Worship For Today: August 2023

Thursday, August 31, 2023

The Magnificent Character and Nature of Jesus Christ - Ruminating in the Word of God

"By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you…"

The character and nature of our Lord Jesus Christ is full of "sights and sounds" so to speak. Like a symphony of character qualities that are just as varied and wonderful as all he has done and will do, his persona is breath-taking.

Paul here speaks of Jesus' "meekness and gentleness", elsewhere he speaks of his boundless love for us: "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God", Ephesians 3.

In another place we read of Jesus' vengeance and judgment, his fury and wrath: "He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty", Revelation 19.

We also read of his intolerance: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me", John 14.

Truly our Lord is magnificent and varied in his nature. These are just a small sampling of what we know of his character and nature - far beyond my comprehension to encompass.

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 reply and let me know.

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

God Is Delighted With Cheerful Givers - Ruminating in the Word of God

"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Over the years as a believer in Jesus Christ I have viewed God from differing perspectives, as I suspect most all of us have. He has been an authoritarian taskmaster, a mysterious divine mystic hard to understand, my divine "daddy" (you know, the "Abba" thing…) a loving friend and guide, the "doctor of life" with all the principles of how to live life successfully, and in more recent years a transcendent God of majestic splendor, pregnant with perfections of character that radiate his glory: someone to worship, adore and stand in fear, reverence and awe of.

So, I think this morning, what is God really like? Which is the real God? I suspect all of what I have seen in him over the years I've known him and much more as well. As I mature and change I see more of him and see him in differing ways. I'm sure anyone who reads this can attest to aspects they know of God, things they see in him that I have not yet, and can add to my list above. Our God is a big God and has many wonderful aspects to him that causes us to see him in a different light from time to time.

What catches my eye this morning is an aspect of God's nature that I find really fascinating, "God loves a cheerful giver." This just fascinates me, and in my limited understanding of him helps me to perceive him in a certain way. What we give God is an expression of worship and God loves a "cheerful giver". He loves us all as we know from John 3:16, but in our interactions with God, it is when we are cheerful is when he loves what we are doing for him. In Romans 12:1 we read that when we live our lives in a way that is pleasing to him it is a "spiritual act of worship". Paul goes on from that verse and tells us to be humble, honoring others above ourselves, to serve one another with the gifts God has given us, to love one another and to hate evil, etc. All these when done cheerfully must delight the heart of God.

From our verse this morning, I see that God loves it when our expressions to him come from a cheerful and happy heart. I think any parent can identify with God's perspective here. How much sweeter it is when our children do the things we ask of them – and they respond in a happy, cheerful way rather than in a begrudgingly reluctant obedience. Our cheerfulness communicates something special in our hearts and from my perspective I sense it delights God when we find our delight in him.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4.

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

God's Presence Always Brings Change - Ruminating in the Word of God

"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."

When folks embrace Jesus Christ in faith, change takes place within them. Here in this passage we learn from Paul that the believers in Macedonia gave of what they had to others in their need. He speaks of their rich generosity that welled up from "the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and extreme poverty".

While it may come as a surprise to some today to learn that the God who loves us, who sent us his Son as a ransom payment for our sin, can and may see fit to leave us in poor financial condition, it was just exactly this poor financial condition that made the Macedonian's gift that much more wonderful and a greater expression of love on their part. They gave to others out of their "extreme poverty".

What causes believers to do things like this? As we look around us today we still see the same love and desire to serve others as a dynamic that drives many within the church. My thoughts this morning go to the first letter of John. In it we read that this very compulsion to love, to give to and to serve others is an indication of God's presence in our lives, "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 4:7b-8. Why is this? Just a few verses later John says, "We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." 1 John 4:13. As a result we read, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him… We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:16b,19.

Here is an inescapable truth: God's presence always brings change. The wonderful love, kindness and compassion that is so visible in Jesus Christ manifests itself in our lives as we draw close to him.

