The glorious might of our almighty 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 Colossians 1:9b-12,

"We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light."

In Paul's prayer for the believers in Colossae, I note that Paul requested the Lord to strengthen these believers, "with all power according to his glorious might". What does God's "glorious might" look like?

One passage that always comes to my mind is Psalm 29, a psalm that always leaves me moved in its expression of the awesome nature of God:

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Other passages, such as when God spoke to Job to remind him of who he was contending with, remind us of how powerless we are in relation to our all-powerful God, Job 38 and 39:

Chapter 38 

1 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

2 "Who is this that obscures my plans
    with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.

4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
    or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels shouted for joy?

8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors
    when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 when I fixed limits for it
    and set its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;
    here is where your proud waves halt'?

12 "Have you ever given orders to the morning,
    or shown the dawn its place,
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,
    and their upraised arm is broken.

16 "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
    Tell me, if you know all this.

19 "What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!
    You have lived so many years!

22 "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
    or seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,
    for days of war and battle?
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
    or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,
26 to water a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?
28 Does the rain have a father?
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?

31 "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion's belt?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
    or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
    Can you set up God's dominion over the earth?

34 "Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
    Do they report to you, 'Here we are'?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom
    or gives the rooster understanding?
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
38 when the dust becomes hard
    and the clods of earth stick together?

39 "Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions
40 when they crouch in their dens
    or lie in wait in a thicket?
41 Who provides food for the raven
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?

Chapter 39 

1 "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
    Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
2 Do you count the months till they bear?
    Do you know the time they give birth?
3 They crouch down and bring forth their young;
    their labor pains are ended.
4 Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
    they leave and do not return.

5 "Who let the wild donkey go free?
    Who untied its ropes?
6 I gave it the wasteland as its home,
    the salt flats as its habitat.
7 It laughs at the commotion in the town;
    it does not hear a driver's shout.
8 It ranges the hills for its pasture
    and searches for any green thing.

9 "Will the wild ox consent to serve you?
    Will it stay by your manger at night?
10 Can you hold it to the furrow with a harness?
    Will it till the valleys behind you?
11 Will you rely on it for its great strength?
    Will you leave your heavy work to it?
12 Can you trust it to haul in your grain
    and bring it to your threshing floor?

13 "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
    though they cannot compare
    with the wings and feathers of the stork.
14 She lays her eggs on the ground
    and lets them warm in the sand,
15 unmindful that a foot may crush them,
    that some wild animal may trample them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers;
    she cares not that her labor was in vain,
17 for God did not endow her with wisdom
    or give her a share of good sense.
18 Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
    she laughs at horse and rider.

19 "Do you give the horse its strength
    or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Do you make it leap like a locust,
    striking terror with its proud snorting?
21 It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,
    and charges into the fray.
22 It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
    it does not shy away from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against its side,
    along with the flashing spear and lance.
24 In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground;
    it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
25 At the blast of the trumpet it snorts, 'Aha!'
    It catches the scent of battle from afar,
    the shout of commanders and the battle cry.

26 "Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle soar at your command
    and build its nest on high?
28 It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
    a rocky crag is its stronghold.
29 From there it looks for food;
    its eyes detect it from afar.
30 Its young ones feast on blood,
    and where the slain are, there it is."

Certainly passages such as these move us as we consider the glorious might of our omnipotent powerful 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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Delighting 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 Colossians 1:9b-10,

"We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way..."

It has been observed that within the church there are two very different approaches in worship. One has been called "penitent worship", the other "eucharistic worship". 

Penitent worship takes the form of the pastor "spanking" the congregation every Sunday over tobacco, alcohol, sexual immorality, gossip, irregular attendance, not digging deep enough to help fund the latest building project, and so on. A "mourner's bench is made available up front together with elders who will pray with those so "convicted" they come up to make things right. Then we do it all over again next week.

On the other hand, eucharistic worship focuses not on our shortcomings, but celebrating God's wonderful character and nature, exulting in him and the wonderful things he has done. It appears to me, if it is worship, this ought to be the objective.

Not to say there is not a place within the life of the church to reflect on our shortcomings and things we need to "get right" with the Lord. However, if this becomes the prevailing perspective in worship, to the neglect of the other, we may begin to view God as a task master, someone who holds a high standard, and that, generally speaking, just isn't very happy with any of us.

