Worship for Today: Our blessed hope!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 4:1-3,

 

"Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter. And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun."

 

The Christian book stores are full of books written by popular pastors and ministers on how to achieve a happy life. Millions are made as these books fly off the shelves as people seek to find happiness and fulfillment in their lives. Obviously, it alludes them. Otherwise there would be no market for just such books. Many well-respected authors within the church have found this need within the body of Christ and have tapped into it as a means of producing best-selling titles. Scriptures are quoted, lifestyle pitfalls are identified, "biblical principles" are applied and a happy outcome is often assured.

 

The promotion of this perspective has led to the notion that somehow happiness and fulfillment in a world that is estranged from God, a world that exists under his condemnation and his curse, a world that is dominated by a collective sinful nature that finds its expression in the self-indulgence of some at the expense of others, the mistreatment of many, sickness, pain, death, depravity and the deprivation of so many, especially those in "developing" nations, can be found if we but follow what is offered in these books, on the cds and in these ministries.

 

Solomon had a special gifting of wisdom from God himself. With that wisdom he went in search to find what in life brought pleasure, satisfaction and fulfillment. He was certainly endowed with all any man who ever lived could employ to search for it. With opulent wealth, wisdom, stature, horses and wives he conducted his investigation. He reports back to the rest of us, those of us who suffer from relative deprivation as we look into his lavish life, filled with the "grass is greener" lie smoldering in our hearts, thinking if I only had this or that... His report? He says "With much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." 1:18. His conclusion? Better is the man who has already passed from this evil world. Better yet is the one who has never had to endure it!

 

Very few have been so honest about what the truth is when it comes to living life in a lost and fallen world. Solomon was a man of God. As such he employed his resources to investigate those issues that really burn in the hearts of men - their personal happiness and fulfilment in this life. As the man he was, he did not shrink from the terrifying truth of the matter. "Life under the sun" is best not experienced at all.

 

So, what of those biblical principles that give us God's blueprint for living life in this world, "under the sun", what of all the self-help books that aid us in our pursuit of a happy life? When we follow them, we reap a reward, when we violate them we suffer the consequences. But the potential for finding the happiness and fulfilment we yearn for simply is not to be found in this life. As Solomon points out, this life is too temporary, it is filled with disappointment and inequity, it always, inevitably, ends in our death. This life exists under God's curse.

 

Is this the end of the matter? Not at all! Solomon is clearing the decks, preparing us for the gospel. The fulfillment of what we were created for is not to be found in life "under the sun". We were created for something better, hence the angst we feel over our lot in this life. Peter identifies it so wonderfully, and points to what our loving and merciful God has provided us: our hope in the resurrection! Such a wonderful hope this is that Peter tells us we best be prepared to give an answer for this hope we have, 1 Peter 3:15, because it leads to an inexpressible and glorious joy! 1 Peter 1:3-9. God offers us rescue from a cursed world and from his wrath!

 

The writer of Hebrews speaks of the mindset the heroes of faith had relative to life "under the sun". These great ones provide the way for the rest of us. "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:13-16.

 

What a blessed hope we have from our loving God... especially when viewed accurately from an honest appraisal of life in this lost and fallen world, "life under the sun"!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Jesus Christ is worthy!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Revelation 13:9-10,

 

"He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints."

 

We hear a lot these days, and it isn't all truthful. How many times have I turned on the television only to hear some self-appointed expert in the things of God say that since God loves us he wants us to be prosperous! Since God loves us he doesn't want us to be sick or to suffer, does he?

 

That is one view. But there is another viewpoint, what the Scriptures actually have to say. This passage tells us that there have been, there are and/or there will be God's children, whom he loves, saints, that suffer. Captivity, imprisonment and even death await some of the ones God loves. Why does God allow it? I couldn't say. Job couldn't say and I can't either. All I know is that God has his purposes and has his own agenda. My agenda does not include captivity and being killed with the sword, but God's agenda for me may be just that.

