Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: What to do with Jesus?

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 2:34-35,

 

"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed."

 

This statement was made by Simeon, a "righteous and devout" man. We are told the Holy Spirit was upon him and that he was moved by the Spirit to go into the temple courts where Joseph and Mary presented the infant Jesus according to the laws and customs of Israel. When Simeon saw Jesus, he took him in his arms, blessed Joseph and Mary and spoke these words to Mary.

 

In a short and aptly worded statement, the future of all mankind hangs in the balance. This infant, Jesus, will be the issue for all to consider: what to do with Jesus Christ? He is presented to us as God's sacrifice of atonement for sin, Romans 3:25. All who embrace him in faith will enter into God's family, John 1:12 and all who reject him will be cast into a fiery lake of burning sulfur, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:36. We find God's wrath for sin expressed in Revelation 20:14-15, "The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

 

What to do with Jesus? This is the question of the ages and our response dictates our eternal destiny. Simeon told Mary that Jesus would be the cause of the falling and rising of many, that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. Paul quotes Isaiah in Romans 3:33, "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall,and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

 

What to do with Jesus? What a wonderful invitation God has made for us - to enter into his family! But it all hinges on Jesus Christ and what we do with him. "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." John 1:12.

 

What will you do with Jesus Christ today?

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Life in the womb!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 1:41-44,

 

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.'"

 

We live in a day where confusion abounds and the simplest things in life seem to escape so many. Nothing reveals this in a more startling way than the issue of abortion today. Many seem incapable of acknowledging the baby in a mother's womb is a real human life. Elizabeth's encounter with Mary should put to rest any question that abortion is nothing short of the murder of an innocent.

 

Elizabeth's baby, John the Baptist, was, without a doubt, a very unique individual. He was hand-picked, prior to his birth, by God to be a prophet. He would be filled with the Holy Spirit, "even from birth", Luke 1:15. His father, Zechariah, was told prior to Elizabeth's pregnancy that John would bring many of the people of Israel back to the Lord, Luke 1:16. As such he was to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, verse 17. John would be a joy and delight to his father and his birth would be the cause of rejoicing by many.

 

In Elizabeth's sixth month of pregnancy she was paid a visit from her relative, Mary. Mary was pregnant with Jesus at the time and when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, we are told that John "leaped in her womb" for joy, Luke 1:41-44. In order for this to happen, I observe the following about John the Baptist while he was at his sixth month in his mother's womb:

 

John was intellectually alive: he was cognitive and aware when Jesus entered his presence.

John was emotionally alive: he leaped for joy when Jesus entered his presence.

John was volitionally alive: it was upon Jesus entering his presence he chose to leap for joy - a reaction but a choice nonetheless.

John was spiritually alive: as an endowed prophet prior to his birth he was already exercising his prophetic gift prior to his birth.

 

John the Baptist exercised his mind, his will and his emotions, prior to his birth, in the sixth month following his conception. He exercised his spiritual gift of prophecy in recognizing the Lord presence at that time.

 

Call him what you will, but the taking of his life would certainly constitute the murder of an innocent. Although John was a unique individual chosen by God for a specific purpose, the circumstances surrounding his gestation speaks of all pregnancies.

 

On a whole other note... isn't it just amazing what God does?!

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Nothing is impossible with God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 1:37,

"Nothing is impossible with God."

 

These words, spoken not by a human but an angel, do not form an expression of faith, but inform us of a reality about God by one who knows God well: the angel Gabriel. These words do, however, challenge us to faith today. Do we believe them? I don't ask that question from the standpoint of a good theology and commitment to a conservative evangelical understanding of the inerrancy of the Scriptures. I ask it from the perspective of a personal conviction that is lived out in life day to day. Do I really believe that nothing is impossible with God?

 

Do I believe God loves me, has reached out to me even though I've lived a life of sin? Is that possible for God?

 

Do I believe that God satisfied his own sense of justice by having his Son, Jesus Christ, die in my place, to pay the penalty for my sins? Is that possible for God?

