Silent Night

There is still that kid inside of me that dreams of a white Christmas. The Pacific Northwest usually sees snow one or two times a year and it only lasts a day or two. And every year, the snow comes either before or after Christmas, but never on Christmas. That is why we are famous for the Christmas song, Christmas in the Northwest:

The wind may not blow

Might not even snow

But there's nothing like Christmas

Right here at home

It may not be white

Might be a rainy night

But there's nothing like sharing

The sounds and the sights of ...

Christmas in the Northwest

Is a gift that we can share

Christmas in the Northwest

Is a child's answered prayer

Take away the presents

And they still will have a dream

For Christmas in the Northwest

Is a gift God wrapped in green

Well, this year God wrapped it in white. That song that the kid inside of me has been singing all these years, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, came true and then some. It snowed off and on for two weeks before Christmas. And the snow did not go away. It just kept piling up. Missed schools days, trapped at home, icy and snow roads, cars stuck. And on Christmas day we woke to the biggest fluffiest flakes we had seen yet.

The down part was that we had to cancel almost everything on the calendar. We missed church for 3 weeks in a row. That is why it was pretty special to finally make it to the Christmas eve service. We went to first one that was the day before on the 23rd. I guess that makes it the Christmas eve eve service.

Once again, I was touched when the congregation sang Silent Night with the lights dimmed as we lit candles. I don't know what is about that song. It is such a simple song. Not as theologically rich like O Holy Night or some of the other Christmas hymns. Yet in multiple occassions, I find myself teary-eyed when I hear its soft refrain. Perhaps it is the innocent, child-like feel that it has. After all, Scripture tells us that we are to enter the Kingdom of heaven as children, humble and trusting. Or maybe it is the 3rd verse:

Silent Night, Holy Night

Son of God, loves pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord at thy birth

Jesus, Lord at thy birth

It must the pure and holy love of Christ, coming first in the form of an innocent and pure child, unblemished with the original sin that affects even the most beautiful, precious newborns of men. And the love that grew into a man and touched the blind beggars, accepted the outcasts of society, restored the lonely and hopeless, healed the sick and raised the dead. And the pure light of love that left the glories of heaven, came to earth as a son of man, and gave his innocent live for the guilty to earn them the peace of innocence returned, and the hope of eternal love and joy.

Merry Christmas!

John

It is so right to give honor to the God who made all things and who provides all things for us. Above all else, we are to honor our great heavenly Father and Lord. Here are some devotional verses that I am using in my time of worship:

Acts 17: 24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

Acts 17:28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Act 14:17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

1Timoth 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lord, how gracious you are. Your honor is precious. I acknowledge that all goodness comes from you. Words can not express how my heart is touched as you have revealed your kindness and grace.

Thanksgiving

This last sunday our pastor's message was focused on giving thanks. The text he used was from Romans 8. This bible passage shows what we really have to be thankful for in our salvation that is through Jesus:

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.

Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because of what God did through Christ on mybehalf, I am no longer subject to condemnation! God loves me and has planned to conform me to the image of Jesus. He loves me and nothing can separate me from that love. He will give me every spiritual blessing along with all the followers of Jesus and will turn every bad thing into good. There is a glory waiting that far surpasses any hardships of this life. For this I am thankful!

How To Endure All Things

Exodus 33:14 The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

The secret to a faith that endures through all trials, trouble and evils of this life is the presence of God. Every follower of Christ is one because the presence of God became a living reality. There is nothing sweeter, purer, holier and more beautiful than knowing and experiencing the Lord's closeness. When things happen that don't make sense and leave us confused and doubt knocks on the door, Christ's presense brings healing comfort and consolation.

These are not just empty words. When our gracious Lord is present to the soul, it is truly tanglible and real--an experience that is so revolutionary that it is life changing. It is the presence of the Lord that brings comfort, joy, peace, repentance, hope and love and strengthens the soul to endure whatever hardships life produces.

God's presence is holy. I do not sense it as often as I crave for. I so often forget to seek the Lord and become content in my life without his presence. Then I become dry and hardened. But here is what He promises:

Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.

If you seek for God, you will find Him. He will make his presence known. How do you seek Him? You devote time to calling out to Him in prayer. You ask Him to make His presence known. You hunger for Him to be near. You read His Word in the Bible and trust His promises.

