His people, wherever they may be.

To any who have followed this blog over the past couple of years, I apologize for the huge gaps of time between entries. I could make excuses as to why I've not kept up, but they would focus on "me", which would be wrong. May all the attention and glory and honor go to Him who created and sustains all things!

Love to all of you in the blessed name of Christ Jesus, the risen and exalted Lord of all!

The Law of Leprosy in Leviticus 14:33-57

2009-08-12T13:37:00Z

In reading Leviticus 14:33-57, I've always been very confused and unable to figure out what God was teaching me through this passage. I'd never heard of a house being infected with leprosy and the whole concept seemed so strange to me. God revealed some parallels in the text recently that make a lot of sense to my mind and seem to fit within a systematic theology. I just wanted to share a few things and would love to hear what others think on this passage as I continue to study it and pray for revelation from God. If you've not recently read this passage, you may want to look over it before proceeding through this blog. It's far to long for me to quote here. Throughout the passage, I will discuss how leprosy represents sin, how God deals with sin, and how He is sovereign over it, though not responsible for it.

v. 34 In the very beginning of the text, God places the 'mark of leprosy' on the house. We know that even though God does not commit sin Himself, there is much reference throughout Scripture to the fact that God ordains that sin take place and even hands certain people over to increased sinfulness. Examples of this would be in the beginning when God ordained that Adam and Eve sin so that He might glorify Himself by sending Jesus to die on behalf of His elect. We know it was ordained because Jesus is called the "Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world". His death was planned from the beginning and would have never been necessary without sin having entered in the garden. Also, in Romans 1, God hands people over to gross sins because they worship creation rather than Him as Creator.

I'm seeing the house in this passage as representing the church. From that foundational premise, it would be logical to assign the home-owner as the Pastor, the Priest as Jesus, and the leprosy as sin. In v. 35, the owner of the house (Pastor) comes to the Priest (Jesus) to let him know that there is a visible infection of leprosy (sin) in the house. The Priest (Jesus) quarantines the house for 7 days to see if the infection will go away. This could be Jesus giving time for repentance on the part of the sinner(s) in the church. In v. 39, after the time for repentance has been allowed, if the infection is still present, the infected stones were to be removed. We know from 1 Peter 2:4 that Christians are referred to as 'living stones' which make up the church. We also know that false converts are to be removed from the church according to 1 Cor. 5:11-13. So, this removal of infected stones, I believe, is the removal of false converts or 'so-called brethren' who have crept into the church and disguised themselves as sheep, bringing with them a deadly and contagious infection.

In v. 41, the Priest (Jesus) orders the owner (Pastor) of the house to scrape the inside of the house and then replaster it. This could represent the Pastor's open reproof and/or rebuke (scraping) to the church about the sin which was present and the Scriptural teaching (replastering) which would edify and build up, guiding the members away from such sin and toward righteous, holy living. Also, in v. 42, there are new stones brought in to replace the ones which were removed. This could be new members that God has added to the congregation...new "living stones", if you will.

According to v. 44-46, if the malignancy (sin) still infected the church after all these measures had been taken, the house (church) was to be torn down. "As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels (preachers) of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches...Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand (church) out of its place -- unless you repent." (Revelation 1:20 and 2:5) If a church refuses to submit to the godly leadership of the Pastor and refuses to submit to Christ in repentance, that church will be removed by Jesus Himself. In v. 46, there is a warning that anyone who enters the house full of leprosy (sin) will be infected and unclean themselves. We know this is true, because bad company corrupts good morals, according to 1 Cor. 15:33.

But, glory be to God, if the church responds to the purge of infected stones (church members), scraping (reproof and rebuke), and replastering (Biblical teaching) with repentance and holy living, then the Priest (Jesus) pronounces it clean! Hallelujah! The house (church) is then cleansed with 2 birds, cedarwood, a scarlet string, and hyssop. The house (church) is "sprinkled" with the hyssop and cedar wood dipped in the bird's blood and running water, just as we are washed by Jesus' blood and regenerated by the Holy Spirit (living water). This brings to mind Hebrews 10:21-22, which says, "Since we have a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

We are told in v. 54-57 that this process should be performed for any kind of infection: leprous garment or house, swelling, scab, or bright spot (which could represent a variety of kinds of sin that could infect a house [or church]). We are also admonished to be subject to teaching on these things so that we know the protocol for dealing with sin.

We, as the church, are to be members of a local body of believers, in submission to a loving, caring, and obedient Pastor who is aware of our sins. He is to hold us accountable, evaluating our behavior and words so that He is able to reprove and rebuke when needed, or even remove us if we prove to be false converts. Sadly, there are many houses (churches) that are infected with leprosy (sin) and there is no loving owner (Pastor) who is willing to take the concern to the Priest (Jesus) and to deal with it according to the law of leprosy (Biblically). This is why we have hundreds of churches bearing false witness of Christ to the world. This is why our nation doesn't have any comprehension of what a real "Christian" looks like. I fear that many lampstands (churches) need removing in this country and wonder when our Priest (Jesus) will come and take them away.

Oh God, I don't want to be a stone in an infected house that needs to be removed. Lord, grant me persevering faith, that I may be a repentant living stone in a house that brings you much glory. Please bring our family to a church where we may be shepherded Biblically, where the infection of leprosy is scraped and replastered, and where infected stones (unbelievers) are removed for the sake and preservation of the other stones (believers). As we search for a church home, I pray that You would bring us to such a place. May that kind of bold leadership be sought alongside solid, exegetical preaching of Scripture and a loving, Christ-exalting body of believers.

Who is the greatest?

2009-07-30T12:33:00Z

I was studying through Luke 22 this morning and came to v. 24 which says, "And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be the greatest." At first, I was just stunned that they would sit there in the presence of Christ and pridefully argue with eachother about their own greatness. Then, as I chewed on it a bit, my heart was deeply convicted.

This time, in Luke 22:24, the context is at the Passover supper when Jesus brought to their attention that one of them would betray Him. They sat right in His presence and argued with one another over who was greatest. Sadly, this isn't the first time the disciples have argued over who was greatest among them. We read of it also in Luke 9:46, "An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest." The context here is just after Jesus was transfigured and He teaches them that being greatest means being least. We also see a similar theme in Mark 9:33-34, just after Jesus had told them that He would be delivered over, killed, and resurrected. They walked to meet with Jesus, who was in the house at Capernaum, and as they walked, they discussed who was the greatest among them. As they entered the house, He began questioning them, asking what they had been discussing as they walked. In this instance, they were rightly ashamed of the fact that they had been discussing which of them was the greatest -- and they kept quiet. However, Jesus knew their hearts and taught them that they must be servant of all in order to achieve greatness. It is duly noted that He did not condemn their desire to achieve greatness. He corrected their view on how it would be acheived.

