The Christ of God

Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Luke 9:20

Get close to Jesus. Study His words. Follow His teaching. Seek to be the kingdom citizen He described. You will be more than convinced that He is indeed the sent Savior of mankind. You will be sure that He is God. That’s what happened to His disciples. Peter was speaking for all of them when he answered this question with the conviction that Jesus is “The Christ of God”. Proximity to Jesus convinces people of the divinity of Jesus.

I am making a lifetime of knowing Jesus, studying Him, understanding His teaching, and of prioritizing His kingdom. I am His follower. I’m not perfect at this by any means, yet I am convinced Jesus is the only Savior of the world. I know this because He has saved me. I am sure that Jesus is God. Jesus changed my life... forever. And I answer this question the same way Peter did: “You are the Christ of God!”

Who is Jesus? The Christ of God. How do I personally know and explain Jesus? As the Christ of God. What gospel do I speak? Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the One sent from God, to be the Savior of this world and the Lord and Master of all who will believe and follow Him.

a wise God in bad times

Who has spoken and it came to pass,

unless the Lord has commanded it?

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

that good and bad come?

Why should a living man complain,

a man, about the punishment of his sins?

Lamentations 3:37-39

From God’s perspective there is nothing that humans should complain about circumstantially. Both good experiences and bad experiences that mark our lives will fulfill God’s purposes. No action of any human government anywhere, even when it is oppressive or wrong, happens outside God’s sovereign control or beyond the reach of the gospel! God will use even the wrong that human devise to bring about His purposes. He will even punish sin in some people through the actions of other sinners.

Lamentations was written as an epic poem of suffering. It builds solid worship theology from the worst human experiences possible. But even Jeremiah, the prophet who authored this book, knew that though Babylon was evil, God used pagan rulers to purge from Judah her sin and punish His people who had forsaken Him first. This suffering served a divine purpose: to call them to repentance and pull them back into heartfelt worship. 

Lamentations 3:40-41

Let us test and examine our ways,

and return to the LORD!

Let us lift up our hearts and hands

to God in heaven:

And the constant chaos and regular disruption that has been this current landmark year of 2020 causes me to trust God that in this bad time, He will make of it circumstances that serve the purpose of calling many people to turn to God in repentance so that they embrace the love of Christ in the gospel!

God in His Word

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

bind them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:3

When God revealed His covenant-keeping character to Moses in Exodus 34:6, He described Himself as abounding in steadfast love (that’s grace) and faithfulness. Here in Proverbs those two phrases quickly are witness to the continual faithfulness and graciousness of our God, calling us to seek and live by His wisdom. People who are serious about knowing and loving God will “bind” themselves to His Word’s wisdom, hiding it in their hearts.

It is a powerful witness to the grace of God that I could open my Bible today. God’s voice spoke clearly in His Word as I read it, as distinctly as He revealed His faithful grace so long ago to Moses. And I am accountable for that encounter. I must take God’s Word quite seriously as I have seen, known, and learned from God in the pages.

O Lord,

May I bind Your wisdom around me like a necklace of truth. Keep speaking to my heart so that Your Word, Your Spirit, and the saving work of Jesus may continue to change me, conforming me to be more like Jesus, as I find Your wisdom in Your pages and thrive!

Amen

worship and prayer

Blessed be God,

because he has not rejected my prayer

or removed his steadfast love from me!

Psalm 66:20

Prayer grows a deep tap root into real worship. I find that when I am honestly, faithfully, and meaningfully praying, my worship of God intensifies. My heart is drawn to God in prayer. And that is the sense I get from this last verse of the sixty-sixth psalm. God’s faithfulness in hearing prayer, and His faithful, gracious love in the answers to prayer ought to spark an inferno of true worship!

You can really see this if you back up in this psalm to see verse 20 in its context (see Psalm 66:16-19). This is a testimony of praise. And the “answers” to prayer in this psalm lean heavily toward soul change and not just to physical needs (Psalm 66:16). There is simultaneous praise and request in the prayer that is offered to God (Psalm 66:17). Sin is confessed to God honestly and straightforwardly (Psalm 66:18). God has heard this worshipful prayer and has responded (Psalm 66:19).

My soul, too, is so very thankful for answered prayer. I don’t think I stop to acknowledge this enough. I am in awe of the power and grace of God at work in my soul as a result of time in worshipful, meaningful, soul-changing fellowship with my Savior in prayer.

bigger than big

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!

1 Kings 8:27

God’s immensity cannot really be appreciated outside of a worshipful heart. Solomon stood in a brand new magnificent temple... the pinnacle of his achievement as king in Jerusalem.... one of the seven ancient wonders... and with hands spread heavenward realized that no work of man, not even if it were built across the entire planet, could contain the God that he worshiped.

Beyond that, God exists beyond the universe He created. The universe is too small a temple for God! The Lord God Almighty is bigger than what we can comprehend. He is bigger than the universe. And today astronomers can peer through their telescopes and cannot yet see any end to outer space... it appears to stretch on and on. Still, God is beyond even that!

