The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:29,
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to
believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going
through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still
have."
Not only have we been given opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ
through the gospel message, we have also been given the opportunity to
suffer for him. This is not a message that is heard in all quarters of
the church today. Prospective believers are told they can experience
God's perfect plan for their lives, they are told they can escape the
difficulties of this life, they can experience what can only be
thought of as a blissful life in a peace that transcends all
understanding, Philippians 4:7. Some are even told they can experience
financial blessings and good health if they place their faith in Jesus
Christ - an escape from whatever seems to be troubling.
Paul points to a different experience here for believers. He speaks of
suffering "for him [Christ]." Certainly, many blessings come to those
who embrace Jesus Christ in faith. This is the same letter where Paul
tells us we can in fact have our hearts and minds guarded by the peace
of God - a peace that does transcend our understanding. But
nevertheless, there is suffering that accompanies our salvation. A
suffering with purpose and a suffering managed carefully by our God
who loves us so much that he gave his Son to suffer an horrific death
on that cross to secure our right standing in his court.
The immediate suffering in the occasion of Paul's Philippian letter
was his imprisonment. He says it was to "advance the gospel."
Philippians 1:12. His imprisonment had lead to an impact on the "whole
palace guard and to everyone else". As such he was in chains for
Christ, 1:13. Later in this letter, Paul points to the suffering of
Epaphroditus, the man the Philippian church sent to care for Paul's
needs while imprisoned. Epaphroditus almost died, risking his life
"for the work of Christ." 2:30.
We read of other purposes suffering plays in the lives of believers.
Paul says, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because
we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character;
and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's
love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who
has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5. Suffering plays an important role
in our spiritual maturity. Paul also speaks of the reality of
suffering in the lives of believers in Romans 8:17-18, "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. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
James reminds his readers of the example of the prophets when faced
with suffering, "Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in
the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the
Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You
have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally
brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James
5:10-11. Peter points to suffering as that which proves faith, "In all
this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that
the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which
perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and
honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7.
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Paul tells us of a wonderful outcome of the
suffering God has designed for us, "Praise be to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort
those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also
our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for
your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your
comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same
sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know
that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our
comfort." Our suffering equips us to bring comfort to others.
Paul tells us of the suffering those in the early church experienced,
"For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God's churches in
Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people
the same things those churches suffered from the Jews who killed the
Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out." 1 Thessalonians
2:14-15. The writer of Hebrews speaks of the suffering of his readers,
"Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when
you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were
publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood
side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with
those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your
property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting
possessions."
I'd like to think I have suffered for the cause of Jesus Christ on
occasion. While I'm sure that has happened, I suspect what suffering I
have experienced has often been at the cause of my own
thick-headedness. We might call that suffering for "other than the
cause of Christ." But when it comes to real legitimate suffering for
the cause of Christ, I am persuaded of Paul's words, "I consider that
our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that
will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18. Of this I am greatly excited!
Contemplating what I am willingly eager to suffer in behalf of Jesus
Christ establishes my own measure of his worth to me.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Am I looking to God's purposes or my own? - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 2:12-13,
"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my
presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to
will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Paul tells us to "work out" our salvation, and that with fear and
trembling. He tells us it is God who works in us to make decisions and
take actions to fulfill his own purposes.
How different from today! Over the years I have heard many prayers
express something different from what Paul presents us here. Many of
those prayers have been uttered by me! They have tended to be requests
asking God to take up my agenda rather than I take up his. "Oh,
Lord...", please make this or that happen. Help me get this or
accomplish that. Prayer requests where we seek God to help us fulfill
our own purposes, to help us achieve our own agenda. Prayer requests
where we seek God to be on our side.
But Paul tell us God has his own purposes, his own agenda. Perhaps a
better prayer request on my part might have been to ask God for
strength and resolve to help fulfill his own purposes, his own agenda,
that I be found on his side, helping the cause of what he seeks to do.
The working out of our salvation, our part, is to "will and to act in
order to fulfill his [God's] good purpose."
So, what might be the purposes of God? We certainly know that God's
ultimate purpose in this life is to build his kingdom. Life exists
today to create people and reach them with the gospel. God is building
his kingdom and that project will continue until the Lord returns for
those who are his and sets up a new order of things.
Here are several passages that speak to God's purposes:
"He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything
we have done but because of his own purpose and grace." 2 Timothy 1:9.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.
With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of
his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring
unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we
were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might
be for the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:7-12.