 

Do I believe that God will raise me from the dead, give me life eternal following the death of my earthly existence? Is that possible for God?

 

Do I believe that God has made a place for me in his family, that he has removed my sin so far from me that I will stand before his presence without fault and with great joy? Is that possible for God?

 

Do I believe God will work all things together for good in this life, for those of us who love him? Is that possible for God?

 

Do I believe God will hold all accountable who have rejected him? Is that possible for God?

 

Does my life reflect on a daily basis the truth Gabriel told Mary, that nothing is impossible with God? Is that demonstrated in the things I think, do and say?

 

"Nothing is impossible with 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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Used by God in spite of our shortcomings.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Jonah 4:9,

 

"God said to Jonah, 'Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?' 'I do,' he said. 'I am angry enough to die.'"

 

Jonah dispels misconceptions we have about God's prophets. We seem to assume they were all godly men who had arrived at such a point of spirituality they no longer struggled with the sins we ordinary folk struggle with. Certainly God would not choose to use anyone other than a perfect specimen of "spiritual growth" to advance his purposes? Right? Jonah must have been on the elder board of the local church, had attended all of the latest seminars and classes taught by all the hot, new authors of best-selling books down the Christian book store. Surely he was among those who constantly gravitate toward the newest ministry promoting all the best innovative ideas to reach out into the community, building the biggest... well, you get my idea.

 

No, Jonah didn't emulate such people. Neither did many of God's prophets I suspect. God is able to use anyone. Just ask old King Saul, 1 Samuel 10. It appears that God hand picked certain individuals to speak on his behalf and they may have been quite a bit just like you and me. See 2 Peter 1:20-21,

 

In any event, here we find God's prophet Jonah, struggling with his anger, "Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry." Jonah 4:1. Angry with what God had done! "Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." Verse 3. That is a lot of anger. The next day Jonah is angry again, "I am angry enough to die." Verse 9. This time he was angry about God removing a relief he enjoyed - and this after his anger over God providing relief for the Ninevites.

 

Jonah has his own ideas, and those appear to be at odds with God's agenda. There may be some very good reasons Jonah felt the way he did about the Ninevites... he certainly resented God's compassion for them. It led to an anger he struggled with. Believers are told to turn from anger, "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice... " Colossians 3:8. "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger..." Ephesians 4:31. This is because, as James tells us, "man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." James 1:19-21.

 

I am reminded that God can and does use us all for his purposes. I am also reminded it is God who qualifies who he will use for whatever purpose he has. Jonah is a fascinating read as a reminder that God can use any of us, in spite of ourselves. I'm quite certain if the Lord ever used me, it would be in spite of my own shortcomings.

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Anger at God's grace.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Jonah 4:4,

 

"But the Lord replied, 'Have you any right to be angry?'"

 

This question of the Lord for Jonah comes due to Jonah's anger at God's grace and compassion. Jonah tells the Lord the reason he fled from him was, "I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." Jonah 4:2b. God had asked Jonah to go to wicked people of Nineveh and warn of his impending judgment. The Ninevites repented and, "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened." Jonah 3:10. This was what Jonah did not want to see. He desired to see God's judgment of Nineveh.

 

You would think we might cherish God's grace and compassion as the greatest of all things to discover in this life. At times, however, anger and even hostility gets expressed at the grace of God. I have heard, on occasion, "I don't want anything to do with a god who would forgive so-and-so (usually a mass murderer or someone who has committed some reprehensible crime). Sometimes it is seen in the form of hostility over some perceived point of theology having to do with whether someone can lose their salvation if they commit some sin or other.

 

Other times I have sensed that a disdain for "easy believe-ism" might accompany a feeling, "if I have made sacrifices in this life and denied myself certain things, I struggle with the thought that God will give someone else who hasn't what he gives me. This is the thought Jesus singled out when he told the parable of the workers in the vineyard. In that story the vineyard owner paid workers he hired at the end of the day the same amount the workers who started at the beginning of the day agreed to work for. That story concludes with the vineyard owner saying to those who worked the whole day, "Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous." Matthew 20:1-16.

