A corrupt mind? - 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 Titus 1:15-16,

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good."

Corrupted minds. We live in an age where we hear some of the most baffling things. At times it seems like everything is just upside down! Those who seek to protect the helpless in the womb from slaughter are accused of waging war against women - when half of those slaughtered in the womb are female! What kind of sense does that make? Birth control is spoken of as "health care". Since when did pregnancy become a disease? The campaign to remove every vestige of Christianity from the public square is promoted as "freedom of religion." Since when did the heavy hand of silencing any religion protect any one's freedom of religion? "Christian leaders" who promote the acceptance of homosexuality maintain that the acceptance is an act of love and kindness our Lord desires from us. Yet our Lord says it is "detestable" and commands his people from it,  Leviticus 18:22.

So many examples could be referenced, and I'm sure you have plenty you could add to the list yourself. I'm sure we all have noticed how twisted the reasoning is we encounter these days. I suspect we often feel that people who engage in such thinking are halfwits, but the reality is that some of the brightest minds today engage in twisted thinking. Likewise, it is not an issue of education. Some of the most twisted thinking I have heard has been from those who have had plenty of education (maybe there is the culprit!).

Paul tells Titus that the minds and the consciences that are corrupted are those of unbelievers. Paul says they claim to know God, but by their actions, they deny God. May I add - even many who are behind pulpits! I note that the same word that expresses God's feeling toward homosexuality is the same word that Paul uses to describe those with corrupted minds: detestable.

I'd love to think I am cut from different cloth. However, as bad as my memory may be, I can recall the kind of thinking I engaged in and the arguments I promoted prior to having a relationship with the Lord. It would certainly be viewed as that which comes from a "corrupted mind." I'm sure positions I held then were viewed as detestable by God. Maybe you are different, but I came from the "DDU Group": the group Paul describes as "detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good."

As detestable, disobedient and unfit, sporting a corrupted mind and conscience, I was a prime target for salvation. Knowing I needed to be saved gave me the motivation I needed to turn to the Lord when the gospel was given me. Of the many wonderful things the Lord gives those who turn to him is first aid for a corrupted mind. In fact, Paul says, "What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:12-16.

Just how wonderful is that?! Saved from a corrupted mind!

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: intolerant of homosexuality? - Ruminating on 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 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,

"Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

While our country is "evolving" in its views on the social issues of the day, our God is not. I am reminded of the words of the writer of Hebrews, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8. Our Lord doesn't change and our Lord does not "evolve". Social issues may come and go, and certainly this issue of homosexuality is no different.

In the above passage, those who engage in homosexual activity are called "wrongdoers". Further, as with other wrongdoers, no one will enter into eternal life, into the kingdom of God, as a homosexual.

Is God intolerant? Yes! He is the very definition of intolerance. All who engage in homosexual behavior, without finding forgiveness for that behavior, will stand before him at the judgment and will be cast into a lake of fire. You can't get more intolerant than that.

However, homosexuality is not the only sin listed above. We also read of sexual immorality, idolatry, adulterers, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers. These all share in the same plight as homosexuals. None can enter into God's kingdom as any of these. In the end, we all have engaged in sinful thoughts and acts that preclude us from entry into heaven. 

But there is good news! As Paul goes on to say in 1 Corinthians 6:11, "That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." We all sin and we all need to be forgiven for the things we say and do, including those who engage in homosexual activity. When we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, it is always an act of repentance, an act of changing direction in life. Turning to him is a turning away from those things that have marked us as sinners.

It is not that we have to become sinless in order to be accepted into God's kingdom. All we need do is embrace him in faith and we will be forgiven all things, including homosexuality.

Let's not pretend that accepting homosexuality is an act of kindness. This kind of tolerance is the type that would lead others astray, into thinking their behavior as homosexuals is acceptable to God. True kindness is to point to the need of fleeing to the Savior because of the sin in our lives. Let's not mask sin as anything other than what it really is, no matter how our society "evolves".

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

Speaking loudly: tongue or action? - 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 Titus 1:16a,

"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him."

In Paul's letter to Titus, he exhorts Titus to select effective elders on Crete that will teach the believers the things they should know, "He [an elder] must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Titus 1:9.

