After exmaining Edwards, my accountability partner and I (my FFE Jas) decided to come up with some of our own, to live lives set-apart for the King. Please pray for our pursuit as we continue the race! May you be encouraged :)
1. Resolved, that all I do is for the glory of God.
2. Resolved, to live each hour as if it were my last.
3. Resolved, to use my mouth for the edifying of others and the glory of God.
4. Resolved, to have a gentle and quiet spirit.
5. Resolved, to treat my body as a temple of the Lord.
6. Resolved, to trace sin back to the heart and pray and fight to have victory over it.
7. Resolved, to remember God’s love.
8. Resolved, to think truth before I speak.
9. Resolved, to examine my days… the good and the bad.
10. Resolved, that in whatever I do, it pleases the Lord… even in the little things.
11. Resolved, to be self-controlled in every aspect of my life.
12. Resolved, to consistently be increasing my time in God’s Word.
13. Resolved, to always rely on prayer and not myself.
14. Resolved, to let the Lord lead my every step.
15. Resolved, to deny myself daily.
16. Resolved, to “hate” all other relationships in comparison to my love for Christ.
17. Resolved, to consider others better than myself.
18. Resolved, to be bold for the name of the Lord.
19. Resolved, to never compromise.
20. Resolved, if I should fall in anything, to repent and get back up and continue running to finish the race.
May 1, 2010
21. Resolved, to follow every prompting of the Holy Spirit, in conviction, opportunity, and sanctification.
22. Resolved, to be a cheerful giver.
23. Resolved, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my strength and with all my mind.
24. Resolved, to focus on the eternal instead of the temporal.
25. Resolved, to use my time for God's glory and His kingdom.
26. Resolved, to find my identity in Christ alone.
27. Resolved, to be set apart; in action, in speech, in all that I do.
28. Resolved, to spend myself and be spent for the Kingdom.
29. Resolved, to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth.
30. Resolved, to preach the Gospel to myself daily...always knowing that on my "best" and "worst" days I am never out of reach of His grace.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Jonathan Edwards: An Example Worth Following
" I want to remember these three things: the shortness of life, the suddenness of death, the length of eternity...always having an eternal perspective because right now counts FOREVER!" -Jonathan Edwards
I listened to a message earlier this week by Steve Lawson titled "The Use of Your Time" (http://www.illbehonest.com/blog/?p=623) . WIthin the first few minutes I was humbled, amazed and challenged by the faith of a 17 year old young man whose desire from the moment of justification was to bring as much glory to His great God as possible. Jonathan Edwards was truly, as God referred to David in Scripture, a man after God's own heart. His life is a mirror of the Savior and the way in which God used Him is profound. I don't think a day went by in which Edwards didn't seek to fix his whole heart and his eyes on the Savior as He constantly remembered the cross.
By the time he was in his early 20s he had compiled a list of promises he made, commitments to himself later named his "Resolutions"; a list of desires He strove to live by, desires that were shaped by the Word and that would bring His God the most glory possible. Luther didn't shy away from challenging himself to the "extreme" as many would call it. Lawson mentioned that Edward himself said his desire was to be the greatest man of God, not in a prideful sense but rather because of His great love for His Jesus. When you look at the list of resolutions it seems almost impossible, and "extreme" as many might deem it, but is it? Was Edwards over the top with His pursuit of holiness and the Savior or was he right on? The more I read about Edwards and the more I compare him to the Scriptures the more I see how right on he was. This man was a man who denied himself, took up his cross, and daily sought to follow hard after Christ. His life was wrapped in the Savior, his mind, his emotions, his will...everything pointed to Christ. His life shined with a reverence, fear, and passion for Him. The call for ALL disciples, that is any follower of Christ, is an all-out call, a complete life transformation, an exchange of your life for His and all this with a sweet promise of eternity with the Savior . Edwards absolutely had it right, His desire to be the "BEST" Christian in his day was not prideful or absurd but rather a heart seeking to be holy as God is holy and to please His Father. He didn't rely on His own strength but rather humbled himself daily at the foot of the cross seeking for His Father's strength. I can't help but admire the man, desire to imitate his life as He imitated Christ and thank God for the example He is to all of us pursuing our Lord.
Here are a few of my favorite of Edward's resolutions:
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do
whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever
difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do any thing which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both
carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in, the knowledge of the same.
