2nd chapter of Acts – Mansion Builder

2nd chapter of Acts – Mansion Builder

I've been told that there are those
Who will learn how to fly
And I've been told that there are those
Who will never die
And I've been told that there are stars
That will never lose their shine
And that there is a Morning Star
Who knows my mind

So why should I worry?
Why should I fret?
'Cause I've got a Mansion Builder
Who ain't through with me yet

(Repeat)

And I've been told that there's a
Crystal lake in the sky
And every tear from my eyes
Is saved when I cry
And I've been told there'll come a time
When the sun will cease to shine
And that there is a Morning Star
Who knows my mind

Revelation 4:6
6and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
Psalm 56:8
8You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle
Are they not in Your book?
Isaiah 34:4
4And all the host of heaven will wear away,
And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll;
All their hosts will also wither away
As a leaf withers from the vine,
Or as one withers from the fig tree.
Revelation 21:23
23And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Revelation 22:5
5And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
Revelation 22:16
16"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."
Isaiah 46:10
10Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, 'My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Philippians 2:15
15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

The Unseen Battle

Sometimes when I study the word, I try to imagine the scene, the thoughts, the politics, prejudices, pressures, mindset, fears, emotions and the rest. Often this is a guess, but I’ll give you one that has been rolling around in my noggin’ and more so at this time of year. Dream with me.

Luke 2:8-14
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The glory of the Lord shone around them. Was God there?

Goose chase #1:

Exodus 3:1-6
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

In Exodus 3 we see this “angel of the LORD” language. Interestingly Luke 2 says “an angel of the LORD”. Exodus 3 says “the angel of the LORD”.

I don’t read Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic, but interesting none the less.

Point: Jesus is not mentioned by name in the Old Testament, but this “angel of the LORD” language is common. In Exodus 3, it is synonymous with God himself.

I have heard some students of the word, tell me the O.T. angel of the LORD, is Christ himself.

Don’t know.

Just trying to paint the picture for where we are headed.

Back to the story #1

My point from Luke 2 is this: the angel of the LORD came and suddenly there was a great company of the heavenly host…

Why?

Wasn’t God or this Angel sufficient to announce all by themselves.

Was it an overflow of pure joy? Was it because God was there? Was it because their King, Jesus Christ, who was with God in the beginning had just completed the most stunning, jaw dropping, mind blowing, unimaginable, knee buckling thing you can imagine. Very God of Very God became flesh to take on our sin and to suffer and die.

I like to imagine that the angels could not contain themselves. They were overwhelmed with unfathomable riches of His grace. How could they possibly not participate?

When gratitude and praise fill you, you can’t help, but go where He goes, do what He’s done and say what He says. You can’t contain it. It is your essence to praise Him.

When you understand that our best if filthy, our heart is on evil from our youth and that none is righteous no not one.

Then you pair this understanding of depravity up with an overwhelming understanding of His grace, love and mercy you can’t help, but go and declare it, to shout it from the roof tops.

Why did the angels come? They could hardly contain themselves? Angels serve God. Where God is - there they are. God came.

Step #2:

Matthew 4:5-6
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Psalm 91:11-12
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

Next question. Were the angels ready for this possibility? If their King ordered their intervention. The answer to this, a resounding

YES.

Revelation 20:1-3
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

“An angel”. Just one. Not a “great multitude of the heavenly host”.

Contrast

Revelation 12:7

7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
 Lots of angels for the war – just one for satan. God did not fight. He did not have to move a “muscle”.

The Point

A great multitude of angels came for the birth of the King of Kings. Very God of Very God came. Unto us a Son is born. The One who was from the beginning, the creator God, the Omnipotent, came.

Philippians 2:5-11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

If the angels were there at His birth, in force. If they were ready at any moment to defend Him during the temptation. If one angel is powerful enough to take the one, who was a liar from the beginning, by the scruff of the neck and lock him into the abyss, then wouldn’t the army of God be an awesome sight to behold at the cross.

Armed to the teeth. Swords razor sharp. Absolute unity, tension, eagerness, brokenness, anger and singular devotion.

Their King is ridiculed, beaten, mocked, scourged, stripped naked, tortured, humiliated and crucified.

The King of Kings was dying and heaven raged at the suffering of the Holy One and mourned the blackness of the sin burden He was made to carry.

God is angry. Very angry. The skies are black. The sun is eclipsed. Eloi Eloi Lama Sabachthani. Heaven is in distress and all of heaven is focused on Christ.

God turns His face away. Why? Because He couldn't endure the pain of His son? NO! He is with us always, no matter what. Would He abandon His son? God turned His face away, because another moment and He would have released the angels.

One word from Christ. A nod. A whisper. He could have tapped out at any moment. Had Christ muttered a word, the angels would have been unleashed and every thing that draws breath would have been destroyed in a moment.

God would have brought His Son home and God would put us all in the sea of forgetfulness and remembered us no more or sent us all to eternal torment.

God can forget if He wants to:

Psalm 25:7

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, LORD, are good.

Psalm 88:5
5 I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.

Psalm 103:12

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
In the garden the Father encouraged His Son and the Son chose. He chose in that moment and set His face for the cross (not that that hadn’t already happened, as it certainly had).

Interesting at the cross, Jesus declares, “Father, forgive them…”. Why? Was this to fulfill prophecy? Was this simply a son’s dialogue with the Father? Or was it the Son encouraging His Father? The Father was heartbroken, enraged as all the fullness of sin was firmly poured in wrath on His son. Was the Son encouraging Father to hold?

God’s anger was in full furry. Angels are armed to the teeth. Metaphorically, hearts beat fast. Tension is thick.

Even after all of the torture, ridicule and crucifixion, Jesus is ridiculed, despised and spit on. This is not trivial for us and it certainly was not for Father.

I really don’t know how tense things were in Heaven. I know there was anger and heartbreak. I do know the world could have been destroyed in a flash and the workers were completely ready to go to work had it been necessary.

I don’t know God’s thoughts. No one does, but I have a glimpse of the enormity and I am in awe.

If we could simply see, even briefly, the unseen, we would be in awe.