Here are some verses about His presence:

Philippians 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 84:10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Lord, it is good to be in your presence. There is nothing better and more fulfilling. For we were created by You to be complete and whole when we are near you. Do not hide yourself from me, for I hunger and thirst for you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may endure.

Higher than our Ways

Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In my on-going journey of faith, one battle lies in the temptation to make God into my own image. It is that tendacy to project upon God my own shortcommings. If I am struggling to forgive others, that sin erects a barrier in my heart that makes it difficult to believe that God is willing to forgive. One's unkindness may make it difficult to believe that God is kind. A stingy heart might find it hard to accept God's generiosity.

I am reminded by this passage of Scripture that God's ways are above mine. He says directly before this passage:

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

God is willing to forgive. Turn to the Lord (in faith) and not away from Him (in unbelief). He will not only forgive, but freely pardon. It is never to late to receive forgiveness because He is good, kind to the guilty who ask for mercy.

Lord, renew me daily in the knowledge of you. I am sad that I so often underestimate your willingness to bless me with your favor.

What does it mean to believe?

It is simple. It is more than a matter of whether or not you acknowledge that God exists and that Jesus was a real person. The real question of faith is what is your disposition toward the God of the Bible? If it is one of opposition, hostility, disinterest or irrelevance, then even though one acknowledges the existence of God, one is not really a 'believer'. The one who has really come to believe is the one whose disposition toward Jehovah God, God of Abraham and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is one of honor, praise, faith and love. It is in this light that we can answer the question "Do I believe?"

Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

Lord, I pray that your honor would always be before me. For you are good and your greatness is beyond measure. I honor you for the good that you have promised those who believe and the grace you have given to us sinners who do not deserve your blessing. Please do not take your Holy Spirit away from so that I may have a willing spirit who continues to believe.

God's Goodness and Justice

What does God's goodness mean to you and I? How are you and I to respond to His goodness and kindess toward us? Here we are getting into the whole notion of what justice really means. When someone has been genuinely nice to me, it is right and just that I treat them with honor and respect according to their kindness. If they have been extremely good and nice to me, then I owe them greater honor. On the other hand to treat the person with comtempt and dishonor is an injustice.

The right, fair and just way to respond to God's loving kindness toward us is with love, respect and honor. To respond with hostility, disrespect and dishonor is a great, great injustice toward God.

If God had not been good toward us, there would be no obligation to honor him, but because everything we have that is good ultimately and intentionally comes from him toward us, our obligation is not only honor, but worship and love above all other things.


The book of James says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (chapter 1, vs 16). Every breath we take is because God actively sustains our life. Every love we experience is His gift because "love comes from God" (1 John 4:7). Every hardship that we have been delivered out of and that we have grown because of is due to the saving power of the Lord's deliverance. Every blessing is given by "the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17).

In closing, I include one of my favorite Psalms:

Psalm 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

His Story of Goodness, Part 8: Sacrificial Love

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13)

God has shown love and good will toward all in that Jesus sacrificed his life to save us. This is the highest form of good that we can conceive of. To actually give one's life for the good of another, how can there be a greater expression of love? And remember, it was toward you and I that this good will was expressed. There are many ways people bring the goodness of God into question: If God is good why is there evil? If God is good why do good people suffer?

These questions are juxtaposed against the truth that God so loved the world that Christ died for our sins to bring us into the eternal blessing of God. If God is not good, why did Jesus pay the price for our guilt and evil? The cross of Christ once and for all answers the question "Is God good?" Jesus has demonstrated sacrificial love toward you!

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

His Story of Goodness Part 7: Eternal Life

"...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23b)

Of all the expressions of God's heart of goodness, none other reaches the pinacle as the gift of eternal life. What is probably the most well known and loved verse in the Bible bears this out beautifully:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 NKJV)

When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it means more than just existing forever. It means living forever in perfection. That means all that is imperfect will will be gone forever!

1 Corinthians 13:10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

From the last book of the Bible, when the "apostle whom Jesus loved" was shown a glimpse of this:

Revelation 21:2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

It will be perfect because because we will dwell with God and see him face to face (Revelation 22:3-4). He will glorify His children (Romans 8:15-17). He will perfect us, conforming us to His image (Romans 8:29-30 , 1 John 3:1-2). He will transform these tired, sick and mortal bodies into beautiful, glorious and immortal ones (1 Corinthians 15:42-44; Philippians 3:20-21). Our joy will be perfect and last forever (Isaiah 35:10, Psalm 16:11). We will reign with Christ (Romans 5:17). He will share with us all the treasures of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

All of this is ours through faith. Believe from the heart that God is good and worthy of our praise. Believe that he is good enough to offer all this and it will be your!

