What Is It About My Lord? - 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 heart and mind in Song of Songs 5:9,

"How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you so charge us?"

Here is the response of the "friends" to the beloved's ("She") request of them to tell the lover ("He"), "I am faint with love", verse 8. They ask her, why he is so special, why does she consider him "better than others"?

Her response is found in verses 10-16 of this chapter. In these verses the beloved ("she") describes her lover in exquisite detail. Observations of beauty are employed to speak of his greatness, "he is altogether lovely", verse 16.

In that this song is often thought in terms of the "romance" between God and his covenant people, or between our Savior, Jesus Christ, and those who have embraced him in faith, my thoughts drift to what my response might be if others asked of me just what I find about him, why is he so special to me? Why is he the choice of my heart, the object of my affection?

Just as the beloved expresses what it is she sees in him - her observations of him, so my answer ought to be a reflection of just what it is I see in my Savior. Where the beloved speaks in terms of beauty in physical terms, my love of my Savior would necessarily be in terms of beauty in character and nature, in terms of what he has done, what it is he has expressed, what his desires are and what it is he is accomplishing.

My first thought, my first observation, is that my Lord loves me. He loves us all! He loves me with an intensity he has expressed (by dying on that miserable cross to pay for my sins) that is beyond my comprehension. I have no clue as to what it is he sees in me that caused him to face that cross on my behalf with joy, (see Hebrews 12:3), but he did!

Another observation is that his character and nature is such that he is "outstanding among ten thousand", even beyond ten thousand! Spotless, without stain or wrinkle, his life defines all that is righteous, all that is fitting, all that is admirable, all that demands reverence and awe. He is my Savior of love, of hope. He provides. My Lord is full of compassion and kindness. He is my Savior of patience and forgiveness. He cares for the weak and the truly downtrodden.

My Lord is loyal and entirely faithful. He never changes and I will never be in a position where I cannot count on him. He provides me with direction, vision, hope and security. He fills me with joy!

These are only a few observations and I suspect the list would continue to grow as I continue to muse upon him.

What do you have to say? Why is Jesus Christ "better than others?" Why is he special to you? What exactly do you see in him? 

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

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

Flawless 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 heart and mind in Song of Songs 4:7,

"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you."

This phrase, spoken by the lover for his beloved, if the song represents the love between God and his covenant people, if the song represents the love between the Savior and the redeemed, if the song represents the love between the Creator and his individually created people, then the flawless nature found within the beloved is that which follows our Lord's transformation he brings about in our lives.

While Paul points out in Romans 3:23, that we are all unacceptable to God, "there is no one righteous...", he points out that the Lord transforms us when we give ourselves to him. It is this very transformation that brings about that "flawless" nature, "he [God] chose us in him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4.

God brings about this flawless nature within us, "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." Ephesians 1:7-8. Additionally we read, "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.

We see this activity of God in passages such as Hebrews 12:10-11, "God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

The end result of God's work within us, when we embrace him in faith, is seen in Jude 24 where we read that "God our Savior" is "able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy..."

God truly makes an object of beauty out of each one of us! It is not a matter of our efforts or ingenuity, but a result of his handiwork. Everything God creates is a masterpiece of perfection, particularly the work he does in our lives, the lives of sinful, lost and corrupted people! That joyful reunion we will have with our God is a result of what he has accomplished within us, such that some day he will say "You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you." Hard to imagine, isn't it? (Particularly with someone as 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!

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

Solomon's Carriage: A Metaphor? - 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 heart and mind in Song of Songs 3:7-10,

"Look! It is Solomon's carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,
    the noblest of Israel,
all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.
King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love."

While I question any attempt of mine to equate Solomon's carriage as a metaphor of God's redemption of mankind, I can't help but notice that this conveyance is a refuge of safety with its sixty warrior escort. Once in the carriage, all dangers cease. With the carriage of redemption we can be brought into the family of God, as all who enter have "eternal life and will not be judged but has [have] crossed over from death to life." John 5:24. It is this crossing over that requires conveyance for us from God's judgment of us to God's everlasting blessings for us.

This means of conveying the beloved from one place to another was built with no expense spared! The precious wood from Lebanon (the famed cedars?), the silver, gold and purple all speak of the most precious of materials used to construct it. It causes me to think again of the redemption provided by God, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18-19. As the most valuable materials were used to construct Solomon's carriage, so the most valuable substance was used to bring about the redemption of mankind: the blood of Jesus Christ!

I also note in verse 10 that the carriage interior was "inlaid with love." So, too, God's redemption of mankind is embedded with love. It was the love of God that initiated his redemption of man and it was the love of God that carried it out! "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10.

