In our sixth week in Genesis 24 we have considered God's design for marriage, the family, and how to love. We have been reminded that marriage is not a creation of culture. It is a divine design by God to accomplish the purpose of putting His glory on display by creating man and woman in His image, commanding them to be fruitful and multiply, thereby filling the earth with his glory. Psalm 127 reminds us that "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." This begs us to ask the question, "Are we letting the Lord build our houses and homes? Are we submitting to His design as the Master Builder?" If not, then we are apparently building in vain. In Genesis 24 we see God fulfilling the promise to make Abraham's name great. One of the means He is using is this arranged marriage between Isaac and Rebekah. God has brought them together and is continuing to build their house, SO THAT they may point others to God and proclaim HIS GREATNESS.
So what happens if we don't submit to Gods design and allow him to build our homes? Exodus 34 says that in turning from God, we, a covenant people, may in fact make a covenant with the culture. And as we covenant with the culture they will invite us to come and "WHORE" after their gods with them. And as we do, we will marry our sons and daughters off to their sons and daughters and they will follow suit, whoring after the gods of the spouses that they have been unequally yoked to. The strong language in this passage reminds us of the sobering and terrifying reality of what happens when we shelve God's design and make a covenant with the culture. We are supposed to be a reflection of God to the culture, not of the culture back to God.
Seeing these two very different pictures, it is easy to conclude that it is of HUGE IMPORTANCE that we care about our marriages and families flourishing. So we must ask, how do we flourish? What is God's design that we might submit to so that our homes are being built by Him in faith, rather than us in vanity? What kind of love is it that builds a home faithfully?
Ephesians 5 commands husbands to "love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her". Has the church, the bride of Christ, ever merited the love of Christ? Is there anything that we could do to earn it? Or is Christ's will to love us greater than our lovability? And Titus 2 explains that in a church, where there is a right order of things, that "older women are to train younger women to love their husband and children". Have you ever considered that within the community of faith, you could be trained... by another sinner... to love your husband and children? Husbands, are you eager to have your wife connect with an older woman so that she might be trained to love you and the kids? TRAINING is a picture of something you do when you want to be pushed beyond your natural ability. Good training usually involves a good amount of sacrifice and pain and being broken down so that you may come back stronger. To keep at it, there must be a will to do so, because your emotions will tell you it is just too much.
Ravi Zacharias, author of "I Isaac take thee Rebekah" states, "Love is as much a question of the will as it is the emotion. And if you will to love somebody, you can." That may be one of the most UNCULTURAL quotes that I have ever shared. It is not cultural to will to love someone. Culture says that if it takes work to love, then it probably isn't love. Culture says that it is supposed to be easy because the two in the relationship are "just soooo lovable". I would add that there obviously has to be a balance of the emotion and the will. But I would also offer that your emotion and passion will be limited by your will to love. If your will to love is great, passion will likely be great. A will to love will rightly inform passion and the emotions.
In both Ephesians 5 and Titus 2 we see an intersection between marriage and church. Marriage, Church, and Family are not separate spheres of life. They have everything to do with each other. Our standard for love within marriage is the example Christ set in loving the church. It is within the church, the community of believing covenant people, that our love is tested and tried and informed and trained.
This week, we will continue to look at this relationship between marriage, family and the church, and we will consider that as the church has become less about the family and more about the individual, marriage has followed suit. One indicator that we will consider is how similar the language is between the unhappy individualistic spouse, and the unhappy individualistic church member... "You are not making me happy, so I am going to go and look elsewhere..." This selfish, individualistic approach to marriage and to church is so damaging. If we submit to God's design, the will to love will keep us from parting ways over a difference of opinion, while holding high the value of TRUTH as it is revealed by God.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Love then Marriage...or is it Vice Versa??? (Gen. 24)
In the last few verses of Genesis 24, we engage something that is completely foreign to us. In fact, it doesn't even seem sensible, logical, or appropriate. Isaac is introduced to his wife, Rebekah...they have never met, and have only known each other for a few short moments, and the result is the consummation of marriage with physical intimacy and LOVE...REAL LOVE!