41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done
better.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in Him, and consecrate myself wholly to Him; that from this I may have assurance of
my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:‹knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord’s
May we have the heart of Edwards and Job as seen here, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”- Job 19:25
I listened to a message earlier this week by Steve Lawson titled "The Use of Your Time" (http://www.illbehonest.com/blog/?p=623) . WIthin the first few minutes I was humbled, amazed and challenged by the faith of a 17 year old young man whose desire from the moment of justification was to bring as much glory to His great God as possible. Jonathan Edwards was truly, as God referred to David in Scripture, a man after God's own heart. His life is a mirror of the Savior and the way in which God used Him is profound. I don't think a day went by in which Edwards didn't seek to fix his whole heart and his eyes on the Savior as He constantly remembered the cross.
By the time he was in his early 20s he had compiled a list of promises he made, commitments to himself later named his "Resolutions"; a list of desires He strove to live by, desires that were shaped by the Word and that would bring His God the most glory possible. Luther didn't shy away from challenging himself to the "extreme" as many would call it. Lawson mentioned that Edward himself said his desire was to be the greatest man of God, not in a prideful sense but rather because of His great love for His Jesus. When you look at the list of resolutions it seems almost impossible, and "extreme" as many might deem it, but is it? Was Edwards over the top with His pursuit of holiness and the Savior or was he right on? The more I read about Edwards and the more I compare him to the Scriptures the more I see how right on he was. This man was a man who denied himself, took up his cross, and daily sought to follow hard after Christ. His life was wrapped in the Savior, his mind, his emotions, his will...everything pointed to Christ. His life shined with a reverence, fear, and passion for Him. The call for ALL disciples, that is any follower of Christ, is an all-out call, a complete life transformation, an exchange of your life for His and all this with a sweet promise of eternity with the Savior . Edwards absolutely had it right, His desire to be the "BEST" Christian in his day was not prideful or absurd but rather a heart seeking to be holy as God is holy and to please His Father. He didn't rely on His own strength but rather humbled himself daily at the foot of the cross seeking for His Father's strength. I can't help but admire the man, desire to imitate his life as He imitated Christ and thank God for the example He is to all of us pursuing our Lord.
Here are a few of my favorite of Edward's resolutions:
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do
whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever
difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do any thing which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both
carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in, the knowledge of the same.
41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done
better.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in Him, and consecrate myself wholly to Him; that from this I may have assurance of
my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:‹knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord’s
May we have the heart of Edwards and Job as seen here, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.”- Job 19:25
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Humble Fear
I listened to two sermons this week that brought me to a humbling realization of the holiness of God. I don't think I will ever fully comprehend what God's character encompasses, and in specific his holiness, but the more that I get a glimpse of it the more I am amazed and fearful. Not fearful in the sense that I am going to be punished but just fearful knowing that when I sin, I sin against this holy God who paid my debt for me! In 1 John we are reminded that as Christians we sin "LESS", not that we are sinless. That means that as we progress in our sanctification we shouldn't be sinning as much as we did in the past; I guess the paradox in that is that the more we grow in the Truth the more we see sin for what it is and the more wretched we become in our eyes, our sin seems to be more prevalent. What is even scarier to me is the fact that most of the sin that I struggle with is not outward but deep within the recesses of my own heart where only God knows what is truly going on.
As I listened to JMac talk about the "vanishing conscience" as he put it in our culture, even in "evangelical Christianity" I was frightened. If our conscience is informed by what goes into our hearts and minds then why am I not constantly saturating it in the Word and in Truth?! I never want to be in a place where my conscience is so watered down, so caked over, so diluted that I don't even notice the sin in my life, I don't even respond to conviction and I glory in the shame that brought my Savior to the cross. Many people like to think that there is this dual nature within even Christians but that is far from what the Word teaches. Paul himself tells us that we were crucified with Christ! MacArthur puts it this way, ""If you are a Christian, it's a serious misunderstanding to think of yourself as having both an old and new nature. We do not have a dual personality! Assuming the dual nature of the believer could easily lead one to excuse all kinds of sins by blaming them on the old nature". "Salvation is a spiritual union with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection that can also be described as the death of the `old self' and the resurrection of the `new self,' who now walks in `newness of life.' This union and new identity clearly means that salvation is transformation. It is not addition of a new self to an old self. In Christ, the old self no longer exists. This does not negate the fact that Christians will sin, but it removes the possiblity of excusing that sinful behavior.
I also listened to Steve Lawson talk about guarding our hearts, the wellspring of life within ourselves. He went on to explain that we need to search deep within the recesses of our heart to assess our true condition before the holy God. Who we are in our hearts is who we really are. The mask of spiritual maturity can be worn, we can be like the white washed tombs but the Lord knows the heart, He knows the true man and in the end it will be Hm, the Creator of all the earth, in whom you will give an account.
