Messiah

Excerpt from Miscellanies post:  Handel's Messiah

...


To enjoy Messiah is—in the words of one friend—to be washed with the Gospel.

The musical score was written, of course, by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759). The narrative (or libretto), is a carefully woven mix of biblical passages, the work of Charles Jennens (1700–1773). Stapert does a fine job explaining how these men worked together to produce the masterpiece. But here is what I find most interesting: Messiah, first performed in London on March 23, 1743, was intended to be something of an apologetic, according to Stapert. He explains on pages 75–76 in an excerpt worth quoting at length:

Messiah tells a deliverance story—the story of God’s ultimate deliverance of his people from bondage to sin and death. But it is a story that increasing numbers of Europeans were disbelieving, and therein lies the motivation behind Jennens’s compilation of the Scripture passages that constitute the libretto for Messiah.

The Enlightenment was in full swing, and the church was severely threatened by those who denied that Christ was the Son of God, the long-promised Messiah who would deliver his people from bondage to sin and death. Of course the church had always faced threats to the faith from unbelievers. But the number of unbelievers in Europe increased significantly during the Enlightenment, a movement that fostered “natural” religion that proclaimed a commonsense social morality and an optimistic view of human nature. Typically it took the form of Deism.

Deism did not deny the existence of a Supreme Being who created all things but claimed that after creation that Being left humans to themselves. According to Deists, humans had no need of a god because they were innately good and had the resources to solve their own problems. Human perfectibility could be achieved by human resources without divine intervention. Thus Deism was fundamentally at odds with Christian beliefs that humans are basically sinful, that they are incapable of saving themselves, and therefore that they need a Savior. In other words, Deists did not believe in the need for a Messiah.

Messiah was born into this world of growing Deistic threat to the church. It was not only that Deism added substantially to the number of Europeans who didn’t believe Jesus to be the Messiah, but also that unlike other disbelievers (Jews, Muslims, atheists), Deists were often within the church, even among the clergy—”profane scoffers among our selves,” as Richard Kidder called them. Committed orthodox Christians like Jennens had reason to be concerned, and that concern spawned an outpouring of works that reaffirmed the historic Christian beliefs, the chief among them being that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah. Jennens’s libretto for Messiah joined a host of writings on the subject. Treatises and tracts, poems and periodical articles were written to prove that Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: you can listen to a recording of Messiah online via NPR here.

Note:  YouTube: Opera Company of Philadelphia

 

Conversations

Excerpts from Ed Stetzer post:  Multifaith and the Global Faith Forum, Part 3

The Global Faith Forum 2010 was an opportunity to move from a conversation about other faiths, to a conversation with one another. This was a gathering unlike most of you have ever been to, where leaders with different faiths and worldviews came together to talk about how we can better understand and communicate with one another in the 21st century. From the website,

The Global Faith Forum brings together distinct and conservative bodies of faith for greater understanding, while facing our differences with grace and humility. Muslims, Jews, and Christians hold different beliefs about who Jesus and God is.

...


Today I'd like us to work our way into the issue of coexisting with other religions while maintaining fidelity to the truth of God's word and his command to love our neighbors.

So, how do religions that are mutually exclusive exist side by side peacefully? In the spirit of multi-faith dialogue I would like to propose four foundational commitments that the followers of the world's religions could agree to make:

• We commit to letting each religion speak for itself;
• We commit to talking with and about individuals and not generic "faiths";
• We commit to mutually respect the sincerely held beliefs of people in other religions, and
• We commit to granting each person the freedom to make his or her own faith decisions.

What would that look like in practice? I would like to consider each proposal in depth. First, in order for there to be healthy multi-faith dialogue, we must allow the followers of each of the world's religions to speak for themselves. Otherwise we are not responding to the actual beliefs of people but to caricatures of those beliefs--and there are plenty of those.

A friend of mine living in India had an interesting conversation with a Hindu about Islamic faith and practice. In all sincerity the Hindu stated, "As you know, Hindus worship cows and therefore we do not eat beef. Similarly, Muslims do not eat pork because they worship pigs." All of us know how false--even offensive--that assertion was.

What happened? How did this man get it so wrong? His mistake was trying to interpret what he saw in Islam through his Hindu worldview and he missed the point entirely. By thinking he understood Islam, the Hindu had actually insulted Muslims. Had he understood his error he would have been horrified--he was not being malicious; he was just ill-informed.

When we assume that we understand the worldview of another better than they understand it themselves, we get into all kinds of trouble. The same problem often occurs when some Muslims have tried to explain the doctrine of the Trinity. Across the globe Christians are often accused of worshipping three gods--God the Father, God the Mother and God the Son. In reality the idea that God would have a physical relationship with a woman and produce a child is as offensive to Christians as it is to Muslims. But instead of asking Christians what they actually believe, many people are content to get their understandings from non-Christians rather than going to the source.

...

But getting the facts straight is not enough. We would all benefit from gaining an understanding of the basic principles of cross-cultural communication--not misunderstanding (or misrepresenting) what others mean and how they came to the decisions they have made.

We need to learn to see the world as followers of other religions do. This is not as easy. And it does not mean agreeing with them or adopting their religion. But judging another culture using one's own patterns of "good" and "bad" leads to all sorts of misunderstanding.

So, in summary, to engage in multi-faith conversation is that we learn about each person's religion and culture from original sources. We should not learn from people who speak as if they know but in reality do not.

Only By Grace

Christine Wyrtzen Devotional

TOLERANT OR RIGID?

Is God the God of Jews only?  Is God not the God of Gentiles also?  Yes - since God is one who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.  Romans 3:29-30

            The Jews believed that God was only their God.  That made them moral elitists, believing themselves to be better than anyone outside their race.
            The Gentiles believed that there were many gods.  That made them tolerant, encouraging an indulgence into all kinds of depravity.   Their numerous gods permitted wickedness and Greece was a cesspool. 
            Paul addressed the tension one faced when choosing whether or not he would align with the Jew or the Gentile.  Neither offered a righteous option.  One group was prideful and monotheistic.  The other was wicked and polytheistic.  How did God solve the dilemma between the two extremes?
            He sent His Son to die for all mankind; circumcised and uncircumcised.  Each needed to come through faith in Christ.  Each was unable to earn his salvation based on race and good works.  Paul made it clear that faith alone qualified a Jew and faith alone qualified a Gentile.
            Romans is cumbersome at times, I'll admit.  Studying it is a workout and many mornings I face a writing crisis!  God is helping me as I ask Him each day, "Please show me what difference this issue makes in my relationship with You!"  All truth must connect with my heart.
            So, why do these verses matter?  Because without this solid rudder, I will lose my way.  Let's face it.  There are denominations which boast in being right.  They believe they have a corner on truth and no one outside their box could possibly be saved.  They are like the Jews; elitist and exclusionary.
            We are also surrounded by unbelievers who are moral relativists.  They pride themselves in being tolerant.  They are very willing to let us talk about our faith but we better not tell them what to believe.  As soon as we do, we're seen as prideful and judgmental.
            I stand in the truth of Paul's writing today that all people must come to the cross empty handed.  Evangelicals, Charismatics, Mormons, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus.  We must come to God one way ~ through faith in Christ ~ plus nothing.  I do not have any advantage over another man or woman.  I must be firm but humble when sharing this truth with others.  I must not make them feel excluded not can I be tolerant for tolerance sake.  Jesus is not discriminating.  He calls all sinners to Himself and what each of us does with His invitation, Jew or Gentile, determines where we will spend eternity.

 If I'm your child, it's only because of Your grace.  If someone else is not yet your child, I invite them with urgency, conviction and humility.  Amen

God or Total Collapse

Ray Ortlund post:  True faith will take risks

“Pseudo-faith always arranges a way out to serve in case God fails it.  Real faith knows only one way and gladly allows itself to be stripped of any second way or makeshift substitutes.  For true faith, it is either God or total collapse.  And not since Adam first stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him.”