Moving beyond our shortcomings and God's potential unhappiness with us, Paul points to choices we can make that please and delight the heart of our God. In other words, we need to recognize that there ought to be more in our interaction with God than not displeasing him: moving beyond to delighting the Lord! Here is something that never ceases to amaze me: through choices I make, I can actually delight the heart of our God! Think of it!

The Scriptures speak of a delight God takes in us when we live our lives in a way that pleases him. Perhaps, if we have engaged in a little too much of the penitent focus in our church life, this may be some needed balance, some fresh air that can breathe divine life into our hearts as well as delight the heart of our wonderful Lord.

Here are just a few passages (of many) that speak to it:

"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:10-11.

"The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless." Proverbs 11:21.

"The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy." Proverbs 12:21-23.

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4. What more could we want to do in this life than please our God?

In our Colossians passage, Paul continues with how we can please our God. He says, "... that you may... please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9b-12.

Delighting, pleasing the heart of our God... 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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Why faith? - 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 115:2-8, 

"Why do the nations say,
    'Where is their God?'
 Our God is in heaven;
    he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
    eyes, but cannot see.
 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
 They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them."

I once heard the atheist entertainer Penn Jillette say that if God wanted us to believe in him, to have the faith he exists, then he should have left us more evidence. Of course, that is the point. God has chosen for himself all who will embrace him in faith without the kind of evidence required in a court of law. 

Faith cannot exist when the evidence is on full display. We know something when we see it - without faith. However, we can also know something by apprehending it through faith. Both evidence and well-placed faith lead to the same endpoint: knowing something for certain. The writer of Hebrews defines faith for us this way, "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.

It is my perspective that God has left enough of himself for us to place our faith in him - but only just enough. Enough, such that he does not require us to make a completely indefensible "leap of faith." He does so through the creation, as we look about ourselves we are compelled to recognize the creation has to have a magnificent and transcendent designer. He does so through the Scriptures that provide fulfilled prophecy, the accounts of the miraculous that provide authentication, the overwhelmingly masterful reasoning and logic Jesus displayed while here, and so on. God also does so through the compelling account of his love in sending his Son to die a miserable death to pay for our sins as told us in the gospel - it simply has the ring of truth to it! Jesus said, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." John 12:32. Likewise he told us of the activity of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of unbelievers that can possibly communicate his presence and his intentions, "When he [the Advocate, that is, the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

In Psalm 115 we see the nations asking about the Israelites, "Where is their God?" The question arises because the God of Israel is "masking" himself, providing a context in which well-found faith is possible. These Gentile nations were used to "gods" they could see and touch. Who is this God they cannot see? Unlike their gods who were made by them, who can't speak, can't see, can't hear, can't smell, can't feel, can't walk, can't even utter a sound, Israel's God who made man, not the other way around, can do all those things... but he must be apprehended through faith.

God has chosen for himself all who will embrace him in faith. As such he has carefully and masterfully masked himself just enough where faith is required to apprehend him. On the other hand, it might be observed he has done as much as he possibly can to help us arrive at that faith without compromising it.

Why does God require us to embrace him in faith? I can think of no better way for God to secure those who have a heart, a desire for him in a meaningful way we can understand.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Setting our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ - 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 Colossians 3:1-3,

"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. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Paul tells believers to set their hearts and minds on Jesus Christ, "on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Earlier he made an observation about believers, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14. This being the state of those who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, he tells them to focus on Jesus Christ, in heaven, seated at the right hand of God.

The issue Paul has in mind is "sensual indulgence" in the life of the believer. We see this in 2:23. Since it was in this very thing of "sensual indulgence" we were dead and facing God's judgment, now, having been forgiven those things and made spiritually alive, what about those things we used to indulge in? Surely it would be unseemly for a believer to continue in the very things that brought God's judgment and condemnation in the first place. God has chosen not to eradicate our sinful natures upon our salvation. Paul observes, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh [sinful nature]. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." Galatians 5:16-17. We struggle with sinful impulses as we seek to live our lives in a manner pleasing to our loving God who has rescued us from his horrific judgment. Now forgiven those things, just how do we walk away from them? Here is where "religion" enters into the picture.

Over the years there have been uncountable folks who have come up with all kinds of things to address this conflict in our lives. This "truth", that "spiritual discipline", some seminar or class or process on how to "overcome" sin in our lives as believers. It is not just an academic question as it finds it's expression in the struggles we find ourselves in at times.