This scenario presents us with some obvious questions about the very "uncultural" way they came together, given our dating and marriage climate in America in 2009.
We considered 4 particular things...1.) Arranged Marriage 2.) Dowry 3.) Bride-Price 4.) Polygamy...As we considered these things we realized that our view of each of them is not true to their original form. Our view is birthed from our current knowledge of the perverted form, not the original form of these things.
We have to be careful, because we are not giving full-fledged approval to any one of these things, especially since they are so different from their original forms. However, in going back to what they were at the onset, we gain insight into a theme that runs through the heart of each of them. A divine theme. This theme is FAMILY!!!
In short, an arranged marriage was a mother and father going to the necessary lengths to ensure that the continued growth of the FAMILY is not wicked and unequally yoked. Dowry and Bride Price were a means by which each FAMILY was taken care of while future generations were kept in view. Polygamy, in short...more mommies mean more babies and a bigger FAMILY.
This view of the family, in each of these situations, has been lost due to fallen man using each of these things as a means to making his own name great. But we know from Genesis, that God made Abraham's name great. And one of the means that God used to do so is this arranged marriage.
Today, marriage is less about the family and more about the individual. You don't often hear a young man or woman say to their parents, "Can you help me find the right one?" Rather, we often hear, "This is who I love! And if you don't like it, then you will have to make the decision if you want to be a part of our lives or not!" In our culture if a parent tries to give their opinion about who their son or daughter should marry, that parent is quickly considered to be meddling and over-bearing.
We must remember that marriage and family are God's design. They are not cultural. The only reason that any culture has marriage and family is because God made it that way. And marriage, families, and the church have everything to do with each other! Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Wives are called to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ. Young men are called to treat older men as fathers, older women as mothers, younger men as brothers, and younger women as sisters. And older women are called to train younger women to love their husbands! Again, marriage, family, and the church have EVERYTHING to do with each other.
Sadly, as the church has become less about the family and more about the individual, marriage has followed suit. Divorce rates are at an all-time high, and the only reason we have seen any decline is because of a new trend where people act like they are married without actually marrying. Currently, 40% of all children are born out of wed-lock. These, and many other realities, point to the overall state of the family being less healthy and not flourishing as they were designed to do.
Next week we will consider why we should care if the family flourishes or not. And we will look at what it means to flourish RIGHTLY...in a God-glorifying and God-honoring way. Looking forward to it...
This scenario presents us with some obvious questions about the very "uncultural" way they came together, given our dating and marriage climate in America in 2009.
We considered 4 particular things...1.) Arranged Marriage 2.) Dowry 3.) Bride-Price 4.) Polygamy...As we considered these things we realized that our view of each of them is not true to their original form. Our view is birthed from our current knowledge of the perverted form, not the original form of these things.
We have to be careful, because we are not giving full-fledged approval to any one of these things, especially since they are so different from their original forms. However, in going back to what they were at the onset, we gain insight into a theme that runs through the heart of each of them. A divine theme. This theme is FAMILY!!!
In short, an arranged marriage was a mother and father going to the necessary lengths to ensure that the continued growth of the FAMILY is not wicked and unequally yoked. Dowry and Bride Price were a means by which each FAMILY was taken care of while future generations were kept in view. Polygamy, in short...more mommies mean more babies and a bigger FAMILY.
This view of the family, in each of these situations, has been lost due to fallen man using each of these things as a means to making his own name great. But we know from Genesis, that God made Abraham's name great. And one of the means that God used to do so is this arranged marriage.
Today, marriage is less about the family and more about the individual. You don't often hear a young man or woman say to their parents, "Can you help me find the right one?" Rather, we often hear, "This is who I love! And if you don't like it, then you will have to make the decision if you want to be a part of our lives or not!" In our culture if a parent tries to give their opinion about who their son or daughter should marry, that parent is quickly considered to be meddling and over-bearing.
