God Determines What Is Acceptable - 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 James 1:27,

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

In his rebellious nature, man feels the freedom to define and promote "religion" as he sees fit. With a streak of arrogant pride, we often feel it our prerogative to determine what God should find acceptable in the way we live our lives, that is, our religion, and the manner in which we worship him. A cursory review of the differing religions of the world painfully illustrates just how true this is. 

Even within the community of folks who call themselves "Christians", there are so many differences, and irreconcilable ones at that, it makes this point inescapable. How clear it is when the forces of evil influence our culture to accept abortion, homosexuality and gender denial and then so many churches dutifully follow suit.  

James has a different perspective of God. God will not be dictated to. He will not be subjected to the whims of mankind. God determines what an acceptable lifestyle is. God determines which religious activity it is that is pure and faultless and informs us of it here. He determines how he will be worshipped acceptably.

God is the objective reality. He exists and we are merely his creation. It is simply foolish to invent our own perspectives of God, our own path to God, our definition of what pleases him and how a spiritual life is to be lived. As the writer of Hebrews says, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"

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!

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Encountering the Unexpected - 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 JHebrews 13:1-2,

"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

This wonderful snippet of Scripture captures our imagination and our sense of enchanted interest and excitement. How is it there have been believers who have provided hospitality for angels and didn't know it at the time? Possibly they fed them and put them up for the night and sent them on their way as those who shared in the early work of the ministry.

Here we have an acknowledgment that certain messengers have come from God himself and have made themselves available to be served by us believers in acts of love. Just fascinating to contemplate, isn't it? In so many different ways we are told that God injects himself in our lives. Does it still happen today? Does God send angels, his messengers to us and through us to accomplish what he desires? I am of the persuasion he still does. I confess I don't have any inside information on it but I know of no reason why it wouldn't be the case.

But there is something here in this passage I see that far surpasses the intriguing possibility we might encounter angels in our lives from time to time. It demonstrates a greater and mightier presence of God in our lives and in the world than the chance we might have an encounter with angels. That "something" is the exhortation to "keep on loving each other as brothers."

The grounds for this exhortation to love one another as brothers lies in the reality that we have been equipped by God himself to do so. In the benediction/doxology at the end of this letter, later in this chapter, the writer of Hebrews says, "May the God of peace… that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21.

This benediction, "May the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will" points to the reality that God does this in our lives. He equips us. Sometimes we get the notion we can equip ourselves, but the truth is that the Holy Spirit bears this fruit in our lives as something he does as we come near him (see James 4:8). Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that the Holy Spirit bears the following qualities in our lives, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." This is where our enablement comes from to love one another. He changes cold hard hearts from within!

More astonishing and surprising than having an encounter with an angel is having an encounter with a change that has taken place within us! We often surprise ourselves and think (and probably more so of ourselves than others – because we know ourselves so well) "now where did that come from?!"

How wonderful and intriguing is that?! If God be anything, he certainly is wonderful and intriguing!

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!

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Jesus Christ: A Most Fulfilling Passion! - 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 Hebrews 12:2-3,

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Who is it, what do I see, when I fix my eyes on Jesus? What comes to my mind as I consider him? The writer of Hebrews calls him "the author and perfecter of our faith", the one who endured opposition from sinful men.

I suspect we all have much we can say here. For Jesus Christ to be the "author and perfecter" of our faith speaks to me of one who has such a care and love in his heart for us, it is beyond measure. In that he was willing to endure the opposition we ourselves, as a race, expressed toward him, says much about that "beyond measure" quality of the care and loving kindness he has toward us. As I think of mankind, our progenitors, those from whom we spring and from whom we inherited our proclivity to sin, what kind of a heart is it that is willing to suffer for the very ones that have scorned, rejected and rebelled against him? Surely, count me as one of them. And yet, as a sinner and one who deserves his wrath, he goes to the cross for me!

Jesus Christ is the one who has touched my heart in a way none other can. He has lavished his love, his kindness, his mercy, his forgiveness on me! How do I respond to a heart like his that does this? He is the one who reached out to me, he is the one who equipped others to share his invitation with me and he is the one who provided an opportunity for me to hear of him, provided an opportunity for me to accept his invitation! How do I respond to one who embraced the cross with the joy set before him, knowing I was his prize, that each of us are?

Jesus Christ! He is the one who has reached out and touched me in his boundless love! He is the one I find truth in! He is the one beauty is found in! He is the one who displays matchless perfections of character! He is the one who draws my heart, breathtaking, the one to pursue as no other, the one not to allow any interference in the pursuit of…

If there be any passion in the world, there is no passion that will be more greatly rewarded, more greatly satisfying, bring the greatest thrill, in all we can embrace as creatures than that which has as its prize our wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! A lot to consider when asked to "consider 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!

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God Asks for Faith - 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 Hebrews 11:6,

"… without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

As I think of all the things God might have asked of us to please him, how astonishing it is that it is faith and faith alone he asks of us.