I admit that I tend to be a bit hard on the disciples, thinking how on earth could they be so self-centered in the presence of Christ? How could they listen to Him and walk with Him, yet be concerned about their own personal greatness? How could they hear Him predict his death and resurrection, and immediately think about how awesome they were? Hello! You're looking in the face of God, guys! He's the only great one!

In truth, all of us do this on a daily basis, don't we? I confess that I see this in myself and am deeply grieved that my heart leans this way. In the presence of Christ, I daily think about how other people need to work on certain areas of sin in their lives. I think about how they continue in the same sin, because that particular sin may stand out to me. All along, though, I myself am struggling with a long list of sins that are equally displeasing to my God. The fact that my mind focuses on the sin of others proves that my wicked heart thinks that I am greater than my sister or brother. My thoughts about their sin are truly arguments within my heart over whether I am greater than they in the sight of God. Don't we all do this?

Should I really be so hard on the disciples? The disciples really missed the boat on a number of occasions, but don't I do the same thing? Don't you? The fact that the disciples could sit at the passover table with Jesus in their midst and argue over who was greatest among them is shocking to me. But shouldn't it be equally shocking that I sit in the "privacy" of my home, which is in the presence of God, and argue in my mind over who is greatest. Woe to me! Woe to you! You do it too.

Lord, please change my wicked heart and help me follow Your teaching -- that to achieve greatness, I must be the servant of all and the least among my brethren.

"And He said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called Benefactors. But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.' " Luke 22:25-27

"Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, 'If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.' " Mark 9:35

Words employed for the profit of God's kingdom!

2009-07-15T15:52:00Z

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:33-37)

This was the passage in focus at our last Ladies' Night meeting for July. I just want to share a couple of the tidbits that we meditated upon during our study. It was definitely a time of deep conviction and repentance as I prepared to teach on this text. I pray that your heart is uplifted and changed as was mine through studying this passage of Scripture.

In this passage, Jesus addressed a group of unredeemed sinners, namely the Pharisees. All the truths he spoke to them are profitable for rebuke, reproof, and sound teaching for my heart and the hearts of all Christians. Jesus told these Pharisees that they were the offspring of a venemous snake, namely Satan...and because their hearts were evil, they were incapable of speaking any good words. Jesus told them that their mouths were a vent for the overflow of that which was super-abundant in their hearts. He also told them that all men have a storehouse inside them -- a precious deposit filled with that which they treasure. For evil men, their treasure was rotten, putrid, vile -- so that which flowed out of them was the same. For the 'good' man, His treasure was good and beautiful -- so his overflow was just that -- good and beautiful. Jesus also made clear to these wicked men that they would stand accountable on judgment day for every 'idle' word they'd ever spoken and that these very words would either justify or condemn them.

As a follower of Christ, this text made me look at my heart and evaluate the words that proceed from my mouth -- or the fruit which is borne on my tree. It drove me to ask myself questions like,

        "Do my words reflect Christ who lives within me?"
        "What is in my storehouse filled with...what (or who) is my precious deposit?"
        "Do I purposefully employ my words for the edification of my brethren and the glory of Christ?"
        "What about the thoughts that run through my mind...those are words, since we as speaking beings think in words, not abstractly. Do these words in my mind reflect Christ or the world in which I live?"
        "Are many of my words 'idle' (of no benefit to anyone or the kingdom of God)?"
        "Do I thoughtfully consider the implications and ramifications of my words before they come forth from my mouth? Am I sifting them through Scripture?"
        "If a non-Christian were listening to me talk, would they have any idea that Christ is my highest treasure...and if not, then is He really as highly treasured as I claim He is in my heart?"
        "What do my words testify about my walk with Christ?"

Of course, God uses His Word to bring conviction in the hearts of believers, that they continually be changed and sanctified in their walk with Christ. Passages such as this drive us to our knees, reminding us that we need a Savior every minute of every day. Texts such as this bring to our memory that every idle word spoken, every evil thought that darts across our minds, every conversation that revolves around worldly rather than godly matters has been nailed to the cross. I know that I have many times spoken words that had no kingdom purpose. I have certainly thought things too evil to mention. For these I repent before God and beg Him to change my heart so that every word which passes from my lips or darts through my mind may be edifiying to brethren, glorifying to Christ, and a beacon for unsaved persons - leading them to the cross where Jesus died.

This text also reminds me that as a mother, I have a unique and beautiful opportunity to fill my son's storehouse with the precious deposit of godly teaching, Scripture memory, and a Biblical worldview that may all help him to walk with Christ. As parents, even if God does not choose to save our children, we are called to do this ministry as unto the Lord. A storehouse filled with godly things will be profitable for our kids, whether or not God saves them. Of course, we pray that God does redeem them and by our teaching, they will then have a firm foundation on which to build. We pray that they will be used mightily for and by the Lord.

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)

"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." (Colossians 4:6)

He Speaks, it Happens!

2009-06-22T02:08:00Z

Today, I was blessed to hear an awesome sermon on Mark 9:14-32, in which my pastor pulled out many beautiful truths about Christ's power and deity and the continued lack of faith shown in the disciples. I will not use this blog to go over all the points he made in his sermon, though they were all awesome. Hopefully this sermon, which I would recommend, will eventually be available on the church website at the following link: http://provcommunity.org/pages/htmlos/00958.3.1613955208332642443/providence/resources.html-
RESOURCES-SERMONS-?

As I was combing through the passage last night in preparation for this morning's sermon, God illumined 2 details that transformed the text for me. They were rather simple points that many would have noticed perhaps on a first read, but I'm a little slow sometimes so you'll have to forgive me. I was blessed by studying through this passage last night and pray that you will be blessed as well as you read this blog.

(Please keep in mind, I don't claim to be an authority on Scripture. I don't have a seminary education and I've never heard anyone else say some of the things I'm about to write. Please don't think I'm being dogmatic or insisting that what I'm saying is absolutely correct.  I just want to share what God showed me as I studied the text, while always being totally accountable to my brethren and open to any commentary someone may want to offer if I've suggested anything erroneous.)

