Deuteronomy 12:18
He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing.
Nothing is insignificant in God’s word. Every word spoken points to Jesus Christ and His finished work in one way or another. Sometimes it takes a little digging and some help from the Holy Spirit to discover it, but it’s there! The truth is that the Holy Spirit enjoys helping us find Jesus in the word. In fact, it’s His job (John 15:26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.)
If there is one thing that God is adamant about taking care of, it’s fatherless orphans and widows. He actually says in James that “true religion” is taking care of the fatherless and the widows (James 1:27). He says this to show that He is true religion. True religion isn’t a set of beliefs and rituals; it’s salvation by grace. It’s taking care of those who don’t have a father or a husband. True religion is becoming the father and becoming the husband to the lost and lonely; it’s what only God can do.
Without God in our lives, we were like orphans: fatherless and without hope. Without Christ we were like widows with no one to take care of us. But Christ has become our kinsman redeemer; He has become our Husband and we are His bride. Because of our marriage to Him, through grace, we have been adopted into the family of God. We have been given the freedom to cry out to God, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)
God has administered justice for us, that is to say, for our benefit. It was for our benefit that Christ went to the cross. It was at the cross that Christ bore the punishment for our sins; He took the burden and bore the sentence of death on our behalf. Justice was administered to Jesus for us.
When we were strangers to God, not knowing Him or His ways, He became a friend to us. He suffered on our behalf and took us into His family. It is because of Jesus that we have the freedom to call God Almighty “Daddy.”
Christ is the bread of life. He is food for the mind, body, and soul. When He went to the cross, He gave Himself for us. He became all that we need. He has been made for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). All that Christ is and was has been freely given to us by grace through the cross.
He has become our food. Not only that, He has given us clothing. Christ has given us His righteousness as clothing. He took our sin and wore it to His cross. In exchange, He gave us His robe of righteousness so that our Father, God, can look at us and see a fully restored, fully redeemed, fully righteous son or daughter.
God loves the fatherless and the widows. He wants to be their Father and Husband. While we were strangers to Him, or estranged from Him, He came to be our Savior (Romans 5:8). He has taken us into His kingdom and freely given us food (Jesus Christ) and clothing (righteousness).
That’s “Daddy God."
Friday, October 12, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Finished works
Deuteronomy 7:22
And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.
“I can do it!” How many times have you heard those words? As a parent, I can honestly say that I’ve heard those very words hundreds of times. This is our nature: to try and to try and to try.
We love the feeling that we get when we’re able to accomplish a given task. Whether it’s climbing that big tree in the front yard, riding the bike around the block, or landing that job you’ve desired for years, when it happens you’re filled with pride. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that feeling. When you work hard for something and you invest time and energy into succeeding, you earn the right to feel happy and successful when all goes according to your plan.
This go-getter, conqueror attitude holds true for everything in your life, except when it comes to your ability to maintain God’s holy standard. When you’re trying out of your own power and strength to defeat sin in your life and live according to what God’s statutes dictate, your efforts are futile. This is why we have Jesus; this is why we need a Savior!
If you parallel the Old Testament story of Israel, God’s chosen people, to our spiritual New Testament lives, you’ll see some amazing things. There is a direct relationship between the enemies of Israel (Pharaoh, the Egyptians, the nations who possessed the Promised Land, etc.) and our enemy: the Devil, his angels, and sin. Once you can make the connection and place yourself in the story, spiritually, you’ll begin to see God’s plan unfold for you.
Here in Deuteronomy Moses is reminding the nation of Israel of God’s laws, His requirements, His judgements, His statutes, and His promises. Moses is telling the people what is going to happen and what their role is going to be when they enter the Promised Land. He is providing them with the hope they’ll need to succeed when they enter.
Israel’s work was crossing the Jordan river and possessing the land. God’s work was driving out the nations before them. How does this apply to our lives today? When we put this in perspective, we can see that there is a time for us to work and a time for us to allow God to work. All too often we get these times mixed up. Sometimes it’s unintentional; sometimes it’s because we’re too proud. But, like Israel, our work is simply to possess what God has promised us: health, prosperity, joy, peace, happiness through Jesus Christ. God’s work is to drive out our enemies from before us!