 

It is interesting to note when Jonah was in the belly of the fish he called out to God to deliver him, "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry." And, yet, it is this very grace of God that responded to Jonah's cry for help from his predicament that he resents the Lord extending to the Ninevites when they were in theirs.

 

When it comes to knowing God on the one hand, and yet struggling with conflicting and confusing perspectives with the things of God, I suspect I might be quite a bit like Jonah. I'd like to think I have a clear and undistorted perspective of the things of God, yet the truth is, I'm a lot like Jonah. Certainly the grace and compassion of God is something I know of, and yet, so vast, so transcending, it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around. I'm sure there is so much I need to learn of God's incredible love and the nature of his expressions of grace and compassion. Perhaps much of what can be known of this aspect of God is reserved for those who's insight into the things of God set them apart from the rest of us. I am reminded of Paul's thoughts on this in his prayer for the Ephesians, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19.

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Flirting with God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Jonah 1:9-11,

 

"'I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.' This terrified them and they asked, 'What have you done?' (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, 'What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?' 'Pick me up and throw me into the sea,' he replied, and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.'"

 

Jonah acknowledged he worshipped the Lord. He proclaimed the Lord was the God of heaven, the Maker of the sea and the land. And, yet, here Jonah is, running away from him, the One he claimed to worship. Jonah even knew he was at odds with the Lord and confessed he was the cause of a great storm that threatened the lives of all aboard the ship Jonah was fleeing the Lord on.

 

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines "flirting" as to move erratically; to behave amorously without serious intent; to show superficial or casual interest or liking; to come close to reaching or experiencing something.

 

Jonah certainly did experience something. Something I suspect he had no idea was coming his way. He was thrown overboard and found himself inside the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights. This, it seems to me, due to Jonah flirting with the Lord. Jonah was a worshipper of God, and yet, when God expressed what he wanted and asked Jonah to do it, Jonah's ardor for the Lord as a worshipper was found to be less than a full commitment - hence, in my estimation, more of a flirtation with the Lord.

 

I myself can't be too hard on Jonah, however. I don't know how many times in my life I subordinated what I knew the Lord's desire to be in favor of what I desired. As opposed to a full commitment, I've flirted with the Lord at times over the years. Today I am reminded of what the Lord said in Matthew 10:37-39, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." This to me, speaks of commitment.

 

For me, I find this commitment expressed best in how I spend my time, my talents, my treasure. If I claim to love the Lord, if I claim to worship him, how much effort to I expend to get to know him? Do I immerse myself in a fellowship that seeks him? Do I avail myself of the things he wants me to know of him in the pages of Scripture? Do I meditate on what he has said, what he has revealed of himself? Do I invest what he has given me in the things he pursues? Do I bring my thoughts and concerns to him in prayer?

 

As anyone else, the best expression of my worship of the Lord resides in what I did last week, not what I think I might be doing this week. How much time did I spend with him in Scripture and prayer? What did I do to further his agenda of redemption: did I share the gospel with anyone? What I have done, not what I purpose to do, demonstrates whether I worship God or just flirt with him.

 

A synonym for "flirt" in the dictionary is "trifle". Unless I can lay claim to finding expression for my worship of God, I'm afraid I'm simply trifling with him. Jonah trifled with God and look at what happened to him! God is not to be trifled with! "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Fleeing from God?

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Jonah 1:3,

 

"Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish."

 

Here is a fascinating point in the narrative of Jonah. He "ran away from the Lord"! I wonder how far he thought he could get from God? Proverbs 15:3 tells us, "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." David acknowledges the impossibility of escaping God. In speaking of the wonderful benefit of not falling from God's presence he says, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." Psalm 139:7-12.

 

Wasn't Jonah aware of this fairly basic fact of God? Surely he must have been. He seems to know God very well, probably in ways many don't. In Jonah 4:2 he confesses he knows the Lord well. He says, "I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." Certainly Jonah must have known he could not flee the presence of the Lord.

