1 Corinthians 1:22-24 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."
I've never noticed before how Paul shows how Christ is the thing that the Jews and the Greeks were both seeking even though they didn't know it.
The Jews knew history and the ancient prophesies. And even though Christ fulfilled all those prophesies, they still demanded a sign. Jesus' ministry was full of signs and wonders. Yet the biggest came when He rose from the dead, proving once and for all His deity and godhood. The Jews sought a sign, yet He was standing right in front of them - the Power of God Himself.
The Greeks were philosophers. They wanted some complex wisdom that they could really sink their teeth into. The Gospel (Christ crucified) was too simple. So simple in fact they saw it as foolishness. The Greeks sought wisdom, and yet the Wisdom of God Himself was standing right in front of them.
Jesus Christ is exactly what we need. God created us, God knows our every need. And if we'll let Him, Jesus will satisfy those needs like no one, and nothing else can.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Mystery
Romans 16:25 "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,"
We live in an incredible time. Up until Christ's coming, the salvation that was to come was truly a mystery. There was a hope, yet it was in the future, shrouded in the unknown. A Messiah would eventually come, but no one knew how or when. Nor did they fully understand how it would turn the world upside down.
Living today, however, we have the benefit of knowing what this mystery is! It has been revealed to us and now we know our standing before God, the Savior Who died to give us new life, how to receive His grace and mercy, and what eternity will hold for us. What a wonderful thought.
Yet some mystery still remains. We know our Messiah is coming back again, yet we do not know when. We hold out future hope, but we have no idea just how much that hope will transform our eternal lives when that day comes. As we wait for the final revelation, let us not get tired of doing good as God has called us. Let us run this race before us with patience, looking forward to the Reward that awaits us.
We live in an incredible time. Up until Christ's coming, the salvation that was to come was truly a mystery. There was a hope, yet it was in the future, shrouded in the unknown. A Messiah would eventually come, but no one knew how or when. Nor did they fully understand how it would turn the world upside down.
Living today, however, we have the benefit of knowing what this mystery is! It has been revealed to us and now we know our standing before God, the Savior Who died to give us new life, how to receive His grace and mercy, and what eternity will hold for us. What a wonderful thought.
Yet some mystery still remains. We know our Messiah is coming back again, yet we do not know when. We hold out future hope, but we have no idea just how much that hope will transform our eternal lives when that day comes. As we wait for the final revelation, let us not get tired of doing good as God has called us. Let us run this race before us with patience, looking forward to the Reward that awaits us.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
A Unified Body
Romans 15:5-7 "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God."
There are several key phrases in these verses that, if taken to heart, would do a lot to bring unity in the Church. We are called to be "likeminded...according to Christ Jesus". He is to be the center of Christianity (it's in the name really). Christians can differ on many things, however our minds ought to be the same when it comes to Jesus.
Once that mind is "like", we are to employ it together with our fellow believers along with our mouths to bring God praise. The bitter divide in churches regarding how to praise and glorify God (drums, no drums, etc.) is causing us to be unable to fulfill this Scriptural admonition.
And finally, we are called to receive each other as Christ received us so God gets the glory. The word "receive" could literally be translated "grant one access to one's heart". Just think - that is what Christ has done for us! The God of the universe has given us access to His heart and now He calls us to do the same with our fellow believers. This is not a simple "Hi! How are you this beautiful Sunday?" "I'm great. How are you?" "I'm good. Well have a nice day!" sort of conversation. That is not granting access to your heart and it is killing our churches. Receiving each other as Christ receives us is intimate, dangerous, raw, real. Life changing.
What steps can I take today to implement these admonitions in my life?
There are several key phrases in these verses that, if taken to heart, would do a lot to bring unity in the Church. We are called to be "likeminded...according to Christ Jesus". He is to be the center of Christianity (it's in the name really). Christians can differ on many things, however our minds ought to be the same when it comes to Jesus.
Once that mind is "like", we are to employ it together with our fellow believers along with our mouths to bring God praise. The bitter divide in churches regarding how to praise and glorify God (drums, no drums, etc.) is causing us to be unable to fulfill this Scriptural admonition.
And finally, we are called to receive each other as Christ received us so God gets the glory. The word "receive" could literally be translated "grant one access to one's heart". Just think - that is what Christ has done for us! The God of the universe has given us access to His heart and now He calls us to do the same with our fellow believers. This is not a simple "Hi! How are you this beautiful Sunday?" "I'm great. How are you?" "I'm good. Well have a nice day!" sort of conversation. That is not granting access to your heart and it is killing our churches. Receiving each other as Christ receives us is intimate, dangerous, raw, real. Life changing.
What steps can I take today to implement these admonitions in my life?
Friday, February 9, 2018
Strive
Romans 15:30 "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;"
If you had to choose one word to describe your prayer life, what would it be?
Strive: "to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something". Paul leaves no question as to what our prayer life ought to look like. He's speaking of an intense prayer life that has purpose and direction. A dedicated, tenacious drive.