 

John tells us that this calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. The question for me is, do I find Jesus Christ worthy of my suffering for him? Well, is he? Is he really? He suffered for me, didn't he? He laid his life down for me didn't he? As the creative agent of the Trinity, I owe my very existence to him, don't I? It boils down to an observation made by the four living creatures and twenty-four elders when they sang a new song to the Lamb, "You are worthy..." They don't just stop at the point of saying Jesus Christ is worthy to open a scroll, they tell him why, "you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

 

Here is the essence of true worship. The extolling of the matchless character and nature of our Lord! The telling of his great deeds! And what is the word from the elders and creatures? That Jesus Christ is worthy! He is worthy of any suffering I am called to endure. And from this passage I see that if I am called to endure such, God will not deliver me from it, he will not intervene on my behalf. There are many passages in Scripture that point to a wonderful reward that God has for those who are his, and particularly for those who suffer for him. But, for today, no matter what comes, he is worthy! He is worthy of all patient endurance and faithfulness from me.

 

How about you?

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Worshippers from the great tribulation!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Revelation 7:9-12,

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no
one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,
standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing
white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they
cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on
the throne, and to the Lamb.' All the angels were standing around the
throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell
down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
'Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and
strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!'"

What a doxology this is! What a dramatic scene we have here as John
helps us peer into a future event that will take place in heaven! It
is simply a sweeping, breathtaking scene where redeemed mankind beyond
count, millions of angels, elders and "the four living creatures"
worship before the throne and in front of the lamb, Jesus Christ,
while holding palm branches in their hands.

From my perspective, I see "the great multitude" as us believers. We
will be counted among that number. Here John provides us a glimpse of
an event of worship that we will all participate in one day. John is
asked by one of the elders who the uncountable throng dressed in white
robes are and where they came from. The elder himself provides the
answer: "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation;
they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day
and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his
tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they
thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For
the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will
lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every
tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:14-17.

Unlike some, who see these worshippers as folks who have been
evangelized during Daniel's 70th week of years, the "tribulation",
after the rapture of the church (because the elder says they came out
of the "great tribulation") - a view I do not necessarily subscribe
to, I see it a bit differently. When the elder says these who are
worshipping, the ones who have "washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb", my perspective is he is talking about all
those who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith over the years. All
believers. My thought is that the "great tribulation" is not that
technical term used for the completion of Daniel's seventy weeks, but
the great tribulation that is the experience of mankind living in a
lost and fallen world, estranged from its creator and suffering under
his curse. It is that great cosmic tribulation within God's creation
of sinful man living in rebellion to him. It is from within this
tribulation that these worshippers have "washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb".

I'm certainly no expert in this book, and I have to admit that I often
feel lost in it. I realize many have a number of differing views on
what many of its passages have to say. Although you may disagree with
me, as I say, it is my perspective that we will all participate in
this wonderful moving event of worship where so many of God's
creatures will be bowing to him and worshipping him in fullness for
all he is!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: The joy of fellowship.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in 2 John 12,

"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink.
Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that
our joy may be complete."

John anticipates a fullness of joy in seeing "the elder" face to face.
Fellowship is like that. In God's wonderful way, he has provided us
one another in this life for fellowship that we might be encouraged,
strengthened and energized. Joy is to be found here.

Paul speaks to this as well when he wrote to the believers in Rome. He
says, "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual
gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually
encouraged by each other's faith." Romans 1:11-12. Paul perceived the
encouragement that comes from the fellowship of believers coming
together a "spiritual gift".

The Lord has provided us so much while we are here, awaiting his
return. Among these he has provided us plenty in the Scriptures, he
has sent the Holy Spirit who has come to dwell within our hearts and
produce wonderful spiritual fruit in our lives. The Lord has provided
us an exciting hope, a future filled with all he has promised us. And,
he has provided brothers and sisters in our lives that are gifted
specially by him to minister his grace in our lives. Here is where
both John and Paul found joy and encouragement in their fellowship
with other believers.

How wonderful our God is who has provided us so much!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: One big, big heart!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in 2 Peter 3:8-9,

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day
is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The
Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.
He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to
come to repentance."