 

That being the case, why did he run away? I don't have to look very far for the answer - I only need look at myself. Although a very distinct and unique man as a prophet of God, Jonah was a man like me. With an indwelling sinful nature, Jonah had desires that did not coincide with the Lord's agenda. He did not want to see the ruthless and wicked people of Nineveh become the objects of God's forgiveness and grace. I don't know about you, but I know that I struggle with an indwelling sinful nature and it is often at odds with the Lord's agenda as well. Sometimes it causes me to say and do things that are as insane as Jonah attempting to flee from the Lord.

 

I am reminded of these insane choices we make when we fail to acknowledge these aspects of our omnipotent and omnipresent God. I can't fall in to any sinful impulse without doing so right in the very presence and full view God has of me at any given moment! I am sure this is a part of why we read, "Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil." Proverbs 16:6. The fear of the Lord is all about acknowledging what we know to be true of him. Were I to have the presence of mind that the Lord is close at hand, I might make other choices, think different thoughts, do different things. As we read in Proverbs 15:33, "The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor."

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: God is faithful!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Obadiah 10-12,

 

"Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you [Edom] will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever. On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble."

 

Paul tells us that God's gifts are irrevocable, Romans 11:29. This is due to his faithfulness. His faithfulness is an amazing thing and is spoken of throughout the Scriptures. God wants us to know of his faithfulness and he wants us to have and hold it as something we can cling to and be assured of in this life. As we face the uncertainties of our day, as we contemplate what the future may hold for us and our loved ones, as we face the reality of death that awaits us all, our God wants us to know of his faithfulness. It is intrinsic to his basic nature. He is faithful to his people and his promises. He wants us to know of this and to take great assurance in it.

 

"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." Psalm 36:5. It is to the Lord's faithfulness the psalmist sings, "I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel." Psalm 71:22. Paul bases our assurance of safely arriving in God's kingdom on his faithfulness, "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:8-9. As I say, God's faithfulness is an amazing thing and is as certain as his great love for us.

We see God's dealing with Edom in Obadiah's prophecy as another of many, many examples of God's faithfulness.

 

As God looked over planet earth, he found in Abraham the faith he desires in us all, Genesis 15:6. Due to Abraham's faith in the Lord, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham. The Lord told Abraham, "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." Genesis 17:7. In Obadiah's day Israel had turned from the Lord, rejected and rebelled against him. To bring Israel back to himself, that they be fit for his redemptive purposes for all mankind, the Lord brought great devastation to Israel. This ultimately came in the form of Israel being defeated by their enemies. First the northern ten tribes by Assyria and later, Judah, by the Babylonians. Although this destruction was brought by the Lord, here we find Edom complicit with this destruction of God's chosen nation and now they would have to pay the price. It mattered not that Israel's judgment came at the hand of the Lord, any who participated would have to pay the price for opposition to God's people.

 

Such is the faithfulness of God! Even in the midst of God's judgment, God remains faithful to his covenant and his people! Yes, Israel deserved all God judged her for. We find later that God's intent was to humble the nation, bring a change of direction and prepare her for the coming of his Son to planet earth. But, woe to the nation who stands against those God has made a covenant with! Our God is faithful! 

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Visions from the Lord.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Obadiah 1a,

 

"The vision of Obadiah. This is what the Sovereign Lord says..."

 

One time the Lord told Moses, his brother Aaron and his sister Miriam, "When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams." Moses would be different than any of these, but the point is made that the Lord will reveal himself in visions when a prophet of the Lord is among the people.

 

It is interesting how the Lord does this. I note that although there have been many over the years who have put themselves forward, claiming to be a prophet, the authentic prophets of God have been chosen by God himself. The occupation of being a prophet of God is not something one can apply for and is certainly not something that is arrived at through self-appointment. Peter tells us, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21. Note Peter's observation, "prophecy never had its origin in the will of man..."