Again, while I resist my own impulse to see Solomon's carriage as a metaphor of the Lord's redemption of us, I nevertheless cannot help but think of the Lord's atoning redemption of us as a conveyance to move us from the danger of his own judgment to the safety of his refuge of love for us.

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

Got Passion for the Lord? - 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 heart and mind in Song of Songs 2:3-4,

"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
    is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
    and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
    and let his banner over me be love."

The oriental erotic literature of the Song of Songs has been variously understood and taught from the perspectives the song is about the relationship between God and his covenant people, Israel, or between the church and her Savior, or Christ and the soul of the believer, or simply as a celebration of King Saul and the ardency between him and his lover.

No matter the approach to the book, one thing remains true.- this book is among the inspired texts of the Scriptures. It is inspired by God and a part of his revelation to us. As such, what we learn from it, what we are exposed to is the love, the passion, the ardency of the love our Lord has designed to be expressed and experienced within his creation and beyond.

This love of God, expressed so well in this book, is nowhere on display more graphically than on the cross of Jesus Christ. With an ardent love for mankind, God expressed his passion for us by sending his Son to pay the penalty of our sins - for each one of us! Paul speaks of this love as something that is both beyond our comprehension and yet something to, nonetheless, reach out and grasp, "to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:19.

This passage from Songs 2:3-4 is the expression of the maiden for her lover. It is the expression of God's people for their God, the saved for their Savior, the children of God for their Father Almighty. Our approach to the Lord should not be that dusty pursuit of the theologian within his ivory tower, lost in his books. Our approach to the Lord should not be that of the spiritually bored looking for divine entertainment. Our approach to the Lord should not be that of the sterile ecclesiastical environment of vestments, of liturgy, the order of service, the practice of sacraments and ordinances, of halos celebrated in stained glass... Our approach to the Lord should be of the most intimate expressions of our hearts - expressions of passion, love, thankfulness, reverence and awe. Most importantly, the ultimate expression of embrace, of trust and faith.

As the expression of the maiden who delights to sit in the shade of her lover, does our passion for the Lord rival hers?

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

Created for beauty and Pleasure - 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 heart and mind in Song of Songs 1:2-4,

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
    for your love is more delightful than wine.
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
    your name is like perfume poured out.
    No wonder the young women love you!
Take me away with you—let us hurry!
    Let the king bring me into his chambers."

I love the way the NIV Study Bible characterizes Solomon's Song of Songs -.a unique book that discloses love's "exquisite charm and beauty as one of God's choicest gifts." Zondervan. NIV Study Bible (Kindle Locations 161450-161451). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. I have great appreciation for another observation in that same introduction to the book, "The subtle delicacy with which the author evokes intense sensuous awareness while avoiding crude titillation is truly remarkable." In addition to the beauty of the subject matter contained within its pages, the presentation of it is remarkable and a beauty in itself.

In showcasing the love observed in this book, the most earthy and sensuous phrases, metaphors and similes are employed. Coupled with an ardent urgency, "Take me away with you—let us hurry", proclaims the sensual and aesthetic pleasure the Lord has created us to experience.

This book of romantic and sensual love reveals that enchanting aspect to God's creative depth that helps define who we are as his creations within which he has built these rich dimensions of physical and emotional pleasure. Within this book we see the pursuit and gratification of the extraordinary capacities he has wired within us for experiencing these pleasures.

This book celebrates God's wonderful creation in its vast array of the sensuality he has designed us to enjoy. Kisses more delightful than wine, fragrances, skin tone, the beauty of the choice mares among Pharaoh's chariot horses, cheeks bejeweled with earrings of gold and silver, necks adorned with jewels. A locket of myrrh resting between the breasts, clusters of henna blossoms - all point to the capacity our Creator has built within us for beauty, for sensuality, for the satisfaction that the gratification of these senses God has designed within us bring.

While those of us who take to heart the problems our sinful natures can bring, with the illicit and perverse exploitation of these capacities, we need to add balance and an ongoing fresh perspective that it is our Creator who has designed within us this capacity to celebrate beauty and love. For me, very particularly, it helps me understand what life in the resurrection will be like. "you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:11, and, "you give them drink from your river of delights." Psalm 36:8.

While we can celebrate the beauty of God's creation, particularly the beauty we find within one another in this age, I am reminded that this is only a shadow of what is to come in the next.

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

Eye Witness Accounts to Resurrection! - 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 heart and mind in John 21:14,

"This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead."

This is John's comment as he provides the account of Jesus appearing to Peter and other disciples when they went fishing following Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.

It reminds me of Paul's observations of Jesus' appearances following his resurrection, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.

These appearances are eye witness accounts of the Lord following his death and resurrection. I, personally, have never seen the risen Lord physically and I have never met anyone who claimed they have. Perhaps it is because, as Peter explains in Acts 3:21, that he resides in heaven and will remain there until "the time comes for God to restore everything". That is, until the end of this age, when Jesus will return to earth a second time, "he [Christ] will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Hebrews 9:28.