We must remember that marriage and family are God's design. They are not cultural. The only reason that any culture has marriage and family is because God made it that way. And marriage, families, and the church have everything to do with each other! Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Wives are called to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ. Young men are called to treat older men as fathers, older women as mothers, younger men as brothers, and younger women as sisters. And older women are called to train younger women to love their husbands! Again, marriage, family, and the church have EVERYTHING to do with each other.
Sadly, as the church has become less about the family and more about the individual, marriage has followed suit. Divorce rates are at an all-time high, and the only reason we have seen any decline is because of a new trend where people act like they are married without actually marrying. Currently, 40% of all children are born out of wed-lock. These, and many other realities, point to the overall state of the family being less healthy and not flourishing as they were designed to do.
Next week we will consider why we should care if the family flourishes or not. And we will look at what it means to flourish RIGHTLY...in a God-glorifying and God-honoring way. Looking forward to it...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A Silhouette of Camels (Genesis 24)
In our last study in Genesis 24, we ended with Isaac seeing a silhouette of camels in the distance. And those camels meant one thing! His wife had arrived!
Before getting to this point we have had a long chapter of divinely ordered events. Abraham sends out Eliezer, the head servant of the house, to find a wife for Isaac among his kindred in his homeland. Eliezer sets off on his 450 mile journey and we see a beautiful display of quiet diligence...a servant who does not get entangled in civilian pursuits but is insistent on sticking to his orders...a servant who is all about pleasing his master and trusting God. Upon arrival he prays to God for a sign, and before He is done praying, BEHOLD! Rebekah enters the picture. This was a beautiful reminder to us that God knows our deepest needs before we voice them. And as the story continues, a three-part theme forms that is good for us to consider. Eliezer (1) pays attention to the details, (2) worships God in the midst of the details, and (3) then shares the details with others so that they can worship God in a like manner.
As good servants of God, we can learn from this. The heart of the worshipper is to glorify God in all things. Worship is a response to God revealing Himself to us. If we do not pay attention to the details, there is no fuel for our worship. There is nothing to proclaim. One of the simplest forms of worship is recounting... saying "Wow! God did _______". But if we do not pay attention to the details, we have nothing with which to fill in the blank. And we have nothing to share with others so that they might worship God in a like manner. Psalm 9:1 "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." Whole-heartedness in worship is directly linked to recounting His deeds! These deeds are the very treasure that we are to pass on to our children. It is paying attention to these details and sharing them that there is any true heritage to be cherished.
Through the end of the chapter we continue to see Eliezer use sober-minded judgment as he shares and interacts. Upon arriving back home, he sticks to the original theme as he tells Isaac "all the things that he had done." We have a 67 verse chapter that reiterates and repeats the same details again and again. Let us not look them over quickly, missing what God has done. At the end of this chapter, God has brought two people together who have never met. Two people that have lived hundreds of miles apart. Two people who would be GOD'S HERITAGE FOR HIS PEOPLE! And they meet and LOVE each other. Real LOVE after only a few moments of knowing each other! How can this be?
This week we will begin to look at the last 2 verses of chapter 24 and consider how true, lasting, enduring love could possibly exist in such a short amount of time. We will also consider what this marriage has to do with the church.
Before getting to this point we have had a long chapter of divinely ordered events. Abraham sends out Eliezer, the head servant of the house, to find a wife for Isaac among his kindred in his homeland. Eliezer sets off on his 450 mile journey and we see a beautiful display of quiet diligence...a servant who does not get entangled in civilian pursuits but is insistent on sticking to his orders...a servant who is all about pleasing his master and trusting God. Upon arrival he prays to God for a sign, and before He is done praying, BEHOLD! Rebekah enters the picture. This was a beautiful reminder to us that God knows our deepest needs before we voice them. And as the story continues, a three-part theme forms that is good for us to consider. Eliezer (1) pays attention to the details, (2) worships God in the midst of the details, and (3) then shares the details with others so that they can worship God in a like manner.