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Union with the Trinity

Monday, December 06, 2010

This Morning's Meditation

C. H. Spurgeon

"As is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly."—1 Corinthians 15:48.
HE head and members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the belly and thighs were of brass, the legs of iron, and the feet, part of iron and part of clay. Christ's mystical body is no absurd combination of opposites; the members were mortal, and therefore Jesus died; the glorified head is immortal, and therefore the body is immortal too, for thus the record stands, "Because I live, ye shall live also." As is our loving Head, such is the body, and every member in particular. A chosen Head and chosen members; an accepted Head, and accepted members; a living Head, and living members. If the head be pure gold, all the parts of the body are of pure gold also. Thus is there a double union of nature as a basis for the closest communion. Pause here, devout reader, and see if thou canst without ecstatic amazement, contemplate the infinite condescension of the Son of God in thus exalting thy wretchedness into blessed union with His glory. Thou art so mean that in remembrance of thy mortality, thou mayest say to corruption, "Thou art my father," and to the worm, "Thou art my sister"; and yet in Christ thou art so honoured that thou canst say to the Almighty, "Abba, Father," and to the Incarnate God, "Thou art my brother and my husband." Surely if relationships to ancient and noble families make men think highly of themselves, we have whereof to glory over the heads of them all. Let the poorest and most despised believer lay hold upon this privilege; let not a senseless indolence make him negligent to trace his pedigree, and let him suffer no foolish attachment to present vanities to occupy his thoughts to the exclusion of this glorious, this heavenly honour of union with Christ.

John 17:20-22

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—

1 John 3:1-3

1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Romans 8:29

29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

C.S. Lewis - The Weight of Glory

In the end that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or with the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised. I read in a periodical the other day that the fundamental thing is how we think of God. By God Himself, it is not! How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us. It is written that we shall “stand before” Him, shall appear, shall be inspected. The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and only possible by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God. To please God...to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it
seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly
sustain. But so it is.

Winter Snow - Chris Tomlin

Could've come like a mighty storm
With all the strength of a hurricane
You could've come like a forest fire
With the power of Heaven in Your flame

But You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave
Or an ocean to ravish our hearts
You could have come through like a roaring flood
To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow, yes, You did
You were quiet, You were soft and slow
[ Chris Tomlin Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Ooh no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning
No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind
It was still, it was small, it was hidden

Oh, You came like a winter snow
Quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Falling, oh yeah, to the earth below
You came falling from the sky in the night
To the earth below

Choose this day who you will serve

Struck this week by a post on JoinTheJourney.com. The topic was the prodigal in Luke 15.

Never noticed this before, but neither son liked their father. Son #2 - I wish you were dead, so that I could have my inheritance and do what I want. Notice the use of the word "I". The father's heart is for his lost son. Son #1 is hostile to this. He is hostile to thinks his father cares about. Son #1 hates the one his father loves.

Luke 16:13 No one can serve two masters. Either he will love the one and hate the other or he will despise the one and love the other. A man cannot serve both God and money.

God created.

The point - to allow us to enjoy relationship with Him. Complete and total relationship that is full and complete. To trust Him completely. To rest in Him. To have faith in Him.

Adam and Eve - Genesis 3. God created the universe (Genesis 1, Isaiah 40:22, Psalms 8) and created the earth with the little garden. He gave Adam something to rule over (Genesis 2). Something to enjoy, to pursue, to do, to be, to server and to rule over. I suspect that they had named the animals and were bored. Clearly Adam had seen it all, in terms of the animal kingdom. The words says "and among the animals a suitable help mate was not found". A&E could have asked God for more to rule over. The whole planet was there and the whole universe for that matter. We know this they took their eyes off of relationship with Father and looked elsewhere for fulfillment. That is the point of failure. The rest is a symptom.

See also Isaiah 14. Oh how you have fallen oh son of the dawn...for you said in your heart, "I will rise to the highest heaven". Another along with 1/3rd of the angels who declared his discontent. Lucifer takes his eyes off of his created purpose and all of earth buckles under the weight.

See also Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14. Eye ball to eye ball with Jesus. Moving to Him. Walking with Him. Focused on the relationship. Trusting. Obedient. Relaxed. Joyful. And then it happened. He took his eyes off. He looked down and around and fear filled him like a typhoon. Instantly sin entered and down he went.

Philippians 4:4-9

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.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Paul's directives in his letter to the Philippians is not a suggestion. It is a command. Rejoice always...pray constantly...Do not be anxious...THINK ABOUT GOOD THINGS. Trust and obey. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. Romans 12 - Renew your mind.

Do we love God for Him or do we love Him for His stuff?

This was the question for the 2 brothers. This was the question satan failed and it is our question.

Are our prayers "me" "I" "my" - relationship, provision, dominion and all of the rest? Or is our heart broken for the things that break God's heart? Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added

Are we so in love with a God that chose us, who chose creation, who chose pain (all the sin for all of history-billions of people and unimaginable brokenness and hurt-He feels every bit), who chose crucifixion (I know the end from the beginning-Isaiah 46:10), in order that we could have eternal relationship with Him? My jaw should be on the floor every moment as I am blown away by God's goodness to us. Me the chief sinner, who has slapped Him and spit on Him so many times that I can't count. The one who has raged and accused. Who has been filled with fear, doubt and depression.

At 82, John Newton said, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."

When we have those two great truths far apart in our minds (we don't elevate ourselves or attempt to denigrate the Holiness of God), praise comes flowing out of us like a river.

No longer do we have room for "I", "me", "my". We are so overwhelmed with gratitude that we cannot go enough places, tell enough people or surrender our lives any more fully.

The one thing we can't do in heaven, tell people the overwhelming good news and that will be precisely what we most want to do. To somehow say thank you.

Romans 8 - I consider that our present sufferings are not worth being compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.

When you get to heaven, will you find contentment or will your garden grow small and confining? Will you like satan choose self or will you choose Him?

You see this life has pain for a reason. God didn't want the pain. He certainly tried this journey without it. Satan lived in heaven. Adam and Eve in a garden. Sweet accommodations, but it wasn't enough. God needs us to come to the end of ourselves so that are so thoroughly sick of ourselves and this world that we trust Him. So that He doesn't cast us like lightning out of heaven (Luke 10:18).