"[God] wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the
truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind,
the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this
purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the
truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the
Gentiles." 1 Timothy 2:4-7.
The purposes of God are wonderful. He asks we work out our salvation,
as he works in us, to make choices and act in ways that accomplish
these in our lives.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 2:12-13,
"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my
presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to
will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Paul tells us to "work out" our salvation, and that with fear and
trembling. He tells us it is God who works in us to make decisions and
take actions to fulfill his own purposes.
How different from today! Over the years I have heard many prayers
express something different from what Paul presents us here. Many of
those prayers have been uttered by me! They have tended to be requests
asking God to take up my agenda rather than I take up his. "Oh,
Lord...", please make this or that happen. Help me get this or
accomplish that. Prayer requests where we seek God to help us fulfill
our own purposes, to help us achieve our own agenda. Prayer requests
where we seek God to be on our side.
But Paul tell us God has his own purposes, his own agenda. Perhaps a
better prayer request on my part might have been to ask God for
strength and resolve to help fulfill his own purposes, his own agenda,
that I be found on his side, helping the cause of what he seeks to do.
The working out of our salvation, our part, is to "will and to act in
order to fulfill his [God's] good purpose."
So, what might be the purposes of God? We certainly know that God's
ultimate purpose in this life is to build his kingdom. Life exists
today to create people and reach them with the gospel. God is building
his kingdom and that project will continue until the Lord returns for
those who are his and sets up a new order of things.
Here are several passages that speak to God's purposes:
"He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything
we have done but because of his own purpose and grace." 2 Timothy 1:9.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.
With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of
his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring
unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we
were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might
be for the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:7-12.
"[God] wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the
truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind,
the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this
purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the
truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the
Gentiles." 1 Timothy 2:4-7.
The purposes of God are wonderful. He asks we work out our salvation,
as he works in us, to make choices and act in ways that accomplish
these in our lives.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Friday, March 1, 2013
Anticipating Paradise - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:21-24,
"For to me [Paul], to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go
on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what
shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to
depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more
necessary for you that I remain in the body."
It was Paul's preference to give up his earthly life to join the Lord
in heaven. On the other hand, he recognized his responsibility before
the Lord to carry on the ministry given him to further the gospel
enterprise, necessitating him remaining in this life. Normally most
folks fear death as an unknown, the specter of leaving our bodies
behind. All of our conscious existence that we have ever known has
been from within the home of our bodies. Consequently we have a primal
drive to protect ourselves from illness, pain, injury and death. The
reality, of course, is that we are all going to die and leave these
bodies behind. There will be those who will live until the Lord
returns for those who are his, but they will be the very few compared
to all who have passed through the doorway of death prior to his
return.
The prospect of death can be a fearful one, as the writer of Hebrews
acknowledges when he speaks of Jesus' humanity, "Since the children
have flesh and blood, he [Jesus Christ] too shared in their humanity
so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the
power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives
were held in slavery by their fear of death."
However, Paul had met the Lord and learned from him directly about the
meaning of this life relative to the next. He was confronted by the
Lord in Acts 9 where his conversion took place on the road to
Damascus. In Galatians 1:11-12 he tells us, "I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human
origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it;
rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." Paul had
direct revelation from the Lord. It is from this revelation Paul could
speak authoritatively about salvation, resurrection from the dead and
eternal life. He could also speak knowledgeably about our existence
following death until the physical resurrection of our bodies that
will take place when Jesus returns to planet Earth.
In speaking of visions and revelations the Lord had given him, Paul
spoke of a time when he had been caught up to heaven, "I must go on
boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to
visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who
fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was
in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know
that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not
know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible
things, things that no one is permitted to tell." 2 Corinthians
12:1-4. This would be that same paradise Jesus told the thief on the
cross next to him he would join him in.
Paul knew what lay beyond the grave. He knew what existence is in life
after death. He also knew where the best place might be from a purely
personal perspective. And, yet, he also knew of his responsibility
before the Lord to further his kingdom.
I find much here to frame my thinking about death and the victory all
believers should have over our fear of it. I also find much here to
frame my thinking about my responsibilities before the Lord in
furthering the building of his kingdom. Most of all, as I consider
these things, I find them all simply fascinating as they feed within
me an enchanting anticipation of paradise to come!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:21-24,
"For to me [Paul], to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go
on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what
shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to
depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more
necessary for you that I remain in the body."