Isn't that the most wonderful dynamic to behold in anyone's life?!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

"The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored by the human race." Psalm 12:8.

Monday, August 28, 2023

Got Joy? - Ruminating in the Word of God

"I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds."

Paul speaks of a boundless joy he experienced. Where did this joy come from? Certainly not from the absence of difficulty and troubles as he says it was in the very midst of those that his joy knew no bounds.

Joy seems to me to be a word we are all familiar with but use rarely, maybe it is just my imagination. Scripture has much to say about joy. In Romans 12:12 we are told to be joyful in hope – our great hope is in our coming resurrection. There should certainly be much cause for joy in that! We are told that the kingdom of heaven is not about a bunch of rules but about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Romans 14:17. The Thessalonian believers were commanded to be joyful always, 1 Thessalonians 5:16! Apparently if a believer could not find great joy in their new life in Jesus Christ it was an aberration. There is great joy within the Trinity: in quoting Psalm 45:6,7 the writer of Hebrews speaks of the Father anointing the Son with the "oil of joy", Hebrews 1:9. We are told that Jesus Christ endured the cross "for the joy set before him", Hebrews 12:2. Angels gather in joyful assembly, Hebrews 12:22!

Paul told these Corinthian believers that he worked with them for their joy as an outcome, 2 Corinthians 1:24. He says the same thing to the Philippian believers, Philippians 1:26. He desired they would share in his joy, 2 Corinthians 2:3. The Macedonian believers found themselves overflowing with joy as a result of the ministry of the gospel through Paul, 2 Corinthians 8:2. Paul found great joy in the Thessalonian believers, 1 Thessalonians 2:20, 3:9 because of what God had done in their lives. In times of great trials and tribulations the Hebrew believers were joyful even when their property was confiscated, Hebrews 10:34! James tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we face "trials of many kinds", James 1:2. Peter tells us that because of our belief in Jesus Christ we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 1 Peter 1:8!

We learn that joy ultimately has its origin in, and comes to us through, the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22. As we come near to God, he comes near to us and the Holy Spirit bears fruit in our lives, among which joy is prominent. As I think of the future we have in Jesus Christ, life in the resurrection, how can I not be joyful? What a wonderful God we have who has given us all we need to be the most joyful folks this world has ever known!

Friday, August 25, 2023

We Serve a God of Integrity! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16,

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'"

Here in this exhortation to not be "yoked" together with unbelievers is an underlying aspect of God's nature which underscores his pristine character. Our God is thoroughly consistent. He never wavers, he has no shadow of shifting. He is straightforward.

We live in a world where often men will take a stand on something, only for us to find later they have compromised themselves personally on the issue. Politicians fail to follow through on campaign promises, pastors and priests preach against immorality and are caught themselves in adultery, immorality or some form of perversion. Environmentalists preach to the rest of us only to drive home in their own gas-guzzling and polluting SUV or limousine. People on the take, people one way today - another way tomorrow.

But not our God! He is integrity personified. He does not entertain any sort of sin, wickedness or anything else contrary to his own character and nature. As we consider that believers are members of God's family, that his Holy Spirit has come to dwell within us, that the righteousness that is now imbued to believers is that of God himself, that God keeps company with believers ("I will live with them and walk among them…") it is no wonder he tells the godly to not yoke themselves together with the ungodly.

Compromise does not engender respect. Wavering does not produce followers. This I feel is due to the hunger we have as individuals for our Creator who does not compromise or waver in any sort of way. How refreshing to come to know him! How fulfilling it is to build a relationship with one whose pristine character exceeds any and all expectations!

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 reply and let me know.

Thursday, August 24, 2023

The Great Assurance! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and
majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 5:4-5,

"For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we
do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our
heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has
given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."

We as humans have a level of self-awareness that exceeds anything else
in God's creation. With it we worry and fret. We make our plans. We
pick our priorities. We think back on choices we made and hope for the
best as we contemplate our future. Possibly within the stronger
elements of our self-awareness is the concern we have for our health
and our looming physical death. How far off will that certainty be?

