Astound Us Yet Again

Father, forgive us, woe is me.
I live my life in impurity.
We think the aim is just to have fun,
there is none that is good, no, not even one.
You assure us that we are known, 
we feel constantly alone. 
You offer up grace,
to have it thrown back in your face.
You send mercies anew,
we don't believe you.

What can wash away my sins?
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

As Thanksgiving approaches, help us, Lord Jesus to utter praises from our lips. For if it were not for Your sacrifice, they would remain but unclean. You really are who you say, and we are astounded. Astound us yet again.

All-the-Brighter

So many imperfections.
So many mistakes.
So many scars.
So many confessions yet to make.

Thank you, Father, for your love in the midst of imperfection. You call the broken and the thirsty "blessed". Teach me to love paradoxes- to draw near to you when I am at my weakest. And in this weakness, may I see that your goodness, your graces, your mercies, your kindness, and your glories shine all-the- brighter. 

"If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all."

Teach us to come, burdens and all. 

By Way of our Personal Experience

  

Dr. Schmutzer tells me of this God who is anything but aloof. He says this God doesn't send out people as boomerangs, hoping they will return. Instead, he says, this God always goes with, and He goes before, too. He says this God knows the suffering of man, because at the cross this suffering became his own. Apparently, when someone is hurting, or sick, this God identifies with them, and climbs into the grief Himself. All the while, this God remains fully capable, and fully intent to bring them both out from the mess's midst. This process, Dr. Schmutzer says, will never be lost on God. For though He is sovereign and infinite and just, He is most certainly a God who feels.

        I want to say that I believe my professor's words. On one level I do. It all sounds good, and even biblical. Yet for some reason, something in me resists. Something in me does not recognize the actions of "this God" from personal experience. It seems I don't identify "this God" with my God. It seems others join me in unbelief; we all shake our fists. A loving God? What about the Holocaust, abortion, 9/11, the war in Uganda, and hurricanes Katrina and Sandy? We shake our fists because it doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up. So what do we conclude? Anything more than a pitiful, intellectual faith seems too risky. We cannot stake our lives on a bystanding God. 

Teach us therefore, O God, to connect our knowledge of You 

with our faith, worship, and living.

Teach us to think more rightly of You.

Teach us that theology is but a means-

a means to a rich and infinite end.

Teach us that Scripture really does speak of You in truth,

and that you match perfectly all of its claims.

May we sing of your lovingkindness that Moses learned in the desert,

                        of your ability to satisfy that beckoned David to his knees,

                        of your sight and care for the afflicted that invited Hagar to worship,

                        of your attention for the least of these that bewildered Your disciples,

                        of your mercy which freed the thief on the cross.

It is not that You are but a revelation of Your Word, 

but that Your Word is but a revelation of You.

Teach us that suffering is a part of this sinful world-

not something that jeopardizes Your goodness. 

Thank You that you long to show your care and compassion 

by way of our personal experience. 

You will do away with all pain.

In the meantime, teach us to invite You to grieve with us,

especially since You are already there. 

Forgive us for Taking Offense

O Great God,

Thank you for your Word.
Thank you for enabling us to understand it, and for entrusting us to teach it.
Thank you that through it you reveal yourself as just,
yet without compromise to your ever-present mercies.
We don't understand how to meld these together; and so forgive us for taking offense.

Thank you for being a God who reached down
     to the garden after the man and woman disobeyed,
     to the death of Abel at the hands of Cain,
     to the construction of the tower of Babel,
     to the wicked people in Sodom and Gomorrah.

You always investigated although you knew all things.
You always met to communicate with those involved.
Even through destruction, a remnant always remained.
You always protected your seed.
In your wrath, you always remembered mercy.

Thank you for being the same God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
as you were to Paul, Peter, and John, and that you are to us now.
Forgive us for magnifying your acts of justice and for shaking our heads in unbelief.
Help us instead to seek you as you have sought us
and to cry with Abram "Oh sovereign Lord why?"
Teach us with this faith to admit our finiteness before you.

May we never get over the reality that you are a God who comes down,
who meets His creation where it is.
We praise you for being a relational God, who invites us to know and to be known.

Thy vows are ever upon us, and we praise you, O Great God.

We Have but One Master

Forgive us, Father, for we are a people of fear. 
it drives us,
    shapes us,
    prevents us,
    and influences us.

In fear we act as if enslaved to each other - Yet we have but one Master.

Have mercy on the fearful. 
Teach us to take courage.

At the name of Jesus may this be so.