We get caught up in the idea that once you enter the “promised land” by becoming a Christian, the real work of acting like one begins. We seem to think that it’s completely our responsibility to drive off sin in our lives; we think it’s our job to chase off the enemy. But the Bible makes it very clear that our job is to possess the land; God’s job is to drive out the enemy.
Looking to and remaining fixed on Christ’s perfect work at the cross is all we need to “do” in order to possess the promises of God. God’s work is to “little by little” drive out our enemies. What is it that is possessing the land of happiness that God has given to you? Name it and know that God is driving it out! Alcoholism, pornography, anger, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and fear are all enemies. They are defeated; they were defeated for you at the cross. If these things are possessing your land, trust that it’s not up to you to remove them; it’s up to God to drive them out, defeated.
Our nature wants to fight. But when we choose to fight our enemies we are choosing to push God aside. We are saying to God, “I can do this. You can help, but I can do it!” God doesn’t want to help you; God wants to save you. This is where allowing grace to take over gives you perfect rest. When you let go of your “7 principles of healing x, y, and/or z” and allow Christ’s finished work at the cross to take effect, you’ll see your enemies be driven away. Little by little, through the grace of God, your problems, those sins that haunt you, will vanish away.
You’ll possess the promise while God continually causes His grace to flow in your life. Without end, He will drive your enemies from you. That sin that controlled you, that held dominion over you, is defeated. It’s not because you fought the good fight, but because Christ won the whole war.
And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.
“I can do it!” How many times have you heard those words? As a parent, I can honestly say that I’ve heard those very words hundreds of times. This is our nature: to try and to try and to try.
We love the feeling that we get when we’re able to accomplish a given task. Whether it’s climbing that big tree in the front yard, riding the bike around the block, or landing that job you’ve desired for years, when it happens you’re filled with pride. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that feeling. When you work hard for something and you invest time and energy into succeeding, you earn the right to feel happy and successful when all goes according to your plan.
This go-getter, conqueror attitude holds true for everything in your life, except when it comes to your ability to maintain God’s holy standard. When you’re trying out of your own power and strength to defeat sin in your life and live according to what God’s statutes dictate, your efforts are futile. This is why we have Jesus; this is why we need a Savior!
If you parallel the Old Testament story of Israel, God’s chosen people, to our spiritual New Testament lives, you’ll see some amazing things. There is a direct relationship between the enemies of Israel (Pharaoh, the Egyptians, the nations who possessed the Promised Land, etc.) and our enemy: the Devil, his angels, and sin. Once you can make the connection and place yourself in the story, spiritually, you’ll begin to see God’s plan unfold for you.
Here in Deuteronomy Moses is reminding the nation of Israel of God’s laws, His requirements, His judgements, His statutes, and His promises. Moses is telling the people what is going to happen and what their role is going to be when they enter the Promised Land. He is providing them with the hope they’ll need to succeed when they enter.
Israel’s work was crossing the Jordan river and possessing the land. God’s work was driving out the nations before them. How does this apply to our lives today? When we put this in perspective, we can see that there is a time for us to work and a time for us to allow God to work. All too often we get these times mixed up. Sometimes it’s unintentional; sometimes it’s because we’re too proud. But, like Israel, our work is simply to possess what God has promised us: health, prosperity, joy, peace, happiness through Jesus Christ. God’s work is to drive out our enemies from before us!
We get caught up in the idea that once you enter the “promised land” by becoming a Christian, the real work of acting like one begins. We seem to think that it’s completely our responsibility to drive off sin in our lives; we think it’s our job to chase off the enemy. But the Bible makes it very clear that our job is to possess the land; God’s job is to drive out the enemy.
Looking to and remaining fixed on Christ’s perfect work at the cross is all we need to “do” in order to possess the promises of God. God’s work is to “little by little” drive out our enemies. What is it that is possessing the land of happiness that God has given to you? Name it and know that God is driving it out! Alcoholism, pornography, anger, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and fear are all enemies. They are defeated; they were defeated for you at the cross. If these things are possessing your land, trust that it’s not up to you to remove them; it’s up to God to drive them out, defeated.
Our nature wants to fight. But when we choose to fight our enemies we are choosing to push God aside. We are saying to God, “I can do this. You can help, but I can do it!” God doesn’t want to help you; God wants to save you. This is where allowing grace to take over gives you perfect rest. When you let go of your “7 principles of healing x, y, and/or z” and allow Christ’s finished work at the cross to take effect, you’ll see your enemies be driven away. Little by little, through the grace of God, your problems, those sins that haunt you, will vanish away.