Joshua 24:15 Choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

For me it is a continuous recurring battle. Every morning is another ground hog day. The flood of circumstances and worries come flooding in. I am afraid. Can God be trusted? Do I need to grab and claw or do I trust and obey. Romans 12 - renew your mind. Luke 9:23 - let him deny himself, take up his cross... Ephesians 6 - put on the full armor of God. I must go to war against my mind and my body. There is a war inside, but not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual powers.

God I trust you. I want relationship with you. I trust you. I will go where you go and do what you do and say what you say. I simply want to be conformed to the image of your son (1 John 3:1-3). I want to be holy as you are holy (Matthew 5).

My life is a blank check. What ever you want. Wherever you send me. However painful. However impoverished. However lonely. However hopeless. I am here to make you famous in a world gone mad. I only want to become all things to all people so that by all means I might win some.

Most days I fail. Some days, weeks, months and seasons are filled with doubt fear self-absorption and faithless living. But I press on towards the prize. I surrender. I repent. I weap. I trust a little more and I go again. God please calm the storm that rages in my heart. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. It is easy when I surrender and allow you take every thought captive. In experience it is a war. That which I want to do, I don't do and that which I don't want to do, I do. Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of sin and death.

He Knew

He Knew

(before you begin please think about your favorite desert and how much you would love to enjoy that right now)

There is a King. Actually Three Kings. Unique. There are three, but they are so completely perfect, kind, knowing, present, powerful and loving that they are really completely one. Three, but one. They can finish each other’s sentences. They are fully present everywhere (every place), all powerful (nothing – absolutely nothing that is beyond their ability) and know everything (quantum physics, how many hairs on your head and what you will be thinking two weeks from Tuesday).

They have always been this way. There was never a time when they were not.
They are drenched inside and out in beauty, harmony, peace, joy, kindness, faithfulness, mercy, patience, provision, power, purpose, comfort and love.

There is nothing they don’t have and absolutely nothing they need. Their existence is completely perfect and they are completely Holy. In fact you can’t even speak about their perfection in terms we can grasp. Their holiness is overwhelming and cannot be measured. The three in one is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY.

Their love is boundless. This too is beyond measure. It is higher than the highest heaven and deeper than the deepest ocean.

While they need nothing and are completely perfectly content and at peace in themselves, their love overflows in kindness and generosity to us.

The three and one elected to created humans and made them in His image. Meaning they chose those who could love, could reason, could choose, could rule and could enter into relationship. They would make us fearfully and wonderfully and put us in the finest accommodations. They simply wanted to share the love, relationship, community, joy, peace and purpose that they enjoyed so fully.

To be allowed to share in the divine glory, to have purpose, to know to be known and to rule – how do you begin to express how astonishingly wonderful that is.

Requirement.

The three-in-one did not want to create creatures that would be forced to love Him back. If we are really to have a seat at their table, to have a place and purpose, to be a part, to share the love and relationship, it must be our choice. This choice is absolutely essential, otherwise what is the point.

The idea was to extend the love of the three-in-one to others. To widen the circle of relationship. To allow others to participate in the divine glory. To commune with the Father. It is a BIG BIG STORY!!!

Their creative power is limitless. They don’t need a Project Manager, a Designer, Architect, Logistics Planner, Design Specialist, Graphic Artist, Public Relations, Time Line, GANTT chart or any of the rest. No CAD/CAM, just their word. Literally, they speak and entire universes come into existence with a simple word from their mouth. There is nothing they can’t do. If the creation is not able to choose, to have free will, to choose to love or reject, then there is no point.

If I could speak a universe into existence and speak it out of existence with just a word then what is the point. It is like turning on and off a light switch. It has no meaning or purpose. Like playing Solitaire, but God is not bored and in need of something to do, to fulfill His meaningless existence.

God is purposeful. Everything He creates is beautiful, has meaning and purpose. Everything. Especially You.


Constraint. When the One who was, is and is to come created freedom to choose Him or reject Him this created a two sided opportunity.

God is both completely HOLY and completely LOVING. However their infinite holiness cannot entertain or tolerate the least imperfection. This is completely incompatible with their nature.

They are perfect and they will not stop until everything is perfect in purpose and holiness. You see it in some of Jesus’ very first words from Matthew 5 (Be Holy as the Father is Holy).

You see we are far from holy, in fact when you get right down to it our best if filth, full of twisted motives and selfish ambition.

Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

If I gave you the meaning of filthy rags from the Greek you would blush. Filthy is mild.


Free will and God’s knowledge. Isaiah 46:10 tells us that God knows the end from the beginning. Meaning he knows what will happen in the end before He ever begins.

Isaiah 46:8-11

"Think about this. Wrap your minds around it.
This is serious business, rebels. Take it to heart.
Remember your history,
your long and rich history.
I am God, the only God you've had or ever will have—
incomparable, irreplaceable—
From the very beginning
telling you what the ending will be,
All along letting you in
on what is going to happen,
Assuring you, 'I'm in this for the long haul,
I'll do exactly what I set out to do,'
Calling that eagle, Cyrus, out of the east,
from a far country the man I chose to help me.
I've said it, and I'll most certainly do it.
I've planned it, so it's as good as done.

More on this in a minute. The point for now. God already knew what would happen and He chose the relationship anyway.


The relationship begins


Contentment – Keeping your eyes on Him – Adam & Eve and others – example #1

He knew we would be at home with Him for awhile content in our relationship with Him. Each evening He came to His creation and like little children the created were enamored with all that they had discovered that day, content in the wonder of it all. Of course the Three-in-One already knew what they had discovered, He made it and he of course knew what they would discover before they discovered it.

During this blissful time there was beautiful relationship. He had created a perfect universe, a place, a purpose and the created were given all of this to rule.
I suppose (and it is just that my supposition) that the creation ran out of things to discover and rule over in this little garden after a time and frankly got bored. Rather than ask the King for more to rule over or for more purpose they lazily began to entertain thoughts of reaching into the one thing the King told them not to do.

