Fragile - Please Handle with Care

We've all heard the phrase, "you don't know what you have 'til its gone." For those of us who are aware of the precious things we have in life and treat them with proper respect - life is a delicate balance of observation and appreciation.

But what about the rest of us? Those of us who don't hear the bell go off until its too late and the damage cannot be reversed? What do you do when all you have left of what once was beautiful are pictures and memories of the way things "used to be"?

For the rest of us - I've come look at Jeremiah 29:11 in a whole new appreciation. Truthfully, there was a time I was angry with the overuse of references to this verse - seeming to offer promises to everyone that God's plans involve nothing but prosperity and success.

The context of Jeremiah 29 tell us that this letter was sent to the people who were taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylonian captivity. They were stripped from everything once precious to them! their homes, their families, their beloved city, their rich history... Those in exile were forced into mourning by the hand of God - leaving only a fragment of what once was a beautiful nation. For 50 years the remnant of Israel was restricted from their homeland in the bonds of mourning and reflection.

Then Jeremiah tells them in verse 11 of God's plans... "to prosper them and not to harm them." The promise of prosperity indeed was part of the plan - but only after they were made to suffer the consequences of their actions. Israel remained fragile during their exile - fragile for the purpose of humility and maturity.

For those of you who know me - I welcome your prayers during this difficult time in my life and in the life of my family. Brokenness has invaded my homeland and has removed me from everything I once held precious and dear to me. But I know the plans of promise the Lord has for me. They are the same plans He has for anyone who belong to Him - to strip us of our distractions, to humble us and to help us grow beyond our crippled condition. I thank God for His mercy and grace - that I've been spared from His wrath and held in preserve for the remainder of His plans for my life.

The Shepherd and the Stranger

How does one know whether or not Jesus is the only way to the Father? What assurance do believers in Jesus have that their faith in him will bring them to their sought destination with God in Heaven? How do we know that Jesus is as he claimed, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6)?

Perhaps it is easier if we consider this perplexing question through the lens of an illustration Jesus gave to his followers so they might have the assurance they sought in having right relationship with God.

John 10:1-21

The Sheep: Sheep are rather defenseless when it comes to fending for themselves. Were it not for a shepherd to guide them to and from pasture, they would often starve or find themselves lost or in danger. Sheep are vulnerable and a Shepherd has their interests in mind. A stranger has no regard for the sheep; in fact his motives are to steal the sheep from the shepherd for his own gain. Sheep are merely an object of contempt to the stranger, whereas they are the object of a shepherd's love.

The Voice: Although the sheep don't have much to offer in way of defense for themselves, they do possess a great ability to distinguish the voice of their shepherd from a stranger. Even when flocks are intermingled, the sheep do not follow the flow of the flock, but rather follow the voice of their master. When sheep hear someone imitate the voice of their master, they become frantic with fear and confusion. A stranger's voice communicates danger and confusion, whereas the shepherd's voice communicates safety and protection.

The Home: Sheep find safety within the boundaries of their sheep pen; protected from the dangers of the world outside. However, their is one vulnerability to their pen... the gate. The gate is where the shepherd would inspect and ensure an accounting of the flock for the owner. The good shepherd would even lie down at the entrance to the pen as an added sense of security for the flock. If a stranger held this position, the pen would not hold its same state of security. In the event of danger, a stranger would flee for his life - leaving the flock unprotected. The good shepherd, however, would be willing to lay down his life for his own sheep.

In Conclusion: Sheep live in a world where their only sense of security is found in their shepherd. A stranger is viewed in the light of an impostor and threat to the flock. Believers in Christ have an assurance of security in the provision God has given to them. The sheep know the voice of the Good Shepherd and are able to find their peace and comfort only in his provision.

We must be careful to guard against the voice and influence of strangers in our lives. Sheep are able to distinguish the voice of Jesus throughout the walk of their lives. Believers can have assurance for their eternal life only in the provisions of the Good Shepherd - Jesus Christ. Trust in his voice to lead you and you will find the peace and assurance you seek from God.