Revelation 22: 12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

17The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

His Story of Goodness Part 6: Adoption

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1)

God's essential nature is love. How wonderful that expression of that nature toward us in that God Himself would be to us our Father. Not a dictator, not a tyrant, not a ruthless ruler, but as our God He also becomes toward us our Father. This means an intimate, loving relationship where He cares for, provides, teaches, shares His riches with and dwells with us. The perfect Father.

Those in Christ are said to be "adopted" by God:

Ephesians 1:4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

How marvelous that by believing in His Son, he bestows upon us "sonship" in which "we might receive the full rights of sons" (Galatians 4:5). In doing so, he has made us holy--set apart for special honor. In adopting us, He is said to be "lavishing" love upon us. Imagine that glory, to be lavished with the love of God! Why does he do such an awesome thing? Because He is good.

Therefore, let us give Him sacred honor in our hearts, elevating our affection toward Him to the level of worship! Let us not forget or treat as a common thing the love that is lavished upon us but let us consider Him holy. Let us set him apart for sacred honor.

O Lord God, what an awesome privilege to have you as Father. Increase my faith by your Spirit that this gift might not become "normal" but continually bring joy and a sense of awe of your great love!

His Story of Goodness, Part 5: The Fruit of His Spirit

"You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)

It is not that unusual for someone to imagine the perfect life as consisting either fortune or fame. Yet it is also not unusual for those who have received these to be left empty and unfulfilled. What we all really want is happiness. If someone were able to give us the gift of happiness, would we not be grateful? Would we not consider them to be good?

I recently finished watching an inspiring DVD that chronicled the events leading to the conversion of 5 different people from 5 different parts of the world speaking 5 different languages. In each of these stories, dreams or visions of Christ totally transformed their lives. The common denominator in these stories was the pure love, joy and peace they experienced as they felt God's presence. These stories are not isolated and unusual cases. I have talked to other Christians and have read other testimonies that all share this experience. But it is my own experience of the presence of Jesus that totally wipes away all doubts that He is truly good.

I remember the early days of my conversion when I first experienced the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit. The love of Christ I felt was so strong and so pure that is was incomparable. The joy that came over me was like a waterfall that filled my soul. The peace He gave me was unequaled to anything in this world. I would not be telling the truth if I said my Christian life was always like this. I too often get pulled away from seeking Him by distractions and other desires. But these things I run after never come close to what I find in His presence. And throughout my walk of faith, He has drawn me back to Himself and renewed His presence in my heart.

My experience, the experiences of others, is what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit. It is the result of the Spirit of God indwelling converted believers. It is real, it is true, it is tangible, it is universally experienced by believers from every age, nation and language. Because it is the same Spirit of the same good God who works the same way in all whom He brings to His Son.

It is this powerful presence of love that truly converts us to believers and convinces us truly that "the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever" (Psalm 106:1).

His Story of Goodness, Part 4: Forgiveness

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

What joy can compare to having the great burden of guilt removed from one's shoulders? What relief is there like having the filth of one's shame wiped clean? Or what gratitude can be expressed like having the one against whom a great crime was committed shine down forgiveness and acceptance?

God's goodness in no more clearly seen than in His willingness to forgive those who have sinned greatly against him; and to make clean those who stand unclean before His pure eyes. How can any accuse God of not being good when He forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin?

Freedom

As I was praying this morning, my prayers turned to prayer for our country. To be honest, I hadn't planned on praying this way, although I should have. As I prayed, a question ran through my mind. Is this country really special? It doesn't say in the Bible, "I shall raise up a country in future times called America and it shall be my nation." The simple answer is that our country is special because it has been strongly influenced by Christians throughout its history.

For some sovereign reason, this land has had a special influence that many nations have not. Many countries are in darkness under bondage to rulers, philosophies and religions that bring both spiritual and physical harm to its people. Yet this nation, being strongly influenced by that precious faith handed down to us, has brought freedom. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Honor one another above yourselves. Maintain justice, care for the orphan and the widow. We are creatures in the image of God--the God of goodness, mercy, grace, love and justice. This is true freedom. That this country has been a truly free country and also founded on Christian principles must not be carelessly overlooked. It is the tradition of the Christian faith that has made this country great.