The importance of sound doctrine is seen in refuting those who oppose it, do to the way "many rebellious people... are disrupting whole households", 1:10-11. Paul says of these, "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him."

This brings to my mind that what we do, our actions, speak loudly. Our actions should be informed by "sound doctrine". I can claim what I may like, but my actions speak louder than words. 

What will my actions tell others today? What will my actions tell the Lord? What a sobering thought! This may have been Paul's thought in Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies [I note he doesn't say "tongues" here] as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." We may consider what is said, what is sung, during the worship service as important in what we want to say to the Lord, however, when the service is over and we return to our homes and live our lives there and at work during the week, what we do communicates probably much more than we may think.

What will my actions today communicate to the Lord and to others around me?

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

Rejoicing with others in our pilgrimage - 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 122:1-2,

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.' Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem."

Psalm 122 is one of a series of "songs of ascents". It is thought these psalms may have been sung by groups of those returning to Jerusalem for the various events on the Hebrew calendar that required their presence. The ascent would be the height in elevation Jerusalem has in the region that these travelers would have to make. Of course, from a spiritual standpoint, any place where people might go to meet with God would be considered an "ascent".

For me, the specter of people making an ascent, as part of their pilgrimage to fulfill their appointment with God, a pilgrimage that is made of groups of fellow-travelers singing together as they make their way speaks in a figurative way of the fellowship we believers have as we make our way through this life heavenward. As fellow travelers, we share in a unique and exciting destiny that awaits our arrival in the Lord's presence. Just as the pilgrims made their way to Jerusalem to make their appointment with God, so we also are pilgrims here, on our way, in the fellowship of others to make our appointment with the Lord. The common destination we share, the common bond we have, the uncommon excitement we all share in, are captured in this verse, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" Of course, the excitement and joy will be greatest as we stand on the very threshold of God's court in heaven itself as we bring to a close the arduous journey it took for us to get there: we are now here! "Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem."

I can't help but think that these on their journey to meet with the Lord, who faced dangers on the way from bandits, wild animals, injuries, illness and foes from other lands also encountered wonderful things on their way as well. Groups of fellow travelers on the same journey, folks who cheered them on their way, wondrous things they had never seen before, possibly the Lord's aid in one fashion or another all speak to what we encounter on our journey as well.

Like David, I also rejoice with others on pilgrimage to the house of the Lord! While in a different context than those who originally sang David's song, I can sing with others today who are on the same pilgrimage and share in the joy and anticipation we have together in our arrival before our loving Lord!

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

A conferred right standing with 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 3:8-9,

"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith."

The big problem we all face in this life is that we have all sinned. For those who think otherwise, two commands Jesus gave, the violation of which makes us sinners, will remove all doubt: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40. If you don't see yourself as failing in these two, may I suggest that the sin of prevarication will suffice. We are all sinners.

We are taught that the judgment of God hangs over all who have sinned, "... the wages of sin is death", Romans 6:23. Eternal death is God's judgment for the sinner. And, since, "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", Romans 3:23, we are all in a fix.

The reason Paul considered his prior advancement in the things of God as a prominent Jew "a loss", is that he discovered a wonderful reality in Jesus Christ. We can all have a right standing with God conferred upon us, we can have all our sins forgiven freely based on one condition: that we embrace Jesus Christ in faith. God's election, his choice, is that all who embrace him in faith in this life will be forgiven of everything. The problem with Paul's former way of life was that he could never be good enough, he could never have a good standing with God through his own efforts. No one can.

Although we may feel that forgiveness is free, as it certainly is for those of us who receive it, it did cost something. God's justice requires payment for all sins. This is why it is said that Jesus died for our sins. His death is a payment applied to our account with God when we embrace him in faith. This results in a right standing with God, "righteousness", conferred upon us. Those who do not have that deposit in their account with God will pay with their own eternal death for sins committed in this life.

How could anyone pass up such an opportunity?! 

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 joy of judgment! - 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 98:4-9,

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
    burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
    shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
    let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples with equity."

