I thought this devotional from 1 John was very good and worth sharing for my entry this week. It is written by Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries.
"By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:3-6
"There was a time when I was so disheartened that it made me wonder whether I should remain in the ministry. How could I tell people that Jesus would give them peace and joy when I felt discouraged by my own failure to be godly? I understood what “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) meant but was never sure which of those qualities, if any, would be apparent in me from day to day.
God let me stew in my anxiety until I was fully committed to finding out if His Word was true or not. I encountered my answer in a biography of Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Missions. For a long time he, too, felt that his efforts fell short of the Lord’s expectations. Then Taylor discovered that God wanted believers to take His promises literally. So when Jesus said to abide in Him, He meant that His followers were to stop striving and struggling. Instead they were to trust Him to subdue their flesh.
As a child, I was taught that a person got saved and then went to work for God. You did the best you could to act godly, think right, and speak wisely. When your best wasn’t good enough, well, you tried harder. Such an impossible expectation was wearing me out. This idea of letting Jesus Christ work through me sounded both biblical and liberating.
A grape branch doesn’t bear fruit because of its determined efforts to get sunshine; rather, it simply abides in the vine, and fruit appears. The vine does all the work. In the same way, believers are to be in union with their Savior so that spiritual fruit can grow in their life."
Showing posts with label Putting God First. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Putting God First. Show all posts
19 September 2010
12 September 2010
Humility and Humiliation
Christ firstly speaks of the person who "shall exalt himself." The word exalt, Hupsoo, is related to the word altitude and has the idea of height. According to Strongs, to exalt is to lift up to the heights. The man or woman who lifts up themselves is filled with pride. They are guilty of self-exaltation. They promote themselves and promotes their own agenda. They are full of their own importance. Two prime examples from the Word are Satan and Nebuchadnezzar.
Lets take a quick look at the story of Satan's fall in Isaiah 14:12-15. Notice all the "I will’s"?
I will ascend into heaven… (vs.13)
I will exalt my throne… (vs.13)
I will sit also upon the mount… (vs.13)
I will ascend above the heights… (vs.14)
I will be like the most High." (vs.14)
I will exalt my throne… (vs.13)
I will sit also upon the mount… (vs.13)
I will ascend above the heights… (vs.14)
I will be like the most High." (vs.14)
In his pride, he exalted himself. Only what he wanted was important. Nothing else mattered.
Another example is Nebuchadnezzar. He walks in his palace in Babylon and says, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" (Daniel 4:30). Again, his thoughts are totally filled with himself and his accomplishments.
These may be extreme examples, allowing us to remove ourselves from the picture saying, "I do not have that kind of pride; I know that all glory belongs to the Lord." In the New Testament letters Paul brings it home when describing his fellow labourers, "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's" (Philippians 2:21). Thankfully, he does give Timothy as an exception so their is hope yet can we think ourselves 'naturally' better than the general rule of the apostolic age? If most of Paul's companions selfishly sought their own good above the cause of Jesus Christ, how can we think ourselves any better. Look at the greed, selfishness and pride of the modern church - We speak against others in order to exalt ourselves: we respond in anger when someone else is given an honor we think we should have received: we compare, criticize and contend with others who are also serving the Lord: we are quick to judge others yet glacially slow in judging ourselves. It is time to judge the pride in our own hearts.
In the next part of the this verse Jesus teaches us that the man who exalts himself will be abased. The word abase, Tapeinoo, comes from the root word, Tapeinos (commonly translated as base) meaning not rising far from the ground. To abase means to lower or bring down to the bottom. Colloquially we use the word humiliation. The second half of the verse will use the word humility but what's the difference?
Humility is self-abasement and it is primarily done before God. Humiliation is divine-abasement and it is done before all. One who is humiliated suffers what many Asian cultures refer to as losing face - a serious situation indeed. He is shamed before all.It is important to note that humiliation is a direct result of haughtiness. He is brought down to the ground because he lifted himself up. Other scriptures support this dichotomy:
Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. (Job 40:11)
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
God's wisdom is so different to that of the world's. If we exalt ourselves, God will bring us down. Self-promotion is not God’s way and those exalting themselves cannot accomplish His will.
