Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Everyone exercises faith - what is your object of faith?

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 7:50,

"Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'"

This is the woman who loved the Lord so much because she had been forgiven of so much. As a sinful woman who lived in this town, her sinful lifestyle was well known to all who lived there. A Pharisee, who had apparently done little in the way of sinning in his life, demonstrated little love for the Lord when he had him to his home for dinner. But the sinful woman manifested in her great love of the Lord due to the great amount of  forgiveness she had received. Jesus told the Pharisee, "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47.

I note it was not the expression of love for the Lord that brought salvation to her, but the faith that manifested her love of the Lord that saved her. So many people have so much confusion about this issue of faith. It is by faith we procure salvation from the Lord. The greatest confusion most have is the notion that being a do-gooder is what gets you there. The Scriptures tell us that a person's good deeds, or lack of bad deeds, thoughts, words and actions cannot get us into heaven. Faith that may produce good works will. The Lord clearly told this woman who so publicly demonstrated her love of the Lord, it was her faith that saved her. 

We all live by faith. The nature of life requires faith for our existence. I have to believe the ground will hold me up when I get out of the bed in the morning. I don't prove that fact each day before I roll out of bed. I simply assume it in an impulse of faith because it has held me up every other day I got out of bed. We all place our faith in something or someone. When I was confronted with the gospel I can recall understanding that if I didn't trust in Jesus - that would be an act of faith in itself. Should I place my trust in Jesus Christ or do I "believe" I don't have to? Either response has to be an act of faith. We all exercise faith. 

I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ. How about you? What are you trusting in?

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: Faith - our door to 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 7:6b-7a,

"Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you."

Here is a statement of true humility. What I find so compelling about this man's confession of unworthiness is that it came from someone who was spoken of in different terms by others. Others said of this man, "he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." Therefore, in their minds he deserved the Lord response to his request for a healing of his servant, "This man deserves to have you do this...".

Jesus made quite a statement about this man, a centurion. We read, "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, 'I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.'" Luke 7:9. In the past I have often thought it was this man's understanding of the things of God relative to a chain of authority this man saw in the way Jesus Christ operated while here on earth, see verse 8, that amazed Jesus about his faith. Perhaps that may be so, however, I also recognize that the remarkable humility of this man may have been a part, maybe a big part, of the basis for Jesus' acknowledgement of the faith of this man.

It takes faith to recognize who it is when we think in terms of God and all that is his. Faith is the only vehicle we have to approach God, to see him, to know him, to understand what we can of him. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, 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 and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22. It was this faith that brought such a humility to this centurion. A humility that was the result of a clear view of God that was made possible by his faith.

In any event, what is exciting to me is that it is faith that pleases the Lord. Exciting because faith is possible for me. I may not be able to do other things, but faith is something all are capable of. On my commute to work this morning I noticed a lot of folks crossing the Poplar Street Bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. We all exercised faith that the bridge would get us safely to the other side. Faith in a good bridge can get me across the river, but faith in the Son of God can bring me into the family of God. How wonderful is that?!

The good things people do are good only if those things express an inner faith in Jesus Christ. The spiritual disciplines anyone might engage in only have value if they manifest faith in Jesus Christ. If I show up in church on a Sunday, it only holds value if it expresses an inner faith in Jesus Christ. The gifts I may offer in the collection plate, the opportunities I take to share the gospel with others, any expression to please the Lord only holds value if it expresses a heart of faith for our Lord. James said, "I will show you my faith by my deeds." James 2:18b. I'm certain James did a lot of deeds. He was a great man of faith.

In Hebrews 11:6 we are told it is impossible to please God without faith. Many might seek to tell us otherwise. Certainly, in so many churches it is all about the doing. Not that doing isn't important, but the doing becomes worthless activity when it does not find its origin in the heart of faith. Today, I thank my God that he has decided that it is faith that brings me near 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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The matchless perfection of the love of our Savior's heart.

