The amazing grace of God - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Philippians 1:7,

"... all of you share in God's grace with me."

In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul "connects" with these believers by letting them know he prays for them, acknowledging their participation in the gospel with him, verses 4-5. In establishing his connection with these folks, he points to the wonderful grace of God they share together.

Mirriam-Webster defines grace as "1. Unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. 2. A state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace." How was it these believers in Philippi shared in this grace with Paul? Importantly, how do we come to share in this grace of God? Paul came into this standing in God's grace differently, because, like certain others (e.g. John the Baptist, etc.), Paul was hand picked by God for certain things God wanted to accomplish. However, as we read in the Scriptures, it was not that way for these Philippian believers, nor is it for us.

Paul tells us it is through faith that we gain entrance into God's grace. I understand that many today say that it is the other way around, that it is God's grace that enables us to have faith. I believe that is placing the cart before the horse. Listen to Paul's words, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand."

In this one sentence, I read that faith in God brings us justification, that is, a legal standing of freedom from guilt for any sins committed in this life. Also, faith brings us into peace with God, as we no longer face his judgment for our sins. Further, our embrace of Jesus Christ in faith brings us into God's grace, a standing of unmerited favor with him and all that brings.

In a sense, I do understand that it is the grace of God that prompted him to send his Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice to pay for our sins, and it is the grace of God that his forgiveness of our sins comes simply by placing our faith in him, as opposed to having to earn it.  As Paul says in Romans 4:2-5, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Our right standing before God is something God gives us if we trust in him, it isn't something we have to "earn". Thus, Paul also says, "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace..." Romans 4:16a.

This is the wonderful nature of God's grace. In his grace he extends his invitation to all mankind - all have an opportunity to choose God by faith. All who respond to him in faith, God chooses for himself, and stand in his grace.  As Jesus taught, "Many are invited, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14. Unfortunately, many reject the grace of God as expressed in the gospel message and miss out on having this right standing with him. Paul reminded Timothy of God's desire for all mankind, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." And, yet, at the end of the age we see there will be many who pay the ultimate penalty for their sins, "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15.

The grace of God is simply amazing and speaks of his transcendent love for all mankind. "For God so loved the world, he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. How amazing is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Rich and meaningful praise - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Psalm 148:13-14,

"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord."

The "them" in the above passage includes angels, heavenly hosts, sun, moon, stars, the highest heavens, waters above the skies, great sea creatures, ocean depths, lightning, hail, snow, clouds, stormy winds, mountains, hills, fruit trees, cedars, wild animals, cattle, small creatures, flying birds, kings, all nations, princes, rulers, young men and women, old men and children. Quite a list! In short, all creation should praise the name of the Lord as a fitting and appropriate response. 

Response to what? I see three things pointed to for the cause, or motivation, for this praise to the Lord we are exhorted to give: his name (alone) is exalted, his splendor is greater (above) than the earth and the heavens, and he has raised up a "horn" (Jesus Christ - a messiah) for his people Israel. Notice that word, "for". "... praise the name of the Lord, for..." Everything following the "for" provides the grounds for the praise.

One of the sad things for me is to see is what appears to me to be the empty or shallow praise of God. I do understand we might feel it wonderful that anyone is praising God in this lost and fallen world that is so estranged from God. Often we may hear someone exclaim, "Praise the Lord!" as response of something wonderful the Lord has done, or something that may have been learned about him. At other times we may hear it as if that statement is punctuation at the end of a sentence. What makes the praise of God less than it should be or could be is that at times, no reason for the praise is provided. "Praise the Lord..." should be adorned with the "why" or the "because of". This is what makes the praise of God rich and meaningful to me. It is not just me as I can't help but notice that in most places that provide an account of someone praising the Lord in the Scriptures, the motivation for doing so is provided, just as in these verses from Psalm 148.