The first thing Paul tells us, is to forget religion. "Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 'Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." Colossians 2:20-23.

Paul's advice is to continue in the message we received in the gospel and embrace the Lord. "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7. We need to drop our focus on our shortcomings and weaknesses and instead turn our attention on the Lord. Paul tells us that focus will enable us to set aside the things of the sinful nature and to put on what is pleasing to God as he tells us in the remainder of Colossians 3.

Having repeated epic moments of astonishment and amazement of the Lord that view provides, has a way of impacting against a drift into sin as we set our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ!

May we all drop the religion and follow Paul in his focus on the Lord 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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Do you know what God's mystery is? - 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 Colossians 1:25-27,

"I [Paul] have become its [the church's] servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Paul speaks of a "mystery". This mystery was hidden for ages and generations, however it has now been disclosed to us. Together with the above verse, here are the clues to this mystery we are presented with in the pages of Scripture:

"Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." Romans 16:25-27.

"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God's wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." 1 Corinthians 2:6-8.

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." Ephesians 1:7-10.

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:2-12.

"Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." Ephesians 6:19-20.

"My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:2-3.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." Colossians 4:2-4.

"Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." 1 Timothy 3:16.

"Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, 'There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.'" Revelation 10:5-7.

Together with the above passages, I find the simple answer in a comment Peter made, "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:10-12.

Now you know!

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

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Childish notions of God's 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 Colossians 1: 9-12,

"We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light."

I note in Paul's prayer for these believers he asks God to strengthen them "with all power according to his [God's] glorious might". The request for strength is that they may have "great endurance and patience". Why does Paul ask for strength for these folks that they may have endurance and patience? Doesn't Paul here recognize these folks have come to know the Lord? If they know the Lord, if they are objects of God's love and affection, why would they possibly need strength for endurance and patience? Isn't God going to keep them from bad things, remove difficulty from their lives, relieve them of troubles in this life?

The occasions are countless over the years when I have heard someone make the plea to others that if they would but only give themselves to the Lord, the Lord would deliver them from whatever ills them. Finances, health issues, relationships, you name it. From the negative perspective, on many occasions I have heard folks who struggle with health issues, financial issues, kids taking the wrong path, etc. told there must be an issue of sin in their lives or a lack of faith. This premise is based on a notion that if we embrace the Lord in faith and are faithful to him, he will (let's face it - this is what is really being promoted) make our lives a bed of roses!

Is that true? Where do we turn in our Bibles for that notion? If it were true, why would Paul be asking for "great endurance and patience" for these believers? After all, Paul acknowledges the sincerity of their faith in the love they have for "all God's people", verse 4.

What about the martyrdom of Stephen, Acts 7:57-58? What about all the other apostles? What about the believers who were commended for enduring "a great conflict of severe suffering", insulted and persecuted, imprisoned, had their possessions confiscated? Hebrews 10:32-34? What about Paul who said, "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked." 2 Corinthians 23-27. What about Job?

There are many, many passages that speak to the suffering and hardship of God's people, wonderful people who loved their Lord. The next time someone offers the misguided notion that "if God loves you he wouldn't want you to be sick or poor or suffer, now would he?", kindly ask them to start reading their Bible. Possibly you can encourage them by offering to pray for them that they may be strengthened to have great endurance and patience since you know they are going to need it.

"Those whom I [Jesus] love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Revelation 3:19. "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Proverbs 3:11-12. If you are struggling with trials and troubles, if you are suffering from illness or infirmity, if you are experiencing painful issues in your family, it is no indication of God's unhappiness with you. We do reap what we sow, and the pain may be there specifically from God. But, it is no indication of a lack of God's love for you. In fact, it just may be his confirmation of love for us as he moves us on toward the maturity and equipping he desires to bring into our lives. God loves those who are his with an incomprehensible love.

The greatest demonstration of God's love was manifested not in the removal of the trials and difficulties of this life, but in the immense pain and suffering of Jesus Christ on that horrible cross as he secured the payment for our sins. We need to shed the childish notions of those who fail to study and understand the Scriptures and strengthen ourselves for what our God of love is surely to bring our way. We can take great confidence in Paul's words, "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters." Romans 8:28-29.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Christ's physical body - 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 Colossians 1:21-23a,

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel."

I note it was the physical body of Jesus Christ that has brought us reconciliation with God. This is not just theology. This is not something from the dusty bookshelves in the library of some seminary somewhere. This is not simply the stuff of liturgy, vestments and sacraments! The physical body of Jesus Christ! A living, breathing, person of impeccable and pristine character! This One died that I might be reconciled to God!

