" The one who breaks open will come up before them; they will break out, pass through the gate, and go out by it, their king will pass before them, with the LORD at their head." ~ Micah 2:13
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
The Gospel: Food or Medicine
The current stress and strain of making a living has given rise to new levels of nervous, fussy, neurotic temperaments in our society. We are showing signs of increasing instability in our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual equilibrium. We are played out with business, pleasure and fatigued with formality & fashion.
In order to cope & combat we seem to be reaching out for some five hour like stimulant to spice us up and whip our jaded nerves into line just to make it through the day or week. I am concerned that we are not turning to Christ and the Gospel as our source of wholesome thinking & living but instead we are looking for the new religious "pick-me-up" get us by.
Recently I taught a series on The Lords Prayer. During this time I was deeply moved & convicted that this was far more than a prayer teaching but an actual model of the way Christ lived out His life. He said that we are to pray to the Father, "give us this day our daily bread". There is something very powerful about the daily bread... Jesus said that He was the "bread of life" in John 6:48 and He went on to say "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of he world".
And on the night He was betrayed, "...when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me". In remembrance involves more than just memory; the word suggests an "active calling to mind".
As we "actively call to mind" Christ death, burial & resurrection we are living by the Gospel.
The Gospel to the hungry becomes food, daily bread and a way of life rather than a medicine for temporary pain and pick-me-up.
"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel"
~ Mark 1: 15
In order to cope & combat we seem to be reaching out for some five hour like stimulant to spice us up and whip our jaded nerves into line just to make it through the day or week. I am concerned that we are not turning to Christ and the Gospel as our source of wholesome thinking & living but instead we are looking for the new religious "pick-me-up" get us by.
Recently I taught a series on The Lords Prayer. During this time I was deeply moved & convicted that this was far more than a prayer teaching but an actual model of the way Christ lived out His life. He said that we are to pray to the Father, "give us this day our daily bread". There is something very powerful about the daily bread... Jesus said that He was the "bread of life" in John 6:48 and He went on to say "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of he world".
And on the night He was betrayed, "...when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me". In remembrance involves more than just memory; the word suggests an "active calling to mind".
As we "actively call to mind" Christ death, burial & resurrection we are living by the Gospel.
The Gospel to the hungry becomes food, daily bread and a way of life rather than a medicine for temporary pain and pick-me-up.
"...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel"
~ Mark 1: 15
Thursday, October 27, 2011
The Lord Willing
Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power. ~ Psalms 110:3
By nature, God's people have wills as stubborn as have the rest of the sons of Adam. But when God's grace reaches us, the will surrenders and yields the sweet fruit of the spirit. The formerly self- willed rebel soon begins to cry, "What will You have me do, Lord? May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
By nature, God's people have wills as stubborn as have the rest of the sons of Adam. But when God's grace reaches us, the will surrenders and yields the sweet fruit of the spirit. The formerly self- willed rebel soon begins to cry, "What will You have me do, Lord? May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Authentic Christian Peacemaking
"The incentive to peacemaking is love, but it degenerates into appeasement whenever justice is ignored. To forgive and to ask for forgiveness are both costly exercises. All authentic Christian peacemaking exhibits the love and the justice--and so the pain of the cross" -- John R.W. Stott
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Harvesting Hope
Hope produces confidence, safety and security. Hope is the expectation of salvation, deliverance, restoration and healing.
I Timothy 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope"
The Apostle Paul not only acknowledges Christ as our Savior, and our Lord but also our Hope. The word Hope as it is found in the third chapter of Joel verse 16 literately means "a place of repair".
The Prophet Isaiah says that God is " ...the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in..." The Lord longs to repair the breaches in our life and heal the breaches in our soul. The God kind of Hope actually restores and gives back the losses in our lives.
False hope is hope that is based on human promise, pride and power. Human hope always disappoints unable to deliver and keep its promises. Read the following account of the God kind of Hope in the middle of hopeless circumstances found in Lamentations 3:13-24;
"He has caused the arrows of His quiver to pierce my loins. I have become the ridicule of all my people--Their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has make me drink wormwood. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, and covered me with ashes. You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
And I said, My strength and my hope Have perished from the Lord.
Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me.
But this I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassion's fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!"
I Timothy 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope"
The Apostle Paul not only acknowledges Christ as our Savior, and our Lord but also our Hope. The word Hope as it is found in the third chapter of Joel verse 16 literately means "a place of repair".
The Prophet Isaiah says that God is " ...the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in..." The Lord longs to repair the breaches in our life and heal the breaches in our soul. The God kind of Hope actually restores and gives back the losses in our lives.
False hope is hope that is based on human promise, pride and power. Human hope always disappoints unable to deliver and keep its promises. Read the following account of the God kind of Hope in the middle of hopeless circumstances found in Lamentations 3:13-24;
"He has caused the arrows of His quiver to pierce my loins. I have become the ridicule of all my people--Their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has make me drink wormwood. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, and covered me with ashes. You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
And I said, My strength and my hope Have perished from the Lord.
Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and gall. My soul still remembers and sinks within me.
But this I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassion's fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!"
