humility & harmony

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Romans 12:16

Humility and harmony go hand in hand. The way to obey the first positive command (live in harmony) is to personally follow the second two negative commands (do not think highly of yourself; never be wise in your own sight). Christian care, christian charity, and christian community all work together in a beautiful picture of the gospel.

We get along because it is Christ Who brought us together. We have Jesus in common. He set the example by humbling Himself, stooping from heaven to our need, and giving His life for us. And that is how we should care for one another. He is our peace because He is our Savior, our Lord, our King, and our example. We are called to be daily growing in His likeness. And so we humble ourselves in order to truly care. If we refuse, God may humble us so we learn to stoop down in love like Jesus!

We associate with those in need and defy social positions. We encourage them with the gospel. We welcome them like family into the church. We help them grow, learn of Jesus, serve beside us, minister to us, living equally in the Body of Christ. All people thus find themselves dignified in Jesus by the grace that we all humbly receive from His hand. Humility is the way to harmony. May Christians show this way, live this way, be this way in a contentious and broken culture.

isolation destroys

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Proverbs 18:1

We were made for community. Along with fools, isolationists are derided by Solomon as lacking wisdom. By isolating they are idolatrous with themselves, shutting themselves off from sources of wisdom. By exalting their own intellect, their own emotions, their own opinions without the healthy “peer review” of meaningful relationships, isolationists live a self-centered alternate reality, often to the point of delusion. This is exactly the message of the book of Jonah. You isolate too much and you will even run from God!

What’s more, if we isolate into the kind of foolishness described here, we lose all sound judgment. Lack of community warps a soul. It creates skewed perspectives. It is ultimately destructive to our souls.

God created community. Fist with marriage: it was not good for the man to be alone. Then came family. Then came groups, cities, assemblies, and governments. Eventually God made Israel His covenant community to worship Him. With Jesus came redemption not just of individuals, but of people groups and a new community of Christ-followers that Jesus named “church”.

It honors God when I live in community well. It is sinful to deliberately disengage from the community God has placed around me of friends, family, and faith community. It is wrong to live in the echo chamber of my own thoughts, even if I think virtual community is a substitute. It is not. I am made communal. I thrive in a network of friends and fellow believers. I need my neighbors. I need my family. I need the wisdom of God as it is taught in the Church.

All things His glory

From Him

From Jesus all things came

made by Him in the beginning

Firstborn of creation, Father’s Son

From Jesus this world has sprung

From hands that later bore our scars

came frogs and flowers, planets and stars

Through Him

Through Jesus Who bore sin and strife

came redemption and eternal life

Savior climbing Calvary’s mount

through Him flows now a saving fount

through Him brought to the Father’s side

we finally in peace with God reside

a place for us Jesus has made

there to dwell soon unafraid

To Him

To Jesus belongs all that there is

this universe is the realm of King Jesus

we are His… He is our Lord

we order lives around His Word

we worship our King now wild and loud

we gather with His rejoicing crowd

we make Jesus known so others see

a Savior, a Sovereign they desperately need

From Him, through Him, to Him are all things!

treasure house

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

Proverbs 15:6

In this simple truism the treasure of the righteous is contrasted with the income of the wicked. To seek and follow God’s call to know, love, and obey Him is the real treasure in life. To find sins forgiven in Christ, true life in following as Jesus’ disciple, and all the riches of the fullness of faith in Him is to know a true wealth that lasts forever. It is to know wisdom. It is to receive what is most valuable and be outrageously wealthy in abundant grace.

Contrast that with the “income” this world wants to bribe us to settle for. It is temporary. It is fraught with anxiety, hustle, and fear of loss. It can be taken away by a market drop, a Ponzi scheme, a trade war, an economic downturn, or a war. In an instant trouble befalls it. And then where are those who trusted in worldly wealth alone? When they stand before God, exactly which mutual fund will commend them to their Judge?

It is not wrong to seek to wisely invest what income you can. In fact, it probably should be done by most people. It is however quite wrong to look to wealth for happiness or for your sole purpose in living. Righteousness bestowed on us lavishly in Christ it the real treasure! It enriches us for eternity.

Romans 10: All Who Call

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

Romans 10:12

a message of salvation to all

a righteousness based on faith is given to all

the Word is near all

confession of sin for all

belief in Christ’s death and resurrection for all

salvation for all

all who believe will not be put to shame

all have the same Lord

all will be given riches in Christ

all who call will be saved

will we believe all need such salvation?

will we make this faith known to all?

will we bring the word near to all?

will we urge repentance upon all?

will we make the gospel available to all?

will we hold salvation out as a shared gift for all?

do we secretly hope some refuse to believe?

do we want some to know only Judge and not Savior?

do we wish spiritual poverty on some for whom Christ died?

do we really want all to call on Jesus for salvation?

babbling fools

The wise lay up knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.

Proverbs 10:14

When fools speak it is never a good thing. Proverbs ten is the “opener” to the section of the book of Proverbs that is a loosely organized collection of the wise sayings of Solomon. One unique subtheme only found in this chapter is the character known as the “babbling fool”. The statements here underscore the damage done when fools use words to get their way.

We can deduce three things from what is said about “babbling fools”:

1. Their babbling ruins them (Proverbs 10:8). Wise people know when to share and when to keep knowledge to themselves. Babblers gush it out to their own shame and folly.

2. Their babbling is provocative (Proverbs 10:10). Gossip and secrets are their stock and trade and that draws people into their circle of ruin.

3. Their babbling ruins others (Proverbs 10:14). They bring ruin to all who will listen to them. It is the “gift” they bring to any gathering. They leave a wake of misery and destroyed relationships in their path.

How should we respond then to a babbling fool? First, turn the spigot off on their stream of verbal diarrhea. Some fools need to be confronted straightforward and with blunt concern. “I don’t think this is right for you to talk about right now.” “You need to share this only with the people involved.” “I have no desire to hear this… it is wrong of you to share it with anybody! Just stop it!”

For those who use provocative tone or insinuate things slyly, don’t click their click bait! They need to know that dressing up their “bad talk” as a “prayer request” or as “seeking help” is both sinful and foolish. Offer to pray right then and there, not for their tale against another, but for them: “Lord, I pray you will go with this person as they seek to talk to another person about this concern. Convict them of their need not to share this with others.”

Some babbling fools need to be cut out of your life altogether. A pattern of constant babbling will leave ruinous relationships behind. This destroys marriages, erects unnecessary barriers in families, perpetuates lies, rips apart churches, misunderstands boundaries, and is exploited by political parties for divisive power grabbing. Stay far away from a babbling fool who creates chaos in their path. Warn them, confront them, and wisely refuse to give them a platform in your life for their ruinous rambling to continue destroying what is good.

beyond our questions

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Romans 9:20

We may not enjoy our circumstances, but a sovereign God is at work to create the good He desires from them. They may be difficult experiences, but they are not bad in the sense that God is somehow not in control over them. God uses even the worst moments to bring about His purposes. Human sin and worldly sorrows complicate this perspective while we live upon the earth. But God is moving, shaping, and creating good even from the very worst things.

Political upheavals, economic downturns, natural disasters, wars, man-made catastrophes, famines, and pandemics all bend to be molded by God’s hands to shape people to believe the gospel, trust Him, and prepare for a future that makes all things new from every bit of this current mess. 

And that is good! It is more than wishful thinking. It is a certain hope. The clay is molded. It is fired in the oven. It emerges to be exactly what the potter wanted to make for his use. We must trust in this certain and sure hope… a future history much better than what we now know.

Like Tolkien’s brilliant and thoughtful insight of a question: “Is everything sad going to come untrue?”… we will know a day where all life’s pains and miseries melt into a forgotten past in a bliss beyond our current imagining. Until then, we are the clay lovingly sculpted. Our lives are the grand tapestry God weaves. We should not question His wise designs for us. We wait only for when all the sadness will become untrue.

in the house of Lady Wisdom

I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

and I find knowledge and discretion.