You’ll possess the promise while God continually causes His grace to flow in your life. Without end, He will drive your enemies from you. That sin that controlled you, that held dominion over you, is defeated. It’s not because you fought the good fight, but because Christ won the whole war.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Curses! Blessings!
Numbers 24:2
And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Balaam and Balak had an interesting relationship. Balak knew that Balaam had a unique ability: he could curse or bless a people and it would come to pass. Balak, being an enemy of Israel, wanted Balaam to curse Israel. So Balak sent for Balaam to be brought to him where he would request that Balaam curse Israel.
Balak and Balaam met on three different occasions. The first time they met Balak brought Balaam up to an area where he could see how far the people of Israel had spread out. Balak wanted Balaam to see the extent of the people’s encroachment into his land and then have him curse them (Numbers 22:41).
Balaam had Balak build seven altars, offer sacrifices, and wait to hear what God would have to say. Balaam went off to meet with the Lord and God spoke to him concerning what he should say to Balak. Balaam, being a man of integrity and a servant of God, would only tell Balak what God said; he would only bless or curse according to God’s command.
When Balaam returned Balak he spoke the words that God had given him. Unfortunately for Balak, they were not the words he wanted to hear. Balak wanted a curse, but God wanted to bless His people and that’s exactly what He did. Balaam pronounced a blessing of bounty over the nation of Israel.
This same scenario happened two more times. The second time Balak brought Balaam to a different place. He brought him out to a place where he couldn’t see all of the people; he could only see the outer reaches of the nation. From there Balaam pronounced a blessing of strength and victory over the nation of Israel.
First, a blessing of prosperity: a blessing of growth. Second, a blessing of strength: a promise of victory over the enemy. I can only begin to imagine how upset Balak must have been. Imagine having expected a curse on your enemy only to hear them blessed! But Balak wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Instead of recognizing that God loved Israel, he requested a third time for Balaam to pronounce a curse on the people.
This third and final time Balak brought Balaam up to a place where they were able to see the nation of Israel camped according to their tribes (Numbers 24:2); he saw the entire nation according to the God-ordained layout given in Numbers 1-3. This was where Balaam saw the nation of Israel the same way that God sees the nation of Israel. He saw them laid out to the north, south, east, and west with the Tabernacle in the center of it all. Balaam saw the cross!
After Balaam sees Israel as God sees Israel, through the cross, he pronounces the greatest blessing yet.
Friends, it is because of the cross, and only because of the cross, that God is able to bless us at all. Our blessings flow from the grace that was extended by the blood of Jesus Christ at the cross. Prosperity, abundance, victory, strength, and every good thing are found in the blessings of the cross. It is by His blood, His work, His provision, and His proclamation that we have these blessings.
Enjoy what God has given to you. He’s blessed you exceedingly abundantly with His grace. He’s restored you through His sacrifice, made you whole through His brokenness, and lifted you up with His righteousness. Look at the cross and see the blessings of God made a reality in your life!
And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Balaam and Balak had an interesting relationship. Balak knew that Balaam had a unique ability: he could curse or bless a people and it would come to pass. Balak, being an enemy of Israel, wanted Balaam to curse Israel. So Balak sent for Balaam to be brought to him where he would request that Balaam curse Israel.
Balak and Balaam met on three different occasions. The first time they met Balak brought Balaam up to an area where he could see how far the people of Israel had spread out. Balak wanted Balaam to see the extent of the people’s encroachment into his land and then have him curse them (Numbers 22:41).
Balaam had Balak build seven altars, offer sacrifices, and wait to hear what God would have to say. Balaam went off to meet with the Lord and God spoke to him concerning what he should say to Balak. Balaam, being a man of integrity and a servant of God, would only tell Balak what God said; he would only bless or curse according to God’s command.
When Balaam returned Balak he spoke the words that God had given him. Unfortunately for Balak, they were not the words he wanted to hear. Balak wanted a curse, but God wanted to bless His people and that’s exactly what He did. Balaam pronounced a blessing of bounty over the nation of Israel.
This same scenario happened two more times. The second time Balak brought Balaam to a different place. He brought him out to a place where he couldn’t see all of the people; he could only see the outer reaches of the nation. From there Balaam pronounced a blessing of strength and victory over the nation of Israel.