 

At times we hear that today's prophets are the pastors who preach in our worship services on Sunday mornings or those who teach our Bible studies from the Scriptures; or those who evangelize. While these are certainly important tasks that the Lord has asked of the church, such an understanding only serves to obscure the true nature of prophets and the visions revealed to them.

 

Isaiah had visions, "The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." Isaiah 1:1. These visions were not always something a prophet might find satisfying or pleasing: "A dire vision has been shown to me: The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot. Elam, attack! Media, lay siege! I will bring to an end all the groaning she caused. At this my body is racked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see. My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me." Isaiah 21:2-4.

 

Many have claimed to have prophesied but have been false prophets, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.'" Jeremiah 23:16. There are times when there is no prophecy from the Lord at all, "...her [the Daughter of Zion] prophets no longer find visions from the Lord." Lamentations 2:9b. This was at a time when Judah experienced the judgment of God for abandoning him - silence.

 

Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Nahum, Zechariah, Paul, Peter, John and many others had visions from the Lord. Visions of things the Lord wanted them to pass on to us, visions that tell of the Lord's character and nature, his agenda for mankind, what the future holds for us, his great love for us, his plan of redemption and the tremendous hope we have in the resurrection. All these visions have as their ultimate purpose to point us to Jesus Christ and how our faith in him can bring us a place in his family.

 

How astonishing this reality of visions that God has given man!

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The frightful consequence of not supporting Israel.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Obadiah 2-4,

 

'"See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, "Who can bring me down to the ground?" Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,' declares the Lord."

 

This prophecy is spoken against Edom. Due to their actions when Jerusalem was attacked, attended by their own pride, verse 3, the Edomites have fallen under the judgment of God.

 

As the Edomites ask the question, "Who can bring me down to the ground?", I am reminded of Isaiah 40:21-24, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He [God] sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff."

 

There is a sober warning here from history: there is danger in failing to support Israel, and the resulting judgment of God for doing so can be a frightful consequence! Just ask Edom...

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Here comes the judge.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Obadiah 15,

 

"The day of the Lord is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head."

 

We live in a day where a popular view is that God is who you make him out to be. Differing peoples have their own perspective on God and for them that represents "their truth". This, of course, denies objective reality. Things and people exist whether you or I recognize them or not. We might believe, for instance, that sharks pose no danger for humans. I think we all might have a different perspective as we view the world from our our chewed up SCUBA suits from within the belly of the shark. What matters is objective reality, not our perception of it.

 

We can foolishly convince ourselves that God does not exist. Or, if we believe there is a god, he is one of love and would never bring any harm to anyone. Do these perspectives have any bearing whatsoever on whether God does exist or what he is like? Imagine for a moment God's reaction to encountering such foolishness. How would you feel if I told you I didn't think you existed? Or that I assigned to you what I might prefer you to be rather than what you really are?

 

God does exist. And he is not subject to what people make him out to be. God is the very expression of ultimate reality and he has revealed himself in the pages of Scripture. He wants us to know what he is like and that leaves us all without excuse for judgment day. No one will be able to stand on that day and claim ignorance.

 

Here in Obadiah, the Lord  proclaims his day of judgment is coming. Not just for those who have acknowledged his existence and the coming reality of his judgment. No, the "day of the Lord is near for all nations." Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, native Americans, the Chinese, all people everywhere for all time will stand before the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the maker of heaven and earth. It is in him all mankind has life. And it is before him we will all stand on judgment day. 

 

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:11-15.

 

The good news is that on judgment day we can all have our names written in the book of life. This is the gospel message. All who embrace Jesus Christ in faith have crossed over from death to life! "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.  Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." John 3:35-36.

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The plight of religious leadership.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 7:10-13,

 

"Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: 'Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. For this is what Amos is saying: "Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land."' Then Amaziah said to Amos, 'Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don't prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king's sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.'"

