ResponsiveReiding

Elijah’s Lament

July 29th, 2011

1 Kings 19:4 (ESV) But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

My sin!

Oh, the weight of it.

The madness of its remaining.

The sadness of its recurring eruptions.

The weariness of refusing its draw.

The helplessness of self to hold fast.

The cyclic grief of failure.

Lord hold!

You alone can bear me.

The wonder of your patience.

The joy of your continual cleansing.

The hope of your promises.

The strength of your saving grace.

The perpetual shadow of the cross.
Bridezillas of Christ

July 27th, 2011

Proverbs 27:15–16 (ESV)

¹⁵ A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike;

¹⁶ to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one’s right hand.

Is this what it is like for Christ to dwell with His Bride? Are we the quarrelsome wife? Dissatisfied with every providence. Straining against every place we dwell? Complaining over every little thing which is not to our liking? Are our prayers more like the annoying drip, drip, drip of a rainy day? Do this, do that, not this way, not that way, more of this, less of that, something different than what I have, other than what I had, on and on and on? He may as well be trying to pick up a gallon of oil in His right hand or try to put the wind in a box as bring us to stability and contentment.

Heavenly Father, forgive me. It must seem to you like my prayers are just like this continual dripping. Please open my blind eyes to see the wisdom and love behind every one of your appointments for my life. Forgive me for my complaining heart, my unsatisfiable desires. Teach me the secret of true contentment, of not only yielding to travel the roads you have put before me, but to rejoice in your sovereign choice of them. Let me find my highest joy in you personally far above anything you can do for me. Let me lavish in your love – and let me be filled with it, lest the bitter, rancid morsels the World holds out to me seem worthy of the least consideration.

Make me more like Jesus.
Beyond Belief

July 16th, 2011

Prov. 16:4 The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Acts 17:26-27 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.

Bad eyes? Constant struggle with weight? Abandoned? Hurt? Poor? Wealthy? Too short? Bald? Too attractive to be taken seriously? No pedigree? Wrong ethnicity? Birth defect? Challenged? Poor hearing? Diabetic? Lack ambition? Lonely? Only liked for your money or influence? Dumped at the altar? Bullied? Abused? Betrayed? Uneducated? Handicapped?

God has graciously & wisely given us each and every circumstance – from our physical strengths and weaknesses, to our positive and negative circumstantial environments – that we might be brought face to face with the conditions best suited to maximize the exposure of the sin within us that needs dealt with, as it hinders Christ’s likeness within us.

On one side, it takes very penetrating hurts to go deep enough to uncover and expose the most buried and protected sins. On the other side, it takes very great privileges and pleasures to expose other of the deepest sins buried in our hearts.

How then, will we respond? Will we use His “gifts” to grow? Or will they serve as our chief excuses to remain as we are?
“Not a Lot to Say” – An open letter to the Huffington Post re: Greg Carey’s article

July 11th, 2011

After reading an article recently in the Huffington Post – (READ THE ARTICLE HERE)

I could not help but respond to Professor Greg Carey’s assertion, the Bible has little to say about marriage. Greg Carey is Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster PA (a UCC school – bio HERE).

Dear Editors:

I want to applaud the Huffington Post for being willing to ask and address the question which headed the 7/7/2011 edition article: “What Does the Bible Actually Say About Marriage?” A timely and important topic.

And, I’d like to say how much I appreciated Professor Carey’s irenic tone and his willingness to step up to the plate in pointing out that some of the commonly perceived “marriage” passages in the Bible aren’t passages about marriage at all! – like 1 Corinthians 13. Bravo! Carelessness in reading the Scriptures carefully and in a contextually sensitive manner, breeds all kinds of misinterpretations. Worse, it breeds an approach to the Bible we wouldn’t tolerate in any other
literature. Professor Carey is spot on when he notes that:

“Unfortunately, many Christians use the Bible to support their own prejudices and bigotry.” I might add that not only some Christians do this – but some self-professed non-Christians engage in the practice at times too. Sad.