Yet these principles are not going unchallenged. This nation is not perfect. This nation has sins just like any country. Not all who live in this land both in present and past are or have been godly. There is evil in our land. There is injustice. There has been the shedding of innocent blood. There have been influences of greed, darkness, hate, lust that if left unchecked will bring bondage not freedom.

Our country at this time in its history is not truly one nation under God as it has professed in the past. We live in a divided country. There is one side that believes freedom and the Christian faith are inseparably linked. There is another side that believe they are not. This side often works against the Faith of our Fathers to supress it and remove its influence. There are forces that believe ridding the land of the Christian faith will bring freedom. However, doing so will bring a swift removal of freedom. The whole foundation of human dignity, charity, good will, mercy and justice would be swept away.

The blessing on our land and the true God of Scripture can not be separated. It is His face shining on our land that gives freedom. It is the knowledge of His will, His heart, His law, His morality and values that propel liberty. Take these away and the home of the free and the brave will become like other nations that oppress its people for the sake of those few who rule it.

Our struggle to maintain freedom must begin with the Truth. We must work to promote and preserve the true Christian faith. That must be our number one battle.

Blessings,
John

Members of Christ

Ephesians 5:29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.

I came across this verse the other morning. Sometimes certain tenets of faith, while cherished and believed, nevertheless fade to the realm of the subconsious only to be awaken unexpectedly on a day just like any day. Such was the case with the truth behind this verse. New life was breathed into my soul as I was reminded that I, along with all my brothers and sisters in Christ, are united to Lord. My relationship with Jesus is more than simply believing, but I am a part of His spiritual body, joined to him in some mystical way that I don't fully understand. Just as I take care of my own body, Christ Jesus takes care of His body, nurturing, feeding, caring, watching over it. My Lord is closer than I imagine. He lives in my heart. Some verses for meditation:

1 Corinthians 12:13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

Galatians 2:20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 Corinthians 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?...17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit...19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.

Lord, you have made me alive, truly alive. I cherish your presense and my heart has joy when your Spirit reminds me that I am joined to you, united in spirt, a member of your own body. You are above all and the beauty of holiness adorns you. Yet I belong to you and you cherish and nuture me as your own body. Let me go through my day the that reality fueling my soul. Amen

His Story of Goodness, Part 3: Deliverance

From the LORD comes deliverance. (Psalm 3:8)

1 Samuel 10:19 But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses...

God's character of love shows forth from the many ways he rescues people from their troubles. Each one of us have been in dire straits and have seen "a turn of events" that brought us out of the midst of our trial. The temptation is to credit it to some impersonal fate or to pure luck, but the true reason behind our turn-arounds is the good hand of the Lord.

We are admonished to remember the benefits of the Lord, who heals and redeems our life from calamity:

Psalm 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion...

Many times deliverance comes in response to our prayers that we might attribute the deliverance to God our Savior. Other times, he delivers unconditionally. He does this because He is good.

The Bible gives historic accounts of great deliverances from the Lord. When the people of God were subject to cruel slavery in Egypt, He delivered them through Moses:

Exodus 3:7 The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey..."

Even when the people were rebellious and fell into calamity, He heard them when they cried out:

Psalm 106:43 Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. 44 But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; 45 for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.

The promises of God's deliverance in Scripture are abundant. He delights to heal, rescue and save. That is why it is good to trust Him in all things at all times.

His Story of Goodness, Part 2: Earthly Care

The invisible hand behind our well-being in this life is the Lord. We are clothed, we are fed, we are sheltered, we have provision, we have loved-ones. The list goes one. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." says James in the Bible. The good things that we take for granted flow from the good heart of the Lord God Yahweh--The God who made heaven and earth; the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. You and I have been cared for. The divine hand has been opened to us. Each of us has a debt of gratitude which we owe.

Enduring Possessions

I came upon this verse reading my Bible this morning:

"for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward." -Hebrews 10:34-35 NKJV

I caught a glimpse of how life-changing this truth could be when it is truly believed and cherished. Imagine how the lustre of earthly possessions begin to pale when one is really convinced that possessions better and more enduring than anything attainable on earth await him. Talk about striking a lethal blow to the materialism in which we are entrenched in our culture. I think I will go a meditate on this treasure stored up for me in heaven!

John

Attitudes for Happiness

I got this from a friend. It really rang true to me.