Thinking about these Truths reminded me of my purpose, my desires, my focus, and the reason I need to be soaked in His Truth and pursuing Him with everything that is within me. It also brought me joy and hope in the cross of Christ that paid my penalty in full, how thankful I truly am. My heart longs for the day I will truly be redeemed and made new, but until then rests in the sovereign God who is going to complete the work that He has begun (Phil 1:6).
As I listened to JMac talk about the "vanishing conscience" as he put it in our culture, even in "evangelical Christianity" I was frightened. If our conscience is informed by what goes into our hearts and minds then why am I not constantly saturating it in the Word and in Truth?! I never want to be in a place where my conscience is so watered down, so caked over, so diluted that I don't even notice the sin in my life, I don't even respond to conviction and I glory in the shame that brought my Savior to the cross. Many people like to think that there is this dual nature within even Christians but that is far from what the Word teaches. Paul himself tells us that we were crucified with Christ! MacArthur puts it this way, ""If you are a Christian, it's a serious misunderstanding to think of yourself as having both an old and new nature. We do not have a dual personality! Assuming the dual nature of the believer could easily lead one to excuse all kinds of sins by blaming them on the old nature". "Salvation is a spiritual union with Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection that can also be described as the death of the `old self' and the resurrection of the `new self,' who now walks in `newness of life.' This union and new identity clearly means that salvation is transformation. It is not addition of a new self to an old self. In Christ, the old self no longer exists. This does not negate the fact that Christians will sin, but it removes the possiblity of excusing that sinful behavior.
I also listened to Steve Lawson talk about guarding our hearts, the wellspring of life within ourselves. He went on to explain that we need to search deep within the recesses of our heart to assess our true condition before the holy God. Who we are in our hearts is who we really are. The mask of spiritual maturity can be worn, we can be like the white washed tombs but the Lord knows the heart, He knows the true man and in the end it will be Hm, the Creator of all the earth, in whom you will give an account.
Thinking about these Truths reminded me of my purpose, my desires, my focus, and the reason I need to be soaked in His Truth and pursuing Him with everything that is within me. It also brought me joy and hope in the cross of Christ that paid my penalty in full, how thankful I truly am. My heart longs for the day I will truly be redeemed and made new, but until then rests in the sovereign God who is going to complete the work that He has begun (Phil 1:6).
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Sovereign God
God's sovereignty blows my mind. Every time I think about it I am continually amazed at the power, majesty and glory of who He truly is. Although I know I am but merely scratching the surface, the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to the reality of this Truth, I am thankful for the grace of God that has opened my eyes to even seeing a faint glimpse. The sovereignty of God and our responsibility are not concepts that fit well together. In our logical brains we can't seem to grasp both at the same time and therefore we don't like to think about it. But I believe that this is such a huge part of God's character, it is so much so that it is what demands a childlike faith and trust and whole and humble dependence upon a holy God. His sovereignty is a foundational Truth that helps explain all of who He is!
I recently have had to come to grips with the power of God's sovereignty even over the sinful affairs in this world, and even more specifically within my own life. The following two quotes have encouraged me in this pursuit of understanding...
"A "god' whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits nought but contempt." -A.W. Tozer
"In efficacious grace we are not merely passive, nor yet does God do some and we do the rest. But God does all, and we do all. God produces all, we act all. For that is what produces, viz. our own acts. God is the only proper author and fountain; we only are the proper actors. We are in different respects, wholly passive and wholly active." -Jonathan Edwards
There is an unresolvable tangent that we as believers will face when it comes to the problem of evil, especially in our own lives and God's sovereign affair over all of creation, and more specifically within our lives. If God is really sovereign, did He make me sin? No absolutely, we as humanity are fully culpable. James 1:13 says, "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;" Yet, nothing happens that is out of His doing, His authority, and His control. In Job we read of the scene between God and Satan and the fact that Satan has no power without God giving it to him, evidenced in his asking God permission to test Job. With these Truths said I have to admit that I don't always trust it fully. And then God, in His grace and goodness, gently reminds me of this Truth. He reminds me that He works through EVERYTHING, the good and the bad, to fulfill both His overarching redemptive purpose, His purpose and plan for me for my good, and all the while to ultimately bring Jesus Christ glory!
My prayer is that I would seek to grasp more and more of God's sovereignty, in fact all of His character that I might hope more and more in Him!
"For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth." -Psalm 71:5
I recently have had to come to grips with the power of God's sovereignty even over the sinful affairs in this world, and even more specifically within my own life. The following two quotes have encouraged me in this pursuit of understanding...