Proverbs 8:12

There are four roommates in the home of wisdom that Proverbs invites us to get to know.

WISDOM. It literally means “good sense”. Wisdom is the skill of living. It is a word used to describe skill that is combined with being smart, shrewd, and ethical. And it is wisdom, personified as an attractive woman, that calls out particularly to the young person to come listen to her and be her friend and companion. Wisdom is the theme of the book of Proverbs. Each individual proverb is meant to show one fact of all that wisdom is, does, and provides for those who seek her and live with her.

PRUDENCE. Alongside Lady Wisdom dwells prudence.  And this antique-sounding word is in short supply in a lewd and selfish world that just says whatever it wants, whenever it wants, today. Prudence is the quality that makes wisdom so attractive. It is not loud… it is subtle and quiet. It is laid back and coy. You might say prudence appeals with the truth from the corners. You get yourself away from the noise and clamor, and there she is, a quiet and vital truth ready to calm and lead your soul. Prudence is the opposite of “click bait”. Prudence is thoughtful yet necessary truth.

KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge also lives in the home of wisdom. More than mere encyclopedic facts, this knowledge has personal impact. It is not trivial. It is more than information. It is a kind of knowledge that creates an in-depth understanding of what is true. These facts sink deep, impacting and changing the soul. It is the stuff we REALLY need to know. It is the content of the scriptures meant to go far with us in life and beyond.

DISCRETION. This word is a little harder to translate. The idea of discretion is that it is a plan. And wisdom creates direction with discrete plans. These plans promote what is good and lead us in a righteous way. We see purpose and direction begin to form in our lives when committed to God’s wisdom. And discretion leads us to choose the right course of action.

Ultimately these four companions (wisdom, prudence, knowledge, and discretion) don’t just inform us. They remake us and lead us to live in a way that pleases God. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). By His Spirit we can learn and be led as we dwell in the house of wisdom.

Spirit Led Sons

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 8:14

An acrostic for Spirit-led sons:

S - saved by grace through faith, the basis for all that is good in my life

P - power to live like Christ is mine by the Spirit living in me

I - internal transformation as the Spirit of God informs the Word of God specifically for me

R - resurrection power from the life-giving Spirit of God

I - intimate love is my experience as the Spirit indwells me and God moves within

T - truth made known to me each day as God’s Spirit illumines God’s Word

L - learning from Jesus as His Spirit leads me to follow Him

E - eternity awaits with future glory as I am God’s beloved and accepted child

D - dedication to God’s use as His Spirit enables me to live a holy life.

S - sanctified by Christ’s righteousness as the temple of the HOLY Spirit within me

O - opportunities abound daily to walk in the Spirit, not in my old selfishness

N - New life of such joy and purpose that points to what forever will be for me

S - Serving God in holiness and truth as an active participant in advancing Christ’s kingdom

starts in the heart

… a heart that devises wicked plans,

feet that make haste to run to evil,

Proverbs 6:18

It all starts

in my heart

good plans or evil schemes

from within me will stream

What my heart will think

eventually will sink

from plan to step

the pattern is kept

Every day from inside me

my actions, experiences guide me

the heart is the core

from which I do more

Sin originates in my heart

I will do just what I want

the heart always leads

and hands and feet proceed

My mind devises plans

that show who I really am

even disguised with piety

my motives will betray me

So the only way to change

is to turn from this heart strange

fill with God’s truth my broken brain

transformed to honor His holy name

In my heart can come good

if I’ve dined on godly food

Spirit’s leading… Scripture’s wisdom

promotes actions in Christ’s kingdom

Help my heart, Lord

to honor Your holy Word

hands and feet now to serve You

holiness driving all I do

My heart is Yours, Holy Spirit

to live in truth as I hear it

move me forward in my story

to think and do what gives You glory

Wretched man that I am!

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Romans 7:24

“Wretched” is just not a word that gets a lot of common use these days. The meaning of the word in the original Greek is something like “miserable due to suffering by trial”. It is a feeling of joyless misery, mixed with despair and pain. It isn’t a happy word. It is the proper feeling to have about our struggles with sin.

But honestly, do my struggles with sin leave me feeling strongly wretched? Usually they don’t if I am honest. No… quite the opposite is where my heart goes… I entertain longing thoughts about sins. I may dwell on sinful aspirations, clinging to them idolatrously. I may treasure iniquity by means of human moral logic. I rank my sin with thoughts like: “This isn’t as bad as I could be.” “It isn’t like I will be arrested for this.” “Nobody will be hurt.” Meanwhile my heart secretly schemes with delight: “This person was inconsiderate… I will ignore them.” “You hurt me, I’ll hurt you.” “I’m tired of being ignored… this should get me some attention.” “Nobody will know if I do this… I deserve it… It will stay hidden… after all, it makes me happy and that is good for my mental health.” And the wretched list of my heart’s duplicity goes on and on.

The fact that I do battle with sin means that I too, like Paul, am a wretched man. I too have a deadly problem with sin. I too need deliverance from this body of death. There is only one hope for this wretched man.

Condemned by the presence of sin in me, I must look to my righteous Savior. I must accept what only Jesus provides. I must put off these wretched thoughts and attitudes, plans and schemes, and see myself remade and repurposed with the righteousness of Christ. Life in Him, led by His Spirit, informed by His truth, and obedient to His Word is what this wretched man needs.

Lord Jesus,

Wretched man that I am, I lean on You for my salvation. You deliver me from this deathly existence. You empower me to live rightly, not wretchedly! Forgive the easy attitudes that enable sin to rule me! Convict me to be truly wretched about my sin so that I might love Your righteousness.

Amen

doom scrolling or “the scroll of wisdom”?

he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

guarding the paths of justice

and watching over the way of his saints.

Proverbs 2:7-8

The book of Proverbs provides so much clarity! There are a million clamoring voices every day in the world. God’s wisdom raises a louder voice if we will listen. 

Social media has become a cacophony of short-term memory grabbing nothingness and ludicrous foolishness. The classic example: The Facebook reel. In no more than thirty seconds, often less than ten seconds, something we will not remember even five minutes later arrests the viewer’s attention. Maybe it is meant to inform, amuse, or just shock you. It just doesn’t stay long enough to help you! It is fleeting foolishness. The content creator hopes it might be impactful. It isn’t. You can waste so much time and energy scrolling through an incessant stream of what is for the most part unsound human foolishness and AI generated nonsense. I know this because I have fallen for it. :-( 

Foolishness might at times have an appeal that seems worthwhile (“I wonder what this is?”) but later proves itself quickly to be a waste of time, intellect, and attention. And sadly it leads to more than wasted time. The data shows that people who spend copious amounts of time scrolling the wasteland of meaningless content suffer from depression and have difficulty connecting in meaningful relationships. You see it in public when a couple is glued to their phones at a restaurant or coffee shop. They might hold up their phones to each other. But the rest of the time their heads are down. There is no personal connection. That scrolling is I think both a symptom and a cause. It is brutal. It is foolish. It is evil used for destruction. Doom scrolling is not a path to wisdom.

God is our source of sound wisdom. A few minutes in the Book of Proverbs will make you wise. It is the opposite of mindless doom scrolling. It is mindful impact and soul changing truth from “the scroll of wisdom”! The wisdom of God helps us live upright lives. The wisdom of God leads to choices that when followed lead us to live lives with integrity in a crooked world. Wisdom helps us feel for what God feels, strengthening our consciences. We see His ways of justice. We love the truth. And God in turn watches over His saints who will search out sound wisdom.

Lord,

Arrest my attention with the bright wisdom of Your Word. The world offers only that which leads to my moral, intellectual, and spiritual decay. May Your wisdom be my delight. May I search for Your wisdom like precious gold… carefully and mindfully mine Your truth like silver!