    1. In v. 20, the demon inside the boy, once he set his eyes on Christ, immediately fell to the ground, rolling around and convulsing - foaming at the mouth. What jumped out here was the demon's quick move into a position of submission to the authority of Christ, even though he rolled about and thrashed to show his hatred of Jesus' control over him, he did immediately fall to the ground taking a low place in the presence of the Holy God of the Universe. Truly, all demons and even the devil himself are aware of the Lordship of Christ. They know He is God and they are scared. They rightly fear the Lord, yet do so while hating His righteousness, purity, holiness, mercy, compassion, etc. They recognize Him, fear Him, know His power over them, but hate Him all the while.

"You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." James 2:19

    2. In v. 25, Jesus called the spirit "you deaf and mute spirit". I wonder if this had anything to do with why the disciples were unable to cast out this demon? Sounds wierd, but bear with me for a minute. Throughout the disciples' walk with Jesus, did they not cast out many demons in the name of Christ, by His power? Certainly there were instances where they commanded demons to come out and the demons obeyed.  In fact, Mark 6:12-13 says, "They (disciples) went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them."   So, it doesn't seem to be that the disciples suddenly lost their gift or God-given ability to cast out demons. It may have been that they lost their focus and tried to cast out this demon in their own strength. This is very possible. But, it seems to me that this particular demon was somehow different than all the rest of the evil spirits the disciples had encountered in the past. Just how was this spirit different? I think the answer to this question is in Jesus' statement in v. 29. He says, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." Well, what kind of demon was it?

In v. 25, Jesus called it "you mute and deaf spirit". We know from reading through the entire passage that the father of the boy in v. 17 alluded to the fact that the demon "made his son mute". Note, the boy was not mute, the demon was making him so. However, Jesus knew, because He's God, that this spirit was also deaf. So, could this "mute and deaf spirit" hear the disciples' commands to leave the boy, even if they were commanding it in the name of Jesus? My guess is, no. I'd suggest that Jesus' command to the spirit completely transcended the language barrier because He alone has the unique ability to speak things into being! We know that Jesus spoke and the foundations of the world were laid. Truly we see throughout Scripture that Jesus is not bound by language, audability, or comprehension. Jesus just makes things happen. Humans, and apparently spirits, are however bound thus - completely limited to communication by means of intelligible words and sounds, which would be completely useless if speaking to a deaf and mute being, whether human or spirit.

Though Christ's disciples were given the gift of healing and casting out demons, there were some limits to their abilities. They healed and exorcised in the name of God, but were not God themselves. They were not able to transcend this communication barrier with the "deaf and mute spirit". Jesus' instruction in v. 29 tells them that in this instance, with this kind of demon, they needed to pray to Him so that He could "give the command" that would transcend the barrier they were up against. "He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, 'You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again.'" Mark 9:25b "Praying", on the part of the disciples, would have been as effective as as "bringing the boy to Jesus" as referenced in v. 19.

One Day My Prince Will Come!

2009-06-09T23:48:00Z

Prince - a ruler, a main ruler, a member of the highest aristocracy, the head of a principality, the son of a sovereign, a king.

This is a condensed version of the study God has laid on my heart for this month's Ladies' Night. Before moving on in this blog, please take a few moments and read through Ezekial 45:1 - 46:18. You will need your Bible close by for reference as you move through this study. If you don't have a Bible handy, try opening a new window and going to www.Biblos.com so you can read the Scripture as we go...otherwise, most of what I'm going to say won't make much sense. :o) I pray that through this study God's glory will be manifested and the name of Christ, our Prince, be glorified as I share what He has taught me in studying these verses.  This study has been a huge blessing to me and I pray it will be for you as well. Please comment if you have any insight to share. I love and cherish every opportunity to learn from my brethren. :o)

Throughout this text in Ezekial, God paints a beautiful picture of Christ as the Prince. Before we dive in, I'd like to point out a few other places in the Scriptures where Jesus is called a Prince. In Isaiah 9:6, He is called the Prince of Peace. In Daniel 9:25, He is called Messiah the Prince. And, in Acts 3:15 He is called the Prince of Life. As we study through these verses in Ezekial, all the references to the Prince will gloriously point to Jesus Christ, the Perfect and Holy Provider of the all-sufficient sacrifice.

In 45:1-16, we see God's command to Israel to divide the land, allotting a specific portion for the Lord's sanctuary, specific portions to the Prince - which were to flank the holy portion on either side, and then individual portions to each tribe according to their inheritance. This notion of the Prince's portion flanking that of the sanctuary speaks to my heart of the way Christ surrounds and inhabits our worship. When we are gathered for worship, the body of Christ is assembled and He is there inhabiting our prayers and praises. After announcing that the Prince will have His portion, God declares that the worldly princes will no longer be able to oppress His people. He tells them He has had enough of their violence and destruction, and He calls them to righteousness and justice. (vs. 8-9)   Then, the standard weights having been lost during the Chaldean's destruction of the temple, God commands that Israel once again adopt accurate measurement standards, not only to ensure fair trade, but so that their sacrifices to God will be measured properly and as commanded.

In 45:17, the Prince provides the sacrifice for Himself and for Israel's atonement. The theme of the Prince providing is prevalent throughout these two chapters, being mentioned 11 times!  For whom did the Prince offer up a sacrifice? In what way did Jesus provide a sacrifice for Himself and for Israel? In other words, for whom did Jesus lay down His life? Well, typically we think of His sacrifice being sheerly for the elect and their redemption. However, Jesus laid down His life for more than just the elect of God. We learn in Isaiah 53:10-12 that He died for the Father, that through faithful obedience He might satisfy His wrath against sin in regard to the elect. In 1 Peter 3:18, we learn that Jesus died that He would, by His sacrifice, bring to the Father those He'd selected for redemption before the foundations of the world were laid. Phil. 2:9 and Heb. 10:12 show us that Jesus died for Himself, that He would receive the glory due His name and and be assigned that exalted place at the right hand of the Father in heaven. In Matt. 5:17, we see that Jesus died for the sake of the Word, for fulfillment of prophecy in both the Law and the Prophets. 1 Tim. 2:5-6, 1 John 2:1-2, and Rev. 5:9-10 teach that Jesus died for the elect, in order to purchase for God with His blood men from every tribe, tongue, people and nation.