In the second contrasting section of this verse, Jesus talks about the man "that shall humble himself." Humility is found first of all in the way we think of ourselves and others. A humble man thinks of God and others first and himself last. He carries the burdens of others but he does not expect anyone else to carry his burden (Galatians 6:2,5). He expects not to be ministered unto, but to minister to others (Matthew 20:28) The man who humbles himself "shall be exalted". Self-exaltation comes before divine-abasement. But divine-exaltation is the result of self-abasement. This is further supported in other scriptural passages;
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (Proverbs 15:33)
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10)
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (Proverbs 15:33)
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (James 4:10)
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time (1Peter 5:6)
What glory to be exalted by God! Why would you seek the glory and praise of man when you can have the eternal glory of God? What is a moment of glory in this world compared to the riches available in Christ? Biblical humility is the opposite of selfishness; it is selflessness. It is not a hatred or embarrassment of self, which are both still focused on self. It is a removing of self from conscious thought. It is a life so lost in pleasing God that there is no time and no need to please self. Pleasing God brings full satisfaction beyond anything this selfish world can offer. Christian humility is a losing of self in God and in others. God and His will is our focus. This is the servant’s heart. This is the disciple’s calling.
"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
Please pray with me that this may ever be so in our lives.
I hope this has been of some encouragement to you and has wet your appetite to seek out God's Word for all that pertains unto life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
Looking forward to our lovely blushing bride-to-be's post next week :)
22 August 2010
The Preeminence of Christ
Over a year ago I heard a sermon on Colossians 1:15-19 that has come back to my memory many times since then. As I have been considering the insights I gleaned from this sermon, I thought I would share some of my notes and thoughts.
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross." Colossians 1:15-19
Matthew Henry adds:
"Christ in His human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisible God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father. Let us adore these mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus. He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the eternity of God is represented to us. All things being created by Him, were created for him; being made by his power, they were made according to his pleasure, and for his praise and glory. He not only created them all at first, but it is by the word of his power that they are upheld. Christ as Mediator is the Head of the body, the church; all grace and strength are from him; and the church is his body. All fullness dwells in him; a fullness of merit and righteousness, of strength and grace for us. God showed his justice in requiring full satisfaction."
From this we are reminded that Jesus is preeminent in all things and His preeminence is past, present, and future. Jesus is the Creator of all things and the sustainer of all things.
It is worth noting that Jesus never went more than 100 miles from His birthplace of Nazareth, yet nearly 2 billion people describe themselves as followers of Christ! As Christians, we agree that Christ is preeminent, but do our lives show that Christ is preeminent? What does it mean for Christ to truly be preeminent in our lives? Luke 6:46-49 provides the answer to this question:
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." Luke 6:46-49
We often assume that the man building his house on the sand is not a Christian, but actually, Jesus is talking about people like us. In order to build our lives on the preeminence of Jesus Christ, we must first come to Him. So often, we come to Jesus on our way to something else. We use Him as a ticket to something else. We come to Jesus with our eyes fixed on what He's going to do for us.
Jesus says, "Come to me." Saving faith is faith in Jesus. We often make His teaching more about what we can do "for Him", not what He has done for us. The rock of our faith is the person of Jesus Christ. Everything we do should be an expression of what Jesus has done for us.
Next, as we endeavor to make Christ preeminent in our lives, we must hear His words. Jesus is speaking to us, but are we hearing Him?
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."
Our doctrine should be made up of truths from the Bible. Studying Jesus' words and understanding what they mean involves effort. This is so challenging to me because I often struggle with going through my entire morning devotions without even really taking the time to think deeply about what I am reading!