Amen

Resurrection

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Romans 6:5

A resurrection is my future

all that’s dead will be remade alive

I cling to this truth so sure

thinking of what’s hard in life

There have been loved ones in my story

gone now, but believers that Jesus saved

and I know they reside in glory

awaiting that resurrection day

These frail vessels easily shatter

mortal ways we all will know

in resurrection that won’t matter

as new creation God will bestow

My own body grows more frail

pains anew… powers diminish

death as well one day will prevail

yet that is never the true finish

United with Jesus by His death

I am forgiven and set free

and when taking my final breath

to heaven with Him I will flee

Also united for a future shining

a resurrection awaits these old bones

a new heavens… new earth finding

with resurrected body I will be known

Resurrection: saints headed home

to an eternity of joy and peace

Resurrection: a brilliant true hope

my heart’s hope… my soul’s relief

Saved by him from the wrath of God

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Romans 5:9

Jesus saves hell-bound sinners from the wrath of God. That is the gospel not often emphasized these days. You can’t say it with a smarmy smile. It is deadly serious business. And of course there have been harsh excesses in churches overstating God’s wrath. I have felt the oppressive false guilt of too many hellfire and brimstone pulpit-pounding raving preachers who did not match the holiness they claimed to represent. We have seen grace get lost in condemnation by hyper-fundamentalist anger. But that was an error. They got the wrath of God wrong and substituted human anger for it.

How do we then get the wrath of God right? God’s wrath is judicial. It is His holy, abiding anger and judgment decreed against evil. It is what forced the creation of hell for the rebellion of Satan and the fallen angels who opposed the hosts of heaven. It is what led to our own fallen destiny when cursed by sin our first parents were driven from paradise. It is what Jesus taught awaited evil people such as the “rich man” in Luke 15 and those who reject the rule of His kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount. Guess Who preached hell best? It was Jesus.

So wrath is not about an out of control anger. It is about measured judgment and justice that sin and rebellion rightfully both deserve. It is in keeping with the nature of a holy God to have wrath against evil.

But we have Jesus Who has satisfied the wrath of God by the cross. And by faith in His sacrifice we are justified as His blood saves us from the wrath of God our sins deserve. We receive mercy and grace in the moment of faith. We are delivered from a destiny of wrath we rightfully should experience. We are saved by Jesus from the wrath of God! Amen!

“In Christ alone, Who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

‘Til on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live”

Imagining a deliverance that never ends

to him who divided the Red Sea in two,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

Psalm 136:13-14

God delivers His people. He saves them to serve Him. He shows His wondrous power so that we might enter the wonder of worship. He delivers from the impossible situations so that we might know His love and grace! “His steadfast love endures forever”!

That last little refrain ends every stanza of Psalm 136, as Israel sings of the history of God’s work. It is all of grace. Is the refrain of God’s greatness: “His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1-3)! It is the refrain of the amazing universe of His creation: “His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:4-9)! It is the refrain of His deliverance of Israel from cruel slavery in Egypt: “His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:10-15)! It is the refrain of the gift of settling into the Land of Promise: “His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:16-22)! It is the refrain of the God Who remembers, rescues, and refreshes all mankind by His provision, protection, and purpose: “His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:23-26)!

If a set of sequel stanzas could be composed that would echo this song through the rest of the revelation of scripture, the music might go on like this:

Who spoke His Word by prophets to correct His people; “His steadfast love endures forever”!

Who promised a Savior to redeem those whom He loves; “His steadfast love endures forever”!

Who sent His Son to preach a kingdom: “His steadfast love endures forever”!

Who gave His life so that we might be forgiven; “His steadfast love endures forever”!

Who raised Him back to life to give eternal life: “His steadfast love endures forever”!

Who will come again to judge and rule us; “His steadfast love endures forever”!

Who calls disciples as His church to proclaim His good news; “His steadfast love endures forever”!

Who leads us one day to joy in His eternal home; “His steadfast love endures forever”!

How faith grows.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:20-23

Faith has an object… someone or something bigger or more powerful in which trust is placed. It isn’t about an impossible wish. It is, as Abraham’s example here demonstrates, a capacity to trust in a powerful promise of God over an entire lifetime.

Paul’s argument in in Romans 4 is that even though Abraham is the father of the nation of Israel, he was justified by faith before the Law was ever given. He was declared righteous by believing God even before he obeyed God’s command to be circumcised. Abraham believed God. God counted that belief as righteousness (Romans 4:3).

Every episode in Abraham’s story is evidence of that faith growing stronger. It grew stronger when he left home and family at God’s call. It grew stronger despite his repeated fear that Sarah would be taken from him. It grew stronger despite threats from pagan warrior kings. It grew stronger despite the impatience demonstrated in his choice to father Ishmael through Hagar. It grew stronger despite his advancing years. It grew stronger when Isaac became the son of promise in God’s timing. It grew stronger when God proved Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac on Moriah. It grew stronger when God provided a substitute on that mountain. It grew stronger when angels talked to him. It grew stronger when Abraham sent his servant to secure a wife for Isaac. It grew stronger when Abraham buried Sarah in a cemetery that was his only possession in the Promised Land. It grew stronger when he closed his eyes and breathed his last air in the land of his sojourn.

God uses all circumstances to grow us in faith and in our capacity to give God praise. Faith isn’t about getting things easy. Quite the opposite… faith is about maturing in our capacity to trust the One Who is using all of the story… all of the challenges… all of the setbacks… even our failures… especially our losses… to draw out a growing, stronger faith. And in Christ, our faith in the gospel, though tested by life situations, credits us with Jesus’ own righteousness! Grow strong and give God the glory! That is how faith grows.

The Hallelujah

Blessed be the LORD from Zion,

he who dwells in Jerusalem!

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 135:21

In ancient ways

You Who dwelt in Zion

on holy days

received sacrifice and praise

A temple built of wood and stone

was where You were found

endless sacrifice would atone

Your people sang Hallelujah!

On Zion’s mount

in grandeur holy

gifts were brought

as You were adored

Lord of heaven’s throne

come to earth

Your presence in holiest place home

blessed was the earth by You

On another holier hill

Your Son journeyed

there His perfect blood to spill

temple curtain on first hill split

For another worship way

was made for us

on that dark day

You redeemed Your people

Declared holy in righteousness of the Son

No hill or temple is necessary

now indwelling everyone

who believes… bodies are temples!

Blessed is the Lord in us

Who has declared us now His home

all built up in the life of Jesus

We sing Hallelujah! I am the Hallelujah!

Praises in worship I bring

to my Savior and Redeemer

Sing perfectly to my King

For has has built this new life, new home

I am the Hallelujah

my life His holy habitation

I sing joyful thanks to You

Jesus entempled in me now.

Indicted by sin… Justified by a Savior.

…God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Romans 3:30

There is one God Who is Lord of all and through the saving work of Jesus Christ, God provides salvation to all people. This was the great truth that Christianity brought to the world. It now is a faith to save the Jews from whom the Messiah came to redeem Israel. It is a faith to save the Gentiles for whom salvation has been offered apart from the covenant of the Law. Christianity preaches a saving hope for the entire world. And there is a way — the only way — to salvation: faith in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus.