For those who do know God, for those who have embraced him in faith, for those who have access to the sacred writings, there should ever be a reason at hand that we praise God for. We can praise him for his loving kindness toward us, we can praise him for his righteous justice that will make all things fair and just in the end, we can praise him for his wonderful acts done on our behalf, we can praise him for creating us and all things around us, we can praise him for his many splendored attributes and pristine character traits. Just saying, "Praise the Lord" is just not enough, not for me. I need the "why" or "because of". How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Satisfaction - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Philippians 1:13,

"It has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ."

Paul was imprisoned for his love of Jesus Christ and the work he did on his behalf. Having been ordained by the Lord himself when confronted on the road to Damascus, Paul pursued his charge with passion. 

Earlier in his life, as Paul [Saul] left on a trip to Damascus, he was in a fitful passion to persecute the fledgling early church. When he arrived in Damascus, he had gained an entirely new passion as he had an encounter with the risen Lord en route: to serve Jesus Christ with his whole heart, soul and body. His later imprisonment was incapable of extinguishing any of his new-found passion for the Lord.

What was it Paul found in Jesus Christ that inspired such passion, such devotion? What was it that Paul saw in him, such that imprisonment placed not even the slightest damper on the joy he experienced - even while incarcerated? Further, we read that Paul was even happy to die for the Lord, another potential consequence that could not dampen his joy, his passion, his love of the Lord. Philippians 1:18-26.

There were others we read of as well. The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers of the persecution they faced with joy, in their anticipation of what was coming their way in their faith in the Lord, "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions." Hebrews 10:32-34.

What was it these folks saw in the Lord that inspired such joy, such passion, such devotion, even in the face of suffering and death? It seems to me that, at the least, part of it must have been that these folks saw in the Lord those things the human heart hungers for, seeks for and yet never finds in a level of satisfaction in this life. Things like righteousness, justice, faithfulness, and a love that transcends our understanding. I firmly believe we all hunger for these qualities that mark the very character and nature of our Creator. Since the fall of man, since our estrangement from our Creator, we long for what we were designed for - a level of intimacy with our God. Those qualities he possesses are the very things we yearn for, we have a passion for and as we rediscover them, find them in Jesus Christ, we find a fullness and a satisfaction of what our hearts have longed for.

I am reminded of the psalmist's words, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1-2.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Unspeakable love - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Philippians 1:8,

"God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."

Paul says the affection he has for his readers is akin to the "affection of Christ Jesus." What do we know of this affection of Jesus Christ? Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Rome that we cannot be separated from this love Jesus Christ has for us, even in the midst of the most severe difficulties we might face, Romans 8:35. We also know that to comprehend the full dimension of the love Jesus Christ has for us is life-altering, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, 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.

Jesus taught us what the greatest expression of love looks like, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13. This is exactly what he has done for us. We are told by the writer of Hebrews that Jesus Christ faced his own death on a miserable cross with joy, in anticipation of what his sacrifice would bring, Hebrews 12:2. This sacrifice brought us peace with God, the satisfaction of his justice regarding our sinfulness and a way to enter into God's own family. "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith." Romans 3:25. We also read in 1 John 4:10, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

One of the most beautiful expressions of the love Jesus Christ has for those who are his is couched in his prayer to the Father concerning the trinitarian love within the godhead and its extension to believers. For me, this prayer of Jesus is just breath-taking:

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their [the apostle's] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:20-26.

This is unspeakable love!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

"Tough love" from God? - Ruminating in the Word of God

Note: I am on vacation for a week. I'll see you all when I get back!

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 Proverbs 16:7,

"When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone's way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them."

I'm a bit of a slow learner and so at times it takes repeated effort on my part to see what is going on. I experienced this just last winter as I was spending time in the book of Judges. Reading and re-reading Judges, I was continually struck, as I have always been, about a cycle that repeats itself a number of times in the relationship of Israel with God. The cycle begins with Israel experiencing peace among her neighbors and a level of prosperity. Inevitably, in this wonderful posture, Israel would stray from God and pursue the "gods" and wicked ways of her neighbors. This would always, without fail, bring God's wrath upon Israel, almost always expressed in the aggressive actions of her neighboring nations and Israel would succumb to her enemies. After a period of suffering in this way, they would always cry out to God for deliverance and God would do just that. He would bring them deliverance, freedom from their enemies. At that point Israel would experience the wonderful tranquility, peace and prosperity God himself provided. Then, the cycle would repeat all over again, Israel would begin to stray while in this peace and prosperity... and the cycle would repeat itself.

