Matthew 24:36-51 – “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Do you live each day like you’re expecting that Jesus could come at any moment?  The Bible has said that our judgment will come when we do not expect it.  In an instant,  we will be faced with the blinding light of God’s holiness and we will be laid bare before Him.  How does that make you feel?

How do you feel about that day?  Will that be a happy time for you?  Much of your joy in looking forward to that day is rooted in how you’re living today.  For a man who is breaking the law, there is much to fear from police taking him away when he leasts suspects it.  For someone free from the law, finding joy in loving others, there is no fear, only an eager expectation at the future joy to come.

Jesus says that those who do not prepare themselves for His coming will be cut to pieces and put where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  This is not for a moment, but for all eternity.  That is the extent of God’s holiness – The same holiness which demands infinite wrath against sin, is a great treasure to those who are being saved by God, and a great source of fear for those who do not love Him.  There is a healthy amount of fear and trepidation that should accompany our thoughts of God and His judgment even for believers.  We should hold in awe, that every ounce of God’s judgment is due is.  Our joy can only be right and true, in relation to the extent we know what Christ has done on our behalf.  Therefore, know that God is not mocked, whatever one sows, he will reap (Gal 6:7).

Is there a seriousness in your fight for faith each day?  We know that faith is a gift of God, but does that mean He intends for us to be idle?  My exhortation is to make your calling and election sure; reach deep and live hard for Christ today, to push yourself further in your walk with Him – not as someone who is seeking escape from judgment, but out of affection for the one who has suffered our judgment.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Many people’s view of God is based on one aspect of His nature.  Many view God as wrath.  They look at His destroying all of the life on earth with water, and sparing only Noah, or they look at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire, and they see a God that punishes sin.  These people often are constantly in fear of what “God is going to do to them” if their lives don’t measure up to some standard they’ve set up in their mind.  Others view God as a God of love, and they define “love” as his kindness shown towards others, serving the poor, and forgiving sin.  These are the people that tell you to stop talking about the atonement of Christ’s death, that God didn’t really pour out His eternal wrath on His son.  Let’s move past all that Bible business, and just live like Jesus lived, and do what He did, they’ll say.

What these people both do not understand is that there is no difference between God’s love and His wrath.  God is not divided into parts, whereby one part will be present at one time, and another part will be present later. God simply is, as He has always been, is today, and will forever be.  If you cannot see this, ask yourself this question.  Why does a parent punish their child?  Is their motivation simply to assert their wrath over misconduct, or is the punishment also an act of love for the parent to guide their child for their good?  Sometimes a parent also chooses to show mercy.  Why?  Maybe wisdom is also acting in a parent’s decision, so that they can look to see whether punishment would serve the child, or if mercy should be exercised?

If man, being flawed as we are, is capable of having many points of our character acting in unison, and one-ness, how much more is a perfectly holy and just God capable of this, who knows everything past, present, and future?

Look at how Jesus responds to the question of his diety – John 8:57-58 – “So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Jesus’s own description of Himself was to simply state that He is.

Exodus 8:22 (God as provider) – “But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

Exodus 10:1-3 (God’s Wrath) – “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.“

Exodus 15:26 (God as Healer) – “saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

Leviticus 11:44 (God’s Holiness) – “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.”

Leviticus 19:36 (God’s Justice) – “You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

I could go on, but you see that the foundation of God’s instruction, is that He is all of these things, and it is understood that these are all equal.  Another helpful way I’ve seen this explained is a prism.  A prism is one, yet when light is passed through it, many different hues of color are seen.  God reveals Himself to us such that we may understand all of Who He Is, yet at no point is one aspect of His nature, deficient to another.  God is not Love at the expense of Wrath, God is not Wisdom at the expense of Mercy.  God is all of these, at all times, equally, and perfectly.

My question today is how do you view God?  Do you love one aspect of God, or do you love all of God?  Can you delight in the love of God, even in rebuke?  When a brother or sister in Christ holds you accountable to something going on in your life, how do you respond?

When life get’s difficult, how do you respond?  Has your trust and faith in God reached the depth to delight in suffering as the plan of a perfectly good, and wise God, out of love?