We cannot do a thing to justify ourselves. Many people have a vain hope that salvation works like this: “When I face God after death, He will evaluate my good actions and judge my bad ones. And if I have just a little more good than bad, because God is mostly about fairness, I’ll be clear before Him.” But that is not how scripture says it works. We are all sinners. Romans 3 previously establishes that none of us do good to begin with in the eyes of a perfectly holy God:

• None is righteous. (Romans 3:10)
• Nobody understands holiness. (Romans 3:11a)
• Nobody seeks God. (Romans 3:11b)
• We all turn away. (Romans 3:12a)
• We are all worthless in terms of holiness (Romans 3:12b)
• No one does good. (Romans 3:12c)
• We speak evil. (Romans 3:13-14)
• We do evil. (Romans 3:15)
• We create ruin and misery. (Romans 3:16)
• We do not know peace. (Romans 3:17)
• We do not fear God. (Romans 3:18)

But even though we are all this bad, God has provided a righteousness for us. It comes exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ for all who will believe it (Romans 3:22). We all sin and fall short, but by faith can be justified through the gift of redemption in Jesus (Romans 3:23-24)! Thank God that He has made this way for us! In Jesus we all have hope. In Jesus, Christians find forgiveness and are made right to confidently stand forgiven and free.

At His footstool

Exalt the LORD our God;

worship at his footstool!

Holy is he!

Psalm 99:5

I believe that I often have too high an opinion of myself when I worship God. The imagery in the call to worship here in Psalm 99 is very clear: God is exalted. Mankind is debased. God is holy. He is on His throne. We are humble, facedown, at His footstool.

There are certainly postures of worship of various positions in scripture. At times we are called to lift up our hands, to clap in praise, even to dance and shout for the joy of worshipping God our Savior. At other times the call is to kneel, to bow down, before an awesome and holy God. Sometimes silence at His majesty is the appropriate form of praise. We recognize His greatness in all the postures. We emphasize our need of Him and our unworthiness before Him when we fall down at His footstool.

We should not miss the significance of worshipping “at his footstool”. It is the place of the lowliest slave. The Bible uses the footstool to emphasize humility, lowliness, even humiliation. Enemies were made to grovel at a footstool. The one using the footstool is seated far above the footstool… far superior to those at the footstool. To be at a footstool was to be on the ground, dirty, ragged, and debased. The entire earth is said to be God’s footstool, including all of us who reside here right now. Our first position of worship then must be humility. We may end up shouting, clapping, or lifting hands and voices in praise, but ALWAYS we must begin bowed before His footstool.

the One Who justifies

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Romans 2:13

Paul here is emphasizing the end result of belief in the gospel. Only those who have done good will be justified. Of course, he is also shrewdly arguing that even those who want to commit to keeping God’s Law still fail at it at some point. And failure to keep even the smallest point of the Law is failure to keep all of God’s Law.

It isn’t enough to only hear or know God’s Law. We can know the right thing to do and that does not mean that we have done it! In order to be justified before God a record of doing God’s Law perfectly must be found when He judges us. And only through belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ, that Jesus’ sinless record is laid over my sinful soul, can I hope and trust to be seen as a doer of God’s Law. I must be forgiven and a sinless Savior must clothe me in His righteousness. Only the perfection of Christ can give me confidence to stand at the Day of Judgment to be declared justified. Otherwise I am a failed hearer of God’s Law.

Lord,

In grateful humility I bow to the perfection of Your Son. His righteousness for my unrighteousness… His life for my death… His perfect obedience for my disobedience… all these are my only hope of salvation. And with Jesus Christ the Righteous I can stand before You, my God, now justified! Thank You for loving the world, and me, in this way.

Amen

joyous song

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;

break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Psalm 98:4

My heart needs the joy of Your song

O Lord let Your praise lead me along

My worship I will bring

to Christ my only King

With melodies of praise

my joyous song I raise

My life knows the healing of Your touch

Past changes, growth and tears… You have loved me much

How can joy not fill this heart?

You have loved me from the start

I adore my caring Lord

as I read His living Word

My soul yearns for the Savior that I know

With longing I sing of the grace He does show

One day in glory I will sing

with saints before me praises bring

Eternity rings with joyous chorus

shaking heaven with song to Him Who died for us

This world needs the joy of Your song

Lord, help me faithfully sing along

Gospel’s glorious story in musical strain

Singing ‘til the day You come again

Hymns and praises now we sing

Joy and grace You always bring

mutual encouragement

…that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

Romans 1:12

As I reflect upon this passage I am aware of the ways in which mutual encouragement builds up faith as disciples relate well to one another. Here are just three quick observations:

Perspective. God uses the life experiences and application of His Word as His Spirit leads other people whom I am blessed to know. I deeply benefit from how God works in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I am called to encourage many, but often feel I get more encouragement from their stories than they may realize. As other people share their perspectives (in agreement with God’s Word) I find myself confronted, encouraged, challenged and sometimes chastened to better follow Jesus the way those people do! This is a very good thing. Occasionally I hope that my life does the same for them.

Progress. Looking back on over half a century of life together with other Christians, I find God has used so many different relationships of mutual encouragement over the years to help me mature in my understanding and application of the gospel. Different seasons brought different sets of relationships. Some are still existing decades later. Some have diminished. Some have literally died. But even those past encouragers now in glory continue to provide examples for me to emulate. My life is rich in so many of these relationships… a wealth I have amassed that I already see as treasure in heaven. I will not trade that for anything!

Purpose. Part of what I now live for is to continue mutual encouragement to the next generation. It is what I get to do daily as both a pastor and a counselor. It carries me forward in joy and deep reward. It is my hope to keep calling people to chase hard after Jesus with me… until I draw my last breath in the race. And then I will find joy in eternal significance that our faith has then become sight! Amen Lord! May we “be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith…”

acrostics for my idols

All worshipers of images are put to shame,

who make their boast in worthless idols;

worship him, all you gods!

Psalm 97:7

Here is an acrostic to help me have perspective on the idols my heart will crave:

S - Senseless idolatry abandons my sensible salvation in my Savior.

H - Harm comes to my heart. Hurt comes to my soul when I worship what is not God.

A - Abandoning God for idols is an apostasy sure to be punished.

M - Men make idols of many things. My heart too is tempted to worship many things.

E - Every idol ends in disillusionment and destruction. All idols are worthless.

B - Building idols is a waste of time, energy, and treasure.

O - Over all idols is the supremacy of Christ. He will bring them down.

A - Authority is given to One alone! Jesus Christ is Lord!

S - Slavery to sin is what false worship will demand of me. It is never a good experience to worship what is false.

T - Triumph belongs only to Jesus. All things bow to Him… especially my idols!

Faithful Lord

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3

Faithful Lord

I come to You

in my need

weak and unable

to build of this

wounded and broken heart

anything worthy of

Your great name

Yet, Faithful One

You have promised

to establish

in me a greater work

than others may see

that stands in Your

grace until eternity

A Faithful Savior

I have in Christ

Who gave Himself

in willing sacrifice

to take away sin

so that I might

be remade holy

O Faithful Lord

protect this soul

from sin and shame

let me know of

Your power to sustain

me through pain

or through loss

Faithful Protector

guard this life

and turn me from

sin’s tempting lures

to look instead in Your face

and in grace then receive

strength to win the battles

Amen

pondering the Perfect

I will ponder the way that is blameless.

Oh when will you come to me?

Psalm 101:2

There is only One Whose way is blameless. Only one person has ever lived a perfect life. The One Whose way is blameless is Jesus. It is His way we should ponder. It is His life that we should understand. It is His work that saves us. He is what our souls need. Jesus is Who we worship.

My way is not blameless. I am not perfect. Like Paul wrote in Philippians 3:12, I must press on to “make it my own”. And I can only ponder the way that is blameless “because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” There is no other way. I must press on. I must forget what is behind me, my forgiven sins and failures. I must press on to the prize: the upward call of Jesus (Philippians 3:14)! This is the drive of the mature Christian. This is my hope: Jesus is the blameless “way” to God that I ponder, love, and see with all my life.

And I long not to just seek Him, but for Him to seek me. David’s longing was expressed with “Oh when will you come to me?” My heart aches with the same question. When will I see Jesus? When will He come again for His own? I seek the Blameless One and long to see Him. I know He wants to see His people as well.

Jesus made this promise: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). And earlier an even more personal promise: “I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you” (John 14:18). Oh Jesus, come to us!