Within that milieu is something Paul points to. "For while we are in
this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be
unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so
that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." We all think about
that time when we will leave our current physical bodies behind to be
"clothed... with our heavenly dwelling."

In a wonderful promise to us, Paul points out that God has made us for
this very thing! "Now the one who has fashioned us for this very
purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing
what is to come."

God knows us well and he knows of the need we have for assurance that
his promise of eternal life is headed our way. He has given us the
indwelling Holy Spirit as his guarantee to us of what is to come! In
Romans 8:11 Paul says, "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."

Earlier in this letter Paul pointed out, "Now it is God who makes both
us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of
ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. This is a
reality Paul pointed to in Ephesians 1:13-14, "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, who is a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to
the praise of his glory.".

The writer of Hebrews points out a wonderful reality in regard to our
groaning "in this tent", "Because God wanted to make the unchanging
nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he
confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable
things [his promise and his oath] in which it is impossible for God to
lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be
greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm
and secure." Hebrews 6:17-19.

God knows us well. And, while we should never doubt him, he
nevertheless provides us great assurance of his promise to us of
eternal life in heaven with 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 reply
and let me know.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

The Radiance of God's Glory In The Face of Jesus Christ!- Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 4:6,

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ."

In what is a most lofty, and heavenly/other-worldly chapter, Paul speaks of the manner in which he has comported himself in his ministry. He says "we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God", verse 2.

Contributing to this, in a reference to what God said in Genesis 1:3, Paul points to the amazing reality of something God had done. He had made the glorious radiance of his light shine in the hearts of Paul and those ministering with him! Paul explains that this gave them "the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." Breathtaking!

God's glory displayed in the face of Jesus Christ! This reminds me of what we read in John 1:1-3, "In the beginning was the Word [the Son of God, Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Specifically, that light is the radiance of God himself displayed in Jesus Christ. "The Son [Jesus Christ] is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3. Here in 2 Corinthians 4 Paul claims that the light of the knowledge of God's glory is displayed in the face of Christ! And, in verse 4 Paul refers to "... the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

God does exist in a radiant splendor of glory that is truly majestic! It is of such a nature that we mortals, in this life, cannot bear to witness it. As God told Moses when he asked God to display his glory to him, he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live", Exodus 33:20. As Paul told Timothy, "... God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see." 1 Timothy 6:15-16.

These are remarkable realities and our consideration of them helps us conceive what we have and who we have in 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 reply and let me know.

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

The Lord Frees Us! - Ruminating in the Word of God

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

In this passage Paul speaks of a "veil" that shrouds the minds of those who do not turn to the Lord. Their minds and hearts are not free to see, to behold the Lord in his glory and be transformed into his likeness, bringing spiritual health, growth and vitality.

But those who do turn to the Lord gain freedom! Spiritual freedom that allows them to see and perceive that which was imperceptible to them before. He says "whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away", 2 Corinthians 3:16. I am reminded of the differing spiritual conditions Paul spoke of in his letter to the Romans. In that letter he says, "Thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:17-18.

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." How wonderful our loving heavenly Father looked down on us in his kindness and compassion! He freed us from our enslavement to sin: "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." He has removed the blinders, the "veil", that have prevented us from beholding the Lord in his glory, from seeing and perceiving spiritual realities and freeing us to be transformed into his likeness! What a Lord!

Monday, August 21, 2023

Jesus Christ Brings Life! - Ruminating in the Word of God

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life."

I find that phrase "we are… the fragrance of life" a beautiful expression pregnant with wonder and truth. In its refreshing turn of words I am reminded that we are connected in very intimate fashion with the creator of all life. "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." John 1:4.

While here on planet earth Jesus said, "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself", John 5:26. And he gives life to those whom he has chosen. The ones he has chosen are all who will embrace him in faith. "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40.

It is Jesus Christ who imparts life eternal and abundant, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12. He claimed of himself, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.

