The Great Communicator - 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 Romans 10:18,

"Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

As Paul discusses how one is born into God's family, he points to faith, Romans 10:9, and how faith is arrived at: through the gospel message, Romans 10:14-15. As Paul looks at it, he observes that not all have accepted the gospel message and their failure to do so is not due to them not hearing it. 

He says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." Romans 10:17. As Paul considers this he points out that the message of the gospel is heard by everyone, as the creation itself speaks God's message. He then quotes Psalm 19, "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." "They" refers to the creation: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4.

No one will appear before the judgment seat of God and be able to use an "ignorance" defense. God has insured all have had an opportunity to join his family as he has communicated his message to all. Whether directly through prophets, through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit has produced, through apostles, through evangelists, through teachers and even through the creation itself, all have had an opportunity to "hear" God's message and have an ability to respond by embracing him or rejecting him. 

David says in Psalm 2 that the fool says in his heart, "there is no God", Psalm 14:1. On the other hand John says, "to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." John 1:12.

If anyone chooses to advance an argument against God, as I heard one popular comedian atheist say not too long ago, "If God wanted us to believe in him, he should have left us more evidence", he will sadly find it is woefully inadequate, as God has left us all we need. The problem is not information, the problem is the human heart. As Abraham told the rich man, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." Luke 16:31. I am reminded of what Jesus told Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.

God has provided us all we need. The rest is up to us to embrace or reject. May we all embrace the message God has for us!

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

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God and fools - 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 Psalm 14:1-3,

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."

David's observation of mankind must certainly have come at a time when he was exasperated with the opposition of sinful people. He introduces us to God's viewpoint, that all on earth are without understanding and without a motivation to seek their Creator. 

Paul uses Psalm 14 to make his point that we are all sinful and in need of God's forgiveness. In Romans 3:9 we read, "We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin." Following this he quotes Psalm 14 as well as other passages.

These fools, however, are the vary ones Jesus Christ came to save from God's judgment. In Luke 19:10 he says the Son of man came to seek and save what was lost. It is for fools the Lord came to planet earth. It is for those who are caught up in sin and rebellion against God that the Lord came for. Mark quotes Jesus as saying, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17. These vary ones who are fools, who are corrupt, whose deeds are vile and who do no good are the ones the Lord reaches with his powerful gospel message.

This ability of God's message, the gospel, to reach the most sin-hardened heart is the reason Paul says of it, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'"

Paul makes an honest observation of many who come in to God's family, "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Here is the truth about mankind and God's saving acts: people who are sinful and rebellious against their Creator are loved by God and sought by him. He has made a way for them into his family by having his Son pay for their sins and he pursues them with his invitation in the gospel message. All who choose the Lord in faith are welcomed in to his family.

This causes me to think of a verse that pretty well sums up my life: "This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6.

How about you?

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

The amazing grace 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 1:7,

"... all of you share in God's grace with me."

In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul "connects" with these believers by letting them know he prays for them, acknowledging their participation in the gospel with him, verses 4-5. In establishing his connection with these folks, he points to the wonderful grace of God they share together.

Mirriam-Webster defines grace as "1. Unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. 2. A state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace." How was it these believers in Philippi shared in this grace with Paul? Importantly, how do we come to share in this grace of God? Paul came into this standing in God's grace differently, because, like certain others (e.g. John the Baptist, etc.), Paul was hand picked by God for certain things God wanted to accomplish. However, as we read in the Scriptures, it was not that way for these Philippian believers, nor is it for us.

Paul tells us it is through faith that we gain entrance into God's grace. I understand that many today say that it is the other way around, that it is God's grace that enables us to have faith. I believe that is placing the cart before the horse. Listen to Paul's words, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand."

In this one sentence, I read that faith in God brings us justification, that is, a legal standing of freedom from guilt for any sins committed in this life. Also, faith brings us into peace with God, as we no longer face his judgment for our sins. Further, our embrace of Jesus Christ in faith brings us into God's grace, a standing of unmerited favor with him and all that brings.

In a sense, I do understand that it is the grace of God that prompted him to send his Son, Jesus Christ as a sacrifice to pay for our sins, and it is the grace of God that his forgiveness of our sins comes simply by placing our faith in him, as opposed to having to earn it.  As Paul says in Romans 4:2-5, "If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Our right standing before God is something God gives us if we trust in him, it isn't something we have to "earn". Thus, Paul also says, "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace..." Romans 4:16a.