On most days I read five psalms for the day. How I pick my five is very simple: there are 150 psalms and typically 30 days in a month. I multiply the day of the month by five and read the five psalms that end with that number. It gets me through the book each month. Today is June 20th. 20 x 5 is 100, so I read Psalms 96-100 today. I have fallen in love with the book of Psalms over the years and this is my approach to enjoying it.

Several of today's psalms capture a common theme: joy and rejoicing at the judgments of God:

Psalm 96:11-13,
"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness."

Psalm 97:8,
Zion hears and rejoices
    and the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments, Lord."

Psalm 98:4-9 (see above)

Each of these three psalms explicitly call for expressions of joy at the Lord's judgments. In Psalm 96 the grounds are provided for all creation to rejoice because the Lord comes to judge the world. In psalm 97 those in Judah are observed rejoicing in gladness at God's judgments. In Psalm 98 all of creation is called to "burst into jubilant song" because God will "judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity."

In Scripture, the day of the Lord, when the Son of God comes to judge the world, is seen as a dark and gloomy day. "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..." Zephaniah 1:15. This is from the viewpoint of those who have allowed themselves to fall into the judgment of God. All who reject God's offer of his Son will find themselves counted in this number.

On the other hand, for those who have fled to God's offer of forgiveness made available through Jesus Christ, the expression of God's judgment will be an occasion for joy and rejoicing. Not joy at the pain and suffering of any individual, but at the vindication of those who availed themselves of the gospel - the choice they made for God. Not at the horrific eternity sinners face, but at the "righting of all wrongs", in the perfectly equitable and just way of God. Not at the "see, I told you so" directed at someone such as the rich man in the story of the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus, but at the expression of God's pristine and pure character on display in not allowing sin to go un-addressed.

All of God's perfections are cause for joy and rejoicing when in view. There is nothing quite like perfection on display that brings joy to the heart. The judgment of God is yet another expression of his wonderful and fearful character and nature.

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

A morning's promise celebrated in the evening! - 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 92:1-3,

"It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp."

I can't help but envision the psalmist contemplating the promise of the Lord's love in the morning, and then reflecting on the fulfillment of that love experienced during the day in the evening. That promise of love now fulfilled becomes the psalmist's observation in the evening of the Lord's faithfulness. What was promised in the morning now becomes proof of the Lord's faithfulness at the end of the day. The recognition of faithfulness requires a track record - a promise fulfilled.

Those who respond to the promise of God's love and embrace him in faith will find the Lord faithful to that promise in the end. The psalmist says, "Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand..." verse 6. While the psalmist's point is those who reject God fail to recognize their own mortality, I think it might be equally said they do not know, they do not understand the Lord's love, experience his love and thereby gain understanding of his faithfulness. 

The psalmist speaks of gladness as he observes the Lord's deeds, verse 4, and joy at what his hands have done. He observes how great the Lord's works are, verse 5, and how profound his thoughts. At the end of the psalm, the psalmist speaks of the victories the Lord has provided him and how the Lord refreshes and brings vibrant life to those who are his, 

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'"

The psalmist's day that begins with the promise of God's love in the morning, and the resulting observation of his faithfulness in the evening is a metaphor for life. If we trust in the Lord's promise of his love, embrace him in faith, we will find him faithful, true to all his promises as we enter into the resurrection of eternal life as expressed in the vibrant life described at the end of this psalm.

What a beautiful and insightful psalm! What a loving and faithful Lord we have!

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 deepest yearnings of our hearts - 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 89:14-16,

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

    love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness."

Here again are the two chief aspects of God's character he wants us to know of: his justice and his love. In this passage we read of the Lord's righteousness and justice as well as his love and faithfulness. These are the qualities he revealed of himself when asked by Moses. Of himself he said, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:6-7. Love and justice.

Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord makes clear to us what he wants us to know of him, "Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Jeremiah 9:24. Again, love (kindness) and justice.

