Tag Archives: Benevolence

There Is Freedom In God’s Sovereignty

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Trust Him With Your Pain

I’ve used my last few posts to take a deeper look at the prayer life of Hannah from 1 Samuel, chapter 1. We’ve considered how God used her God-honoring prayers to heal her brokenness. She learned to pray with a view toward God’s sovereignty over every painful situation in life. I can’t overemphasize how important that was to Hannah’s spiritual formation. Until you can pray — about everything — with a view toward God’s sovereignty, and with an acceptance of your painful circumstances — even when you don’t have the answer to your “why” questions — you’ll be susceptible to a bitter heart. You’ll be in danger of turning yourself into God’s judge.

Motivated By God’s Glory

Until you can pray with a motivation for God’s glory alone, your pain and suffering will eat you up. Let me share with you a Facebook post that one of our members shared after hearing this message in church: “The sovereignty of God is the pillow I lay my head upon. I have finally come to that conclusion; thus, I can sleep at night. God is in control, and I can trust His decisions for this journey my family and I are on now. He will get us through, and even if things don’t go as planned, if we are truly His, one day things will get better — if not in this lifetime, in Heaven… I finally get God’s sovereignty! I get it.” Can you hear the freedom expressed in that statement?

Trust His Character

When you finally grasp God’s sovereignty, it’s a doctrine that offers great freedom — in part because of God’s character. He reveals Himself in Scripture as loving, gracious, merciful, and benevolent toward us. Furthermore, He is just and righteous in all His ways. We can trust Him. We can trust that His sovereign entry into the corners of our lives will always, ultimately, be for our good and for His glory. But you must accept these revelations of Himself by faith. Then let Him be God. Hannah experienced the freedom of God’s sovereignty over all her circumstances. And because she was motivated to see God glorified through her circumstances, she could leave it all in God’s more-than-capable hands. 1 Samuel 1:18 says, “…Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.”

Truth Changes Us

That line was the greatest indicator that she had left her painful circumstances in God’s hands. Remember, back in verse 7, Hannah had grown so despondent that she wouldn’t eat. Her husband became concerned: “Why won’t you eat?” But when she submitted to God’s sovereign plan, “…she ate and no longer looked despondent.” Truth changes us when we believe it. Previously, in her anguish, she had been misread as drunk by Eli the priest: “…No,” she said, “I am a woman with a broken heart… I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord…” (vv. 15–16). Praying through her pain had been messy for Hannah — until the Holy Spirit wrestled with her and calmed her troubled heart. One more lesson about prayer from Hannah: she offered praise when God answered! Take a good look at her words in the next chapter, verses 1–10.
 
 

God Deserves All The Glory

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The Glory Due His Name

There’s a wonderful passage in the Old Testament that relates to the glory that God deserves. Here’s what King David says: “Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!” (1 Chronicles 16:28-29). In my previous post, I talked about how God’s glory is a really big deal to God—and rightly so! David is also inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to declare God’s strength. Declare the Lord’s “…glory and strength…”

To His Glory

I find it interesting that David would point to God’s strength in the context of His glory! Why? Whenever we ask that question “why”—of a biblical text—it ought to serve as our cue to dig deeper! To study the verses surrounding it! So, if you look back at the preceding verses, David says that “…Yahweh is feared above all gods…” (little “g”) because “…all the gods of the peoples are idols…”; and, here’s the contrast—”…but, the LORD made the heavens…”; end v.27, “…strength & joy are in His place.” So, compared to false gods, Yahweh is all-powerful; or, omnipotent! It is to His Glory that, by His strength, He created the heavens! So, declare His strength! Someone once asked me that old philosopher’s question: “Can God create a rock so big that He can’t lift it?” I think the answer is “YES” He can create that rock! And, “YES” He can lift it! 

Declare God’s Glory In His Name

It’s to His glory that He is able to do anything and everything! Then, David tells us to declare God’s glory in His name! There are really two thoughts in that phrase: “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” The first thought relates to His name. There’s a lot going on with a person’s name—if I say the name “Adolf Hitler,” that name evokes thoughts related to his character, doesn’t it? That name conjures up thoughts like dictator, anti-Semite, and murderer! The name of God, however, brings to mind thoughts of His love, mercy, grace, benevolence, etc. All that’s in His name; or, His character! Those traits describe who He is! He is just and righteous in everything He does! So, declare the glory related to His name!