Look to the cross, where every aspect of God’s perfect divine nature, was displayed in magnificent glory at once – Love, Wrath, Mercy, Wisdom, Justice, Healing, and on ad inifinitum.  Search your heart, and ask yourself if you worship the God of the Bible, or only one part of Him?  Unless you all are different from me, you’ll find that there is probably some aspect of God you have neglected over a period of time.  Know that your joy in salvation will be hindered where the delight of God is not found in all of Him.  My hope is that Christ would be fully formed in all of you, to delight and find joy in ALL of Who Christ is, for us.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

My question I want to look at today is how we view the nearness of God.  Do we view Him as this far away force that reaches down from time to time to exert his divine influence, or do we view Him as being active in our day to day, moment to moment lives?

There are some people, who hold to Pantheistic Doctrine, which is to say that God is IN everything.  They basically believe God is in trees, in mountains, in animals, and of course in all of us.  That is not Biblically supported anywhere.  While it may sound good to some eco-people whose best friend is the tree in their front yard, named Bob, it isn’t helpful when you see all the sin present in the world, to say that God is the world, and still find comfort in His goodness.  No, God is altogether different than us, He is our creator, we are His creation, separate from him.

So if Pantheism is a heretical doctrine suggesting God is nearer than he is, the flip side is Deism, which essentially says that God flipped a switch, and put things in motion, but now is actually far away, just waiting for things to play out.   This too, is not Biblically supported.

So what is Biblically supported?  How can we find comfort in the nearness of God amidst struggles, suffering, and joy?

Acts 17:24-29 – “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.'”

Proverbs 16:9 – “The mind of man plans his way,But the LORD directs his steps.”

God is active in His creation, there is no end to God, therefore we exist within Him, as a separate creation, yet constantly under His sovereign will.  This omnipresent and omniscient God is where we draw strength during trials to know that He is powerful enough to fulfill Rom 8:28, His promise to work all things together for good for those who believe Him.

Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

For us as believers, the nearness of God is even more amazing.

1 Corinthians 3:16 –  “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

The God who created the entire universe is well acquainted with every aspect of your life.  He is not far away, for us, He is more than the air we breathe, He dwells in us, guiding us, comforting us, convicting us, leading us to Him.  My encouragement today is to ask yourself what things about your life have you told yourself God is indifferent towards, or God doesn’t understand your circumstances.  Then, with the scripture above as encouragement, press those things back into God, and cast every anxiety and struggle on Him, knowing He cares for you.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Many people misunderstand Christianity.  For one person, Christianity will be about obeying a list of rules.  They view God as this all powerful being like Zeus, who is standing up in heaven just waiting to zap someone who offends Him.  Others misunderstand Christianity to be a “get out of jail free card”.  This person will acknowledge God’s existence, and perhaps that he died and rose again, and not see a need to subject themselves to Him.  They delight in the Savior, but not in the Lord.

In the first person, this manifests usually by a person constantly being stressed out.  They will constantly be viewing God’s love for them in terms of their obedience, and often will be harsh towards the failings of others.  They are so concerned about their level of “success” in terms of their outward obedience, that they become judges themselves; comparing themselves to others.  We’ve all run into someone like this at church at least once, and it probably wasn’t an encouraging experience.

The second person is the one who tells you over and over that he is saved by grace, and rejects any attempts by others to rebuke him, does not submit to church authority, and doesn’t like the idea of being “accountable” to other people.  After all, God’s his judge right, those people are just sinners, and we’re all saved by grace, so what’s the point?  He hides behind poor theology, to justify those sins that he loves to hold onto; that he doesn’t want to put to death.  This is the person that you’re afraid to be friends with in church, because of a fear that he might lead you astray as well.  Usually this person puts up a front that is outwardly happy, but secretly is frustrated, wondering why he doesn’t have the same joy he sees in others.

What do these two people have in common?  Outwardly, one seems very pious, and outwardly the other seems very licentious, so outwardly they would look very different.  Inwardly, however, the greatest love of both these persons is themselves, they do not delight in God.  One wants God to be pleased with him, so that he can go to heaven maybe, or so that he can feel good about himself vs. other people.  The other person, see God as a means to excuse himself from the guilt and shame that accompanies his sinful lifestyle.  He doesn’t love God, he loves his sin.  Neither of these people have any real affection for God Himself, so is God supposed to be pleased with this hypocrisy?