Was there a difference between the offering Israel gave to the Prince in 45:13-16 and the offering the Prince gave for Israel in 45:17? Certainly there was. The people of Israel gave offerings to honor the Prince. This is not explicit in the text, but can be deduced from the context and the contrast made in v. 17 to the reasoning for the Prince's offering, which was for the atonement of Israel. The Prince was not in need of atonement, but was worthy of sacrifices. Today, we offer up sacrifices of praise, prayer, and thanksgiving to God on a daily basis (which we will touch on again later), but we rest in the sacrifice of Christ, made once and for all that His people may be brought to God.

In 46:5, there is reference to the Prince giving "as much as He is able to give". This speaks to me of the depth and breadth of Jesus' sacrifice. Did He not give "as much as He was able to give"? Certainly He, the Creator of all that is, left behind the glory of heaven for a time, came to earth and put on flesh that He Himself knitted together inside the womb of His virgin mother. He walked on the sin-ridden earth for some 33 years, suffered unspeakable tortures and died a shameful and painful death on a Roman cross. Yes, I'd say He gave up "all He was able to give." Glory to Him who was slain but is risen!

What differences do we see, in 46:8-9, between the way the Prince enters/exits the sanctuary and the way Israel enters/exits the same? The Prince enters and exits by the same doorway. Jesus, because He is perfectly holy and unchanging, comes into the presence of His Father the same way He leaves, namely spotless and blameless. Israel, on the other hand, comes in one way and leaves another. The people of God come into His presence struggling with sin and focused on self, but leave changed, more like Christ, who's blood covers them and gives them passage into the King's court. The people of God are continually sanctified through communion with God, whether it be in fellowship with believers, study of the Scriptures, worship through prayer and supplication, or quiet meditation -- and therefore leave a different way than they entered. Glory be to God!

In 46:10, there is reference to the Prince dwelling among Israel as they come into the sanctuary for worship, and then going out with them as they leave. This certainly points to Christ as we know from Matthew 18:20 that when two or three are gathered in His name, He is there among them. We also know from Matthew 28:18-20 that He is with them as they leave the sanctuary and go out into the world to make disciples. He promised to be with them, even to the end of the age! Glory!

Israel was instructed in 46:13-14 to provide daily offerings, morning by morning, continually by perpetual ordinance. By God's mercy, according to Romans 12:1, we are to offer up our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our spiritual service of worship. We are also, in accordance with 1 Thess. 5:16-18, to continually rejoice, pray, and give thanks to God, for this is His will for us. Psalm 150 admonishes us to praise God in corporate worship and anywhere we are in creation, which is all the time! We are to praise Him for His might, His deeds, His greatness. We are to praise Him with all sorts of music and noises. Indeed everything that breathes is to praise God! Psalm 118 tells us to offer up the sacrifice of thanksgiving for God's lovingkindness, which is unending and unfathomable. And, Psalm 116:12-17 encourages us to respond to God's abundant grace toward us by lifting our cup and asking Him to give us more. Yes, we are to give many sacrifices to our God daily, morning by morning, continually.

The permanence of Christ's gift of salvation to the elect is referenced in 46:16 and 18 when Ezekial writes about the permanence of the Prince's gifts to Israel. When Jesus saves one of His own, they become a son of God and eternal life is their inheritance. Their inheritance is reserved in heaven and they themselves are protected by God's power to ensure they obtain their what has been promised to them. Some texts to support this can be found in Col. 1:12-13, Acts 20:32, 1 Peter 1:3-5.

Finally, in 46:17, there is reference to the fact that the Prince sometimes gives gifts to people who are His servants, yet not heirs. In these cases, the gifts have to be returned. There are examples in the Scriptures where God gives gifts to men that they may accomplish a purpose ordained by God. Once the purpose is fulfilled, the gifts are taken away. Two prominent examples are King Saul and Judas Iscariot. In 1 Sam. 10:9-11, King Saul's heart was changed so that he prophesied among the prophets, but later in 1 Sam. 16:14, the Spirit left Saul and he was tormented by an evil spirit from God for the rest of his life on earth. Judas Iscariot was chosen by Christ as an apostle, yet he was a devil all along according to John 6:70. God certainly gave Judas gifts as he walked with Jesus and the other apostles for several years preaching the gospel and probably even healing the sick. However, at the end, he proved his unfaithfulness, he betrayed the Son of Man, his gifts were given back, and his soul went to hell.

What are some of the life applications we can draw from this text for our daily walk with Christ?
    1. We as the Israel of God are lead by the Prince who provided all sacrifice needed for our atonement. He indeed said, "It is finished." (John 19:30)
    2. The Prince is among us when we gather to worship. The Prince declares what will and will not happen to His people.
    3. The Prince sacrificed His life for the Father, for Himself, for the Word and its fulfillment, and for the elect and their redemption.
    4. The Prince enters holy and leaves holy..He never changes. (Heb. 13:8)
    5. Israel never leaves the presence of God the same way they entered. We as the people of God are changed by His presence and communion with Him.
    6. We as Israel are to daily and continually offer up sacrifices to God and in honor of the Prince.
    7. When God gives the gift of salvation to His people, they are then sons and guaranteed the inheritance of the saints. God never breaks His promises.
    8. God sometimes gives gifts to pagans to accomplish His purposes. But, they are not heirs, so are not promised a portion of the inheritance. Therefore, their gifts will one day be given back to God.
    9. One day, brothers and sisters in Christ, our Prince will come! How we long for that day when we can bow before Him face to face!

Unity Among Believers

2009-02-27T04:14:00Z

Colossians 3:12-14 (New American Standard Bible)

^12"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; ¹³bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. ¹⁴Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. "

My son and I began memorizing Colossians 3:12-17 today. This passage has been heavy on my heart for several weeks now as my church family struggles to find unity among its members. It struck me today how foreign these Christian characteristics are to us --- compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. They are so foreign that we must put them on as we put on our clothing.

Clothing is put on to cover up nakedness, which became shameful at the fall of Adam. Animals had to be killed in order to make the clothing that covered up Adam and Eve's shame. Just so, Christ had to die and be raised in order for us to "put on His righteousness" and cover our shame, which is our wicked natural hearts. Praise be to God for the obedience of Christ and for the sufficiency of His sacrifice on our behalf that we may be covered by Him and in Him.