"If you want to feel deeply, you need to think deeply." - CJ Mahaney
"A lot of us want an experiential, deep feeling, but feeling built on feeling is empty. Emotion and feeling need to be built on something solid and unchanging. Dig your way to the truth and then the emotions will come. You will be founded on the unchanging truth of who He is." -Joshua Harris
The third step is to put His truth into practice.
"You can know 'Christianity' backwards and forwards, but if you don't put it into practice, it is nothing. Christian doctrine is for living." - Joshua Harris
"It is not enough to have your life in close proximity to the rock. When Jesus is preeminent, He pushes other things aside. His demand on us is the greatest expression of His love for us." - Joshua Harris
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross." Colossians 1:15-19
Matthew Henry adds:
"Christ in His human nature, is the visible discovery of the invisible God, and he that hath seen Him hath seen the Father. Let us adore these mysteries in humble faith, and behold the glory of the Lord in Christ Jesus. He was born or begotten before all the creation, before any creature was made; which is the Scripture way of representing eternity, and by which the eternity of God is represented to us. All things being created by Him, were created for him; being made by his power, they were made according to his pleasure, and for his praise and glory. He not only created them all at first, but it is by the word of his power that they are upheld. Christ as Mediator is the Head of the body, the church; all grace and strength are from him; and the church is his body. All fullness dwells in him; a fullness of merit and righteousness, of strength and grace for us. God showed his justice in requiring full satisfaction."
From this we are reminded that Jesus is preeminent in all things and His preeminence is past, present, and future. Jesus is the Creator of all things and the sustainer of all things.
It is worth noting that Jesus never went more than 100 miles from His birthplace of Nazareth, yet nearly 2 billion people describe themselves as followers of Christ! As Christians, we agree that Christ is preeminent, but do our lives show that Christ is preeminent? What does it mean for Christ to truly be preeminent in our lives? Luke 6:46-49 provides the answer to this question:
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." Luke 6:46-49
We often assume that the man building his house on the sand is not a Christian, but actually, Jesus is talking about people like us. In order to build our lives on the preeminence of Jesus Christ, we must first come to Him. So often, we come to Jesus on our way to something else. We use Him as a ticket to something else. We come to Jesus with our eyes fixed on what He's going to do for us.
Jesus says, "Come to me." Saving faith is faith in Jesus. We often make His teaching more about what we can do "for Him", not what He has done for us. The rock of our faith is the person of Jesus Christ. Everything we do should be an expression of what Jesus has done for us.
Next, as we endeavor to make Christ preeminent in our lives, we must hear His words. Jesus is speaking to us, but are we hearing Him?
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."
Our doctrine should be made up of truths from the Bible. Studying Jesus' words and understanding what they mean involves effort. This is so challenging to me because I often struggle with going through my entire morning devotions without even really taking the time to think deeply about what I am reading!
"If you want to feel deeply, you need to think deeply." - CJ Mahaney
"A lot of us want an experiential, deep feeling, but feeling built on feeling is empty. Emotion and feeling need to be built on something solid and unchanging. Dig your way to the truth and then the emotions will come. You will be founded on the unchanging truth of who He is." -Joshua Harris
The third step is to put His truth into practice.
"You can know 'Christianity' backwards and forwards, but if you don't put it into practice, it is nothing. Christian doctrine is for living." - Joshua Harris
"It is not enough to have your life in close proximity to the rock. When Jesus is preeminent, He pushes other things aside. His demand on us is the greatest expression of His love for us." - Joshua Harris
I pray others will be challenged by these scriptures, notes, and quotes!
21 July 2010
Colossians 3:1-4
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Last study we looked specifically at the heresies which the Colossian church faced, and the answers to these heresies found in Christ and His finished work. This study we are blessed to look at these four short verses which contain incredible truths.
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
This language is similar to chapter 2 where through baptism the believers are buried and raised up with Christ.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
If the believer has been granted these great privileges through the death and resurrection of Christ, then naturally it follows that they should continue to seek the things pertaining to Christ. Hendriksen in his commentary on Colossians states “the verb ‘seek’ implies persevering effort; hence the rendering, “Be constantly seeking,” is not incorrect. This seeking, moreover, is more than a seeking to discover. It is a seeking to obtain... The emphasis, though, is not on the seeking but on the object sought. A precise rendering would be, “the things that are above be constantly seeking.””