Stealing God’s Glory

The second thought in that phrase, “…give to the Lord the glory due His name…” is this: He alone deserves all glory! The Apostle Paul wrote: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever” (Romans 11:36). He’s saying that, in fact, God has all glory! He alone had all glory before creation, right? There was nothing else until He created it! So, any glory that the creation has was given to it by God! The “glory” of a sunset is God’s glory! He gave the sunset its “glory”! It’s because of God’s glory that He hates pride—”pride” is man’s attempt to steal God’s glory! Whenever we’re proud of our work, we’re stealing glory from God who gave us the gifts and talents to do the work we do! Pride is acting like you didn’t receive it from God! Any praise we receive must be redirected to God for His glory!
 

This Is Your Spiritual Worship

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Last Post Until The New Year!

Defining Worship

Ask how the Bible defines worship, and you may be surprised how wide and inclusive the answer is! Many of us perceive worship to be limited to this narrow part of a church service we call singing. For others, you grew up in a tradition where ‘worship’ consisted of elaborate prayers spoken in the King James language—with all the ‘thees’ and ‘thous’—very ritualistic and done in a ‘sanctuary’ with stained-glass windows, lit candles, incense, and old classical sacred music with a pastor wearing a long, flowing robe. Each of those things can possibly contribute to authentic worship, provided the focus is on God and not some kind of warm, fuzzy, religious feeling you get from all those ‘accessories’.

Worship Is A Heart Attitude

Genuine worship is not an activity; it’s an attitude of the heart—originating in your inner being, or the real you, and it changes your life! I guess that’s pretty wide and inclusive, isn’t it? Real, genuine worship impacts your entire life because you’re occupied with God, your Creator! Worship is being occupied with God’s character, with who He is—His love, His grace, His mercy, His kindness, His benevolence, His justice, His righteousness! It’s to praise Him for being a good Father, a faithful friend, and an indwelling Spirit who transforms us into His likeness as we’re engaged in genuine worship and reflect on His beauty!

Worship Makes Us Better

In other words, worship will gradually reform us into His likeness—we become more loving, gracious, merciful, kind, benevolent, just, and righteous! We become better fathers and mothers. We become more faithful friends, all because we’re focused and occupied with God in worship. Romans 12:1-2 is one passage of Scripture that has recently arrested my attention because of what it has to say about worship. After breaking down the Gospel of Christ in the first 11 chapters, the Apostle Paul concludes: ‘Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship…‘ I had never considered this a definition of worship! But, in fact, it is! 

Paul’s Definition Of Worship

Paul is defining ‘worship’ for us! Look at it again: He begins with a command: ‘…present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God…’ And then he says, ‘…THIS IS YOUR SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.’ If you’ve ever been curious about a good Biblical definition of ‘worship,’ well, here it is! Why is that significant? Because we need to know how to worship God rightly, or He will reject and dismiss our worship. I’m referring to the authority of God’s Word over every area of our lives! The Scriptures are not only inspired, they’re authoritative. In other words, we don’t have the right to define ‘worship’—or anything else for that matter—differently than God does in His Word. Paul is saying that genuine, spiritual worship impacts us and profoundly changes the way that we use our bodies—we sacrifice our bodies to please Him!
 

Daniel: Spiritual Insanity

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(Note: This is the 15th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

There Are Consequences

“Don’t ever tempt the Lord God,” Jesus warned Satan! And, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar learned the consequences, of stepping over that line, according to his own testimony in the book of Daniel, chapter 4.  God caused Nebuchadnezzar to dream about a great tree that stood taller than any other tree on the earth. It provided shelter for the birds; and, produced fruit that fed every living creature. In his dream the King saw a “Holy One” come down from heaven & cut the great tree down to a stump. So, he went to Daniel & asked him to interpret the meaning of the dream; and, just as God had done—back in chapter 1—He gave Daniel the meaning (see vs. 24-27). 

Pride Is The Issue

“You’ve got a pride issue, oh King,” Daniel warned him, “You think YOU’RE Sovereign over the Kingdom of Babylon! That it’s great because YOU’RE great! But, God is going to show you how insane your pride really is!” Unfortunately, for Nebuchadnezzar, when you’re full of pride, you’re not in your right mind! The verses, that follow, tell us that “At the end of 12 months, as he was walking on the roof of the royal palace in Babylon, the king exclaimed, ‘Is this not Babylon the Great that I have built by my vast power to be a royal residence and to display my majestic glory?’ While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven: ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared that the kingdom has departed from you.  You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals, and you will feed on grass like cattle for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants.”