A. W. Tozer, “True Faith Brings Committal,” In The Root of the Righteous (Harrisburg, 1955), pages 49-50.

What are you doing, in obedience to the Word of God, that positions you for either God or total collapse?

Margin

Mark Batterson post:  When You Lose Margin

One of the hardest things for me to do right now is to maintain a margin. It's hard to keep up with email. I can't meet with everybody I'd like to meet with. It's tough to juggle pastoring and writing. And my kids need their dad more than ever. But for all of those reasons, maintaining margin is the key to maintaining everything else. Starting with sanity!

When you lose margin, you lose perspective.
When you lose margin, you lose creativity.
When you lose margin, you lose gratitude.
When you lose margin, you lose peace of mind.
When you lose margin, you lose sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
When you lose margin, you lose emotional reserves.

So how do you maintain margin? I think it comes down to time management. If you don't control your calendar, your calendar will control you. You've got to schedule time with God. And it probably needs to be a consistent time slot. You've got to schedule time for yourself. That includes days off, days without meetings, off site meetings, etc. If you need to, schedule reading time! Or just put a book in the bathroom! For me, Tuesdays and Thursdays are meeting days. Wednesday and Fridays are margin days.

Friends

Life Today Devotional

Real Friends
by Deanna Favre

Scripture:

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17, NIV)

Discover:

When I was informed that I had breast cancer, I remember the sensation of knowing that there was something inside of me that was doing harm to my body. It was like the cancer became its own living entity, the monster hiding under the bed. In fact, for a few days, it was all I could think about as I got my mind around what this meant for me, my family, and our future.

However, a friend of mine, who came by the house to drop off casseroles and “get well” notes and gifts, could tell that I was struggling with this newfound diagnosis. I shared with my friend my feelings of not being able to outrun whatever this was inside of me, and the fear and doubt it caused.

My friend said, “Sure, you have cancer inside your body, but you also have Christ.” I will never forget those words. They were simple, to the point, and incredibly true. To know that whatever we are facing inside our bodies, or our lives, God is right there living in us, too, ready to protect and care for us from the inside out.

My friend’s words were comforting because I had forgotten that I had someone much stronger and bigger than cancer living within me, and that would be my refuge and my source of strength. But it does not stop there. As John 14 states, the goal is to then share what God has placed inside you with those around you. This is one gift that you want to give away.

Disease and illness may permeate our bodies, but God promises that they cannot permeate our souls and spirits unless we let them. And to help in the fight, Scripture says that God has given us the Holy Spirit, a Friend, to go along on the journey with us and to help us help others make the steps as well.

Deepen:

John talks about a friend whom God has given to us. Who is that friend, and why does that gift mean so much to our relationship with God? God’s goal in this passage is to encourage us to live more like God and to share love with those around us. Why does God offer us a friend to assist us in the process and journey? When the Scripture says that “the godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him,” why is that important for us in drawing close to God through the Holy Spirit?

Deploy:

Make a list of some of your friends today. What qualities do you love most in them? How do you see those qualities in your relationship with God?

Discern:

Pray: Father and Friend, we cannot understand the grace we have been offered until we have been able to step out of our own shoes and walk in the shoes of others. Help us set down our struggles and take up the gift and blessing of what you offer in Christ. We love you. Amen.



Adapted from The Cure for the Chronic Life by Deanna Favre & Shane Stanford, © 2010 Abingdon Press.

Joyful Noise

From Kathryn's post:  Something Worth Sharing This Week

“WHERE DID I GET THE IDEA that worship must always
be restrained, quiet, and dignified?
Throughout my long life, you have showered me
with blessing upon blessing.
Today I will not withhold the praise you deserve.
Awaken the passion that I’ve kept tucked away for
a rainy day.
It’s all about you, Lord. Not me — but you.
Before I get out of this chair, I will lift my hands
and say aloud the Lord’s Prayer. Today I will
consider what all those words mean.
I will sing a hymn of praise while I comb my hair
and put on my socks.
I will not wait for another day.
I will make a joyful noise!”
- Missy Buchanan 

 

More Than We Have Apprehended

Ray Ortlund post:  Rich store of every kind of good abounds in him

“We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ.  We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else.   If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is of him.  If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing.  If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth.  For by his birth he was made like us in all respects, that he might learn to feel our pain.  If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross; if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge.  In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.”

John Calvin, Institutes, 2.16.19.

This is the hyperfocus-on-Christ I cherish.  We will never exhaust him.  We have only begun to enter in.  There is more for us in Christ than we have yet apprehended.  So much more.  Faith in this great Christ creates an exploring openness, an adoring expectancy, an eager pursuit.

Star Player

LifeToday Devotional

The 12th Man
by Randy Robison

On January 2, 1922, the underdog Aggies of Texas A&M took to the field against mighty Centre College, the number one team in the country. Back then, the small agricultural school did not have an abundance of players on the team. As the hard-fought gridiron battle wore on, injuries and fatigue forced the Aggies to dig deeply into their limited reserves.

Sensing the possibility of running out of players, coach Dana Bible remembered a squad man who was not suited up for the championship game. His name was E. King Gill and he was up in the press box helping identify players for reporters. Gill had played football in the regular season, but was now only playing basketball.

Coach Bible sent for Gill. Gill suited up in an injured Aggie’s uniform and stood ready throughout the rest of the game. When the game finally ended, A&M had upset Centre College by a score of 22-14. On the sidelines, E. King Gill was the only man left standing. Gill was later quoted as saying, "I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in case my team needed me."

Gill’s enthusiasm and willingness to serve inspired a movement that lasts to this day. At all Texas A&M football games, the entire student body stands by as “the 12th man,” symbolizing their spirit and devotion. The slogan is plastered across their stadium and a bronze statue of Gill greets those attending the games.

The book of Daniel tells the well-known story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They chose to stand for God, instead of bowing down King Nebuchadnezzar. Consequently, they were condemned to death. But as the three faithful young men were thrown into a fiery pit, something miraculous happened.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

(Daniel 3:16-25, NIV)

God’s presence was there in the fire with those who stood firmly for Him. They trusted God, whether he chose to save their lives or not. In their case, they walked away unharmed.

However you count it – fourth man or 12th man – the principle remains the same. God wants to be a part of our lives. As we stand for Him, he will stand with us. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32, NLT)

Here’s the critical point: we must ask God into our lives. The Bible says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” (Revelation 3:20, NIV) God has granted us the choice to live our lives without Him, trying to make it under our own power. Yet, like that willing athlete on the sidelines, He awaits our call.

Many of us go through our daily life trying to make decisions on our own. Sure, we call ourselves believers, but like the Aggies, we leave our “12th man” on the sideline. It may give us comfort to know that He is there, but we never really ask Him into the game.

What we fail to realize is that Jesus Christ is our star player. He’s the difference maker on every play! Once we start to ask Him to participate in our daily lives, even in the things we think are small or unimportant, we will find victory. Jesus will not force Himself on you. If you truly want God to bless your life, you must ask. If you really want to Jesus Christ to play a central role in your daily affairs, you must ask.

Don’t leave your “12th man” on the sidelines. Ask Him to join in today.

Faith and Grace, Not Fear and Guilt

Excerpts from Tullian Tchividjian post:  The Gospel And The Law

Back in May I posted an interview that my friend Justin Taylor did with me for my book Surprised by Grace. Since the book is (essentially) on the outworking of the gospel in the life of Christians, Justin asked me a few questions about the gospel and the law, especially as it relates to Christian motivation.
Even though I posted this only five and a half months ago, I thought it might answer questions that some have asked with regard to Sinclair Ferguson’s quote that I posted the other day on the Gospel and sanctification.

Is the gospel a middle ground between legalism and lawlessness?