They took their eyes off of Him and did not find their contentment, purpose, meaning, joy and love solely in Him. Not unlike Peter who attempted to walk on the water. Doing fine, eyes on Jesus, living in the moment, enjoying the relationship, not worried about yesterday’s failures, then he did it, he jumped ahead worrying about what will happen next. Relationship with God is only in the moment. The past is forgiven and gone. The future is not ours.

Contentment. Enjoying Him. Living in the moment with Him. Sweet Deal.

Adam and Eve excellent deal. To rule, to have a purpose, to live in perfection, a place. I think they had been there long enough to get bored, animals named, garden explored, trees identified, what’s next.

God created you to rule (Genesis 1:28). They didn’t take that to God. He created the whole earth and the universe. There is much more ruling available.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Matthew 14:28-31

Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Luke 11:24-26

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

When you take your eyes off of Him you fall. If you look around even for a moment you fail. Prison, Addiction, broken Relationships, Abuse, Divorce, Neglect, Loneliness, Boredom, Longing, Hunger, Purpose, Belonging, Oil Leaks, Volcanic Ash Clouds, Economy, Debt, Bailouts, Law Suits, Tax audits, Disease, Death, Tyrants, Destruction, Employment, under Employment, no Employment and on it goes.
You don’t push out sin, by sheer determination and grit, you empty yourself of yourself and you continually fill yourself with Him. See Matthew 16:24, Romans 12:1, Matthew 11:30

Realize you are hungry for Him. You are starving to death. Most of you won’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of mealtime, even if the food quality is poor. You know you are hungry.

You are in a fight. If you knew there would be a fight later today you would be ready. If you knew someone was coming after you, you would do your best to be ready. If you knew you had an appointment with the parole board tomorrow you would be ready.

It is amazing how many people don’t know they are in a fight. Satan rather likes it that way.

1 Peter 5:8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

My friend called me, “Greg, my wife is leaving me. She has been sleeping around. I have no education. No ability to provide for myself. Debt collectors. Foreclosure. Homelessness. What about my kids. Law suit.

Yack – Yack – Yack!

(I am not as insensitive as that, but the point is where is the focus). Pick up your SWORD and FIGHT!!! You are in one you know – you absolutely must learn how to defend and attack. If you do not stand you are defeated the evil one will sift you like wheat. Read Ephesians 6 again. This is war people.

Yes your issues are real. Yes they hurt. Yes you have got work to do, but…

When God tells us not to be anxious that’s just what He means. NOTHING. Absolutely NOTHING.

Not prison, the system, the judge, the jury, your family, the future, restitution or your accusers. Not the boss, the lack of a boss, your kids, you lack of kids, your spouse, your lack of a spouse.

Live in the moment with Him. He has got you. He has got you completely. Read that again and again. He has got it, especially when you can’t see a hint of Him anywhere within a thousand miles.

Every morning before you allow one thought in your mind about your circumstances allow Him in and nothing else. Hit you knees before you can hardly breath. Don’t lay there in wonder, fear, despair and all the rest. Get up. Renew your mind. Deny yourself. He is in charge. He has got you. You can trust Him and have peace and joy.

Then get up and go to work (and be sure to take Him with you)!

1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

Taking your eyes off of Him – Satan and a third – example #2

There was a time much earlier when a third of the King’s helpers , the Angels, decided they had had enough. They were not content. There it is again.

Contentment.

Genesis 6:1-4
Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Isaiah 14:12-14
12"How you have (A)fallen from heaven,
O (B)star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
13"But you said in your heart,
'I will (C)ascend to heaven;
I will (D)raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
(E)I will make myself like the Most High.'

Revelation 12:4

4And his tail swept away a (A)third of the stars of heaven and (B)threw them to the earth And the (C)dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth (D)he might devour her child.

Luke 10:18

He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Whether Genesis 6 is related to the angels who fell or not is debatable. The point is this Satan and a third of the angels had a good deal. Adam and Eve had a good deal. To be in relationship with the self-existent, holy, perfect, patient, loving creator, who is completely powerful, knows everything and present everywhere at the same time. To be cared for by Him. To have all of your needs met in Him. To be created in His image, to live in His garden or in His holy heaven. To be known. To be acknowledged by Him and to touch His divine glory. To have Him find joy in relationship with you. To have the Holy One say to you “well done good and faithful servant”. Too good for any amount of words you can imagine, constructed by the most elegant wordsmith.

But for these it wasn’t enough. Too simply be in the moment to love Him and to be loved by Him. To simply trust and obey was too much. To break covenant. To adulterously run after something else. To leave your first love and try to find joy, purpose, knowledge, rule, dominion, love in another, this is when we fall.

Falling was not when Peter went under the water. It was the moment he took his eyes off. The moment he began to jump ahead, to worry – his descent started.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

Be content in Him. Trust and Obey. In this you can sum up the law and the prophets.
You see it is much bigger than a book of do’s and don’ts. Our relationship with Him is much larger, more intimate, more moment-by-moment, more relational and more vibrant, alive and engaging that any petty fear based adherence to some moral or religious framework.


No Surprises (back to it)

God knew. He knew before He created. He knew completely. No surprises. No improvise, adapt and overcome (not to diminish in any way my love and support of the Marine Corp - hoorah).

He chose. Just stop and contemplate that. He chose. He knew and He chose you. I mean that - He chose you.

100 billion people or just one. All the same. He chose relationship.

Out of His overwhelming love and grace. He chose.

Ephesians 2:4-10

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing (I)riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

John 3:16-17

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

God was not surprised. He chose. He has done everything. He created a universe that is magnificent beyond measure. He cut covenant with us. He kept His word completely as we were completely wretchedly unfaithful. He intentionally chose, knowing the cost. He chose to enter the story to let each of us break His heart. He chose to allow His creation to bring Him pain. He chose to commit to us no matter what. To enter into the most sacred covenant with us. He came to our wretched world.

Imagine that for awhile. The God of the universe, left His throne and came to our world. Think about it some more. Can you begin to even fathom what a vast step, what a huge gift it was that He came. Read Luke 2 and see the legions and legions of angels bursting onto the Bethlehem night sky, with jaws dropped, praising God and Good will to men. Good will to men. Now that’s an understatement! That strikes me like someone saying have a good one.