O Lord,

You are perfect and blameless. I look to know the perfect life of Christ Jesus and I seek the prize of knowing You, Lord! I want my life found and bound in Your life. And in that longing I believe the promise that You never leave me alone. You will come to me. You long to dwell with me. And one day, face to face with Christ my Savior, I will know You and be known, closer than any friend or lover has ever been to me! I am satisfied in this pursuit. You will forever make Your home with me.

Amen

God’s work… my part

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:13

Salvation involves the work of God first and foremost. God provided the means of my salvation through the satisfying sacrifice of His Son. The death of Christ provided the satisfaction of the penalty of my sin. The resurrection of Christ provides the means for me to have a new life forever covered by the righteousness of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It all begins with Jesus. It is all provided by this magnificent grace. 

But I must believe. I must, by faith believe this truth. I must commit my hearts and life fully to the reality of my salvation and I must entrust my soul into His care. This is vital. I did not do the saving. I do not do the transforming. But by faith I am saved. By faith I am changed. By faith the Spirit of God comes to dwell within me and my Savior loves to change me. I must believe to know this change. I must commit to Jesus to know I am beloved by the Lord. He did the impossibly hard work of atoning for my sin. I do the trusting, believing, and obeying as He renews my life.

My life has been lived in this tender tension of trusting Jesus Who has done everything for me. And in denying myself, taking up a cross of faith, and following Him, I am totally transformed! And it is He who comforts my heart and establishes me in every good work and word (2 Thessalonians 2:17).

test and provoke

They tested God again and again

and provoked the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 78:41

How like ancient Israel

is my own living soul

I forget too soon

the God I know

He is patient

in His grace

yet I am sinful

to His face

I will test Him

in selfish ways

make my demands

reject what He says

I can turn my back

to the Savior’s cross

forgetting He saved Me

at enormous cost

I must not test

the Lord my God

that much is clear

in His Word

Instead repentance

should move my heart

turning from sin

at the start

Lord, I am broken

make me true

although provoking wrath

is what I do

I confess now to

the Holy One

I beg forgiveness

from the Son

And as I pray

on bended knee

I know Your Spirit

remakes me

Although I test You

again and again

You take me back

into Your land

how it will be

…when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

2 Thessalonians 1:10

There isn’t much more to add to Paul’s view on how this is all going to eventually be. Jesus will return. Those who have believed in Him will rejoice, marvel and worship Him. Those who persecute Christians will be dealt a quick justice blow (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Those who have suffered for Jesus’ sake will find relief (2 Thessalonians 1:7). Jesus will come with a host of angelic soldiers to inflict fiery vengeance on those who reject God and disobey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8). They will enter eternal destruction, permanently and finally cast away from the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

This really is how it will be… for certain. Paul, as an apostle, was taught these truths about the future of the world by Jesus Himself. Paul shared this with the church to encourage believers to faithfully cling to Christ and proclaim the gospel despite the resistance and the apparent rise of evil. This helped them to endure. They lived a difficult existence. But knowing that Christ is King and Judge, Savior and Sovereign, brings comfort and strengthens the church with an unstoppable hope.

The truth here still brings needed perspective. The world gets worse and worse. A season of tyrannical power has emerged in our world once again. Wars are everywhere. Communication may be more global and instantaneous than anyone in Thessalonica in the first century could ever have imagined. Yet hate fills hearts, evil abounds, life is cheap, violence is glorified, God is mocked, and the gospel is hated in words or in actions all around us. The world is on the brink of collapse. This is the result of evil ruling hearts. It is time for Jesus to bring justice and in the end, His eternal rule of peace! 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

King of Creation

For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:3-5

You Who made it all

Creation’s Ruler

Universal King

Controller of wind

Director of waves

Sender of storms

Shaker of the earth

You hold this planet

and all that is on it

God Who made me

Ruler of my heart

King of my life

Controller of my destiny

Director of my story

Calmer of my storms

Shaker of my content

You lead all my experience

and all my future

Great God

King of all

Nothing is deeper than Your depths

Nothing is higher than Your throne

No sea will cover Your majesty

No mountain will dwarf Your glory

I worship and bow down

I kneel before my Maker

I am Yours

Everything is Yours

I am led by You

All is led by You

I will breathe in Your care

and exhale the praises of Your greatness

The importance of “ALL”

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Rejoice ALWAYS. This apostolic command to the Thessalonians was given in a season of intense persecution and suffering. And it was given to a church struggling with the right perspective about their future. But Paul taught them to take comfort in the gospel truth of the resurrection and the return of Christ in glorious reign over the world that currently hates Him and His people. That was the perspective to provide hope for rejoicing. Rejoice when? Always. We worship and rejoice not always at what is, but at what Christ has already done and what is certain to come with our hope.

Pray WITHOUT CEASING. This command also was important for the Thessalonians (and for us) to understand. When times are hard: pray. When things go well: pray. When you need hope: pray. When you have hope: pray. When you feel alone: pray. When you are together: pray. There is never a moment of our mortal lives when prayer is incongruous with our circumstances. It is always needed. It is always necessary. It is always good.

Give thanks in ALL circumstances. Thankfulness keeps us humbly in relationship with the God Who saves, keeps, and helps us every day. And no matter what we face, difficult or easy, being grateful to a gracious, merciful, wise, and loving God is always the response we should have. I have to admit, this is not easy during confusing losses or in a culture where wrong seems to be rewarded and righteousness ridiculed. Lament often accompanies my gratefulness. Yet here is this clear, non-negotiable command to give thanks to God for it all. Why? His grace pours into our mess and is transforming us even in the midst of what is hard to handle. Will I believe and trust this truth? Thankfulness helps me keep trusting.

God is wise in instructing us to keep our hope alive at all times by rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks for it ALL. The God of ALL, over ALL, in ALL deserves ALL our worship in this way!

my dwelling place

Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—

the Most High, who is my refuge—

no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

no plague come near your tent.

Psalm 91:9-10

I live in You, Lord

no building of brick and wood

is my true home

it is just a place

to live in Your presence

protected by Your hand

kept by Your mercies

sheltered by Your grace

in awe of Your great name

I live in You, Lord

my refuge from all storms

when life becomes threatening

You are my protection

You are my deliverance

my hope is secure

my help is at hand

my Deliverer is here

I am secure

I live in You, Lord

my tent staked down

until the day that

You take me to our home

I am safe and happy

for God is my dwelling place

the Most High is my refuge

I rejoice in His nearness

I worship in His salvation

those asleep

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

“Fallen asleep”. That’s Paul’s phrase to describe believers who have preceded us in death. It is a comforting metaphor, not because they are somehow soul slumbering in death. It is a comfort because of the reality that those dead in Christ will rise again. They will return with Jesus at His Second Coming. “Asleep” implies “awakening”. It means that resurrection is a sure thing… as real as knowing that Jesus died and rose again. It is a gospel certainty.

There are times that I long to be with loved ones who are “asleep” right now. I wish for a conversation. I crave their perspective in my current confusion. I’d give anything to hear them talk about their ongoing life with Christ, in Christ, beyond death. I want a lovely hand to hold just one more time, a deep conversation with one who really knows my soul, a hug from a long gone parent, grandparent, or mentor. And so Paul’s words informing me that these loved ones are “asleep” and that a future reunion is guaranteed gives me hope. It may be cloudy today. Sunshine is coming. What I long for is real… as real as the moment I feel right now.