"A "god' whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits nought but contempt." -A.W. Tozer
"In efficacious grace we are not merely passive, nor yet does God do some and we do the rest. But God does all, and we do all. God produces all, we act all. For that is what produces, viz. our own acts. God is the only proper author and fountain; we only are the proper actors. We are in different respects, wholly passive and wholly active." -Jonathan Edwards
There is an unresolvable tangent that we as believers will face when it comes to the problem of evil, especially in our own lives and God's sovereign affair over all of creation, and more specifically within our lives. If God is really sovereign, did He make me sin? No absolutely, we as humanity are fully culpable. James 1:13 says, "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;" Yet, nothing happens that is out of His doing, His authority, and His control. In Job we read of the scene between God and Satan and the fact that Satan has no power without God giving it to him, evidenced in his asking God permission to test Job. With these Truths said I have to admit that I don't always trust it fully. And then God, in His grace and goodness, gently reminds me of this Truth. He reminds me that He works through EVERYTHING, the good and the bad, to fulfill both His overarching redemptive purpose, His purpose and plan for me for my good, and all the while to ultimately bring Jesus Christ glory!
My prayer is that I would seek to grasp more and more of God's sovereignty, in fact all of His character that I might hope more and more in Him!
"For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth." -Psalm 71:5
Friday, April 09, 2010
A Living Sacrifice
God is good, He is sovereign, He is faithful and He is a God who desires us to be FULLY dependent upon him and satisfied 100% in Him. Living in today's world, and encased in a fleshly body this is not the easiest reality in the world. We consistently find ourselves compromising and justifying the very things we know to be disobedient to God and grieve the Spirit within us. We live in a way that is contrary to the very words we speak; we say we trust God and yet we don't always exemplify that in every area of our lives. Head knowledge is one thing, but heart transformation is completely different. True sanctification happens within the heart not within the mind. True sanctification changes you, it refines you, it models you after Jesus Christ and as Romans 12 says it TRANSFORMS you so that you can discern what is the good and pleasing will of God for YOUR life...His GOOD AND PERFECT will!
I seem to always find myself questioning God's will for my life, His perfect and good will SPECIFIC for me. And I find myself failing to trust, to really trust that will. But why? God's will is good. Why is it good? Because God is the definition of good, He encompasses every aspect of what it means to be good after all, HE IS PERFECT. Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." God's plan for His kids lives is not one that is going to disappoint, confuse, and make you unhappy...GOD LOVES YOU (if you are His child)! Life is full of God's special blessings, His surprises. God knows exactly what He is doing, He doesn't make mistakes, He doesn't confuse us, He doesn't have plans to harm us but rather as Jeremiah 29 says plans to prosper us, to give us a future and a hope. And yet we so easily forget to remember this, I so easily forget to remember this, and to live by this precious Truth of Scripture, of our perfect Father.
Romans 12 is an amazingly encouraging passage. In v 1-2 we read, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." What does this even mean? How do we offer our body as a "living sacrifice"? The Geneva study Bible puts it well, "the principal of which is this, that every man consecrate himself wholly to the spiritual service of God, and do as it were sacrifice himself, trusting the grace of God." It is something that a Christian does, this isn't a standard for some super Christian, or for the disciples or the pastors, no it is a call, a command for EVERY follower of Jesus Christ! It is interesting that He is using the word "urge" or "beseech" because it is not a command but rather a loving exhortation. For the last 11 chapters Paul has laid out doctrine and he is saying therefore now that I have told you all these things I am begging you to live your life as a sacrifice to the Lord. And why do we do this? Because all that God has done for you, in light of everything He has done, in the reality of who you are in Christ, the fact that you are ALREADY acceptable, you are ALREADY holy and blameless because of Christ! And He wants YOU to be a living sacrifice willing to pay a supreme price for him, your whole life...everything about it, in light of who He is and what Christ did! John Macarthur said it well, "The issue isn’t, can I at one time die for Jesus; it’s, can I everyday, everyday, everyday sacrifice my dreams, my hopes, my will, my wants for his. See? It’s a living sacrifice: I bring my body into submission to his will… A living sacrifice. That’s what God wants out of us, beloved. May it be so."
All in all, why do we waste our time worrying, not trusting or trying to figure out what God wants in 20 years from now? We need to heed James exhortation in 4:13-15 "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." We must focus on today, on living our lives as a sacrifice today, in letting God sanctify and refine you today, and in fully depending on and trusting God TODAY. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all knowing God!