This is the wonderful nature of God's grace. In his grace he extends his invitation to all mankind - all have an opportunity to choose God by faith. All who respond to him in faith, God chooses for himself, and stand in his grace.  As Jesus taught, "Many are invited, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14. Unfortunately, many reject the grace of God as expressed in the gospel message and miss out on having this right standing with him. Paul reminded Timothy of God's desire for all mankind, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." And, yet, at the end of the age we see there will be many who pay the ultimate penalty for their sins, "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15.

The grace of God is simply amazing and speaks of his transcendent love for all mankind. "For God so loved the world, he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. How amazing is that?!

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

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Rich and meaningful praise - 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 Psalm 148:13-14,

"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the Lord."

The "them" in the above passage includes angels, heavenly hosts, sun, moon, stars, the highest heavens, waters above the skies, great sea creatures, ocean depths, lightning, hail, snow, clouds, stormy winds, mountains, hills, fruit trees, cedars, wild animals, cattle, small creatures, flying birds, kings, all nations, princes, rulers, young men and women, old men and children. Quite a list! In short, all creation should praise the name of the Lord as a fitting and appropriate response. 

Response to what? I see three things pointed to for the cause, or motivation, for this praise to the Lord we are exhorted to give: his name (alone) is exalted, his splendor is greater (above) than the earth and the heavens, and he has raised up a "horn" (Jesus Christ - a messiah) for his people Israel. Notice that word, "for". "... praise the name of the Lord, for..." Everything following the "for" provides the grounds for the praise.

One of the sad things for me is to see is what appears to me to be the empty or shallow praise of God. I do understand we might feel it wonderful that anyone is praising God in this lost and fallen world that is so estranged from God. Often we may hear someone exclaim, "Praise the Lord!" as response of something wonderful the Lord has done, or something that may have been learned about him. At other times we may hear it as if that statement is punctuation at the end of a sentence. What makes the praise of God less than it should be or could be is that at times, no reason for the praise is provided. "Praise the Lord..." should be adorned with the "why" or the "because of". This is what makes the praise of God rich and meaningful to me. It is not just me as I can't help but notice that in most places that provide an account of someone praising the Lord in the Scriptures, the motivation for doing so is provided, just as in these verses from Psalm 148.

For those who do know God, for those who have embraced him in faith, for those who have access to the sacred writings, there should ever be a reason at hand that we praise God for. We can praise him for his loving kindness toward us, we can praise him for his righteous justice that will make all things fair and just in the end, we can praise him for his wonderful acts done on our behalf, we can praise him for creating us and all things around us, we can praise him for his many splendored attributes and pristine character traits. Just saying, "Praise the Lord" is just not enough, not for me. I need the "why" or "because of". How about you?

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

Satisfaction - 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 1:13,

"It has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ."

Paul was imprisoned for his love of Jesus Christ and the work he did on his behalf. Having been ordained by the Lord himself when confronted on the road to Damascus, Paul pursued his charge with passion. 

Earlier in his life, as Paul [Saul] left on a trip to Damascus, he was in a fitful passion to persecute the fledgling early church. When he arrived in Damascus, he had gained an entirely new passion as he had an encounter with the risen Lord en route: to serve Jesus Christ with his whole heart, soul and body. His later imprisonment was incapable of extinguishing any of his new-found passion for the Lord.

What was it Paul found in Jesus Christ that inspired such passion, such devotion? What was it that Paul saw in him, such that imprisonment placed not even the slightest damper on the joy he experienced - even while incarcerated? Further, we read that Paul was even happy to die for the Lord, another potential consequence that could not dampen his joy, his passion, his love of the Lord. Philippians 1:18-26.

There were others we read of as well. The writer of Hebrews reminds his readers of the persecution they faced with joy, in their anticipation of what was coming their way in their faith in the Lord, "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." Hebrews 10:32-34.

What was it these folks saw in the Lord that inspired such joy, such passion, such devotion, even in the face of suffering and death? It seems to me that, at the least, part of it must have been that these folks saw in the Lord those things the human heart hungers for, seeks for and yet never finds in a level of satisfaction in this life. Things like righteousness, justice, faithfulness, and a love that transcends our understanding. I firmly believe we all hunger for these qualities that mark the very character and nature of our Creator. Since the fall of man, since our estrangement from our Creator, we long for what we were designed for - a level of intimacy with our God. Those qualities he possesses are the very things we yearn for, we have a passion for and as we rediscover them, find them in Jesus Christ, we find a fullness and a satisfaction of what our hearts have longed for.

I am reminded of the psalmist's words, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" Psalm 42:1-2.