Let’s look at this in the context of a man and wife’s relationship.  Matt and Stephanie are 34, married for 10 years today, and this is a big anniversary.  Matt had planned to order flowers for his wife, and take her our to a nice italian restaurant.  Matt decided to go out to a happy hour after work with his coworkers, and before he knew it, he looked over at the clock, and sees that it’s 8pm, the florist is closed, and he’s missed their reservation.  He gives his wife a call.  He apologizes profusely that he lost track of time again, and tells her that he’ll be home soon.  When his wife starts crying over the phone, Matt compounds the problem, by doing what he always does; making jokes to try to make light of the situation.  He tells his wife that he’s not perfect, everyone makes mistakes, and he’ll do better next time.  When he finally comes home, he doesn’t understand why his wife seems distant from him.

Jeff and Stacey are 36, and also have been married 10 years, today.  Jeff shows up at the house, exactly on time at 7pm for his anniversary date with his wife.  He sends her flowers, takes her out to dinner to a nice italian restaurant, and then promptly comes home.  His wife wants to talk, but he feels comfortable that he’s “done his duty” as a husband, and asks to talk to her tomorrow.  She starts crying, and he feels bitter that “nothing is ever enough” for her.  He doesn’t realize that she knows that his secretary sent the flowers, and made the reservation for dinner, she doesn’t even like italian food.

Is this how you treat God?  Can you see now, how Matthew 7:22 means to speak of the obedient, dutiful person – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me,you workers of lawlessness.”

For the person to approaches the cross of Christ as a means to licentiousness, can you see how God is far from this person?  He gives a warning to those people in 1 John 3:9 – “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’sseed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”

Chris and Stephanie have been married 10 years, today.  Chris, has been thinking about what he can do for his wife Stephanie on their anniversary for weeks.  He knew what her favorite flowers were a special kind of iris from talking with her over the years, and knew that she’d mentioned wanting to go to a italian restaurant that was opening.  He made reservations a week in advance, and had the nice planned out perfectly.  He left work early to get to the florist before they closed, but had a flat tire.  By the time he got to the florist they were closed.  Chris went to 3 other florists, but they didn’t have the perfect flowers.  Chris called to confirm his reservation, only to find out that the restaurant had been closed due to an electrical problem.  The world seemed to manifestly be against Chris as it started to pour down rain on him while he fumbled for his keys.  He picked up a dozen roses and a card, and came home to his wife.  He told her about his afternoon’s events, and handed her a card with her roses that said, “Each day brings new challenges, but the best part every day was coming home to her, and he loved her more every day.”  Chris and Stephanie didn’t make it to dinner, but needless to say, Stephanie’s response made it known that she loved her husband as well.

Where does this leave us.  If we are honest, each of us has probably fallen into one of the first two categories, at least in some area of our lives.  The good news is that God isn’t like Zeus, waiting around with thunderbolts; God is patient, loving, and genuinely desires for us to be joyful in Him.  We are left with the command and promise from Psalm 37.

Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the LORD,and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

The mark of a Christian, who is walking with the Lord is his delight in God Himself.  We are commanded to delight ourselves in God, which means our focus as Christians ought to be joyful in God more and more.  We are promised that as our joy is found in God, He will give us more of our desire, Himself.  We must fight the fight of faith each day to look at the cross, as our means of reconciliation to God, and to pursue joy in God, to have God as our portion.  We can approach each day, and look forward to eternity with God in joy and hope from Psalm 16:

Psalm 16:11 – “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father, He is our portion, and in Him we will delight for all eternity.  The joy we have in Him now will be a glimmer, that will burn into brightness for eternity, as we see Him clearly face to face, and our joy in Him is magnified beyond what we possibly could imagine.

So how do we begin?  First we begin by admitting we cannot manufacture true love for God through obedience, and God is not pleased when we mock his love for us on the cross by sinning against Him.  God gave us a new heart, and so our actions must rest there, to ask God to form in us a heart that delights in Him.  God’s answer I believer can be found in John 15:7 and Job 22:21.