Lord,

I have stood by gravesides and memorials and wept. I will do so again soon. One day others will do so for me. I remember dear friends and family, my close loves, now “asleep”. With them I await Your “cry of command”, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God to sound! And I will see them again right by Your side! If I die today, I know that I too after “sleeping” will hear that trumpet and arrive alongside all of them. I do not weep hopelessly. I miss these people. I really do. I miss my sleeping family, brothers, and sisters in Jesus. Yet I hope. I smile in my tears knowing that day will surely come when remembering is changed to an awakened reality. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Amen

thriving and happy

For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10

Paul was grateful for good news in ministry. He had his share of difficult circumstances: struggling new churches he was forced to leave too early, persecution from pagan enemies, threats of death from Jewish religious authorities, and the hazards of first century travel in the Roman Empire. Yet to hear that the church in Thessalonica was thriving was exactly the kind of encouragement that kept ministry zeal flowing.

Paul was eager to return to them. Timothy had been dispatched to check in on a church that Paul had been forced to leave too quickly. And Timothy’s news that the Thessalonians exhibited strong faith in the gospel evidenced in a loving community AND that they longed to see Paul again, made all the difficulties and distress melt away. Paul was filled with a love to minister among them again. Knowing that the church stood fast in the Lord revived Paul’s weary soul (1 Thessalonians 3:8).

Now Paul was ready to return. He was ready to make this report a face-to-face experience in joyful reunion. He was ready to enjoy ministry among them. He was ready to instruct, teach, model the gospel, and make disciples… to finish the apostolic work that had been prematurely interrupted. Paul was filled with ministry joy and expectation.

Lord,

You know how Your kingdom grows. And sometimes ministry has seasons of hardship and struggle. Yet the joy that we can know when Jesus lives in us,  the fruit of the Spirit grows in us, and a community of disciples worship their Savior is worth all of the hard work. Keep that vision fresh in me too Lord!

Amen

gentle

But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

1 Thessalonians 2:7

Ministry has an intense side to it. Many times people need to wrestle with a hard truth, make a difficult choice, or be confronted about a destructive, sinful behavior. But even in those moments, Paul’s tender metaphor of a mother with her infant child still should dominate how ministry is perceived and experienced. Love is gentle. It can sense when immaturity and need require a more motherly hand.

I know I have needed that sort of gentle nurturing at times. This was particularly true of my early commitment to follow Jesus. There are people in my past, people God used when I was a toddler in the faith, to gently show me what to do. Some of them just imitated Jesus quietly. They were patient. They talked to me. They understood. They didn’t rush, or scold, or smother me. By their example they winsomely won me over to live as they did. They were gentle, caregiving nurturers and stand as giants to me now.

Lord,

I am not sure that my discipleship example has always been a gentle one. Help me to pause, to care, to show with gentleness and to nurture the fruit of the Spirit and the example of Christ. May I be not just an instructor… not just a challenger… but a nurturer.

Amen

our help

O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,

and you have healed me.

Psalm 30:2

This was the testimony of David, whose life was nearly in constant threat. The close love for God that David developed as a shepherd alone in the pastures carried him through very difficult parts of his later life as king. The God of protection and deliverance shepherded the shepherd boy AND the shepherd king. David knew that closeness to God came through those deliverances. God was near at all times. David was comfortable crying for help, trusting the God of deliverance, and finding healing, comfort, and relief.

In the thirtieth psalm David expresses four ways God worked in the first three verses of the poem:

1.  “You have drawn me up…” Psalm 30:1. This was a change in position.

2.  “You have healed me..” Psalm 30:2. This was David’s preservation.

3.  “You brought up my soul…” Psalm 30:3. This was how a depressed soul experienced a pick up.

4.  “You restored me to life…” Psalm 30:3. Death lost. This was God prevailing.

God is near. God is at work. He loves to show Himself in our most difficult moments. Will we cry out? Will we know the God who prevails over death? Will we let God pick up our souls from the depths of the hell we feel? Will we trust Him to preserve our lives? Will we let Him change our position? We can know all this, and more, if we will trust Him, cry out to Him, and let Him do His good work. God will help!

Imitators and Examples

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Disciples follow their master

We do what we are shown

We know as we are known

We live what we see

We model what will be

Disciples imitate

Imitation is not hypocrisy

To follow is not just an act

Following puts feet to the fact

There is the truth in how we live

There is sacrifice in how we give

Disciples imitate

Disciples are an example

Jesus is recognized in us

Disciplemakers modeled by us

Others can do right too

Simply doing what we do

Disciples are examples

Examples can be followed

And in that way we proclaim

and live by our Savior’s name

We call others to follow Jesus

Just asking them to act like us

Disciples are examples

flawed followers

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Matthew 28:17

As Jesus prepared to leave His men at His ascension, He commissioned them to make disciples by teaching His gospel. And although obedient to Him, they were still flawed followers. Yes, they worshiped a resurrected Lord with Whom was all power and authority. And yes, even in their worship they wavered with doubt. Jesus would still use these struggling people who wanted to believe and to follow His commands. We don’t have to be perfect to follow Jesus. We don’t have to be perfect to proclaim His good news. God uses us, struggles and all, because the power in not in us, but in Jesus!

When we obey despite our struggles we are believing the authority of Christ. We have none on our own. We are broken, but healed. We are struggling, yet strengthened. We are flawed, yet forgiven. We have to work past doubts yet come to the conviction that a living Jesus Who rose from the dead commands us to tell His story! He is our authority. He is our power. He will use those He chooses so that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses.

We are sent into the world to be used to help others know and follow Jesus. We call them to believe the good news, to repent of sin, to follow Jesus by baptism, and learn from God, by His Word, in the work of His Holy Spirit. Flawed followers though we may be, Jesus builds His kingdom as we simply obey and let His power use us for His purpose.

And Jesus is always with His flawed followers. The last words He speaks in Matthew’s gospel echo through all of church history: “I am with you always, to the end of the age”. And so Jesus lives in us, through us, among us, and with His flawed followers. He calms fears. He removes objections. He stands by us even as our doubts tempt us not to stand by Him. He strengthens us in struggles. He will never leave us. And despite our flaws, Jesus rules and reigns as He remakes us for His glory. AMEN!

cast burdens to God

Cast your burden on the LORD,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved.

But you, O God, will cast them down

into the pit of destruction;

men of blood and treachery

shall not live out half their days.

But I will trust in you.

Psalm 55:22-23

David wrote these words to process disillusionment, disappointment, betrayal, and bewilderment. A person who was once in his inner circle of friendship and leadership had turned against him. Now that former friend has become a conspirator with his enemies plotting David’s downfall. It is more than David is able to stand (Psalm 55:12-14). It is heartbreaking to experience such a betrayal. It was painful for David and in one sense this psalm is prophetic of what Jesus would experience as one of His friends/disciples would also turn Jesus over to His enemies.

But David trusts God and not the fickle allegiances of people. He knew that the Lord would not fail Him even as people would disappoint him and sometimes seek his destruction. David knew God would be his vindication. God judges the hearts of all. God knew all about the betrayal. God would handle the unrepentant actions of those who turned against His king. And the God of justice would take care of what David had experienced. The treachery would not stand. David needed only to trust the God Who delivers! And so David cast His heavy burden down and let God pick it up.

Lord Who catches what we cast,

Give us the faith to trust You with these heavy burdens. Life can have relational heartaches and burdens of betrayal too intense to emotionally understand. Help us, like David, to cast them to Your wise justice and trust You! And when betrayal is evil and real, You will dispense the proper recompense and justice that is more than equal to the treachery we feel. As for us, help us by Your Word and Your Spirit to trust in You… Jesus, through Your betrayal our souls were saved! We know You know and You provide our hope.

Amen

tossings, tears, and trust

You have kept count of my tossings;

put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book?

Psalm 56:8

When life is hard

when sleep will not stay

I will trust You, Lord

and not wander astray

I toss and turn

for morning I pray

in my anxious time

with You I will stay

Every flip from side to side

every troubled thought I fear

every prayer with tears

I am confident You hear

Precious are the tears I weep

You are the Keeper of my sorrow

bottled in Your loving hand

kept close to show to me tomorrow

My journal covers joy and pain

but You keep a much better book

and in eternal safety one day

You will let me take a look

Written there by Author’s hands

are the words, the story of my days

We’ll laugh and smile and understand

together it will make sense always

So count my tossings, Lord.

