Makrothumia

Recognizing the "counsel of the ungodly"

2012-01-31T15:16:00.000-08:00

Psalm 1 describes the blessedness of the man who "does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly." What kind of "counsel" would that be, what might it sound like? We really do not have to guess, because the very next Psalm describes the "counsel" taking place among the "kings" and "rulers" of the earth who have taken their stand against the Lord and against His anointed.

Since "ungodliness" comes from the literal root meaning "not to fall back", it conveys the idea of persons who stand their ground and refuse to recognize the authority of God. These kings and rulers are "counseling" each other to take their stand against the Lord and against His anointed rather than "fall back" (becoming godly). Here is their "ungodly counsel": "We should tear up their bonds and we should throw their yoke away from us." This is the basis of the counsel of the ungodly - defiant rejection of the Lord and His anointed.

There is an interesting "plural " in the verse - the word "THEIR". Who are the kings and rulers referring to? The kings and rulers are standing against the Lord, against His anointed and against all who are blessedly delighting themselves in those sweet bonds and easy yoke. Jesus said, "because I have called you out of the world, it hates you. If you were of the world, they would love you, for the world loves it own." The ungodly are against all who are in submission to the Anointed One.

This is how we can recognize the "counsel of the ungodly." It is any communication that is a clear rejection of submitting to the authority of God's word and those he has placed in authority.

No where is this more evident than in the communication of children who have begun to walk in the "counsel of the ungodly." From the overflow of their hearts, ungodly words will come out of their mouths and will sound very similar to "we should tear up their bonds and throw away their yoke." When children or youths begin to boldly state that they have no intention of walking in instruction of their parents, a disease greater than cancer has begun its deadly work. Cancer can only kill the body, ungodliness will destroy body and spirit; it's consesquences are eternal. Children who begin to "stand up" to godly parents and defy their instructions have been walking in the counsel of the ungodly.

The end of Psalm 2 gives a word of advice to the Kings of the earth (to all who want to be in command of their own destiny), and we will do well to heed it ourselves. "And now O Kings, understand. Receive discipline all the ones judging the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling! Grab hold of discipline, lest at any time you should provoke the LORD to anger and you shall perish away from the righteous whenever His rage shall be suddenly kindled." These words are warnings the wise will hear and fools will despise. Fools are characterized by their common hatred of instruction and despising of discipline.

Interestingly, Psalm 2 ends not with a warning, but with a blessing.

"Blessed are all the ones having been persuaded by Him."

The LORD knows that the ungodly are giving their counsel, that kings and those in authority are taking their stand against Him and His ways, and encouraging their people to stand up for themselves. This is why in His kindness He sends forth a word of warning. Grabbing hold of His warning will save our lives.

Blessed is the man who seizes discipline, and allows the warning of the Lord to persuade Him to receive the bonds of the Lord and come under His easy yoke. That man will be blessed because he became so persuaded by the Lord's words that he ultimately began to "delight in them."

Seizing instruction and being persuaded will put us in good favor with the Lord's Anointed. Obedience is even better than sacrifice. We can not "call Him Lord and do not the things He says." Jesus made it clear - "You are my friends if you do what I command." He is the one who will inherit the nations and will possess the ends of the earth. The LORD promises His Anointed One (Jesus) - "You will shepherd them with a ROD OF IRON and like vessels of the potter you shall break them."

The rod of iron will provide no comfort to those who are standing up for themselves, it will be the end of all who are ungodly. Only the Lord's sheep will be spared His Rod of Iron; they are those who follow Him wherever He goes. Those who take their stand against the Lord will be as those men in the parable of the talents who sent the delegation after the Lord to state their protest against His being crowned king. All who take their stand against the LORD's Anointed will be brought before Him and utterly crushed. Their ungodliness is their undoing.

We will be wise if we will be warned.

“Brothers Beware”

2011-12-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

There is a ministry every saint is called to fully participate in – the ministry of “Beware!” The word denotes a cautious watchfulness for any sign of danger. Our call to the ministry of “beware” is found in Hebrews 3:12 – “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you and evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” The Greek word used here is “blepo” (to see); it is used in combination with another word meaning “not once”. This is why translators of the NIV used the phrase “See to it that there be in none of you.” A more literal translation might be rendered in this way – “Look so that not even once there will be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief.”