As good servants of God, we can learn from this. The heart of the worshipper is to glorify God in all things. Worship is a response to God revealing Himself to us. If we do not pay attention to the details, there is no fuel for our worship. There is nothing to proclaim. One of the simplest forms of worship is recounting... saying "Wow! God did _______". But if we do not pay attention to the details, we have nothing with which to fill in the blank. And we have nothing to share with others so that they might worship God in a like manner. Psalm 9:1 "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." Whole-heartedness in worship is directly linked to recounting His deeds! These deeds are the very treasure that we are to pass on to our children. It is paying attention to these details and sharing them that there is any true heritage to be cherished.
Through the end of the chapter we continue to see Eliezer use sober-minded judgment as he shares and interacts. Upon arriving back home, he sticks to the original theme as he tells Isaac "all the things that he had done." We have a 67 verse chapter that reiterates and repeats the same details again and again. Let us not look them over quickly, missing what God has done. At the end of this chapter, God has brought two people together who have never met. Two people that have lived hundreds of miles apart. Two people who would be GOD'S HERITAGE FOR HIS PEOPLE! And they meet and LOVE each other. Real LOVE after only a few moments of knowing each other! How can this be?
This week we will begin to look at the last 2 verses of chapter 24 and consider how true, lasting, enduring love could possibly exist in such a short amount of time. We will also consider what this marriage has to do with the church.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Funny Responses...
My oldest daughter Ella has some of the funniest responses to comments that I make or questions that I ask. Sometimes she will misuse words and it just turns out funny. People keep saying that I should write these things because one day I will read them and laugh... So here is my first attempt to begin a record of these things...
Daddy: "Ella, come here so that I can wipe your hands off."
Ella: "No Daddy, I want to keep them on..."
Daddy: "Ella, come here so that I can wipe your hands off."
Ella: "No Daddy, I want to keep them on..."
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Cobwebs...
It would appear from the CF website that my blog has gathered some cobwebs...not sure how long the cobwebs have been there, but they are there:) So, what better time to start back to the blogging than at the beginning of the new year. I hope that everyone has had a great year. My wife and I were talking about how excited we are about the upcoming year. I have a brother who is getting married, there are lots of ministry opportunities, and probably most "oddly" of all, we realized that by next Christmas Olivia, our youngest daughter, will likely be walking and talking... very crazy.
We have had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas break. We got some good rest and some projects done around the house. Most of all, I had some really great...and much needed time with my wife and two little girls. I would love to hear how your time off was, and what you guys are looking forward to in the coming year..... :) And hopefully the website "troll" will find it in his heart to remove the cobwebs...haha....
We have had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas break. We got some good rest and some projects done around the house. Most of all, I had some really great...and much needed time with my wife and two little girls. I would love to hear how your time off was, and what you guys are looking forward to in the coming year..... :) And hopefully the website "troll" will find it in his heart to remove the cobwebs...haha....
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Creator’s Purpose & Created Purpose
Read Genesis 8:20-9:17; 2 Thess. 1:10-12; 2 Tim. 4:18; Isaiah 46:9-10
As a believer, I have an urge to ask two questions. ‘Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” Without answering these questions, we will naturally slip into a life of idleness, laziness, confusion, and sin. There is so much in the Bible that urges me to be steadfast, enduring, and persevering…but why? And to what purpose?
In Isaiah 46:9-10, God says, “…for I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”
Our Creator has a final purpose in Creation. As a part of that creation, we have a created purpose. God, the Creator, stands outside of time and declares what will be. Before sin entered the world, this purpose existed. And God will not allow man’s sin to keep His purpose from being accomplished. So, you may ask, “what is this purpose?!" This purpose is HIS GLORY FOREVER!!! Hebrews 2:10 says the He is drawing many sons to this glory. 2 Tim 4:18 expresses that this glory is to be to God forever and ever. God’s high renown, God’s honor, God’s magnificence, God’s great beauty, God’s distinctive and unimaginable being is what Christ died to bring us to. The aim is specific and its finality is certain. God will reign forever in glory.