O Lord,

You are indeed infinite. Your immensity stretches to infinity and yet You dare to reach down in love to us. Jesus, You are my Lord of heaven, Who bound Yourself to Your creation in the Incarnation out of Your infinite love and grace. My soul worships even as all of this is so beyond me!

Amen

Holy Meeting Place

Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy.

Exodus 40:9

In wilderness

Israel made a tent

furnished by God’s intent

in His graciousness

God met with them

It was holy

built at costly price

this place of sacrifice

meant only

to worship God

God met man

sin was forgiven

sacrifices given

so they’d understand

the mercies of God

Finally, Jesus forever

ended this distinction

of holy location

God’s Spirit dwells in whoever

trusts Christ’s sacrifice

Jesus lives in us. Christ dwells in a holy meeting place.

Can’t do it alone

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

Galatians 6:2-3

Authentic ministry (and by that I mean gospel-centered love of neighbor that is informed and motivated by the love of Jesus for us) will be the death of self-pride. Bearing and caring for the burden of another human being requires a selfless, Christ-like love. It isn’t a matter of pride. It brings us to simple and necessary humility.

Until you have entered into another person’s suffering or grieved with them over the devastation of a broken world system, or mourned with them over the losses their own sins have dealt them, you cannot possibly have known the “burden” talked about here. Burdens are impossibly heavy. They crush the soul. They cannot be borne alone. Christian love compels us to carry them to Jesus together!

Lord Jesus,

I want to obey Your call to love well in bearing burdens. My schedule for this week has eleven planned “burden bearing” conversations with hurting people. Three of those interactions are happening today. O God, Purge me of self-interest or prideful thinking. I do not have the power to do this on my own! I need you Lord Jesus, to help me see the need, love well, and carry hope to the hurting. Make my pride and self NOTHING so that You can be everything through Your love through me.

Amen

listen well!

Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.

Luke 8:18

The truth of the gospel, especially as we diligently seek to find how all scripture points to Jesus, is a precious treasure. Christians are called to be careful in understanding it. But as we apply ourselves to being people who “hear” with care, we will be rewarded with seeing, knowing, listening to, and loving our Savior even more! And our hearts will cry out: “Give us more Jesus!”

There is also a warning here from Jesus to those who are too casual with His Word. The one who does not pay attention to hearing God’s Word well will find what little they do “have” to be slipping away. I’ve seen this happen in my own heart when I have gotten callous and routine with scripture. Thankfully the Holy Spirit has convicted my sin during those times. But this explains why inevitably theological liberalism leads to an empty faith. It no longer listens to Jesus.

Lord Jesus, Living Word of God! I will listen to You. Give me strength to work hard, long, and well at hearing You! Amen

The Victor

A voice! A cry from Babylon!

The noise of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!

For the LORD is laying Babylon waste

and stilling her mighty voice.

Jeremiah 51:54-55a

No one can stand against God and withstand His justice. God used the Babylonian empire to judge His idolatrous people, Israel. But eventually even cruel Babylon was judged by God. They were obliterated from earth... now just a failed empire in history, while God’s people still live on in His care. No amount of human empire-building or military might will be stronger than the arm of the Lord!

Today Babylon is a ruin. It is ancient history. The once mighty power, the terror she struck in her enemies has vanished into the sands of millennia. God has prevailed. Babylon has no voice. Yet God’s Word still speaks in triumph.

O God,

Destroyer of proud empires... Leveler of pride, You bury the strongest human empires in sand to be forgotten, like toys in a sandbox! Your voice rings loudly across the dust of fallen human empires. You have sent Your Son to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords and His kingdom has no end! I bow before You, Jesus, as the Ruler of my life. You are the Victor!

Amen

Beginning My Day

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

You, O Lord, are my beginning

to talk with You

to start my day

is the best way

to begin each day

You, O God, are my knowledge

to seek to know You

is the path to all truth

today I look to You

to direct what I do

You, My Savior, are my wisdom

to look to You

for the steps I take

to serve You first each day

will best enlighten my way

You, Jesus, give me instruction

I will listen to Your Word

so that I may know You

and grow more like You

in what You lead me to do

Why it is good to be “cling-y”.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:8

Ultimately loving and worshiping God is a matter of the heart. The imagery of clinging is powerful in this worship song. Young children cling to their parents. Why? Because mom and dad love, nourish, protect, and provide for them as nobody else ever will. The world away from home is dangerously unknown. But there is loving safety and security in clinging to a parent. There is powerful, strengthening, life-building security in the strength of their love.

To worship God well, my soul should cling to Christ. He is my security. The gospel nourishes my life daily. Jesus loves me infinitely more than I can every truly comprehend. Jesus provides what my soul needs most.

Those who cling to their God are upheld by the power of His right hand. We don’t let go of Him. He is always there with us, close to us, always acting for our best interests and His great glory. My soul clings to You, Lord Jesus. You uphold me with Your nail-scarred hands!

a tale of two sons

As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.