He might have asked us to expend our lives in the service of others like Mother Teresa. He might have asked us to be completely without sin. He might have asked us to contribute to the welfare of others in some way, he might have asked us to give away everything we own. He might have asked us to live an ascetic lifestyle, he might have asked us to eat a certain diet. He might have asked us to perform in all kinds of ways… but he has not asked any of these of us to be counted as his children. He has asked us to embrace him in faith. John 1:12 tells us that as many as received him, to those who believe in his name he has given the right to be called children of God! As his children we may be asked to express that faith in many different ways, including some of the above – but only as his children… but not to become his child.

In Romans 9 Paul begins the chapter by telling us that God has the prerogative to choose whom and what he wants. Paul points to Isaac, Jacob and Pharaoh as examples of when God has exercised his prerogative to choose. Paul finishes up that chapter by informing us that the people God has chosen for himself are those who will embrace him in faith. He puts it this way in Romans 9:30-33,

"What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the 'stumbling stone.' As it is written:
   'See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
      and a rock that makes them fall,
   and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'"

As I think of it this morning, I am reminded that the power of the gospel message can be found in that all who hear and can understand the message can greet it with faith. I don't have to join this group, adhere to that theology, perform this service or qualify in some other way. Jesus Christ did it all and all he asks is that we embrace him in the faith Abraham modeled for us.

As we are told in Romans 4:18-24, "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations… he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."

How wonderful my status as a child of God came not from my performance, but from what Jesus Christ did for me. Had it depended on my performance, I would have never made it into his family.

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!

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Jesus Christ Is Headed Our Way! - 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 Hebrews 10:37,

"For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and will not delay.'"

The writer of Hebrews anticipated an imminent return of Jesus Christ. "For in just a very little while…" We see this outlook in a few other passages in the New Testament. The first century church, which which was guided and cared for by the original apostles themselves looked for a very near-term return of our resurrected and ascended Lord.

Mistaken? I think not. Although today is a couple millennia later and the Lord has still not returned, my perspective is that the Lord wants each of us to feel that sense of imminence in our hearts. For each one of us he is not far away. But the world will witness a very dramatic and traumatic earth-shaking return of the Lord. Far from the quiet entrance Jesus made in Bethlehem years ago, the two men who appeared with the disciples when Jesus was taken up into the clouds before their eyes said, "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." Acts 1:11.

Indeed, it will be heralded earth-wide, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God…", 1 Thessalonians 4:16. When this takes place all we know of this world is going to change.

We all have different perspectives on this world we live in today. At times we may see life in this world a wonderful opportunity to experience all God has created us for. A world full of beauty and fascination. At other times we may see a world that is corrupt and vile, populated by people who elbow others out of the way as they seize what they can for themselves. No matter what our perspective is on this world, it is a world that exists under God's condemnation and judgment. A world that will reap the inevitable consequence of sin that has corrupted the original design of its creator. This world has a shelf-life that is quickly approaching its expiration date. Like a huge massive freight train that has already left the station, the world as we know it has a scheduled unstoppable arrival headed its way: God's judgment.

Peter's perspective is given this way, "First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, 'Where is this "coming" he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.' But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." 2 Peter 3:3-10.

We all need to buckle-up and get prepared for a wild ride! Our Lord Jesus Christ is headed our way!

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!

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The Blood of Christ: A Most Amazing Cleansing Agent! - 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 Hebrews 9:22,

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

Were I to spill some of my award-winning puttanesca (the award it won was one I bestowed on it myself) on the floor and Lois caught me cleaning it up with blood, I'd have some 'splaining (as Ricky Ricardo would say…) to do. Blood is not the best cleaning agent when addressing a spill. So, why exactly is it that nearly everything needs to be cleansed with blood as the writer of Hebrews tells us?

Our world, each one of us, is stained with sin and the guilt of it. In Romans 3:23 we read that all have sinned. We all come into this life with a sin nature, a proclivity to sin that we have inherited from our progenitors, Adam and Eve. When they were placed in the Garden of Eden they were given fair warning: if they sinned it would bring death.  

Since sin and its consequence, death, came to us through Adam, our loving heavenly Father reached out to us in his boundless kindness and mercy by providing the death of his Son on our behalf so that we might not have to experience that terrible and tragic consequence of eternal death. The writer of Hebrews tells us a few verses later, 9:28, "… so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people…" Only one who had lived a sinless life would have the "currency" to make payment for others. Jesus paid for our sins by the sacrifice of himself! Only through the application of his blood can the stain of sin be removed from any of us! And his sacrifice is so far reaching it is all that is needed for all of us to be cleansed thoroughly, completely!

This theme is seen in Revelation 7:15 where we read, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Here is the ultimate theme of personal worship for me! God's full love, kindness and mercy are on full display in the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ for me, for all of us! Is there any other need we have to find ourselves in awe, fascination, love and adoration of our God? How can I not express that love and adoration to this wonderful God of ours?

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!

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God Saves Us Perfectly! - 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 Hebrews 8:7-9,

"For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: 'The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.'"