In a chapter that is sweeping in its view of the lifespan of the age
we live in, Peter points out that God is the Creator of both space and
time. "By God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out
of water and by water". Verse 5, God is the creator of space. We also
read that "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day." This is not necessarily a statement
just about the patience of God but that God resides outside of the
dimension of time. Yes, the Lord is patient, but also Peter's
statement is that just as equally to the Lord that a thousand years
are like a day, so a day is like a thousand years. To me, this is
Peter's way of saying that as our majestic Creator, God resides
outside the dimension of time. From my perspective, I would view it as
that God looks down on all existence, from the beginning of time to
the end of time, all at the same time. This, of course, is from my
perspective. From God's perspective I would expect that God simply
views all there is to see in his creation, and because of his vantage
point outside the dimension of time, he sees it all, from the
beginning to the end.

However, I must admit that when I think of such things, the fuses
start to blow in my brain. I just can't go where God exists and
understand much of what is there. It is simply beyond me. I do have
what the Scriptures reveal about God and I love to speculate on his
splendor and glory, but let's face it: I'm pretty limited to what I
can understand of him.

What I do understand of God from this passage is that he loves all
people. I realize this flies in the face of the current "pop" theology
today which declares that God loves only some and has selected his
few. If Peter says anything here, it is that God is patient and is
providing ample time so that everyone has the opportunity to turn to
him. He doesn't want anyone to perish, to face an eternity in the lake
of fire, but his desire is that everyone come to repentance.

What a massive and lofty view of God in this chapter! The creator of
all space and time has an equally massive heart that wants all,
everyone, to turn to him and be saved from his judgment!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: The Lord's coming is near!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in James 5:8,

"You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near."

The second coming of Jesus Christ is just as certain as his first
coming was. The Scriptures foretold the first coming of Jesus Christ
and he came to planet Earth just as they said he would. The Scriptures
also tell us he is coming back a second time. As I say, it is just as
certain as when he arrived twenty one centuries ago. And the Lord's
coming is near!

The Scriptures tell us he is not going to be coming in the same
capacity with the same agenda this next time. The writer of Hebrews
tells us, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face
judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many
people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to
bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9:27-28.
And the Lord's coming is near!

We don't know the exact timing but Jesus told us, "Now learn this
lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its
leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see
all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell
you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all
these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will never pass away." Matthew 24:32-35. And the Lord's coming
is near!

When Jesus Christ comes back he will judge the nations. "'He will rule
them with an iron scepter.' He treads the wine press of the fury of
the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this
name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:15-16.
And the Lord's coming is near!

When Jesus Christ comes back to planet Earth, he will usher in a new
age! "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be
their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things
has passed away." Revelation 21:3-4. And the Lord's coming is near!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: God is near!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Psalm 75:1,

"We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds."

Asaph speaks of not having to go far to encounter the things of God.
He says "men tell of your wonderful deeds." The things of God are all
around us, whether seen in creation, spoken of among men or
experienced through his indwelling Spirit right here on planet earth.

Although God, in his lofty holiness and righteousness, maintains a
separation from sinful man (particularly seen in Revelation with the
concentric rings of beings surrounding his throne, creatures, elders,
angels, etc.), he is nonetheless very near us all.

I am reminded that he knows each one of us better than we do. All we
need do is cry out to him and he is there. He always responds to
believers in one fashion or another when we ask of him, and when an
unsaved person calls out to him for rescue from his coming wrath, he
is faithful to respond.

I love James' admonition to us, "Come near to God and he will come
near to you." James 4:8. Paul told his audience at the Areopagus, "God
did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and
find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we
live and move and have our being.'" Acts 17:27-28.

Our God is near!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Our common faith.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Titus 1:4,

"To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God
the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior."

Paul points to the "common faith" both he and Timothy shared.

We are all aware of the differences that exist between the various
religions, denominations, churches and fellowships. Sometimes the
perspective is advanced that God is who he is to you and he is who he
is to me. He may be one thing to you and another to me. One is
persuaded of a certain flavor of theology and someone else may be
persuaded of another. When I read comments like Paul's to Timothy in
his salutation, I suspect he would be horrified at our acceptance of
this state of affairs. He speaks of the "common faith" they both
shared.