On earth, God has given us the created purpose of putting His glory on display. But on earth, because of sin, we exist in a fallen state. In Genesis 9, God makes a covenant with us to assure protection from the THREE main things that could threaten God’s final purpose of His glory being enjoyed by us forever; Animals, Man, and God. The animals could pose a threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth. With their physical strength and sometimes deadly instincts, they could kill man one by one. But God places the fear and dread of man upon every animal and gives man dominion over them all. Next, mankind, in his sin, could keep itself from being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth by killing each other. But God establishes “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image.” Finally, as we saw in the flood, the biggest threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth is God’s righteous judgment and wrath. But in this covenant God establishes that until the end of time, He will not wipe man out completely, specifically with a flood. You can imagine the great comfort this was to Noah and his family the next few times it started to rain…
Man is still sinful, but God, within the bonds of covenant, has gone to great lengths to redeem a people to accomplish His final purpose. Indeed, to Him be the glory forever and ever!
As a believer, I have an urge to ask two questions. ‘Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” Without answering these questions, we will naturally slip into a life of idleness, laziness, confusion, and sin. There is so much in the Bible that urges me to be steadfast, enduring, and persevering…but why? And to what purpose?
In Isaiah 46:9-10, God says, “…for I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”
Our Creator has a final purpose in Creation. As a part of that creation, we have a created purpose. God, the Creator, stands outside of time and declares what will be. Before sin entered the world, this purpose existed. And God will not allow man’s sin to keep His purpose from being accomplished. So, you may ask, “what is this purpose?!" This purpose is HIS GLORY FOREVER!!! Hebrews 2:10 says the He is drawing many sons to this glory. 2 Tim 4:18 expresses that this glory is to be to God forever and ever. God’s high renown, God’s honor, God’s magnificence, God’s great beauty, God’s distinctive and unimaginable being is what Christ died to bring us to. The aim is specific and its finality is certain. God will reign forever in glory.
On earth, God has given us the created purpose of putting His glory on display. But on earth, because of sin, we exist in a fallen state. In Genesis 9, God makes a covenant with us to assure protection from the THREE main things that could threaten God’s final purpose of His glory being enjoyed by us forever; Animals, Man, and God. The animals could pose a threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth. With their physical strength and sometimes deadly instincts, they could kill man one by one. But God places the fear and dread of man upon every animal and gives man dominion over them all. Next, mankind, in his sin, could keep itself from being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth by killing each other. But God establishes “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image.” Finally, as we saw in the flood, the biggest threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth is God’s righteous judgment and wrath. But in this covenant God establishes that until the end of time, He will not wipe man out completely, specifically with a flood. You can imagine the great comfort this was to Noah and his family the next few times it started to rain…
Man is still sinful, but God, within the bonds of covenant, has gone to great lengths to redeem a people to accomplish His final purpose. Indeed, to Him be the glory forever and ever!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Hope When Our Hearts Are Far
Read Genesis 8:20-21; Rom. 15:4-7; Psalm 51:5-6; Micah 7:8-9; 2 Cor. 4
As I see Noah worshipping God when he steps off of the ark, before he does anything else, I see the clear truth that God should be worshipped in every circumstance. But sometimes our hearts are not in the same place. Sometimes our circumstances and sin give us a sense of hopelessness that makes us believe we can never worship God like that. We know it is the right thing, but our heart is not in it. In the next verse in Genesis 8, God explains that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Psalm 51 explains this heart condition by saying we were “brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sin”. But it goes on to say that God goes to great lengths to redeem His children who are guilty of this sin. God aims His truth at the inward being of man. And God delights in this truth. He goes further to teach wisdom in the secret heart of man.