First, a blessing of prosperity: a blessing of growth. Second, a blessing of strength: a promise of victory over the enemy. I can only begin to imagine how upset Balak must have been. Imagine having expected a curse on your enemy only to hear them blessed! But Balak wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Instead of recognizing that God loved Israel, he requested a third time for Balaam to pronounce a curse on the people.
This third and final time Balak brought Balaam up to a place where they were able to see the nation of Israel camped according to their tribes (Numbers 24:2); he saw the entire nation according to the God-ordained layout given in Numbers 1-3. This was where Balaam saw the nation of Israel the same way that God sees the nation of Israel. He saw them laid out to the north, south, east, and west with the Tabernacle in the center of it all. Balaam saw the cross!
After Balaam sees Israel as God sees Israel, through the cross, he pronounces the greatest blessing yet.
Friends, it is because of the cross, and only because of the cross, that God is able to bless us at all. Our blessings flow from the grace that was extended by the blood of Jesus Christ at the cross. Prosperity, abundance, victory, strength, and every good thing are found in the blessings of the cross. It is by His blood, His work, His provision, and His proclamation that we have these blessings.
Enjoy what God has given to you. He’s blessed you exceedingly abundantly with His grace. He’s restored you through His sacrifice, made you whole through His brokenness, and lifted you up with His righteousness. Look at the cross and see the blessings of God made a reality in your life!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Saved by the Bell
Exodus 28:34
a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around.
Before you read the Bible there is really only one question that you need to ask the Holy Spirit: where is Jesus? It’s not about learning how to be a good person. The Bible is not a book of helpful hints to the perfect marriage. It’s not a cleverly penned instruction manual for parenthood that incorporates biographies and historical events just to give it credibility. It’s not a how-to lesson plan for life. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is the written Word of God and it’s all about Jesus.
John liked to refer to Jesus as “The Word”. He penned things like, “The Word became flesh...” and “In the beginning was the Word...” Nothing in the Bible is coincidence; nothing is written without reason. John called Jesus the Word so that we who do not see His physical, flesh and blood manifestation, can look to the book, the Bible, and see Him there.
Jesus knew the importance of this understanding and so He demonstrated for us how to “use” the Bible for instruction in righteousness, that is, His righteousness. On the road to Emmaus Jesus appeared to a couple leaving Jerusalem but He didn’t look like Himself. While Jesus walked seven miles with this couple, He spoke to them about who He was and is. He started with the beginning and went through the Law and the prophets and He told them all of the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:27). (Note here that Christ did not tell them anything concerning themselves; He only spoke of Himself.) Christ gave a demonstration immediately after His death and resurrection for our benefit on how to “use” the Bible.
Back to Exodus and our question: where is Jesus in this? When you ask this question, don’t be alarmed when you get the answer. God is faithful to show you Himself in His Word.
These pomegranates are made of blue, purple, and red thread. Each one of these colors has a specific meaning. Blue speaks of divinity. Purple indicates royalty. Red is the color of man’s blood; it points to humanity. (The name Adam actually means “red man” or “man of the red earth”.) Each of these pomegranates speaks of Christ’s fullness as God, as man, and as King. But they are lacking the one thing that every other part of the High Priest’s garments had. They are lacking the gold, which speaks of righteousness.
I didn’t see it until the other day; I didn’t put it all together until I asked, and then God showed me. The pomegranates are a picture of Christ on the cross. It was there that He died: fully man, fully God, always the King. It was on the cross that Christ gave up His righteousness and took on our unrighteousness (sin) in its place (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is why the gold isn’t found in the pomegranates.
And this brings us to the bells. The bells were made of gold. The righteousness, signified by the gold, was made into chimes that would ring as the High Priest moved. The Bible says that the ringing of the bells would keep the priest from dying when he went in and came out of a meeting with God (Exodus 28:35).
Friends, when Christ went to the cross He sacrificed His righteousness for us. He held onto all of His divinity, all of His royalty, and all of His humanity, but He let His righteousness go. Today it is His righteousness that sounds off to God when we are approaching and when we are leaving. It is His righteousness that keeps us from dying.
I bet you’ll never hear a bell the same again. Everything in the Bible points to the fullness of Christ and the work that He did for us on the cross. It’s never about how-to. If anything, the question could be “How come?” But the truth is it’s all about Jesus. Know Jesus, not rules.
a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around.