What may get missed at times is the realization that God is not a
subjective concept that is one thing to one person and another thing
to another. God is who he is. He exists in objective reality. The
basis for the common faith that Paul and Timothy shared did not lay in
Paul's evangelizing or discipling of Timothy, but that they both
served the one, true God. In another letter Paul speaks to this. He
says, "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one
hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God
and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Ephesians 4:4-5. There Paul points to the grounds for us all to "make
every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of
peace."

Here is where common faith is found. Although we may all have
differing needs, differing trials and difficulties, differing levels
of maturity, etc. in the Lord, we need to rid ourselves of the notion
that God is what each individual makes him out to be. Our God exists
in a majestic splendor that is all his own and it is not changed one
wit by my perspective of him. I need to embrace him for who he is, not
what I think I want him to be. God, after all, is the ultimate reality
of being.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Caring for family members.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in 1 Timothy 5:4,

"If a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of
all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family
and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing
to God."

When I read words like, "this is pleasing to God" in Scripture, I want
to find out all about what it is. For one thing, as many of his
children do, I want to know how to please my heavenly Father. Another
wonderful reality about a verse like this is that as I find out what
pleases God, it tells me something about him, about his heart, his
personality!

Here I learn that family members caring for needy family members is
something that pleases our God. What I glean from this is that God
cares for those in need. He wants to see those who are his care for
the needy. Particularly those who are family members. The recognition
of children and grandchildren of the debt they owe to their parents
and grandparents pleases God when it gets expressed by their loving
action in caring for them. Our just and fair-minded God finds it
pleasing when we reciprocate to those who cared for, protected and
provided for us when we were brought into this life.

Our God feels strongly about this as Paul tells us, "If anyone does
not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate
family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 5:8.
Strong words! God feels strongly about this.

Just a glimpse here into the heart of our magnificent God!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Colossians 3:11,

"Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."

Paul makes this observation while giving his readers direction on how
to live out their lives within the church. As he speaks of how his
readers are to treat one another and relate to one another within the
church, he points out that there are no favorites - no favorites in
the kingdom of God. We are all on the same footing with him as Jesus
Christ "is in all".

Earlier in the letter he says that although we were dead in sins and
living our lives according to the sinful nature, "God made you alive
with Christ." 2:13 Paul points out that all of our sins have been
forgiven and that they were nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ. The
practice of the day was to nail the offenses of criminals to their
crosses (those who were crucified) indicating the crime being paid
for. Paul uses this as a metaphor to point out all of our sins are
paid for. The result is "now he has reconciled you by Christ's
physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without
blemish and free from accusation..." 1:22.

Because of this we all now have a standing before God that is
unblemished, just like Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 1 Paul says God
chose that we would be holy and blameless in his sight and to adopt us
as his children - not to be just the subjects of his kingdom. We are
redeemed, forgiven, made for the praise of his glory, sealed by the
Holy Spirit and promised an inheritance!

How wonderful there will be no second-class citizens in the family of
God! No black sheep! I am quite certain that if it were so, I'd occupy
an inferior status in his kingdom, so this is wonderful news for me! I
may not receive all the rewards many of the wonderful believers over
the years will have in the resurrection - but I'll have a place at the
table with all!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: God brings suffering.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Philippians 1:29-30,

"It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on
him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same
struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have."

As Paul speaks of his imprisonment and the challenges he faced in his
ministry, he acknowledged that God not only provided the Philippian
church the opportunity of salvation based on faith, he provided a
season of suffering. Paul takes up this as a concern because it was
his desire that the Philippian church stand firm "with one spirit,
contending as one man for the faith of the gospel" and not be
frightened as they endured the suffering.

From this, I learn for myself that God can bring or allow suffering to
his children he loves. These believers had turned to Jesus Christ to
be rescued from the coming wrath of God in his judgment for sins
committed. Now, as his children, God is allowing these believers to
suffer. This is not suffering for no cause. Paul points out that the
church in Philippi was going through the same struggle he had. Of his
sufferings Paul says that it served to advance the gospel, verse 12.
This was suffering to further the purposes of God, his agenda of
advancing the gospel in one fashion or another.