Why did it take the living, breathing body of Jesus Christ to make a way for me into God's family? Just as God is real, so is his horrific judgment! Just as incomprehensible his love is that he would send his Son for me in my hopeless condition, so is his horrific judgment. This judgment against all who sin, among whom I count myself, is real, is objective, is going to happen. It will take place.

For me to escape God's judgment required my sin be paid for. This is exactly why it took the physical body of Jesus Christ to reconcile me to God. It doesn't get more real than this!

"... without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22b.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

What makes God worthy? - 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 Colossians 1:9-10,

"We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way ..."

In his prayers for the Colossian believers, Paul asks God to fill them with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding the Holy Spirit provides. He asks this so that these believers might "live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way..." Here is a question: what makes the Lord worthy that we should live our lives for him? I think it is a question he might have us answer. Perhaps there are some "believers" out there that have not really addressed the worthiness of the Lord in their own minds and so struggle in their lifestyles, failing to live their lives in a manner pleasing to the Lord.

Here is some of what comes to my mind. I am quite certain you can add much to this to develop our consideration of God's worthiness.

1. God created us. If he had not, we wouldn't be here to live a life worthy of him or any other kind of a life!

2. Mankind, as a race, rebelled against God in the garden and justly earned his judgment. However, out of his incomprehensible love, he sent his Son to die a miserable death to pay the penalty for our sins.

3. God has openly invited us all into his family with open arms- and does so without requiring a level of performance with the things we think, do and say. He only asks us to embrace him in faith. All who do so are freely saved from his judgment in an eternal lake of fire.

4. God has decided that those who have Jesus' death (his payment for the sins of all mankind) credited to their account, that they be brought into his family with a rich welcome, and embraced as holy, righteous and blameless!

5. God has made believers his own heirs as co-heirs with Jesus Christ.

6. God has sent his Holy Spirit as his presence within our lives - a constant companion.

7. God has provided us with the Scriptures to inform us of his intentions, provide us direction, encourage us in this lost and fallen world, let us know of his wonderful plans he has for us in the resurrection.

I think there are many other things that could be added to this list. What would you add? God's many-splendored perfections that make him worthy? That he can turn the most hardened heart into a wonderful person, like Paul or others you may know? That his is developing the very character and nature of Jesus Christ within us? What would you add to this list? Surely this is a list that could have countless entries made...

Anything ofthe 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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

What is the manifestation of true faith? - 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 Colossians 1:6-8,

"In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God's grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit."

Paul acknowledged it was Epaphras, who was at the time with Paul, who evangelized these believers Paul is writing to. In connecting with these believers he has yet to meet, Paul establishes himself with them by acknowledging their response to the gospel in faith - the only response that matters.

Epaphras told Paul these Colossians had indeed responded to the gospel. But, it may be asked, how does anyone know if someone has truly responded to the gospel in faith? People can say what they will, but how do we know what is in the heart? The answer to that is right in the report that Epaphras provided Paul, he "told us of your love in the Spirit."

Love is a manifestation of true faith. Where love appears absent, proclaimed faith needs to be challenged. So true is this that John reinforced this in his first letter. Cast in the reverse he says, "But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 1 John 2:11. In bold terms he said, "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister." 1 John 3:10. Again he says, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death." 1 John 3:14.

John tells us why this is true. He says, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7. We only come to know God through embracing him in faith, and those who do so love because love comes from God. Love is the manifestation of our faith.

How does God impart this love in our lives? John tells us, "This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit." 1 John 4:13. Because believers have the Holy Spirit within them, an outward manifestation of that reality is the fruit the Holy Spirit expresses in our lives, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.

Epaphras told Paul of the reception of the gospel message in faith by the folks in Colossae, Hierapolis and Laodicea. He underscored the veracity of this report to Paul by telling him of the love these believers had for one another. Love is the manifestation of faith in the life of the believer because "God is love." 1 John 4:8, 16.

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

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Why do bad things happen to good people? - 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 59:3-4,

"See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, Lord. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!"

David voiced his complaint and his cry for help to God as he faced "fierce men" who sought to kill him. Within this psalm we find it is a time in David's life when he was a good man, a man after God's own heart. A time that reflected what Paul had to say of him when describing David to the folks in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, "I [God] have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22b. In this psalm David claimed he had done no wrong, that God was his strength, his fortress, the One upon whom he relied.