The account of these appearances have been given us that we might know of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Although we do not see him physically today, we embrace our knowledge of it by faith. Our acknowledgment of his resurrection is an important issue for each one of us as our salvation hinges on our certainty of it, "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.

If we declare Jesus as our Lord, and if we "believe in our hearts" that God raised him from the dead we will be saved!. I don't read we "might be saved" or there is hope we could be saved, or that we are a step closer to our salvation. No... we will be saved! I don't read if we declare "Jesus is Lord" and believe in our hearts God raised him from the dead plus see the priest, or fulfill our obligations to the rosary, or give our confession or join the Baptist church or maintain spotless attendance at all church services or tithe religiously. I don't read if we do anything else! Simply embrace the Lord in faith and make him Lord - confess him as Lord of our lives and our place in God's family is secure. Eternal life is ours.

We don't need Jesus to put on a show for each generation. We have eye witness accounts to his resurrection that he has provided us and that is all we need.

What is so wonderful about Jesus' resurrection is it demonstrates the Father's satisfaction with his payment for our sins. Also, as we read of Jesus resurrection, it wells up within each of us our hope as we know that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, we will be as well, "If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:10-11.

Just how wonderful is that?!

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

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

Delight the Lord by Serving Him - 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 heart and mind in John 20:17,

"Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."'"

These are the words spoken by Jesus to Mary Magdalene as she stood outside of Jesus' empty tomb, looking into it. Mary wanted to know what had come of Jesus' body, since it no longer lay there in the tomb. Jesus appeared to her and told her not to cling to him... things had yet to be done! He told her to go tell the good news of his' resurrection to "my brothers".

As Jesus told Mary not to cling to him, that there were things yet needing to be done, I am reminded of another clinging that had to be set aside, because there were things that needed doing. "Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:6-8.

As we read of the love shared among the members of the Trinity (e.g. John 17), I suspect I woefully understand all that the Son of God gave up, let go of, ceased clinging to, in order to become a man and offer his life as a ransom for all mankind. He did not cling to his position and place within the Godhead, but with joy, set it aside for a season to bring about the greatest act earth has ever seen: the redemption of sinful and lost mankind!

The point being that where we may be very desirous of embracing our inheritance that will come our way in the resurrection, as the Son of God, as Mary Magdalene, we all have our things that need doing first. Our fulfillment in the resurrection will come soon enough, but until then we have things the Lord has for us to do.

I think of things like, "eternal pleasures at your [the Lord's] right hand." Psalm 16:11. Things like "you [the Lord] give them drink from your river of delights." Psalm 36:8. I'm sure you do as well.

There could be many passages to consider as we think about what we have a taste of today and what is coming our way in the resurrection, as Paul did in Romans 8:17, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." However, as Paul, we see there are some things we need to tend to (Paul mentions suffering here) before we settle in to what will be ours in the resurrection. We all have things to do the Lord asks of us today.

It is not ours to embrace and cling to what is coming our way yet. Those things will come soon enough. Now is the hour to express our gratitude to the Lord for what he gives us by serving him in this life first.

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

The Joy of Jesus On That Cross! - 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 heart and mind in John 19:24,

"This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, 'They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.' So this is what the soldiers did."

Several passages of Scripture are quoted in this account of Jesus' crucifixion. These quotes aid us in understanding that the death of Jesus was a planned event: the plan of God to redeem a people for himself. Psalm 22:18 is quoted here. This is the same psalm Jesus quoted as he hung on the cross when he cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" See Matthew 27:46 and Psalm 22:1.

We also see Exodus 12:46 (see John 19:36) observed here, along with Numbers 9:12 and Psalm 34:20. Zechariah 12:10 is pointed to by John. These references from Scriptures penned from about 1400 BC to around 500 BC by Moses, David and Zechariah help us appreciate both the planning of God and the precise nature of the execution of those plans by him.

Clearly, the atonement of Jesus Christ for our sins was fore-planned, foreseen, and foretold by the Lord himself in the Scriptures. He wants us to know it was his will to go to the cross out of his unfathomable love for us. The prospect of redeeming a people for himself brought him such rejoicing that he was willing to face that cross with joy! "For the joy set before him [Jesus] he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.

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

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

Concealed Carry and the Christian - 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 heart and mind in John 18:10-11,

"Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, 'Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?'"

Here is an interesting observation. When Jesus took his disciples to the garden, he did so to effect his arrest. It was his intention, carried out masterfully and perfectly, to get arrested and be put to death through the insistence of the Jewish leadership and the agency of the occupying Roman authorities. This he accomplished to fulfill his purpose for coming on that first Christmas morning, "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith." Romans 3:25a.