For myself, as soon as I hear "God loves you. He doesn't want you
sick, he doesn't want you poor - he blesses his children with health,
he provides abundantly (thinking in terms of $$ here) for his
children", I just turn the other way. Paul was an apostle, Paul was
faithful in his ministry to God promoting the gospel. He gave his life
to it. And, yet, here he is imprisoned. He has opposition from false
brothers. He had anxiety over Epaphroditus, the man the church in
Philippi sent to help him - he almost died in his service to Paul!
Paul speaks of knowing what it is to be in need, 4:12. He speaks of
hunger and being in want. There is a huge disconnect between those of
the "health and wealth gospel" persuasion and what Scripture really
teaches us about God.

What does this tell me? God can and does call his loved ones at times
to suffer for him. Does God have the right to allow me to suffer?
Shouldn't I find myself free of all pain, sickness and suffering?
Shouldn't I be well off financially if I am loved by God? God loves me
and certainly all things, good and bad, come to me for good, Romans
8:28. The words of Job shout to me loud and clear: "My ears had heard
of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and
repent in dust and ashes." I am quite certain that all of us will have
a completely different idea of what we should have expected in this
life and what the real love of God means when we see him face to face.
In the meantime, I feel a need to keep my hand over my mouth, accept
whatever it is that God sends my way, and believe what the Bible
really has to say about God - not the "stuff" that gets passed around
these days. After all, he is the Almighty! He is the Eternal One! He
is the transcendent God who lives in such majestic splendor and glory
that I could never survive its exposure in this life!

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord
gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be
praised... Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" Job 1:21,
2:10.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: God provides all we need!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Titus 1:1-3,

"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith
of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—
a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God,
who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his
appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching
entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior..."

In his letter to Titus, an elder Paul had left in Crete to complete
some unfinished business, Paul introduced himself as an apostle of
Jesus Christ "for the faith of God's elect" and knowledge that "leads
to godliness". He says this faith and knowledge rests on the hope
believers have of eternal life. While risking being somewhat specific,
my understanding of this passage is that Paul uses the term "faith"
not as that which we employ that brings our salvation, but rather he
uses it to refer to the religion we hold to as followers of Jesus
Christ. It is the same usage that Paul uses, for instance, in his
letter to the church in Philippi. "Convinced of this, I know that I
will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and
joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in
Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me." Philippians 1:25-26.

Perhaps it is a distinction without a difference (as they say). The
wonderful thing I see in this is that God prepared and sent Paul to us
as his emissary for our faith and knowledge while we tarry here
awaiting the Lord's return. Far from lives without purpose, when we
become God's children he has made every provision for us to be
strengthened in our faith and knowledge of the truth that we
participate in his agenda, carrying out his purposes. God has done
this through Paul and the other writers of our bibles, the indwelling
Holy Spirit, and the other brothers and sisters that have been
prepared to help us in our walk in the faith.

How like it is for our God to provide all we need! "His divine power
has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter
1:3.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Assurance in Jesus Christ.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in 2 Timothy 1:12,

"I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am
convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for
that day."

As a combat veteran I know what it is like to have to count on
something working. In Viet Nam I was a mortar gunner and carried an
M16. I also had opportunity to have to rely on a 50 caliber machine
gun while manning a listening post away from our unit with just a few
others, waiting for the enemy in the night.

I used to be a logger in Oregon. While working as a choker setter on a
rigging crew we had to rely on our yarder operator to respond exactly
as we whistled him. The slightest wrong move could result in being
crushed under a log or getting cut in half by the mainline. We had to
count on our yarder operator with certainty.

While these are life-and-death situations, we all know what it is like
to have to trust someone or something else. When leaving our children
with a sitter or at school we have to rely on others to ensure our
children are kept safe. When we have loved ones that face serious
medical issues we have to rely on medical personnel to do just the
right thing. When we have to hit our brakes while driving we count on
them working. Sometimes we have been let down.

Not with our God! He is absolutly reliable! We can count on him to
follow through on every promise he has ever made. On these we can be
fully assured of. He tells us that if we put our faith and trust in
him, when judgment day comes we will be forgiven all sin. When we take
our last breath in this life we can be assured he is waiting to
receive us on the other side. When Jesus comes back to planet earth we
can be certain we will be raised with incorruptible bodies. We can
take great assurance that we will live an abuntant life throughout
eternity with him if we but put our faith and trust in him.