Before you read the Bible there is really only one question that you need to ask the Holy Spirit: where is Jesus? It’s not about learning how to be a good person. The Bible is not a book of helpful hints to the perfect marriage. It’s not a cleverly penned instruction manual for parenthood that incorporates biographies and historical events just to give it credibility. It’s not a how-to lesson plan for life. The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is the written Word of God and it’s all about Jesus.
John liked to refer to Jesus as “The Word”. He penned things like, “The Word became flesh...” and “In the beginning was the Word...” Nothing in the Bible is coincidence; nothing is written without reason. John called Jesus the Word so that we who do not see His physical, flesh and blood manifestation, can look to the book, the Bible, and see Him there.
Jesus knew the importance of this understanding and so He demonstrated for us how to “use” the Bible for instruction in righteousness, that is, His righteousness. On the road to Emmaus Jesus appeared to a couple leaving Jerusalem but He didn’t look like Himself. While Jesus walked seven miles with this couple, He spoke to them about who He was and is. He started with the beginning and went through the Law and the prophets and He told them all of the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:27). (Note here that Christ did not tell them anything concerning themselves; He only spoke of Himself.) Christ gave a demonstration immediately after His death and resurrection for our benefit on how to “use” the Bible.
Back to Exodus and our question: where is Jesus in this? When you ask this question, don’t be alarmed when you get the answer. God is faithful to show you Himself in His Word.
These pomegranates are made of blue, purple, and red thread. Each one of these colors has a specific meaning. Blue speaks of divinity. Purple indicates royalty. Red is the color of man’s blood; it points to humanity. (The name Adam actually means “red man” or “man of the red earth”.) Each of these pomegranates speaks of Christ’s fullness as God, as man, and as King. But they are lacking the one thing that every other part of the High Priest’s garments had. They are lacking the gold, which speaks of righteousness.
I didn’t see it until the other day; I didn’t put it all together until I asked, and then God showed me. The pomegranates are a picture of Christ on the cross. It was there that He died: fully man, fully God, always the King. It was on the cross that Christ gave up His righteousness and took on our unrighteousness (sin) in its place (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is why the gold isn’t found in the pomegranates.
And this brings us to the bells. The bells were made of gold. The righteousness, signified by the gold, was made into chimes that would ring as the High Priest moved. The Bible says that the ringing of the bells would keep the priest from dying when he went in and came out of a meeting with God (Exodus 28:35).
Friends, when Christ went to the cross He sacrificed His righteousness for us. He held onto all of His divinity, all of His royalty, and all of His humanity, but He let His righteousness go. Today it is His righteousness that sounds off to God when we are approaching and when we are leaving. It is His righteousness that keeps us from dying.
I bet you’ll never hear a bell the same again. Everything in the Bible points to the fullness of Christ and the work that He did for us on the cross. It’s never about how-to. If anything, the question could be “How come?” But the truth is it’s all about Jesus. Know Jesus, not rules.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Beginning to end
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.
Solomon, the wisest man ever, only had a glimpse of God's amazing grace. Solomon, though blessed beyond words in riches and honor, lacked one thing. He didn't understand the fullness of God's love for him; He didn't fully understand his own writings (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.--Proverbs 9:10).
Solomon's writings took a turn toward despair when he wrote Ecclesiastes. But even in this book filled with questions, questions that we all have from time to time, there are hidden images of Christ and His finished work. There are secrets that point to the Hope we have today through the cross.
Solomon saw everything that God made as beautiful and he saw that eternal life is God's plan for all. But Solomon didn't see Jesus. He couldn't figure out the work that God had done from the beginning to the end.
We have that work; we have that revelation. We live in the completed work of Jesus Christ. The cross is God’s physical manifestation of the work He began at Genesis 1:1. What Solomon didn't understand, and couldn't understand, because Christ had not yet come, is this: Jesus is, was, and will be. He has done all that is required and He's done it all from the beginning of time until the end of time. His work is perfect, complete, and everlasting.
Solomon wrote in despair how no man could know God's work. But God, who causes all things to work for good (Romans 8:28), used Solomon's writing to hide a shadow of Jesus Christ.
The book of John tells us that Christ was there in the beginning; He was with God and He was God. Without Him nothing that was made would have been made. He is the Light of the world, the Light of men, and darkness cannot comprehend Him.