It was Paul's preference to give up his earthly life to join the Lord
in heaven. On the other hand, he recognized his responsibility before
the Lord to carry on the ministry given him to further the gospel
enterprise, necessitating him remaining in this life. Normally most
folks fear death as an unknown, the specter of leaving our bodies
behind. All of our conscious existence that we have ever known has
been from within the home of our bodies. Consequently we have a primal
drive to protect ourselves from illness, pain, injury and death. The
reality, of course, is that we are all going to die and leave these
bodies behind. There will be those who will live until the Lord
returns for those who are his, but they will be the very few compared
to all who have passed through the doorway of death prior to his
return.
The prospect of death can be a fearful one, as the writer of Hebrews
acknowledges when he speaks of Jesus' humanity, "Since the children
have flesh and blood, he [Jesus Christ] too shared in their humanity
so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the
power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives
were held in slavery by their fear of death."
However, Paul had met the Lord and learned from him directly about the
meaning of this life relative to the next. He was confronted by the
Lord in Acts 9 where his conversion took place on the road to
Damascus. In Galatians 1:11-12 he tells us, "I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human
origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it;
rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." Paul had
direct revelation from the Lord. It is from this revelation Paul could
speak authoritatively about salvation, resurrection from the dead and
eternal life. He could also speak knowledgeably about our existence
following death until the physical resurrection of our bodies that
will take place when Jesus returns to planet Earth.
In speaking of visions and revelations the Lord had given him, Paul
spoke of a time when he had been caught up to heaven, "I must go on
boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to
visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who
fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was
in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know
that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not
know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible
things, things that no one is permitted to tell." 2 Corinthians
12:1-4. This would be that same paradise Jesus told the thief on the
cross next to him he would join him in.
Paul knew what lay beyond the grave. He knew what existence is in life
after death. He also knew where the best place might be from a purely
personal perspective. And, yet, he also knew of his responsibility
before the Lord to further his kingdom.
I find much here to frame my thinking about death and the victory all
believers should have over our fear of it. I also find much here to
frame my thinking about my responsibilities before the Lord in
furthering the building of his kingdom. Most of all, as I consider
these things, I find them all simply fascinating as they feed within
me an enchanting anticipation of paradise to come!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Mark your calendars! (But which date?) - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:9-11,
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern
what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
Among the requests in Paul's prayer for his readers is that they be
"pure and blameless for the day of Christ." This part of his prayer
points to the calender of events we look ahead to in God's workings.
There is a day we look forward to, a day Paul refers to as "the day of
Christ" that grows closer as our calendars tick off the days, one by
one. There are only so many days remaining in this life as we know it
before we come to this day marked on God's calendar. The Lord is
coming back to planet Earth, just as certainly as he visited here over
two thousand years ago. His visit will be markedly different, however.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Just as people are destined to die
once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once
to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not
to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Hebrews 9:27-28.
I am certain most all of us believers look forward with very excited
anticipation as we await the Lord's calendar of events. We may not
know the dates, but we do know of some things that are marked on that
calendar. We know the Lord is coming back for us, with his salvation
in hand. We know our current bodies are going to undergo a
transformation. A little later in this letter Paul says, "Our
citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that
they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21.
A pointed and much beloved text on the Lord's return for us comes from
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17, "We believe that Jesus died and rose again,
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen
asleep in him. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who
are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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, and the dead
in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." Whether we
are dead by that time or are still alive and remaining, it will be an
amazing event, exciting beyond anything that could possibly be
imagined!
Something I never forget is the atmosphere, what kind of an experience
it will be for us all. In Jude 24-25 we read, "To him who is able to
keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious
presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior
be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Without fault (whew!!!) and with great joy!!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:9-11,
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern
what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
Among the requests in Paul's prayer for his readers is that they be
"pure and blameless for the day of Christ." This part of his prayer
points to the calender of events we look ahead to in God's workings.
There is a day we look forward to, a day Paul refers to as "the day of
Christ" that grows closer as our calendars tick off the days, one by
one. There are only so many days remaining in this life as we know it
before we come to this day marked on God's calendar. The Lord is
coming back to planet Earth, just as certainly as he visited here over
two thousand years ago. His visit will be markedly different, however.
The writer of Hebrews tells us, "Just as people are destined to die
once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once
to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not
to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Hebrews 9:27-28.