It’s Insanity

For 12 months God patiently waited for the King to repent of his pride; and, for 12 months the King tested God’s resolve to follow through on His Word! Clearly, it’s a form of insanity to think you can overpower the OMNIPOTENT God! It’s a form of insanity to think you can outwit an OMNISCIENT God! It’s a form of insanity to think you can hide your sin from an OMNIPRESENT God! Nebuchadnezzar’s sin was claiming credit, for himself,  what belonged to God alone! “Insanity” happens when a person loses touch with reality!   

He Was Out Of His Mind

Nebuchadnezzar lived in a “make-believe” world that he had created in his own mind—an unreal world! That’s where everyone lives who takes personal credit for anything! It’s spiritual insanity! And, for 7 years, Nebuchadnezzar was “out of his mind”, living like a wild animal until he acknowledged that everything he had—including his kingdom—was the gift of a gracious, benevolent God! That required “humility”; or, yielding to God’s Sovereignty! Only repentance—literally, the “changing of one’s mind”—would bring the king restoration! Pride is all about “control.” Humility is all about “giving up control.” Pride is an unwillingness to acknowledge that it’s God who gives us all the stuff we take pride in! Humbled, by God’s grace, the King acknowledged that it was God who made him great; and, his sanity returned to him!

Daniel: Standing Against Evil

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(Note: This is the 9th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Evil Will Always Give You A 2nd Chance

Have you ever noticed how evil will always give you a 2nd chance to do evil? If you miss the first invitation, there’ll always be a follow-up! That’s what Daniel’s 3 friends— Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah— observed after they failed to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold image as he had commanded them to do (See the Old Testament book of Daniel, chapter 3). “Ya know boys,” I imagine the King saying, “I’m thinking you just must not have heard me! When the music starts, all you have to do is follow the crowd! Just bow down & worship my gold image & everything will be cool between us!” And, then he lays down the gauntlet:  “…and who is that God who can rescue you from my power?”

Picking On The Wrong Deity

Oops! You just picked on the wrong deity, Nebuchadnezzar! Don’t ever draw a line in the sand & dare Yahweh to cross it! But, that’s what he did! He bragged that no God could deliver them from his hand! I love how they stood up to evil. They replied to the King:  “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the King. But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as King to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” They had faith in God’s ability to deliver them—  that God was ABLE! But even if He, according to His Sovereign plan, didn’t deliver them, they would not bow to his image!

Don’t Put Words In God’s Mouth

There’s a great application to take from their example! We need to be careful not to put words in God’s mouth! Don’t make claims for God on His behalf! We may think that God has to respond in a certain way; but, our knowledge is finite and limited! His ways are higher than our ways! Don’t make promises for God that He doesn’t make! We can’t presume, on Him, about how our story ends! God doesn’t always deliver the way we “think” He ought to! While He brought these 3 through the fiery furnace unharmed, He may not do the same for us! We don’t know! We just know that He’s ABLE! We can pray and ask God to do anything! But, then we must leave the answer in His more than capable hands! We must trust that His eternal wisdom and benevolent nature will always see to it that He is glorified and we are blessed by His answer! We respond by taking a stand against evil no matter the personal cost! “When ungodly men make ungodly laws, godly men disobey them!” 

This Was Real: It Was Life or Death

One of the biggest challenges, to preaching this text, is overcoming some of your childhood perceptions. This isn’t a “fairytale” or a “myth”—Daniel & his 3 friends were real people who loved God! They were people just like you & me trying to live out the difficulties of life by faith in God. And, their story—like our story—put them in a place where they had to make a tough decision! And, as they experienced, when we obey God rather than man, we’ll be judged, by the world, as insubordinate & NOT a “team player.” This 3rd chapter of Daniel points out that “…some (of the King’s counselors) took the occasion to come forward & maliciously accuse the Jews…” of ignoring the King! Nothing could be further from the truth! They had proven their loyalty to the King! Be prepared to pay a price if you obey God over man!

God Is Great! God Is Good!

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Asking God To Bless The Food

I still remember our prayer, before meals, growing up— “God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for our food! Amen!” Nothing wrong with that prayer! It acknowledges God. That He was the One who blessed us with the food we’re about to eat; and therefore worthy of our thanksgiving! If we were to offer anything negative about that prayer, it’s just that it’s repetitious and not very “personal.” And, God is personal! The Psalmist wrote these words:  “One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard:  that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done” Psalm 62:11-12. 