We are all called to the ministry of “Looking to it that not even once” there will be in anyone among us an evil heart of unbelief. What then are we to “look” for? How does one recognize the early warning signs that someone has begun to develop an “evil heart of unbelief?” Those who know the scriptures well will remember that the actual departure from the living God begins in an inner falling away from full devotion. Here is the record of the beginning of Solomon’s fall “”As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devotedto the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” No one but God knew when Solomon left his first love, but it became evident eventually; apathy always precedes apostasy. When desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, (another love). Another love full grown leads to divorce.

What early signs are we to look for? How does internal unbelief manifest itself in external actions? Understanding the relationship between faith and love is a key to answering this question. Paul explained to the Galatians that “neither circumcision nor un-circumcision has any real power, but real power comes from faith working through love.” Seeing the connection between faith and love will help us realize that whenever there is an area of “unbelief” at work, the first area to be affected is our ability to love. Can we see when a person has left their first love for God? Not initially, but we can recognize the first result of a loss of faith and love towards God. The first sign that a person’s love for God has been compromised is that their love for other brothers and sisters has been impaired. “…he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”

Those who are loving their brethren are “abiding in God and God in them.” They have crossed over from death unto life, from darkness to light. Those no longer abiding in God will not have the ability to continue to love their brethren. The first effect of not abiding in the love of God is the loss of the ability to walk in the light of fellowship. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another.” Without love, we cannot walk in the light, and darkness is the realm where those who think less of their brothers abide. “He who says he is in the light, and hates(literally –to think less of) his brother, in is darkness until now.” The first recognizable sign of an “evil heart of unbelief” is a loss of fervent love for a brother or sister in Christ. Everyone abiding in love is loving others as Christ has loved them. Only those abiding in God, living by faith and walking in the fellowship of light are able to do this.

Those who have developed an evil heart of unbelief, begin to walk in darkness and soon begin to have fellowship with the prince of darkness – “the accuser of the brethren.” The loss of faith towards God will nearly always first be seen in the loss of faith towards another brother or sister in Christ. When faith is working through love, hope and endurance never fail towards others. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, and faith enables us to see what the grace of our Lord will do in the brother or sister with whom we are having a difficulty. The heart of faith then works through a love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things, and the relationship does not fail because love never fails.

Those who have lost faith in God cannot keep faith in people. Unbelief in God manifests itself in impatience with others. The most famous unbelieving generation in the scriptures is the generation that God redeemed from Egypt but destroyed in the wilderness. How did their unbelief towards God always first manifest itself? – in their quarrel with Moses. Their evil heart of unbelief was first expressed by accusing the person they blamed for being responsible for their trouble. This is also what David’s men did when they were wrestling with the shock of having lost their wives and children to the Amalekites. They became so disheartened that their hearts turned against David and actually contemplated stoning him. An evil heart of unbelief towards God will eventually manifest itself in accusing and blaming others for our difficulties. Once faith has been compromised, love will always be crippled.

When we fall from the place of faith working through love, we will revert most readily into that which is not of faith – “the Law is not of faith.” Where faith has ceased to work the Law will begin to work. We have already stated that the person no longer abiding in God will end up walking in darkness. Darkness is the hour when Satan works, but his favorite tool to accuse is “the Law” and it only takes “a little leaven” of Law to pollute the entire perspective of an unbelieving heart. In order to justify the decision not to fellowship with someone, there must be a “legal” righteousness legitimizing the judgment. Whereas “love is the bond of perfection”, the Law is the “dividing wall of hostility.” Love covers a multitude of sins, but the work of the Law is to expose sin. When faith is working through love, mercy is rejoicing over judgment. When the leaven of the Law is polluting the heart of the unbeliever, partitions are built dividing one person from another.