I am certain most all of us believers look forward with very excited
anticipation as we await the Lord's calendar of events. We may not
know the dates, but we do know of some things that are marked on that
calendar. We know the Lord is coming back for us, with his salvation
in hand. We know our current bodies are going to undergo a
transformation. A little later in this letter Paul says, "Our
citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring
everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that
they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21.
A pointed and much beloved text on the Lord's return for us comes from
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17, "We believe that Jesus died and rose again,
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen
asleep in him. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who
are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 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, and the dead
in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." Whether we
are dead by that time or are still alive and remaining, it will be an
amazing event, exciting beyond anything that could possibly be
imagined!
Something I never forget is the atmosphere, what kind of an experience
it will be for us all. In Jude 24-25 we read, "To him who is able to
keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious
presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior
be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Without fault (whew!!!) and with great joy!!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
- Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 2:1-5,
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any
comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility
consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..."
Here is a wonderful formula that Paul engages from time to time. As he
exhorts us to live our lives worthy of the Lord, lives that please him
and further his agenda in the world today, he prefaces with a reminder
of what we have already received from the Lord. In essence he is
saying, "Is it too much to ask this of you given what it is the Lord
has so freely given you already?"
Here Paul asks his readers to be "like-minded, having the same love,
being one in spirit and purpose." He asks us to be not selfish and
conceited but be humble to the point of considering "others better
than yourselves." Look to the interests of others and adopt the
humility of Jesus Christ himself.
It must be noted that nothing in what Paul asks is impossible for the
believer. In fact, contrary to contemporary Christianity, where it is
thought that only the Pope himself, or Billy Graham can attain to such
a spiritually mature matters, it is what he expects from all
believers! You and me! We tell ourselves all kinds of lies, provide
ourselves with all kinds of excuses, but the reality is that we all,
everyone who has embraced Jesus Christ in faith, are indwelt with the
Holy Spirit who empowers us to live godly lives. "His divine power has
given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that
through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3-4.
Since we have everything we need to live out what Paul asks of us in
Philippians 2:1-5, the only issue remaining is the motivation to make
our choice to do so. Here Paul does not fail to provide. He reminds us
of the encouragement we have in being united with the Lord, he reminds
us of his love we have experienced, he points us to the fellowship we
have with the Holy Spirit, the tenderness and compassion found in him.
How can we experience these very things and not have an urgent desire
to reciprocate in some way by making these choices in our lives that
will please the Lord?
I recall Paul utilizing this same technique in his approach to us in
Romans 12:1-2a. There he says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in
view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy
and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not
conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind." You get the picture.
While we fiddle and piddle around with all our shortcomings, as we
wring our hands over our smoking, or drinking or women or not showing
up to church every Sunday or not contributing to the collection plate,
as we continue to focus on ourselves and our shortcomings with our
eyes off the Lord, we often find ourselves simply chasing our tails
with our struggles. We never arrive at a point where we become
effective and productive for the Lord.
If we are to mature in the Lord, we need to get our eyes off ourselves
and on to the Lord and what he has done for us. In passages such as
Colossians 3:1-4 we find what it is we need to be doing, "Since, then,
you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is
now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory." We need to be setting
our hearts on things above, we need to set our minds on things above.
We need to get our eyes off ourselves and onto the Lord.
This is exactly what Paul does here. After reminding us of all the
wonderful things the Lord has done for us and then asking us to live
our lives in a manner pleasing to him, he launches into one of the
most profound visions provided us of the Lord, enabling us to set our
hearts and minds on him.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Breathtaking, isn't it?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 2:1-5,
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any
comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility
consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..."
Here is a wonderful formula that Paul engages from time to time. As he
exhorts us to live our lives worthy of the Lord, lives that please him
and further his agenda in the world today, he prefaces with a reminder
of what we have already received from the Lord. In essence he is
saying, "Is it too much to ask this of you given what it is the Lord
has so freely given you already?"
Here Paul asks his readers to be "like-minded, having the same love,
being one in spirit and purpose." He asks us to be not selfish and
conceited but be humble to the point of considering "others better
than yourselves." Look to the interests of others and adopt the
humility of Jesus Christ himself.
It must be noted that nothing in what Paul asks is impossible for the
believer. In fact, contrary to contemporary Christianity, where it is
thought that only the Pope himself, or Billy Graham can attain to such
a spiritually mature matters, it is what he expects from all
believers! You and me! We tell ourselves all kinds of lies, provide
ourselves with all kinds of excuses, but the reality is that we all,
everyone who has embraced Jesus Christ in faith, are indwelt with the
Holy Spirit who empowers us to live godly lives. "His divine power has
given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that
through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3-4.