John 15:7 – “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Do you delight in the Word of God, as a means of God revealing Himself to you?  If you do, what you wish, will always be for more of God in your life, and God will always answer yes to that question.  That is because your joy is magnified, and the object of your joy is God, so His glory is magnified as well.

If you want a more step by step application, meditate through Job 22.
Job 22:21 – “Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you.  Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.  If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents, if you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed, then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver.  For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God.  You willmake your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows.  You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways.  For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly.  He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

We begin with the gospel, that we agree that we are without hope apart from Christ, we turn from sin and toward Christ, and in Him we find peace.  It is because we have been reconciled to God, and are at peace with Him that we can receive His instruction to us in His Word, and see it not as directing our outward obedience, but explaining who He is, and who God has made us to be in Christ.  It is because we find joy in God, that we will then remove sin from our life, which would separate us from Him.  As God works this out in us, we will delight in God more and more, because we will have more and more of Him in our life.  Then we will seek God, we will make plans, and can rest assured that whatever the outcome, our plans will be established in such a way to give us more of God in our life.  (x-ref Rom 8:28).

Where do you fall out in all of this?  Do you find your joy in God increasing more and more over time?  If not, are you seeking joy in God as an end, or have you made God a means to pursue joy in sin?  Have you sought joy in obedience as a means to see God clearly and have more of Him in your life, or are you pursuing obedience becuase you want God to accept you, or so that you can Lord your “success” over others who are struggling?  Rest in your weakness at the foot of the cross.  You have nothing to offer, but in Christ are given everything.  Delight yourself in the Jesus you find revealed not just in the gospels, but throughout all of scripture.  Let the Word rest in your heart, and you will find your greatest delight, and God’s pleasure for His glory are not antithetical, but are synonymous.  God is only pleased in those who love Him, and the only people who love God are those who reckognize they are powerless to do so, yet are given that power through belief on Christ as their redeemer.

My encouragement is to find yourself among this scripture, and take a step towards God.  If there is no delight in your heart for God, there is no better prayer to God than to ask, and it is a prayer God will delight in saying “yes” to.  Christians should be the happiest people on Earth, because nothing can diminish the source of our joy, and we live in eager expecation of the fullness of joy to come.

For your joy in Him,
Adam

Have you ever stopped to marvel at the type of people that Jesus loves?  I’m always encouraged by looking at the disciples, the twelve men chosen by Jesus that traveled with Him throughout His ministry?

In Jewish culture during the time, many boys would begin their life with the hope of becoming a great Rabbi.  Many boys would have memorized the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) by the time they were twelve.  If they showed great promise, they might be allowed to study under a Rabbi.  If not, then they would continue on with another profession.  Such was the case with each of the twelve disciples, yet Jesus, goes out, and calls each one to himself.  To understand Jewish culture here, it would be someone who always desired to play baseball, but didn’t get chosen to play for a college team.  Then, the manager of the yankees (insert your baseball team of choice) asking you to play on their team.  Jesus came, to give these men a new identity; undeserved, their identity had to be given to them.

These were not the intellectual elite of their day.  These were not theologians, debating intracacies of theology and the law amongst each other in the temple.  These were simple men.  In the case of Matthew, the tax collector, his profession was literally the most despised position among the jews.  Given the jews were under roman rule, a jew that would become a tax collector, taking money from his own people to give to Rome, was considered a traitor.  These were the men chosen by Jesus.

Let’s look at how Jesus approached another man, the chief tax collector of Jericho:

Luke 19:1-10 – “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. ⁴So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

My friends, we are all chief tax collectors, but the Son of Man has come for each of us.  He is salvation.  He is a son of Abraham, not merely physically, but a son of Abraham as Isaac was (Rom 9), meaning he is a son of the promise of God.  Be encouraged, as you walk with God as a Christian, that Jesus did not call you because of your ability, but because you were lost.  He loves you not as a good person caring about another, but as a father to his child, willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING for their good, even His own life.