The one in whom an evil heart of unbelief has begun to work will soon be on one side of an issue based upon the principal of being in the “right” and acting as an accuser rather than a reconciler. If we are not seeing our brothers through the eyes of faith working through love, we will see them through the leaven of the law working wrath. When we have fallen from the faith, having left our first love – we will not necessarily be “lawless”, we will likely become very legalistic and principled. – Pharisees.

If we find ourselves unable to walk with someone who we once considered a dear brother or sister because we can no longer overlook or cover their glaring faults, “Beware the evil heart of unbelief.” Those who eventually depart from the faith, take their first steps by blaming others for their inability to enjoy fellowship. Blame is the language of the law of seeing others as they are. Faith is the language of love seeing others as what they will be.

When we are being filled with all the joy and peace of believing, fellowship is always sweet and difficulties are a bearable and fruitful. Those being filled with joy and peace in believing abound in hope for others – “love suffers long and is kind.” The first sign of an evil heart of unbelief is an unforgiving readiness to expose sin based upon the righteousness of the Law. Love is the bond of perfection, the foundation of our fellowship in faith. The heart no longer of faith, backslides into the Law, and becomes the dividing wall of hostility.

So brethren “BEWARE” – WATCH - LOOK! The first sign that we have developed an evil heart of unbelief is when we are no longer able to love everyone just as Christ has us.

A Covenant of Promise

2011-12-12T10:28:00.001-08:00

The Covenant of Promise

The covenant of Abraham is a covenant of Promise. God’s call to Abraham is an invitation to “come” to the land I will show you, “come” to me and I will make you what I have designed for you to become, and “come” and I will bless you and you will become a blessing. God’s call to Abraham was “come out” of your country, “come out” of your father’s house, and “come out” your way of life, and live the life I will show you. It is an invitation to experience God’s blessings based upon God’s promises. The call of God for those who have ears to hear is to believe the promises of the covenant God invites us to partake of.

Is this not the same invitation wisdom cries out daily, at the heights along the way, at the city gates, and at every intersection where men and women pass in their daily routines? “She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point in the city. Let all who are simple come in here! She says to those who lack judgment. Come eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.” Wisdom’s cry is a constant invitation of promise to a way of life the simple and those who lack judgment are blind to.

This same call is echoed again in the invitation of our Lord Jesus. “Come unto Me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest for your souls.” His call is the promise to give rest unto the souls of men who are wearied and burdened from going their own ways. He promises that those who receive Him will have the abundant life He came to give all men.

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, sums up his message to those gathered outside the upper room with this call – “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” He explained to those astonished onlookers that what they were witnessing was “the promise of the Holy Spirit” being poured out, and he called them to partake of the promise by coming out of the corrupt generation that they were living with.

Paul also received a great revelation of the promises of God we are called to. In his 2^nd letter to Corinth he wrote “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” Later in the same letter, he pleaded “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.” Paul’s personal quest and his equally fervent desire for every believer was to fully experience every promise of God in Christ Jesus.

The call of both the Spirit and the bride is the invitation to come and partake of the promise of eternal life – “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” God’s desire to redeem men from the curse of sin and death has always gone forth in a call to come and partake of the promise of His goodness. He takes no delight in the punishment of the wicked, but delights to show mercy to those who have heard the invitation and responded in faith to partake of the promises. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but those who refuse to His invitation to come and be saved, forfeit all hope of experiencing His promises.

Peter’s own understanding of the promises God were the basis of his call to those of like precious faith to give all diligence to add to their faith. “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” It is in the light of these exceedingly great and precious promises that Peter concludes – “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence to add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”

The promises of God are the sole reason for giving all diligence. This is what compelled Paul to strain towards what lay ahead. The believer who has lost sight of God’s promises loses the motivation to give all diligence. The promises of God are only realized through the full knowledge of Christ Jesus, therefore this is where the heart and mind of a believer aware of these promises is set. Those who minds are set upon “earthly” things have lost their spiritual focus and become “near sighted” and “blind” to the promises set before them. God has already blessed us in the heavenly realm with “every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus”, and those with the greatest awareness of these spiritual blessing are pressing toward the mark of fully knowing Christ. Their hearts and minds are not set upon things on earth, because the treasure they are pursuing is not earthly, but heavenly, not carnal but spiritual. They are aware that the tradition handed down to them by their earthly fathers is an empty way of life without promise, leading to destruction. They have come to understand that living to satisfy the lusts of their flesh is spiritual death.