Why Are You Following Jesus? (John 6:22-69)

From the sermon series on the gospel of John: The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ

There are times in our lives where we don't fully understand the BIG picture. Understanding is sometimes elusive to us as we try to put the pieces of the puzzle of life together. When it comes to understanding things Jesus taught, its not uncommon people may find themselves in the dark. In John 6:22-59 we can see evidence of misunderstanding from those who were following Jesus after the miraculous feat of feeding more than 5,000 people with only to small fish and 5 loaves of bread. 

The Chase: (John 6:22-40) When people follow someone there is often a motive which draws one's attention. In this case many Jews thought they'd obviously found Jesus to be a profound teacher and miracle worker - someone comparable to a legendary patriarch like Moses. The people even attempted to inaugurate Jesus as their king immediately following the miraculous feeding. Their chase eventually gave way to a series of questions - all of which Jesus attempted to clarify their misunderstandings of the purpose of his ministry. Unfortunately, despite his many attempts to enlighten them, the people remained stubborn and confused. 

Like a child who goes to a parent to get what they want, the Jews don't recognize their desires are bent around limited understanding. Jesus offers the world what it needs spiritually, not necessarily what it wants (physically). 

The Catch: (John 6:41-59) Eventually the Jews become frustrated with Jesus by misunderstanding his metaphoric/spiritual language. The Jews find Jesus' reference that "unless they eat the flesh of the Son of Man & drink his blood" they cannot have eternal life. He explains to them unless they can accept these words, as they are full of the Spirit and full of the life they seek, they will never inherit the life they hope for. John 6:66 reveals a telling truth (being this is the number of man (Rev 13:18), that the Jews are unwilling to accept the catch to inherit eternal life. 

Not so different from trying to understand a foreign language, it can become a taxing process to fully interpret the full meaning of a language one may be unfamiliar with. Likewise, Jesus' is speaking to them in Spiritual terms which are the singular catch to their ability to understand and receive the gift which God offers them. The catch is simply that unless they hear the truth of Jesus' message by through the power of the Holy Spirit they will remain unable to receive the life they need from him. 

The Choice: (John 6:60-69) Ultimately everything comes down to a choice. For many of the Jews who pursued Jesus across the sea of Galilee, they determined Jesus' teachings were something that didn't fit their expectations of him or their own agenda. Its at this point we see a transition in Jesus' ministry where many desert him and even become part of the conspiracy to kill him. However, there remain those who recognize Jesus for who he truly is; those who understand Jesus' language as the words of eternal (Spiritual) life. For them, they understand there is no one else who can offer them this priceless treasure. 

One might compare the difference between Judas and Peter in their testing of faith to Christ. Where Judas' misunderstanding of Jesus resulted in death, Peter's misunderstanding was repaired by his willingness to receive the grace Jesus offered him later on. The choice is simply a matter of accepting or rejecting the proof of who Jesus to the world and what he has to offer. 

In conclusion: When it comes to following Jesus, we must consider the motives behind our chasing after Him. We must come to a place of understanding the catch when it comes to putting our faith in Jesus. Are we willing to be like Peter and "step out of the boat" so-to-speak? Finally, we must determine what we do with the course of following Jesus. Do we follow him for what we want out of him? or do we understand the reality of who Jesus is - the spiritual Bread of Life whom God sent to satisfy the hunger of our Souls? Eternal Life must be Spiritually discerned, only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us the BIG picture of life and answer the questions we have of eternity. Time is precious... Chase after Jesus, accept the Catch and Choose to believe in the One whom God sent to save you from spiritual death! Do it today, do it now.