When Theodor Geisel, writing as Dr. Seuss penned “The Cat in the Hat” – he did not imagine (nor do we ordinarily) assume others might read that line as implying that it contained a polemic against the psychological mistreatment of house pets through systematic imprisonment in disorientating millinery prisons designed to keep them from climbing the evolutionary ladder. It was a fun tome about a mischievous feline protagonist. Biblical statements seldom fair as well at the hands of some – even those who would profess to be its adherent and defenders.

Imagine my surprise then when I reached the article’s section headed by the words: “Not a Lot to Say.” I must confess a certain amount of mystification over Prof. Carey’s assertion here. The implication that the Bible simply does not have much to say about marriage, is in my limited understanding, grossly inaccurate. I should like to understand the unit of measure used in arriving at that conclusion. We might say the United States Constitution does not have “a lot” to say about the “right to privacy” – but few in our day would argue that so little said (some argue nothing said, but indirectly) implies the concept is of little importance, or that what IS said isn’t vital to interpreting how the Constitution applies.

So when I consider how the Bible treats the establishment of marriage and its fundamental elements in Genesis2:19-25; It’s repeated demonstration of the failure of polygamous relationships (it never whitewashes the attendant problems); God’s emphatic prohibition of adultery (Ex. 20:14, Deut. 5:18 with other allusions); God’s prohibition of sex outside of the marriage covenant and the extensive and detailed parameters instituted regarding legitimate and illegitimate sexual partners and marriageability (see the entire context of Leviticus 18:1-23); The Bible’s repeated treatment of the betrayal of God’s People’s relationship with God in terms of adultery (myriads of passages but most explicitly and extensively portrayed in the book of Hosea); Jesus’ explicit teaching on the nature of the marriage relationship by limiting legitimate divorce to cases of adultery (Matthew 19:3-9); Jesus’ explanation that not everyone can remain single but only those “to whom it is given” (Matt. 19:11); The Apostle Paul’s extensive treatment of marriage issues in 1 Corinthians 7 – 40 packed verses worth!; Paul’s far from “ugly” but transcendent exposition of the keys to a harmonious marriage relationship in
Ephesians 5:22-33) when he shows proper arrangement and order (with submission by the way – NOT subjugation – but good order); Peter’s call to husbands to treat their wives NOT as spiritual inferiors, but as the equals they are before God with honor and cherishing them as finer vessels than they (1 Peter 3:1-17); and then the pervasive typology that the Bible employs to describe the Savior’s relationship with His Church in the framework of monogamous, committed marriage with inviolable fidelity and faithfulness (Eph. 5:25-32; Rev. 19:7; 21:2 & 9; 22:17); and a host of other references and allusions – when I consider that (and more) I gasp – “Not a Lot to Say”? Preposterous! Volumes to say. And not a word of over-romanticized fluff, but nuts and bolts reality having to do with every aspect of the marital relationship.

Contrary to the good professor, I must insist the Bible has plenty to say about marriage, and the gift it is from the hand of God – whether or not one comes from the Judaic or Christian traditions.

As an Evangelical Christian, I have come to count the privilege, the honor, the deep spiritual significance and the wonder of this phenomenal thing called marriage precisely because the Bible has so much to say about it.

Pick it up, read it, and be amazed.
Dealing with Despair

July 7th, 2011

An exceptional address from Paige Benton Brown at The Gospel Coalition

HERE http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/name-index/a/Paige_Benton_Brown
Sipping Saints

July 5th, 2011

Matthew 20:20–28 (ESV) Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. ²¹And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” ²²Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” ²³He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”…²⁸even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In verse 22 of this interesting passage, something deeply profound takes place. James & John, the
sons of Zebedee” – get to “drink” from Jesus’ “cup.” May we take our sip today too.

The situation is fascinating. Their mother (James’ & John’s that it) is concerned to secure for her sons the best thing she can think of. Praise God for mothers who are desirous of such things for us. And the highest thing She can think of, is that her two sons serve as Jesus’ top two servants in His coming Kingdom. The other disciples seem bothered by this – but one is left to speculate if their distress only comes from the fact that they didn’t think to ask this before she did!