So, the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love spoken of in Colossians 3 must be put on. The sinfulness of our natural man must be covered up with the white robe of Christ's righteousness. Jesus must dress us, clothe us, cover us. Unity only comes when natural man is covered up in Christ! As long as selfishness, deceit, unforgiveness, anger, strife, dissensions, malice, envy, jealousy, and the like are showing - there will be continual disharmony and disunity.

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved", we still have plenty of undesirable natural traits that are shameful and need covering. By the power, mercy, and grace of God and through the instruction of His Word, we must "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." We must be forgiving toward one another as God has been toward us. Then, above and beyond that, we must "put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity".

We are unified in Christ's love for us as His people. We are unified in the fact that we are shameful at our core and must put on love (or have it put on us) from outside of ourselves - from God Himself. We are unified in God's Word and in obedience when our hearts, by his grace, are yielded to His commands. And, we are unified in the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and gives us the desire to dwell in unity with one another.

May we as the family of God be steeped in His Word, be thankful for His sacrifice, be clothed in His righteousness, and be ever shining forth the love that brings forth blessed unity for His great Name's sake!

Where is Christ in back pain?

2009-02-22T20:50:00Z

The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. "Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it. "Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker-- An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'? "Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' Or to a woman, 'To what are you giving birth?'" (Isaiah 45:7-10)

Today is the third day I've been resting, waiting for my back pain to subside so I can carry on with "normal" life activities. Two days before that, I went about necessary chores and appointments with severe agony in each step and movement. Why such pain in such a young body? Why such depressing diagnoses and such dooming predictions for my physical future? Is it all hopeless? Is it all for nothing? Can God really be glorified in me when I can't do anything but lie here feeling useless? Am I going to live the rest of my physical life feeling worthless because I'm incapable of doing 'normal' tasks? Will I ever have another day in this life without pain in one or more parts of my body? Am I being disciplined for misplaced trust...thinking my only hope was in a doctor with a fancy machine? These are some of the thoughts that have been plaguing my mind as of late.

Today, God brought encouragement through the preaching of a gentleman named Paul Washer. I was home from church, sad about not being able to worship with my usual church family, and Mr. Washer talked about how God uses unfavorable circumstances, and even ordains severely painful difficulties in the lives of Christians in order to conform them to the image of His holy Son. God doesn't bring about deep heart changes in a person by making their life a bowl of cherries while they're on earth. God doesn't bring about holiness in a person by keeping them 'happy' and 'comfortable' according to the world's standards. God uses trial, pain, suffering, personal loss, and grief to bring about the changes necessary in our hearts and minds, that we may more aptly reflect the image of Him who died for us. God brings both peace and calamity. He can be the bringer of bliss and suffering. He has good purposes for both.

I know that God has good purposes for the degeneration of my intervertebral disks, herniations and bulges, the arthritis that is slowly crippling my spine, the tumor growing there that could possibly cause paralysis someday...all of it. There is no need for my mind to race and jump to conclusions. God is in control! God has His divine reasons for bringing it all to pass. Am I to grumble against my holy and perfect Father? Am I to look at my situation through worldly glasses and feel despondent and hopeless? Am I to rest in seeking worldly wisdom for ways to "solve" my "problems"?

I'm thinking not. My God has brought about this pain for the holy purpose of conforming me to the image of Christ. God promises me in His Word that He has purposed to do just that. He says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren..." (Romans 8:28-29) God is causing all things in my life, whether they be pleasant or painful, to work together for my good and to conform me to the image of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Who knows how long this painful trial may last? It's lasted 18 years so far and is growing worse with each passing month. Maybe God will heal me. Maybe He'll ordain that it gets worse. The peace of Christ comes from knowing Him who controls what comes in my life and that He has good purposes and plans for all of it. The pain in this fleshly body is completely controlled by the hand of Almighty God. I can trust Him to give me exactly what I need to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. I can rest there.

So, though it be difficult at times for my flesh to endure, I thank God for all the difficulties and pains He has brought over the years, knowing that in the long run, they work to my benefit...making me more like His Son. I pray that He will encourage my heart to embrace what He gives me and to fervently seek for Him to be glorified in my thoughts and attitude during painful times. And, though God may sometimes use doctors to bring relief and healing to physical bodies, may I never put my trust and hope in any man, but in God alone. If relief or healing comes, may my thanks and praise be directed only to the Great Physician Himself, who alone is God.

Spiritual Depression

2009-02-04T18:02:00Z

Have you ever been in a position where you know Christ is real, you know He has worked a miracle in your life and saved you from your sin, you see Him working all around you in amazing ways, yet you are not able to process your thoughts well enough to tell people about it? Well, that's where I am right now. I have not written a blog here in ages because I'm struggling with spiritual depression. God pulls me into His Word daily and He shows me more of His glory each minute. He gives me eyes to see His hand in things that others may ignore or reject. He assures me through His Word that He is never going to leave or forsake me. He comforts me when my soul is downtrodden and feeds me from His banquet table a feast of Biblical truths. Why can I not write? There have been many days over the past months that I have gotten so excited about my studies that I wanted to write about what God had shown me. I sat down and no words came. I had not the strength or ability to do it.

So, here I am, waiting upon the Lord. He will surely bring me shouting with joy to the other side of this slump, however long and deep it may be. If you are my brother or sister in Christ, please pray for me.

"...for all things are Your servants."

2008-11-18T11:44:00Z

Today, God simply 'WOWed' me with a statement in the Psalms. It wasn't a statement of a new concept. It was actually a truth I have been acquainted with and have grown to love and adore over the past 4 years or so. But, in this text it was so beautifully expressed ... worded in such a way that it just penetrated my mind and made me stop reading. I had to just say, "WOW, God! You are so AWESOME!!!"

"Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. They (God's Word and the earth) stand this day according to Your ordinances, for all things are Your servants." (Psalm 119:89-91)

Everything that has ever been created is God's servant! Whether it be human, angellic, demonic, inanimate ... all have been created to serve Him!

We know that it says in Philippians 2:9-11 that "For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Absolutely everything and everyone serves God, whether willingly or unwillingly. The devil and unbelievers are unwilling and hateful slaves. Unbelievers serve Satan, though most are unaware of that fact, and Satan is under complete but unwilling subjection to his Master - GOD. The devil serves God and hates every second. He not only hates the service but hates his Master. Unbelievers are really in the same position. They "kick at the goads", so to speak. They do exactly what God has ordained for them to do from before the foundation of the world. They may think they are in control, but God, whom they hate, is clearly orchestrating all things after the counsel of His will.