Do you know who has left heaven and come into your wretched, depraved world. Spine tingling, jaw dropping, earth shattering, mind boggling, stunning, knee dropping, rattling, overwhelming and we haven’t even warmed up the list.

Imagine Jerry Jones, Ross Perot, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or the Sultan of Brunei used all of their considerable influence and liberated you from this place, gave you everything you could imagine, were patient, kind and generous to you and then you attacked them, were convicted and sent right back here. But not in Dawson, Hutchins or Polunsky’s Death Row, but to the most torturous bloody abuse you can imagine and then took your place.

Mel Gipson was asked by some to tone down the torture scenes in the Passion of the Christ. His reply, “I did”. True enough.

The fact that we are even created is breathtaking, that we can know of Him, His existence, His divinity and stunningly that we are able to speak His name. We are unworthy to even look on His kingdom, breath His air, dirty up His creation and certainly to revile against His will.

When you combine a true understanding of how very far from who He is with an understanding of what He has done, praise comes gushing out of you. Out of every thought, every motive, every opportunity, and every resource at your command. You can’t keep from singing His praise. How can you ever say thank you enough, do enough or work to make Him more famous on this Earth.

That is where life is lived, not in checking off the rules or giving the right amount. Not in trying not to lie, manipulate, abuse substances, steal or be kind to your families. It is wreckless abandonment to denying your self and doing what He commands. His yoke is easy. Take every thought captive and surrender to Him. Live in the moment. What does He want? Do it. It is seeing a need and rushing to meet it. It is fervent prayer (just communicating fully, freely, intently with the one you love passionately and with all of your being). He continues to love you this way.

It is without fear. He does not want relationship out of your fear or reluctant dutiful acceptance. He wants you heart soul mind body in relationship and love with Him.

He knew it wouldn’t be that way. That we would be far from it. That we would break covenant, early, often and in the most vile and abusive self-centered ways imaginable.

Today we look on the “problem of pain” and can’t believe a loving holy God could be real when so much pain, heartbreak, cancer, disease, slavery, abuse, war, terror, disaster and calamity are allowed to be so pervasive.

Unfortunately it is the wrong question. As my pastor said, "You are looking through the wrong end of the telescope".

If God created. If He chose us, this would be the outcome. Create or not create. That is the question.

He knew the pain. Adam, Eve and Satan tried relationship without pain and it was a complete failure. Our pain is the only thing that draws us to Him. Unfortunately proven time and again without a reason to be drawn to Him we will rebel every time.
God knew it would be hard. He knew the cost for each of us and He certainly knew the cost to himself. He knew and He chose YES!!

You see our pain is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Purpose and Pain

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

James 1:2-4

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces (E)endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be (G)perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If I told you that in exchange for a life time of extreme pain and difficulty you could experience an eternity of Utopian Perfection beyond all you could ask or imagine. An eternity of love, relationship, peace, joy, kindness, purpose, dominion, provision and so much more compared to a fleeting list of pain and trouble you would choose the pain every time and so would He.

He chose pain, because He chose you over His own tranquility and comfort. Will you chose Him over the pain. Will you hold the line, defend the defenseless, serve your family, deny yourself, empty yourself, trust Him?

You see Faith is not simply some intellectual acknowledgement of His existence, or what He did and is doing. It is not in your good deeds. Satan was “son of the dawn” and the angels who fell had their “good deeds”. Your best is filthy. Faith in Greek is active present tense. That means it is relational and it requires your active trusting participation. When you have that the works will come. It is not some distant memory of your realization of His deity. Even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19).

Purpose

He loves you. He is not oblivious to your pain. He hurts with you. Deeply, but he must keep the door open longer for others.

Wouldn’t you love for Him to come back right now? What if He came back and liberated the Jews at Aushwitz, or those in Stalin’s prisons, those in Sadam's torture chambers or the Jewish (we owe them a lot) from Roman oppression, Babylonian captivity, or Egyptian bondage. You’re out. There were others suffering death, disease, prison, slavery, abuse, poverty so that you would have an opportunity.

What about today - child sex slavery, abortion, murder, corruption, abuse, impossible job dewmands, taxes unbearable, cancer, disease, aids, blindness and on and on the list goes on.

Can you imagine the gratitude that millions will have for you that God did not stop this world sooner and allowed them to join in the story.

Endure, find joy, peace, kindness, love, patience, gratitude, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control in the midst of suffering.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Job

Job lost his family, his possessions, his health and was left with some sorry friends and a wife he probably wished and been the first to go. Job thought God hated him and was unjust. Job is likely the first book written in the Bible. God knew about our questions about pain. He wanted to give us a story, so that we would know that life is hard. He didn’t create it, but he knows we need it.
Job thought he was alone, but he was center stage in the largest of drama’s as all of heaven and hell were looking on as an epic battle ensued as Job fought Satan and God was glorified.

If Job knew that he was asked to glorify God and to be an example for billions who would suffer after him and he would be famous forever what would his attitude have been.

Sons of Korah

Numbers 16:1-3

Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD's assembly?"

Numbers 16:8

Moses also said to Korah, "Now listen, you Levites!

Numbers 16:31-33

As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.

Numbers 16:40

as the LORD directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD, or he would become like Korah and his followers.

Numbers 26:11

The line of Korah, however, did not die out.

Note:

The sons of Korah were Levites served in the temple, and they could no longer serve in the temple. Now what? Seriously what do you do, your name is a disgrace, it is impossible to find a job, a place. You are made a door keeper and everyone who walks through the door looks at your with absolute disgust and contempt. That is to be your family’s linage for the next 1000 years. Have a nice day.

Psalm 84

For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools. [b]
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah
9 Look upon our shield, [c] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
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.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Sons of Korah

They longed to go in the temple courts, but could not. Even the sparrows can go in, but not them, anyone but them.

In 1995 Chris Tomlin (famous Christian writer and musician) took that simple Psalm and created a song. Number #1 in Contemporary Christian Music. Millions and Millions of Christians were ushered into worship of the Living God through this story.

What would you endure for Millions and Millions to make Him more famous? What will you sacrifice for Him? When you know your wretched condition and His overwhelming gift you can’t do enough, or say enough to bless Him back.