       

He is Near Indeed

The other day I was waiting in line at the store and overheard a conversation between a father and his son. The son was about 4 years old, and quite curious. As most young ones do, he inquisitively surveyed the items for sale, rarely refraining from touching them. One of the things he picked up was a copy of the Jesus Film. He turned to his dad and asked “Daddy, what’s this?”  The father responded by saying “You don’t want anything to do with that, Buddy. It’s just about Jesus, Im sure it’s not the most thrilling film ever made.” He looked around as though to find someone who would agree with him, clearly speaking from the assumption that everyone thinks Jesus is boring. 

I left the store a bit saddened for that father, but mostly for the little boy. His view of Jesus as of now is that he’s some actor-but a lousy one at best. His dad sees no value in the character of Jesus, so why should he? As tempting as it is to point fingers at those who blatantly marginalize Jesus as a trivial bore, I must admit that God would serve justice in pointing that finger at me. 

Countless Scriptures declare the majesty and authority and deity of Jesus Christ. Isaiah 7 predicts that He would rule over an eternal kingdom. Isaiah 16:5 foreshadows His faithfulness, justice, and righteousness. Psalm 16:10 predicts that He would be raised from the dead, and Psalm 22:14,16 tells of the suffering He would endure beforehand. Zechariah calls Him the “Good Shepherd” and predicts his future glory. John 1 places Him in the very company of God the Father and Holy Spirit before all time, and present at the creation of the world. Colossians 1:14 entitles Him to grant redemption to men and to forgive their sins, and verse 27 tells that He is the greatest  revelation of the glory of God, and thereby the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Even a Roman Centurion who likely scoffed at Jesus prior to His crucifixion confessed “truly, this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). 

In reading 2 Peter yesterday, I was again reminded not only of the astonishing worth of Jesus Christ, but also of the importance to know who He is. Verses 2-8 read:

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us Hid precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless, nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Later Peter notes that those who lack these qualities are fools and near sighted (9), yet that those who possess them will never stumble (10). Furthermore, “in this way, the entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied.”

These words echo those of John 17:3 in which Jesus Himself says “‘This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” 

Jesus changes everything. He will redeem all, be king over all, judge all in righteousness, and be forever glorified. Isn’t it amazing that He invites us to partake of these things with Him through the knowledge of Him. By knowing Him, we can become part of those He redeems, part of His kingdom, and be forever glorified with Him. These things will not be temporary, but will last forever. To know Jesus is to know eternal life. 

By God’s grace, may that father and son from the store come to a real understanding of Jesus Christ. And by His grace, may those who already know Him press on, that their knowledge of Him might abound. 

May our prayers echo that of Israel’s in their desperate cry to the Lord:

“So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.” Hosea 6:3

Hallelujah, He is near indeed. May we press on to know Him. 

Blessings. 

James 4:1-10

“What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

You lust and do not have; so you commit murder.

 You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.

You do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scriptures speak to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which he has made to dwell in us?” But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Prov. 3:34)

 Submit therefore to God.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

 Thanks be to God who draws us to himself, who guards us from the enemy, who exalts those who let go of lust for exaltation. Help us, Father, to be in a constant state of longing. Teach us, Master, to long not for the world, not according to our lusts, not so that we might be lifted high by worldly standards, but to long, and to hunger, and to thirst for you. Thank you for your continued faithfulness and precious promises to us amidst our moments of misplaced affection. Grant that we might be in awe of these things.

Blessings.

Sometimes

Sometimes I feel like I’m struggling. Sometimes I feel like I’m failing. Sometimes I try to evaluate my ability to do this whole Christian thing and feel discouraged after my assessment. Sometimes I feel incapable, unprepared, unready and uneasy. Sometimes, I don’t even feel an ounce of worthiness to do much of anything for the Kingdom.

I realized something about all this..

In thinking these things I have allowed myself to adopt a false version of the gospel. This version tells me that God saved me so that I could do better, and try to be better, on my own. This version puts conditions on grace, with a nice price tag on it, too.

Recently I have needed reminders that God saved me in order that he might continue doing so for the rest of my life. I’ve been forgetting that God saved me all the while knowing I would still be a work in progress after the fact. This real Gospel doesn’t yell at me for not having my life all together. Rather, it gently reminds me of a pool of grace that has no shallow end.

The real Gospel of Jesus Christ grants people permission to admit that they’re thirsty and hungry and broken and poor. Better yet, the real Gospel of Jesus Christ invites people to come and drink and be fed and be healed and in doing so, to recognize their riches.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

It is your work, Jesus. May I never get over the fact that you delight in the process that this work is.

Blessings.