Solomon was living in darkness; he had no knowledge of Jesus. He, Solomon, had a taste of wisdom and his fill of riches, but he lacked understanding of who God really is. He lacked the understanding of grace. Solomon, for all his blessings, had nothing compared to what we have today: the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Enjoy what God has made; it is all beautiful. He has set eternity in your heart and given you the means to live it out: Jesus. Don't be discouraged; know who Jesus is. Christ is the One who has completed the work. Rest in His finished work.
He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.
Solomon, the wisest man ever, only had a glimpse of God's amazing grace. Solomon, though blessed beyond words in riches and honor, lacked one thing. He didn't understand the fullness of God's love for him; He didn't fully understand his own writings (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.--Proverbs 9:10).
Solomon's writings took a turn toward despair when he wrote Ecclesiastes. But even in this book filled with questions, questions that we all have from time to time, there are hidden images of Christ and His finished work. There are secrets that point to the Hope we have today through the cross.
Solomon saw everything that God made as beautiful and he saw that eternal life is God's plan for all. But Solomon didn't see Jesus. He couldn't figure out the work that God had done from the beginning to the end.
We have that work; we have that revelation. We live in the completed work of Jesus Christ. The cross is God’s physical manifestation of the work He began at Genesis 1:1. What Solomon didn't understand, and couldn't understand, because Christ had not yet come, is this: Jesus is, was, and will be. He has done all that is required and He's done it all from the beginning of time until the end of time. His work is perfect, complete, and everlasting.
Solomon wrote in despair how no man could know God's work. But God, who causes all things to work for good (Romans 8:28), used Solomon's writing to hide a shadow of Jesus Christ.
The book of John tells us that Christ was there in the beginning; He was with God and He was God. Without Him nothing that was made would have been made. He is the Light of the world, the Light of men, and darkness cannot comprehend Him.
Solomon was living in darkness; he had no knowledge of Jesus. He, Solomon, had a taste of wisdom and his fill of riches, but he lacked understanding of who God really is. He lacked the understanding of grace. Solomon, for all his blessings, had nothing compared to what we have today: the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Enjoy what God has made; it is all beautiful. He has set eternity in your heart and given you the means to live it out: Jesus. Don't be discouraged; know who Jesus is. Christ is the One who has completed the work. Rest in His finished work.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Labor Day?
Hebrews 4:11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
I always thought it was funny that we don’t work on Labor Day. Of all the days in the year, one would expect that we would work our hardest on the day named for working. But that just isn’t the case. Or is it?
How much rest do we really get on Labor Day? Family parties, cookouts, and special events highlight our schedules. We take a day off from “work” only to add a huge to-do list of, well, work. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy a good cookout or party, but planning and executing one isn’t easy. In fact, it can be downright stressful and labor intensive. Not quite what we had in mind for a Labor Day-off!
This Labor Day is a strange event for us. We work to rest and our restful day is spent working at resting. Things just got confusing.
What’s the point? Is this really about the work that goes into putting on a Labor Day cookout? Certainly not. This is about our nature as people. We’re workers. It’s what gives us a sense of control, power, authority, and fulfillment. It can also be what fills us up with pride and distracts us from the finished work of Jesus Christ.
As Christians we are called to labor to enter the rest. But what is this rest? Well, it’s the understanding that Jesus has finished the work (John 19:30) and if He has finished the work, then there is no work for us to do. This is our “work” as believers: rest. And, truth be told, this is where we all struggle.
As mentioned before, it’s in our nature to “do” things. We like to have that sense of accomplishment; we like to feel like we did it. But God wants us to know that He did it. When God brought His people out of Egypt, there was nothing that they did. God hardened Pharaoh's heart, God gave them favor on the date of departure, God parted the sea, God rained down bread, God brought them meat; God did everything for them. But the people wanted to work. They wanted to do it for themselves. Enter The Law.
For close to three thousand years God allowed His people to make attempt after attempt to accomplish what He had already intended to simply give them. They struggled with rules and regulations and they broke every one. Finally, God took it upon Himself and sent Jesus to finish the work.
Jesus came to walk with mankind. He healed the sick, raised the dead, made the blind see, cast out the demons from their lives, and provided food for their bodies. Jesus lived a perfect life, fulfilled every last requirement of God’s holy law, took our cross, bore our sins, wore our stripes, and died our death. He embraced His nature, not that of a man, but that of God. He did everything that we were incapable of doing and He did it for us!