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 7:13,

 

"When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, 'Don't cry.'"

 

Luke provides us with an account of a widow whose only son had died. Jesus had come across the funeral procession carrying him out of the town gate of Nain. Jesus came up to the widow in her grief and Luke tells us the Lord's heart "went out to her". He then brought the son back to life and gave him back to his mother.

 

This account, of course, demonstrates that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the flesh. As the Creator he, and only he, of all who have been born into the human family, could do such a thing. We are told that Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, was the creative agent within the godhead,  "By him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Colossians 1:16. We also read, "Through him [the Word, Jesus Christ] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." John 1:3. The life "in him" is what he provides us all and was from which this dead son was brought back to life.

 

But there is something else in this account that captures my attention, something that touches my heart deeply. Luke tells us something revealing about the Lord's heart: "his heart went out to her". We know there is a special place in the Lord's heart for widows and others who are truly helpless. "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." Psalm 68:5-6. "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— the Lord, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked." Psalm 146:5-9.

 

It is this kindness, this love, this mercy of the Lord's heart that grips my heart. It is something I struggle to wrap my mind around. It is something I find so compelling about our Lord - it draws me to him. He loves us with a love I can scarcely fathom. When I read passages such as "When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Titus 3:4-5, it grips my heart. How can I not be moved by such a heart as this? How can I not be drawn to him?

 

It is these very kinds of passages in Scripture that cause me to reflect on the matchless perfection of the love of our Savior's heart.

 

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: It is all about faith.

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 7:9,

 

"When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, 'I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.'"

 

Here is a fascinating and riveting account provided us by Luke. A centurion, (a Roman soldier with a command) exhibited such faith we are told that Jesus himself was "amazed at him". This man had a servant he valued highly and when the servant had become sick and was about to die, the centurion sent for Jesus to ask for healing. On Jesus' way to the centurion's house he was met by friends sent by the centurion who told Jesus not to trouble himself by coming to the house, as he felt unworthy for Jesus to do so, but just say the word and "my servant will be healed."

 

This remarkable faith of the centurion was something Jesus had not seen, even among the Jews, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." We are told the centurion's friends returned to the house and found the servant healed.

 

In my mind, the account seems to imply Jesus was unaware he would be encountering such a faith expressed by this Gentile centurion, hence his amazement. Perhaps I am wrong in this but it seems as though Jesus, even though he was the Son of God in the flesh, was not expecting this. I am left with the notion that quite possibly there were things Jesus knew and then some things he didn't.

 

This thought might create a discomfort in the theology of some. But we know that there were some things Jesus did not know when he was here. In speaking of his second coming to planet earth Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36. As a member of the Trinity, the Son of God set aside some of the things of deity when he came here as our Savior. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:6-8, "Who [Christ Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Here Paul tells us that the Son of God, rather than clinging to his exalted position within the godhead, set aside aspects of his deity to come as a man to secure the payment for our sins. Even within the Trinity, we understand by what the Lord said in Matthew 26:36, there are some things reserved to God the Father alone.

 

How this works out, as far as the breadth of knowledge only a member of Trinity could have and what Jesus knew or was aware of when he was here is somewhat unclear to me. I only know what I read, and what I do read in this passage is that Jesus Christ was amazed at the faith of the centurion.

 

I see two issues at play in the centurion's faith. The obvious one is that through the fabric of his faith, the centurion knew that Jesus Christ had the ability to heal someone at death's door. This speaks of the understanding of the centurion that Jesus Christ could control the issues of life and death for anyone. This is something only God could have. The second issue at play in the centurion's faith is the humility engendered by his faith. Holding a commanding rank in the occupying army of Rome, this humility could only find its origin in the recognition of this centurion that Jesus Christ was not your normal Jew. Sickness and death are the result of God's judgment for sin and only God himself hold ultimate control over life and death. Asking God of anything in sincere faith, must acknowledge the position of the One to whom the request is made. The humility of this centurion certainly speaks of the faith he approached the Lord with in his request. His message to Jesus was, "I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you".