But Jesus is never wont to let an opportunity for opening our eyes to see the Heavenly vistas beyond this earthly realm. And seizing upon this singular occasion, uses it to bring into the very sharpest of contrasts – this World’s system versus Christ’s Kingdom. In this World, position and power in the eyes of others mean everything. In Christ’s Kingdom, joyful and full subjection to the Father surpasses all.

So Jesus introduces this idea by a most eye-opening method. In effect, He asks the “boys” – do you think you can handle such a position – by being party to the accomplishing of the things the Father has given to me to do? Can you drink from “MY” cup? Can you enter into my world and my responsibilities and my realm? To which they answer (one wonders if with too little thought) “YES! We can!” To which Jesus then replies – “then so you shall – here.” And He offers them their first draught.

What does that taste like? It tastes like this: “To rule and reign with me, to serve in my Kingdom the way I serve the Father – is to care nothing for personal gain, but to leave all such sovereign choices up the Father without complaint.” For “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Would you find a “place” within His kingdom? Then sip His cup. And forget about carving out your niche, or what that might look like. Just submit to the Father and His providential assignments as He sees fit. This is what Jesus does. He is here to carry out the Father’s will. His cup is to be free to forget about personal position, and to live unto His God.

So. Will you drink from His cup today? Or will you still vie for how you think the Father can use you best? Still strive after making sure He employs you the way YOU think best?

Go ahead. Take a sip. Its liberating.
Which one are you?

July 1st, 2011

Revelation 2:1a (ESV) “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write…”

Churches all have personalities. Those personalities generally take their primary characteristics from the Pastor(s) – though not always. But because we are social creatures, we often gather most comfortably with those who share similar personality traits, and/or compatible traits. And this has both pluses and minuses to it.

In an interview I heard with John MacArthur some time ago, MacArthur lamented that he has ministered so long in one place (Grace Community Church) that he has been there long enough to see some of his negative traits replicated in his congregation. We pass-on (so to speak) attitudes and viewpoints, mindsets and other factors which are not always positive. It is an occupational hazard. One that personally makes me tremble.

As you read the 2nd and 3rd chapters of the book of The Revelation, you cannot help but see this problem in the larger context of each congregation. Each one has its peculiarities which Jesus addresses. Some positive, some negative. And we can be reasonably sure that such traits reflect at least the leadership of the individual Churches, if not the majority of those in each one. For instance…

Ephesus was commended for its orthodoxy and activity, but challenged for being somewhat loveless.

Smyrna was beat up, persecuted, hopeless in this life – and counseled to place its trust in the return of Christ and not a reversal of fortunes. Pergamum was urban, compromised by the culture & dependent upon structure. Thyatira was socially active, but morally compromised by listening to un-Biblical “authority”. Sardis was outwardly vibrant but inwardly dead to the Spirit of Christ while Philadelphia, though diminutive was alive, dependent and faithful. Lastly, Laodicea, which was impactless through the deception of prosperity and loss of intimacy with Christ.

So which one are you? We might each be able to say our particular church fits at least mostly into one of these 7 pictures – but in truth, we probably share those characteristics personally as well. Do one of these descriptions fit your congregation? Do one of these descriptions seem to fit you individually – more or less? No doubt, at least one stands out in both cases. And with few exceptions you are probably in a church which reflects your affinity for those in like condition. So, which one are you?

One of the delights of this passage is that in the cases where anything negative is shared – there is counsel given. Neither you nor your church need remain that way. And for the two which have only commendation – there is encouragement to carry on.

To be perfectly honest – I would have to say I tend most toward being an “Ephesian.” Not good. But not un-fixable either. How great is the mercy and grace of our God! But if you were to sit down in the privacy of your own prayer closet with this portion of Scripture before you – where would you locate yourself? Where would you locate your church? And what will you do with the counsel given?

Our Faithful and True Shepherd, loves us too much, to leave us to ourselves. May we respond to that love in appropriate ways. He loves, to help His own recover from whatever we get ourselves into.
Leading with a lead pipe.

June 28th, 2011

Proverbs 28:15 (ESV) Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

Bad leadership “leads”, rules by two primary tactics – instilling fear through a bullying rage about all manner of things (roaring) and through fiercely attacking (charging) others. And let’s face it – these tactics are effective. It is why they persist. They get people to cower and run. And it is wicked. How opposite of our Christ.