1. Free your heart from hatred. Forgive.

2. Free your mind from worries; most never happen anyway.

3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

His story of goodness Part 1: Creation

Genesis 1:3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

As I reflect of God's goodness, I think about Him as Creator. Not only did he create the heavens and the earth, but he created me. I have being because of Him. I am a living soul because He determined it to be. I experience life because He made me. It was a very personable work, not a random impersonal act. Just think about that. Meditate on it for a while. I would never be here if it were not for Him.

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

His creation of us is described by terms like "knit together", "woven together", "wonderfully made". These are terms that describe careful, intentional, skilled and artistic work. Being created "in his image" bears that out. He has given us the gift of dignity, beauty and worth. Scripture gives us further clues about His act of creating us:

Colossians 1:15 He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Not only did He create us with dignity and beauty in His image, but He created us with purpose. We were created for Him--for His purpose. Our days are ordained by Him. And His purpose is show us the glory of His goodness and for us to glorify Him for it. He created us to love us as a Father loves a child and to bless us. Listen to the praise of heaven:

Revelation 4:11"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

He is worthy of our worship because He created us with dignity, beauty and purpose. He created us to bless us and love us and see His glory.

This is why rebelling against Him and turning the heart away from Him to other false gods or atheism or unbelief is such an injust and unrighteous thing. Taking the blessed life from God and using it against Him is so, so wrong--it is evil.

blessings,

John

Wrathful or Loving or Both?

I will tell you something boring about myself. I am quite the comtemplative type. What this means in a nutshell is I spend alot of time thinking to myself. Some people are more verbal. I think that is good. I just happen to think about what I believe more than voicing what I believe. I think about deep issues of faith and when I get a chance, transfer those thoughts to written medium like this blog. If you could peer into my brain, a lot of the time my comtemplation would involve trying to reconcile what seems like contradictory beliefs. If you eavesdropped on my cerebral activity over the last year or so, you would have discovered that it would have centered around this issue of reconciling God's love and wrath.

Of course it is easy just to say that the Bible teaches both and leave it at that. Or I could just ignore that the Bible teaches one and embrace the other. But that leaves me a bit dissatisfied, not to mention being dishonest with myself. I want to understand how they can both be true. How does God showing wrath not take away from him being loving?

Here's how I think that God of the Bible is viewed by the average non-religious person: some type of being who is in charge and demands everyone to obey his every whim. Those who tow the line, he doesn't bother. Those who don't agree with his unquestioned authority are in big trouble. "I'm in charge so do what I say or else!" He is viewed in much the same way as an earthly dictator; someone who craves control and cares not for the well-being of his subjects.

The Bible presents a much different story. God is a loving Creator who made man in his image for the purpose of having a loving relationship. God makes a covenant with His creatures, pledging His unending faithfulness and goodness toward them. The Scriptures are replete with references and exclamations of His gracious nature. Terms like "tender mercies" and "loving kindness" are attributed to him. Others like "His mercy endures forever" and "great is your faithfulness" are sung with a heartfelt conviction in the psalms and praises of the Bible. Over and over again the story is the same: "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise."

Then why all the references to God's anger and wrath? I start with the question, How does a loving person respond to someone who is unloving? Would a loving person be happy with someone who brings cruelty and misery? Love gets complicated when evil is involved because evil is the antithesis of love. So how does God respond to it? God is so pure in His love that He is terribly angered by evil. Yet because of His love, His reaches out to reconcile and forgive evil: "But with You there is forgiveness" (Psalm 130:4). Throughout His story, He has made a way for man to return to Him and find forgiveness and escape from the consequences of his evil. Those who enter His covenant of love through faith, receive the benefits of His grace.

The picture that is presented of the relationship between God and the one who finally receives His wrath is the one is which the person willingly persists in unbelief and unrepentance while God patiently, in love, holds out the offer of life and warns of the consequences of sin. One of the praises sung of God in the Bible is that of his longsuffering. He is "compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). Man's continual rejection of God's grace and kindness is said to try his patience and provoke his anger. Yet he continues His goodness:

"All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" (Romans 10:21)

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (Luke 6:35)

Yet, the continual rejection of God's salvation throughout one's life is said to chip away at God's patience and all the sin (e.g. unloving-ness) that could have been forgiven is being stored up for judgment:

"But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed." (Romans 2:5)

Love continues and continues until justice cries out and righteous wrath against evil is unleashed. God is not cruel or mean. His love must eventually address that which brings destruction.