 

Just a few thoughts today about a fascinating account. If anything, it reminds me once again that it is all about faith. As the writer of Hebrews said of those of old, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." So, likewise, I find in the gospel accounts it is the expression of faith folks are commended for.

 

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: A good tree bears good fruit.

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 6:37-38,

 

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

 

This observation was made by Jesus in his "sermon on the plain" which quite likely to my thinking is the same sermon as the one on the mount... the "plain" being the "level place" mentioned in verse 17. It may be that when Jesus spent a night on a mountainside to pray, verse 12, he afterward came down the following morning as far as a level place on that mountainside and gave his sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:1-7:29, the same as Luke's sermon on the plain, 6:20-49.

 

In any event, I use the term "observation" in connection with Luke 6:37-38. While most seem to take the thrust of what Jesus says here as a "punch list" of do-gooder items a pastor sends his flock out to perform during the week, I don't see it that way at all. I don't think for a minute that Jesus' intent here was to give us a laundry list of things to go scurry about to perform. He set a bar so high that all might recognize their need of a savior. He was making observations with an intent in mind:

 

-those who don't judge will not be judged

-those who don't condemn will not be condemned

-those who forgive will be forgiven

-those who give will receive abundantly

 

Who does these things? I've never known anyone to do these things in a genuine way apart from the enablement of the Holy Spirit. No one. So, as Jesus is offering the kingdom of God to those who will listen to him, what is the purpose of these observations given people who will need to respond to the gospel of faith?

 

In my thinking, the point Jesus was making was to let all know, not just of the benefits of salvation, but the estate of one who does these things. The one who does these things is one who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit because he is a child of God. Only those who have been enabled by the Holy Spirit will express the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His point is that those who emulate these things demonstrate they are God's children and therefore will never be judged or condemned but will be forgiven and given to abundantly.

 

It is a look ahead that Jesus provides his listeners. If they are seeking God, they need to know that a change in their disposition with God, one from judgment to becoming a member of his family, will be accompanied by a reciprocal change in nature. As Jesus says several verses later, "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:43-45.

 

Paul talks about the "fruit" of one's life in his letter to the churches of Galatia. He says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:22-24.

 

Those who don't judge will not be judged because they are God's children. Those who don't condemn will not be condemned because they are God's children. Those who forgive will be forgiven because they are God's children. Those who give will receive abundantly because they are God's children.

 

The fixation so many do-gooders have for their lists of things to do in order to earn God's love and acceptance needs to be replaced with a felt need to embrace Jesus Christ and then marvel at the changes they see brought about in their lives as the Holy Spirit does his work within them. I am reminded the fruit of a life that God commends is fruit that is produced by the Holy Spirit.

 

In any event, I am greatly relieved and excited to know that God's love and acceptance for me is not conditioned upon my performance of doing good deeds. I simply could not measure up. How thankful I am that God has given me freely the righteous standing of Jesus Christ by embracing him in faith! 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

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Purpose in life.

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 5:4-20,

 

"When he [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.' Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.' When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, 'Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!' For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men.'"

 

This event, which clearly brought astonishment and amazement to those who saw it, became a metaphor Jesus used to convey the mission he would be sending his disciples on, "from now on you will catch men". What is astonishing to me is the Lord's decision to employ those that are his to propagate his kingdom. He uses those who have embraced him in faith to spread the message of faith to draw others to him in faith. Those that are drawn repeat the process and the result is a catch that exceeds all expectation, just as the catch of fish! The Lord is building his kingdom!

 

Just prior to ascending to heaven, Jesus told his followers, "... go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit", Matthew 28:19. This is why the Son of God came to planet earth. Jesus says in Luke 19:10, "...the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Here is the game plan, here is the purpose. This is what this life is all about. Jesus Christ is building his kingdom. All who will embrace him in faith enter into his kingdom. All who fail to embrace him go to their appointed place, an eternal fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 21:8.