The god of this world has one aim, to blind the minds of the unbelieving so that they cannot see the light of the good news (promises) of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Satan does this much in the same way as the foreign Europeans used “trinkets” to persuade the Native Americans to give up their real treasure. His strategy is to occupy our minds with trinkets of present pleasures to obscure the promised spiritual treasures God has given us in Christ Jesus.

Those who continue in the words of Jesus are the only ones who become true disciples; they alone fully come to know the truth of the promises of eternal life; knowing this truth sets them free from being enslaved by Satan’s trinkets. All of these disciples share a common passion; they are all on a quest to fully discover the riches of the treasures God has promised them in Christ Jesus. Their lives are a diligent pursuit to lay hold of eternal life and their message to others is the same message that are hearing themselves – COME! Leave your simple ways and you will live. Let him who has ears to hear – let him COME! Let everyone who is thirsty COME! God has promised and He is faithful, COME! let us return to the Lord.

makrothumia

Look Now to Jesus

2011-12-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

Look Now to Jesus

The spiritual law of new life from above

Is the hearing of faith that now worketh by love

Not through Law made of letters engraven on stone

By Yahweh approached by the High Priest alone

But rhema words full of both Spirit and life

That circumcise hearts without hands or a knife

Through promises all in Christ yes and amen

Divine nature creates holiness from within

And what the Law could not do weakened through sin

The Spirit of righteousness perfects in all men

So cast out the bondwoman, Sinai’s Law

And look now to Jesus through faith once for all

His Cross My Call

2011-12-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Persistently Peaceful

In Resolute Rest

For Fortified Faith

An Unquenchable Quest

Move Faithfully Forward

Resolved no Retreat

Unwavering Waiting

Contentement Complete

Not Fretting or Fearful

Just Silent and Still

Both Joyful and Tearful

No Want but His Will

Determinded Disciple

With Meekness as Might

No Goal but His Glory

The Savior in Sight

The Call Consecrating

Abandoning All

The Christ Contemplating

His Cross As My Call

The Monster and Mary

2011-12-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Monster and Mary

“Keep your little monster away from my Mary!” Mary’s mom lovingly said

“If you will not watch that sly little devil, someone just might end up dead!”

Monster’s mom attempted a smile as she mumbled a painful thank you

While Mary’s own mother whirled ‘round in a huff and left without further adieu

The lesson that morning from Sunday School hour was for such occasions as this

To recognize need others’ burdens to bear so as not opportunity miss

In contrast one Father all perfect in love decided to spare not His son

But sent him a sheep to live among wolves knowing exactly just what would be done

Though such an example has clearly been given and taught in our own Sunday School

It seems that the lesson has failed to persuade us to walk in the same golden rule

For our love has limits and we’re ready to fight when protecting those children our own

And Monster’s mother like hundreds of others must still fight their battle alone

So next time when your little innocent angel is trampled by Monster again

Remember the Father whose Son we all slaughtered so we can become just like Him

makrothumia

Whose Strength Is It?

2011-11-24T04:15:00.001-08:00

Accepting the limitations of our own natural weakness was NEVER Paul's goal. If we want to see our own potential as Paul saw it, take a look at the way he prayed for the Colossians.

"I keep asking that you be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work and INCREASING unto the FULL KNOWLEDGE of God, -IN ALL POWER BEING EMPOWERED ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT..."

How then should we view our own capacity as believers? - ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT!

The question how strong are we is easily answered - apart from Him we can do nothing?   Our own inability readily proves this beyond doubt.   However, this is not how our CAPACITY for power is to be measured!

Our spiritual capacity is NOT to be limited by our own lack of strength - but rather increased ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT! Those who are still measuring themselves by themselves have yet to be filled with the full knowledge of God's will and thus they can only confess - "I AM WEAK."   The sad result of this is the fruit of "As a man thinketh in his heart - so is he." Many think this is true humility, an honest accessment of their own spiritual state - but not Paul, he knew that our ability should not be measured by our own lack of ability.