God Reveals Himself In Scripture

God uses the Scriptures to reveal Himself to us; and, Jesus— God’s “Word” incarnate— revealed, to us, what God looked like in the flesh. He loves us! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16.  He’s actively involved in our justification, our sanctification; and, ultimately, our glorification! We are “…His workmanship…” Ephesians 2:10. He continues to image us into the likeness of His Son. So, what is the biggest hindrance to His work in us? We are!

When We Get In The Way

We get in the way of our own spiritual growth. But, God is great; and, God is good! He is strong enough to change us when we quit being controlling! The Psalmist said He is “strong”— in fact, He is “omnipotent”; or,  ALL POWERFUL! You can’t manipulate Him! So, why would you try? Why would you want to? He is a benevolent God! All of His intentions, toward us, are kind & good! He is also strong enough to change us when we quit fearing man! One major reason, for our sinful behavior, is our craving for man’s approval! We fear the rejection of some person; but, “The fear of man lays a snare. Whoever trusts in the LORD, however, is safe” Prov 29:25. 

Seeking Man’s Approval

When you live for the approval & acceptance of others you succumb to a form of “idolatry.” You’ve placed created beings on the throne of your life instead of your Creator! God is great; and, God is good! And, He loves us enough to change us when we quit looking for love in all the wrong places! It’s the goodness of God, Scripture says, that leads us to repentance. He calls us to find, in Him, the only thing that truly satisfies us! Whatever the stuff of this world offers you, God offers you more! He isn’t just better than that stuff; He’s the BEST!

Quit Trying To Prove Yourself

That’s the heart of the Gospel message— because God is love, He will change us when we quit trying to prove we can do it ourselves! Salvation is not about what we do for God; rather, it’s about what God has already done for us! Like the Father, in the story of the Prodigal Son, God always welcomes us! He will rescue us from ourselves when we confess we’ve messed it all up! If you’ve had the tendency, as I have, to think God’s going to rub your nose in your sin for a little while before He forgives you, you’re mistaken! That’s not God! The Psalmist said: “…you, O LORD, are LOVING…” He comes running when we confess our sin to Him! He embraces us & changes us when we stop trying to prove, to Him, our worthiness! True life & happiness comes to us only as we obey Him. His commands are not grievous! They are loving boundaries to protect us from the harm that sin does to us & our relationships!

No Sexually Immoral-Part III

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-But You Were Washed

This is what you used to be like! Those are the words the Apostle Paul wrote in his 1st letter to the Church of Corinth:  “Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.  And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Make no mistake, God’s inspired Word condemns the homosexual lifestyle along with all other forms of sexual sin! But, don’t make it a bigger sin than God does!

-God Hasn’t Changed His Mind

Despite attempts to “explain away” this text, there is not one passage of Scripture anywhere that indicates that God has changed His mind about homosexual behavior.  Let’s talk about sin! Let’s define it!  Let me just expand on that a little bit—because He ALONE is God, He has the right to declare “sin” to be whatever He determines it to be. He alone is the divine lawgiver! If He declared it “sin” to drive a pink car then sin it is! If He declared it “sin” to be a football fan then sin it would be! God has created everything with divine order. Because of our sin & rebellion, in the garden, our natural bent from conception is self-will and rebellion (Psalm 51:5).  It’s futile to fight against Him (Psalm 2).

-Unconditional Surrender

We can try & play God with our life! We can rebel against Him by practicing a homosexual lifestyle, or, any of the other 8 sins mentioned here; but, we’re not gonna win! The only acceptable response to God is the “unconditional surrender” of our will & all our ways to Him— Not grudgingly! God is not the big “killjoy” in the sky! His commandments are for our good! He is benevolent & “well-intended” toward us! And, everyone who submits to His will & to His way finds the ultimate joy in their obedience— despite the difficulty of overcoming addictive behaviors!

-His Commands Are Not A Burden

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome”— 1 John 5:3.  The commandment is not burdensome, but that’s NOT to say that overcoming the former sins will be easy! Sins that have become “addictive behaviors” will require the ongoing support & encouragement of mature believers who “disciple” them in their faith! But, God’s indwelling Spirit can give them victory in the same way that He gave victory to many in the Church of Corinth.