Talk show hosts “lead” by raging for hours on end. Hoping to instill enough fear in folks to get a reaction. A reaction which translates into ratings more than any real action to change things with an eye toward loving others.

Politicians charge one another endlessly. They rage about the opposition. The demonize everyone who disagrees. They think they lead by making you angry at or afraid of – the other side.

It happens in our pulpits too. Rather than point others to Christ, preachers and teachers can spend their hours raging against the Devil, or the World or the Flesh, and driving people through fear. Such a form of spiritual bullying is reprehensible in the highest. It is one thing to point out truth, and quite another to try to manipulate through raging and charging.

And it happens in our homes. Fathers roar at their kids. Husbands at their wives. And some wives in return. We seek power over the other by our roaring and charging. We hit them where they are weak – and trample on them and then congratulate ourselves for being “real” men – leaders.

And then we are reminded of our Savior. He led by going. He was on His way to die. And He called others to come and follow. But as would be prophesied of Him: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. ²He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; ³ a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. ⁴ He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.” (Isaiah 42:1–4, ESV)

He did not rage at others to control them – but in the Spirit of His Father He said: “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV)

Like a Shepherd He lead us. Not like a bully. Not like a fear monger. Not wickedly. He leads us in gentleness and truth. Beside still waters. He restores our souls – He does not rage at them. How unlike the World.

What a Savior!
All decked out

June 21st, 2011

Ephesians 6:10–20 (ESV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Whenever I fall into sin, (don’t give me that look – you do too) I find I need look to find which part of Christ’s armor I’ve neglected. That is most often what leaves me susceptible to failure. No doubt, it is the same for you too.

1. Do I have my BELT OF TRUTH on? Am I seeing all of reality and even my identity as defined in relationship TO Christ? Am I seeing sin as the hideous thing it really is in God’s eyes, and righteousness as the treasure it really is in God’s eyes? Or is my day-to-day worldview uninformed by understanding the universe through God’s eternal purposes in Christ – rather than through the lens of the moment or this world’s values?

2. Do I have my BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS on? Commentators are divided on the nature of this breastplate – whether it refers to guarding my own heart through habitually walking in righteousness or fixing my eyes on Christ’s imputed righteousness. I take my stand on not being able to separate the two. The more I rely NOT on my own righteousness, and live fully convinced of Christ’s righteousness imputed to me in faith – the more I walk in the freedom of that righteousness, and guard my heart. Am I conscious of really and truly being declared righteous IN Christ?

3. Are my feet standing securely in the readiness given by the GOSPEL OF PEACE? Do I live at peace with God because of my justification in the Gospel, or is there some underlying fear that the Gospel is not enough? That my peace with God is tenuous, fragile and conditional upon me rather than secured in Christ?

4. Is my SHIELD OF FAITH up? Am I living increasingly in the full revelation of God IN Christ? Do I believe His Word – fully? Is sin as bad as the Word says it is? Is mankind’s plight really that desperate? Is Christ’s atoning sacrifice really the only means of peace with God? Does He really hate sin that much? Does He really love me that much? Am I really secure in Him? Will I be resurrected in Him? Will all of His promises prevail? If I do not trust Him – I will suspect Him, and sin will have its way through deception, just like in Eden.

5. Do I have on the HELMET OF SALVATION? Do I think like a redeemed person with living in the true hope of Heaven – which is salvation’s consummation of being eternally WITH Christ. Am I living like that’s where I’m going?

6. Do I have on the SWORD OF THE WORD? Am I living, having my sin being constantly exposed by the light OF Christ. Or do I live in self-deception and imagine myself better than I am? If He is not continually searching my with the light of His word – separating my thoughts and intents – which is impossible by human means – I will talk myself into sin every time.

7. Have I put on PRAYER today? Am I living in the access to the Father won BY Christ? In intimacy with the King of glory?

Am I really standing in these as my daily, conscious reality? If not, I WILL fall.
Forgiving Ourselves

June 10th, 2011

Because our current sermon series is on the topic of forgiveness, and because I KNOW that this question will come up in our Q & A a week from Sunday, and because it has been asked of me separately, I thought this would be a good place to deal with the question of “forgiving ourselves” in more detail than we can cover then, and still allow for other questions.