In that we are made in God's image and created to exist within his presence, these qualities of love and justice are things we ultimately long for. We all have a deep yearning in our hearts for love and we likewise have a deep yearning in our hearts for justice. I think we all recognize our desire for love, but when it comes to justice, we have just as great a desire. Even as little children we have often expressed, "That's not fair!". That cry for being treated fairly expresses how we long for that which is just, for that which is right. The politics for our day are rife with claims of what is "just" or "right" or 'fair" - not that what is being promoted is truly so, but sharp political minds have found what can be exploited within the hearts of folks for advantage. Although we may live in a fearful expectation of what our sins may bring us in God's court, we nevertheless yearn for what we were created for - a relationship with someone who is ultimately loving and just.

Since the fall of mankind in the garden, we have been separated and estranged from the very One that made us, the One who designed us to have fellowship and have close contact with him. This estrangement has brought a deep-seated longing for what we now miss, what we now yearn for. As we think of those things that are necessary for life: air, water, food, shelter, etc. there should be some recognition that life extends beyond our physical bodies. We have need for communication, we have need for affection, we have need for contact with others, etc. Deprived of these things, a child will not develop mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is my feeling that what drives so many people in destructive directions is their deprivation from the love and faithfulness, the justice and righteousness that resides only within our Creator. In our estrangement with God we often feel a hopelessness, a despair, an emptiness, a feeling that nothing matters. It is within that context, I believe, many people's lives run off the tracks. Addictive, harmful, aberrational behaviors, harmful relationships, and much mental illness I would bet finds its origin in the fact that we were created for something that is now kept from us: access to our loving and just God. It is my thought that many of those who have lost themselves in alcohol, drugs, sexual addictions and perversions, suicidal tendencies and so forth, are the most desperate for that contact with our loving and just God.

Through God's reach to us, as he makes himself available to us through faith, across that great divide of sin and separation from him, Ethan, the author of Psalm 89 tells us, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness." These are the blessed ones as they have made their way back to their Creator and found within him the deepest longings of their hearts.

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 life-altering view 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 Psalm 84:10,

"Better is one day in your courts

    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

This psalm, of the sons of Korah, focuses on the beauty of God's "dwelling place." It starts with the beautiful observation in verses 1-4,

"How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you."

These are clearly the reflections of one who has had a glimpse of God, who has taken David's words to heart, "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8. Psalm 84 is not written by someone who has learned of God from a distance, who has failed to avail himself of all God has provided us in knowing him.

When one claims his "soul yearns, even faints" for something, it is clearly heartfelt. It is one thing to hear of something and then repeat the matter, it is quite another to go and witness it, to be impacted by it, to have a life-altering experience by it. This is what I see in this psalm. A man who has seen the dwelling place of God which has altered his life. I take from this that the author of this psalm has not literally seen God as we normally see things, as John tells us in 1 John 4:12, "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." 

However, God has left us the revelation of himself in his word, and when one avails himself of that, he then can see God as he interacts within his creation, as he interacts with us. Within the Scriptures we have revealed to us God's magnificent character and nature. We see his abounding love, his frightful justice on display. We read of the amazing things he has done. We are told that Scripture is God-breathed in 2 Timothy 3:16. As believers spend time in God's word, the Holy Spirit brings it to life within our hearts and we begin to behold God in all of his many-splendored perfections, a view that is simply life-transforming. This is what I see taking place in the life of our psalmist in the magnificent Psalm 84.

We all have that some opportunity! Why not avail ourselves of it today?

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

How God's love rolls... 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 Luke 23:43,

"Jesus answered him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'"

As Jesus hung on his cross, one of the criminals who was crucified along with him expressed his faith, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

I am struck by the simple direct admission of this criminal into the kingdom of God. There was no application form to fill out and submit. There was no baptism that had to be administered. No confirmation classes had to be attended. He did not have to enter into a covenant with the rest of the fellowship. He did not have to be voted on and have his name entered into a membership roster. He didn't even have to recite the "sinner's prayer"! Additionally, although he was a criminal, he did not have to jump through a series of hoops to undo or redress what may have been a lifetime of criminal activity and sinfulness. He did not have to prove the sincerity or the conviction of his new-found direction in what would be a very short rest-of-his-life to anyone. There was no penance required. We read of no "Hail Mary" or Rosary that needed to be recited. He didn't even have to go to confession, Sunday school, prayer meeting or worship service!