-The Key Word

What is damning, according to this Scripture, is the “practice” of homosexual behavior! God does not eternally condemn a sexually immoral “act”. He’s not condemning to hell anyone who’s ever been guilty of idolatry, adultery, homosexual behavior; or, anyone who’s ever stolen, been greedy, drunk, or verbally abusive! Or, NONE of us could be saved! God not only removes the sin from our account when we confess it and trust Jesus to save us; but, He gives us His Holy Spirit to indwell us and slowly deliver us from the sin that once enslaved us! The condemnation is for “practicing” a “lifestyle” that God condemns! An unwillingness to confess it as sin— to agree with God about it—is what condemns a person. That’s the test! The person who loves God will give up their sin; including their sexual sin! To live a habitual life of rebellion is what confirms a person’s lost condition!

Divine Slavery

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-A Slave Of Christ Jesus

The Apostle Paul introduces himself, in his letter to the Church of Rome, with these words, “Paul, a SLAVE of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and singled out for God’s good news” (Romans 1:1) I respect the editors of the Holman translation of Scripture for their decision to use the word “SLAVE”. Many translations have chosen to use “servant” or “bondservant” instead of “slave” out of respect for our human brothers and sisters that have been, and continue to be, subjected to the inhumane cruelty and bondage of human slavery.  But, here’s the fact – that word in the original Greek language is “doulos” and it means “slave”! So, if we believe the Scriptures are the inerrant, inspired Word of God (and I do!) then we’re left with the cold, hard truth that the Holy Spirit of God inspired Paul to use the word “slave”.

-Moved By The Holy Spirit

It was NOT Paul’s choice! He was moved by the Spirit of God to use that exact word – for a purpose! A “slave” – in the Roman world – was “owned”! A slave was purchased, “bought with a price”! They received no wages for their efforts; and, didn’t have any rights of their own. They were the personal property of the slave owner.  A “servant”, on the other hand, had rights – they were free to quit; and, they were compensated for their work. They belonged to no one! So, I was meditating on Paul’s words to the Church of Corinth, “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) While he doesn’t use the word “slave” (“doulos”) he does use descriptive phrases that define slavery – “you are not your own” “you were bought at a price.”

-I Am Not My Own

Now, it’s not like I’ve never thought about this before! It’s not like I haven’t preached this passage before – probably numerous times! But, I grasped its meaning in a whole new way – I had an “epiphany”! I am God’s “slave”! I was “purchased” by the blood of Jesus Christ – “bought at a price”! I am not my own! Everything that I tend to see as “mine” is not mine! It all belongs to Jesus – because He bought me! If I live my life as an “owner” of my life then I’m NOT HIS! I can’t have it both ways – I’m either “free” to live as “owner” of my life & with the consequences of that decision! (Not really! Sin is the ultimate cruel taskmaster!) Or, I’m a “slave” to God!

-Does God Approve Of Human Slavery?

Let’s be real! God opposes every kind of sin against humanity. “Kidnapping” and “slavery” are condemned – “He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:16) “If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.” (Deuteronomy 24:7) ‘Nough said? I thought so! So, why does God inspire Paul to use the word “slave” to describe our relationship with Him? I don’t pretend to know all the reasons! But, clearly, God sets Himself apart from mankind that would enslave other humans! He is love! He is benevolent & well-intended toward us! To be a “slave” to Him is to enjoy the BEST LIFE we could ever have – He is not a “killjoy” in the sky trying to spoil our fun! All His commandments are perfect & for our good!

We Will See His Face

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-There Will No Longer Be Any Curse

Some of the most exciting words in all of Scripture, for those who’ve accepted the Gospel & made Jesus their Savior, are found in the last book of the Bible, the Book of the Revelation:  “There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him.  They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:3-5).  We will be in the very presence of God! And, He’s the reason heaven will be an incredible paradise! We will see His face, and His Name will be on our foreheads! That speaks of possession! We will be His! No longer will Satan be around to try and usurp “ownership” away from God! Oh, to be God’s possession forever!

-Have You Prepared Yourself?

So, I ask you, have you prepared yourself for that? Are you prepared for Jesus’ return? When you are, there’ll be changes happening in your life right here and right now! Looking for Jesus is what the Book of Revelation is all about! Back in chapter 1, in John the Apostle’s introduction:  “The one who reads this is blessed, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it are blessed, because the time is near!” (1:3) That’s how John introduces this book; and Jesus repeats those words at the end of v.7, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” That phrase, “…to keep the words…”, means to consider them & to ponder them! To make personal applications 24/7. To “live” by them! To let them change your life!