Our hearts and minds have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, and so we should be constantly seeking the things where Christ is. Our Saviour is not only the spotless Lamb of God, but He has been exalted to the right hand of God.
Christ Himself made this claim before Caiaphas, the high priest, referencing Psalm 110.
Matthew 26 [NASB]
63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God."
64Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;
Psalm 110 [NASB]
1The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."
What an encouragement it should be to us to know who Christ is, what honour He has been bestowed, and what He has done for us when we were raised up with Him.
Ephesians 1 [NASB]
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him...
For this reason we are told to keep seeking the things above where Christ is.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
The idea behind this verse is that we are to ponder and yearn for these things above. Paul is giving the Colossian believers very practical teaching, this admonition is the answer to all their temptations which they are faced with. Some of the things which are in view here are listed later in chapter 3.
Colossians 3:12-16 [NASB]
...compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing ... forgiving ... love... peace of Christ ... thankful...
If we compare these things with the alternatives of ‘self-made religion’ offered in chapter 2 it becomes clear that if these Christ-like virtues fill our hearts and minds then they shall be of great value against fleshly indulgence.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
As Christians we can have assurance that we will receive these things because of the truths in verse 1 - we have already been raised from the dead with Christ, and this same Christ has been bestowed power and authority at the right hand of God.
We are however often tempted to set our minds on the things of earth. Peter walked on water, but began to sink when he looked away from Christ and looked to the wind and the storm around him (Matthew 14:22-32). I so often am dismayed when I am setting my mind on my circumstances and not on Christ. As Meredith shared last week, as Christian we can choose joy in Christ because we can rejoice IN THE LORD. It is in Him that we have these great and magnificent promises.
1 John 2 [NASB]
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
How incredible it is when we see who Christ is and what He has done that we still need to be exhorted to set our minds on Him! May the Lord help us.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Paul repeats here the language of death. We are dead, buried and raised with Christ.
Galatians 6 [NASB]
14But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
These things on earth which we once sought after with our whole being have been crucified to us in Christ. As Matthew Henry states “If we are dead to the earth, and have renounced it as our happiness, it is absurd for us to set our affections upon it and seek it. We should be like a dead thing to it, unmoved and unaffected towards it”.
As the earth is dead to us we are likewise made alive to a new world – Christ. Paul constantly speaks in this way in his epistles.
Galatians 2 [NASB]
20"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Philippians 1 [NASB]
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Christ is now the “principle and end of the Christian’s life” (Matthew Henry). By hidden we understand that our lives are safe in Him. Our lives are also hidden as He is from this present world. The world did not understand Him and does not now see Him as He is – likewise the believer.
1 John 3 [NASB]
1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
What a hope we have laid up in Christ!
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Our hope is not only for now, but for the future at His second coming. When Christ appears we will be like Him, and so we will be revealed with Him in glory! If we have been raised up with Christ, all of this is our hope. If our life is now hid with Christ it will then be revealed in Him also. Praise the Lord!
Matthew Henry concludes “Do we look for such a happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this? What is there here to make us fond of it? What is there not there to draw our hearts to it? Our head is there, our home is there, our treasure is there, and we hope to be there forever.”
What great things Christ has done for us. He is the Only and All-Sufficient Saviour. He is our hope, our life, our joy.
God bless.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Last study we looked specifically at the heresies which the Colossian church faced, and the answers to these heresies found in Christ and His finished work. This study we are blessed to look at these four short verses which contain incredible truths.