In stark contrast to these unwilling slaves, the angels and believers serve God and are deeply desirous to do so, seeking to please God and to honor His holiness with every thought and action. Believers, being redeemed by Christ's sacrifice, are humbled by the forgiveness they receive and serve in that humility with their hearts glad before the God they worship.

I'm praising God right now that He makes me glad to serve Him. I pray that He is glorified in my service and that He continually makes my heart's motivations to be pure before Him. May my service to Him never be feigned or empty.

Praise God that we, as believers, can rejoice in the sovereignty of our God who subjects all things to Himself and calls all things His servants!

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:36)

Tearing Cloth and Bursting Wineskins ... What Does it Mean?

2008-08-07T10:55:00Z

(36) And He was also telling them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. (37) And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. (38) But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. (39) And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.' "   [Luke 5:36-39]

I've pondered over this passage for years now and prayed that the Lord would show me something to make sense of this.   What in the world does this mean? Before, I always tried to make sense of the entire parable as one piece, but I think there are a few truths tucked in here that can be pulled out individually.  Then, maybe it will make sense as a whole. Let's take it apart one verse at a time.

(36) And He was also telling them a parable: "No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old.

Jesus talks about sewing a patch on a piece of cloth. From what I understand of cloth, once washed, it takes a new shape and loses a bit of its original color. Once washed many times, it will eventually stop changing shape and size, but its color will continually fade with age. So, if I were to sew a patch of new cloth on an old garment, the new would shrink and its color would begin to change after just the first washing. Of course, the old garment would be already faded and shrunken from many washings. The result would be a tearing away of the stitching between the patch and the garment. Besides, the colors of the cloths would never likely match because the old garment has a head start on fading. The two are different colors.

Likewise, characteristics of Christ cannot be placed upon an unregenerate man because the Holy Spirit would cause growth and change, tearing away from the old man. A huge rift would be the result. The two cannot be be sewn together. Besides, they don't match. There is no similarity in the appearance of the characteristics of the Spirit-filled man and the unregenerate man. One is light, the other deeply dark. Christlikeness must be placed on a changed, renewed man, who has been given a soft and supple heart, able to grow and change with the movement of the Holy Spirit.

(37) And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. (38) But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.

Wineskins, when new, are soft and supple leather -- able to accomodate the expanding gases emitted by the fermentation process. Old wineskins, however, are brittle and hardened with time, not able to handle this expansion. They would break if filled with new wine.

Likewise, the old, dry, hard, brittle heart of unregenerate man is not able to handle the Holy Spirit coming in.  The Spirit comes in and cleans house, making radical changes in thought, word, deed, and desire. He would burst the brittle unregenerate heart. The Holy Spirit must move into a heart that he has been renewed, changed, made supple and soft, is ready for growth and change, and is able to accomodate expansion in love, compassion, and desire for the things of God. The "new wine" of the Holy Spirit must be placed into "new wineskins", or a new heart.

(39) And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, 'The old is good enough.

Those accustomed to old wine, who have never tasted the new, are satisfied with what they have. They have no desire for new wine because they don't even realize theirs is old and undesirable. They are drinking what they are accustomed to, all they have, all they know ... the old wine.

Likewise, unregenerate man has never tasted the newness of life in Christ. He knows nothing of it and has no desire to obtain it. He is satisfied with his sinful self and believes it is enough. He has no idea his life and heart are bad or undesirable.

Praise God that He gives us new "patches" or desires, to sew onto new "garments" or our new, regenerated man. He changes us from dark to light so that we match Him through the regeneration and sanctification processes. Praise God that He gives us supple hearts (wineskins), into which to pour Himself (the new wine), so that we do not burst when He begins to change and grow us in the grace and knowledge of Christ! Thank God that He does not leave us in that state of being satisfied with the old wine, for without the Holy Spirit's work, we would surely be drinking it now!

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

A Divine Appointment to Break Green Beans!

2008-08-01T10:58:00Z

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:17)

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." (Colossians 3:23-24)

Yesterday I met with my sisters Donna, Kiana, and Katy to minister to our friends, Julie & John. We've been meeting with them for 2 months now, sharing Christ and teaching them from the Scriptures. It has been a joyous and special time between us and the Lord as He's empowered us to overcome a steep language barrier to proclaim the glories of God to these beloved people. Normally, we meet at the food court in our local mall for a 2-3 hour study. We've been going through the gospel of Matthew and it has been an amazing trip through the first 6 chapters. God has blessed us with a wonderful Bible that has both our languages side by side. What an amazing gift and tool He has given us.

This meeting was a little different. Our friends had to work, so we went to their workplace, which happens to be a Chinese restaurant. We had a wonderful lunch and sweet time with Julie as she served our table. Her husband made us sushi -- I actually ate raw eel! I may never do that again, but the joy on his face when he made it for me and handed me the plate was beautiful. They love serving us. It's not a job to them. I was touched by their love toward us even as they did their work. Needless to say, as they worked, it was difficult to get much focused time to talk and discuss the Scriptures. We had little snips of time here and there, until the Lord brought the greatest opportunity!

Julie said, "I have to break beans, then I have one hour break." So, before I even realized what was happening, the Lord moved my mouth to say, "We'll work with you!" Minutes later, all of us went into this big room and sat around a huge table filled with about 5,000 fresh grean beans. There were 4 of Julie's co-workers, only one of which spoke any English, and all of us, gathered around breaking beans together. It was a grand time filled with the beautiful sound of Chinese words that we couldn't even understand, smiles and laughs, hugs, and of course, the sharing of the gospel of Christ. It turned out that Julie had already been talking about Jesus to her friends, so they were somewhat familiar with "Yesu" (Jesus). We were able to leave them all with Gospels of John in their language and leave with our hearts overflowing with so much joy in being able to serve them this way. I asked them if a customer had ever broken beans with them before. Ken said, "No. First time. First time." It was a unique but beautiful opportunity. You never know how God will open a door or what the door will look like. Maybe it will look like a huge pile of green beans!

May we always have eyes to see and obedient hearts to jump through the doors running with the love of Christ. I've missed countless doors of opportunity in my walk with Christ. I pray He'd shove me through doors if that's what it takes for my stubborn flesh to do His will.

As our Chinese friends taught us to say. "Sia Sia Yesu" Thank You, Jesus!"