 

A definition of religion, from dictionary.com is adherence "to a particular set of beliefs and practices". As the priest of Bethel, Amaziah was a religious leader. As such he had much to protect in advancing his persuasion of the folks in their religious activity. Note the sense of desperation in his message to the king about what Amos was saying, "The land cannot bear all his words." All that Amaziah had built up among the people was possibly at stake. Keeping a tight reign on the hearts and minds of the people was a grave concern for Amaziah.

 

Such is the challenge for religious leaders. They make gains in promoting doctrine and practice. They become influential in persuading their methodologies and perspectives on the hearts and minds of folks. When they feel challenged, they see their efforts, what they feel as important, threatened and in need of quick defense. Often that defense comes in its best form, an offense. Such is how Amaziah took things into hand.

 

Where this left Amaziah was in a position of opposing the Lord. In protecting his turf as a religious leader, it resulted in an attempt to thwart the purposes and agenda of the Lord himself. An unwise and foolish position to find oneself in.

 

I suspect most religious leaders feel they represent God and so pursue their agenda with fervor. Here is the plight of the religious leader. God doesn't need them, as he doesn't need anyone. I am reminded of Paul's comment to Timothy, "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..." 1 Timothy 2:5. And, yet, most leaders feel it is through them religion finds its best expression. In Amaziah's day, the nation had so drifted from the Lord that whatever religion Amaziah thought he was promoting was only at odds with God himself. When the Lord chose to speak to the people, he chose to speak through a shepherd, a caretaker of sycamore-fig trees, Amos, and not the religious leadership.

 

We live in such a day today. There exists so many religions, so many versions of what could loosely be called "Christianity", they cannot all be of God. Too many inconsistencies, too many differences, too many doctrines that stand in opposition to one another they could not possibly be all from the one and only God. I can't help but conclude that many religious leaders are of the strain of Amaziah. As opposed to claims of the contrary, many have to be at odds with the Lord himself as Amaziah was.

 

The Lord does not need a religious leader to reach his people and he certainly doesn't need a religious leader to promote his agenda of redemption among mankind today. There are undoubtedly many wonderful and godly religious leaders that serve the Lord in truth and sincerity. Likewise, there are undoubtedly many that stand in opposition to the Lord himself and will have to give an account of themselves on the day of judgment.

 

Not all religious leaders are to be trusted and listened to. That we should reserve to the Lord himself.

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The plumb line.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 7:7-8,

 

"This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, 'What do you see, Amos?' 'A plumb line,' I replied. Then the Lord said, 'Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'"

 

A plumb line is a line from which a weight is suspended to determine straight up and down, accurately. If a house is to be built a plumb line can be used to determine whether the walls are straight or not. If a fence is being built, a plumb line can be used to determine whether it is standing straight up or not.

 

In a figurative sense, the plumb line is used as a metaphor to determine if people's choices and actions are straight or crooked. In Isaiah 28:17, in the context of the famous passage of the Lord laying a cornerstone in Zion, in which if anyone trusts in him, he will never be put to shame (see Romans 9:33 and 10:11) we are told the Lord's plumb line to measure a man is justice and righteousness. There we read that the refuge of the sinful, "the lie" will be swept away.

 

In Amos 7:1-6 we read of Amos interceding with the Lord on Israel's behalf, not to destroy them as they had abandoned of the Lord. The Lord tells Amos he will relent and not destroy them completely. However, the Lord shows Amos a plumb line in his hand and tells Amos he is using it among his people, that he "will spare them no longer." The Lord says, "with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam." Amos 7:9.

 

Man, in his sinfulness, often lacks the ability to gauge his own actions, whether they are right or not. In Proverbs 21:2 we read, "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart." The Lord is not deceived whatsoever in such matters. His perspective is clear and penetrating. Just as a plumb line can gauge whether a wall is straight or not, the Lord has no problem measuring us as to whether we are straight or not. As the writer of Hebrews says, "The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:12-13.

 

My life, measured by the plumb line of the Lord, is anything but straight and true! How wonderful it is for me that the Lord, in his mercy, has made provision for my faults, shortcomings, my sinfulness. He has paid the price for them, on a cross, satisfying his sense of justice and making the difference so that I am found straight and true in his sight!