Today we have one thing on our to-do list: believe Jesus finished the work. This is the hardest thing to do because we all want to “do” for God. We want to serve, we want to sacrifice, we want to give, but God wants us to rest. (These things are good, but not necessities to gain God’s favor in any way.) He wants you, me, and the whole world population to know that Jesus has finished the work and is sitting down, resting. God wants us to rest in His work.
Know this today, whether you’re looking for a job, a child, a miracle healing, a new car, a friendly dog, or food for the day, God has already provided it for you. He’s made a way through Christ; He’s made Christ the Way.
This Labor Day, work at resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Sit down and allow God to bless you supernaturally in every area of your life. It’s not that you deserve the blessing, but Jesus does. You are in Christ; He worked to put you there. As He is so are you in this world. So sit, rest, be complete in Him. Have a blessed, loved, and highly favored Labor Day!
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
I always thought it was funny that we don’t work on Labor Day. Of all the days in the year, one would expect that we would work our hardest on the day named for working. But that just isn’t the case. Or is it?
How much rest do we really get on Labor Day? Family parties, cookouts, and special events highlight our schedules. We take a day off from “work” only to add a huge to-do list of, well, work. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy a good cookout or party, but planning and executing one isn’t easy. In fact, it can be downright stressful and labor intensive. Not quite what we had in mind for a Labor Day-off!
This Labor Day is a strange event for us. We work to rest and our restful day is spent working at resting. Things just got confusing.
What’s the point? Is this really about the work that goes into putting on a Labor Day cookout? Certainly not. This is about our nature as people. We’re workers. It’s what gives us a sense of control, power, authority, and fulfillment. It can also be what fills us up with pride and distracts us from the finished work of Jesus Christ.
As Christians we are called to labor to enter the rest. But what is this rest? Well, it’s the understanding that Jesus has finished the work (John 19:30) and if He has finished the work, then there is no work for us to do. This is our “work” as believers: rest. And, truth be told, this is where we all struggle.
As mentioned before, it’s in our nature to “do” things. We like to have that sense of accomplishment; we like to feel like we did it. But God wants us to know that He did it. When God brought His people out of Egypt, there was nothing that they did. God hardened Pharaoh's heart, God gave them favor on the date of departure, God parted the sea, God rained down bread, God brought them meat; God did everything for them. But the people wanted to work. They wanted to do it for themselves. Enter The Law.
For close to three thousand years God allowed His people to make attempt after attempt to accomplish what He had already intended to simply give them. They struggled with rules and regulations and they broke every one. Finally, God took it upon Himself and sent Jesus to finish the work.
Jesus came to walk with mankind. He healed the sick, raised the dead, made the blind see, cast out the demons from their lives, and provided food for their bodies. Jesus lived a perfect life, fulfilled every last requirement of God’s holy law, took our cross, bore our sins, wore our stripes, and died our death. He embraced His nature, not that of a man, but that of God. He did everything that we were incapable of doing and He did it for us!
Today we have one thing on our to-do list: believe Jesus finished the work. This is the hardest thing to do because we all want to “do” for God. We want to serve, we want to sacrifice, we want to give, but God wants us to rest. (These things are good, but not necessities to gain God’s favor in any way.) He wants you, me, and the whole world population to know that Jesus has finished the work and is sitting down, resting. God wants us to rest in His work.
Know this today, whether you’re looking for a job, a child, a miracle healing, a new car, a friendly dog, or food for the day, God has already provided it for you. He’s made a way through Christ; He’s made Christ the Way.
This Labor Day, work at resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Sit down and allow God to bless you supernaturally in every area of your life. It’s not that you deserve the blessing, but Jesus does. You are in Christ; He worked to put you there. As He is so are you in this world. So sit, rest, be complete in Him. Have a blessed, loved, and highly favored Labor Day!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Sound off!
Numbers 10:9
When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
Everything in the Bible has its purpose. Colors, names, even precious metals have a special meanings; they are placed in the Bible to give us a greater revelation of Jesus Christ. God’s commandments, His laws, His festivals, and His feasts were all given to expose who we are: sinful; and who Jesus is, was, and is to come: perfect. Reading the Bible for spiritual growth hinges on this one fact: it’s all about Jesus!