This psalm speaks of a bad thing happening to a good man and raises that oft heard question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I have heard it answered many times but have felt frustrated as the answers always seem to dodge the real issues. Here is my take on it:

We live in a hostile, rebellious world at enmity with God. Our existence here is described as "darkness" and all live in this darkness since the fall of man in the garden of Eden. As a result, this world looks like what happens when God is absent, when people are estranged from him. Man rejected God and now he lives in the environment of his own devices. Somehow, this rarely gets expressed. Believers are delivered from this darkness and now have spiritual light, but we remain in danger from the evil this darkness promotes.

It appears to me that the prevailing notion is that we live in God's creation (which is true), and that God attends, maintains the world as his creation (which is also true). Since God is all powerful (again, true), whatever happens is something that God either causes or allows, and if something terrible happens to good people, he is looked to as either the cause or the culprit for lack of prevention. I couldn't disagree with this notion more. Yes, it is God's creation John 1:3, and yes, the Scriptures tell us that the creation is maintained by God's Son, Hebrews 1:3. We are also told that God is very involved in the affairs of this world, see Romans 13:1-7 and Acts 17:24-28.

What we are told in our Bibles is that God steps into this world that exists in an estrangement to him, (e.g. John 3:16) for his purposes, his agenda, an agenda of redemption. We are also told that God answers prayer and that we should be persistent in our prayers to him.

What the Scriptures do not teach us is that God has committed himself to insuring bad things don't happen to us. Living in this lost and fallen world, estranged from God and dominated by a collective sinful nature, this world is a hostile and dangerous place with many opportunities for bad things to happen. This world is so dangerous, we all live in a fatal condition. We all face death in this life, we all face sickness, we all face all of the consequences of a world existing in estrangement from God. Again, this does not mean that God will not respond to prayer, but he has not committed himself to answer all prayer according to our wishes. It also doesn't mean God is not carrying out his redemptive agenda.

As it turns out, God uses these "bad things" that will come into believer's lives, the things that are common to all mankind, for the purposes he chooses to pursue. For instance, we are told that God has predestined that his people, good people, will be conformed to the likeness, the nature of Jesus Christ, things like patience and so forth. He has decided to use these bad things, these difficulties for this purpose, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'" Romans 8 28-36. As Jesus told the Laodiceans, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." Revelation 3:19a.

One of the great disservices of the pre-tribulational rapture folks was the false notion they promoted, "God loves you and so he wouldn't want you to suffer, would he?" May I suggest a reading of the book of Acts and another book called "Foxes Book of Martyrs". I think even a brief reading of the two will disabuse us of that kind of faulty thinking.

I have often wondered, and I certainly don't know this for sure, that God allows born-again believers to continue in the struggles that are common to all mankind, but that for believers, these struggles now become God's toolbox for conforming us to the likeness of Jesus Christ - otherwise the opportunity for faith may become compromised. What I mean is that if the world sees that everything is a bed of roses when someone embraces Jesus Christ, that may lead to many embracing the bed of roses rather than Jesus Christ. Just musing here.

In any event, it is not in this life that we seek our happiness, our deliverance from bad things. We are all going to get sick, we are all going to die. Many of us will be victims of the violence of evil people in this life, all while we are good folks and pleasing to God. Note the plea of the sons of Korah in Psalm 44:13-22, 

"You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
    the scorn and derision of those around us.

You have made us a byword among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads at us.

I live in disgrace all day long,

    and my face is covered with shame
 at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
 Our hearts had not turned back;    our feet had not strayed from your path.
 But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;    you covered us over with deep darkness.
If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?
Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

We look for deliverance from "bad things", not is this life, but in the resurrection. I like how the writer of Hebrews puts it as he speaks of people of faith, "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 11:13-16. Also, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11:39-40.

Bad things happen to good people in this life because it exists under God's condemnation. In spite of the fact that he redeems those who will embrace him in faith, the same bad things that affect unbelievers still impact believers to bring about what God wants in our lives. God has not committed himself to keeping bad things happening to good people in this life. However, the next life, in the resurrection... well that is a whole other story! No bad things there! As believers, we need to stop expecting heaven on earth and begin to look forward to our "heavenly country" as those of faith are to do.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

What do you know about the kingdom 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 Colossians 1:13-14,

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Paul tells his readers they have been rescued from a dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of his Son he loves. What do we know about this kingdom? Here are some passages that I find helpful:

1. "Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" James 2:5. God has promised his kingdom to those who may be poor in the eyes of the world but are rich due to their faith. And, God's promises are always, without fail, fulfilled!