The Divine Ordinance of the Council of Nicea

Isn't it amazing that 1687 years ago to this day the Nicene Creed was forged by the Council of Nicea - a document to standardize the confession of our faith in Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords - fully God and fully man; Incarnate Deity as the perfect propitiation between God and man. God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (eph 1:11); even to draw out heresies in order to highlight the need to establish correct doctrine. I praise God for His intricate workings throughout human history - settling the confrontations between the Truth of the Spirit and the lies of corrupted human flesh. Paul warns us to be on guard "If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" We must continue in our convictions of the truth that Jesus Christ is the only means of access and reconciliation to our Heavenly Father because of His unique and eternal nature. No other man or god is worthy of our allegiance and surrender. May we discover the matchless path of beauty in eternal life through our Lord and Savior. To God be the glory forever. Amen.

Parchment of the Soul

I am reminded of the deep and throbbing need the soul has for the Word of God. Whenever we fail to give ourselves to the study of God's Word our spirit immediately seeks for wisdom in worldly sources.

Like a child whose ignorance drives his curiosity forward to explore and gather knowlege to improve his perception on life so our souls crave the nourishing need for wisdom. However - just as a child whose impressionable nature may gather insite from unreliable sources and perverted values, so our souls are prone to such corruption.

When we are exposed to the Word of God we find the ultimate trustworthy source of wisdom to help shape our understanding and disciplines according to Truth. As the psalmist says in Psalm 119:11 God's Word is to be hidden in our heart through regular habits of reading, application, teaching and meditation, so we might not sin against God.

When our spirit wanes from the convictions of Truth and we are caught up in the anxieties of life and find ourselves wrestling with our sins it is because we are not giving ourselves to the wisdom of God through the reading and application of His Holy Scriptures. It is through the Word that we primarily come into our knowlege and relationship with the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (Jesus Christ- John 1:1). Give yourself to the Word and find your spirit made wholly alive in the power of God!

Election & Freewill

The old debate of election vs freewill seems, for many, to be a tirelessly divisive argument. I myself have been back and forth on this subject quite a few times, trying to find my place in understanding God's Word and will for my life. Many claim that scripture argues favorably for both views - that God has designed man with free-will (either to accept or reject God's grace) or that God is absolutely sovereign to the extent that man is not free - that His every choice is predetermined by the sovereign will of God. I believe what I'm about to share with you is the clearest understanding I have in regard to this subject. I have only the Lord to thank and the Scriptures as they have been my fuel for chasing after the answers to the questions I've had on this debate for years. 

On the subject of God's Will: - 2 Peter 3:9 tells us "God does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (yes the context supports the inference that anyone and everyone refers to all people over all the earth). - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." - Most consistently as we look throughout all of Scripture and God's dealings with His "chosen" people - He pleaded with them countless times to abandon the idolatries of the foreign nations. Jesus said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." 