What do we do when we need to “forgive ourselves”?

In short, the Bible never mentions the idea of forgiving ourselves at all. The very nature of forgiveness (as we’ve seen) takes at least 2 parties – one who has done the offending, and one who is offended. And the purpose of forgiveness is always reconciliation – to heal the relationship which has suffered a fracture due to the offense. So by the very nature of it, forgiving ourselves simply doesn’t fit the pattern of forgiveness period.

The problem arises most often when people confuse two things, and these get tossed into the “I need to forgive myself” arena. The first is guilt. And the second is remorse.

Guilt, is the reality that I’ve done something wrong, and as a result I am awaiting punishment of some kind. Now in terms of God – this is what Jesus dealt with for us on the cross, He took our guilt. He took our guilt upon Himself, so that we could be pronounced “not guilty” when we stand in God’s court. This is called justification. And this, is a done deal for the believer. We are already “justified” pronounced not just not guilty – but RIGHTEOUS, in God’s eyes: 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Romans 5:1 (ESV) “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our sin was put on His account, so that He suffered and died for it, and His righteousness was put on our account so that we might be rewarded for it. This is the amazing reality of the Gospel.

Now, it may be that past sins also have a component to them of an injured party besides God. In that case, it is our responsibility to fix it if we can. Matthew 5:23–24 (ESV) “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Often, though our conscience is clear before God, it nonetheless still bears weight from unfinished business with another person. And Jesus clearly tells us to drop everything – even worship, and do what we can to make it right. Can we always fix it? Will they always forgive us and be reconciled to us? No. But we have done what we could, and we leave the rest with Him. So Paul can say: Romans 12:18 (ESV) “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” It is not always possible (from the other person’s end) – but as much as it depends upon us – that we do.

The problem of “lingering” guilt remaining after one has confessed and repented is usually one of (or perhaps a combination of) three things.

a. Unbelief. I simply am not taking God at His word that if I confess my sin He is faithful and just to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The problem isn’t really guilt in this case at all, but rather unbelief. People say “I don’t feel forgiven”. Forgiven isn’t a feeling, it is a status. I may not feel like a citizen of the United States either – since there is no one felling associated with such a thing. But I DO have that status. And I must believe that my forgiven status is because I am in Christ, not because I feel a certain way. Many a Christian gets caught in this web of trying to divest themselves of guilt over some past sin they’ve confessed a thousand times – when the problem really is – unbelief.

b. Remorse is mistaken for guilt. Do we feel bad over our past sins even if they are forgiven? You bet! Heaven forbid we should EVER feel good about ANY sin, past or present. Such grief over sin is godly, it is Spirit driven. It is one of the marks of our conversion that we sorrow over sin instead of dismissing it. NEVER seek to be freed from remorse over past sins – it is a great deterrent to falling into them again. Remember that pain and use it! On the other hand, there can be a morbid grief over sin driven by the same problem above – unbelief. Unbelief that: “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 (ESV) We must believe He redeems even our failures for His glory and our good. When I fail to believe His redeeming love is sufficient for all of my failures, I will move from conviction or remorse, into despair. Whenever the pain of such memories floods our souls, it is our duty to embrace that pain – while at the very same time breaking out in praise and thanksgiving for His redeeming grace, and that such sin has been met fully in Christ and I am free!

c. Condemnation. This too is a product of unbelief, but with an added ingredient by our enemy, Satan. Here again I must retreat to God’s Word and recall Romans 8:1 (ESV), “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Condemnation is an irreversible sentence. When one is on death row – they are condemned to die. But none of Christ’s can ever be in that state, because we are in Him. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus – nothing can condemn us to such a death. Romans 8:31–39 (ESV) “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No, I do not need to forgive myself. Yes, I may need to deal with an offense I’ve left unaddressed. But I am no longer “guilty” in Christ. I grieve over my past sins, but without guilt or despair. I am not and cannot be condemned – because of the Cross. I do not need to forgive myself – I need to fully receive (BELIEVE) I have HIS forgiveness on the basis of the Cross.