Bottle up those tears.

Write our book together.

I will trust You amidst these fears.

God is for me.

God is with me too.

Nothing happens You do not control.

So I will always trust in You!

resurrection confidence

But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.

Matthew 26:32

On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He prepared His disciples for what was ahead. Jesus knew He was going to be betrayed by Judas. He knew that He would be charged with capital crimes by the Jewish religious authorities. He knew He would be handed over to the Romans. He knew He would die by crucifixion. Jesus was not taken by surprise because He knew that His atoning work was why He had come to this world in the first place.

The real surprise for the disciples was not that He knew this. He had been predicting His death by this means for quite some time. The part that had to be puzzling was He insistence that He would be brought back to life. The disciples were familiar with crucifixion. Nobody survived it. It was a brutally, if not excruciating, effective means of permanent execution. Crucifixion meant death. But Jesus very confidently claimed that He would be the first and only crucifixion victim to be raised back to life after such a tortuous death. And when that happened, He would walk away from His grave and back to Galilee where they would see Him and walk with Him again.

Resurrection changes everything. Resurrection defeats death. Resurrection confirms everything Jesus taught. Resurrection secures His atoning work on the cross for our sins. And resurrection guarantees forever our future in Christ with God. Jesus, facing the cross, is already confident in His resurrection. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Continual Hope

But I will hope continually

and will praise you yet more and more.

Psalm 71:14

Feeling sad in the twilight

I’m just trying to cope

I look for some comfort

I long for some hope

I’m trying to reach out

with mixed emotions I grope

needing more than these feelings

I’m reaching for hope

Others may notice

how I’m sad and I mope

yet come short of full comfort

I need much greater hope

Looking to Jesus

I do more than just cope

I find a Savior Who suffered

to bring continuous hope

Not alone in my suffering

I now climb up this slope

strengthened in His mercy

by my continual hope

Timing is perfect

for at the end of my rope

is One who holds me forever

in His continual hope

I will praise the God of all comfort

eternity is the width of His scope

there is healing purpose now in me

I prosper with His continual hope

Jesus is our judge.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Matthew 25:31

Christians should be expecting the reality of Christ’s return. When He does return, he will judge the world. He will reward the righteous. He will cast away the unrighteous into eternal punishment. This is the authority of the risen and reigning Christ. He is our judge. And this is the Jesus with whom all people must one day stand. This is the future we all face… the Son of Man seated as judge upon His glorious throne.

There are three things I notice about our future encounter with Jesus that give me reflective pause. First, Jesus returns in a different glory. We first beheld His glory as the Lamb of God. He was born as a child to peasant parents in simple poverty. He lived as a carpenter and then as a rabbi. He displayed a unique glory in miracles and authoritative teaching. He gave His life sacrificing as the Lamb of God. And He was raised to show His true glory, no longer a Lamb but now a Lion! And it is this second Jesus yet to come that arrives in a blinding flash of power and judgment, seated on a glorious throne Who is our glorious God of justice, commending the righteous ones and condemning those who reject Him!

Secondly, there is a different audience including angels. In His first advent a few angels sang His birth, attended to Him in the wilderness, and announced His resurrection. In His return to judge, ALL the angel hosts of heaven will return with Him, bringing the very throne of heaven to earth. This will be like nothing anyone has ever seen!

A third observation: Jesus will sit on a different kind of throne. In His first advent He was the perfect obedient Son and Servant Who proved He earned the “well-pleased” commendation of the Father. In His second advent Jesus is clearly the God with Whom we all have to answer! The world will be judged by the Son of Man. All the nations of the earth, every last person on the planet, all the world will face Him in order to answer for their choice about Him and His people. It is clear: Jesus is our Judge!

Godly people confess their sin.

Therefore let everyone who is godly

offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

they shall not reach him.

Psalm 32:6

Thank God that He does not expect His people to be sinless. The message of Psalm 32 is this: be quick to confess sin. This is the personal testimony of David. He did not do well covering or hiding his transgressions. When he kept silent about sin he become physically ill and emotionally depressed (Psalm 32:3). He lost all energy as the weight of his unconfessed sin bore down on his soul (Psalm 32:4). When he was finally confronted by the guilt of his sin, David confessed it and found forgiveness from God as a result (Psalm 32:5).

David’s conclusion was to call all people to live confessionally before the Lord. Everyone should confess sin. Confession of sin is the activity of the godly person. And David’s repeated admonition is to do so quickly… not to hold onto the guilt and shame of sin. When the rushing waves of painful guilt threaten, THAT is the time to fall to our knees in confession. This is the activity of the godly. Yes, it is a holy thing to confess sin, repent before God, humbly receive His mercy, and be washed in the flood of His forgiving grace through trusting Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf! Godly people may sin… but godly people are quick to inventory iniquity, turn from it in confession and repentance, and realize that they only have understanding in how to live in righteousness by God’s Word and His work in them (Psalm 32:7-9).

Lord,

I will not be like a stubborn horse or mule that lacks understanding and must be jerked by bit and bridle to obey. I willingly acknowledge that I too, like David, am guilty of sin. I must inventory my iniquity as Your Spirit convicts and Your Word instructs. I must see how in all ways… in thought, feelings, selfish words, or pride-filled disobedient actions I too have sinned against You, often hurting others in the process or aftermath of my sin. I release that guilt to the forgiving blood of Christ, my perfect sacrifice, Who forgives the iniquity of my sin. I will pray in confession so that His righteousness will clean me and declare me a godly man, clothed by His righteousness, clean in Your sight!

Amen

four end times dangers

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.”

Matthew 24:4

When asked by His disciples to teach about the signs of His return and the end of the age, Jesus begins with this stern warning. He looks right at the men who left everything to follow Him and warns them they are vulnerable. The first sign of His coming and the end of the age would be that the loyalty of His own disciples would be attacked. Some would fall away. Many false teachers will claim to be what only Jesus is and will seek to lead many disciples astray from truly following Him.

Doctrinal divisiveness and heretical teaching combined with messianic personalities will come at the end. Jesus states that it will be so deceptive that only the most discerning disciples will stay with Him. And that has been unfortunately a problem in every era of church history, with an explosive profusion of false teaching and popular figures luring many people away from the truth of the gospel as we near His return.

Some current dangers readily visible that are dangerously sucking away Christians from the centrality of the gospel:

• Popularism. The internet and social media have created swarms of Tik Tok teachers spouting every kind of old and new heresy. They may even claim biblical support and authority. But just because millions “follow” or they sound persuasive does not make them right at all.
• New Ideas. Many claim that Christians have had it wrong for a long time. Or like Dan Brown they may insist that early on in church history Jesus’ original message was suppressed and hijacked by a controlling monolithic church. But they are instead hijacking the gospel to New Age thinking. Many in this camp link modern casual ethics and liberal sexual mores to re-interpreting Christian teaching, thus rejecting what the Word of God says.
• Tribalism. You want to believe that Jesus advocated the use of hallucinogenic mushrooms? Someone out there has a Youtube channel and followers who buy into that. Want to withdraw to a cave and wait out until the end in a monastic cult? The Internet will lead you to a group somewhere that you can join. False teaching, no matter how outlandish, is easier than ever to find and to propagate.
• Christian Nationalism. Yeah… that is definitely on the rise thanks to politicians both liberal and conservative hitching their wagons to every Christian group enamored with celebrity and worldly power. And it is not just limited to one side of the aisle… you can easily find the political messiah of your choosing. But be careful. That leader will lead you astray from Jesus!

One Father, One Teacher

And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

Matthew 23:9-10

With earthly father

I was born to grow;

yet many men like fathers

I have come to know.

They cared for me.

They taught me Your way.