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

 

Trevor Fisk

trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Unspeakable love - 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 1:8,

"God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus."

Paul says the affection he has for his readers is akin to the "affection of Christ Jesus." What do we know of this affection of Jesus Christ? Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Rome that we cannot be separated from this love Jesus Christ has for us, even in the midst of the most severe difficulties we might face, Romans 8:35. We also know that to comprehend the full dimension of the love Jesus Christ has for us is life-altering, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19.

Jesus taught us what the greatest expression of love looks like, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13. This is exactly what he has done for us. We are told by the writer of Hebrews that Jesus Christ faced his own death on a miserable cross with joy, in anticipation of what his sacrifice would bring, Hebrews 12:2. This sacrifice brought us peace with God, the satisfaction of his justice regarding our sinfulness and a way to enter into God's own family. "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith." Romans 3:25. We also read in 1 John 4:10, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

One of the most beautiful expressions of the love Jesus Christ has for those who are his is couched in his prayer to the Father concerning the trinitarian love within the godhead and its extension to believers. For me, this prayer of Jesus is just breath-taking:

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their [the apostle's] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:20-26.

This is unspeakable love!

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

"Tough love" from God? - Ruminating in the Word of God

Note: I am on vacation for a week. I'll see you all when I get back!

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 Proverbs 16:7,

"When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone's way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them."

I'm a bit of a slow learner and so at times it takes repeated effort on my part to see what is going on. I experienced this just last winter as I was spending time in the book of Judges. Reading and re-reading Judges, I was continually struck, as I have always been, about a cycle that repeats itself a number of times in the relationship of Israel with God. The cycle begins with Israel experiencing peace among her neighbors and a level of prosperity. Inevitably, in this wonderful posture, Israel would stray from God and pursue the "gods" and wicked ways of her neighbors. This would always, without fail, bring God's wrath upon Israel, almost always expressed in the aggressive actions of her neighboring nations and Israel would succumb to her enemies. After a period of suffering in this way, they would always cry out to God for deliverance and God would do just that. He would bring them deliverance, freedom from their enemies. At that point Israel would experience the wonderful tranquility, peace and prosperity God himself provided. Then, the cycle would repeat all over again, Israel would begin to stray while in this peace and prosperity... and the cycle would repeat itself.

In the past I had always viewed this cycle as something to teach us that if we misbehave, God will punish us. If we behave he will reward us. While this is essentially true, it dawned on me that something much greater than this simple axiom was on display. Here it is in a nutshell:

God loves the whole world, everyone in it. This life is all about God's attempt to save as many folks as he can in this lost and fallen world at rebellion with her God and bring them into his family. His plan was to send his own Son to satisfy his god-sized sense of justice to pay the penalty for all the sins of everyone. He then set in motion the mission of the gospel: as many as would choose him in faith, he brings into his own family, paid for at the cost of Jesus Christ on that miserable cross. All that preceded the coming of Jesus Christ was to prepare the world for him and all that has followed the coming of Jesus Christ is the effort to bring as many into his family through the gospel message. It is just that simple. The purest expression of love is to meet some one's need at uncompensated cost to you. God has done this by providing for mankind in his greatest need: salvation from his horrific judgment for our sins.

Since sin is such a debilitating force in our lives, keeping us from seeing the most obvious things in the spiritual realm, God, in his great love for us, aids us in reaching out to him. I believe he does this in various ways, but Judges illustrates one key way: at times he will bring difficulties, trials and, at times, misery, in the hope we may reach out to him in desperation. When we do, as Israel did in Judges, God is there, waiting for us with open arms and expresses his love to us through his many blessings. This is spoken to in a couple of passages by Paul. In one, as he speaks to the Aeropagus in Athens he tells his listeners, "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us." Acts 17:26-27. Had God not made the nations, nations would not exist to find enemies in other nations. In Romans 8:20-21, "The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." This is not to say that God does not bring judgment against sin for the sake of his justice. But it does point to a strategy God engages in. He certainly did so with Israel and I believe he still does so today.

In musing on it, it seems to me that in tough love, God, at times, may bring us misery that we might reach out to him for deliverance. When we do so, he is there to provide us relief and reward us with the riches of his grace. As we read in Proverbs 16:7, the man (or nation) who has enemies just may have them by God's design to draw him/them to him. If or when they respond to God, since God's reach is successful, there is now no longer any need for the misery brought by enemies and so God removes them, "he causes their enemies to make peace with them." 

Just a thought. What do you think?

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