It is our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ who brings life! "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2. The touch of Jesus Christ is a life-giving touch! He brings life and vigor and health! He brings fruitfulness and refreshment! He brings energy and generation!

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26.

As Jesus Christ prayed to his Father, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him." John 17:1-2. Today I worship my life-giving Savior - the One who brings life: full, abundant and eternal!!

Friday, August 18, 2023

God Comforts Us As He Disciplines Us - Ruminating in the Word of God

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."

In the pages of Scripture we find that those whom God loves, he takes through hardships. "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. Jesus Christ said, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." Revelation 3:19.

And as the writer of Hebrews says, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, 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." Hebrews 12:7-11.

The hardships the Lord takes us through are designed for our benefit, for our growth. As the Hebrews passage says, "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." In our passage in 2 Corinthians, we see the Apostle Paul's team was not without need of this process. He acknowledges the purpose of the hardships they encountered in Asia, the discipline of the Lord they endured, was that they might not rely on themselves but on God.

The discipline of the Lord comes not without its reward. We learn from it, we grow from it, we mature from it, and we are shaped into the likeness of Jesus Christ through it. And there is something else here in this passage. Paul speaks of special comfort that comes from God accompanying his discipline. As a loving responsible parent ensures a disciplined child receives comfort and encouragement along with discipline so our God does with us. Paul and his companions suffered hardships in the province of Asia to learn reliance on God and together with that they received comfort from God in their troubles. He says God "comforts us in all our troubles", calling God the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort!

Today I worship our "Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles"!

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Love Within the Fellowship - Ruminating in the Word of God

"The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss."

The warmth of fellowship glows as Paul closes his letter to the church in Corinth. In this letter he has had to take this church to task for the fracturing of fellowship they were beginning to experience. As Paul extends personal greetings, though, the intimacy of fellowship is clearly felt. Aquila and Prisca (Priscilla) greet the members of this church "warmly". The church that meets at their home (I think the best place for churches to meet) does so as well. Paul encourages these believers to greet one another "with a holy kiss", something no longer practiced in today's church (although the believers were encouraged to do so no less than five times by both Paul and Peter in the New Testament.)

There is something very special about the fellowship of believers within the church. As believers we share a common excitement concerning what is to come. We also share in a common gratitude for all that our matchless Savior has done for us. We all share in a common purpose of furthering the gospel message as the Lord populates his kingdom. Most of all, however, is that we all share in a mystical experiential reality that no one else on planet earth does: we are all indwelt with God's Holy Spirit. We are told that God is love in 1 John 4, and in Paul's letter to the Galatian churches he tells us that the Holy Spirit bears fruit in our lives, one of which being love. We all share in this love for one another. Paul speaks of the importance of this love in the thirteenth chapter of this letter. In Jesus' own prayer, in John 17, he points to this intimacy of fellowship believers will have for one another and with God, and how this intimacy will demonstrate to the world that God the Father had sent Jesus into the world, that they may believe. Read this wonderful part of Jesus prayer,

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

Only within the fellowship of true believers will this intimacy of love for one another be found. What a wonderful community to belong to!

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

The Gospel: Jesus Died For Our Sins and Was Raised From Death! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5,

"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that 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, [Peter] and then to the Twelve..."

Here Paul provides the unadulterated simple gospel message: "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day...". He points out this happened according to the Scriptures. It was foretold.

This message, the gospel message, is the most powerful message among all mankind. Paul says, "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. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" Romans 1:16-17. Our embrace of the gospel message by faith imbues us with the righteousness of God!

Earlier in this letter Paul pointed out to his readers, "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. He also told his readers in Thessalonica, "... our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." 1 Thessalonians 1:5.

Surely that power is embedded in the observation Paul makes in Romans 10:17, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message [the gospel], and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Our faith manifests itself when we embrace the gospel (when we embrace Jesus Christ!) in faith.