Paul and John

Paul was in prison and desperately wanted freedom to go and preach. God had him right where He wanted him. God made him stay put so that he could write a large portion of the New Testament.

John was imprisoned on the Island called Patmos and wrote for us the Book of Revelation. Don’t you know John wanted to be free.

Joseph

Joseph was badly treated and spent 13 years away from his family and largely in prison, but brought salvation to the world and his own family.


Abraham and Moses

Never saw their promises.

Babylon and others

The Israelites were in Egyptian Slavery and Abuse. They spent 40 years wandering around the desert. They were in Egyptian bondage, Babylonian captivity, Roman occupation and many other trials.

Millions of Israelites in hundreds of generations never saw the hope and promise.

Millions saw nothing but abuse, torture, slavery in a foreign land.

Had they known that through God using circumstances to hold them together as a group for thousands of years to bring the world the Christ what would their attitude have been?

Some never saw much but misery. Their part was to trust, obey, be patient and do their part in the larger story.

Hebrews 11:32-40

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

If someone told you that the Taliban had planned a sleeper cell in Dallas and they were preparing to detonate a nuke in downtown, who wouldn’t do everything they could to find it. Everyone wants to be a hero. The question is will you do the really hard work. Daily denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him.
This may be the greatest source of confusion. You see when you live with Him in the moment, deny yourself, renew your mind, then you will find the greatest mystery “His Yoke is Easy and His burden is Light”.

Enjoy the journey!

(what happened to that desert that you wanted so badly, you forgot, because you pushed it out and filled it with something better - that is how you win)

Tower of Babel

A little thought about the tower of babel.

Adam and Eve were directed to rule over the earth and to fill it.

Genesis 1:28 (ESV)

And God blessed them. And God said to them,(A) "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

When Adam and Eve were in the garden there was peace and contentment. When the fall came there was banishment. Banishment from the place of peace, contentment, unity, relationship, unity:

Genesis 3:23 (NIV)

So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

When Cain sinned he was banished from his relationships and became a "restless wanderer"

Genesis 4:12 (NIV)

When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

Noah's descendants were to rule the earth.

Genesis 9:7 (NIV)

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it."

God's directive - increase upon the earth and fill it (increase upon it as the NIV says).

Genesis 11:1-9 (NIV)


1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As men moved eastward, [a] they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. 6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel [c] —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

God said spread out. They stayed put. God spread them out.

Dependence on God is the only way.

1 Samuel 8:7

And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

Interesting to me that the more rural communities tend to be more independent. The larger more urban areas tend to have a larger we can solve it together attitude.

Red States and Blue States. I am for social justice. I hate oppression. I hate injustice. I hate prejudice, racism, poverty, sickness, intolerance, slavery and all of the rest. This world / Christ's Church is to move wholeheartedly against all of these.

The question: Where is the source of the answer. The answer is not in small government, large government, personal responsibility or socialism. The answer is not in Washington, the Major, the City Council or the Justice of the Peace.

Do we look to ourselves for the answer or do we write His word deeply on our hearts and let His spirit lead us. Are you hoping in the next election or are you renewing your heart (Romans 12:1), loving your neighbor and pointing Him to the great healer?

Deuteronomy 11:19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

2 Chronicles 7:14

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Revelation 21:16

The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia (8.7 stadia to the mile) in length, and as wide and high as it is long.

The new Jerusalem will be the new Tower of Babel - 1379 miles wide, deep and high.

A Tower we can live in without trying to fix it on our own. We will live under purity, truth, righteousness and above all His Kingship.

Until that time comes spread it out and try not to decide too much on your own.

Come quickly lord Jesus.

The Problem of Pain

satan - son of the morning, couldn't have had a better deal, yet he and a third or the angels weren't content. Not sure what happened. Some say they saw that God's creation of women was exceedingly perfect and they rebelled. Regardless they didn't find their contentment in Him.

And that is where sin starts. Being discontent. Not finding your job and peace in Him alone. Taking your eyes off of Him. Allowing all of the junk in this world distract you and scare you. He is quite clear, be anxious for nothing.

Luke 10:18

He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Adam and Eve - couldn't have had a better deal. Perfect garden. They were King and Queen and they were made and allowed to rule. In the cool of each day they walked with God and shared their excitement and wonder at God's creation. Like a small child in a toy store. There was peace and harmony. The Lamb and the Lion lay down together.

Thinking time had passed and there was routine, familiarity and boredom. Wandering around sniffing that rotten fruit. Looking at it. They saw it was "pleasing to look at". Why were they there looking at it. You don't stay away from the buffet by getting in the line. They decided that God was not enough, that they needed one more thing.

That's the whole story. The moment we decide we are unhappy, worried, discontent and not filled with Him we die, we sin. Certainly we are in a fallen world and (Rom 8) the whole creation groans as in the pains of childbirth ... and not only so, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body...

Are you content in Him? Is He enough or do you need just one more thing? One more bill paid? One more dollar? A job? A relationship? Another rescue?

Trust and Obey. Deny yourself. Keep your on Him. As my dad used to say, "Greg, keep your eye on the ball".

A difference between them and us. They didn't have pain before their fall. I know God hates pain. I know God shares our pain, all of it, for all people, for all time, condensed into a constant present reality for Him. I agonize over all of the pain in my world and over all that I am presented with. I am overwhelmed and grieving, but I see the least little smidgen of the death brought on by sin.

God knew the pain would come as horrific as has been, is and will be, it is not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.

I wonder if He knew we would fall if not allowed to sin and realize the pain. In our home we have small children and the familiar phrase "the stove is hot", "that electric plus is hot" is required training. While I would do anything to keep my three sons from pain, from the mistakes I made and the pain I endured, I know deep in my heart that they will have to have the pain, in order to learn.

Wonder if God knows that without the pain we too will one day rebel once we finally make it to the New Jerusalem.

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Fear

I am struck at how much of my life has been about fear. Each valley, dark and fearful. Each mountain top reflecting on the unshakable, completely reliable, unwavering, constant, immovable faithfulness of our God. Wondering why I doubted. Realizing at the end of the day God is always the same and all I have left is the image of who I was in the journey. Crying, scared, worried, anxious and on it goes. Full of darkness and death.