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Every Christian
"Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it." John R. W. Stott
Monday, October 3, 2011
For Thine Is The Kingdom
This coming Sabbath we will conclude our teaching on the Lord's Prayer at Fernvale Community Church. "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever," are the final words of instruction from Christ to His disciples regarding prayer. (Matt. 6:13) As we examine the Lord's Prayer from the beginning to end, we discover that it opens and closes with praise, beginning with "Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name"...and concluding with "For Thine is the Kingdom, and power and the glory forever". Praise is the most dynamic commandment in God's Word and it is evidence here in the model prayer of our Lord.
In the Old Testament, seven levels of praise are expressed by seven Hebrew words.
Todah - "to extend hands in thanksgiving."
Yadah - "to worship with extended hands, to throw out the hands, enjoying God."
Hallal - "to be vigorously excited, to laud, boast, rave, celebrate."
Zamar - "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to praise with song."
Barak - "to bless, to declare God the origin of power for success, prosperity, and fertility, to be still."
Tehillah - "singing in the Spirit" or "singing psalms".
Shabach - "to commend, to address in a loud tone, to shout."
Praise has always been a mark of the people of God. Clearly, there are many acceptable ways to express our love, gratitude, and worship of God.
In His teaching on prayer, Jesus instructs us to return to praise after we have brought our petitions before the Father. But there is also significance in the words he uses: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory forever."
Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom," (Lk. 12:32). The Apostle Paul encourages us in Colossians 1:13-14, that God our Father has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has brought us into the Kingdom of His Son. When we pray, "For thine is the Kingdom," we should praise God because he has invited us to be participants in His Kingdom. We can declare: "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom," ( II Tim. 4:18)
The Lord has also made us participants in His power. He gives power to the faint. (Isaiah 40:29) He gives us power to attain wealth. ( Deut. 8:18) We are kept by the power of God. (I Pet. 1:5) He will raise us up by His mighty power. (I Cor. 6:14)
Jesus promised:
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:and nothing shall by any means hurt you, " (Lk. 10:19)
"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me," (Acts 1:8)
We can praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His power. Jesus also taught us to pray, "For Thine is....the glory." God's glory is the manifested perfection of His character, especially His righteousness. All men fall short of God's glory, but Jesus, through His suffering for the sins of mankind, brought many sons unto glory. (See Romans 3:23 and Hebrews 2:9-10)
As believers behold the glory of the Lord -- the character and ways of God exhibited through Christ--they are changed into His image, and the character and ways of the Father and Son are formed within them. (II Cor. 3:18) Is it any wonder that Apostle Paul charges believers to "walk worthy of God, who hath called you into His Kingdom and Glory"? (I Th. 2:12) We should also praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His glory.
The Kingdom, power, and glory all belong to our Father. They're all His, yet He shares them with us, because of the provision of His Son. The lifeblood of Jesus has made all blessings possible. May we never enter or leave the Lord's presence without humbly bowing before Him and offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
In the Old Testament, seven levels of praise are expressed by seven Hebrew words.
Todah - "to extend hands in thanksgiving."
Yadah - "to worship with extended hands, to throw out the hands, enjoying God."
Hallal - "to be vigorously excited, to laud, boast, rave, celebrate."
Zamar - "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to praise with song."
Barak - "to bless, to declare God the origin of power for success, prosperity, and fertility, to be still."
Tehillah - "singing in the Spirit" or "singing psalms".
Shabach - "to commend, to address in a loud tone, to shout."
Praise has always been a mark of the people of God. Clearly, there are many acceptable ways to express our love, gratitude, and worship of God.
In His teaching on prayer, Jesus instructs us to return to praise after we have brought our petitions before the Father. But there is also significance in the words he uses: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and glory forever."
Jesus said, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom," (Lk. 12:32). The Apostle Paul encourages us in Colossians 1:13-14, that God our Father has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has brought us into the Kingdom of His Son. When we pray, "For thine is the Kingdom," we should praise God because he has invited us to be participants in His Kingdom. We can declare: "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom," ( II Tim. 4:18)
The Lord has also made us participants in His power. He gives power to the faint. (Isaiah 40:29) He gives us power to attain wealth. ( Deut. 8:18) We are kept by the power of God. (I Pet. 1:5) He will raise us up by His mighty power. (I Cor. 6:14)
Jesus promised:
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy:and nothing shall by any means hurt you, " (Lk. 10:19)
"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me," (Acts 1:8)
We can praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His power. Jesus also taught us to pray, "For Thine is....the glory." God's glory is the manifested perfection of His character, especially His righteousness. All men fall short of God's glory, but Jesus, through His suffering for the sins of mankind, brought many sons unto glory. (See Romans 3:23 and Hebrews 2:9-10)
As believers behold the glory of the Lord -- the character and ways of God exhibited through Christ--they are changed into His image, and the character and ways of the Father and Son are formed within them. (II Cor. 3:18) Is it any wonder that Apostle Paul charges believers to "walk worthy of God, who hath called you into His Kingdom and Glory"? (I Th. 2:12) We should also praise God because He has invited us to be participants in His glory.
The Kingdom, power, and glory all belong to our Father. They're all His, yet He shares them with us, because of the provision of His Son. The lifeblood of Jesus has made all blessings possible. May we never enter or leave the Lord's presence without humbly bowing before Him and offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
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