This is important to note in order to understand Jesus' response when Peter defended him with his sword. When Peter attacked the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear, Jesus rebuked Peter, not saying it was wrong to defend themselves, not saying it was wrong to use a sword, or not that it was wrong to be carrying a sword at all. No... he told Peter to put his sword away because he intended to get arrested. It was his purpose to be taken for the kangaroo court he would be subjected to and the unjust treatment he would receive.

We read of the same account in Matthew 26:52-54, which adds some additional detail, "'Put your sword back in its place,' Jesus said to him [Peter], 'for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?'" Here he repeats the concern that his arrest be carried out as planned. He did, however, make the point here that "... for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Clearly, a cautionary observation. Not a command, but a truthful observation that if you pull out a weapon, you will suffer the consequences for doing so. Again, nothing said of carrying a weapon for defending oneself having negative moral connotations.

Mark observes Peter's action in the garden, but there is no response from Jesus telling him to put his sword away, or why he should do so. What Jesus is quoted as saying is, "the Scriptures must be fulfilled." Mark 49b.

Luke's account doesn't provide why Jesus rebuked Peter for pulling his sword and cutting off the servant's ear. He simply says, "No more of this!" Luke 22:51, where we read of Jesus then healing the wounded man. However a few verses earlier, we read where Jesus encouraged his followers to arm themselves, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." Luke 22:36. His disciples responded, "See, Lord, here are two swords." to which Jesus responded, "That's enough!" Luke 22:38.

Of course, the sword was the side arm of the day and "open carry" was the norm for self defense. We don't see Jesus condemning this, in the account of his arrest, but  beforehand encouraging his followers to arm themselves.

However, we read in his sermon on the mount Jesus saying, "I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." Matthew 5:39. In this context, a least a part of Jesus' concern was how one was to comport himself in an occupied country. Israel was under Rome's rule and Jesus' admonition, "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles." was with reference to an occasion of a roman soldier requiring one of the occupied Jews to carry his equipment for him. The remainder of the paragraph doesn't seem to apply to Roman rule, but to a situation when one is confronted by an "evil person" and assaulted. "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." Matthew 5:39. No mention of self defense here. One might assume here that Jesus is saying, when attacked don't defend.

How to synthesize Jesus' comment in his sermon with the direction he gave his disciples prior to being arrested is a challenge and something I have not quite resolved for myself. However, the observation Paul makes, "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1 Timothy 5:8, is something I take seriously, and for me, that is more than just a paycheck. Each and every believer is to care for their family in every way, including providing protection and safety. Turning my cheek while my wife might be being raped is hardly a fulfillment of my responsibility toward either her or the Lord. Remember Jesus' words, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13.

Just some rambling thoughts on what I feel is an interesting and highly important topic of the day. In case you are interested to know, both my wife and I have concealed carry permits and are found weekly at the shooting range.

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

Authority the Father Gives the Son - 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 heart and mind in John 17:2-3,

"You [God the Father] granted him ]Jesus Christ] authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

This is how Jesus' own prayer to our heavenly Father begins. Jesus acknowledges the authority the Father gave him to grant eternal life. This authority is over all mankind. Jesus also points out that eternal life is a matter of knowing the Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ, that it was the Father who had sent the Son to provide the redemption price [his own physical body] for all mankind.

I note that only those the Father gave the Son are given eternal life by the Son. So, just who are these ones the Father has given the Son? Who are they and what sets them apart for eternal life?

We get a clue very early in John's gospel. "to all who did receive him [Jesus Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God", John 1:12. These are the ones given the Son from the Father: all who embrace Jesus Christ in faith are those the Father has given the Son and it is the Son who bestows eternal life upon them.

Jesus Christ both made the way for anyone to enter into eternal life by offering his life as a ransom, paying the redemption price for all of mankind, and he also bestows, or grants that eternal life upon those who choose to place their faith and trust in him.

Only those who chose Jesus Christ enter into eternal life! How wonderful he has made of himself the way to eternal life - a life in the next age available to any who reach for him.

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

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

Jihadis Need the Gospel Too! - 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 heart and mind in John 16:2-3,

"... the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me."

As the Lord speaks of his departure (his death, burial and resurrection) he tells his disciples of a time that is to come. It will be marked by a persecution of the children of God. People in their religious zeal will kill God's people thinking they are performing a service to God!

While we may read Foxe's Book of Martyrs and read of those who have been persecuted and put to death over the years, we see this as a reality today. In our day many Muslims exactly "think they are offering a service to God" as they behead, burn alive, boil in tar and otherwise execute those who are true children of God.