All kinds of people have all kinds of ideas about how to enter God's family. All kinds of people have all kinds of ideas about how to evangelize others. Paul points to the simplicity of the gospel message he took to the world. We don't have to be theological experts, we don't have to be trained in argumentation and apologetics to share the simple gospel message. All we need to do is to share it, and those who have a desire to embrace Jesus Christ will respond. Others will cling to their sin.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023

God Goes to Great Lengths to Reach Out to Us! - Ruminating in the Word of God

"In the Law it is written: 'Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me,' says the Lord."

Paul quotes this verse from Isaiah 28 where God tells rebellious Judah he will talk to them with "foreign lips and strange tongues". It reminds me quite a bit of another quote from the Old Testament by Paul in Romans 10:21, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

As I think of the lengths our Heavenly Father has gone to get our attention, to stop us in the midst of our activity to communicate to us, it causes me think of his kindness, his patience and the tenacity of his love for us.

In his desire to catch our attention, he even supernaturally enables some to speak in languages they don't know. He wants people to know he is at work. He wants people to know that the gospel message is authentic. He wants to catch our attention, our focus.

Surely this is a God who loves mankind. Surely this is a God who goes to lengths beyond any expectation to gain an audience with us! Imagine that! The Creator of the Cosmos seeking our attention, seeking an audience with us!

Monday, August 14, 2023

Love is a fruit the Holy Spirit brings to our lives! - Ruminating in the Word of God

"If I … have not love, I am nothing… Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Love is a beautiful thing. We are drawn to those who love. I suspect it is because love is such a central aspect of God's nature. John tells us that God is love, 1 John 4:16. When we love we emulate the very nature of God.

Since Paul tells us that our experiential life in Jesus Christ should be one of love and that lack of love makes most everything else of little value, how important is love in our lives!

But just how do I grow in love? Where do I go to get it? Is it something I can gin up myself? Can I go fetch it at a seminar, discover it at some new church somewhere, read a book about it? Do I start my day by telling myself, "Today, I will be patient, kind, humble, I will not be rude or self-seeking, etc… and therefore loving?"

I am told that love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, not the fruit of our attempts to change ourselves. The Holy Spirit changes us from within and that change is manifested by love and other wonderful things. What if I don't see a level of love in my life that should be there? I take that as a barometric reading that I need to come near to God: as I do so, he comes near to me, James 4:8.

God changes us within as we draw close to him. Many of us have seen this in our own lives - and sometimes much to our surprise! As we encourage one another to spend time with the Lord in his word, reading, meditating, memorizing, as we spend time with the Lord in prayer, as we spend time enjoying him, drawing close to him, sharing our lives with those who are his, he manifests those wonderful things in our lives: things like love, joy, peace, etc.

What kind of God does that?!

Friday, August 11, 2023

The Intentionality of the Scriptures - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 12:1,

"Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed."

Paul clearly felt the need to inform his readers about the gifts of the Spirit. These gifts come from God and, as an apostle, he was urged by God to explain the workings of the Holy Spirit and how those workings play out in the lives of believers. What he said to the church in Corinth is just as applicable to us.

"I do not want you to be uninformed." For me, this is not just a "throw-away" verse. I find it vital and of utmost importance. Had Paul not written about these things, and all the things all the writers of Scripture wrote about, we would be in the dark on the many things of God, who and what he is like, what he does, what he expects of us, and, most importantly, how we can enter into his family.

Many of us make our claims about the Scriptures: that they are fully and verbally inspired by God, that they are infallible in the original autographs and that they, and they alone, are the final authority for all faith and practice (since they originate from God himself). One aspect of Scripture, assumed, but not mentioned often, is the intentionality of the Scriptures. Intentional in two senses: God, in his wisdom intended they be written for us, and God, in his expectations of us, intends we know them and live our lives accordingly.

Here are some passages to consider in regard to the intentionality of the Scriptures:

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come." 1 Corinthians 10:11.

"We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:19-21.

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4.

So many, many passages speak to the intentionality of the Scriptures! How incumbent upon me to read, study, memorize, and to ruminate in them!

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

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 reply and let me know.