I honestly believe there is something sacred about the Gospels, even within the Bible.  To see the person of God in Jesus Christ, is an encouragement to me like no other.  This is why I try to read some from the gospels every day.  My encouragement is for you to take some time today to look at the men Jesus loved.  Look in the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, at how He responds to those who come to Him in weakness.  Draw strength from knowing that as a believer, that same Jesus you see in the gospels, dwells in you, loves you, and waits for you.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

As believers, we are already more than conquerors through Christ.  The sin that previously held us in bondage, is not only defeated, it is made to serve us as we seek to bring to light the glory of God to a world set in darkness.  How does this happen?  We make war on sin, and thus show the surpassing worth and joy that is to be found in Christ vs. the world.

The apostle Paul, described an internal struggle within Himself in Romans 7:22-24 – “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

He follows that up by saying there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, meaning even though he struggles, he rests in knowing God accepts him regardless of the outcome because of Christ.  We cannot lose the war, it’s already been won.  My question to many though is, would you say that your life is marked by the same internal struggle found in Paul?  Is there really a battle waging within you daily against sin?  If there is, take heart, there should be.  If not, then I might look around and see if you feel like your life is drawing closer to God or drifting from Him.

The good news is that even if you fall, you will never be defeated.  You cannot be if you trust on Christ.  Are you violently attacking sin in your life?

Romans 8:12-14 – “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Colossians 3:4-6 – “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”

You see now why it was so important for me first to show in previous messages how changing behavior is not the means of our salvation, but the fruit of it?  In both the above passages, the call to “put to death” sin in your is not the foundation of your acceptance before God, but is what is built upon your acceptance by God, the foundation each of us has through salvation in Christ alone.  Therefore, just as your faith in the beginning was a work of God, so too will the outworking of that faith continue to be the Spirit’s work in you.
That said, my encouragement, my hope for each of you is not to be satisfied merely with wounding your sin… earnestly desire to be constantly killing it.  I’m not saying to kill sin (as if it was something that could be overcome fully by us), I’m saying to be “be in the business of killing sin, every day”.  Chop it’s head off, then beat it, then pour some gasoline on it and light a match, then invite your friends over to see if they can see anything left of it… sift through the ashes and beat anything you find, then… ok, you get the point.  How can you do this?  You can do this by forming Christ within yourselves; by rooting yourself in the Word of God, meditating on it daily, so that your mind will become more like the mind of Christ, your heart’s desires His desires, then you will be able to kill sin.  Bring others into the fight, let them see if there is sin you may be blind too, and have them encourage and pray for you.  I don’t want a fair fight with sin, I want a gang beating.  I want to invite as many people over with weapons, to surround and destroy sin.  When I think I’ve got it defeated, that’s when my guard does not go down, but is heightened knowing that there is only One person who can defeat sin completely, and I have to cling to Him every moment, to have any measure of peace in knowing sin will not overtake me.  Be encouraged, there is Truth that sets you free, His name is Jesus, He dwells in you, and will never leave or forsake you.

My exhortation today is the same as James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  Resistance is not passive, it is intentional.  The best defense is a good offense… let’s get ready to rumble.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Hebrews 9 – “Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.  These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.  But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent ( not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For ifthe blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.  Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

What does Hebrews 9 mean?  It means that under the old covenant of the law – think don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, don’t lie to one another, etc. – no one made it out clean.  Everyone sinned, and the sacrifices they made via animals to supposedly atone for their sin, were not sufficient to cover their sins fully (at all really).  Only one person could go into the holy place once a year (where God was), and make a sacrifice for the people, and guess what?  They’d have to come back next year, so what if you died right before that sacrifice was made?  Were you just hosed?  Do you know that when that one high priest would go into the Holy of Holies in the temple, the room where God was, they would have to tie a rope to their ankle?  Do you know why?  Because if they sinned in their giving of their sacrifice, God is so Holy, that His righteousness would kill them, and they would have to be drug out by others (who also couldn’t enter the room, because of God’s holiness/righteousness).  This sacrificial system of the old covenant we know was supposed to be symbolic, to point the people to trust in God to provide a sacrifice to atone for their sin.