This seems to be a common misunderstanding in the church today. I hear people say that there are two equal dangers Christians must avoid: legalism and lawlessness. Legalism, they say, happens when you focus too much on law, or rules. Lawlessness, they say, happens when you focus too much on grace.

Therefore, in order to maintain spiritual equilibrium, you have to balance law and grace. Legalism and lawlessness are typically presented as two ditches on either side of the Gospel that we must avoid. If you start getting too much law, you need to balance it with grace. Too much grace, you need to balance it with law. But I’ve come to believe that this “balanced” way of framing the issue can unwittingly keep us from really understanding the gospel of grace in all of its depth and beauty.

...

So the choice is between submitting to the rule of Christ or submitting to self-rule?

Right. There are two “laws” we can choose to live by other than Christ: the law which says “I can find freedom and fullness of life if I keep the rules” or the law which says “I can find freedom and fullness of life if I break the rules.”

Both are legalistic in this sense: one “life rule” has as its goal the keeping of rules; the other “life rule” has as its goal the breaking of rules. But both are a rule of life you’re submitting to—a rule of life that is governing you—which is defined by you and your ability to perform. Success is determined by your capacity to break the rules or keep the rules. Either way you’re still trying to “save” yourself—which means both are legalistic because both are self-salvation projects.

If most people outside the church are guilty of “break the rules” legalism, most people inside the church are guilty of “keep the rules” legalism.


What do you say to folks who think we need to “keep grace in check” by giving out some law?

Doing so proves that we don’t understand grace and we violate gospel advancement in our lives and in the church. A “yes, grace…but” disposition is the kind of posture that keeps moralism swirling around in the church. Some of us think the only way to keep licentious people in line is by giving them the law. But the fact is, the only way licentious people start to obey is when they get a taste of God’s radical acceptance of sinners. The more Jesus is held up as being sufficient for our justification and sanctification, the more we begin to die to ourselves and live to God. Those who end up obeying more are those who increasingly understand that their standing with God is not based on their obedience, but Christ’s.


But don’t Christians need to be shaken out of their comfort zones?


Yes—but you don’t do it by giving them law; you do it by giving them gospel. The Apostle Paul never uses the law as a way to motivate obedience; he always uses the gospel. Paul always soaks gospel obligations in gospel declarations because God is not concerned with just any kind of obedience; he’s concerned with a certain kind of obedience (as Cain and Abel’s sacrifice illustrates). The obedience that pleases God is obedience that flows from faith—faith in what God has already done, and trust for what he will do in the future. And even though we need to obey even if we don’t feel like it, long-term, sustained, heart-felt, gospel motivated obedience can only come from faith and grace; not fear and guilt. Behavioral compliance without heart change, which only the gospel can do, will be shallow and short lived. Or, as I like to say, imperatives minus indicatives equal impossibilities.

...

Classes

Excerpts from Ed Stetzer post:  Thursday Is for Thinkers: Trevin Wax

...

Today, I am excited to have Trevin Wax here at the blog. As I explained when I blogged about him a few weeks ago, Trevin has just started here at LifeWay as editor of a new curriculum -- I will be serving as General Editor. I invited Trevin to write a post laying out his vision for this exciting venture.  ...

Here's what I envision (and I'd love to get your feedback!):

1. Deep, but not Dry - The term that has been used to describe this new curriculum is "theologically driven." That's not to say that other curriculum options aren't theological, only that these weekly lessons will be known primarily for digging deep into biblical theology.

I think it's best to expect a lot out of those who attend a small group or Sunday School class. We need not adopt a "No Child Left Behind" mentality, as if we can and should go only as deep as the least knowledgeable person in the group. We don't think this way in real life. When our son was still on baby food, we didn't stop eating steak and potatoes. Neither did we stop feeding our son solid food when our daughter came along. Instead, we gathered as a family and ate together (some of us more than others!).
...

2. Christ-Centered. I don't want a week to go by without Jesus being present in our lesson. Jesus is the hero of every Bible story. He's present in all its pages. The Scriptures are His word to our churches.
Tying everything to the gospel doesn't mean that every lesson will end with a bullet-point presentation and the Sinner's Prayer. But a Christ-centered lesson is drenched in gospel truth. Everything revolves around Christ's death and resurrection and our need to repent and believe.

...



3. Story-focused. Being Christ-centered naturally brings our focus to the overarching Story that the Bible tells in four parts:

• Creation
• Fall
• Redemption
• Restoration

In my experience teaching Christians in their twenties and thirties (some who grew up in church, and others who did not), I have discovered that though they may be familiar with certain Bible stories, they are not always sure how the stories fit together into the Bible as a whole. By focusing on the grand narrative of Scripture, I hope that our curriculum will help us connect the dots and think as Christians formed by the great Story that tells the truth about our world.

4. Mission-driven. Telling the story of the Bible is impossible without leading to mission, as the story of the gospel reveals the heart of our missionary God and his desire to save people of every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Too many of our Sunday School classes and small groups view our weekly meetings in terms of consumerist expectations. We come; we sit; we receive teaching; we leave. Even groups that prize participation can fall prey to the same temptation. We come; we sit; we talk; we leave.

A gospel-centered curriculum should be driven by the character of our missionary God seen most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ. Our weekly gatherings are not the goal of the mission; they are the means by which we connect with one another and learn God's Word in order that we might be equipped to love God and neighbor while spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

The goal is not to fill our heads with theological truth but to fuel our hearts with passion to join God on his mission to bring people to himself. Keeping a focus on how the gospel leads us to mission is a crucial aspect of how we apply the Bible to our lives.

...

One Thing

Perry Noble post:  What's The "One Thing" That Is Holding You Back?

The story of the Rich Young Ruler has always seized my attention.  (You can read it in Mark 10:17-22)  Jesus told him in verse Mark 10:21 that there was basically ONE THING that was holding him back from being His follower.  (And the guy was unwilling to give up that one thing!)

I’ve been in ministry for about 20 years now…and through my personal experiences and with what I’ve seen in others I’ve basically identified four “one things” that commonly hold people back.

#1 – Money – Jesus said that money is the number one competitor for our hearts.  (See Matthew 6:19-24)  Paul gave specific warnings regarding money (I Timothy 6:6-19).  And…we know from the story that this was the rich young rulers problem.  We cannot be fully committed followers of Christ if greed is the obsession of our hearts.  God is generous…His followers should be as well.

#2 – Anger/Unforgiveness – What Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15 does not get a lot of press, but the importance of His statement is VITAL and ESSENTIAL to you and I having a dynamic, victorious walk with Jesus.  He flat out said that if we do not forgive, we are not forgiven.  (Also see I John 2:9-11)  We cannot pursue Jesus with all our hearts if bitterness and unforgivness dominates our minds and hearts.  One of the things that we miss so often in reading the book of Job is that God DID bless Job and more than restore all that he had lost…but He did so AFTER Job forgave and prayed for his legalistic friends who had done nothing but tear him down for days!  (See Job 42:10).  MAYBE the reason you cannot move forward in your walk with Christ is because you are not willing to extend the same forgiveness you claim that God has given to you.

#3 – Unconfessed Sin – Is there an issue that God keeps coming after that you refuse to let go of.  Remember…He will RELENTLESSLY pursue your heart, not your behavior.  AND…to KNOW Him intimately is to obey Him immediately!! We’ve GOT to remember that “delayed obedience” is radical disobedience.  If He’s coming after something in your life it is only because He wants to replace it with something better.  (Read Mark 10:17 again and notice that the Bible specifically says that Jesus LOVED this guy…and out of that love He came after the idol in the guys life!)  My advice here would simply be to let go of whatever He’s after…AND…if He’s clearly spoken to you about an issue then just do what He says…He’s not changing His mind!