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
This language is similar to chapter 2 where through baptism the believers are buried and raised up with Christ.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
11and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
If the believer has been granted these great privileges through the death and resurrection of Christ, then naturally it follows that they should continue to seek the things pertaining to Christ. Hendriksen in his commentary on Colossians states “the verb ‘seek’ implies persevering effort; hence the rendering, “Be constantly seeking,” is not incorrect. This seeking, moreover, is more than a seeking to discover. It is a seeking to obtain... The emphasis, though, is not on the seeking but on the object sought. A precise rendering would be, “the things that are above be constantly seeking.””
Our hearts and minds have been bought by the precious blood of Christ, and so we should be constantly seeking the things where Christ is. Our Saviour is not only the spotless Lamb of God, but He has been exalted to the right hand of God.
Christ Himself made this claim before Caiaphas, the high priest, referencing Psalm 110.
Matthew 26 [NASB]
63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God."
64Jesus said to him, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;
Psalm 110 [NASB]
1The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."
What an encouragement it should be to us to know who Christ is, what honour He has been bestowed, and what He has done for us when we were raised up with Him.
Ephesians 1 [NASB]
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him...
For this reason we are told to keep seeking the things above where Christ is.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
The idea behind this verse is that we are to ponder and yearn for these things above. Paul is giving the Colossian believers very practical teaching, this admonition is the answer to all their temptations which they are faced with. Some of the things which are in view here are listed later in chapter 3.
Colossians 3:12-16 [NASB]
...compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing ... forgiving ... love... peace of Christ ... thankful...
If we compare these things with the alternatives of ‘self-made religion’ offered in chapter 2 it becomes clear that if these Christ-like virtues fill our hearts and minds then they shall be of great value against fleshly indulgence.
Colossians 2 [NASB]
23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
As Christians we can have assurance that we will receive these things because of the truths in verse 1 - we have already been raised from the dead with Christ, and this same Christ has been bestowed power and authority at the right hand of God.
We are however often tempted to set our minds on the things of earth. Peter walked on water, but began to sink when he looked away from Christ and looked to the wind and the storm around him (Matthew 14:22-32). I so often am dismayed when I am setting my mind on my circumstances and not on Christ. As Meredith shared last week, as Christian we can choose joy in Christ because we can rejoice IN THE LORD. It is in Him that we have these great and magnificent promises.
1 John 2 [NASB]
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
How incredible it is when we see who Christ is and what He has done that we still need to be exhorted to set our minds on Him! May the Lord help us.
3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Paul repeats here the language of death. We are dead, buried and raised with Christ.
Galatians 6 [NASB]
14But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
These things on earth which we once sought after with our whole being have been crucified to us in Christ. As Matthew Henry states “If we are dead to the earth, and have renounced it as our happiness, it is absurd for us to set our affections upon it and seek it. We should be like a dead thing to it, unmoved and unaffected towards it”.
As the earth is dead to us we are likewise made alive to a new world – Christ. Paul constantly speaks in this way in his epistles.
Galatians 2 [NASB]
20"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Philippians 1 [NASB]
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Christ is now the “principle and end of the Christian’s life” (Matthew Henry). By hidden we understand that our lives are safe in Him. Our lives are also hidden as He is from this present world. The world did not understand Him and does not now see Him as He is – likewise the believer.
1 John 3 [NASB]
1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
What a hope we have laid up in Christ!
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Our hope is not only for now, but for the future at His second coming. When Christ appears we will be like Him, and so we will be revealed with Him in glory! If we have been raised up with Christ, all of this is our hope. If our life is now hid with Christ it will then be revealed in Him also. Praise the Lord!
Matthew Henry concludes “Do we look for such a happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this? What is there here to make us fond of it? What is there not there to draw our hearts to it? Our head is there, our home is there, our treasure is there, and we hope to be there forever.”
What great things Christ has done for us. He is the Only and All-Sufficient Saviour. He is our hope, our life, our joy.
God bless.
20 June 2010
Overcoming the Storms of Life
Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matthew 8:23-27
Whether or not we are presently encountering storms in our lives, we can be certain that storms will come as we live in this fallen world. How do we overcome these storms? Do we turn to God or do we foolishly try to calm our storms in our own efforts? Are we disciples or followers of God only when He is making our lives comfortable? Do we only love the Lord when good things happen?