Since we have everything we need to live out what Paul asks of us in
Philippians 2:1-5, the only issue remaining is the motivation to make
our choice to do so. Here Paul does not fail to provide. He reminds us
of the encouragement we have in being united with the Lord, he reminds
us of his love we have experienced, he points us to the fellowship we
have with the Holy Spirit, the tenderness and compassion found in him.
How can we experience these very things and not have an urgent desire
to reciprocate in some way by making these choices in our lives that
will please the Lord?
I recall Paul utilizing this same technique in his approach to us in
Romans 12:1-2a. There he says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in
view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy
and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not
conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind." You get the picture.
While we fiddle and piddle around with all our shortcomings, as we
wring our hands over our smoking, or drinking or women or not showing
up to church every Sunday or not contributing to the collection plate,
as we continue to focus on ourselves and our shortcomings with our
eyes off the Lord, we often find ourselves simply chasing our tails
with our struggles. We never arrive at a point where we become
effective and productive for the Lord.
If we are to mature in the Lord, we need to get our eyes off ourselves
and on to the Lord and what he has done for us. In passages such as
Colossians 3:1-4 we find what it is we need to be doing, "Since, then,
you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is
now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory." We need to be setting
our hearts on things above, we need to set our minds on things above.
We need to get our eyes off ourselves and onto the Lord.
This is exactly what Paul does here. After reminding us of all the
wonderful things the Lord has done for us and then asking us to live
our lives in a manner pleasing to him, he launches into one of the
most profound visions provided us of the Lord, enabling us to set our
hearts and minds on him.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Breathtaking, isn't it?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Can I become a saint? - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:1-2,
"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God's holy people
in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul wrote his letter to the Philippian church, addressing "God's holy
people" (or, "saints"). Who were these holy people? How did they get
that way? What special "rights and privileges thereunto" accompanied
their status as "God's holy people"?
While the three questions I ask send us right into the hotbed of
sectarian and theological division and argument, the Scriptures are
astonishingly simple, direct and to the point on the answers. The
Merriam-Webster on line dictionary rightly lists "sainted" as a
synonym of "holy". Both are translated from the Greek word, "hagiois":
"saints" or "holy ones".
In Hebrews 2:10-13 we read, "In bringing many sons and daughters to
glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything
exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation [Jesus Christ]
perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy
and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not
ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, 'I will declare
your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your
praises.' And again, 'I will put my trust in him.' And again he says,
'Here am I, and the children God has given me.'" Note that saints are
not such because of anything they have done, it is Jesus Christ who
makes them saints, makes them holy. They are his brothers and sisters
because they put their "trust in him". As his brothers and sisters,
they have become co-heirs with Jesus Christ, "Now if we are children,
then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.." Romans
8:17a.
Jesus Christ makes us holy before his Father, imbuing us with his own
righteousness. It came at the cost of his horrific death on that cross
by paying the penalty for our sins. As such we are "saints", "God's
holy people". We come to be that way simply by embracing him in faith.
God has chosen that all who will embrace him in faith will become his
children. As saints, we are the heirs of eternal life with all that
comes with being co-heirs with Jesus Christ.
Amazing... isn't it?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:1-2,
"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God's holy people
in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul wrote his letter to the Philippian church, addressing "God's holy
people" (or, "saints"). Who were these holy people? How did they get
that way? What special "rights and privileges thereunto" accompanied
their status as "God's holy people"?
While the three questions I ask send us right into the hotbed of
sectarian and theological division and argument, the Scriptures are
astonishingly simple, direct and to the point on the answers. The
Merriam-Webster on line dictionary rightly lists "sainted" as a
synonym of "holy". Both are translated from the Greek word, "hagiois":
"saints" or "holy ones".
In Hebrews 2:10-13 we read, "In bringing many sons and daughters to
glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything
exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation [Jesus Christ]
perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy
and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not
ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, 'I will declare
your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your
praises.' And again, 'I will put my trust in him.' And again he says,
'Here am I, and the children God has given me.'" Note that saints are
not such because of anything they have done, it is Jesus Christ who
makes them saints, makes them holy. They are his brothers and sisters
because they put their "trust in him". As his brothers and sisters,
they have become co-heirs with Jesus Christ, "Now if we are children,
then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.." Romans
8:17a.