#4 – An Ungodly Relationship – You cannot pursue an affair and pursue Jesus.  You cannot have sex with someone you are not married to and pursue Jesus.  You cannot date someone that Jesus says not to date and be close to Him.  Some people have their identity in who they are dating (or having sex with) rather than Christ…and this ALWAYS destroys our fellowship with Him.

I am sure there are other things that we all deal with…but these are four things that so often hold us back from being who God wants us to be!

Trust in the Slow Work

Excerpt from Ian Morgan Cron post:  One of the Greatest Prayers of All Time?

...

This is one of my favorites from the brilliant Jesuit, Fr Teilhard de Chardin. If you have a favorite prayer that “says clearly what you always felt clearly” share it.





Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We would like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet, it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability -
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually – let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time,
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming in you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

Vast Ocean of Glory

Christine Wyrtzen Devotional:

SILENCED BY GLORY
 
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  Romans 3:19

            The radiance of God's glory is veiled even though so many of His children, including me, ask everyday, "Show me your glory today."  I've seen enough of it to change my heart but the amount I have seen is a grain of sand in the vast ocean of glory.  What happens when God shows His face and gives more than a small dose?  Apparently, silence.
            Job was silenced in his accusations when God became present and started asking him questions.
            Isaiah was silenced when He saw God in all of His glory.  Immediately, he pronounced himself unclean.
            Habakkuk tried to speak and nothing came out.
            John, as well as he knew Jesus, saw him in his glorified state and fell as dead at His feet.  Jesus had to touch him and bring life back to John's body.
            One day, all of us will stand before God.  We will see him in all of His glory.  It won't be the same as standing before human judges.  There, we are often acquitted, even though guilty.  Our judges are fallen and we grow cynical of earthly laws and their consequences when we are tempted to discount those in higher authority.
            The most eloquent will be silenced on the day they see God.  He who has been self-impressed, insistent that his good deeds outweigh his bad deeds and are enough to earn him a place in heaven, will tremble and lose his voice in the presence of holiness.  Even the most faithful of God's children will bow low in humility.  God is more glorious than any human description; more holy than flawed people can even conceive.
            As a fallen woman, I can not imagine what perfection is like.  For now, I see glimpses of Him and it stirs me to worship and defer my will to His.  Since I was created to worship and to love God, this is the most exhilarating experience I will ever know in this lifetime.  Any of Satan's counterfeits pale in comparison.

Let me see as much of Your glory as I can see and live.  Please, Lord. Amen

Simplicity of Dependence

Miscellanies post:  A Word to Profs, Preachers, and Writers

From the Letters of John Newton (Banner of Truth, 1869/2007), page 364:

I believe the liveliest grace and the most solid comfort are known among the Lord’s poor and undistinguished people. Every outward advantage has a tendency to nourish the pride of the human heart, and requires a proportional knowledge of the deceitful self and the evil of sin to counterbalance them. It is no less difficult to have great abilities than great riches without trusting in them. …

If I were qualified to search out the best Christian in the kingdom, I should not expect to find him either in a professor’s chair or in a pulpit. I should give the palm [prize] to that person who had the lowest thoughts of himself, and the most admiring and cordial thoughts of the Savior. And perhaps this person may be some bedridden old man or woman, or a pauper in a parish workhouse. But our regard to the Lord is not to be measured by our sensible feelings, by what we can say or write, but rather by the simplicity of our dependence, and the uniform tenor of our obedience to his will.

A History

Excerpt from Kevin DeYoung Grumblers in the Refining Fire

You have wearied the Lord with your words. (Malachi 2:17)

God’s people have a history of grumbling. Things were no different in Malachi’s day. In this fourth argument, the people voiced two main grumbles against God. “First, Lord, you’re treating the bad guys like the good guys. Second, you’re sitting in heaven doing nothing when you should come and judge the wicked.” They wanted the God of the ten plagues and Mt. Carmel to zap their enemies. It’s not that they were consumed with zeal for the Lord’s glory. They just wanted their problems to go away. So they grumbled.

We are grumblers too. We’re too busy, too bored, we don’t have enough money, we’re not appreciated, we don’t like our church, our sports teams stink, we don’t look good, don’t feel good, we’re too skinny, too fat, too short, too tall, our clothes are worn out, our car’s a lemon, we’re single and we wish were married, we’re married and we wish we had kids, we have kids and we wish we could be single again. We moan and murmur like a whiney two year old.

But God calls us to patience and longsuffering. And he calls us to confidence too. When we are assured that God is working all things according to his good purpose, we are freed to “do everything without grumbling or complaining” (Philippians 2:14).

...

So Gracious and Generous

But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it.

1 Cor 15:10 [Message]

Life-Giving Explosion

Ray Ortlund post:  A kind of explosion of joy

“There has been a long tradition which sees the mission of the Church primarily as obedience to a command.  It has been customary to speak of ‘the missionary mandate.’  This way of putting the matter is certainly not without justification, and yet it seems to me that is misses the point.  It tends to make mission a burden rather than a joy, to make it part of the law rather than part of the gospel.  If one looks at the New Testament evidence one gets another impression.  Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy.  The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed.  It must be told.  Who could be silent about such a fact?  The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is more like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving.”

Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Grand Rapids, 1989), page 116.

The mission of the church is inseparable from the renewal of the church.

Lion's Den

Excerpts from Ed Stetzer:  Leadership Book Interview with Tom Harper

ES: You recently published Leading from the Lions' Den. Why another leadership book? How is it different from other books on the same subject?

TH: The business and leadership books that have impacted me the most actually teach concepts from the Bible. For example, the works of John Maxwell, Ken Blanchard, Jim Collins and others have sold in the tens of millions. I read Maxwell and Blanchard for years and never knew about their Christian backgrounds nor how heavily they drew from the Bible. Jim Collins' Level 5 Leader matches the description of Jesus in many ways. So I thought, why not go to the source and pull out more of this material and not be quiet about where it came from?

Several years ago I led a study on the book of Proverbs and probably learned more than the other guys in the group. The practical insights and bullet-point wisdom were astounding. As I looked through the rest of the Bible for similar insights, I was overwhelmed at the volume of practical information. There is so much in those ancient pages that is still waiting to be discovered! I want to open the eyes of leaders in the church and the marketplace to these riches.

ES: Why do you use the term "lions' den"?

TH: I call leadership a lions' den because many people watch leaders stumble, take hits, deal with conflict, deflect criticism, or fail, and they simply step away to watch what the leader will do. Sort of like spectators watching to see if you'll survive the gladiator pit.

We're all surrounded by challenging people and situations. Conflict, pain, arguing, lack of excellence and laziness often make the leader's job hard. Also, leaders deal with the stuff no one else wants to deal with - they must break up fights, absorb criticism, deflect cynicism, and feed people's hunger for fulfillment. And they must do it with the confident smile of a lion tamer.

The Bible offers all kinds of advice and examples on how to successfully lead while in the midst of the lions. Most people have heard of Daniel and the Lions' Den, so we chose to refer to it in the title. Plus, Daniel's trip to the den is a great example of leadership under fire.

ES: What is the most valuable leadership principle you are applying in your life currently to keep you on mission with God's kingdom?

TH: The chapter I wrote about Esther, which I call "Expect 50 Answers When You Ask Why," has helped me deal with daily chaos and unpredictability. Esther couldn't see God working in the moment, when the odds kept stacking against her. And yet at the end of the story, we see how the unmistakable hand of God had directed the people and circumstances that led the salvation of Esther and her family, not to mention her entire people. This long-range perspective helps me see how my life can be God's movement in this world, no matter what's going on around me right now.

Level 5

Excerpts from CT Good to Great's Leadership Model Looks Familiar to Christians

Good to Great has struck a nerve with Christian leaders, who have latched on to your concept of Level 5 Leadership. Were you surprised by what your results showed about leadership?