We, as believers have the greatest news of all through Christ.  Compare yourself against the Jewish person under the old covenant – they’re slaughtering animals all day, hoping in God, but you already know that the fulfillment of the law has come, and credited His righteousness to you, apart from your works or “sacrifices”.  Jesus Himself came and said that He desired mercy and not sacrifice.   Mercy comes from someone who has a fullness to give to others (as we do), sacrifice comes from someone who upon giving will lack something.  We see this again in Acts 17:24-25:

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”

The blood that atones for our sin is more than enough for all eternity.  The blood of Christ is far superior to those of animals.  Christ defeated sin, once and for all on the cross, there is no need for further sacrifice.  God is not glorified by you trying to “work your way” towards Him accepting you, because that means that his blood is not enough to cover all your sin, and that His death was not enough.  But we know that it was enough, because Christ said on the cross, “It is finished”.  There’s no “except for” at the end there.  In Christ, you have full confident access to Him… there’s no need to tie a rope around your ankle through manufactured behavior change.  Just come to God as you are, delight yourself in Him, and He will give you the desires of your heart, and your heart will be to love and obey Him.

In Christ, we are His temple, we do not make the temple, we are His workmanship.  Through the blood of Christ, there is no need for an outer room, or an inner room of a temple, because He dwells in us, He is with us wherever we go.

When we fall to sin, we do not have to look towards a future sacrifice by our behavior or other means as they did under the old covenant.  We know that Christ has broken down the wall separating us from God, and the Spirit of God in Him and believers draws us powerfully towards God.  The sacrifice has been made, the payment is complete, the blood of Christ is eternal.  Through the blood of Christ, we are free from the bondage of sin.  We may fall, but we are His, and the same power that rose Christ from the grave dwells in us, to give rise to our downtrodden hearts, to incline our affections again towards God.  We stand secure in the promise that through the blood of Christ, we will dwell with Him, enjoying the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Sin, Mourning, Repentance, Forgiveness are all often misunderstood.  David says of God in the psalms that “a broken and contrite heart” God will not despise (Psalm 51:17), but what is the heart broken over?  What is the contrition of one’s heart?  Is this feeling bad in general, or is there something more?

Chris has a son, Ethan, whom he has instructed time and time again not to run across the street without looking first.  Across the street there is a park where other kids are playing, and so often once outside, in his excitement, Ethan neglects his father’s advice and goes charging across the street at 100 miles an hour.  Once on the other side, however, the look on Chris’s face to his son, lets him know that they are about to discuss his impetuous run, and per past experience, there is some measurement of punishment coming his way.  Suddenly the joy of the park grows dim, as Ethan is aware that today is not going to be spent at the park as planned, and likely will result in a good measure of time alone in his room, and perhaps a sore bottom.  His demeanor has changed.  He pleads with his father that he knows what he did was wrong, and he feels really bad, and he won’t do it again.  Is this repentance?  Is this the broken and contrite heart that God will not despise?

Another day, Ethan charges out across the park without looking, convinced his cheetah like speed will protect him from any dangers.  Unfortunately, his cheetah like running skills weren’t a match for the other older kid down the block, Parker, who at that moment was practicing his Lance Armstrong skills barreling down the sidewalk at mach 2 on his bike.  BOOM!  Down goes Ethan (and Parker).  Much crying ensues, and a trip to the doctor reveals a broken arm for our cheetah (Ethan).  Ethan assures his father that he feels really bad, and that he will never run across the street again without looking.   Is this repentance?  Is this the broken and contrite heart that God will not despise?

Finally, dismayed at Ethan’s insistence to ignore his sound advice, Chris makes a deal with Ethan:  If Ethan will look both ways before crossing the street to go to the park every time for two months, then Chris will buy Ethan the new G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu grip toy that he hasn’t stopped talking about for 7 days straight (Killing 2 birds with one stone Chris mistakenly thinks).  Ethan assures his father, Chris, that he indeed is sorry about his past indiscretions in running across the street, but will “do better” now.  Indeed Ethan does look every time before he crosses the street from that day on, looking forward to saving the world, one G.I. Joe at a time.  Is this repentance?  Is this the broken and contrite heart that God will not despise?