These all have nothing to do with which church I attend, what theology
I subscribe to or how well behaved I may be. It doesn't matter if I am
active in the local PTA, go to every church service or tithe
regularly. It doesn't matter if my checkbook balances or my grass is
cut. All of these promises are based on the faithfulness of God
himself and together with Paul we can be fully convinced that God is
able to guard what we have entrusted to him for that day!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: True spiritual enlightenment.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Ephesians 5:8,

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord."

All one has to do is to be born into this world to live in spiritual
darkness. Since the fall of mankind in the garden of Eden, mankind was
cast from the presence of God, took on a sinful nature and became
spiritually blinded. The Scriptures call it a darkness. As John speaks
of those who claim to but have not come to know Jesus Christ, he
refers to this darkness, "Anyone who claims to be in the light but
hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother
lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in
the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness
has blinded him." 1 John 2:9-11.

Jesus also spoke of this darkness. He said, "This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light,
and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be
exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that
it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through
God." John 3:19-21. Here is the wonderful news! Light has come into
the world, and we can now escape this darkness!

One of the most dramatic and moving passages in all of Scripture to me
is found in Isaiah 9:2, "The people walking in darkness have seen a
great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a
light has dawned." Jesus Christ has come into the world! As a
brilliant light, he pierces the darkness and provides true spiritual
enlightenment to all who will come to him!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: God gives the Holy Spirit as a deposit of what is to come!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5,

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have
a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human
hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly
dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For
while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do
not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who
has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

God knows how we feel about our impending physical death. We all face
sickness and death. God never created us to die, but he had warned
Adam that if he sinned he would die. An essential nature of God is his
sense of justice and justice demands payment for sin. As Paul says in
Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death." Adam sinned, nonetheless,
and now all who descend from Adam die. Sickness, pain, infirmities,
all physical ailments are due to mankind's turn from God, from
mankind's "fall" in the garden of Eden. Although we are offered
forgiveness of sin and eternal life through the punishment Jesus
Christ took on our behalf, physical death is not removed from us in
this life. We still get sick and die. It will be in the resurrection
that sickness, pain and death will vanquished. I possess eternal life
today, but I still get sick and one day I will die. We all will,
except for those fortunate enough to be still alive when the Lord
returns to planet earth. We read of it in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Until the Lord comes, we all die. Paul speaks of the salvation of our
bodies as a future event, in the resurrection, Romans 8:22-25. There
he says, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the
pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as
we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our
bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no
hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for
what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Although God's justice will be satisfied, he cares for us out of his
wonderful love for us and knows of our anxiety of the unknown and the
abrupt end of what we know in this life. We read the comforting words
in Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of
his saints." And, for those of us who have embraced him in faith, he
has provided us a down payment on our life in the resurrection through
the indwelling Holy Spirit, "God... has given us the Spirit as a
deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." I find this wonderful and I
find it comforting. All believers have a wonderful future to look
forward to in the resurrection and have the comfort of the presence of
the Holy Spirit in our lives today to reassure us! How like our God to
care for us in this way!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Worship for Today: Our glorious God - the Savior of all men!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in 1 Timothy 4:9-10,

"This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for
this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living
God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who
believe."

I am fully aware there are many who subscribe to a theology today that
claims God is only the Savior to a few and not all men. For them
salvation is not by faith but by God's appointment and that God has
appointed only his few. I prefer to allow Paul to speak for himself.
Paul finds in God a grand and glorious God who sent his Son to die for
all people for all time. Our Savior paid the penalty for all sins ever
committed by all people. What God has chosen is that all who will
embrace him in faith will be saved. Salvation has been secured for
every man, woman and child... but only those who receive Jesus Christ
will receive it.

Our God is a much bigger God than many theologies can account for. Our
God is too big to stuff into the theologian's box, he just won't fit.
He is bigger, more magnificent, more loving, more fearsome, more
powerful, more wise and more giving than any theology can codify. I
love God in just the way he is presented to us in the pages of
Scripture, without the lens of theology filtering out some of his
majestic glory.

Our God is just as Paul says, "the Savior of all men, especially of
those who believe."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com