On the subject of Man's will: - Deuteronomy 28 tells us that humanity has the capacity to reap rewards for obedience and curses for disobedience (supporting the argument of freewill) - otherwise, what purpose does this conditional explanation serve? - The Bible tells the dynamic story of the Father's love for His creation (see Gen 15-22 & Luke 15:11-32); this is important because the purpose behind His creation of humanity is for worship - to love the LORD with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matt 22:37). If man is not free - then love is a meaningless term. Love demands freewill - otherwise it is not love at all (but only a code, a program, a preconditioned response). If love is merely a program or string of code it is reduced considerably to have any weight in value for the object which receives this love. - Consequently, if man is not free, then God's own Word proves Him a liar - for if love demands freewill and yet man is not free, then God's command and demonstration of love are vain and deceptive. Romans 9:22-24 reads: "What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?" - first note that Paul begins this statement with "what if" meaning this defense is not declarative, but a plausible (reasonable) solution to the question of God's judgment over those who are "destined for destruction". - second, it is important to understand we must read the rest of the Bible's authority and teaching into this passage if we are to interpret it correctly as Paul intended for his audience. This determines that we must read in the understanding that God has created human beings in His own image - with a free moral will as part of the package of the "Imagio Dei". - third, one of the notable defining attributes of God (other than His sovereignty) is that He is omniscient "all-knowing" and that He has a foreknowledge of all of time and space because He, as the divine Creator, transcends His creation (meaning He exists outside of time and space). God's foreknowledge coupled with the Biblical view of freewill helps us understand how to read Rom 9:22-24 with more clarity. - fourth, it is a strict rule of good hermeneutics to keep Scripture within the framework of the author's context. Paul is addressing his concern for the nation of Israel and the sovereign plan God has for the world (see Rom 9:1-5). (VERSE 22) Its no surprise that God has revealed His wrath to mankind because of its wickedness (see Gen 6-9 and Gen 19). This means that God is fully capable of unleashing His divine judgment upon His creation at His will. However, in the understanding of 2 Pet 3:9 we know that "it is not God's will that anyone should perish... but that everyone should come to repentance." Therefore, we know that God bears with great patience the objects of His wrath (i.e. He tolerates their temporary wickedness for the present time for an intended "sovereign" purpose). We know that God often has used the wicked to chastise the lives of His beloved children (those He knows will ultimately "choose" Him and inherit eternal life). Thus, "the objects of His wrath" are merely those wicked people God foreknew will ultimately reject Him - yet He tolerates their existence, even though He has the full right and ability to destroy them now, for a greater purpose to govern, direct, discipline, and even punish the lives of the righteous in accordance with His "sovereign" will. (VERSE 23) Again, "what if" is Paul's way of suggesting this is possibly the reason why God has permitted the wicked Gentile nations to survive all this time - because He had a greater purpose for them other than utter destruction. Something to consider here, the "objects of wrath" - could in-fact very well be the same subject as the "objects of His mercy". If the objects of His wrath, were the wicked gentile nations of the Old Testament - who have undergone the extension of God's favor, mercy, and grace to become the redeemed after the salvific work of Christ, there is no reason to deny the "plausiblility" that they have now become the "objects of His mercy". This is helpfully confirmed in the very next verse (24).

In Conclusion: God is sovereign - He has full right to do as He pleases without any question. We as creatures, in relationship to His sovereignty, correctly should understand we have no right to question how or why He chooses to do things the way He does. However, we must be careful so as not to contradict what His Word reveals of His nature and purpose for all nations (Gen 15); as we gain knowledge of God and draw nearer to Him in the appreciation of His chief divine attribute of LOVE (1 John 4:7-21), we learn His will seeks to restore the world (John 3:17). A picture of a God who creates for the sole purpose of destroying them is not consistent with the Biblical view of God's justice - even going so far as to force human behavior, their choices, their responses to His law and His will - is something far from the picture of God's character and His sovereignty. A God who creates creatures with no will but the will He should impose upon them is hardly a God of Love, much less a God of sovereignty (a being who determines the set path of everything renders everything powerless - which means his power is no more worth reckoning than a child with a room full of lifeless toys). Quite frankly - if this is the understanding we have of sovereignty, then we have reduced God to a pathetic puppet master whose loneliness is His own prison. A God who fears to create a being with a will to either choose or reject Him is hardly sovereign, hardly admirable, hardly holy - but rather sinister, manipulative, deceitful, and hypocritical. I only say this to challenge those who claim this misled view of sovereignty in order to search the Scriptures more thoroughly to understand that human freewill does not belittle God's sovereignty - but rather confirms it. For only a sovereign God has the capacity to create a free-moral agent with the gift of His own image in order that it might love Him in return with praise and worship that has any true sense of worth. Only a sovereign God has the power to permit a free-moral agent to reject Him and have the authority to judge Him justly. Only a sovereign God has the benevolence to award such privileges of heaven to those who rightly choose Him. Only a sovereign God has the sure confidence and majesty to create a being with such freedom and not allow it to interfere with His ultimate plan for the world He's created. God has no need to manipulate every person for the sake of His intended pleasure – He has the capacity to move and influence the decisions of His creation – in order that He should accomplish His purposes indefinitely (with or without human compliance)! Man’s freewill is not so powerful so as to overthrow God’s sovereign plan – however his freewill does provide a greater value in praise and glory from a free-moral agent who is not reduced to an otherwise limp and lifeless marionette. The Calvinist, although claims to uphold sovereignty as the chief defining attribute in relationship between God and humanity, actually fails to reveal the value in a person’s exercises of prayer, praise, obedience, sacrifice, and consecration. If God performs all these actions for the human will – then is not God merely applauding Himself through a pathetic performance only He participates in? Praise from a puppet is hardly anything of substance – but praise from one who has the choice to love or reject something actually means something. We can learn a lot about God simply by observing His creation in the behavior of humanity. What's more, yes salvation is not a merited work of human freewill but only the work of God. However, man has responsibility in this gift - to receive it and surrender his life to the will of God in order that His Spirit might bring him unto everlasting life! This enabling power (or gift of prevenient grace) is only made possible by the Holy Spirit and the conviction He brings upon the world. Calvinists need not fear that the support of freewill threatens a proper view of God - if anything, freewill supports the sovereign will of God in the fact that God uses those who surrender to His will - to accomplish His sovereign plan. Election - is not arbitrary either (though this is something I may discuss at greater length later) - it is decided beforehand on account that God's foreknowledge of man's freewill is considered in this process - lest freewill be defeated, love destroyed and God's sovereignty collapses from the true picture we should revere it to be. God elects from the basis of His sovereign will and foreknowledge of His freewill creatures. Like a master chess player - God knows the power and position of His pieces and the anticipation of His obstacles and moves of the enemy in order that He should secure His victory and glory in the end!