In Genesis 25, we’re given an example of what “brokenness and repentance” is not with Esau.  In Israel’s time, the firstborn son would be granted a double portion of his father’s estate when he died.  This was done because it was then that son’s responsibility to see to it that the family was taken care of, including his mother, sisters, and adolescent brothers.  Esau, however, was really hungry one day, and gave up his birthright (inheriting a double portion) to his younger brother Jacob for a meal.  He later regretted his decision, but was his regret brokenness and repentance?

Hebrews 12:15-16 – “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.”

What kind of repentance was this from Esau?   What is important to see is what did Esau desire?  What was Esau after with his “repentance”?  Was he broken over his sinfulness in insulting his father by rejecting his birthright?  No, Esau wanted to inherit the blessing.  Esau’s original sin was desiring a meal, and now we see that same sin has grown in him.  His desire is still for physical comfort, and the means in his view now, is the blessing he threw away.  Esau wanted to repent because he wanted what his father could give him.  He didn’t love his father.  This is the same story we see in the “Prodigal Son” parable of Luke 15.

So my question is this.  What is the foundation for your “brokenness” before God?  Are you feeling bad because you expect punishment?  Are you feeling bad because you’re dealing with the consequences of your sin, and you don’t want to?  Are you feeling bad because you see your sin as keeping you from something else you want other than God?  Or are you broken because you realize the infinite love with which God has loved you through Jesus, that God has called you holy in Christ, and your actions have sullied the name of Jesus, of the God you love?

Now Chris loves his son Ethan, and he wants Ethan to enjoy a fullness of life (hopefully as a man, and not a cheetah).  It’s because of this love, that the greatest desire Chris has for Ethan, is that Ethan obey because he loves and trusts Chris.  It’s because of that love, that even when Chris isn’t watching, no bikes are coming, there is no offer of a G.I. Joe with a Kung Fu grip, Ethan will still obey his father, and his obedience will be both good for him, and very pleasing to his father.

My encouragement is to spend some time looking back over the prayers you’ve prayed to God recently about sin in your life?  What about your sin are you mourning?  When you confess your sin to God, is your heart broken over your circumstances, or your offense to the name of the Lord, in which you stand?  Be encouraged to know that no one who comes to God, broken by their sin against Him, with the love that they have for Him, will ever find a father indifferent to them.  In Christ, we know that all our sins are forgiven, that God wants a restored fellowship with us.  We also know that God, as a perfectly good Father, loves us enough to not allow false repentance to mask an idol in our hearts, when the greatest good for us, is to know and love God Himself.  Let your affections be singular for Christ, let your brokenness in sin proclaim the worth of God, let your hearts rest secure in your position as a son/daughter and heir in Christ, and let our love for Him and the glory of His name be the foundation of our brokenness.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Let me first say I apologize for being out of pocket most of last week.  Long story short, my company got audited by the government to make sure we were paying everything we should for goods imported from other countries (the first time in 40 years).  Happy to say everything was fine, but work and sleep was all I accomplished the latter part of the week.  I trust you’re all doing well, and hope you had a great weekend!

There are a couple books of the Bible, that we can admit are just confusing when you first get to them.  Many people get to the psalms, and they do not know what to make of this book of the Bible.  Much of the Old Testament is narrative of the people of Israel, and then you get to this book of poetry and prose, with songs and hymns.  Now I love the book of Psalms, because it engages the heart by painting a picture of the heart emotions of Christians of old, specifically David, called a “man after God’s own heart”.  Many people love the book of Psalms for this reason, but they miss that the book of Psalms is also meant to teach us.  They don’t see that the emotions wrought in the Psalms were a result of what they knew to be true of God.  There is rich doctrine found in the Psalms, and we are meant to be instructed in it, and dig deep to see it.  This is why I love this book so much, because it shows what it means for right doctrine about God to intersect with our hearts in joyful worship to God.

Psalm 28:1-5

^“To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.  Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.  Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts.  Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;  render them their due reward.  Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.”