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The Lord relents!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 7:3,

 

"So the Lord relented."

 

According to dictionary.com "relent" means:

1. to soften in feeling, temper, or determination; become more mild, compassionate, or forgiving.

2. to become less severe; slacken.

Synonyms for "relent" provided are: "bend", "yield".

 

How is it the Lord relents? Here is a comment that tells me something about our wonderful God, something that often goes unaccounted for in theology. God can and does, at times, relent. In order for him to relent he must first have a course of action or outlook he has determined to take, something or someone intercedes and subsequently he changes his course of action and/or outlook.

 

This is exactly what the text tells us in Amos. As the Lord "was preparing swarms of locusts" Amos cried out, "Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!" Amos 7:2. As a result the Lord said, "This will not happen", Amos 7:3. Likewise, if we didn't get the message the first time, a second "relenting" takes place, "The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land." Amos 7:4. Again, Amos cried out, "Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!", verse 5. Again, we are told, the Lord relented, Amos 7:6.

 

Some would prefer to think in terms of a passage such as this that God always intended to take the second, later course of action. It makes them feel uncomfortable that God can change his mind or direction. However, the term "relent" requires just that: a genuine change of mind or direction.

 

This doesn't mean that God himself changes at all. He remains the same, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8. As well, there are many things the Lord will never take a change in direction with. One of these is his commitment to ensure all who embrace him in faith will find themselves in his presence in the resurrection, "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:8-9. Also, we learn from Romans 11:29, "God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." 

 

The Lord explains his own perspective on this relative to the nations of earth, in Jeremiah 18:7-10, "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

 

What I learn from this is that God interacts with his creation in startling ways. He allows us to respond to him and then determines his course of action based on choices we make. The notion that God orchestrates all that would happen, (else, how could he be sovereign?) is flawed as we recognize that our God is much bigger than that. He is entirely capable of managing the cosmos within the terms of his own righteousness and justice where his creatures have a will to exercise of their own. Here is where our understanding of the importance of prayer resides: God will respond to us within the parameters of his own choosing.

 

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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The Lord abhors pride!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 6:8b,

 

"I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it."

 

In his indictment of Israel, the Lord proclaims his abhorrence of the pride of Jacob. Consistently, throughout the Scriptures, the Lord speaks of the vileness of pride. Pride was a natural outcome of Israel distancing herself from the Lord.

 

Peter quotes Proverbs 3:34, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." He points to this passage as he speaks of the importance of young men submitting themselves to their elders, clothing themselves with humility. A rare disposition these days!

 

I suspect most folks would prefer to find themselves receiving God's grace instead of being opposed by God. Humility is difficult for many though, and it becomes a struggle. I suspect one reason has to do with a failure to recognize the greatness of someone outside ourselves.

 

Humility is a natural reaction when confronted with greatness, superiority: the kind that points to pristine perfection and a majestic quality of splendor far beyond ourselves. Isaiah had such an experience. What we call his "commissioning" to his prophetic occupation is found in Isaiah 6. His reaction to witnessing the throne of God was, "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'" Humility.

 

In Proverbs 8:13, the personification of the woman Wisdom, says, "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech." Pride and arrogance point to someone who has not come near the presence of God. Distance is there and the indwelling sinful nature flourishes, manifested in the self-importance and self-adulation of one who has not found cause to draw near to God.

 

In that those who harbor pride and arrogance have kept themselves distant from the Lord, destruction is inevitable. Proverbs 16:18 tells us, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." This was certainly true of Israel in Amos' day and is just as true for all of us today who fail to come near to God.

 

There is no need for pride and arrogance to present a danger for us. God has invited us to himself and all we need do is accept his invitation. "Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8a. "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22.

 

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. However, he opens wide his arms to us and invites us to himself, providing all we need to discover a genuine and natural humility that attends our proximity to him. He has made the way for us. May we all avail ourselves of what our loving and kind Lord provides us!

 

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