I am delighted that so many people in the Christian community resonate with the Level 5 concept. They probably feel tension between the brutal competitiveness of the outside world and their inner faith and being a type of person that the New Testament calls you to be. If you thought you had to be an anti-level 5 to be successful, but now you find this evidence that your instincts were right all along, that can be powerful.

I should point out that we were not looking for Level 5. This is very important. I really dislike leadership answers, I'm biased against them, and I didn't want to write about leadership. I certainly wasn't looking for leaders like this. Our findings were a complete shock, and to see that these were the distinguishing type of leaders was out of left field and remarkable.

The kind of leaders who took companies from good to great match up with the findings of the great leaders of the world religions. That gives it so much power. It would be one thing if I came from that point of view to begin with. But I didn't believe this would be true, and yet the evidence led us to it. In the big picture, it makes sense. You would hope that in some rational way that the universe works, the findings would map with the teachings of great world religions. But I see that now in retrospect. Therefore, as a result, I'm that much more influenced by the findings.

What are the typical barriers to becoming a Level 5 leader?

The question regarding Level 5 is, which side is harder for you? The humility or the will? The magic of Level 5 is the combination of the two, not just one or the other. One side is usually harder for people than the other. Sometimes it takes brutally hard decisions to be Level 5. What if Abraham Lincoln could not stomach the consequences of his being Level 5, which was to endure five years of the bloodiest conflict so that our nation could live? Would you do whatever is needed for the cause?

If your struggle is on humility side, have people track your questions-to-statements ratio. You should see that ratio go up over time. Another thing is to really practice the discipline of the window and the mirror. Give credit to people outside the window and look at the mirror when things go wrong. As for the will: when you come to a fork in the road, one side is about being comfortable, and the other is about the cause, or the mission, or the work. You know that the best thing for the cause is to go one way, but the more comfortable decision for you is to step right. The key is to try to keep increasing your tendency to step left.

Seeking God

Life Today | James Robison Weekly Commentary

When Praying, Listen
by James Robison

God has not only called me to preach, He has called me to prayer. It is important to note that Jesus commanded His disciples to preach, but He taught them to pray. The ministry God gave me was birthed and bathed in prayer and I am grateful that millions have heard the Gospel proclaimed and professed their faith in Christ.

But even while blessed in my ministry, I found myself out of the will of God. I was too busy preaching to spend necessary and important time in prayer. I once foolishly and almost arrogantly responded to a sincere woman’s question, “When you travel and preach so many places so many times a day, how do you have time to pray?” I looked at her and said, “I preach you pray!”

How sad. I had lost intimacy with God. I had unwittingly left my first love. I was burnt out, burned up and defeated. God in His grace broke my heart. I missed intimacy with Jesus. I am so grateful that 30 years ago the Lord accomplished a marvelous work of deliverance and fullness to restore me to my first love. Jesus made me a servant to others to ministers, missionaries, the church and the suffering around the world.

In the last two years, God has called me to meditate on His Word, research history and spend much time in prayer. When I pray, most of my time is spent primarily seeking to hear God’s heart. In my weekly commentaries and through the LIFE Today television program, I have been sharing the impressions, concerns and directions He has given me while praying. Hopefully you can hear God’s heart with supernatural enabling through what I share.

In this commentary and for the next few weeks, I will communicate the impressions and messages that come as I seek to know the mind of God. It will be up to you, along with me and other godly counselors I consult, to discern if what I hear is His heart and His word. I find what I hear consistent with scripture. If I could not, I would seriously question what I heard or thought I heard. Keep in mind, when we pray, we seek insight, instruction, wisdom and divine guidance related to every aspect of life. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice,” and I believe Him.

As I have prayed and listened, these are impressions that came to my mind:

I can be an answer and help others be an answer to Jesus’ prayers. It is important even imperative that we seek to become one with the Father’s heart just as Jesus was. Our Lord did not pray amiss. It is possible! As Christians we can be perfected in supernatural unity and heart harmony.
Love never fails, but is seldom fully received or freely released. Its eternal effect is not always revealed within our expected time frame. Last week the Spirit of God overwhelmed me as I sensed His joy over the possibility of believers coming together to put His arms around a suffering world.

During the past 12 months, God has made it very clear to me that our nation stumbles because the church slumbers. Our national freedom will be lost if Christians do not allow God in His power to set them free from the bondage of this present world and become light piercing the darkness and helping illuminate the way to restore freedom’s foundation. Only an act of God can give elected representatives the dedication, determination, tenacity and wisdom to hammer out the details necessary to correct national problems related to taxation, immigration, the economy, national security, social concerns, injustice and lawlessness.

Idolatry is the issue. Individually and nationally the first of the Ten Commandments is too freely cast aside. God is not first for many church goers, professing Christians or citizens of the United States, even as they carry money with “In God We Trust” written on it. All who hold to idols are fellowshipping with demons. Idolaters are jerked around like puppets on strings. Who is pulling the strings of your heart? Who is farming the field of your life?

Money is not our problem; the love of money is the problem. This leads to all manner of evil expressions and foolish trust in false gods. The fertile field of opportunity and freedom is not the problem. The farmer who does not understand that his own life is to be God’s cultivated field and His fruitful garden is the problem. We must give God the field of our lives and let Him root out any weeds that can hinder fruitfulness. God wants us to be rooted and grounded in love. He wants believers to be fruitful and multiply His blessings.

Government is not God and must never be presented as all-provident or foolishly perceived as such. Once God is not first and the primary pursuit of our heart, we will foolishly look to inappropriate sources and ineffective solutions. It is a crime to allow children to think anyone owes them a life or a living. There is not an affective charitable act on this planet apart from compassion in action hands out, not just hand-outs.

I will close with this clear and startling image: When I witnessed the rage and riots in Greece, God spoke to my heart very clearly: “What you see is a microcosm of what will happen here in the United States if we do not see a return to God and a spiritual awakening within the church. Businesses and corporations will be attacked and ransacked. Normal activity will be disrupted. Perceived luxury items (cars and houses) subject to damage. Anything giving the appearance of success or prosperity will be damaged. Darkness will prevail spiritually and energy sources will be short-circuited. Communication lines will be severed. All this organized by evil factions who are controlled by the powers of darkness and who are the enemies of liberating truth and true freedom.” God forbid that Islamic extremists should get their hands on nuclear weapons. The former Soviet threat pales in comparison with what these radicals desire to unleash on the United States and our allies.

Misguided media and manipulators of people will place blame on and accuse those who have dared to proclaim the truth as being a major cause of the riotous acts. People who are filled with love, compassion and truth will be blamed for the despicable acts perpetrated by those who seek to bring the United States and free nations under their control.

The only possibility of preventing such actions will be the love and power of God released through the people of faith. There will be no healthy redirection of this nation apart from God’s wisdom along with the influence and the bold witness of Spirit-filled God-loving Christians. The government and Marshall Law will not be adequate. God is the answer and His love expressed freely through His people is the only way to miss what will surely come our way apart from repentance and the return to truth and to the God of our fathers. Consider Nineveh! Repentance offers hope.

I have been sharing and will continue to share the impressions I have while praying and seeking God’s will with all my heart.  When you spend much time with someone and get to know them well, it’s amazing how clearly you hear and recognize their voice.  Because I do hear God’s heart, I am unable to hold back the release of the river of love, truth and concern that fills my heart to overflowing.

God has not just given me a sermon, He has given me a message. A sermon is often about something, but a message is to someone. A sermon is heard, but a message must be heeded. Sermons are preached. Messages are delivered. There is a difference. The latter demands a response and calls for immediate, appropriate action. As with hearing God, messages from Him will always be in perfect harmony with the Word of God.