Romans 15 tells us that everything written in the Old Testament was written for our instruction so that we might have HOPE! What a TREASURE! And we have this treasure in jars of clay. That means that we are common and fragile vessels, so that when people see us called out of darkness and into light it is obvious that it is not by our own power. Rather, it is made known that the surpassing power belongs to God! My hope is that when sin and lies try to keep us from worshipping, we can proclaim with Micah, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him…[but] He will bring me out to the light!”
As I see Noah worshipping God when he steps off of the ark, before he does anything else, I see the clear truth that God should be worshipped in every circumstance. But sometimes our hearts are not in the same place. Sometimes our circumstances and sin give us a sense of hopelessness that makes us believe we can never worship God like that. We know it is the right thing, but our heart is not in it. In the next verse in Genesis 8, God explains that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Psalm 51 explains this heart condition by saying we were “brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sin”. But it goes on to say that God goes to great lengths to redeem His children who are guilty of this sin. God aims His truth at the inward being of man. And God delights in this truth. He goes further to teach wisdom in the secret heart of man.
Romans 15 tells us that everything written in the Old Testament was written for our instruction so that we might have HOPE! What a TREASURE! And we have this treasure in jars of clay. That means that we are common and fragile vessels, so that when people see us called out of darkness and into light it is obvious that it is not by our own power. Rather, it is made known that the surpassing power belongs to God! My hope is that when sin and lies try to keep us from worshipping, we can proclaim with Micah, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him…[but] He will bring me out to the light!”
Monday, April 7, 2008
The Right Response / Some Worship is Unacceptable
Read Genesis 8:20-21; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 2:14-17
As we come to the end of Genesis 8, it is hard for us to really take in what is going on here. Noah has just stepped off of the ark after a long, tedious, scary, lonely, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud ride. There is so much to do and they are the only ones left. But rather than taking a nap to get ready, or writing up a game plan, or even just getting straight to work, NOAH WORSHIPS! There are a million things to do, but Noah worships. Resources are limited, but Noah gives his best to God. It is good for us to try to consider what God is receiving at this point. Only one year before it says that God was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. But now, about a year later, every source of grief is gone and only one Patriarch is left. And he, Noah, is WORSHIPPING! This pleases God.
I think it is safe to say that since the flood, there has not been another man who has had more on their plate than Noah! Our schedules usually include “feed the dog, pay the electric bill, and don’t forget about soccer practice…” and somehow this keeps us from worship! Noah’s schedule, however, included “build a house for you and seven others, establish a city, and populate the earth…” yet, the first thing he did was worship! Noah could have said, “God, let my flock repopulate, and then I will sacrifice a burnt offering…or God, let me at least get a roof over my families head, and then I will worship You.” Noah is alive! And he knew that he didn’t deserve to be. As a recipient of God’s mercy and grace, Noah saw no other option than to worship God and offer a pure sacrifice.
God has offered Christ, the purest of all sacrifices, to cover our sins and bring us back into fellowship with Him. The result is that we are now called to live every day AS living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, and we are to BE the sweet aroma, first to God and then to the world. God is not pleased when His children are half-hearted creatures. It does not please Him if we put off worshipping Him for ANY reason! Our encouragement, as we repent and move forward in faith, is the same encouragement that Peter gave to his brothers and sisters in Christ. “Be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”
As we come to the end of Genesis 8, it is hard for us to really take in what is going on here. Noah has just stepped off of the ark after a long, tedious, scary, lonely, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud ride. There is so much to do and they are the only ones left. But rather than taking a nap to get ready, or writing up a game plan, or even just getting straight to work, NOAH WORSHIPS! There are a million things to do, but Noah worships. Resources are limited, but Noah gives his best to God. It is good for us to try to consider what God is receiving at this point. Only one year before it says that God was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. But now, about a year later, every source of grief is gone and only one Patriarch is left. And he, Noah, is WORSHIPPING! This pleases God.