2. "...if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:10b-11. Our welcome into God's kingdom is a "rich welcome"! Not something he begrudgingly gives to ex-sinners! Additionally, this kingdom is an eternal kingdom as it will last forever populated by us forever.

3. "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." Revelation 11:15. Whatever kingdoms, nations, etc. there may be on earth, they will all be subdued and supplanted by the kingdom of God. Further, Jesus Christ will have no term limit as the leader of this nation, this kingdom. He will rule it for eternity. How wonderful it will be to have Jesus Christ as head of this nation with his pristine character and nature. Nothing like we labor under today!

4. "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah." Revelation 12:10. This kingdom is coming! Like a freight train that has already left the station up the tracks and headed our way, unstoppable, impossible to turn another way, crushing anything whatsoever in its path that may impede its arrival, it will be here in perfect time!

5. "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." Revelation 5:10. Some are confused about the purpose of life today. It is simply this: God is building his kingdom! He is populating his nation, his family! This life is all about making babies and providing them the opportunity of the gospel - that they might be born again!

6. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" Hebrews 12:28-29. The kingdom of God is not one that can be "shaken"! It cannot be threatened by any cause, will not be vulnerable to any challenge or any concern whatsoever: unshakable! No concerns for economic collapse, no threats from foreign powers or terrorists, will not threatened from within as there will be no malevolent character within it. No crime, no blight, no vandalism, no harmful politics or influences!

7. "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom." Hebrews 1:8. Justice will rule in God's kingdom! Where in this life we often find ourselves being treated unfairly, or we witness that which grates against our ingrained sense of "fairness" and "what is right", exploitation and those who take advantage of others, God's kingdom will be marked by justice, fairness, what is right!

8. "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen." 2 Timothy 4:18. God's kingdom is the safe haven! It is where all who have embraced him in faith find their safety and security. God will bring us safely into it so there is no need for insecurity, apprehensiveness, worry or anxiety. I am reminded of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, "He [Jesus Christ] 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." God has staked his faithfulness on our safe arrival into his kingdom following this life!

9. "For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory." 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12. God "calls" us to his kingdom, he invites us through the gospel! Everyone is invited and those who respond to the invitation by faith will find themselves safely and securely heaven-bound!

10. "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." Ephesians 5:5. We will live in God's kingdom with others we will love to have as neighbors! A wonderful people, absent a sinful nature, having a nature that emulates the pristine character and nature of our Lord! Folks like me will be transformed from the wretch I am to someone you will actually find wonderful to be with for an eternity! I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, "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. And 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." How wonderful is that?!

Here are ten good things to know about the kingdom of God. I am certain you can find another ten to add to this list... and many more! How wonderful the kingdom we await! It is wonderful because our magnificent, many-splendored God has made it so!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Out of the darkness! - 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 Colossians 1:13-14,

"He [the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Paul observes that God has rescued us from "the dominion of darkness".  Merriam-Webster defines dominion as "domain", "a supreme authority", "sovereignty". Paul identifies the believer's rescue is from the domain of darkness or the authority of darkness. What is meant by that? What is this darkness?

When Isaiah prophesied about the coming Savior, the Savior was said to come for people in a certain condition:  "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2. It is a reference to the condition of the people of Israel, and, of course all humanity. All humanity lives in a darkness. It is a spiritual darkness, a blindness from which God and his kingdom are shrouded, unseen. This spiritual darkness leaves mankind wandering in a lost condition and subject to the authority of this dark condition.

Jesus spoke of this darkness in his sermon on the mount, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23. In speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus said, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." Matthew 15:13-14. This blindness he spoke of is that blindness this darkness creates. In Matthew 23:16-24 he calls them blind fools, blind men, blind guides. When Jesus told Nicodemus that people need to be born again, he said some will not take the opportunity, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20. Some prefer to remain in darkness, in spiritual blindness. In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." In speaking of his coming departure from earth, he told a crowd, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." John 12:35. And, in John 12:46, Jesus said, "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."