And let us not forget Who it is we are praying to. The one and only God, the Creator and Provider, the Lover of our souls, the One Who gave all for us and died for us. The God of unspeakable love, mercy, and grace. He waits to be sought by us. But not halfheartedly. As He says in Luke 18 - we must always pray and not faint!
Therefore, we must strive. But not alone. We strive together with our fellow believers. So again I ask you, what word would describe your prayer life?
If you had to choose one word to describe your prayer life, what would it be?
Strive: "to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something". Paul leaves no question as to what our prayer life ought to look like. He's speaking of an intense prayer life that has purpose and direction. A dedicated, tenacious drive.
And let us not forget Who it is we are praying to. The one and only God, the Creator and Provider, the Lover of our souls, the One Who gave all for us and died for us. The God of unspeakable love, mercy, and grace. He waits to be sought by us. But not halfheartedly. As He says in Luke 18 - we must always pray and not faint!
Therefore, we must strive. But not alone. We strive together with our fellow believers. So again I ask you, what word would describe your prayer life?
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Light = Exposed
Romans 13:!2 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."
Armor is something designed to protect. It is a buffer between us and what would harm us. It is interesting then that the armor we are called to put on here is an armor of light. How can light protect us?
The word for 'light' here is used as a metaphor and means, "God is light because light has the extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it that which is exposed to the view of all, openly, publicly reason, mind, the power of understanding esp. moral and spiritual truth."
In a dark world, light cannot be hidden. The works of darkness, those that we are to cast off, are evil and wicked. Though we try and hide them, they will tarnish our reputation and destroy our testimony. However, the armor of light is the protection offered by a pure and honest life. If we live a life open to the view of all, especially mindful of God's eye on us, how drastically different would things look?
Armor is something designed to protect. It is a buffer between us and what would harm us. It is interesting then that the armor we are called to put on here is an armor of light. How can light protect us?
The word for 'light' here is used as a metaphor and means, "God is light because light has the extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it that which is exposed to the view of all, openly, publicly reason, mind, the power of understanding esp. moral and spiritual truth."
In a dark world, light cannot be hidden. The works of darkness, those that we are to cast off, are evil and wicked. Though we try and hide them, they will tarnish our reputation and destroy our testimony. However, the armor of light is the protection offered by a pure and honest life. If we live a life open to the view of all, especially mindful of God's eye on us, how drastically different would things look?
Friday, January 12, 2018
Contingent
Romans 13:10 "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Psalm 1:2-3 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
This verse in Psalms is so familiar that I'm afraid it can quite easily lose its power in our minds. Read it again, and truly let those promises sink in. What would your life look like if whatever you did prospered because of God's favor? It truly blows my mind when I think about it! And who wouldn't want this promise to come true?
However, this promise is contingent on something - our meditation on God's law day and night. Does this mean that we should be constantly mulling over the Levitical commandments regarding sacrifices and Jewish holy days? I don't think so. Paul makes it very clear that the root of every word in the Torah, every command ever given, is love.
Therefore, if I desire the fulfillment of the promise of Psalms 1, then my thought ought to be constantly on the law of God, which is briefly summed up in this - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40
Psalm 1:2-3 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
This verse in Psalms is so familiar that I'm afraid it can quite easily lose its power in our minds. Read it again, and truly let those promises sink in. What would your life look like if whatever you did prospered because of God's favor? It truly blows my mind when I think about it! And who wouldn't want this promise to come true?
However, this promise is contingent on something - our meditation on God's law day and night. Does this mean that we should be constantly mulling over the Levitical commandments regarding sacrifices and Jewish holy days? I don't think so. Paul makes it very clear that the root of every word in the Torah, every command ever given, is love.
Therefore, if I desire the fulfillment of the promise of Psalms 1, then my thought ought to be constantly on the law of God, which is briefly summed up in this - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Simple, Yet Difficult
Romans 13:8 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."
The Christian life is not complicated. The commands we've been given as New Testament believers are quite simple & straightforward. Yet it seems at times we can't accept that simplicity. For some bizarre reason, want more rules and restrictions of our own making. Perhaps the reason is, while the Christian life may be simple, it is far from easy.
When we find ourselves incapable of fulfilling that one, simple command, what is easier - to humbly admit our need for Christ's power? Or to create our own rules that we know we can follow alone? Humbly seeking Christ's power is not our natural reaction in most circumstances. Yet it should be.
Do I truly believe that love will fulfill the law? Do I humbly realize my inability to love in that way? Am I meekly submitting my will to Christ, receiving His power, so that I can love as He would have me?
The Christian life is not complicated. The commands we've been given as New Testament believers are quite simple & straightforward. Yet it seems at times we can't accept that simplicity. For some bizarre reason, want more rules and restrictions of our own making. Perhaps the reason is, while the Christian life may be simple, it is far from easy.
When we find ourselves incapable of fulfilling that one, simple command, what is easier - to humbly admit our need for Christ's power? Or to create our own rules that we know we can follow alone? Humbly seeking Christ's power is not our natural reaction in most circumstances. Yet it should be.
Do I truly believe that love will fulfill the law? Do I humbly realize my inability to love in that way? Am I meekly submitting my will to Christ, receiving His power, so that I can love as He would have me?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)