I am grateful, O Lord,

for all of them today.

Many men like fathers…

but only one Heavenly Father.

Like Jesus too

many have sacrificed

to teach me Your truth

and invest their lives.

I have learned the Way

to live pleasing to You Lord

as many teachers 

instruct me in the Word.

Yet only one Instructor

has taught me: Jesus Christ.

Caring like family

Christians have taught me.

And I have tried to do the same

to other disciples that surround me.

I too am a father

by flesh and by Spirit

I too an instructor

to those who will hear it.

Yet You, Lord, are Our Father.

Yes You, Jesus, are Our Teacher.

abundant mercy

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 51:1

Psalm 51 is David’s journal of confession and repentance. It was written after sin with Bathsheba and confrontation by Nathan the prophet, in which Nathan delivered God’s verdict of judgment. The enormity of David’s sin (adultery, lies, murder, conspiracy, and cover-up) demanded firm justice from God. All the painful details are found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. Suffice it to say, under the penalties of the Law, every detail of David’s sins deserved the death penalty. The king knew this too well.

This is why David’s opening poetic prayer in this psalm became a model for clear confession. He knew only God’s mercy could save him from death. He knew only God could remove consequences by a permanent blot out, an expunging of the record of his sins. The very first verse is a sandwich of cries for mercy: “Have mercy on me!…Blot out my transgressions!” You can hear the tears of terror begging to be saved from a deserved destruction.

David knows only an undeserved mercy could eliminate the true charges against him. And so he asks his judge for that mercy. He appeals to God’s own character in between his pleas. He knows that God is gracious. “Steadfast love” is the way the Old Testament Law repeatedly describes what the New Testament calls “grace”. David’s first appeal is to the grace of God. He knows that he does not deserve God’s favor. Yet only grace can release mercy to forgive every one of David’s awful sins.

The second appeal is to God’s abundant mercy. David knows that God possesses not just a little grace and mercy. God has it abundantly. He is rich in mercy. The call then to God is to be generous with forgiveness. The God of grace and mercy is not miserly with His mercy. This is an appeal to what David already knew about God. God had chosen him, least of his family, to be king. God made a covenant with David to bless the world through his kingly line. And wildly enough, in a display of overarching grace and abundant mercy, David’s sinful beginning with Bathsheba would be ultimately redeemed as God leads to her inclusion in the genealogy of Jesus. Our Savior descended from these kinds of sinners! Abundant mercy indeed! God forgave David, and ultimately all who believe the gospel, in Jesus, Son of David!

The Astonisher

And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

Matthew 22:33

This crowd was astonished about how Jesus put the technically-detailed, self-proclaimed, liberal legal experts, the Sadducees, in their place with His masterful answer to an impossible hypothetical question. The Sadducees were the minority religious group among the Jews in charge of copying scripture. They were comparable to academic university elites of today. They were the religious party of the professional scribes. They also had their own brand of theological and legal experts. They were horribly non-biblical and secular for being so “into” their scriptures. They denied miracles and the possibility of life after death. They taught that the Law was for “this life” and rejected a future resurrection.

Yet they came to Jesus in mock suspension of their own beliefs, hoping to stump him in front of the crowds. They desperately wanted the attention. They created a scenario of a woman widowed seven times who then herself died. Their question: “Which of the seven husbands would be hers in heaven?” They thought this would trick Jesus into a theology where sin would exist in the resurrection. But they were foolish to try to corner the wise God Who wrote the book!

Jesus decimates their argument with three powerful assertions:

1) They deny scripture and the power of God so they have absolutely no authority to speculate on the nature of the resurrection (Matthew 22:29).

2) Resurrected people do not marry as their relationships are complete in the presence of God. Their is no need for one flesh relationships in heaven (Matthew 22:30).

3) Denial of resurrection rejects the very core of Judaism. God is the God of the living: “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The scriptures attest that the patriarchs are very much alive with a God Who is presently in relationship with them (Matthew 22:31-32).

This is what led the crowd into appreciation of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus had authority as shown in His grasp of the Word of God and the miraculous display of the power of God. Jesus knew what heaven will be like because He came from there and would return there. Jesus knew the profound theological implications from even the most foundational aspects of God’s covenant with Israel. As such He is a great Revealer, a great Savior, a great Teacher, and the great Astonisher!

God answers and saves.

O LORD, save the king!

May he answer us when we call.

Psalm 20:9

The last phrase of this last verse of the twentieth psalm echoes the first phrase of the first verse: “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!” This psalm is a call and than also a call back to the God Who saves His people. The answer to the beginning and end call is sandwiched right in the middle of the psalm with God’s salvation in verse 6: “…he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.” So we have a prayer for God to answer our need and a confidence that His salvation will be the answer to that prayer. The rest of the psalm then tells how God answers and saves.

The structure looks like this:

I.  May God answer in trouble! (Psalm 20:1a)

     A.  His name protects. (Psalm 20:1b)

     B.  He sends help. (Psalm 20:2a)

     C.  He gives support. (Psalm 20:2b)

     D.  He remembers offerings. (Psalm 20:3a)

     E.  He regards sacrifices with favor. (Psalm 20:3b)

     F.  He grants desires. (Psalm 20:4a)

     G. He fulfills plans. (Psalm 20:4b)

II.  God’s salvations brings joy. (Psalm 20:5a)

     A. He answers our petitions. (Psalm 20:5b)

     B. He saves His anointed. (Psalm 20:6a)

     C. He answers with saving power. (Psalm 20:6b)

     D.  His people trust not in physical deliverance but in His power and reputation. (Psalm 20:7-8)

III. CONCLUSION: God answers and saves! (Psalm 20:9)

O Lord Jesus,

You answer me when I call out to You, my Savior. You see me. You know me. You answer me in all my trouble! You are my protection, help, and support. I offer all that I have and all that I am to You. You grant my desires and fulfill my plans. You are my joy. I trust not in the things of this world, but in You because You provide for me, protect me, and save me!

Amen 

Who is this?

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Matthew 21:11-12

Who is this man

who dared to enter this town

riding on a donkey

like David’s kingly son?

He is Jesus…

a prophet who speaks

with an authority

we have never seen.

Who is this man

who touches the outcast

heals the sick and afflicted

and lifts up the downcast?

He is Jesus…

a healer for everyone

who needs His great power.

Look at what He has done!

Who is this man

who says He will die

crucified by our leaders

yet in three days rise?

He is Jesus…

a suffering Savior Who gives

His life for our sins

so with Him we will live!

Who is this man?

He is Jesus!

hard work / generous reward

So the last will be first, and the first last.

Matthew 20:16

My worth and significance are measured by what I give in service to my Lord. Did He call me to labor in His vineyard? Then, yes, I simply serve my King with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It matters not how or when others may join me in that work. What matters most is that I give my best to the King. I will also rejoice that others may do the same.

I should never compare my level of commitment to others. There are many with greater gifts who have served longer than I have. There are many generations before me who still teach me. There are some who serve in other ways and may not have my margin or my responsibilities. I do not live to compare. Instead, I should rejoice that the Lord of the harvest knows how to utilize the unique contributions of every one of His disciples who labor in His vineyard. My focus should be gratitude. Gratitude for the grace that saved me to live for Him and serve His kingdom. Gratitude that His grace is equally marvelous for all He has called to serve Him. All of us in His harvest serve and sacrifice.

God exhibits an abundant generosity to all who serve in His vineyard… no matter the different individual investments of their time or talents. It is that generous love that reminds me to serve joyfully alongside my brothers and sisters. A generous reward will come for each of us. All of us get more than our sins deserve! Where I am now is a gift of God’s generous grace. So is where I have been, even in the hard parts of the vineyard that seemed unfruitful for a season. All of us will find amazing, generous, eternal reward in Christ and from Christ. Praise to the One Who calls us for His glory to His labor for His harvest in His kingdom!