He never changes. He is always faithful. He is the same yesterday today and forever. He is all powerful. He is all knowing. He is everywhere. He is not surprised. He knew before He spoke the world into existence exactly what would happen and chose us anyway. He knew the pain and counted it worthwhile for an eternity in relationship with us. He also knew the pain we would encounter would be exceedingly worthwhile - Rom 8 ...I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us... (see the previous post)

Some years ago my wife and I had experienced some years of infertility. Through many tears, some surgeries and waiting, God moved. He waited as long as it took for us to let go. We must be content in Him and Him alone. Until we released the anxiety, it would never happen. When we came to the end of ourselves, He quickly opened the door.

Later, more infertility. Doctor - door closed, no more. Disturbed. We let go. God opened a new door, through foster/adoption.

Fear (back again). Horror stories from CPS, badly damaged and wounded children. how could we say no to a child. How could we possible say yes. What about our busy lives and mostly what about the welfare of our young child. And the big one that is classic, but what is I get attached and the child is removed. I couldn't handle that.

A few weeks ago we were ask to counsel people who were considering foster care or adoption. That same old fear question kept coming up, but what if I get attached?

Interestingly foster care is virtually free. 126,000 orphans in the foster care system today in the U.S. who are ready to be adopted. No tenuous uncertainty about their biological families. They are in need of a home today. Confusion on the number of churches in the U.S. If each church in America were good for between 2 and 4 orphans, close it down, shows over, no orphans in the United States of America. Church where are you. What happened to James 1:27

Pure and undefiled religion is this that we care for the widows and orphans.

Like so many jobs, the care of our most vulnerable has been outsourced and not even to the church, it is largely run be the secular government. We pull into our rear driveways, push the garage door button, slip inside, by ourselves, consume ourselves with ourselves and a few guilty people write a few checks to help to soothe the spirit inside them that is screaming for life and purpose.

Again all of this is fear speaking. Fear is bad. You might go so far as to call it sin. Jesus told us now to be anxious-Matthew 6. Philippians 4 - do not be anxious... Jesus certainly wrestled in the garden, perhaps Fear=Sin is too strong, don't know, but it is not God's plan.

Why do we make decisions based on fear? Fear comes from ourselves. Faith comes from Him. Making decisions from fear brings death and more fear.

Beloved preacher Lynn talked to us once about a large Pink Elephant. He went on for some time to describe this creature and we were instructed rigorously not to forget. He transition to another topic for a few minutes about something else and then abruptly ask us if we had remembered. Remember what? We had all forgotten.

What ever your vice, you won't solve be gazing intently at it. You won't loose weight riveted on the glass case at the donut shop. You won't put down the bottle be staring at a six pack.

You must replace the one with another.

Matthew 12:43-45

Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it.

"Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order.

"Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."

Don't consume yourself with your concerns and obsessions, focus on Him alone. Before you can think a thought when you first wake up until the last thought at night, give it to Him. What does He want. How can you get yourself out of the way and let Him bring you Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self-Control.

It is as simple as this Trust and Obey. If you have a hard decision, don't obsess. Slow down. Give Him time to respond. Put many faithful people in your world. Don't be cut off and in isolation. Read His word. When you rise up, when you lie down and when you go about your day. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Have fun.
Greg

The Solution

It seems that everywhere I go, I find someone ready to tell me the solution to the world's problems. My cube mate wants to shoot sex offenders. My barber wants to legalize marijuana. My Facebook friends want political change. Down with Obama. Out with Health Care Reform. The if onlys are full of ideas.

See C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity - on the innate God given universal quest for morality. Why does everyone want the world to be right? Why do we all have this quest for justice and peace and rightness? Because God put it there. Otherwise the chaos we experience would be nothing compared to the survival of the fittest Darwinian horror that we would experience. Why don't I just shoot you in the head and take your stuff. If this is all there is. Seize the day and all of that.

I too have some dreams and am quite certain I could solve much if made dictator for a season. I am not short on ideas, some are quite sound, but the whole idea would be horrific.

1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

Ever since satan and a third of the angels thought they could take over Revelation 12:4 and then Adam and Eve got bored living in utopia and thought they would sniff around the tree, (see Genesis 3) life has not been so hot.

Israel (and all the rest of us) want a king/president/dictator that we can see, touch, respect, control. Way back in Samuel's day, simply living in God's presence and allowing Him to provide, protect and fill us was not what we wanted. We want control.

It hasn't worked so well. We have tried it all Dictators, Kings, Socialism, Communism and yes I am saying it - Democracy.

Interesting how God is not slow as some count slowness, but is patient wishing that none would be lost, but all would come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9. He is letting us try everything we can. Democracy has been our greatest hope, but we see how greed has nearly ruined the country. A quote from others:

The average lifespan of all the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about two hundred years. During that two-century span, easy of these nations progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; and from dependence back into bondage.

Our turn is coming. The Arab states now have Trillions of dollars in Oil revenue and can't invested it all. America is in massive debt. The outset of the recession pulled $1 trillion dollars out of the stock market almost overnight. The U.S. Dollar has been propped up for decades because it was the gold standard in world currency. This is changing to the Euro and the new proposed world currency. Who is going to buy our Treasury bills when their value is falling like a rock. You can't just print money forever. One natural disaster or terrorist activity and this country could be offline for a longtime.

You can feel the tension. Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Russia, Libya, Afghanistan, Israel. It is all ready to pop.

The answer is not in the next election, or the right judgeship appointment or legislation. You do not win the culture through pathetic last ditch efforts to control the culture through laws. You achieve peace through the winning of culture to common believe in central truth.

When the church will awaken to it's duty to be the hands and feet of Christ, to love the unlovely, to give like there is no tomorrow, to do what makes no sense, to cause people to stop and take notice. Then the world will be flipped on its head. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Church we are plan A for this world and there is no plan B.

http://www.watermarkradio.com/

Recommend 9/27/2009 The Trinity: Who it is and why it matters

Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

John 17:11
"I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.

John 17:21-22
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;

1 John 3:1-2
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be, but we know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

All of the saved will be one. Your worst enemy, ex-spouse and worst repentant criminal will be one.

Romans 8:14-25
14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.