Some keys I have recently learned for overcoming storms in life are to acknowledge my fears, trust God to handle my fears, and grow through my fears.
First, we are to acknowledge our fears. God is always pleased when we come to Him. He wants us to allow Him to handle the storms in our lives.
Next, we are to trust God. It is interesting to note that the story of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8 was immediately after Jesus healed many people and performed miracles. The disciples had just watched Jesus heal a man with leprosy (Matt. 8:1-3), the centurion's paralyzed servant (Matt. 8:5-13), Peter's mother-in-law (Matt. 8:14-15), and many others (Matt. 8:16-17), yet they were still overcome with fear when the storm came. We can learn from their lack of faith.
Last of all, we should look at the storms in our lives as opportunities to grow in our faith. We must wait on the Lord to work, but we can be confident that He will either cause our storms to cease to carry us through them.
May we make it our prayer to remember to turn to the Lord in the midst of our storms, so that He will be glorified and we will grow nearer to Him as we trust Him!
Whether or not we are presently encountering storms in our lives, we can be certain that storms will come as we live in this fallen world. How do we overcome these storms? Do we turn to God or do we foolishly try to calm our storms in our own efforts? Are we disciples or followers of God only when He is making our lives comfortable? Do we only love the Lord when good things happen?
Some keys I have recently learned for overcoming storms in life are to acknowledge my fears, trust God to handle my fears, and grow through my fears.
First, we are to acknowledge our fears. God is always pleased when we come to Him. He wants us to allow Him to handle the storms in our lives.
Next, we are to trust God. It is interesting to note that the story of Jesus calming the storm in Matthew 8 was immediately after Jesus healed many people and performed miracles. The disciples had just watched Jesus heal a man with leprosy (Matt. 8:1-3), the centurion's paralyzed servant (Matt. 8:5-13), Peter's mother-in-law (Matt. 8:14-15), and many others (Matt. 8:16-17), yet they were still overcome with fear when the storm came. We can learn from their lack of faith.
Last of all, we should look at the storms in our lives as opportunities to grow in our faith. We must wait on the Lord to work, but we can be confident that He will either cause our storms to cease to carry us through them.
May we make it our prayer to remember to turn to the Lord in the midst of our storms, so that He will be glorified and we will grow nearer to Him as we trust Him!
11 April 2010
A Little Look at a Little Book
Thank you so much for sharing about hiding God's Word in our hearts, Laura, and the hearts of our children. When our own were small, we did much the same thing and looking back over the years, God certainly blessed those efforts.
Today, we might have a look at a tiny book in the Old Testament. Haggai is the second shortest O.T. book, but it is powerful. Have you read it? Could God use it to speak to you?
Many of us believe that the Old Testament is more of a historical legacy because it shows God’s plan for humanity, points forward to the birth, death and future reign of Jesus Christ, and predicts the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. The New Testament, on the other hand, contain letters that are addressed directly to today’s church and, by extension, to each one of us as individuals (much like personal mail).
These views are certainly true, but it is also true that God can speak to us directly and personally from the pages of the Old Testament. He has done so many times during my Christian life, and even my initial conviction of sin came through hearing Isaiah 53:5-6 (NKJV):
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Today, I was prompted to take another look at the little book of Haggai and felt very much spoken to by its message. Have a quick read – it only has two chapters, with Ezra 4–6 giving the relevant background.
Here’s my abbreviated version: When the Babylonian exile came to an end and the first Jews returned to Jerusalem, God’s people were eager to rebuild the temple. But with constant opposition from the Samaritans and physical hardships due to their circumstances, it didn’t take long for them to loose sight of God’s hand in their building program. During their captivity they had become relatively comfortable in the Babylonian culture, but now, back in Jerusalem, they only saw hardships – does this remind you of their forefathers in the wilderness? When things got tough their enthusiasm waned, and they soon stopped looking to God. “This isn’t the right time yet to rebuild the temple,” they excused themselves. And instead of doing what God had asked, they followed their own way, looking after their own interests.