As I read what the writer of Hebrews says about the first covenant, that there was something "wrong" with it, I take it to mean that it was not effective. It didn't provide a means for resolving the problem of the wickedness and sin in the hearts of mankind. Our estrangement from God would never be resolved through the law, the first covenant. A covenant or agreement requires at least two parties and terms. Nothing wrong with the first party, God, and nothing wrong with the terms: they had been established by God and represented his character and nature. The ineffectiveness of the first covenant lay in the performance of the second party, mankind. "God found fault with the people…" When presented with an agreement that if we would but live our lives consistent with God's character to participate in his family, we fail. We have given ourselves over to another nature that prevents us from living up to God's character and nature: we all possess a sin nature, a proclivity to act in ungodly ways at times.

Our God is a God of perfections. Whatever it is that God sets his heart to do he does perfectly. He established the law, the first covenant to show us the big difference. God is one way; we have drifted off in another, into sin and rebellion. The first covenant was established by God to show us this difference and make it clear to us we have a great need: one that only could be resolved by God. He then establishes the second or new covenant. With this one he says he will change us from within. He will change our minds and hearts. He says, "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Hebrews 8:10.

Here is what I appreciate about our God so much this morning. He is a God of perfections. He is a God who does things that take the concept of effectiveness beyond any measure. He is able to save us completely, make us members of his family beyond any issue, question or doubt. He saves perfectly! Pretty wonderful in my mind!

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

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A Better Hope: Faith, Not Performance - 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 Hebrews 7:18-19,

"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God."

In these verses we read that the "former regulation", the old covenant, was "weak and useless". In Hebrews 8:8 we read it was so because "God found fault with the people". We can't be good enough, we can't perform at a level where we can earn God's acceptance.

But as I read this passage I find something to take great joy and excitement in. "A better hope is introduced"! We no longer draw near to God by living our lives on a performance basis, by keeping the law. Paul tells us in Romans 3:21-25a,  

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood."

Any of us can place our faith in God! It is not based on our ability to earn anything. How wonderful our God has chosen those who will embrace him in faith!!

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

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God Remembers Our Work for Him! - 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 Hebrews 6:10,

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them."

Our Savior set aside the amenities that accompany his exalted position as a member of the godhead: God the Son. He did this so that sinful and fallen mankind might have an opportunity to be restored from God's own horrific judgment. As God, he became a man by entering the human race, lived in this cursed world and purchased us from his own judgment by dying a miserable death on our behalf. He only asks of us that we embrace him in the faith Abraham modeled so long ago. I mention these things as a way of illustrating for myself the wonder of God's character.

As our Lord has done these things… is there anything too big he should expect from me in return? He reached out to us in his boundless love for us, expressing a kindness and mercy toward us that we did not deserve in our rebellion and rejection of him as a race of people. He has communicated his heart to us in the pages of Scripture, filled our hearts with his Holy Spirit as a comforting and energizing force in our lives who produces wonderful things within each of us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. He has provided us wonderful brothers and sisters in the faith who administer God's grace towards us in its various forms. He provides us his ear as he invites us to bring our cares and concerns to him in prayer.

All these things our loving God has done for us. What should I think he expects from me in return? Even if I gave all he has blessed me with, even if I gave my life for him - wouldn't that just be expected? And yet from this verse in Hebrews 6:10, I learn that whatever I do to help his people, he will remember! Even with all our wonderful Savior has done for us, what work and love I have shown him, he remembers! In addition to all of the other matchless perfections of our wonderful God, our God is a God of appreciation! He remembers!

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!

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Jesus Christ Suffered for Us! - 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 Hebrews 5:7-10,

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek."

As we read of the theological discussions that took place in the very early church we find that one of the big issues of the day was a discussion over whether Jesus Christ was human or not. Did he really have a body or did he only seem to have one. His deity wasn't questioned, but was he really human? We get something of the feel for it in John's first letter where he says, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us." 1 John 1:1-3a.

John appears to argue against those false teachers who taught that the Son of God really did not take on humanity with a physical body, etc. but only appeared to do so. The issue of our day regarding the nature of Jesus Christ is just the opposite. The false teachers of our day often acknowledge that Jesus Christ was human, an "historical figure" but doubt his deity. He was a man but certainly not God. The truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man all in one person at the same time. I remember from my college days the theological phrase describing Jesus Christ as the "theo-anthropic man in hypostatic union". Now there is a phrase to throw around at your next barbeque!

While the current false teaching will lead to certain damnation, I find the earlier false teaching particularly offensive. It shrugs off the notion that Jesus Christ as God the Son did not suffer. It nullifies the appreciation for all our wonderful Savior endured on our behalf. As I read this passage in Hebrews 5, I am reminded that Jesus Christ struggled for us. It is one thing to see someone who is impervious to pain, suffering, sorrow and anguish do things for us. "No sweat." It is quite another to see someone endure that very pain, suffering, sorrow and anguish in their effort to rescue us. It displays a love, a compassion that transcends our understanding and leads us to an inexorable and inevitable passion to worship him for all he has done for us. How can I not feel the strings of my heart tugged in a big way as I read of his cries and tears, his suffering, his anguish and pain: all endured on my behalf to save me from God's own judgment for the sin and rebellion in my life? What love and what giving our Lord has provided 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 reply and let me know.