You are a priest - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Peter 2:4-5,

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

The priesthood was established by God in the nation of Israel. Aaron and his descendants were appointed by God for the priesthood. One of the primary functions of the priest was to offer sacrifices to God.

Where the temple worship with its sacrifices and offerings no longer takes place, Peter here tells us that believers in Jesus Christ are members of a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. What are these sacrifices?

I am reminded of Romans 12:1-2, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The sacrifices of the believer, among other things, is the denying of our sinful, worldly nature. This is done by no longer conforming to the pattern of this world, but being transformed through the renewing of our mind, living a life pleasing to God.

Peter's observation of believers being a holy priesthood offering sacrifices that are acceptable to God flows from the context in his letter admonishing us to "rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." These are the sacrifices we as believers offer to our God who has demonstrated an incomprehensible love for us by sending his Son to die a miserable death to pay for our sins.

How well am I carrying out my responsibilities as a priest today?

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

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

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Experiencing the blessings of the gospel? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Corinthians 9:23,

"I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

Paul speaks of sharing in the blessings of the gospel. It may do well to examine just what these blessings are, but for now, just knowing that these are the expressions of the lavish love and gratitude of God our Father for those who follow Paul's example will do.

In this chapter, Paul speaks of his right, as an apostle, to financial help from the flock his ministry has created. However, he tells us he has forsaken this right in order to be as productive as possible for the gospel of God's kingdom. He says, "But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ."

In this vein, Paul points out he, although a free man, made himself a slave to everyone to "win as many as possible." Verse 19. He became like a Jew to win the Jews, he became like one under the law to win those under the law. He became like one not having the law so as to win those without the law. He became weak to win the weak. "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."

These are the things Paul gave himself to that he might share in the blessings of the gospel.

What am I doing today to experience these blessings?

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

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

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The dramatic death of Jesus Christ - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 27:50-54, 

"And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, 'Surely he was the Son of God!'"

One of the most profoundly dramatic events that the world has ever experienced was the death of Jesus Christ. Matthew's account here is nothing short of breathtaking. I am reminded of Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants." Certainly, of all mankind, the Son of God was the greatest of any faithful servant to God. 

The death of Jesus Christ was a singular event to take place two millenia ago. Nothing before or after it holds the impact this death has had for the human race in all its history. Through the death of Jesus Christ a payment was made that satisfied the justice of God the Father for all the sins of all mankind for all time. His death has made it possible that we can have an eternal life filled with all that God originally intended for mankind - in a state of being spotless, blameless and holy in God's eyes.

In God's court, our sins can be paid for by another. Jesus Christ, the only man who had never sinned was the only person ever qualified to pay for our sins, and that is exactly what his death accomplished on that miserable cross.

Where would I be without the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on that cross? How I thank God for him, and his willingness to die for me!

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

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

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The prayer of faith - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 21:21-22,

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can
you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this
mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If
you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Here is an amazing statement Jesus made about faith in prayer. If we
have faith, whatever we ask in prayer will be given. I am reminded of
James 5:16b, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and
effective."

People of faith are tuned in to what it is God is doing in the world
today. People of faith know what it is God wants to accomplish. They
know his agenda and they know his priorities. Faith brings
righteousness and the prayers of those who act in that righteousness
receive what they ask for.

All too often we may ask for that which God does not intend to do, nor
will he be compelled to do. Faith brings wisdom and prudence and
informs us as to what we need to be seeking from God and it is from
the position of a righteous person asking God in wisdom and
understanding that we find our answers to prayer as well as an
amazement as to how God may chose to act on our behalf!

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

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

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The distraction the trappings of this life brings - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 19:20-22,

"'All these (the commandments) I have kept,' the young man said. 'What do I still lack?' Jesus answered, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."

A young man approached Jesus and asked him what "good thing" he needed to do to receive eternal life. His approach betrays his misunderstanding, prevalent with most Jews (as well as prevalent in many churches today), that he could earn his way into God's family. He just wanted to know what good deed it was that would procure a ticket for him into eternal life.

After telling the young man to keep the law, which would have demonstrated to him he was not fit for God's kingdom and needed to throw himself at the feet of God's mercy, Jesus found the man harbored the notion that he was good enough based on the law, that he had kept all the law.

Since Jesus' approach with him, based on the law, did not provide the traction needed, Jesus (not to be dissuaded) laid on him something he knew this young man would have a hopeless struggle with: give his wealth away to the poor. We are told the young man went away sad.

The trappings of this life bring spiritual demise and eternal death to so many! Jesus told Nicodemus that many would reject God's kingdom because they choose to cling to their sin. In this case it was wealth in this life that kept this young man from entering into eternal life.

I am reminded that this life is short (it sure seems to be at my age!), it is temporary, and it is not God's agenda for us to find our ultimate happiness, purpose, fulfillment and meaning in life by the trappings of this life. It is not the toys money can buy, it is not riches, it is not fame, it is not the trophy spouse, the career, the house we have, the degree behind our name that God intends to bring to us ultimate happiness, purpose, fulfillment and meaning in life. Our happiness, purpose, fulfillment and meaning in life is to be found in the next life, within the contest of God's family.

Everything else is just a sad, mistaken and poor choice.

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

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

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Mere compliance, or our hearts? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 18:35,

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Jesus spoke these words as the conclusion to his parable about an unforgiving servant. Because of the unforgiving attitude of a king's servant, he had the servant thrown into prison to be tortured. He likened that which happened to the king's servant to how our heavenly Father will treat us if we fail to be forgiving.

I note the kind of forgiveness Jesus talks of is that which is "from your heart." This is not the kind of thing one checks off his list of things to do in order to comply with the demands of a pastor's sermon on a Sunday. It is to be heartfelt. It is to be genuine. It is to be from the inside, from "the heart." This requires our lives to be changed from within through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

Here is the problem do-gooders have. Compliance to a list is not the same thing as having a heart that is given to God. We read in the Scriptures that God wants our hearts and it is from deep within us that God seeks our fellowship. "He [God] who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." Romans 8:27. God is busy searching our hearts.

I am reminded of God's rebuke of his people, "The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.'" Isaiah 29:13.

The kind of forgiveness Jesus spoke of is reflected in Paul's admonition, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14.

God wants our hearts!

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

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

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Jesus in his stunning glory! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Matthew 17:1-3,

"After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus."

What a spectacle! Jesus transforms into his glorious appearance! This glorious appearance was something that was shrouded from all who saw him during his earthy ministry two millenia ago. However, on one occasion, Jesus' "inner-circle", Peter, James and John, were allowed to witness the Son of God's in his glory. While in this state Moses and Elijah appeared and had a conversation with Jesus. Then a voice, the voice of God the father, spoke from a cloud, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" Matthew 17:5.

At this, Peter, James and John fell face down to the ground in sheer terror! How might any of us react to such a spectacle? Breath-taking, terrifying, pure unadulterated amazement!

Far from the often lifeless, or, just as bad, theatrical productions often served up as "worship", the real things of God are astonishing, they are life-altering, breath-taking and stunning.

I am reminded the second coming of Christ will be the greatest of all events ever to be witnessed on planet earth. In a majestic, splendorous, fearful and stunning way, Jesus Christ will return to bring this age to a close and set up his kingdom from Jerusalem.

It matters not if we are Muslim, members of Wicca, Jews, atheists or agnostics. It doesn't matter if we are Catholics, Baptists or Presbyterians, we will all be stunned and amazed on that day! The Son of God will appear in all of his glory to take dominion over all the earth and place everything under himself!

What a glorious day that will be! What a glorious event to behold!

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

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

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com