And so the LORD responded with a question (my paraphrase from the first chapter of Haggai):
“Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses whilst my house, the temple, lies in ruins? Consider your ways! Your own pursuits are not bringing the fruit you desire; I wonder why? How can you expect to be blessed when your priorities are wrong? Go get the building materials and build the temple!”
God, through Haggai, highlights an important principle: when God’s people place their own selfish interests first, their circumstances become more difficult and they loose their joy in Him. On the other hand, when they put Him and His work first, they will find renewed joy in their lives.
How did these Scriptures speak to me? Well, I know that I am not building a physical temple for the Lord. But I am part of His living temple, and He has sent me to share His love with others. He has a plan for my life, and He has prepared those works that I should walk in (Eph.2:10).
I know what He has given me to do, but sometimes I am side-tracked by other things (even though none of them are wrong in themselves). And I have also noticed that I can loose the joy of the Lord as I get caught up in all those other things rather than being ‘caught up’ in Him, delighting in Him and His grip on my life and, most importantly, BEING Christ to those around me through a Christ-like attitude.
I hope that this little look at this little book will speak to you also.
May our Lord bless you richly,
Margaret
Today, we might have a look at a tiny book in the Old Testament. Haggai is the second shortest O.T. book, but it is powerful. Have you read it? Could God use it to speak to you?
Many of us believe that the Old Testament is more of a historical legacy because it shows God’s plan for humanity, points forward to the birth, death and future reign of Jesus Christ, and predicts the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. The New Testament, on the other hand, contain letters that are addressed directly to today’s church and, by extension, to each one of us as individuals (much like personal mail).
These views are certainly true, but it is also true that God can speak to us directly and personally from the pages of the Old Testament. He has done so many times during my Christian life, and even my initial conviction of sin came through hearing Isaiah 53:5-6 (NKJV):
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Today, I was prompted to take another look at the little book of Haggai and felt very much spoken to by its message. Have a quick read – it only has two chapters, with Ezra 4–6 giving the relevant background.
Here’s my abbreviated version: When the Babylonian exile came to an end and the first Jews returned to Jerusalem, God’s people were eager to rebuild the temple. But with constant opposition from the Samaritans and physical hardships due to their circumstances, it didn’t take long for them to loose sight of God’s hand in their building program. During their captivity they had become relatively comfortable in the Babylonian culture, but now, back in Jerusalem, they only saw hardships – does this remind you of their forefathers in the wilderness? When things got tough their enthusiasm waned, and they soon stopped looking to God. “This isn’t the right time yet to rebuild the temple,” they excused themselves. And instead of doing what God had asked, they followed their own way, looking after their own interests.
And so the LORD responded with a question (my paraphrase from the first chapter of Haggai):
“Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses whilst my house, the temple, lies in ruins? Consider your ways! Your own pursuits are not bringing the fruit you desire; I wonder why? How can you expect to be blessed when your priorities are wrong? Go get the building materials and build the temple!”
God, through Haggai, highlights an important principle: when God’s people place their own selfish interests first, their circumstances become more difficult and they loose their joy in Him. On the other hand, when they put Him and His work first, they will find renewed joy in their lives.
How did these Scriptures speak to me? Well, I know that I am not building a physical temple for the Lord. But I am part of His living temple, and He has sent me to share His love with others. He has a plan for my life, and He has prepared those works that I should walk in (Eph.2:10).
I know what He has given me to do, but sometimes I am side-tracked by other things (even though none of them are wrong in themselves). And I have also noticed that I can loose the joy of the Lord as I get caught up in all those other things rather than being ‘caught up’ in Him, delighting in Him and His grip on my life and, most importantly, BEING Christ to those around me through a Christ-like attitude.
I hope that this little look at this little book will speak to you also.
May our Lord bless you richly,
Margaret
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