If our confession is only that we are weak, this falls short of measuring our own inability with "BEING EMPOWERED WITH ALL POWER ACCORDING TO THE GLORY OF HIS MIGHT."   Those who walk in every way pleasing God have come to faith, like those in Hebrews 11; they have this testimony - "who by faith were made STRONG from weakness."   This is what Paul had so great a revelation about, "I can do all things THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME."   Paul did not measure himself by himself any more. Paul began to measure his own weakness with CHRIST''S POWER and so he cast off the half-truth of "I CAN'T" to lay hold of the glorious reality of "THROUGH HIM I CAN!"

How are we measuring our ability?   Is it through the spiritual revelation of "being empowered with all power according to His glorious might"?   Or have we stopped short in the comfort zone of "I just can't" because we have not yet been filled with the full knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding? Don't forget that the tombstones of the Israelites who died in the wilderness had this inscription - "They limited the Holy One of Israel."   Remember, their "evil report" was simply - "we can not do it!"

It might seem humble and wise to say "I can't" - it sure seems right to the natural mind. However, those who have been filled with the full knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding will come to a very different conclusion. They will be made strong through faith, just like Abraham, as they are fully convinced that "GOD HAS POWER" to do what He has promised.   This is how men overcome the world.

God has promised to "empower us with all power according to His glorious might." Is that how we see it?

Let's examine ourselves to see "if we be in the faith". One way or the other, we will find out WHOSE strength we are measuring ourselves by?

The Ministry of the Watchman

2011-11-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ezekiel was made a “watchman”, a person peering through a spiritual “scope” in order to warn the righteous and unrighteous of the danger of apostasy. The New Testament term “overseer” comes from the same word used in the Septuagint – “skopon” (our English word for scope). Ezekiel’s ministry was to scope out disobedience and sound the warning in order to give the righteous and unrighteous opportunity to avoid the consequences of their sin. This was to be God’s means of mercy and grace to His people Israel; herein is the ministry of the watchman defined.

The ministry of the watchman reappears in the New Testament: “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20 “Wandering away from the truth” is what the watchman is to "scope out" and warn against. Consider the parallel verse from Ezekiel 33:12 “And you son of man, say to the sons of your people, the righteousness of the righteous man shall in no way rescue him in whichever day he should wander.” Again in verse 18, Ezekiel is told “In the turning away of the righteous man from his righteousness, should he do lawlessness, he shall die in them.”

The ministry of the watchman is a ministry of “turning “ men away from lawlessness. Paul understood that this "turning away" is the key indicator of those who truly belong to the Lord. “The solid foundation of the Lord stands firm, sealed with this inscription; The Lord knows those who are His and let everyone who names the name of the Lord turn away from unrighteousness.” II Timothy 2:19 Paul warned the Corinthians in much the same way – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived…” I Corinthians 6:9

The ministry of the watchman is grace and mercy to both the righteous and unrighteous. The righteous man who trusts in his righteousness and wanders away from the truth will die in his sin. The unrighteous man who turns away from his lawlessness and does righteousness will live and the multitude of his former sins will be covered. The watchman is assigned to make the message heard - No one will live who continues to sin without turning away. This is the message and ministry of the watchman.

This is what James is reminding the believers whom he is addressing. “Brethren if anyone AMONG YOU wanders away from the truth…” Only those who have received the truth and walked in it for a season can be described as having “wandered away from the truth.” This verse should not be understood to be addressing those who have never believed the truth or been converted. Turning a sinner from the error of his way is meant to rescue the “sinners” who have walked AMONG US! Those who have once walked in the truth and wander away from it need to be turned back in order to save their souls from death.