C.S. Lewis – The Weight of Glory – The Weight of Glory – page 40

The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some chasm that yawns between us and reality, is part of our inconsolable secret. And surely from this point of view, the promise of glory, in the sense described, becomes highly relevant to our deep desire. For glory means good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgement, and welcome into the heart of things. The door won which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last.

Perhaps it seems rather crude to describe glory as the fact of being “noticed” by God. But this is almost the language of the New Testament. St. Paul promises to those who love God not, as we should expect, that they will know Him, but that they will be known by Him (1 Cor. 8:3). It is a strange promise. Does not God know all things at all times? But it is dreadfully reechoed in another passage of the New Testament. There we are warned that this may happen to anyone of us to appear at last before the face of God and hear only the appalling words, “I never knew you. Depart from Me.” In some sense, as dark to the intellect as it is unendurable to the feelings, we can be both banished from the presence of Him who is present everywhere and erased from the knowledge of Him who knows all. We can be left utterly and absolutely outside—expelled, exiled, estranged, finally and unspeakably ignored.

Revelation 20:4-6
4I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Are some people given a part in the judgment?

Revelation 20:11-21:4
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire.
And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
(interesting He dries our tears after He condemns our unbelieving friends and family-wouldn’t you rather tell them the good news now than tell them they are forever separated?)
On the other hand, we can be called in, welcomed, received, acknowledged. We walk every day on the razor edge between these two incredible possibilities. Apparently, then, our lifelong nostalgia, our longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we now feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy, but the truest index of our real situation. And to be at last summoned inside would be both glory and honour beyond all our merits and also the healing of that old ache.
And this brings me to the other sense of glory—glory as brightness, splendor, luminosity. We are to shine as the sun, we are to be given the Morning Star. I think I begin to see what it means. In one way, of course, God has given us the Morning Star already: you can go and enjoy the gift on many fine morning if you get up early enough. What more, you may ask, do you want? Ah, but we want so much more—something the books on aesthetics take little notice of. But the poets and the mythologies know all about it. We do not merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words—to be united with beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.

Note from Greg::

Lynn Anderson (former preacher of mine) talked about his home in Canada, with mountains several miles away. People would come to visit. He was amazed at how many people were drawn to the beauty and would want to walk there, not appreciating the distance or the climb. This inner yearning to see beauty and want to pull it, to be apart of it, to embrace it, to desire deeply to draw it in. To climb one mountain peek, only to want to endlessly summit another and another


Note from Greg regarding this following section from PhilipYancey’s “Disappointment with God”:

The church is plan A. There is no plan B for reaching a lost and dying world.

John 14:12

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Philip Yancy – Disappointment with God page 153 and following:

The progression—Father, Son, Spirit—represents a profound advance in intimacy. At Sinai the people shrank from God, and begged Moses to approach him on their behalf. But in Jesus’ day people could hold a conversation with the Son of God, they could touch him, and even hurt Him. And after Pentecost the same flawed disciples who had fled from Jesus’ trail became carriers of the Living God. In an act of delegation beyond fathom, Jesus turned over the kingdom of God to the likes of His disciples—and to us.
But enough. All these misty ideas about the Spirit must somehow accord with the glaring reality of the actual church. Look at the people in the pews of any church. Is this what God had in mind?
Delegation entails risk, as any employer soon learns. When you turn over a job, you let go. And when God “makes his appeal through us” (Paul’s phrase), he takes an awful risk: the risk that we will badly misrepresent him. Slavery, the Crusades, pogroms against the Jews, colonialism, wars, the Ku Klux Klan—all these movements have claimed the sanction of Christ for their cause. The world God wants to love, the world God is appealing to, may never see him; our own faces may get in the way.
Yet God took that risk, and because he did so the world will know him primarily through Christians. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is the doctrine of “the church”: God living in us. Such a plan is the “foolishness of God,” a Paul says in one place, and writer Frederick Beuchner marvels at the folly: “to choose for his holy work in the world…lambrains and misfits and nitpickers and holier-than-thous and stuffer shirts and odd ducks and egomaniacs and milquetoasts and closet sensualists.”

Page 162:

Dorothy Sayers has said that God underwent three great humiliations in his efforts to rescue the human race. The first was the Incarnation, when he took on the confines of a physical body. The second was the Cross, when he suffered the ignominy of public execution. The third humiliation, Sayers suggested, is the church. In an awesome act of self-denial, God entrusted his reputation to ordinary people.
Yet in some way invisible to us, those ordinary people filled with the Spirit are helping to restore the universe to its place under the reign of God. At our repentance, angels rejoice. By our prayers, mountains are moved.
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Genesis 2:15
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.

Genesis 2:19
Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.

Summation:
We were created to walk with God every day, to enjoy Him, to rule and to wage war in a cosmic life and death struggle for the eternal souls of men and women (Eph 6:12). All of heaven and hell look on in eager expectation for the work of Christ’s bride, the church, us, you and me. Just as all of heaven and hell looked intently on every thought and action of Job, a baby in a stable (Luke 2:13-14) and Jesus in the garden.
It is our turn.
All of history has been about restoring creation to the original purpose. For the creation to worship, to be in united with God and to rule. Scripture says, we will judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3). The garden was step one in God’s plan. We cannot begin to imagine what God has planned next

1 Corinthians 2:9
However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"
But we know it is bigger than all we could ask or imagine (Eph. 3).
Heaven is not the goal, it is just the beginning. To be restored to relationship, to be made to rule, to participate in the divine glory
The fight is bigger. The stakes larger. The consequences – eternal.
Somehow God has opened Himself to allow us to have a place to be united together and to be like Him (Ps 8), not that we will ever be anything approaching equality with the Sovereign Lord, but that somehow we will be transformed to the image of Christ and all be one united bride and in His image, is amazing. That somehow we can not only miraculously coexist with his Divity and Infinite Holiness, but to have a place at the table, to participate in His work, to be united with Him and to reign with Him is beyond imagination. It drives me to me knees, fills me with awe, causes me to pour out a river of tears and to laugh uncontrollably with joy.

This is good news and it desperately needs to be told.

Heaven help me to be bolder, more intentional and ready to give a defense for the hope that is within me.