I seem to always find myself questioning God's will for my life, His perfect and good will SPECIFIC for me. And I find myself failing to trust, to really trust that will. But why? God's will is good. Why is it good? Because God is the definition of good, He encompasses every aspect of what it means to be good after all, HE IS PERFECT. Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." God's plan for His kids lives is not one that is going to disappoint, confuse, and make you unhappy...GOD LOVES YOU (if you are His child)! Life is full of God's special blessings, His surprises. God knows exactly what He is doing, He doesn't make mistakes, He doesn't confuse us, He doesn't have plans to harm us but rather as Jeremiah 29 says plans to prosper us, to give us a future and a hope. And yet we so easily forget to remember this, I so easily forget to remember this, and to live by this precious Truth of Scripture, of our perfect Father.
Romans 12 is an amazingly encouraging passage. In v 1-2 we read, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." What does this even mean? How do we offer our body as a "living sacrifice"? The Geneva study Bible puts it well, "the principal of which is this, that every man consecrate himself wholly to the spiritual service of God, and do as it were sacrifice himself, trusting the grace of God." It is something that a Christian does, this isn't a standard for some super Christian, or for the disciples or the pastors, no it is a call, a command for EVERY follower of Jesus Christ! It is interesting that He is using the word "urge" or "beseech" because it is not a command but rather a loving exhortation. For the last 11 chapters Paul has laid out doctrine and he is saying therefore now that I have told you all these things I am begging you to live your life as a sacrifice to the Lord. And why do we do this? Because all that God has done for you, in light of everything He has done, in the reality of who you are in Christ, the fact that you are ALREADY acceptable, you are ALREADY holy and blameless because of Christ! And He wants YOU to be a living sacrifice willing to pay a supreme price for him, your whole life...everything about it, in light of who He is and what Christ did! John Macarthur said it well, "The issue isn’t, can I at one time die for Jesus; it’s, can I everyday, everyday, everyday sacrifice my dreams, my hopes, my will, my wants for his. See? It’s a living sacrifice: I bring my body into submission to his will… A living sacrifice. That’s what God wants out of us, beloved. May it be so."
All in all, why do we waste our time worrying, not trusting or trying to figure out what God wants in 20 years from now? We need to heed James exhortation in 4:13-15 "Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." We must focus on today, on living our lives as a sacrifice today, in letting God sanctify and refine you today, and in fully depending on and trusting God TODAY. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all knowing God!
Thursday, April 01, 2010
The Wonder of the Cross
I think it is safe to say that during this time of year there is more reflection in the life of the believer on the cross of Christ than during any other time. The reflection of this time on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ forces many of us to our knees as we cling to the promises that we find our hope in. In the midst of a confused world we stand in complete wonder at the cross. One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture in regards to the greatest act of all time (past, present and future) is found in Isaiah 53:2-12
"2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression [a] and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes [c] his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life [d] and be satisfied [e] ;
by his knowledge [f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors."
It is upon this foundational Truth of the Gospel that our joy is made complete. We have been saved, rescued, plucked from the pit because of love and the glory of an allpowerful God. There will never be words to describe how grateful I am for this, my mind will never be able to fully comprehend the greatness of this, and it will continually leave me in awe of the Almighty Lord and Savior. My prayer is summed up in the lyrics to a song called "The Wonder of the Cross":
"Behold the empty wooden tree, His body gone, alive and free.
We sing with everlasting joy for sin and death have been destroyed,
Yes, sin and death have been destroyed!
May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the Cross.
May I see it like the first time, standing as a sinner lost.
Undone by mercy and left speechless watching wide-eyed at the cost,
May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the Cross. "
PRAISE THE LORD, HE HAS RISEN INDEED!
"2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression [a] and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken. [b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes [c] his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life [d] and be satisfied [e] ;
by his knowledge [f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, [g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong, [h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors."
It is upon this foundational Truth of the Gospel that our joy is made complete. We have been saved, rescued, plucked from the pit because of love and the glory of an allpowerful God. There will never be words to describe how grateful I am for this, my mind will never be able to fully comprehend the greatness of this, and it will continually leave me in awe of the Almighty Lord and Savior. My prayer is summed up in the lyrics to a song called "The Wonder of the Cross":
"Behold the empty wooden tree, His body gone, alive and free.
We sing with everlasting joy for sin and death have been destroyed,
Yes, sin and death have been destroyed!
May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the Cross.
May I see it like the first time, standing as a sinner lost.
Undone by mercy and left speechless watching wide-eyed at the cost,
May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the Cross. "
PRAISE THE LORD, HE HAS RISEN INDEED!
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