In the past I had always viewed this cycle as something to teach us that if we misbehave, God will punish us. If we behave he will reward us. While this is essentially true, it dawned on me that something much greater than this simple axiom was on display. Here it is in a nutshell:

God loves the whole world, everyone in it. This life is all about God's attempt to save as many folks as he can in this lost and fallen world at rebellion with her God and bring them into his family. His plan was to send his own Son to satisfy his god-sized sense of justice to pay the penalty for all the sins of everyone. He then set in motion the mission of the gospel: as many as would choose him in faith, he brings into his own family, paid for at the cost of Jesus Christ on that miserable cross. All that preceded the coming of Jesus Christ was to prepare the world for him and all that has followed the coming of Jesus Christ is the effort to bring as many into his family through the gospel message. It is just that simple. The purest expression of love is to meet some one's need at uncompensated cost to you. God has done this by providing for mankind in his greatest need: salvation from his horrific judgment for our sins.

Since sin is such a debilitating force in our lives, keeping us from seeing the most obvious things in the spiritual realm, God, in his great love for us, aids us in reaching out to him. I believe he does this in various ways, but Judges illustrates one key way: at times he will bring difficulties, trials and, at times, misery, in the hope we may reach out to him in desperation. When we do, as Israel did in Judges, God is there, waiting for us with open arms and expresses his love to us through his many blessings. This is spoken to in a couple of passages by Paul. In one, as he speaks to the Aeropagus in Athens he tells his listeners, "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:26-27. Had God not made the nations, nations would not exist to find enemies in other nations. In Romans 8:20-21, "The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." This is not to say that God does not bring judgment against sin for the sake of his justice. But it does point to a strategy God engages in. He certainly did so with Israel and I believe he still does so today.

In musing on it, it seems to me that in tough love, God, at times, may bring us misery that we might reach out to him for deliverance. When we do so, he is there to provide us relief and reward us with the riches of his grace. As we read in Proverbs 16:7, the man (or nation) who has enemies just may have them by God's design to draw him/them to him. If or when they respond to God, since God's reach is successful, there is now no longer any need for the misery brought by enemies and so God removes them, "he causes their enemies to make peace with them." 

Just a thought. What do you think?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Faith? What's that? - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Philippians 1:27-28,

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you."

Paul's comment about the priority of striving for "the faith of the gospel" reminds me how faith is the key that unlocks for us all that God has for us, how important it is and how we must strive for it. Paul tells us, "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" Paul's perspective, as he quotes Habakkuk 2:4, is that the only way anyone has ever had to approach God ("from first to last") is through faith, old testament or new. Abraham was a man of faith and it was for his faith that God counted him righteous, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6.

Our prospect for being heaven bound when we leave this life will be determined on whether we embrace Jesus Christ in faith while here. This makes faith a very important issue to understand. What exactly is faith? The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." Hebrews 11:1-2.

While this is a simple and straightforward definition of faith, many misconceptions abound. One is, "You just need to have faith!" A common statement that often has no reference to an object. True faith requires an object to embrace. Faith alone is not enough, faith in Jesus Christ is all that is needed to gain access to heaven with a right standing with God. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10.

Another misconception is that faith somehow manifests that someone is spiritually superior to others, that he or she was able to attain to such a spiritual state as to have faith. Nothing could be further from the truth. In discussing how our "good works" cannot bring us into God's favor, Paul says, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:2-5. Faith is not a "work" nor is it something that causes God to be indebted to us. Faith does not make us morally superior nor does it require compensation from God. All people have the capacity for faith and all have been given their own wills to exercise their potential for faith. The issue of faith is that God has chosen for himself all who will choose him. This is what the Scriptures speak of when it talks of God's "election". People choose him by embracing him in faith, trusting in him. It is something anyone can do - if they desire.