 

I'd like to think the reason Jesus Christ came to planet earth was to provide me with an abundant life defined by health and financial success. I'd like to think he came so I could have a happy marriage and see my children turn out perfectly. I'd like to think he came so that I could avoid the painful and difficult experiences this life has to offer. I'd like to think Jesus Christ came to add the spiritual aspect to a healthy lifestyle. I'd like to think... well, you get the picture.

 

It turns out that when Jesus Christ came to planet earth, it wasn't all about me. Yes, he came to die for my sins because of an unfathomable love he has for me, making it possible for me to enter into his family. And, yes, he has provided me the indwelling Holy Spirit as a companion and guide, illuminating the Scriptures the Lord himself took pains to provide me. However, the Lord's purpose in coming to planet earth was not to feed any self-absorption I may entertain myself with. He didn't come to placate any felt need I may have for satisfaction in this life. When Jesus Christ came to planet earth, it was all about his intentions, his purposes. What I learn from the miraculous catch of fish in this story is that the purpose Jesus Christ came to pursue was to build his kingdom.

 

When we join the kingdom we are given a mission to propagate it. That is why we remain here. This is our purpose. I am to participate in building the kingdom of God through all the Lord has given me for the task.

 

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 people walking in darkness have seen a great light!"

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 6:11,

 

"They [Pharisees and the teachers of the law] were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus."

 

This was the reaction of the religious leaders of the Jews to Jesus' healing of a man with a shriveled hand. Why this hostility? Why this conflict? We are told in verse seven that the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. They were waiting to catch him in something they could hold against him... watching and waiting, "so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath."

 

You might expect an anticipation of baited breath, an excitement and wonderment of great things that were happening in their midst. Miracles were being performed right in front of them. But, no, we find plotting and scheming, anything to get rid of Jesus. The religious leaders were hostile. Certainly their exalted position in the society of the day was at stake. Certainly they did not want to be outdone and have their teachings questioned. Later in his gospel Luke will quote the Lord as saying, "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers." Luke 20:46-47. All of this was threatened by Jesus.

 

But, I am also reminded of Jesus announcement of his arrival from the Father, and why he was sent. In the synagogue in Nazareth Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-2, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19. This commission the Son of God had from the Father was to bring freedom for prisoners, prisoners who were enslaved to sin. He was also sent to bring light into the spiritual darkness and blindness that this enslavement to sin brings to all people everywhere.

 

I suspect it is this very darkness that had convinced the teachers of the law that acceptance by God and admission into his kingdom could only be had by keeping the law. After all, hadn't God given the law to the Jews through Moses? And, here, Jesus was teaching something else.

 

The spiritual blindness, the darkness that results from sin, prevented these teachers of the law from recognizing the purpose of the law. It was never God's intent that people could find success in keeping the law, but, as they failed in their attempts, they might recognize their need of a Savior. Paul explains this for us in Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." And, in Galatians 3:19-25 we read, "What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law."

 

When Jesus quoted Isaiah 61, he claimed he was sent to provide "recovery of sight for the blind". It is within this spiritual darkness the teachers of the law felt genuinely threatened by the direction Jesus was taking. And, rather than trusting in the One who had provided the law in the first place, they sought to eliminate him.

 

I could easily point the finger at these teachers of the law. However, I have to admit to my need of deliverance from spiritual darkness as much as anyone. Apart from this piercing light shining in the dark place of my heart, I could not possibly understand the things of God any better than these. It is when I recognize these things that a tremendous appreciation and sense of gratitude wells up in my heart for the wonderful work the Holy Spirit does within me to understand the things of God.

 

Today I thank God for sending his Son to provide a great light in the darkness of my own heart, and I thank him for sending his Spirit to understand the things that are his!

 

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: Access to God is through faith!

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 5:20,

 

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven.'"