Our world exists in a darkness that is so fallen from God, so estranged from him, that mankind has invented his own religions, and in the zeal of those religions, destroyed those who are true children of God. They do this because they do not know God in the least. The most recent manifestation of this is, of course, Islam. An honest read of the Qu'ran reveals it is the faithful who engage in jihad, the ones who are killing God's children and others in the name of Muhammad. The other "moderate" Muslims do not speak out against the jihadis simply because the "moderates" really are what Christians might call "backsliders." Again, read the Qu'ran for yourself to understand this so-called "religion of peace"! Some of us have and are perplexed at the ignorance of so many in the media and in politics and in our pop culture who have no clue as to what they write and speak about.

However, in the midst of this raping of the bride of Christ, it is imperative to keep in mind that the very ones that are martyring Christians are ones the Lord hung on that cross and died for... to pay the penalty for their sins... just as he did for all mankind. These are in need of having the gospel shared with them, that they may turn from Muhammad to Jesus Christ, from killing others to loving others.

To this we are called and to this we are to give our lives to. The purpose of this age is to build the kingdom of God, the family of God. This is what the Lord is doing in this age, and when this agenda comes to a close, the age we live in will come to a close.

And... then comes the Lord for his own and to usher in the time for judgment. May many of the Muslim religion turn to the Lord and embrace him in faith! "...God our Savior... wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."1 Timothy 2:3-4

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

The True Vine! - 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 heart and mind in John 15:1,

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener."

I note Jesus says he is the "true vine" not just "the vine." Perhaps I make too much of it, but the implication by the Lord is that there are "untrue" vines. Counterfeits, imitations, the inauthentic, as well as the bogus, fake, false and phony."

Jesus came to die for our sins and draw us to himself (see John 12:32). He is the "true vine." These counterfeits seek to draw us to them. As counterfeits, they cast themselves as sirens to draw us away from the Lord and to themselves. None more obvious in Jesus day than the Pharisees. "Many people, because they had heard that he [Jesus] had performed this sign [raising Lazarus from the dead], went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, 'See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!'" The "getting us nowhere" referred to their agenda to keep people following them. False vines!

And, so it is today! We see "evangelists" on TV making their pitch to get the folks to join their "ministry" and fund their coffers. False vines! We see various denominations promoting the purity of their "flavor", their "brand", their form of worship, their particular doctrinal "distinctive, (whatever it may be), and to get as many as they can to follow them. False vines! We see the world's religions promoting their own theologies and concepts to draw folks to them. False vines! Particularly in Islam where the warlord Muhammad penned fictional writings to keep his fighting men true to the cause (If you have not done so, you really need to get a good translation of the Qu'ran - Oxford has a very good, newer translation - and read about this alleged "religion of peace") False vines!

On the other hand, Jesus Christ came as the "true vine." He is the authentic God sent to draw us to the kingdom of heaven. "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 1:1-3. The true vine!

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 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. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Colossians 1:15-20. The true vine!

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

Nothing To Fear: We Are Connected to Heaven! - 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 heart and mind in John 14:27c,

"Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

As Jesus prepared his disciples for his crucifixion, he told them not to be afraid. It may be helpful to think through how we might have felt, as disciples of Jesus, were we to have witnessed first hand what came their way the week Jesus was arrested and crucified. He tells his followers not to worry.

The grounds for Jesus' request of them lay in his promise to them that the Holy Spirit, "the Advocate" would be sent them by the Father when Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus' disciples would never be left alone and he wanted them to know that.

This comfort is still in place today. We have the Holy Spirit today just as Jesus' earlier disciples had. As such, just as the contemporaries of Jesus had nothing to worry about, we do not as well.

Certainly the Lord was aware of the potential the disciples had for feeling abandoned at his death, burial and ascension into heaven. Today, we look back two millenia and can feel a separation due to the time frame. Add to that, the difficulties the Lord warned us of as we abide in this age and his encouragement to his disciples of the day ring just as true for us today.

We have nothing to fear as we are not separated from the love of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and we never will be. We belong to a spiritual family that remains connected to heaven itself.

"Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 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.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:34-39.

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

The Designs of the Lord Are Strikingly Beautiful! - 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 heart and mind in John 13:14-15,

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."

At the evening meal at Passover, Jesus took the servant's task of washing his disciple's feet. In those days travel was usually accomplished by foot. Due to the sandals worn in the day, a person's feet would pick up the dust and dirt accumulated by the walk. It was the servant's chore to wash the feet of the family and their guests as they arrived. This menial task that a servant would normally perform was done by Jesus for his disciples. So lowly a chore, Peter initially refused the Lord. However, following Peter's protest, Jesus told him if he didn't wash him, Peter would have no part with him. (This being a reference to the task Jesus would perform for Peter, as well as the rest of us, to take the penalty of our own sins upon himself so that we might inherit eternal life.)