In speaking of the first coming of Jesus Christ, John says, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5. This darkness is spiritual blindness. It is from this collective spiritual blindness or darkness that God has rescued us, bringing us into spiritual light where things that were previously unseen by us now begin to be seen or perceived. We were once in a condition described by John in 1 John 2:11 as, "Anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." Now we have been rescued from that condition, rescued from the power of darkness over our lives, rescued from the rulers and authorities of the darkness.

Quite a rescue from a desperate condition, isn't it?

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

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Watching God's construction - 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 Colossians 1:16,

"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."

One of the entertaining things I enjoyed about five years ago was to watch a new building being erected right across the street from my office. It only took a few months. It was a parking structure maybe six or so levels high that took up a half block in downtown St. Louis. One of those buildings that had massive concrete pieces created somewhere else ahead of time and set in place by crane as they arrived by over-sized truck.  As I usually leave mid-afternoon, I was always fascinated to see what they had done in my absence when I returned in the morning. Often I would attempt to guess why one piece might have been placed here, and, why did they do that there? It really was fascinating, and a big part of that fascination had to do with attempting to figure out what was going to go where ahead of time, how things might go together, in what kind of order and what the whole thing would look like when finished. Sometimes I guess pretty good, other times no so well.

As I view current events today, I find I face them with a similar fascination. In the above passage we are told that all the "thrones or powers or rulers or authorities" have been created through Jesus Christ and for him. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the Lord is busy maintaining such things, "sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3. Paul tells us, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience." Romans 13:1-5.

In the Romans 13 passage, Paul tells us that those in power are his instruments. God has established the authorities, no authority exists that God has not established, those who rebel against the authorities rebel against what God has established. We are told the authorities are God's servants no less than three times in as many verses (verses 4-6). I note that these authorities range all the way from those which you and I might come into contact with, all the way up to "thrones or powers or rulers or authorities" that occupy space on the world stage, in the evening news.

What is God doing through these rulers, these authorities? How is he piecing them together, much as I saw the parking structure being put together? How is he using them to accomplish his desired outcome? What will that outcome look like?

I suspect much of what goes on in our world today takes place without many at all recognizing God's involvement, God's purposes. He certainly is not going to be acknowledged for the events of the day on the evening news when he may very well be the key player in those events. This is one of the reasons I prize the Old Testament so much. In its pages the activities of God are on full display - from his perspective - in the affairs of nations and kings and rulers and leaders of armies. A brief reading of the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, the prophets, etc. portray what God is busy doing behind the scenes as nation interacts with nation. The New Testament is not devoid of this kind of material either. Paul tells his listeners at the Areopagus, "From one man he [God] 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. In quoting Exodus 9:16, Paul tells his Roman readers how God used the leader in Egypt to accomplish what he wanted, "For Scripture says to Pharaoh: 'I [God] raised you [Pharaoh] up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.'"

I recognize the questions such an observation gives rise to, such as, "Is God then responsible for the wicked things done by these rulers and their countries?" What about Hitler? What about tyrants and dictators and murderous rulers and those who exploit their own people for gain? There are good solid answers for these kinds of questions. While this is not the time or place to address them, suffice it to say that whenever God does anything through anyone on planet earth, he does so through sinful people who do bad things. Regardless of the godless things authorities may do, God is busy using them for his purposes.

What are those purposes? What is he accomplishing? It is my view that the wise observe and ask such questions and are richly rewarded even if they only get a glimpse of an answer. This, to me is why other parts of Scripture are so fascinating: the view of end times and a new world order as depicted by the old testament prophets and John in Revelation, the teaching of Jesus and his apostles on the kingdom of God and so forth.

Witnessing the construction of that parking structure was fascinating... how much more so the things God is doing in the world today to bring about what he desires to accomplish. It is certainly going to be well beyond the splendor and majesty of a parking garage!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

How does God view 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 Colossians 1:21-23a,

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel."

Holy in God's sight? Without blemish? Free from accusation? How is possible that someone like me could think such a thing? I know myself all too well. I know of the things I have thought, said and done. How is it that God could possibly find me holy and without blemish, free from accusation? Since God is the only one who determines my disposition following the grave, my destiny, since it is God himself who provides those who are his eternal life in paradise, since it is God himself who will place his people in a community of folks who are free from sinful tendencies and wholly given to that which is good, that which is enriching, that which is fulfilling and meaningful, since it is God who holds the key for me to enter into all that, then God's perspective of me is most important!