I am not advocating the abolition of any of the above. What I am doing is observing that salvation is simple and direct, not cluttered with all the accouterments we attach to salvation today. It is direct and a simple result from embracing the Lord in faith. Paul puts it this way, "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." Romans 10:9. 

We may have dug ourselves a huge hole that the Lord pulls us out of, we may have made a shambles of our lives (with the resulting consequences that follow), we may have done a lot of damage. And, while we may need to go back and make some things right later, the only thing the Lord requires of us to join his family, to have a place at his table, is to simply embrace him in faith. This is God's grace! None of us deserve a place in God's family, none of us earn a place there by righting all the wrongs we may have committed - we all enter into his family just as simply as that criminal did on the cross next to Jesus.

How tragic it would be to know anyone passed on God's wonderful offer simply because some do-gooder came along and clouded it all up promoting some kind of list of things. Paul spent much of his time opposing these types. Salvation is simple, salvation is direct and salvation is free! That's just how God's love rolls...

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

Where do you hang your hat? - 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 62:5-8,

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge."

Often people find their corner in life in the pursuit of something. 

For many, it is excelling in their careers. They attend all the appropriate professional seminars, work the additional hours, become well versed in the latest strategies and developments within their profession, seek the jobs that provide for accelerated advancement within their careers, etc. Most other things get moved to the back burner. 

For others, it may be family. All decisions are made on the basis of what enhances family life, the rearing of children, the building of a marriage. Family vacations, family weekends, family holidays are the focus on the calendar. Most other things get moved to the back burner. 

Still others, it may be heath and fitness. The best investment is in a membership at the gym that has all the latest and greatest equipment and knowledgeable staff. These folks may know more about the products sold at the local supplements store, subscribe to the best periodicals of the same, etc. Most other things get moved to the back burner. 

Technology buffs, pop culture sycophants, etc. You get the picture...

David found his corner in life and left no one wondering what it was. His corner in life was God. This is where David hung his hat. Look again at what David says in these few verses in Psalm 62 - God was the center and focus of his life. In the opening verses of this psalm he says,

"Truly my soul finds rest in God;

    my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."

For David, the Lord was not just on Sunday. He was not just for Bible study or prayer meetings. For David, God was life itself. His relationship with the Lord was anything but the spiritual component of an otherwise healthy lifestyle: the Lord was everything!

We might ask David why this is so. I note in verses 11 and 12 of the psalm he says,

"One thing God has spoken,
    two things I have heard:
'Power belongs to you, God,
    and with you, Lord, is unfailing love';
and, 'You reward everyone
    according to what they have done.'"

From my perspective, a careful analysis of these last two verses vindicates David's choice. The day is coming when every one of us will acknowledge David chose wisely. Not that any of those things above are wrong or not important. Certainly career, family, health, etc. are important issues for us all. But when it comes to making a choice as to what is most important in life, and to that which all other things should take a subordinate position, David's counsel is the wisest.

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

Resurrection: what is coming our way! - 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 3:20-21,

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

As Paul speaks of the resurrection of believers, he speaks of the power of Jesus Christ. Some may feel the renewing of our bodies, the "transformation" of our bodies in the resurrection is a somewhat fanciful idea. I would respond that the current life we live in, our current bodies that exist today, is no less remarkable. Our lives here, our bodies here, where there was once nothing is no less astonishing! Who or what brought that about?

Fools, who attempt to cling to an incomprehensible notion that there is no God come up with even more fanciful ideas as to how we all got here and have no clue as to where we are all headed. Not me. Recognizing our Creator is simply the most straightforward, lucid and perspicuous of any possible explanation. I'll leave the more fanciful ideas for others, as David says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Psalm 53:1. They are lost in the dark.

Of what we know of the Trinity, we know the Son of God is the creative agent within the godhead. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1-4,14. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is that member of the Trinity most closely associated with the creative acts of the Trinity.

Not only did the Son of God create all things, he keeps all things in existence, from moment to moment. He maintains the creation, sustaining it, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:1-3a. Jesus Christ's maintenance of the creation is through "his powerful word", that same powerful word of creation we read of in Genesis 1, "God said, 'Let there be ...'"