Jesus point was to express his desire, as well as his expectation, that his followers would serve one another. The driving force behind the concern is that the Lord had decided he would gift each one of us with abilities to meet the needs of one another. In this way believers would grow in unity and in community with one another, facilitating the Lord's purposes in each of our lives. Further, as a community of believers living in harmony with one another, a greater impact for the gospel enterprise would further the Lord's agenda for us all in this age as he builds his family for eternity. "I [Jesus] pray also for those who will believe in me through their [his disciple's] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." John 17:20-21. Unity in community is key to impacting the world for Jesus Christ and his message of redemption. "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:22-23.

No wonder the devil expends so much energy on keeping the church divided!

The gifts given us through the Holy Spirit that we are to serve one another with are mentioned in passages like "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.

The designs of the Lord are always a beautiful thing. A community of believers, loving one another and serving one another with a view toward building up that community as well as having an impact on the surrounding world for the Lord is simply breath-taking to consider. Who would not want to be a part of a movement like 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

Seeking Sinners - 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 heart and mind in John 12:32,

"And I [Jesus], when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."

As John says, "He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die." Verse 33. Jesus spoke here of his crucifixion. He made the statement that, following his crucifixion, he would "draw all people to myself." I note he did not say some people, but "all people". He did not say only a few from every demographic of mankind, but "all people."

Here is the incomprehensible love of God on display. Not only will Jesus Christ go to the cross willingly (even joyfully! See Hebrews 12:2) to take the penalty due us for our sins, he will draw all people to himself.

We know, unfortunately, that few will respond to the Lord's entreaty to us, "Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14. However, it won't be because he hasn't done all the heavy lifting. He died for us! Beyond that, he draws us to himself! Those who resist him do so due to their desire to cling to their sin. Note what Jesus told Nicodemus about this, John 3:19-20, "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."

Jesus Christ died on that miserable cross to pay the penalty for all of the sins of all people that have ever lived, "He [Jesus Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:2. And, it is his desire that all people come to him as he draws them, "God our Savior... wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3. Also, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

The Lord desires us! He has come to make a way for us, he has paid the penalty our sins bring us, and he draws us to himself! What a love this is!

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

The Son of God Dispels 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 heart and mind in John 11:10,

"It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light."

Here is the plight of all who live in this lost and fallen world - a darkness exists that causes people to stumble, to fall. Since the original sin of mankind in the garden of Eden, he has lived estranged from his Creator and has plunged into a spiritual darkness. It is this spiritual darkness that causes the people of the world to stumble.

However, Jesus has come as a light into this world! "... I am the light of the world." John 9:5.

Sin has caused mankind to struggle, to stumble, to falter. It is sin that has led to the ills of the world and the horrific treatment man gives to one another. It is sin that has brought God's condemnation of us and his judgment of us, see Revelation 21:8. The problems sin has brought to mankind have been the motivating force of mankind to seek relief in religion, in politics, in the diversions this world provides. Yet, there seems to be no end in sight of the condition man finds himself in. Crime, divorce, abortion, exploitation (politicians have really made a science out of exploitation), terrorism, lawlessness, all these things and so much more are those issues of stumbling man is vulnerable to. And, there is no relief in sight (pun intended).

Except... Jesus Christ has come into the world as a great light! A light to deliver us all from the darkness we stumble in. "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. The Son of God has come for us that we might be reunited with our Creator, that we might be delivered from this darkness.

For those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, a new dawn has risen in our hearts! The deceiving lies and misdirection the darkness of this world harbors has given way to the blinding and piercing light of the Son of God as he shines his light, his wisdom, into our 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!

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
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Who Took Jesus' Life? - 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 heart and mind in John 10:17-18,

"The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

How baffled I was when I first ever heard the accusation that Jews were "Jesus killers." Those dastardly Jews took Jesus' life! Of course the accusation was made by non-Jews for some kind of cover for their hatred of God's chosen people. The world hates God, hates what God does, hates what belongs to God and certainly hates (with startling viciousness!) God's people. I might mention that it is not only Jews the ill-informed unbelievers hate, but Christians as well. Just look at the fruit-loop characterization of Christians in the movies that come out of Hollywood.

My bafflement (is that really a word?) was due to the knowledge that it was an occupying Roman governor that had Jesus put to death. Yes, the Jews demanded it, but it was Gentiles who did the dirty work.

That was not the greatest cause for my incredulity, however. What mystified me the most was knowing that no one took Jesus life - he gave it. None of the gospels can be understood correctly without seeing Jesus himself manipulating people and the events that would take place on Calvary. Jesus came to die. I suspect in order to ensure there could be no accusation made by one group against another, Jesus arranged his death such that both Jew and Gentile would be implicated. Sinful mankind put the Son of God to death, however, he determined it would happen and arranged that it should take place exactly as it did.