Love/Hate...is there any middle ground?

2008-07-28T14:24:00Z

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)

I was reading through 1 John 4 yesterday and just thinking ... is there any middle ground between love and hate? We know that if someone does not love God, then they are a hater of God -- His enemy. His wrath is upon them. So, what about love in reference to people? If we don't love people, do we hate them? I think so. I don't think there's any fence-riding when it comes to God's commands. If we fail to love someone, or a group of people, then I believe we hate them, and thereby sin gravely against God.

If I love God with all my heart, mind, body, and soul, is it possible for long-standing hatred to live in my heart? Is it possible to "practice enmity"? This question is difficult to chew on but an important one to ponder. There are so many Christ-claimers walking among us who feel bitter, hateful feelings toward a person -- or maybe a number of persons. As Christians, we should be constantly testing ourselves to see if we are of the faith. We should evaluate our walk to ensure it is consistent with what we claim to be and believe.

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kindgom of God." (Galatians 5:19-21)

In the past, when reading this passage in Galatians, I always focused more on the outward sins, especially the immorality. I sort of skipped over the "enmities". What exactly is enmity anyway?

        Enmity - deep-seated hatred, animosity, hostility, antagonism, antipathy, ill will toward someone.
                    (American Heritage Dictionary)

Okay, there it is! Enmity is the polar opposite of love! If we don't love God, we are at enmity with Him. If we don't love a person, we have enmity toward them. Christian, is this okay? Does this bring pleasure and glory to Christ? Does this show others the Spirit of Christ living within us? Of course not!

"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions." (Proverbs 10:12)

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:43-44)

It is absolutely not okay for me to harbor ill feelings toward someone, which amounts to hating them. It's one thing if I simply feel them, recognize they are sinful, repent, and walk on. While a grave sin against God, this is not "walking in" or "practicing" hatred toward someone.  But, if I walk in the hatred, if I "practice" it, if I continually have hateful thoughts, hateful words, hateful looks and general animosity toward anyone, then the Scriptures say I don't belong to God! Now, that is scary, sister!!! That will make you fall on your face before a Holy God, brother!!!

What if I am thinking to myself, 'They're not saved. God hates the unregenerate, so why can't I?" I need to tell myself, "You're not God, honey! God hates the reprobate because He's holy! He's God! He has the right! He made them! He decided to keep their eyes closed to the truth! He has good purpose for His hatred! You don't! You're not holy! You have no right to hate them because you're just as sinful and wretched as they are! You don't stand above them in any way whatsoever!"

As a Christian, what can I then hate?  Well, here are a few things permitted by Scripture...
        1. Evil "Hate evil, love good, and establish justice at the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts may be gracious to the remnant of Joseph." (Amos 5:15)
        2. False ways   "From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way." (Psalm 119:104)
        3. Anything in life that steals our affections away from Christ, our ultimate and only treasure! "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal." (John 12:25)

So, friend, who do you hate? Better yet, who do you "not love"? Evaluate your heart and search whether you stand in the grave sin of practicing enmity toward someone, which labels you as one whom the Scriptures say won't inherit the kindgom of God! Beg the Lord for forgiveness. Repent before Him. Go to the one you hate and repent before them. It's likely they know you have animosity toward them and are wondering why your hateful attitude and actions don't jive with your claim to love and serve Christ. Be truthful with yourself, because God already knows! Lying to yourself about the hate in your heart makes you guilty of a double sin! "He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool." (Proverbs 10:18)   [Just in case anyone was thinking it, this passage doesn't mean hate openly and behave as horribly toward people as you desire to in your heart. If God hasn't granted me the ability to love certain people from my heart, I am still responsible for my behavior toward them, which should be always God-honoring and Christ-exalting. If we don't have love for people, we should show them the love Christ has shown to us...His love.]

"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." (1 John 4:16)

Christians, may God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, grant us the ability to love all people from the heart, while we have a special brotherly love toward the saints. May He grant us repentance for any hatred we have harbored in our hearts toward anyone. If we stand in the condition of having "practiced" the sin of hatred, may God grant us repentance and faith, saving our wretched souls! May the Lord break down pride, which is the root of our "lack of love" for others-- driven by our sinful minds exalting SELF over another person, which we do for a number of reasons. May God be supremely magnified by our thoughts and actions toward those made in His image, which is all people. May there be unity between our walk and talk. May we Christians live in submission to the Scriptures we claim to treasure so deeply.

"For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another." (Titus 3:3)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love..." (Galations 5:22)

Pray for China

2008-07-17T02:27:00Z

It has been a really long time since I've written a blog. This won't be my typical Scripture study blog. I want to ask all of you to pray for my brother (B.H.) who is in missions in China. He has been there for 4 weeks and has 2 more to go. Please pray that God would strengthen and embolden him to speak the truth of Christ in the face of much danger and opposition. Pray that his heart and mind would be undistracted and focused on the task at hand, which is to preach the beautiful gospel of Christ. Pray that God would prepare the hearts of those to whom he would witness that they may respond to the message in repentance and faith. Pray that he would do all that God has sent him there to do with a joyfully willing heart, regardless of risk or endangerment of persecution.

Also, please pray for my two friends, F.J. and J.Q. God is working in their hearts and giving them a thirst for the Scriptures. There is much challenge in ministering to them as we struggle with the language barrier. But, praise God that He puts the truth into our hearts and enables us to understand the Scriptures. It's not about eloquent delivery or convincing speech. It's about people hearing and reading the Word of God and their hearts being cut deeply by its sharp double edge!

Please pray for all those who will be sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ during the Olympics next month.

May Christ alone be glorified in all we do, say, and think.

Paintings in the Sky

2008-06-14T11:55:00Z

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard." (Psalm 19:1-3)

I've always loved this passage. Certainly, God shows His glory each day in His creation. But today, I was pondering on the words "are telling" and "is declaring". That's an active process that goes on minute by minute. Every minute, God displays His glory in a fresh way. God is creative and imaginative. He's constantly making new paintings in the sky, and no two are exactly the same. He's been doing it for thousands of years. Just think, the sky totally changes on a cloudy day every few minutes. The sky looks different in various parts of the world at any given second. In fact, if I call a friend in another county, the sky will look totally different just a few miles away. Amazing! God is painting a multitude of beautiful and original displays in the sky over multitudes of peoples in multitudes of nations, simultaneously, so that they may all have knowledge revealed to them of His God-ness and glory.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

So, just in case you missed God's display of His glory this minute, walk outdoors in 5 minutes from now and see a new display of His mighty, creative, perfect, imaginative power. Also, note that my discussion here is limited to what He displays in the sky. He certainly shows His glory in millions of other ways as well. Ever looked through a microscope at a leaf? a fly eye? a human cell? the list is endless! What an amazing God!

"Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing." (Isaiah 40:26)

But, you made me mad!

2008-06-04T10:51:00Z

"Now the Lord was angry with me on your account, and swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. For I will die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of this good land." (Deuteronomy 4:21-22)

I was studying through this chapter this morning and stopped on these 2 verses. I read them several times and found myself getting really upset with Moses. He blamed his sin on the people! How could he do that? He's writing Scripture ... how could he just blame his sin on someone else? Wait a minute! Whoah Colleene, before you get too mad at Moses, remember ...

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4)

Okay, with that in mind, I just finished with the book of Numbers. So, it was fresh in my mind the real reason Moses was punished by God and was not allowed to enter the promised land. "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:12) So, I asked God, 'Why did Moses say this in the Scriptures? It seems like a lie? Why's it there?'

Have you ever heard anyone say 'be careful what you pray for'?

God began to show me plenty of instances where I had rationalized my sin because of something done by someone else in my proximity. I'm a reactor, taking in what others do and behaving in ways that reflect my perception of their behavior towards me. (Boy, that's a self-centered sentence! But it's true!) Unfortunately, many times, my reactive behavior is worldly rather than godly. There are times when I immediately know I've sinned and I'm on my face before God seeking forgiveness. Other times, I rationalize my behavior or thoughts based on the wrong assumption that 'I didn't deserve that', or 'he/she made me mad'. How silly! I mean, when you really sit and think about that, isn't it silly?

First of all, I don't deserve anything but eternal damnation and the wrath of God. I'm a sinner, through and through. Wicked to the core without the redemptive work of Christ in my heart. I don't deserve any special treatment from God, or anyone He's created. Secondly, no one can "make" me mad. No one can force me to feel or display any emotion. The emotions I feel and display are an overflow of what lies within my heart. If godliness, love, forgiveness, gentleness, meekness ... the righteousness of Christ lie there, my emotions and reactions will be Christ-like, selfless, and glorifying to God in all circumstances. If sin lies within my heart, however, explosions of anger and wicked hateful thoughts will abide.

When I sin, I would do well to pray as David did, saying, "Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:4-5) If soneone does or says something that is an irritation to me, or causes me hurt of some kind, I am responsible before God to honor Him with my behavior. If I react in a self-centered, worldly display of bent emotion, then I sin against Christ who redeemed me and lives within me. Further,if I then rationalize my sin claiming 'but, you made me mad!', then I sin more gravely, as Moses did in Deuteronomy 4, casting blame for my sin upon another.

Oh Lord, create in me a heart that is clean and humbled. May I take full responsibility for my sin and fall on my face before Your holiness, knowing that You have all power to cleanse. Come Holy Spirit and fill me, giving me the ability to remain grounded in Christlikeness at all times, rejecting the tremendous fleshly urge to react to my surroundings in fits of varying worldly emotion. Make my mind to be honest with myself and others, seeing my estate clearly, that I may ever know my deep need for Your grace at every moment.

Dead or Alive?

2008-06-03T14:41:00Z

Don't worry, I'm not going to talk about Bon Jovi.

I was reading in James this morning and the Lord just sort of stopped me in my tracks and had me meditating on this passage.

"For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:26)

James draws comparisons here between body and faith, and spirit and works. I must admit that I was perplexed at this comparison and got pretty excited when God began laying upon my heart some level of understanding on this passage. Let me just share what He laid upon my heart.

The spirit dwells within the body just as works dwell within a life of faith.
The spirit is that unique characteristic which sets humans apart from animals. Humans are made in God's image, having flesh and spirit, unlike animals, which are merely flesh. Comparatively, works (done for God's glory and for the benefit of others) are that characteristic that sets believers apart in the eyes of the world as those aliens who are born of God, spiritually made in Christ's image -- little Christs -- Christians.
The spirit is breathed into the body by God at human conception just as good works are breathed into the life of one given faith by God at the new birth.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10)

James 2:26 is a glorious verse to help us to analyze our walk with Christ, friends. Are we dead or alive? Do our lives show evidence of a spirit born anew in Christ? Are we about the business of doing good works prepared for us beforehand by God? Are we looking to the world like the workmanship of God created in Christ? Or do we look like the pagans? I don't know about you, but this puts me flat on my face before the holy God of the universe, pleading with Him that He make me obedient.

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you -- unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)

The Most Amazing Calm

2008-05-30T11:33:00Z

Yesterday morning was one like many others. I saw my husband off to work, finished my Bible Study for the morning, and headed off to the shower. In the midst of my shower, I began hearing some loud banging sounds, which to me sounded like they came from within my house. I thought someone was either trying to break down a door or was already inside throwing things around. Immediately, I was filled with fear thinking all sorts of serious problems with the coupling of an intruder in my home and my being in the shower. My obsessive- compulsive mind began playing out scenerios -- and all were horrific, when suddenly the Lord brought to my mind...

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

A most amazing calm flooded my soul and I began thinking rationally, the fear having completely subsided. I finished my shower (so I wouldn't be slipping all over the place in soap and shampoo), got out and locked the bathroom door (after hearing another loud bang), dressed and loaded my Beretta, prayed and then went through the entire house room by room. Praise the God of heaven and earth that there was no one in my home, that I didn't have to use my gun, and most of all -- that He replaced my fleshly fear with a heavenly trust in His goodness, no matter the outcome. Only God can do that!

I searched the entire house, inside and out, never finding the source of the noise. Maybe it was the Lord testing my faith? Maybe it was the Lord showing me what He could do through the power of His living Word planted deep in my heart. Whatever the case, glory be to the Lord!

I must confess that last night I talked to my husband about the whole thing and I did tell him that I might start taking a shower with a locked door and my loaded AR15. So, maybe my faith still needs a little boost, Lord. Come Lord Jesus and grant me faith that brings the peace that surpasses all understanding. May I not live with a spirit of fear, knowing by whom I've been bought and by whom I'm kept. Thank you for the measure of faith You miraculously granted to me yesterday morning. May my heart and mind be united to trust in You!

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2)