In Numbers 10, God gives a command to Moses: make two silver trumpets. God then goes on to tell Moses how to make them, what to make them out of, who can use them, and how to use them. Make them out of hammered silver. They can only be used by the priests, the sons of Aaron. Use them to call the congregation together, to call just the leaders together, to announce a move, and to arm the troops for battle. Use them to announce your feasts and your gladness. Sound them over your sacrifices.
What’s the big deal with these trumpets? They are made out of hammered silver!
In the Bible, silver speaks of redemption (Numbers 18:16). It’s safe to say that these two trumpets being silver isn’t a coincidence, but rather the perfect planning of God to conceal something about Jesus in the old laws.
These two trumpets speak of Jesus’ finished work. They are used to call people together, to worship, to fight, and to celebrate. They are used for every occasion. But more than their use is their form. They are made of hammered silver. God is specific for a reason. It would have been easy for them to melt the silver down and pour it into a mold, but that wouldn’t work for God. No, these trumpets had to fully represent the finished work of Christ. They weren’t just used to make sound; their appearance was important.
You see, Jesus was hammered for our redemption. He was beaten, bruised, and literally hammered onto a cross. Why did God want these trumpets? So that we would know how to use Jesus’ finished work!
Just as the trumpets were used and sounded in all occasions, we are called to use Jesus, to sound off about His finished work in all occasions. When we gather as a congregation or in a small leadership meeting: sound the redemptive finished work of Jesus Christ. When we’re preparing to move: sound the redemptive finished work of Jesus Christ. When we’re having a party, a celebration, a worship occasion, or just a happy day: sound the redemptive finished work of Jesus Christ. When the enemy comes and you’re prepared for battle: SOUND THE REDEMPTIVE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST, and you will be saved!
It’s not about our works or deeds; it’s never been about our works or deeds. It’s all about Jesus’ finished work. It’s about redemption, salvation, and the blessings of Abraham through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Simply put: it’s all about Jesus!
When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
Everything in the Bible has its purpose. Colors, names, even precious metals have a special meanings; they are placed in the Bible to give us a greater revelation of Jesus Christ. God’s commandments, His laws, His festivals, and His feasts were all given to expose who we are: sinful; and who Jesus is, was, and is to come: perfect. Reading the Bible for spiritual growth hinges on this one fact: it’s all about Jesus!
In Numbers 10, God gives a command to Moses: make two silver trumpets. God then goes on to tell Moses how to make them, what to make them out of, who can use them, and how to use them. Make them out of hammered silver. They can only be used by the priests, the sons of Aaron. Use them to call the congregation together, to call just the leaders together, to announce a move, and to arm the troops for battle. Use them to announce your feasts and your gladness. Sound them over your sacrifices.
What’s the big deal with these trumpets? They are made out of hammered silver!
In the Bible, silver speaks of redemption (Numbers 18:16). It’s safe to say that these two trumpets being silver isn’t a coincidence, but rather the perfect planning of God to conceal something about Jesus in the old laws.
These two trumpets speak of Jesus’ finished work. They are used to call people together, to worship, to fight, and to celebrate. They are used for every occasion. But more than their use is their form. They are made of hammered silver. God is specific for a reason. It would have been easy for them to melt the silver down and pour it into a mold, but that wouldn’t work for God. No, these trumpets had to fully represent the finished work of Christ. They weren’t just used to make sound; their appearance was important.
You see, Jesus was hammered for our redemption. He was beaten, bruised, and literally hammered onto a cross. Why did God want these trumpets? So that we would know how to use Jesus’ finished work!
Just as the trumpets were used and sounded in all occasions, we are called to use Jesus, to sound off about His finished work in all occasions. When we gather as a congregation or in a small leadership meeting: sound the redemptive finished work of Jesus Christ. When we’re preparing to move: sound the redemptive finished work of Jesus Christ. When we’re having a party, a celebration, a worship occasion, or just a happy day: sound the redemptive finished work of Jesus Christ. When the enemy comes and you’re prepared for battle: SOUND THE REDEMPTIVE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS CHRIST, and you will be saved!
It’s not about our works or deeds; it’s never been about our works or deeds. It’s all about Jesus’ finished work. It’s about redemption, salvation, and the blessings of Abraham through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Simply put: it’s all about Jesus!
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