The astonishing reality that we exist now, that we have bodies that ultimately came from nothing, that we have been created by our Creator, impinges greatly on the notion that somehow our current bodies will be transformed into bodies like his glorious body is fanciful. No matter the cause of death and the disposition of the current state of any one's body in recent history or ancient, has no bearing on our Creator's ability to reunite our souls with transformed bodies!

Here is what Paul says about our resurrected bodies, "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

I will be there in the resurrection in a renewed, transformed body, looking for you. I look forward to seeing you all there!

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 eternal perspective on success! - 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 49:12-15,

"People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish.This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself."

In this Psalm, the sons of Korah have in view the propensity we may have to envy the rich in this life. The point made in this psalm is that those who are rich and trust in their riches are not to be envied when viewed from eternity. Things may look one way from the temporary nature of this life, but from eternity, a whole different perspective is arrived at. What is fascinating in the perspective provided in this psalm is how we are transitioned from the view this life holds to the view the after-life holds. This psalm contains within it answers many seek, and here it is, right here in Psalm 49!

One important observation that is made is that the rich who trust in their riches die like any other living thing, they "do not endure". It is an important starting point: what anyone has in this life is temporary and when viewed from eternity, it is just a very short time span. All die, "People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish." Verse 12. Also, this psalm goes on to tell us, "No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them— the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough— so that they should live on forever and not see decay." Psalm 49:7-9. 

Additionally, we learn that what riches are enjoyed in this short life are all left behind and are completely useless to determine any one's outcome in the the next life, a very long life that never ends. As we are told in Proverbs 11:4, "Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death". Only a right standing with God in this life can have impact in the next. Romans 3:21-22a tells us, "Now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Embracing Jesus Christ in faith brings us a right standing with God and assures us a wonderful eternity, something wealth in this life cannot do.

Although some of us may struggle with envy as we view what those richer may have, or feel a sense of "relative deprivation", what the rich may have in this life holds no advantage in the next. Only faith in Jesus Christ can bring us happiness and fulfillment in the next life, "eternal life". All others will be cast into that fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 20 and 21. The sons of Korah warn, "Though while they [those who trust in themselves] live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper— they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish."

How wonderful the Lord has not left us with no hope of understanding. Through the wonder of his powerful gospel message, God reaches out to the world and seeks all who will respond to him in faith!

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 is God really like? - 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 33:4-5,

"For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love."

These two verses are a tremendous summary of what God wants us to know about him. As he has revealed himself in the pages of Scripture, he wants us to know that there are two main characteristics of his nature we should know of: he is just and he is love. Both of these qualities reside within him immeasurably. His justice is horrific beyond comprehension and his love is boundless beyond comprehension.

Who slaughtered all of the people of the world in a flood, save one family? Our God of justice! See Genesis 6-8. Who will cast all those who reject Jesus Christ into a fiery lake of burning sulfur at the end of the age? Our God of justice! See Revelation 20.

Who is it that holds the greatest desire we all escape from his fearful judgment? Our God of love! See Romans 2:4, "Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?" In another place Paul told Timothy, "God our Savior... wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4. I am also reminded of what Peter said, "... he [the Lord] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9b. Love so permeates his being that John tells us twice, "God is love", 1 John 4:8,16.

Two premier passages that document what the Lord wants people to know about himself are in Exodus and Jeremiah. In the Exodus 34:6-7 passage he reveals himself to Moses and says, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation." The Lord tells Moses of his love and his justice. In the Jeremiah 9: 23 passage the Lord tells us, "let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." Again, love ("kindness") and justice.

While both these characteristics might appear to us as conflicting, they are both expressed in an intensity that transcends our grasp. These two character traits never impinge upon one another - both are fully expressed in a bewildering and overpowering harmony. In one act God's justice and God's love are expressed in a most breath-taking way: the cross of Jesus Christ! God's justice demands payment for sin. As Jesus hung on that miserable cross, experiencing an excruciating painful death while satisfying God's justice, he demonstrates God's love for us by taking our place of punishment and making a way for us! As Paul says, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.