The invitation of Jesus to come as little chicks to the shelter and shadow of His covering is the image I keep seeing and the clear word that I keep hearing. He offered this invitation while praying over Jerusalem and He could see clearly the coming desolation because God’s Word through the prophets had been spurned. If Christians will pray and listen and then stand boldly and fearlessly, faith and freedom will prevail. I am praying continually, “Oh Lord, let us hear and respond to Your invitation and not experience the desolation that can be avoided through your grace and our response to Your heart and Your Word.”

Radical Joy

Excerpt from Tullian Tchividjian post:  Suffering Does Not Rob You Of Joy - Idolatry Does

Job’s maintained his joy and perspective in a season of suffering because he held onto a robust theology of grace. Job knew that he was not entitled to anything he had—God held the title to everything. He knew that everything he had was on loan from God—he understood he was an owner of nothing and a steward of everything. So he was able to say, “I came with nothing from the womb; I go with nothing to the tomb. God gave me children freely then, He took them to himself again. At last I taste the bitter rod, my wise and ever blessed God” (John Piper). While he loved his health and children and reputation and wealth, he didn’t locate his identity in those things.

This clearly shows that if the foundation of your identity is your things—the thing that makes me who I am is this position, these relationships, having this name, having this  money, and so on—then suffering will be pulling you away from the uttermost foundations of your joy, and that will make you mad, bitter, and sad. But if your identity is anchored in Christ, so that you are able to say, “Everything I need I already possess in Him”, then suffering drives you deeper into your source of joy. Suffering, in other words, shows us where we are locating our identity. Suffering reveals what we’re building our life on and what we’re depending on to make life worth living.

This means that suffering itself does not rob you of joy—idolatry does. If you’re suffering and you’re angry, bitter, and joyless it means you’ve idolized–and felt entitled to–whatever it is you’re losing. Entitlement and self-pity stem from our belief that we deserve more than what we’re getting–love, attention, respect, approval. The gospel, however, frees us to revel in our expendability! The gospel alone provides us with the foundation to maintain radical joy in remarkable loss. Joylessness and bitterness in the crucible of pain happens when we lose something (or think we deserve something) that we’ve held onto more tightly than God.

Same Core Message?

Excerpt from Ed Stetzer post:  Multifaith and the Global Faith Forum, Part 2

Let's take a closer look at the four world religions that represent approximately 75 percent of the world's population. (Recent population surveys indicate that there are 2.1 billion Christians, 1.5 billion Muslims, 900 million Hindus and 376 million Buddhists in the world). Do these religions actually have the same basic core message?

Most Americans think they do. In a study of about 1500 adults, who have not been to church, synagogue, or mosque for anything other than a wedding, holiday or funeral, they expressed the views of many. Among unchurched adults, 58% of younger adults (ages 18-29) believe "the God of the Bible is no different from other gods found in world religions" as compared to 67% among older adults (30 years and older) who believe the same. But, does that make sense? If it did, it would be the basis for interfaith cooperation. But, if it is not, we must consider a different approach.

Let's start with the most basic message of each religion--the definition of "God." If all the world's religions are at their core the same, certainly they would at least be able to agree on the definition of God. So, what does each religion teach about God?

Within the various streams of Hindu thought, there are multiple answers to the question, "Who or what is god?" Hindus can believe that there is one god, 330 million gods, or no god at all. The Vedas, the most ancient of Hindu Scriptures which are accepted by most Hindus as normative, teach that "Atman is Brahman," or "the soul is god" meaning that all that is is god--god is in each of us and each of us is part of god. This belief is reflected in the common greeting "Namaste" which has been interpreted to mean the god within me recognizes and greets the god within you."

In his apologetic for the Buddhist faith, Ven S. Dhammika, a Buddhist and the author of several popular books on Buddhism, writes, "Do Buddhists believe in god? No, we do not. There are several reasons for this. The Buddha, like modern sociologists and psychologists, believed that religious ideas and especially the god idea have their origin in fear. The Buddha says: "Gripped by fear men go to the sacred mountains, sacred groves, sacred trees and shrines" (http://www.buddhanet.net/ans73.htm). So, for an Orthodox Buddhist, the concept of any god at all is considered to be a negative superstition.

What about in Islam? According to the sacred scriptures of Islam, the Quran, in sura 112 ayat 1 through 4 we read, "Say: He is Allah, The One and Only. Allah, the Eternal, Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him." This is further explained in a primer for Muslim children as follows:

Allah (SWT) is absolute, and free from all defects and has no partner. He exists from eternity and shall remain eternal. All are dependent on Him, but He is independent of all. He is father to none, nor has he any son (Islamic Reader Book 2, p.10).

Christians believe that there is one God who is the creator of the world. He is a personal God, meaning he is not a force, or idea, but a conscious, free and moral being. And he is not only a personal God, but a God of providence who is involved in day-to-day affairs of his creation. He is a moral God who expects ethical behavior from each of us. He expects His followers to live out their belief by loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Second only to that is the command to love their neighbor as they love themselves. God, while being One in essence, reveals Himself in three persons--Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

So, according to the four largest world religions God does not exist, God is one with creation and takes on millions of forms, God is one, and God is trinity--One God in Three Persons.

If we cannot even agree on the basic definition of "God" and his character, how can we say that all religions teach the same thing? Pretending that we all believe the same thing does not foster dialogue, but, in fact, prohibits it.

Steep

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Matthew 6:33 [Message]

Faithful Presence

Post at DG by Michael Johnson:  Faithful Presence Amid "Continuous Partial Attention"

At this very moment, you’re multi-tasking:

1. you’re likely at work, home, or at a “third space”;
2. have multiple windows open on your screen;
3. are listening to music;
4. are reading another blog post;
5. are talking to/thinking about someone;
6. reading or writing an e-mail;
7. are blinking;
8. have a pulse.

Okay, scratch the last two. (And lest you surmise I suffer from the “I’m okay, you’re not okay” malady, ironically I’m multi-tasking even as I compose this blog post.)

So let’s pause now—really, right now—stop all multi-tasking: turn off your cell phone, don’t check e-mail, take a break from anything media related, and slowly work your way through this quotation from James Davison Hunter:

The very nature of modern life is its fragmentation and segmentation into multiple constellations of experience, knowledge, and relationships with each constellation grounded in a specific social and institutional realm of a person’s life. Under such conditions, we experience a fragmentation of consciousness—what someone has recently called, “continous partial attention.” This fragmentation is often reinforced by a world of hyperkinetic activity marked by unrelenting interruption and distraction. On the one hand, such conditions foster a technical mastery that prizes speed and agility, and facility with multiple tasks—for example, using e-mail, I-M, the cell phone, the iPod, all the while eating lunch, holding a conversation, or listening to a lecture. But on the other hand, these very same conditions undermine our capacity for silence, depth of thinking, and focused attention. In other words, the context of contemporary life, by its very nature, cultivates a kind of absence in the experience of “being elsewhere.” Faithful presence resists such conditions and the frame of mind it cultivates. (To Change the World, 252)

So what’s the corrective to this “fragmentation of consciousness?” Become lifelong card-carrying Luddite members to the Neil Postman Fan Club? Do we even need a corrective? Just how will we cultivate a theology (and lifestyle) of a distinctively Christian “faithful presence?”

Think about it and give it prayerful consideration, and stay tuned for Hunter’s answer.

God's Presence

Miscellanies post:  Godliness

Some reference books are so valuable they should read be read from cover to cover annually. In this category I would place the Collected Writings of John Murray (Banner of Truth, 1976–1982). On just about every page the reader will find gems like this one (1:183):

Godliness is God-consciousness, an all-pervasive sense of God’s presence. It will mean that never do we think, or speak, or act, without the undergirding sense of God’s presence, of his judgement, of our relation to him and his relation to us, of our responsibility to him and dependence upon him.