I think it is safe to say that since the flood, there has not been another man who has had more on their plate than Noah! Our schedules usually include “feed the dog, pay the electric bill, and don’t forget about soccer practice…” and somehow this keeps us from worship! Noah’s schedule, however, included “build a house for you and seven others, establish a city, and populate the earth…” yet, the first thing he did was worship! Noah could have said, “God, let my flock repopulate, and then I will sacrifice a burnt offering…or God, let me at least get a roof over my families head, and then I will worship You.” Noah is alive! And he knew that he didn’t deserve to be. As a recipient of God’s mercy and grace, Noah saw no other option than to worship God and offer a pure sacrifice.
God has offered Christ, the purest of all sacrifices, to cover our sins and bring us back into fellowship with Him. The result is that we are now called to live every day AS living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, and we are to BE the sweet aroma, first to God and then to the world. God is not pleased when His children are half-hearted creatures. It does not please Him if we put off worshipping Him for ANY reason! Our encouragement, as we repent and move forward in faith, is the same encouragement that Peter gave to his brothers and sisters in Christ. “Be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Waiting Faithfully Pt. 2
Read Genesis 8; 2 Peter 3; Psalm 37
As we wait faithfully for the return of Christ, God has revealed to us promises that should not be unfamiliar to the one who claims faith. J.C. Ryle beautifully explains this: “There are ‘shalls’ and ‘wills’ in God’s treasury for every condition. About God’s infinite mercy and compassion, - about His readiness to receive all who repent and believe, - about His willingness to forgive, pardon, and absolve the chief of sinners, - about His power to change hearts and alter our corrupt nature, - about the encouragements to pray, and hear the gospel, and draw near to the throne of grace, - about strength for duty, comfort in trouble, guidance in perplexity, help in sickness, consolation in death, support under bereavement, happiness beyond the grave, reward in glory, - about these things there is an abundant supply of promises in the Word. No one can form an idea of its abundance unless he carefully searches the Scriptures, keeping the subject steadily in view. If any one doubts it, I can only say, ‘Come and see.’” My hope for us is that we will hear these promises and treasure them in such a way that we will live the life of radical purity that God calls us to. If we do not treasure God’s promises, we will treasure those promises that sin gives. Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. If Noah’s heart had not been satisfied with God, he would not have endured and waited as faithfully as he did. He would not have sat until the Lord gave him further direction. He would have believed the lies all around him that told him that there was greater joy without God… that there is better life without God. I urge you to press on to make these promises from God more familiar. Study them, meditate on them, and pray over them. God commands us to be diligent to be found without spot or blemish. He warns us against being stained by the world, and he gives us many reasons and promises. The only reason that I can see for one to follow God blindly, rather than faithfully, is that that person must not deem it necessary to take the time to become familiar with God’s promises. And if one is not familiar with what God promises to His children in Christ, it seems almost inevitable that the natural hunger found in every man will attempt to be quenched by believing the promises of sin.