In Psalm 33 the psalmist captures the greatest of summaries of what God is like. To know this passage, (that is, to know this passage well), is to know our God well. As we come to know God our only response can be to both fear the Lord and to love the Lord.

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

Got joy? - 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 3:1,

"Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!"

The third chapter of Paul's letter to the church in Philippi begins with an encouragement to his readers to "rejoice in the Lord." He does so again in chapter 4, verse 4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. Paul clearly feels that not only is rejoicing in the Lord appropriate, but there is ample cause to do so. The natural expression of the believer to all the Lord has provided should result in a joyful heart for the Lord.

Paul is not remiss in recalling for his readers cause for genuine rejoicing throughout his letter. He speaks of God faithfully continuing his good work in believer's lives, 1:6; all believers share in God's grace, 1:7; believers are "filled with the fruit of righteousness", 1:11; believers are united with Christ, comforted by his love and participate in the common sharing of the Holy Spirit, 2:1. Additionally, believers receive tenderness and compassion in their union with Christ, 2:2. God is at work in the believer's life, 2:13, and all share in a right standing with God: a righteousness from God that comes through faith, 3:9. Like Paul, all believers will attain to the resurrection of the dead, 3:11. Believers have a citizenship in heaven and await their Savior from there, 3:20. Those who have embraced the Lord in faith will have their bodies transformed from what they are currently so they will be like his glorious body, 3:21. Through prayer, the peace of God is available to believers and he will guard the hearts and minds of believers who pray, 4:7. Additionally, the Lord provides strength, as he did Paul, 4:13.

When it comes to joy and rejoicing in the Lord, it should not be something that has to be "ginned up", as just another item on the list of things to do. Rejoicing should be the inevitable outcome of reflection on all we believers enjoy and share together in that the Lord provides us. No one has greater cause for a lifestyle of joy and rejoicing than believers in Jesus Christ!

 Are you rejoicing in the Lord today? If not, find some time today to reflect on the many wonderful things he provides us believers - and you will find yourself filled with joy in short order - guaranteed!

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

A less painful, but more powerful circumcision for men and women! - 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 3:3,

"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh..."

Paul had a wildly successful ministry in bringing many Gentiles to faith. He was specifically hand-picked by the Lord to be his apostle to this demographic. In Galatians 2:6-10 Paul tells his readers that the leadership of the church in Jerusalem acknowledged God had chosen him as his apostle to the Gentiles. Yet, a stubborn and persistent group who felt that the Gentiles needed to become Jewish converts before joining the church dogged his steps. A key provision of becoming a Jewish proselyte was the need for circumcision. This became a focal point between Paul and his detractors: should the Gentiles be required to be circumcised and obey the Jewish law in order to become Christian?

Paul clearly felt the push to circumcise Gentiles in order to join the fellowship contradicted good theology and confused the gospel message. Consequently much of his letters to the Romans and Galatians are devoted to dispelling the need for Gentiles to become circumcised and keep the law. Circumcision mixed with the gospel brought with it the message that one had to keep the Mosaic law in order to be saved. Against this Paul said, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." Romans 3:20. Also, "For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." Romans 3:28. The consistent message of Scripture is that salvation comes by faith, not by "works", not by being a law-keeper. As Paul told the church in Ephesus, "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." Ephesians 2:8-9.

Paul condemned these "legalists". Read this remarkable statement he makes in Galatians 5:2-6, "Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Paul clarifies the believer's relationship to the law, "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Romans 7:6. And, specifically of circumcision he says, "A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God." Romans 2:28-29.

Paul's perspective is that there is a circumcision that does take place when we embrace Jesus Christ in faith. It is not a circumcision of the body, but of our hearts, a circumcision performed by the Holy Spirit. It is the removal of the domination of our sinful natures over hearts, our spirits, our souls. It impacts the things we think, do, say and feel. Consequently, while the Jews took pride in their circumcision, and as Paul's detractors insisted upon it, Paul makes the point that it is we - all believers, male and female, who are the "circumcision" - those who serve God.

And, I might add, the circumcision Paul speaks of is a whole lot less painful! 

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