 

This comes from the familiar account of the paralytic that was lowered through the roof to Jesus. Because of the great crowd, they were unable to gain access to Jesus. The choice to do whatever it took to get the paralytic in front of Jesus speaks to me of the faith of these men. This is what Jesus rewarded the paralytic for by healing him.

 

Some today can't seem to make it out of bed on Sundays and yet make a claim of faith. Some avail themselves of little of what God wants us to know from the Scriptures and yet make a claim of faith. Some spend very little precious time in prayer and yet make a claim of faith. Some spend little of what they have been blessed with on the kingdom of God and yet make a claim of faith. Some wring their hands in anxiety, some absorb themselves in their fleeting desires, some are distracted by the next thing to catch their eye... making claims of faith. These men demonstrated their faith by what they did.

 

These men came and did whatever it took to approach the Son of God. They knew what to do as their faith informed them. I am reminded it makes little difference what I claim. What I do is a much more accurate statement of faith than anything I can verbalize. I learn that these men were rewarded not for what they did, but for their faith. It was the faith expressed in their actions they were rewarded for. It is always about faith.

 

Today religions abound, theologies abound, cults and "isms" abound that claim to have access to God. But Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. And, the way to Jesus is through faith. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9.

 

How thankful I am that the way to God is through faith. If it depended upon my performance, you would all miss me in the kingdom!

 

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: Sight for the spiritually blind.

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 3:7-8,

 

"John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.'"

 

These strident words, spoken by John, illustrate very clearly the mission he was given by God. Here we see crowds coming out to the Jordan River to be baptized by him. They are not greeted as we might expect, certainly not in a way that the churches of today would greet those who might come to one of our "baptismal services." John calls them a brood of vipers, questions their interest in fleeing God's wrath and then confronts them squarely, up front, and head-on with their mistaken thinking. In a hostile way he tears into them, ripping apart a false notion they were blinded by. They thought their pedigree would get them into God's kingdom - after all, didn't God promise to Abraham that he and his offspring would be heirs to the world?

 

As we learn from Paul in Romans 9, the offspring of Abraham that would inherit the world will be those who follow in the footsteps of the faith Abraham had. These are the ones who will attain to the resurrection of eternal life. Paul tells us, "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring." Romans 9:6-8. Further we read in Romans 4:11b-13, "...he [Abraham] is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith."

 

As Paul spent time on this very important issue, it is evident that the thinking of the Jews of the day was faulty. An interesting exchange between the Jews and Jesus on this can be found in John 8:31-59. They had mistaken notions of the things of God. Why? Didn't they have the Scriptures? Hadn't God revealed to them what they needed to know? These are the questions that come to mind as we recognize the strident nature of John towards folks coming to him and also the animosity that Jesus himself generated during his earthly ministry as he interacted with many.

 

I am reminded of just how dark the darkness is that we all have come into this world in. This world is estranged from God, laboring in slavery to a sinful nature that finds its expression in the rebellion and wickedness of mankind. Having turned his collective back on God resulting in a separation from him, mankind has sunk into a darkness, a spiritual blindness that has made it impossible to apprehend the things of God. It is just as evident in our day as in John's day.

 

Here is where the important ministry of John came in. He confronted the assumptions, the conclusions, the theology, the "wisdom" of this world. It is as if he reached into the collective mind and heart of the Jews who were living in a confidence in the teachings of their elders, and probably their own faulty conclusions regarding the things of God, and ripped it out. He was preparing the way for the Lord. John had quite a task. Sent to spiritually blind people, he prepared them for the Son of God by challenging their false notions of the things of God. My impression is that the voice calling in the desert, preparing a path for the Lord, filling in valleys and leveling mountains, straightening the crooked roads and making the rough smooth is all about preparing spiritually blind people to be exposed to the opportunity of the good news of God's Son.

 

Just like today! How great is the darkness sin has brought to mankind! How wonderful God sent his Son! "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... For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:2-7.

 

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