Paul was one of the greatest watchmen of all times. He so understood the need of this ministry to the church that he reminded the elders of Ephesus “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. …Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20

The church is in great need of instruction, but instruction without the ministry of warning falls short of God’s full grace. The grace that brings salvation, disciplines (corrects) us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, so that we might live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present age. Paul so understood the importance of instruction and admonition working together, that he described his own ministry in this way – “…to whom God willed to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 1:27-28

Therefore, let us be thankful for and render that cup of water to those watchmen/overseers who give themselves no rest and give the Lord no rest until they see God's people established in Jerusalem (the city of peace) that home of the spirit of righteous men made perfect. They do this first out of love for God and secondly because they know that they will render an account for the souls under the scope of their assigned ministry. We can help these watchmen/overseers by being submissive to them so that their work can be with joy rather than with groaning. If the watchmen/overseers groan, they may be tempted to stop their ministry so beneficial to everyone - remember Elijah!

The prophets are the watchmen in Israel, yet they are usually dishonored in their own home town and among their own people. Because their primary ministry involves warning those who have begun to wander away from the truth, their message brings them difficulty. Confronting those who have wandered away from the truth has never been popular according to Jesus. “Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely because of me….for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Prophets always have more persecution than popularity. The teacher is honored with the endearing title of “Rabbi”, the prophet is derided as a “religious fanatic.”

Hosea explained the reason for this treatment “Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac. The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.” Those who need the watchman’s ministry the most, usually welcome it the least. Even our Lord tasted this – “He came to that which was His own, and His own received Him not.” Jesus came not to call the righteous, but the unrighteous to repentance. He brought the word that would heal His own people of their wrong ways and they crucified Him for it. This fulfilled the words of the prophets - "they hated me without reason."

makrothumia

The Venerability of His Vulnerability

2011-11-16T08:14:00.001-08:00

The veneration we have come to look upon our Lord with is a direct result of how vulnerable He made Himself in our behalf. “Vulnerable” has a Latin origin that developed into the French word “vulnerare” – to wound. It is our Lord’s wounds that make Him so wonderful; His pain is what made Him so precious. Though being in the very form of God, He condescended to taking the form of a man, becoming not a sovereign – rather a servant, choosing vulnerability over venerability.

He offered His back to those who beat Him. He turned His cheeks to those who tore out His beard. He did not hide His face from mocking and spitting. He stood silent as He was falsely condemned and cruelly mocked. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows well acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised and we esteemed Him not. The we – were His own people – we received Him not because we esteemed Him not.

Surely He took up our infirmities, and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

He made Himself vulnerable, despicable, condemnable, contemptible so that His Father might become venerable. His vulnerability before men is the reason for His venerability with God. His own rejected Him, His Father respected Him.

Next time we are tempted to grow weary or murmur about the wounds we receive at the hands of others, let’s consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners so that we do not grow weary and lose heart. If we hope to share in the joy of His veneration, we must first embrace the pain of His vulnerability.

His wounds are still visible in heaven – His vulnerability will be venerated for eternity.

Assurance or Assumption

2011-11-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

Assurance or assumption holds a difference none to small

Assurance promised to a few assumed by nearly all

Not every way is guarded save but one found by a few

Who walk upright, with God in sight, His every word to do

For it is but assumption to presume God will defend

The wayward soul whose secret goal is seeking his own end

A Rest Profound

2011-11-15T07:05:00.001-08:00

I have seen a rest profound, a tranquil constant peace

Each time I hear that inner voice and all my strivings cease

A secret learned through lessons taught by difficulties real

To lean not on the strength my own and trust not how I feel

Each time He led me through a trial experience did gain

To count all joy the hardship and embrace with faith the pain

And hope became that anchor strong to hold my reeling soul

And know beyond a shadow’s doubt my Lord was in control

The treasure gained from buffeting new freedom from all care

Assured the same good providence would every time be there

And from sure hope a grateful calm serenity was found

As He became my confidence my own mind became sound

God Can Make...