Jesus Christ makes us holy before his Father, imbuing us with his own
righteousness. It came at the cost of his horrific death on that cross
by paying the penalty for our sins. As such we are "saints", "God's
holy people". We come to be that way simply by embracing him in faith.
God has chosen that all who will embrace him in faith will become his
children. As saints, we are the heirs of eternal life with all that
comes with being co-heirs with Jesus Christ.
Amazing... isn't it?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Monday, February 25, 2013
Decision making and the will of God - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:9-11,
"This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern
what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
To be able to discern what is best is truly important and vital. Love
abounds "more and more in knowledge and depth of insight" according to
Paul here. Love is bound inexorably to knowing the things of God. To
have depth of insight into true spiritual things requires love. John
says, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
1 John 4:8. John also went on to say, "Whoever lives in love lives in
God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so
that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we
are like Jesus." 1 John 4:16b-17.
Over the years one of the more frequent challenges I have seen
expressed in prayer meetings and church services is that God might
reveal his will in some decision that needs to be made. I can't begin
to count the occasions I have found myself with such concerns. And, I
think I may have seen more creativity in this endeavor than any other
within the church.
I have seen the "Bible roulette" approach employed, where someone
spins through the pages of their Bible, sticks a finger in somewhere
as the pages flip by to stab a verse. Whatever the verse says would
somehow be contorted to reveal the answer to God's will in the
question of the moment. "... all of you share in God's grace with me."
Philippians 1:7b, say, would be confirmation that we should
financially support the missionary in question. The folks may not
giving when the offering plate passes by and the balance sheet isn't
adding up at the end of the month, but no mind, "were going to take a
step of faith, that God will provide!"
Possibly a little less creative, but certainly just as entertaining,
is the "open door" approach. In an inability to make a wise choice and
looking to God for a "sign", folks look for that "open door", often
times a series of open doors. "It must be God's will! After all, look
at the doors that have opened!" Shear circumstance masquerades as a
divine sign. I think I have seen this utilized at times when
comfort/assurance is sought or given when the "fun" alternative or the
less painful alternative has already really been decided upon behind
closed doors. This provides the divine authority to reject what might
take more effort or is less attractive from a less than godly
perspective. I suspect we have all seen this kind of thing.
How about the more assertive approach of "putting out a fleece"? Just
as Gideon put out a fleece and asked God for the dew only on it in the
morning and vice versa, we stipulate if "such and such happens" we
will take that as a sign that God wants us to move ahead in a certain
direction, etc. Never mind that God already told Gideon what to do, so
he already knew God's will, and that his request of God was merely to
bolster his faith and nothing more, it is a method I have seen
employed on a number of occasions. "If it rains this week we will know
it is God's will we spend the money and pave the church parking lot."
In addition to the above, I'm sure you have seen some other
fascinating methods employed as well. One thought that dawned on me
sometime in the past is that there are times and circumstances God has
no interest in making a choice for us. Having endowed us with our own
free will, he watches what it is we decide to do. I realize this
concept leaves many feeling uncomfortable with their theology
challenged. Something they may consider is that the chair I chose to
sit in last night in the restaurant where we ate was a choice God may
have had little interest in making on my behalf. The chair against the
wall? Or the chair in the aisle? Which one is God's will? If I find I
need to seek God's will whether I use the blue pen or the black pen
today at work may indicate there are more serious things I need to be
seeking God for than the color of ink. Here is an example few today
would agree with Paul on: marriage. "If anyone is worried that he
might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and
if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he
should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But
the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no
compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his
mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing."
"He should do as he wants"? I am certain prayer and seeking God's
wisdom is vital in a decision such as marriage, but Paul seems to
indicate it is a decision left to us. Ask God for wisdom, what to look
for in a spouse, wisely assess the circumstances, but use the ability
to choose the Lord has given us. I have seen a number of decisions
"the Lord has made" based on the methodologies empolyed above that
have not gone well. Guess who gets blamed for it?
What I read in God's word relative to decision making is found in
Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect
will." And passages such as Philippians 1:9-10, "...this is my prayer:
that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of
insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be
pure and blameless..." If we participate in the work the Holy Spirit
seeks to do in our lives, by having our minds transformed and having
our love abound with knowledge and depth of insight, we might do much
better when it comes to decision making. It certainly has to be better
than Bible roulette, open doors and fleeces.