1 Kings 1:37

God is good to King David, even in his feeble, advanced age and despite all his past mistakes. Solomon, the son he had with Bathsheba, (the woman he lied, murdered, and conspired to have) is appointed his successor and crowned king. That is the grace of God overcoming David’s worst sins. Adonijah, the selfish son whom David never truly disciplined (1 Kings 1:6) is turned back from his attempted capture of the crown, and ultimately bows to his father’s wishes and recognizes Solomon as rightful king. There is mercy shown to Adonijah’s rebel heart that is a part of this story.

God’s grace and mercy are shown in this tale of two sons at the close of David’s story. A potential divisive rebellion ends in repentance, worship, and rejoicing as Solomon takes his place on Jerusalem’s throne. Adonijah finds mercy as he quickly turns from selfish sin. Solomon finds grace as he is given a kingdom.

In Jesus we see that we are really both sons in His eyes... recipients of mercy and grace forever in the Son Who was obedient to death, raised from the dead to rule, and who is now our Eternal King! He will forever rule on His earthly father David’s throne as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He will bestow mercy on our rebel hearts as we repent of our personal lust to seize the throne and make all our own ruling choices. He will give grace to those who turn to Him and call us to rule and reign with Him as we surrender to King Jesus!

a generous heart

Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD'S contribution: gold, silver, and bronze...

Exodus 35:5

God calls us to give, but from a generous heart... not out of guilt, or compulsion, or to gain attention for ourselves. God wants us to love Him with and in our gifts. He wants our hearts to well up in the joyous generosity of worshipping a God Who gives over and over to us in grace. He loves us generously as we love Him generously.

There is nothing like this kind of generous living. One of the joys I have in ministry is to bless others financially, working with our church deacons to help those in financial need. I am blessed to have a church that has a big heart to help. And my heart is filled with joy because the love of God is shown as He cares for us in every way. When we care for others, we are acting like our loving Savior. Jesus is completely generous, giving His life for us. We should give of ourselves. 

Lord,

I thank You that in my sweetest dreams I get to share Your generous love with others through the gospel... in word and in action. Help me then to always be ready to give to You and with You in that way!

AMEN

foolish self salvation

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Galatians 3:3

It is foolish to stray from the gospel. But religious thinking easily tempts us away from pure saving faith in Jesus alone. We can easily begin to succumb to the pride-building false gospel that we can be good under our own power. We begin to live by the wrong formula: Jesus + my works = a good life. The logic is exactly what Paul describes here: “Jesus saved me, for sure, but now I must live a good life under my own power.”

Oh Lord! This is foolishness! We cannot save ourselves for we are lost and helpless in our sin. How do we think that trusting in our efforts will keep us pleasing God then? We MUST trust Jesus to keep us. We must work only in His strength, for His glory, through the Spirit of God’s enablement, as He continues to grow and mature us!

Lord Jesus,

I have begun to follow You only because You alone have saved me. I can only continue to follow You as You will lead me. Forgive my broken, sinful, Pharisaical infatuation with my own works! Lead me by Your Spirit through Your Word to follow You by Your sustaining power!

Amen

notorious sinner

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

Luke 5:27-28

Jesus cares for all people, regardless of their social position, career choice, or past. And Levi (Matthew) is just such an example in this story in scripture. Tax collectors were some of the most hated people of Jesus’ day. This was for two reasons: 1) they cooperated with Rome to demand taxes from everybody. 2) They usually cheated people, charging way more than Rome required because that was how Roman expected them to earn a living.

So these enforcers and extortioners were not at all well liked. They were sort of mob goons enforcing a racket. But Jesus saw a tax collector, one of these “good fellas” wearing a Rome badge, and He knew Levi would become an apostle. So Levi was called with just two words: “Follow me”. And he willingly left it all, immediately. Levi followed Jesus, and even threw a party with all his messy neighbors, mob connections and friends in attendance in order to introduce them to Jesus (Luke 5:29-32). It was quite a scene!

I’m so glad that Jesus loves notorious sinners! That’s what I am, and He saved me to follow Him. My prayer is that Jesus, friend of sinners, might make Himself known in me, so even more people, no matter how messy their lives, will know, follow, and love Him too!

deadly idolatry

As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you...

Jeremiah 44:16

So intent were the surviving Jews (who fled to Egypt during the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem) to continue in their idolatry that they boldly refused to listen to God, even speaking these words of defiance directly to the face of Jeremiah, His prophet. They did not just quietly disobey. They boldly and defiantly vowed to continue in their idolatry even as they scattered to hide from judgment in Egypt.

Through His prophet, God made it clear that defiant idol worship would end in Egypt. They would have fared better had they stayed in Judah. Nebuchadnezzar would have spared their lives and let them rebuild homes under Babylonian rule. Instead, the Babylonians marched into Egypt, swords swinging, torches blazing, and there most of these rebel Jews died. They paid the highest price for loving their idols and refusing to hear the Word of the Lord.

What a warning for me to be ultra-sensitive to what idols my heart tends to desire above obedience to God. Idolatry leading to defiance yields destruction. But obedience to hearing God and following His Word brings life. In Jesus, I choose obedience and life! Lord, help me to listen!