Everything in the Name of the Lord

What's Best Next post:  Bonhoeffer on Work and Prayer

From Life Together:

After the first morning hour, the Christian’s day until evening belongs to work. “People go out to their work and to their labor until the evening” (Ps 104:23). . . . Praying and working are two different things. Prayer should not be hindered by work, but neither should work be hindered by prayer. Just as it was God’s will that human beings should work six days and rest and celebrate before the face of God on the seventh, so it is also God’s will that every day should be marked for the Christian both by prayer and work. Prayer also requires its own time. But the longest part of the day belongs to work. The inseparable unity of both will only become clear when work and prayer each receives its undivided due. Without the burden and labor of the day, prayer is not prayer; and without prayer, work is not work. Only the Christian knows that. Thus it is precisely in the clear distinction between them that their oneness becomes apparent. . . .

The  unity of prayer and work, the unity of the day, is found because finding [God] behind the day’s work is what Paul means by his admonition to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). The prayer of the Christian reaches, therefore, beyond the time allocated to it and extends into the midst of the work. It surrounds the whole day, and in so doing, it does not hinder the work; it promotes work, affirms work, gives work great significance and joyfulness. Thus every word, every deed, every piece of work of the Christian becomes a prayer. . . . “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:17).

Goal

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ Devotional

FERTILE SOIL FOR GROWTH
 
1 Timothy 1:5
The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith


Perhaps the greatest service performed by trials and tribulations in our lives is to reveal wrong goals. It's during these times of pressure that your emotions raise their warning flags signaling blocked goals, uncertain goals, and impossible goals which are based on our desires instead of God's goal of proven character.

People say, "My marriage is hopeless," then "solve" the problem by changing partners. But if you think your first marriage is hopeless, be aware that second marriages are failing at a far higher rate. Others feel their jobs are hopeless. So they change jobs, only to discover that the new job is just as hopeless. People tend to look for quick-fix solutions to difficult situations. But God's plan is for you to hang in there and grow up.

Is there an easier way to being God's person than through enduring tribulations? Believe me: I've been looking for one. But I must honestly say that it has been the dark, difficult times of testing in my life which have brought me to where I am today. I thank God for the occasional mountaintop experiences, but the fertile soil for growth is always down in the valleys of tribulation, not on the mountaintops. Paul says, "The goal of our instruction is love" (1 Timothy 1:5). Notice that if you make that your goal, then the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy (instead of depression), peace (instead of anxiety), and patience (instead of anger)(Galatians 5:22, 23).

How would you give hope to a woman whose husband just left? "Oh, we will win him back," you say. Great desire; wrong goal. Trying to manipulate that husband or the circumstance is probably why he left in the first place. It is better to say to the woman, "If you haven't committed yourself to be the wife and mother God has called you to be, would you now?" According to Romans 5:3-5, our hope lies in the proven character that come through perseverance.

Prayer: Father, enable me today to persevere through the trials of life and thereby develop strong character and hope. 

 

Annoyance

Ray Ortlund post:  Hello Goodbye

“I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello.”  The Beatles.

Opposites do not attract.  They annoy.  Which is good for us.  Annoyance alerts us to spikes of demandingness we hadn’t noticed in ourselves before.  It is good for us, stretching and humbling and maturing, to find a win-win path forward rather than a winner-take-all defeat of the other.  Where in the gospel are we taught to win?  Doesn’t 1 Corinthians 6:7 confront us with the unanswerable “Why not rather suffer wrong?”  This is the mind of Christ, clearly displayed at the cross.

Unless the conflict is a matter of gospel truth, as it was in Galatians 2:11-21, when Peter’s cowardice threatened to nullify the grace of God, the conflict’s intensity can be moderated by Ephesians 5:21: “. . . submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Submitting is fitting in, no one demanding to get it all his own way, no one withdrawing in sullenness, but everyone moving closer and bending around to make it work.  Submitting is taking the risk that I might not get as big a slice of the pie as I think I deserve, and being okay with that, because it will probably turn out that way — or it will feel as though it’s turning out that way.  Above all else, submitting is revering Christ above Self: “. . . out of reverence for Christ.”

It turns Hello Goodbye into Hello Hello.

Amazing Truth

Miscellanies post:  God Is For Me

I treasure the for me/for us phrases in Psalm 56:9/Romans 8:31. It is a majestic thought that the holy God of the universe can be for me/for us. It is a divine reality so startling that we can only explain this favor as a gift of grace. It should drive from us all vain thoughts of spiritual superiority.

In my reading over the years I’ve gathered a small collection of quotes to help me meditate on this amazing truth. Here are three examples:

John Piper, sermon, “God Did Not Spare His Own Son,” August 18, 2002:

O how precious are those two words, “for us” [Rom. 8:31]. There are no more fearful words in the universe than the words, “God is against us.” … We live forever with God against us or with God for us. And all who are in Christ may say with almost unspeakable joy, “God is for us.” He is on our side.

Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV/2 728:

What can and should and must be done by the man to whom the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth has stopped down from his eternal and inaccessible majesty in inconceivable goodness and overflowing majesty to take man to Himself by taking his place and bearing his curse and burden? What can and should and must be done by the man to whom it is given in the quickening power of the Holy Spirit to accept the fact that God is for him in this way? What remains for the Christian to do? What is his part? Or rather, what is he allowed and commissioned and commanded to do? Since this is the case, and he knows it, in what consists his Christian freedom? There can obviously be only one answer to this question. This is the simple and unequivocal answer that he must accept and receive the One who comes to him and that which is given in and by Him; that he must be content in unconditional and childlike confidence to hold to the fact that God is for him; that he must acknowledge and recognize and confess this; that he must place himself on this ground and walk on it without hesitation or vacillation; that he must be satisfied and rejoice and constantly return to the fact that he may be undeservedly but quite indisputably be the child of God.

C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, evening of July 13:

It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase, “God is for me” [Ps 56:9]. He was “for us” before the worlds were made; he was “for us,” or he would not have given his well-beloved son; he was “for us” when he smote the Only-begotten, and laid the full weight of his wrath upon him—he was “for us,” though he was against him; he was “for us,” when we were ruined in the fall—he loved us notwithstanding all; he was “for us,” when we were rebels against him, and with a high hand were bidding him defiance; he was “for us,” or he would not have brought us humbly to seek his face. He has been “for us” in many struggles; we have been summoned to encounter hosts of dangers; we have been assailed by temptations from without and within—how could we have remained unharmed to this hour if he had not been “for us”?

He is “for us,” with all the infinity of his being; with all the omnipotence of his love; with all the infallibility of his wisdom; arrayed in all his divine attributes, he is “for us,”—eternally and immutably “for us”; “for us” when yon blue skies shall be rolled up like a worn out vesture; “for us” throughout eternity. And because he is “for us,” the voice of prayer will always ensure his help. “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies be turned back.” This is no uncertain hope, but a well grounded assurance—“this I know.” I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up for the answer, assured that it will come, and that mine enemies shall be defeated, “for God is for me.” O believer, how happy art thou with the King of kings on thy side! How safe with such a Protector! How sure thy cause pleaded by such an Advocate! If God be for thee, who can be against thee?

Wrong Conclusion

Pastor Steven Furtick post:  Grapes and Giants

We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large…we can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. All the people we saw there are of great size.
Numbers 13:27-28


The Israelites had finally reached the Promised Land. But it wasn’t what everybody thought it would be.

There was a reward. But there was also opposition.

There were grapes. But there were also giants.

So they came to the conclusion that this couldn’t what God was calling them to do. This couldn’t be God’s will, because God’s will had to be easier than this.

We tend to think the same way. Many people consider opposition a sign that they must not be in the will of God. We think the Promised Land is where the blessings are going to be. Being in God’s will is where life is supposed to be easy. Therefore, battle, opposition, struggle, and enemies must be a sign that we aren’t in the right place.

But apparently a sign of God’s will is not the ease with which you obtain it. Apparently the very sign of the Promised Land is giants. Conflict. Opposition.