How is it possible God could ever view me in that kind of light? "Holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation." How is that possible? It certainly is not based on my performance in this life, trust me! It is based on someone else's life, someone else's death. Paul tells us that God's view of perfection of us is due to Jesus Christ. Through his physical body in death, he has made this incomprehensible thing possible!

We read in Hebrews 10:9-10, "Then he [Christ] said, 'Here I am, I have come to do your will.'...  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." This is just an amazing thing! What do we have to do in order to have what Jesus did credited to our account with God, to be viewed by God as holy, without blemish and free from accusation? The answer is astonishing... "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." This is good news! If it was based on my "good works" I'd never make it myself! Here is how Paul put it in Romans 3:28, "We maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law."

This was no last minute thought after Jesus arrived here. We are told that this had been God's plan from before time began. "He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." God decided before the creation of the world that we would be made "holy and blameless in his sight" through our faith in him! All the way back to Abraham, some 4 millenia ago, God tells us, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6.

There is good reason the gospel is "good news"! Who could ever have thought that our eternity begins and continues finding us holy in God's sight, without blemish and free from accusation?! No "black sheep" in God's family. If that were so, I'd certainly be one of them, were I to even make it into his family. But, because Jesus took my place on that cross, dying on my behalf, securing forgiveness in the court of God, I am now and will forever be holy and blameless in his sight!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Maturing in forgiveness - 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 Colossians 3:12-14,

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Paul points to those wonderful qualities that are manifested by our Lord, "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" as well as forgiveness in the face of a grievance, and most importantly, love. In Romans 8:29 we are told that God predestined that those who are his, those who respond to the gospel message in faith, that they be conformed into the "image of his Son." As we enter into a relationship with the Lord, we begin a spiritual maturing process designed by the Lord and marked by the qualities of his own character. 

As we enter into the kingdom of God we do so as those who had previously been conformed to the sinful nature. A few verses earlier, in Colossians 3:5-8 Paul provides a listing of what those things look like, the things we need to put off from ourselves in order to grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ. He enumerates, "sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry...  anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips" and lying. As God's people, these can be the very things we now become victims of from others as we are engaged in the process of becoming conformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. And, our reaction or response to the provocation of others can become issues that can quite possibly stall that process, or perhaps even reverse it. On the other hand, I am convinced that these kinds of challenges are the very things God uses to bring us into spiritual maturity and so develop us into the image of Jesus Christ. As unwelcomed and unwanted as we may find these episodes, they can become the very opportunities the Lord uses to shape us into the likeness of his Son.

I note in Paul's exhortation here that he addresses the victims of someone's wrong-doing. This passage is not addressed to the perpetrators of those who harm others, but the victims of the perpetrators of wrong-doing. He doesn't specify any type of victim, but addresses all those who have been wronged in any manner: whether they have suffered physical, sexual, mental or emotional abuse. Whether one has been lied to, stolen from, suffered a breach of trust or simply treated in an unkindly or unfair way. After teaching us to set our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ, 3:1-2, Paul tells us to face these challenges and respond to them as an opportunity to grow and mature spiritually.

I suspect we may find ourselves repeating the same kind of opportunities until we have learned what the Lord has for us, and then when we do so, we move on to what is next. The Lord is faithful and provides us what we need - it is up to us to take hold and step into that new ground of spiritual maturity. "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3.

I'm not so sure the life God has for those who are his is for the "faint of heart", but how wonderful it is, as we go through the process of being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, that he has not seen fit for us to continue to wallow in the ugly and repugnant sinful nature we have come from as we enter into his kingdom! I don't know about you, but I know how needful this process is for me!

Caution: "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Revelation 3:19. As painful as the process may be, God does some very amazing things in our lives!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

What do you know about the gospel?- 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 Colossians 1:3-6a,

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you."

Paul tells his readers the exciting things God's people have awaiting them were introduced to them through the gospel.  What do we know of the gospel? Here are some things I find good to know about the gospel... what an amazing message this is!!

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." Romans 1:16.

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Romans 10:17.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18.

"By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:2.

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin." Galatians 1:11.

"Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.'" Galatians 3:8.

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit..." Ephesians 1:13.

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." Colossians 3:16.

"For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a.

"He [Jesus Christ] will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." 2 Thessalonians 1:8.

"So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God." 2 Timothy 1:8.

"This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 2 Timothy 1:9b-10.

"It was revealed to them [the prophets] that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:12.

"Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people." Revelation 14:6.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com