The Epiphany of Sin

Have you ever experienced the epiphany of sin's reach? Its that fatal detonation of a massive conviction that your goodness is nothing but a perverted facade of the reality God sees plainly by His eyes of Holy justice. When He can't bare to look upon your "goodness" because He knows that His holiness would consume your counterfeit character in an instant.

Its that moment where your motives to pray are pure enough to ask God to reveal what has remained hidden deep within; the startling impression that all your good intentions are brought into questioned because of the inconsistencies and dis-connectivity of your actions. Its that moment where suddenly words fail you and your expressions of confession become crippled with an interminable fear; a clash between flesh and spirit where evil bubbles and boils over the surface of your life you believed was once forgiven and forgotten.

Its the paradox of comfort and terror in the blink of an eye - the moment where truth and fallacy are the blades that scream against one another on the battlefield of judgement. When all you have are tears for words and that disturbing tremor as you catch the glimpse of standing before the Holy One Whose name is eternally unknown and is infinitely greater than all of creation and beyond. It is that moment where soul-stricken sorrow is your only refuge and the path of deliverance comes to the place where you understand you are nothing and He is your everything - stammering the one word of plea your soul can manifest in an audible tongue... "mercy"

When the words fail you and your soul has finally managed to find the greatest mortal effort of repentance - let your heart speak and your mouth be kept silent before the LORD of Hosts - for He already knows. Be still... and know He is God!

Resisting the Gardener

A certain rose bush is witheringly naked and empty among its bountiful family of flowering foliage. Its leaves smaller and crumpling with a sickening presence of aged paper. Its roses barely present and noticeable as its fading context. On the ground lay its abandoned fruit of beauty turning the ground below into a mulch-like texture. In its own mind it feels as typical as ever; perhaps it has never known a healthy and fruitful state. Tragic that it never cares to look upon its brothers and sisters in full and vigorous bloom - drawing the gaze of the public with awe and praise to their loving gardener. If only it would allow the Him to do his work upon it, permitting him to trim and prune its branches in order that it might flourish in glory as with the rest of the garden.

It is a sad truth the story of this dying rose bush - fading into the shadow because it resists the necessary pain to make it beautiful by its master. Pruning, in the life of a Christian is an altogether necessary practice if the blooming effect of holiness to be made visible to the world. Only when its branches of dead weight and wicked practices are trimmed from him will the anointing power flow for the process of new life and fruit to appear. If the Christian so desires the power of new life to flow as the expression of God's amazing grace, he must be willing to endure the pain of pruning - cutting off and out the evil that drains the crippled life from him. Only by the removal of carnal practices and worldly indoctrination will he feel his new power rise up within him; participating in the glory and honor brought to his gardener.