Oh Lord, we thank you for your patient and steadfast love which you have shown to all us. In your persistance, you have won our heart. Thank you for your unlimited forebearance upon all who believe. We celebrate your forgiveness and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Know to Grow in the Christian Life

Instead of titling this posting "How to Grow...", I entitled it "Know to Grow..."

I've heard a lot of sermons, messages, advice and encouragment dealing with how to live a better Christian life. Almost all of them deal with developing character and moral behavior. However, as I progress in years and look at the Bible more and more, I see the pattern for growth becoming clearer to me.

The key is faith. It is believing the gospel and its promises and receiving by faith the grace that we have been given in Christ. The commands to repent, humble oneself, renounce sinful ways and of the like become just burdens to live up to without faith. Without believing faith and trust in the goodness of the Lord given to us in the gospel, the mandate to live an improved Christian life is just bondage. That is because when we look to ourselves to grow, we will only find shortcommings that breed discouragement.

The secret to growth is to immerse myself into the word of the Lord's grace. This leads to faith which leads to the experience of the Holy Spirit's power in the heart which leads to the only motivation that can make progress past the selfish desires embedded in my heart.

A Righteousness that is not my own

Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

This is incredible! It is possible to have a righteousness that is not my own. It is not my righteousness. In other words, I can be counted as righteous yet not really be righteous. Or I can be considered righteous based not on my righteousness but upon a righteousness that comes from God.

I don't think I can interpret this as God turning me into a righteous person. If this happened, then I myself would be righteous. If I became righteous in myself, then I would live up to God's law--the standard of personal righteousness. But the Apostle Paul is saying that this righteousness from God is not by the law. That means my being called righteous is not the result of my obedience to God's law.

If it is not my righteousness, then whose is it?

1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Amazing. Jesus has become for me my righteousness. This is the essence of what it means to be justified by faith. By having faith in Christ, God credits the righteousness of Jesus to me! His right-standing becomes mine even though I myself am unrighteous.

Romans 4:4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

If God judged me as righteous based upon my good deeds and good character, then it the same as my employer paying me because of the work I did. It would be something I earned and therefore deserved. But here, it is saying that the righteousness that I have is not my own but is a gift given to me through faith.

At one time in my life, I would have thought this to be foolish, cheap grace, not taking responsibility for my own actions. But that was because I pridefully believed that I myself was basically good. I trusted in my own righteousness. But then I came to realize how awesome God was and saw how I was not really that good. It was then that this gift of righteousness became dear to me. Yet another way God is so good--that He would judge me based on Jesus' merits and not my own. Jesus is not only my Lord, but the gift of righteousness from the Father above.

Why is idolatry so bad?

I have read the Old Testament of the Bible a number of times. It is the story of the nation of Israel and their relationship with God--a relationship marred by Israel's sin; that main sin being idolatry. And it was this sin that lead to God sending the nation out of the land of Israel into exile under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

Recently I was reflecting on the seriousness of idolatry and why it incurs God's wrath. To really understand it I had rehearse in my mind the history of God's works in the history of the Israelites. During the time of Moses, the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt under the cruel bondage of Pharoah. They were subjected to forced, bitter labor. But God remembered his covenant with Abraham to bless his offspring. Through mighty miracles of judgment upon Egypt, he delivered them from their ruthless slavery through Moses. He brought his people out with abundance and showed them many amazing acts of kindness and love. He made a covenant with them to be their God and to bless them abundantly. He revealed His gracious, righteous nature through the law that he delivered to Moses to have the people observe. In observing God's statutes, they would be rehearsing the goodness oftheir God and celebrating His covenant of love with them.

However, they soon fell into idolatry that started while Moses was on the mountain receiving instruction from God. They made for themself a golden calf to be their god and go before them:

Exodus 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him."

What made this so grevious to the LORD is that it was figuratively a slap in the face of His kindness and love. He could have left them to perish in Egypt yet He set His love upon them. However, in making an idol, they were rejecting Him as their God after all the mercy He had shown them and the gracious promises He had made them.

The process of adopting an idol is to reject the unmerited kindness and love of God. It is like saying, "Yeah, I know all you've done for me and how you've revealed your good nature, but I don't care for all of that. I don't really believe you are that good so I am making my own god they way I like it."