Who actually put Jesus on the cross was you and me. We did it. Out of an incomprehensible love for us, Jesus determined to pay the penalty for our sins so that we could live an abundant eternal life with him. Hence, it was our sins that motivated the Son of God to come to earth to die a miserable death on that cross.

"For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2. No one took Jesus' life. He gave it... and he gave it joyfully!

"No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."

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
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Blindness! - Ruminating in the Word of Godf

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 heart and mind in John 9:2,

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

It was Jesus' disciples that asked this question of him. The
assumption they held, that only sin was a cause for sickness, disease
and infirmity, was faulty. Their question betrayed a blindness they
harbored about the things of God. This entire chapter is about
blindness, both spiritual as well as physical.

The chapter begins with Jesus' disciples exposing some of their
spiritual blindness to some of the things of God. The account of a man
born blind provides the basis of the chapter, and it ends on the
account of the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees. The chapter
closes with Jesus' comment to the Pharisees, "If you were blind, you
would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your
guilt remains." Verse 41.

When the gospel of Jesus Christ is given someone, the "blindness" they
may claim is taken from them. It might be advanced that someone might
not embrace the Son of God in faith if they never knew there was a
Savior to embrace. However, for those who have heard the gospel, what
Jesus told Nicodemus becomes true of them if they reject Jesus Christ,
"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. Many appear, as it
seems, to remain in their "spiritual blindness."

"For judgment I [Jesus] have come into this world, so that the blind
will see and those who see will become blind." John 9:39.

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

Can't See the Light! - 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 heart and mind in John 8:13,

"Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."

This is the response of the Pharisees to Jesus' claim to be the "light of the world."

How astonishing is the darkness mankind exists in! Here is mankind's Creator (see John 1:1-3), standing right in front of man, proclaiming the truth of things, and all man can do is sputter doubt about whatever it is his Creator has to say. Talk about darkness - what a spiritual darkness!

In speaking of the arrival of the Son of God to planet earth seven hundred years before hand, we read in Isaiah 9:2, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." Even though lost and fallen mankind, walking in darkness, has seen the brilliance of his Creator, he doesn't even know it. It is as if they are saying, "Prove it! - if you can't match my concept of what I consider "credible" then I reject you!" Totally incapable of perceiving anything of a spiritual nature. And, these were the "spiritual leaders" of the nation!

As Jesus Christ makes his claim to be the light of the world, unbelieving man proves his lost state in spiritual darkness (manifesting his need for that light), by being incapable of seeing it, understanding it, recognizing it, accepting it.

"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. And, they sure expressed their hatred of the Son of God, their very own Creator and proved their lost condition as they stumbled in the dark, just as so many do today!

How thankful I am the Lord has come into our world to be a light, to show us the way to eternal life, to give his life as a ransom for the very ones lost in the dark fog of sin as they exist separated from 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
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A Profound and Enigmatic Mystery! - 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 heart and mind in John 7:17,

"Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my [Jesus'] teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."

Here is a profound and enigmatic mystery: in order to grasp, to evaluate, to determine the significance, the worth and the divine origin of Jesus' teaching, one needs to make a choice. Not just any choice, but the choice to "do the will of God". To obey God, which for us is to respond to the demand of God's gospel message to us. In short, to embrace God in faith.

This mystery is a key in understanding any of the Scriptures, as all of them are, in fact, the teachings of the Son of God. Here is a real problem for the Biblical commentators who do not embrace Jesus Christ in faith, and yet who speak so authoritatively of the Scriptures. I'm speaking here of the groups of academics who deign to teach us that we really need to strip the miraculous from the Scriptures to understand our Bibles. The seminary professors who teach the Bible wasn't written by those who claimed to have written it. That the events, the prophecies never really took place, or that the historical timing of events were written to mislead us. Those who question the veracity, authenticity and reliability of the Scriptures. I'm speaking here of leaders of cults and the "cult-ish" who have bastardized the Scriptures to champion their odd-ball ideas.

It is no wonder one can go into the "Christian" bookstore and come out bewildered. So many, who I believe are motivated and energized by the dark forces in the spiritual realm, teach and write from a standpoint that clearly demonstrates the profound mystery Jesus spoke of in John 7:17.

Unbelievers who read someone else's mail always get it wrong!

How I thank God that, through the Holy Spirit, as we embrace Jesus Christ we have wisdom from the Spirit to grasp the teaching of Jesus Christ. "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... 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." 1 Corinthians 2:7-14.

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

The Intentional Son 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 heart and mind in John 6:15,

"Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself."

Why did the Son of God become the man Jesus Christ? Why did he, our Creator (see John 1:1-3), enter into his creation? Just exactly was the purpose of the life of Jesus Christ?