-Enslaved To Jesus

In verses 6, and 9, we’re said to be enslaved to Jesus! To be in that place is to be in the best place we could ever hope to be! He bought us! He owns us! And, He is the benevolent, loving, gracious, merciful Sovereign over us! We could never provide for ourselves better than God can provide for us. I love how John puts it in 1 John, “…this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden.” I long to be enslaved to His word because I know His commands are best for me! I obey Him imperfectly in this life because of my flesh. I want to obey Him totally, completely! I prepare my heart every day to do that, in part, because I long for His return & my life’s goal is to hear Him say to me, “Well done! Good and faithful slave.”

-Preparing For Jesus’ Return

When you prepare yourself for Jesus’ return, there is no more logical decision that you can make.  John says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes…” in the blood of the lamb (22:14). That’s clearly what’s meant in the context of this book. And, that word “blessed” literally means to be “satisfied” or “happy.” Who doesn’t want a blessed, satisfied, happy life? That life belongs only to those who are obedient to His commands; to those who repent over their sin; who come to Him in “brokenness” asking Him to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Now, you’re no longer ignorant! You’ve been exposed to the truth of God’s word! You have a responsibility to respond to His Gospel message that Jesus saves! That’s the only life that is blessed & the only life that satisfies & makes you happy! When you disobey His word it will always leave you further broken in a greater sense of despair. It’s only logical that you would come to Jesus!

The Incarnation Of Jesus Christ!

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-God Writing Himself Into The Story!

A while back I finished a 4-book series of novels in which the author admitted, in the end, that the main character, in the story, was someone very similar to himself as he was growing up. I can see how that could be tempting to a writer. It would be a way of transferring his thoughts, his feelings; and, his opinions into the story; and, expressing them through a character.  I came across a Bible study by Thomas Lancaster, called the Chronicles of the Messiah, in which he described Jesus’ entry into the world from the viewpoint of a writer. Let me read a portion to you: “An author is writing a novel. He creates the settings, situations, stories, and plotlines, and populates his novel with characters. He likes the characters he created so much that he wants to interact with them but he cannot because the novel is his creation. It’s just a story. The characters in the book cannot hear the author; they cannot see him; they cannot experience him because the author completely transcends the words written on a page. What does the author do? He writes himself into the novel as one of the characters, creating a written story-version of himself with which the characters can interact.” Is that not exactly what God has done? He’s written Himself into His story!

-The Word Dwelt Among Us!

“The Word became flesh,” John, the Gospel writer was INSPIRED by God to write, “and, God (the Word) dwelt among us.” From the beginning of creation, God desired to be present with His people. The story begins in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden, with God, Himself, walking in the Garden with Adam; and, then Eve, in community with them. And, the story ends in the book of Revelation, chapter 21, with God tabernacling with humanity for all eternity in the new heavens & the new earth. It says, “He (God) will pitch a tent and live among us.”  And, all of God’s interaction with people in between the start of His story; and, the end of the story reveals God’s great desire to be with us! But, never has God’s desire to interact with us been more indisputable than when He set aside His heavenly robes; and, wrapped Himself in flesh to enter the world He created as Jesus Christ!

-The Absolute Uniqueness Of Jesus!

Never has our world seen anyone else like Jesus. No single person has ever impacted our world like Jesus has. And, because of Jesus’ absolute uniqueness, He is worthy of our love, our worship, our loyalty; and, our devotion. In all the stories of humanity, Jesus’ story is the most unique of all!  God has written Himself into the story of human history as Jesus, the 2nd member of the triune Godhead; and, He has severely & forever changed mankind’s trajectory from death & destruction to life & restoration. In pondering Jesus’ uniqueness, what words come to mind when you think of God as the Scriptures reveal Him in Jesus?

-God’s Character!

How would you describe His character? Do you remember when the disciples observed the way that Jesus prayed; and, they asked Him to teach them how to pray? And, He answered them, “When you pray, pray like this…” And, He went on to outline what we have called “The Lord’s Prayer”; though, He never intended that we would mindlessly repeat those words over & over like some kind of chant. He was giving them a pattern or the way to pray— pray LIKE THIS… And, in Luke ch.11, He says to begin by remembering who you’re talking to: “Father, Your name be honored as holy.” That’s how I begin my prayer time each day. I begin by remembering & praising God for who He is. In Scripture, God’s “name” refers to His character! He is love, mercy, grace, kindness, faithful, transcendent, holy, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent! He’s benevolent, immutable, righteous & just! And, that was the character of God incarnate; or, Jesus in the flesh!