It is faith in Jesus Christ that brings us into God's family. How much faith? What does that kind of faith look like? James tells us that the kind of faith that brings us salvation is a faith that finds expression in the things we do, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." James 2:17-18. When I cross the Poplar Street bridge in my commute to work over the Mississippi River, it is an act of faith on my part. My crossing expresses my faith in the bridge. If I claim to trust the bridge, and all other things being equal, but won't use it, my faith in the bridge would rightfully be questioned.

The fact that God welcomes us into his family on the basis of faith is said to be a gift, an expression of the grace of God. He does not require anything from us, but that we choose him and place our trust in him as we embrace him in faith. "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all." Romans 4:16. How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

"Grace? What's that?" - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Philippians 1:2,

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

In his opening salutation to the church in Philippi, Paul wishes God's grace upon them. So, just what exactly is God's grace? Mirriam-Webster defines it as "1. Unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. 2. A state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace." 

The first definition is manifested in passages such as Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Here God's grace is seen in the reality that when we embrace God in faith, saved from his wrath, given eternal life, given a place in his family, it is something given us, a gift, not as a reward for anything we have done or any effort we have made, but given to us for free. It is not compensation, not a quid pro quo. As such it is unmerited, unearned.

The second definition is demonstrated in passages such as Romans 5:1-2a, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." Grace is said to be a state believers stand in. An existential reality for all who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith. Believers live in a state of favor with God, removed from all judgement of sins we may have committed, anything we may have thought, said or done that would otherwise bring his judgement against us. And, beyond this, a state of favor with God where we are considered to be holy and blameless in his sight, Ephesians 1:4, adopted as his sons and daughters, Ephesians 1:5, as his own heirs Romans 8:17.

Additionally, grace is associated with power, as seen in the early church, Acts 4:33. God's grace is all we need to face our challenges, as Jesus told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Also, grace is associated with accomplishment, Acts 11:23. Faith is said to find its expression through God's grace, Acts 18:27. Grace trumps sin in God's court, Romans 5:20. Grace precludes the option of pleasing God through our works, Romans 11:6. Special enablement from God to serve one another is a manifestation of God's grace, Romans 12:6 and 1 Peter 4:10.  The grace of Christ is also seen as a lifestyle choice, Galatians 1:6 that we can fall away from, Galatians 5:4, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."

The reality of God's grace is the manifestation of something that transcends my own ability to comprehend the fullness of, God's great and wonderful love for us! Paul makes a wonderful observation of the grace of Jesus Christ, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." This reality of grace is simply life-changing! 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Who has the Holy Spirit? - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Philippians 1:18-19,

"Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance."

As Paul reflects on his plight of imprisonment with joy, he points to the reason: the prayers of the Philippian believers on his behalf, as well as the provision of the Holy Spirit which led to productive and profitable ministry for Paul in sharing the gospel - whether imprisoned or not - as well as his "deliverance."

In speaking of this provision of the Holy Spirit, I am reminded of what Jesus Christ taught us in John 14:16-17, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." Also, John 16:7, 12-15, "... it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you... I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you." Peter teaches us the Scriptures were produced by men who were "carried along by the Holy Spirit" 2 Peter 1:20-21.

As we can see, the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the life of every believer. These days some groups are fond of thinking they are the only ones with the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in their lives. This is not what the Lord taught us, it is not what Paul taught us and it certainly is not what all of us believers know to be true and experience in our own lives. Paul tells us that if we do not have the Holy Spirit abiding within us, then we don't belong at all to Jesus Christ, "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:9-11. Again, we see the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer.

We are told we have been baptized by the Holy Spirit to join the body of Christ, "For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." 1 Corinthians 12:13. We have been marked with God's seal, the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13, a sealing for our day of redemption, Ephesians 4:30. We have access to God through the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 2:18. As the church, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, a reality in which God actually lives within us, Ephesians 2:22. The Holy Spirit provides us power, Ephesians 3:6 and we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 5:18. The Holy Spirit is also very involved in our lives to conform us, step by step, into the wonderful likeness of the perfections of Jesus Christ, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.