Did he come to heal people? Did he come to present a better way for folks to live? Did he come to be an example of the lifestyle we should all subscribe to? Did he come to initiate a new religion? Did he come as a moral teacher?. And, as is referenced in our verse above, did he come to establish himself as king over the nation of Israel?

Many of those things were accomplished by Jesus Christ prior to his ascension, his return to heaven. However, none of those things was his primary objective while here.

Why did Jesus withdraw to the seclusion of a mountain when he realized his followers wanted to "make him king by force"? The answer is very simple. The Son of God did not come to establish his throne over the nations from Jerusalem (but he will following the end of this age.) This he will do at his second coming.

Jesus Christ came to provide himself as a sacrifice of atonement to pay the penalty for everyone's sins. His activities, his miracles, his teaching, his movements, the decisions he made were all with a view toward offering himself on that miserable cross. While here he said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28.

Unless we understand this, we may find ourselves confused as to why Jesus made the choices he did while here. During his lifetime here he carefully and artfully manipulated the crowds, the leaders of the Jews, the dark spiritual forces present on earth, to accomplish and achieve his mission. Certainly he accomplished many things while here, but his primary mission was to die on that cross for you and for me. What love!

And, look at exactly what happened....

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
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Musing On the Miraculous - 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 heart and mind in John 6:19-20,

"When they [Jesus' disciples] had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.'"

The miracle of Jesus walking on water in John's gospel comes just following the account of his feeding thousands with five small barley loaves and two small fish. Following the telling of the miracle of him walking on water, John provides the dialog Jesus had with his disciples where he foretold of his ascension into heaven, "Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!" John 6:62. This was fulfilled in Acts 1:9-11, "After he [Jesus] said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" This event, of course took place following his resurrection from the dead.

Miracles. Many people struggle with the miraculous that we read of in the pages of Scripture. It may be helpful to point out the reason we call them miracles is because they don't happen every day. A miracle is something that takes place that violates the established laws of physics, etc. that govern the world we live in.

Our Creator established the physical laws of his creation to govern what he had made. Apart from these his handiwork would be incomplete and unable to function. However, when our God does anything, it is a work of perfection and the laws of physics govern our world (and the entire universe) in precisely that way. Because we live in this world governed by his design, there are things we do not expect to see, and when we do, we find it astonishing to the point where faith is required to deal with our perception of it, as well as our perspective on it.

Thousands cannot be fed to the full on five small barley loaves and two small fish. The human form cannot walk on water as God's law of specific gravity precludes it. A man cannot ascend up into clouds and on into another dimension called heaven as God's laws of gravity preclude it. Heaven itself is an issue of faith because our eyes here on earth cannot see it, hear it, sense it in any physical way.

The very nature of miracles requires an event that violates how our Creator has ordered his creation. However, the Creator himself is free to do whatever it is he wants, even if that means violating the very laws of his own creation while existing in human bodily form. Interestingly, John begins his gospel with the great statement of Jesus Christ, "the Word", the Son of God, as the Creator of all, "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." John 1:1-3.

Jesus selected certain times and circumstances to reveal his glory as the Creator while he was here two millenia ago. He performed a limited number of miracles in a very measured way to establish for all just who he is. (As an aside, this will be an issue on judgment day for all who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord.)

We should not fear the miraculous from our Creator. As we accept who Jesus Christ is, we might expect it. Everything about Jesus Christ is miraculous. God taking on human form, his virgin birth, his payment for our sins, everything about our Lord is miraculous!

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

God's Decision: Saved By Faith Alone! - 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 heart and mind in John 6:40,

"For my [Jesus'] Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

Here is God's election. He has decided that whoever places their faith in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life in the resurrection.

Nothing is said in the Scriptures that if we behave, if we "live like the angels", if we go to church every Sunday and give our 10% in tithes and offerings, that we will go to heaven. Nothing is said that if we join a certain church, if we talk in tongues, if we perform miracles, if we participate in mass or take that monthly communion, we will go to heaven. Nothing is said that if we get baptized or make it to the weekly prayer meeting, we will go to heaven. The issue is faith. Faith alone. If we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, we will inherit eternal life. This is the message of the Scriptures, from Genesis (see Genesis 15:6) to Revelation (see Revelation 14:12). Salvation comes by placing our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Period. Absolutely nothing else and there is nothing else to add to that.

"This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Romans 3:22. "For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." Romans 3:28. There is simply nothing to add to our faith when it comes to inheriting eternal life.

For the Lord's part, he has done all of the heavy lifting. Jesus Christ died on that miserable cross to pay the penalty for everyone's sins. In addition to that, he draws all to himself, "And I [Jesus], when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." John 12:32.

What remains for each of us is a choice we need to make. God has decided he wants all mankind to be saved, "God our Savior... wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4. All are invited. However, as our verse above points out, God only accepts those who believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

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