In other words, being in God’s will doesn’t guarantee a tension-free job. Or a conflict-free marriage. Or a trouble-free life. In fact, the very presence of tension, conflict, and trouble could be a sign that you’re right where you need to be.

You might be thinking that you’re not in God’s will right now. You’re going through all this fighting and it shouldn’t be like this. It must mean you’re in the wrong place.

Not necessarily. It might mean that you’re in exactly the right place. I doubt Satan is going to put up a fight to keep you from doing what you shouldn’t be doing. What if you changed your perspective and saw what you’re facing as a sign that you’re exactly where God wants you to be, because giants live in the Promised Land?

That doesn’t make it easy. But remember:

There was opposition for the Israelites. But there was also a reward.

There were giants. But there were also grapes.

A sign of God’s will isn’t just the opposition you’re facing. It’s also the fact that with God you can actually overcome it. And the reward that you will get for sticking it out will far outshine any opposition that you’re facing.

Extravagant Mercy

Christine Wyrtzen Devotional:

BAD NEWS - GOOD NEWS
 
"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God."  Romans 3:10-11

I can not be fully moved by the Gospel and the power of the cross until I admit to myself that I am not good at the core of me.  Left to myself, I would not even want God.  My desire to come to Jesus was fueled by a gift of grace, something I couldn't conjure up on my own.  It's hard to admit that I would be capable of any sin.  Instead, I want to make one horizontal comparison after another.  "But God, I didn't do what that person did."

During a meal they shared, just before Jesus was arrested and brought to trial, Jesus revealed to Peter that in the next few hours, Peter would betray Him.  He explained that, when pressured, Peter would deny even knowing Him.  Peter's face fell at the news.  I can't help but wonder if he thought, "What?!  I'm capable of that?"  That was the bad news.  But what followed was the good news for any of us who are fixated on how much we are bent to sin.  Jesus said to Peter, "Don't be worried and upset."  There was mercy before the betrayal.

A few weeks ago, I had a short time to spend with a 13-year-old boy who is in trouble with the authorities for stealing.  He is on the verge of going into permanent juvenile detention.  He attended a day of my teaching while under house arrest and I saw him soak in the message.  During a break, He came to talk with me about his life.

I asked him point blank.  "Why are you stealing?"

"Because I want the kids in school to be impressed by what I have.  How do I stop?"

"You have to treasure Jesus more than you treasure the payoff you get from stealing."  I explained that the only way that would happen was to meditate on the Word of God and fall in love with Christ.  The payoff of being loved by Jesus would far outweigh the reward of how he felt when he held stolen goods in his hands.

As I think about this young kid, orphaned, trying to survive by grabbing what he can in this world, I realize that I am faced with similar choices as I am inclined to run from the truth of who I really am without the power of Christ in my life.

1.) I can live trying to pretend that I am better than I am but then I take the cross lightly. 

 2.) I can live overwhelmed by my sin, hate myself for failing, but then think that the cross is not for someone bad like me.

3.) I can embrace the bad news that, left to myself, I would not seek Christ.  But His extravagant mercy reaches out to save me and entirely change my nature.  The Gospel is for me, still, every day.  

Bad news ~ I am a sinner.  Good news ~ I am His, daily changed by His grace.

There aren't enough ways to praise You for what You do for me everyday. I boast in You.  Amen

Obedient Trust

Another (see yesterday) excerpt from Ed Stetzer post: Book Interview:  Jon Walker on Costly Grace

ES: You say that following Jesus requires an "obedient trust." That is such a specific phrase. What do you mean by it? Can you give a biblical illustration?

JW: In many ways, the word "faith" has lost its meaning. We speak of faith, but often what we mean is something abstract and fanciful. In writing Costly Grace, I wanted the reader to understand the biblical essence of the word. Faith is not only trusting Jesus, it also means we are obedient to Jesus. We line up with the will of God and that shows we love God. We do what Jesus tells us to do and that shows we trust him. It is a loving, obedient trust.

Bonhoeffer says this means our faith must be concrete. We show Jesus we trust him by being obedient to what he tells us to do. And by being obedient, we learn that we can trust him more.

When Jesus walked on the water, Peter verbally expressed faith that Jesus could empower him to walk on the water also. But his faith didn't become real until he stepped out of the boat. That's when it became a concrete faith, when he climbed out of the boat in obedience to the call of Jesus. When he put his foot on the water and it didn't sink, he learned he could trust Jesus. That made it easier to be obedient with the next step, where he, again, learned Jesus was good for his promises.

ES: Peter learned to trust Jesus by being obedient to Jesus. His faith, in essence, was 'obedient trust.' Jesus always brings us to a choice - do you believe me or not? Will you trust me in this circumstance or not?

JW: Of course, Peter eventually sank beneath the waves, but that is because he let fear overtake his faith. Another choice we often have is, will you submit to your fear or to your faith in Jesus? Many of us are still sitting in the boat saying we have faith, but that means we will never learn we can trust Jesus. We only learn to trust him by being obedient to him.

ES: Why are grace and truth inseparable? How can we tell if we're trying to separate one from the other?

JW: The apostle John tells us that Jesus is full of grace and truth and, now that we have the life of Christ present in our lives, we are full of grace and truth (John 1:14-16). Jesus holds them together in us just as they are held together in him.

Legalists try to separate truth from grace and so they begin to see grace as a license to sin. Grace sounds like heresy to them.

On the other hand, those who are unrestrained by grace (licentious) try to separate grace from truth and so they begin to see truth a 'law'. Truth sounds like legalism if we are abusing grace.

In Jesus, grace is always truthful and truth is forever gracious. There is no way to have the fullness of grace and truth apart from Him. He didn't come to show us ways of grace and truth or give us definitions of grace and truth. He came to be all the grace and all the truth we will ever need and to freely offer both to us in the gift of Himself.

If I am full of grace, there is no excuse for legalism in my life (Matthew 23:4; Matthew 11:28-30). If I am full of truth, there is no excuse for 'cheap grace' (unrestraint, licentiousness) in my life (Matthew 5:17-20; John 8:11).

The only reason to live as a legalist or to abuse grace is unbelief in the adequacy of Jesus. Legalism and 'cheap grace' both show a lack of faith. We live faithlessly because we do not trust Jesus.

ES: Why must we bear the sins of others? Doesn't Christ do that for us?

JW: The way we become like Jesus is through suffering and rejection. Jesus became the Christ because he was rejected and suffered, and for us to become his disciples - to become like Christ - we must share in his rejection, suffering, and crucifixion.

Bonhoeffer says, "God is a God who bears." The Son of God wrapped himself in our flesh and then carried the cross, even as he carried our sins, straight up a hill called Golgotha. Because we are his disciples, we are called to bear the burdens of others, including their sins.

This doesn't mean we create righteousness in others - although our witness may ignite a desire for righteousness, which will lead them to Jesus. Rather it means we must bear a cost for someone else's sin.

For instance, if a father is caught up in pornography, his sin will cost others. It will cost his wife, it will cost his children, it will cost his friendships, it will cost the women he meets because he will no longer see them as daughters of God, and it costs those who are part of the pornographic images, essentially encouraging them in their sin. It can cost physically, monetarily, relationally, but there is a huge price spiritually.

We must bear his sin and that means we don't blame or become bitter, but rather we invest in his life. We help him to get out of his bondage and into an obedient trust of Jesus. Bonhoeffer says this is "precisely what it means to be a Christian."

This is how God brings out the life of Christ planted in us by the Holy Spirit and it enables us to take the deep regrets and loss in our lives, those past and present, and view them as God's way of acquainting us with the grief, heartache, and sorrow Jesus experienced on his way to the cross. In this way, Paul says, the death of Christ is at work in us so that the life of Christ can be at work in others (2 Corinthians 4:12).