2011-11-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

The strain of my misery

Into the strength of His mercy

The storm of my feeling

Into the serenity of His faith

The wound of my hurt

Into the wonder of His healing

The bread of my adversity

Into the beauty of His adoration

The torment of my failure

Into the triumph of His favor

The guilt of my sin

Into the grace of His salvation

The confusion of my wandering

Into the clarity of His ways

The bitterness of my rebellion

Into the beauty of His righteousness

The groan of my wrestling

Into the glory of His resting

All things beautiful in His time

Fresh Bread

2011-11-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

How about some very fresh bread - from the Bread of Life. Anyone hungry?

Eve's role is not altogether forgotten, for Paul mentions her part also! I Timothy 2:14 highlights the difference between Adam's and Eve's actions. "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression." If Eve was the one who was deceived, and she transgressed the command first, before Adam, why isn't she fingered as the entry point of sin into the world?

Are you beginning to get it already? What's the difference stated so far? That's right! Eve was deceived and transgressed; Adam was not deceived and transgressed. Do you see the difference? It is HUGE!

Paul saw it by revelation and described it in his letter to the Romans in chapter 5. "Therefore, just as through one man, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. - For until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam..."

Aha! If we can understand what is the "likeness of Adam's transgression, we will be nourished by the fresh bread being offered today. We already know what Adam's trangression was not like; it was not like Eve's - because she was deceived and HE WAS NOT! THAT'S IT!!!!!!! Do you see it now? Eve transgressed because she was deceived into doing so, but Adam sinned fully knowing what he was doing!

That is why Paul wrote this, which underscores the truth we need to lay hold of. " For as by one man's disobedience many were made [were constituted] sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made [will be constituted] righteous." The likeness of Adam's sin is described here as DISOBEDIENCE not as having been deceived. The Greek language makes it even more clear by Paul's use of the word "para + akouo". This word literally means to "hear - aside". The Greek word for "obedience" is to "hear + under". The difference between Adam who "heard aside" and Jesus who "heard under" is this; the first Adam constituted many men sinners by his hearing aside and the last Adam constituted many righteous by His hearing under.

Eve was deceived by the serpent and transgressed God's commandment; Adam was not deceived by the Serpent but chose to IGNORE God's commandment. He "refused" to hear the commandment, and he did so without being deceived in any way. This word "para + akouo" (disobedience/hearing aside) is also used in Matthew 18 in this way: "But if he will "NOT HEAR" [parakouo/hears aside], take with you one or two more....And if he "REFUSES TO HEAR" [parakouo/hears aside] the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

How crucial it is for us to understand the difference between Eve's and Adam's transgressions. The action was the same - Eve -"she took some and ate it" - Adam -"and he ate it" but the heart behind the action is altogether different. There are several Greek words used to describe the full grown attitude of "hearing aside" [parakouo]. One of them is "ungodliness" from the Greek word [a (negative) + sebo - to revere (literally "to refuse to fall back")]. Refusing to "fall back", to recognize the authority and sovereignty of God is to become "ungodly/asebia." This word describes more of the heart attitude of defiance towards submitting onesself to God by falling back, "hearing under" [obeying] His word rather than "hearing aside" [disobeying] it. The other Greek word used to describe parakouo, "hearing aside", in its adult stage is "Lawlessness"! Lawlessness is a description of the relationship with the defiant individual to The Law of God which he so disregards that he defiantly transgresses it without repentance or remorse.

Transgressions may look the same from the standpoint of an external observation, but the difference internally is one of life and death. There is a sin not unto death, and there is a sin unto death. They may not look all that different on the outside, but that's not where God is looking is it? "The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

The difference between Adam's and Eve's transgression can be seen in several other places as well. "If we sin willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no sacrifice, but a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the adversaries." In the same book of Hebrews we also read "For if the message spoken by angels proved steadfast and every transgression AND DISOBEDIENCE [parakouo] received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation."

God will forgive the sinner who transgresses a command, then repents, confesses his transgressions, and begins to "hear under" (obey). God will never forgive the sinner who transgresses one command after another because he continues to "hear aside" (disobeys) without repentance unto the "obedience/hearing under" of faith.

It was Adam's "hearing aside" that constitutes men sinners after the likeness of his transgression. We should learn to appreciate the difference; it is a matter of life and death!

His Story His Glory

2011-11-12T17:39:00.000-08:00