On another note, we can grieve the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 4:30.

We are told the Holy Spirit endows, "gifts", believers with special ability to serve one another, "for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:7. That gifting is to be used, as it is in fact, the grace of God he wishes to express to those who are his from others who are his, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."

We are also taught that the Scriptures are the "sword of the Spirit", Ephesians 6:17, providing believers with an inestimable weapon in the conflict that rages in the spiritual realm.

The provision of the Holy Spirit is not merely a theological nicety we can reference in our theological expressions. The presence of the Holy Spirit within the life of every believer is vital, necessary, and ordained by God. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, we receive our provision of the Holy Spirit, connecting us with other things of God.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The future: nothing to fear! - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Psalm 46:1-3,

"God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.
^{Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way}
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
^{though its waters roar and foam}
    and the mountains quake with their surging."

I read in Luke 21 where Jesus was asked about the signs that will accompany his return to earth after his death, burial, resurrection and ascension. It is an event many of us anticipate as a certainty, just as Jesus Christ's first visit was a certainty. In Luke 21:25-28 he says, "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

I can't help but see the writer of psalm 46 had an event in mind as what Jesus described in Luke. For some, the events of the last days stand ahead of them as something to dread - for good cause. For those who have not embraced Jesus Christ as their savior, the second coming is described as a terrible dark day, a day of gloom. In Zephaniah 1:14-15 we read, "The great day of the Lord is near— near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness..."

However, for those of us who have embraced the Lord in faith, we view it much differently. Jesus told us, "At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." The reason for this is what I see in Psalm 46. We have nothing to fear! God is our refuge in the midst of this great upheaval. God is our strength, God is our ever-present help in trouble! As the psalmist says, "we will not fear". Even if the earth gives way, even if the mountains fall into the sea!

As the psalmist goes on to say, "The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God will be with you.

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 Philippians 4:9b,

"The God of peace will be with you."

Paul made this observation when he told his Philippian readers to engage in a certain practice. He said if they would think about certain kinds of things, reflect and ruminate on certain kinds of things, then the God of peace would be with them. What he described is as follows, "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice." Philippians 4:8-9. I believe this observation of Paul is still operational today.

Those things that are truthful, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy are those which we should focus our thoughts on. What we are told to put into practice is what we have learned from Paul, received from Paul, heard from Paul and seen in Paul. We have plenty of material in the thirteen letters of Paul contained in our New Testaments, Romans through Philemon. We also have the accounts in the book of Acts, penned by a protege of Paul, Luke. We also have the gospel which bears Luke's name written from the perspective of one who spent much of his life with Paul.

I have to think that anyone of whom it could be said, "God is with him" must have an exceptional life. I suspect this isn't something that could be said of many, but Paul tells us how to make this happen. What we set our minds on and what we chose to do leads to this kind of an extraordinary life that is marked by God's presence and God's peace.

Paul puts it in very practical terms in Colossians 3. After pointing out the futility of being religious in Colossians 2:16-23, he says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Colossians 3:1-2. He then paints a picture of a changing closet where he says to change out of the aspects of our old, sinful nature and put on the new. The old includes things like anger and lying. The new includes things like compassion, kindness, patience and love. Colossians 3:5-14.

Note the order of things laid out by Paul. First, set our minds on what is in heaven, on the Lord. This is where we find what is truthful, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. This is what we see in Paul's life as one who knows the Lord, one whom we can say, "God is with him." It is only after the reflection, the rumination, the mulling, the meditation of these things with our hearts and minds focused on God himself that the activity in the changing closet can take place. 

Then it can be said, "God is with them!"

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

What has God done for you? - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Philippians 1:4-6,

"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

The "he" in the above verse refers to God. Paul thanks God for the partnership he has with these Philippian believers, verse 3. It is God who began "a good work" in them and it is God who will carry this work to a completion as these believers look forward to "the day of Christ Jesus."

This "good work" is the good work God does in the lives of all believers. I can't help but be reminded of all God has done for me, his good works."