The beauty of God's word is he has revealed himself in its pages. It
is here we find what pleases the Lord, how to develop wisdom to make
good choices, and most of all - to know him better and to draw closer
to him. Clearly the wisest decision he points us to is found in John
1:12, "To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of 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!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Philippians 1:9-11,
"This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern
what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
To be able to discern what is best is truly important and vital. Love
abounds "more and more in knowledge and depth of insight" according to
Paul here. Love is bound inexorably to knowing the things of God. To
have depth of insight into true spiritual things requires love. John
says, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
1 John 4:8. John also went on to say, "Whoever lives in love lives in
God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so
that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we
are like Jesus." 1 John 4:16b-17.
Over the years one of the more frequent challenges I have seen
expressed in prayer meetings and church services is that God might
reveal his will in some decision that needs to be made. I can't begin
to count the occasions I have found myself with such concerns. And, I
think I may have seen more creativity in this endeavor than any other
within the church.
I have seen the "Bible roulette" approach employed, where someone
spins through the pages of their Bible, sticks a finger in somewhere
as the pages flip by to stab a verse. Whatever the verse says would
somehow be contorted to reveal the answer to God's will in the
question of the moment. "... all of you share in God's grace with me."
Philippians 1:7b, say, would be confirmation that we should
financially support the missionary in question. The folks may not
giving when the offering plate passes by and the balance sheet isn't
adding up at the end of the month, but no mind, "were going to take a
step of faith, that God will provide!"
Possibly a little less creative, but certainly just as entertaining,
is the "open door" approach. In an inability to make a wise choice and
looking to God for a "sign", folks look for that "open door", often
times a series of open doors. "It must be God's will! After all, look
at the doors that have opened!" Shear circumstance masquerades as a
divine sign. I think I have seen this utilized at times when
comfort/assurance is sought or given when the "fun" alternative or the
less painful alternative has already really been decided upon behind
closed doors. This provides the divine authority to reject what might
take more effort or is less attractive from a less than godly
perspective. I suspect we have all seen this kind of thing.
How about the more assertive approach of "putting out a fleece"? Just
as Gideon put out a fleece and asked God for the dew only on it in the
morning and vice versa, we stipulate if "such and such happens" we
will take that as a sign that God wants us to move ahead in a certain
direction, etc. Never mind that God already told Gideon what to do, so
he already knew God's will, and that his request of God was merely to
bolster his faith and nothing more, it is a method I have seen
employed on a number of occasions. "If it rains this week we will know
it is God's will we spend the money and pave the church parking lot."
In addition to the above, I'm sure you have seen some other
fascinating methods employed as well. One thought that dawned on me
sometime in the past is that there are times and circumstances God has
no interest in making a choice for us. Having endowed us with our own
free will, he watches what it is we decide to do. I realize this
concept leaves many feeling uncomfortable with their theology
challenged. Something they may consider is that the chair I chose to
sit in last night in the restaurant where we ate was a choice God may
have had little interest in making on my behalf. The chair against the
wall? Or the chair in the aisle? Which one is God's will? If I find I
need to seek God's will whether I use the blue pen or the black pen
today at work may indicate there are more serious things I need to be
seeking God for than the color of ink. Here is an example few today
would agree with Paul on: marriage. "If anyone is worried that he
might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and
if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he
should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But
the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no
compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his
mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing."
"He should do as he wants"? I am certain prayer and seeking God's
wisdom is vital in a decision such as marriage, but Paul seems to
indicate it is a decision left to us. Ask God for wisdom, what to look
for in a spouse, wisely assess the circumstances, but use the ability
to choose the Lord has given us. I have seen a number of decisions
"the Lord has made" based on the methodologies empolyed above that
have not gone well. Guess who gets blamed for it?
What I read in God's word relative to decision making is found in
Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect
will." And passages such as Philippians 1:9-10, "...this is my prayer:
that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of
insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be
pure and blameless..." If we participate in the work the Holy Spirit
seeks to do in our lives, by having our minds transformed and having
our love abound with knowledge and depth of insight, we might do much
better when it comes to decision making. It certainly has to be better
than Bible roulette, open doors and fleeces.
The beauty of God's word is he has revealed himself in its pages. It
is here we find what pleases the Lord, how to develop wisdom to make
good choices, and most of all - to know him better and to draw closer
to him. Clearly the wisest decision he points us to is found in John
1:12, "To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of 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!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)