The act of idolatry is not that overt in our era, but it is nevertheless widespread and rampant. God has given us a testimony of His good will toward us through Jesus. We have the gospel proclaimed to us that inspite of our sin, Christ came from heaven to bear our guilt, dying on the cross. And that God raised him from the dead as Lord and Savior with the promise of eternal life for all who receive Him in faith.

Yet in the same way Israel rejected the revelation of God's good will toward them, so it is in our day. Many do not consider the gospel worthy of their time or attention. Sure they have heard of Jesus' death and resurrection but they refuse to see it as any use to them. Instead, they fabricate a god of their own liking in their mind and believe in that one. That god may be the non-existent one. It may be nature. It may be oneself. Or it may be another religion. But the essence is the same--a rejection of the good will and promises offered by God through Christ for all who will believe.

True Worship

Psalm 63:3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

A few weeks back, our worship leader at church was sharing her story of when worshipping God became real and meaningful to her. In so many words she said that it was when she really came to believe that God loved her through Christ. Up to that point, she recounted how it was more like going through the motions when she worshipped God.

This hit me as so simple yet so profound. It is in grasping with my heart the belief that God truly loves me personally that makes worshipping Him a real experience. It changes how I sing, how I pray and how I serve God and others. Without this revelation flowing out of my heart, it will only feel like duty or obligation. It is love deposited in the heart that makes all the difference. It changes me! I truly love Him in response to the love that I experience from Him. In the opening verse, the psalmist says he will praise the Lord with joyful lips and bless him as long as he live; he will be satisfied as when one eats a feast. Why? Because the psalmist knew the lovingkindness of the Lord. So great and real that it was better than life itself. How true is the Apostle John's proclamation, "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19 NKJV).

John Calvin summarized true faith as a person being firmly convinced of God's divine favor toward him personally, that he is reconciled to God, his loving Heavenly Father through Christ. If I have no heart conviction of God's grace toward me through the cross of our Lord, then I can not say that I have really arrived at faith, true believing faith. Because only when I become truly convinced that God has taken away my guilt, shame and sin and I have become precious and beloved to Him, can I truly return that love and live in an abiding relationship with the living God.

When I finally grasped the truth that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, loved me and gave his life for me and believed in my that that it was really true, my entire life was dramatically revolutionized. Yet even as a believer, 24 years later, the strength of the conviction ebbs and flows. When I prayerfully read or listen to God's Word, feeding on the promise of His unchanging love toward me in Christ, I tend to feel the power of that revelation return. When I get distracted and neglect the loving promises given to us, the light of that love gets relegated to just a mental affirmation.

I can sing the same song in church one week and the light of the Lord's glorious love is dim and it becomes almost just a song that I sing. Another week (like this morning!) singing the same song is more an expression of great joy, gratitude and love. In other words, it is REAL!

I pray that my life may be more characterized by this type of worship than the other. Here are a couple prayers from the Bible I will be praying for myself and others:

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Some quotes by John Piper

I thought I would share some quotes by John Piper off of his website http://www.desiringgod.org/:

"holy living is the outward form of delighting in God above all sin"

"The greatest news in all the world is that there is no final conflict between my passion for joy and God's passion for his glory. The knot that ties these together is the truth that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him."

"The love of God is not God's making much of us, but God's saving us from self-centeredness so that we can enjoy making much of him forever. And our love to others is not our making much of them, but helping them to find satisfaction in making much of God."

"Do people go to the Grand Canyon to increase their self-esteem? Probably not. This is, at least, a hint that the deepest joys in life come not from savoring the self, but from seeing splendor. And in the end even the Grand Canyon will not do. We were made to enjoy God. "

Read the entire articles:

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/
Articles/ByDate/2000/
1515_The_Goal_of_Gods_Love_May_Not_Be_What_You_Think_It_Is/

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/
ByDate/2005/1288_Godly_Sorrow_Jesus_and_Ours/


My Lord and God, great is your love and greatly to be enjoyed. Thank you for revealing your great salvation that I may sing, dance and celebrate the greatness of your mercy!

Pleasure

Along the path of my Christian walk, I occassionally come across something monumental that has a lifelong impact. Some years ago I read the book "Desiring God" by John Piper. This book was one such monumental encounter.

Piper's shocking term that he uses throughout the book is "Christian Hedonism". Hedonism is the philosophy of seeking pleasure at all costs. It is something we believers associate with crass depravity and degeneration. And in a worldly sense it is. The Christian life on the other hand is often seen as a life of surrending our desires and living a self-sacrificial life, denying pleasures and living for God out of duty. In a sense it is.