The first thing that comes to my mind is the decision God made from the beginning of time that he would make possible a way for people to return to him following their rebellion and rejection of him. His choice, his election, was that he wants all who want him. In his compassion for us, he has determined that all who will embrace him in faith will enter in to his family. As we read John 1:12, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..."

God is a God of justice, "I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight..." Jeremiah 9:24. In order to make a way possible for us to spend an eternity with him, the sins we have committed would have to be paid for. Since the penalty for sin is eternal death, which would have precluded us from his family, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay that penalty for us, by dying on that miserable cross. Another, most important "good work" on our behalf! The payment Jesus Christ made for our sins is credited to our account with God when we place our trust in him.

God also decided to provide his Holy Spirit to come and dwell within us as we remain here on earth, pulled by the world's collective sin nature, as well as our own inherent proclivity to sin. The Holy Spirit works within us to guide us into truth, helping us understand the things of God as we spend time in the Scriptures. He also provides us a countering influence to keep us from straying, and when we do, convicting our hearts and minds, such that we drawn back to him, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh." Galatians 5:16-17. The Spirit of God also begins to build God's own character and nature within us. Things like, "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23. The Holy Spirit also provides and enables us with talents and abilities to serve one another as we remain in this life, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.

We are likewise sealed for our redemption, kept in Jesus Christ until we enter in to our eternal reward in heaven with him, "He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:8. We will be kept blameless! I am reminded of what our reception will be like in heaven, "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy..."!

This is just a sample of all that might be considered as we think of what God has done for us, what this "good work" is that he has begun in our lives. What would you add to this list?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Trust: Pray or pray and act? - Ruminating in the Word of 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 Psalm 34:6-7,

"This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them."

These are the words penned by David reflecting his thoughts on when he fled from King Saul. Saul sought to kill David and as David went to a town call Gath he was recognized. Being alone and fearing he might be handed over to Saul, he pretended to be insane. Taken before Achish, the king of Gath, David began making senseless marks on the doors of the gate and let saliva run down his beard. The ruse worked and the king had David removed from his presence. David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

I note an interesting observation here. David sought the Lord's help and then did something about his predicament. He didn't sit down and wait for the Lord to initiate action, he sought the Lord and then took action, as bizarre as it was.

Sometimes I have been caught in the dilemma of decision making: Do I reflect a lack of faith when I take something before the Lord and then take action? For instance, if I own firearms for home defense, am I displaying a lack of trust in the Lord to protect my family? I prayed for the Lord's protection. Since I did, why do I need the firearms? If I seek the Lord's help, call out to him in my need, and then get up and do something about whatever the issue at hand is, does that manifest I do not believe the Lord will answer my prayer or act on my behalf? I'll bet you have struggled with this kind of thinking as well.

Clearly David's perspective on this was to trust the Lord, taking his concerns to him in prayer, and then did his best to resolve the issue. Listen to how he expresses this in Psalm 34:4, in his reflections on what happened in Gath, "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." He sought the Lord and then got up and started acting like a fruit loop. In his reflection on it in Psalm 34 he carefully credited the Lord for the successful outcome.

It was as David acted that his words of Psalm 34:7 were realized, "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." Based on this deliverance the Lord provided, David challenges us, "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." David knew this to be true.

How many times I have seen folks take something before the Lord and then sit on their hands! And, yet, they still carry a spare tire in the trunk of their car. I am of David's perspective: trust in the Lord, take our challenges to him in prayer and then act. The Lord has given us a will and the means to act. I firmly believe the Lord wants us to exercise what he has given us, and, as we do, he just may intervene and bring about success for us.

Even if we don't find success (as we may define it), it may just be from our perspective. I am reminded that God works all things for the good of those who love him, Romans 8:28. In that context it is those difficulties in life, those hardships that are in view. Sometimes what we consider to be a bad outcome is the perfect outcome for our good in a way we don't see.

In any event, along with David, the greatest thing that can be said about my life and God's involvement with me is, "This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." How about you? How wonderful when we call on him!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com