As we wait faithfully for the return of Christ, God has revealed to us promises that should not be unfamiliar to the one who claims faith. J.C. Ryle beautifully explains this: “There are ‘shalls’ and ‘wills’ in God’s treasury for every condition. About God’s infinite mercy and compassion, - about His readiness to receive all who repent and believe, - about His willingness to forgive, pardon, and absolve the chief of sinners, - about His power to change hearts and alter our corrupt nature, - about the encouragements to pray, and hear the gospel, and draw near to the throne of grace, - about strength for duty, comfort in trouble, guidance in perplexity, help in sickness, consolation in death, support under bereavement, happiness beyond the grave, reward in glory, - about these things there is an abundant supply of promises in the Word. No one can form an idea of its abundance unless he carefully searches the Scriptures, keeping the subject steadily in view. If any one doubts it, I can only say, ‘Come and see.’” My hope for us is that we will hear these promises and treasure them in such a way that we will live the life of radical purity that God calls us to. If we do not treasure God’s promises, we will treasure those promises that sin gives. Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. If Noah’s heart had not been satisfied with God, he would not have endured and waited as faithfully as he did. He would not have sat until the Lord gave him further direction. He would have believed the lies all around him that told him that there was greater joy without God… that there is better life without God. I urge you to press on to make these promises from God more familiar. Study them, meditate on them, and pray over them. God commands us to be diligent to be found without spot or blemish. He warns us against being stained by the world, and he gives us many reasons and promises. The only reason that I can see for one to follow God blindly, rather than faithfully, is that that person must not deem it necessary to take the time to become familiar with God’s promises. And if one is not familiar with what God promises to His children in Christ, it seems almost inevitable that the natural hunger found in every man will attempt to be quenched by believing the promises of sin.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Waiting Faithfully
Read Genesis 8:1-20; 2 Peter 3; Psalm 37
Our God’s faithfulness has never been and will never be broken. As Noah sat on that cold and dark boat for over a year, I am sure that there were days where God’s faithfulness was hard to see and/or understand. But God’s grace enables us to trust Him. It would be easy to read a story like this and just say, “Be like Noah.” But this is a flawed goal. We cannot be like Noah if we do not have God’s grace. This is what we should focus on! God’s grace enables his children to wait faithfully, while enduring to the end. Real “Christian waiting” is not idle! It is not lazy! It is active and faithful. We have seen it radically in Noah’s life and we must understand that if we have God’s grace, our faithful waiting will be just a radical. It will undoubtedly result in persecution and sacrifice, but our God is worthy. He is most important and completely worthy of trust. He makes covenants and keeps them. For those who sit in dark and death, He guides their feet to a way of peace. He encourages and loves in ways that are beyond our understanding. All other gods are not worthy of trust. They have all broken their promises and forsaken their people. As we wait on the return of Christ, let us be as diligent as God commands us. Let us be active, moving forward, loving whole-heartedly, willing to make any sacrifice we are called to, knowing that all along our God is not distant or disinterested. HE IS ACTIVE! He plays the most key role in our lives. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, delighting in the Lord, committing our way to Him, trusting Him, being still before Him, and waiting patiently for Him, HE is giving us new desires, and bringing forth our righteousness and our justice who is CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD! And we have promises, just like Noah, that even on our worst days when we think we may very well die in the midst of this waiting, HE will deliver us into our eternal, heavenly dwelling, where we will experience God in ways that are now unfathomably sweet.
Our God’s faithfulness has never been and will never be broken. As Noah sat on that cold and dark boat for over a year, I am sure that there were days where God’s faithfulness was hard to see and/or understand. But God’s grace enables us to trust Him. It would be easy to read a story like this and just say, “Be like Noah.” But this is a flawed goal. We cannot be like Noah if we do not have God’s grace. This is what we should focus on! God’s grace enables his children to wait faithfully, while enduring to the end. Real “Christian waiting” is not idle! It is not lazy! It is active and faithful. We have seen it radically in Noah’s life and we must understand that if we have God’s grace, our faithful waiting will be just a radical. It will undoubtedly result in persecution and sacrifice, but our God is worthy. He is most important and completely worthy of trust. He makes covenants and keeps them. For those who sit in dark and death, He guides their feet to a way of peace. He encourages and loves in ways that are beyond our understanding. All other gods are not worthy of trust. They have all broken their promises and forsaken their people. As we wait on the return of Christ, let us be as diligent as God commands us. Let us be active, moving forward, loving whole-heartedly, willing to make any sacrifice we are called to, knowing that all along our God is not distant or disinterested. HE IS ACTIVE! He plays the most key role in our lives. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, delighting in the Lord, committing our way to Him, trusting Him, being still before Him, and waiting patiently for Him, HE is giving us new desires, and bringing forth our righteousness and our justice who is CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD! And we have promises, just like Noah, that even on our worst days when we think we may very well die in the midst of this waiting, HE will deliver us into our eternal, heavenly dwelling, where we will experience God in ways that are now unfathomably sweet.
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