However, the denying and sacrifice is not of all pleasure. Rather it is denying ungodly and evil desires and pleasures and exchanging it for the better, pure pleasure. The truth is that God created us to find pleasure and happiness in our relationship to Him. He created so that the highest pinnacle of joy and fulfilled desire is realized when we find Him! This is not to be confused with our outer circumstances, which are usually filled with troubles. But in our inner peace and enjoyment of fellowship with the Lord.

It comes to this: God WANTS us to find the fullness of spiritual pleasure in Him. Piper says it this way: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." In other words, we glorify God the most when we enjoy Him the most. The reason we sin so often is that we believe we will find more pleasure in the sin than we would in the Lord. What an afront to God. The truth is that walking with Christ is the only path to the highest happiness.

Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 63:2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...

If I want to please God; if I want to glorify Him, then I should seek the pleasure found in Him. And I must believe that my highest happiness is found in obeying Him and demonstrate my faith by living it.

Seek true pleasure!

It is not foolishness

1 Corinthian 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Isn't it totally amazing how to people can have such diverging views? How can something be so precious to one and abhorrent to another? I remember having a conversation about the Christian faith with some one a long time ago. "I just don't understand the 'blood' thing?" What kind of God would kill his own Son? To this person, the cross was an act of a cruel God exacting pain and suffering because of our mistakes. All the more reason for this person not to accept the teachings of the Bible. Somehow, I don't think this person is alone. In fact, it is the common response of those outside the faith.

But why is it so precious to us who believe? The difference is that believers apply it to themselves personally. If you just look at the crucifixion of Christ as an event ordained by God with no application, then it will look like a cruel tragedy that makes no sense. But when a soul applies it to themselves, it takes on a new light. Yes, the cross was a primitive cruel act. But that violent death was allowed for my sake. It was an act of love by God through Christ to save me from eternal misery. Because of that cross, I will be forever in perfect divine bliss and happiness. In eternity, I will never sorrow again. There will be no more pain or suffering. I will be freed from sin and will love as I was originally intended to. I will see my God face to face and enjoy the fulness of his kindness forever!

When I apply the cross to myself, I don't see a mean God, but a God who so loved me that He allowed his one and only divine Son to come in human flesh and free me of my guilt. His love was so great that He broke his own heart by giving up his beloved Son for my sake.

Those who look at the cross as foolishness, fail to look further. If they did, they would see that the Son of God willingly took on the punishment of our sin. It was a sacrificial act of love, not a senseless event. And looking even further, they would see that it was not possible that death would keep it's hold on Jesus. The Father raised him from the dead and He is crowned in heaven with glory and honor as Lord of all. He was raised to highest position, at the Father's right hand, where He reigns forever and ever and where at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow. To those who see only foolishness, we say, "Come join the celebration!"

Our Father...

It really hit me that God being my Father has amazing implications! If God is my Father, then he is totally dedicated to my well-being. It means that the love he has for me is very, very special. He must really care about me. And he has to be committed to protecting me from harm. And his bond with me will last forever!

That truly is the grace that we have in Christ. God is our Father. This is such a radical truth. It is unique from all the other religions and philosophies of the world. As beloved children, the revelation of this grace ought to make us sing and dance and celebrate with joy!

Psalm 145:7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Dear Father in heaven, how blessed am I to be privileged to call you that! I pledge my heart to you, to honor you though I am weak. I pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to continually grasp the depth of your fatherly love and goodness and to respond to it with true praise and worship from my heart. I cling to you in faith and acknowledge every good thing we have in Christ Jesus, your only begotten son, as we are adopted as sons and daughters through him. Amen!

He Will Take Care of Me

Those are the words I felt in my heart today. There are so many things I can worry about. The future always has uncertainties. I sometimes struggle with anxiety and fears. But these words brought comfort and peace to me. I can actually take refuge in God and he will take care of me. I don't have to worry. As these words filled my soul, I suddenly felt a sense of safety. He will take care of me! Then a flood of Scriptures began to come to me that reinforced these words. Then the reality of God as my heavenly Father felt so real and personal to me. He will take care of me, every part of my life because He is my Father in heaven!

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,

Matthew 6:28 See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Psalm 91:14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

Psalm 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

Luke 12:6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

John