Here I won’t look at all there is to see, but I want to pick out some low hanging fruit to show where doctrine intersects with David’s heart.  First ask yourself – what is David asking mercy from?  David realizes, and this Psalm teaches that before a holy God no one is righteous, and he deserves to be drug off with them.  What is wicked about the people around David?  Is it their behavior?  No, David says outwardly they are speaking peace, but their wickedness is the evil in their hearts.  So we could learn from this, the doctrine of the inability of man to come to God on his own – our being right with God is not about our behavior, but having a right heart, and no man can do anything about the condition of his heart.  It is a work of mercy from the Lord.  How can one appreciate the cross, and have true affections for Jesus, until he realizes that there is no hope for him, apart from the mercy of God?

What comes next is a doctrine I wish more of us could see.  What judgment does David call down on the wicked surrounding him?  Only that God would give them according to their work.  Many people look at the US, and they see murder, extortion, fraud on wall street, millions of abortions, divorce rates higher than most any place in the world, and they ask the question “when is God going to judge us?”  Those things they they just listed off are not the things God is going to judge us for… they are the judgement.  Look at the Psalm, the evil of men is not in their actions, but in the evil of their hearts.  All of these physical manifestations of sin are not man’s sin, they are the judgement of God on man’s sinfulness.  God will give man the desire of his heart.  If your desire is for sin, God will give you what you desire, that is his judgment.  If your desire, by the grace of God is for Him, you can draw great strength and encouragement from knowing that He will reveal more and more of Himself to you.

Psalm 28:6-9

“Blessed be the LORD!  For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.  The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.  The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.  Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!  Be their shepherd and carry them forever.”

David’s joy for God flows from His understanding and teaching that none is righteous before a holy God, yet God is merciful, and trustworthy. All of the judgment David has just called down on those around Him is due him as well.  Yet, David is bold in the promises of God.  He trusts that God will not abandon those who seek Him with their whole heart.  It is here, where his trust that God will be his strength, that God will not only be merciful, but will provide protection, strength, even guide and carry those who come to Him, finds hope to exult in the Lord joyfully.

What promises of God do you hold fast in your heart from moment to moment every day?  When your head understands right doctrine about God, your heart will engage right affections for him as well.  My encouragement each morning is to find one thing about God, that you can dwell on throughout the day, that the Word of God would encourage you.  Know that the entirety of God’s Word is meant for this purpose, to teach you about God, yes, but that in your knowing about God, and rooting your heart in promises from God, your heart would overflow with joy to God.

Grace, Peace, and Joy,
Adam

Colossians 1:15-17 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Acts 17:24-28 – “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;”

Often times we wonder how God can “allow” bad things to happen.  Certainly it was a struggle for many after 9/11 to understand how God can be good, and still allow that event to take place.  Many people have tried to “get God off the hook” by claiming He didn’t know it was going to happen, or to say that he was “held back” because of man’s sinfulness.  That is ridiculous, we must fight against that unbiblical view of God.  Let me say this – if God cannot see a plane heading towards a building and with just a teenie flick of his little finger, move it off to the side – He’s not God.  No, while we are a separate creation of God, there is nowhere we can go to depart from His presence and power, there is nothing that comes to be except by His will.

Psalm 139:7-10 – “Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

Proverbs 16:9 – “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”

Knowing this then, it is not for us to understand God’s purposes in all things, only to know that He is good, and always with us and for us.

Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

When life is hard; when we encounter trials and suffering, how will our heart have peace if we believe that God is “surprised” by our suffering?  How can we go to sleep at night if we cannot rest in knowing that despite our inability to see it in our small view of things, our circumstances are being worked for our good – strengthening our faith, and God’s glory?  The very power of God we most need in those times would be robbed from us, if we do not see that He is sovereign over all things.

My encouragement today, realizing that each of us have struggles daily, is to know that God is in control of all things.  Know that God is good and loves you enough to bear the ultimate suffering for you on the cross.  With that in mind, boldly approach God with your circumstances and trials.  Instead of concerning yourself about how things are going to turn out, press everything that is burdening you into God, trusting that just as His work on the cross has given you a righteousness that is not your own, His continued work in your life will produce fruit that you may not yet be able to see.

1 Peter 5:6-7 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Grace and Peace,
Adam