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John’s Vision of the Exalted Christ

Bible Reading: Revelation 1:9-18

Somewhere amidst all my paraphernalia boxed up from my office at the church in Astoria, is an old cassette tape.  As a relatively new believer in Christ, I treasured that tape and listened to it many times.  It was of my uncle, Pastor Bob Emrich, preaching at the installation service for his brother, Pastor Frank Emrich, some 40 years ago, at Valley Bible Church in Sumner, Washington.  The Scripture text for the message was Revelation 1:10.  The heart of the message was the need for us to be attentive by the Spirit to hear the voice of Jesus speaking to us through His word!  So we’ve read in today’s text…Jesus spoke to the Apostle John and revealed Himself to John in all His glory.  Jesus had a message for John and John listened attentively and wrote down what Jesus said.

Revelation was written around AD 94-96, near the end of the Emperor Domitian’s reign.  John is an elderly man, the last surviving Apostle.  He was, as he self-identified himself to be, “the Apostle whom Jesus loved.”  He wrote in his gospel account of how he and his fellow apostles beheld the glory of Jesus–in the miracles that Jesus did and in the person He is.  John had witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration.  He was witness to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.  In fact, as Jesus hung dying upon the cross, He placed the care of his Mother into John’s hands. John was present on the day of Pentecost when the church was born and later witnessed the growth and expansion of the church.  For all these decades John faithfully served Jesus, leading and teaching and writing his epistles.  At this point in his life he’s witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and has likely heard of the martyrdom of his fellow Apostles.  He alone is left.  He’s on the island of Patmos “on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9).  Both Jews and Christians were severely persecuted during the end of Domitian’s reign, and John was no exception.

Now John is old.  His fellow apostles are gone.  Jerusalem was long ago destroyed.  An evil emperor and Christian-hater reigns over the land.  It was a needy world, as it is to this day.  It’s in this context Jesus’ revealed Himself to John.  Which is, by way, the meaning of the term “revelation” (and it is singular “revelation,” not plural “revelations”).  The book of Revelation has to do with the ‘unveiling’ of the Lord Jesus Christ in His majestic glory!  What exactly did John see?  He saw Jesus, not as the humble servant Savior, but as the Coming King and Judge, with flaming eyes and feet of brass, who has come to execute judgment, destroy evil and establish His kingdom.  He saw Jesus standing in the midst of His church, intimately aware and actively involved in all their doings.  He saw Jesus, the “ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5), who will ultimately one day bring all things into submission to Him.  He saw Jesus, the One holding the “keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18).  The risen Lord and Savior Jesus, unveiled Himself to John in order to unveil to us the truths related to His glorious return. No matter how evil or troubled things become, Jesus is coming soon and He will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords forevermore.  In the meantime, it’s good to be attentive to His voice, as He speaks to us through His Word.  “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).

Lord Jesus, how thankful we are, that no matter how dark things get here in this world, we know You are coming again in all Your glory to establish Your Kingdom for eternity.  Even now You stand in the midst of Your church, preparing us for Your return.  You work all things together to accomplish Your purposes in Your timing.  Nothing will prevent that from happening.  We praise You now as our glorious Lord and Savior and pray that You will grant us ears to pay attention, and tender hearts to respond to what You say to us in Your holy word!

AT THE NAME OF JESUS

At the name of Jesus
ev’ry knee shall bow,
ev’ry tongue confess him
King of glory now;
’tis the Father’s pleasure
we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning
was the mighty Word.

Christians, this Lord Jesus
shall return again
in his Father’s glory,
with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire
meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him
King of glory now.

Christ, Our Example, Part 2

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3; 1 Peter 2:21-25

Ray and Doris attended our church in Astoria.  They were both well into their 80s, Ray having pastored many churches in various places over the years, as Doris faithfully served along his side. One day I received the news that Doris had suffered a serious fall, getting into the elevator at their apartment building, and was in some severe and debilitating pain. So I went to visit her.  It was obvious she was hurting, so I expressed to her my concern and asked her about how she was coping. I’ve never forgotten her response: “My pain is small in comparison to all that Jesus suffered for me.”  She had no complaints, and blamed no one, instead she kept right on trusting in Jesus.

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting old.  Or, maybe it’s because I’ve witnessed the chronic pain and suffering my wife, Laura, has gone through in her five-year battle with cancer.  To which she has, by God’s grace, responded with such courage.  Or, maybe it’s because I’m a hospice chaplain and have recently witnessed so many grieving in their personal loss.  Or, maybe it’s because these past couple of years have been especially difficult for everyone.  Maybe it’s a combination of all these things, but to me it’s become ever more apparent that there is much suffering in this world!  Suffering is an unavoidable reality we all face.  We can’t change that fact, but we can do something about the way we respond to it.

Sometimes we suffer simply because we live in a sin-cursed world where bad things happen.  Sometimes we suffer as a direct result of the poor sinful choices we make.  And sometimes we suffer, and unjustly so, simply because we are followers of Jesus and the world doesn’t like that.  It’s the last kind of suffering that Peter was addressing in 1 Peter 2:21-25.  

There are many passages in Scripture that speak to the need for us to follow Christ’s example in how He responded to His sufferings.  This passage in 1 Peter 2:21-25 highlights several key aspects of His response.  The word “example” translates a term which literally means an “underwriting,” as if there is a top line on a page which is to be duplicated below.  Jesus’ suffering is the top line.  Our response is to copy Him.  He’s marked out the path for us to follow.  So, how did He respond when He suffered unjustly?  He didn’t do any of the things we are tempted and prone to do.  He didn’t sin (Isaiah 53:9b).  He didn’t grumble or complain.  Through it all–the betrayal, the arrest, the beatings, the unfair trial, the crucifixion, the insults–he neither threatened or retaliated.  There are “seven saying” Jesus uttered from the cross.  They were all expressions of love–for the Father, for his mother, for his enemies, for the lost.  Through it all–He “continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).  The word entrusted has the idea of “handing over.”  He continually handed over the matter to the Father.  

Incumbent in Jesus’ response was His awareness that the Father knew all about His situation.  Did the Father know about Jesus’ sufferings?  Not only did He know, they all happened according to the Father’s predetermined plan.  We need to think about life in a similar way.  The challenges that we face in life are not matters of mere happenstance.  God is fully aware of all.  He is intimately involved in the affairs of your life.  It is He who “causes all things to work together for good” (Romans 8:28).  Nothing, not even death, can work to separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39).  You can trust Him amidst your sufferings, and thereby follow in Jesus’ steps in your response!  In so doing, you will not only honor God, you will bear a credible and appealing testimony before the lost!   

Heavenly Father, we are much saddened by all the suffering in the world we see.  And sometimes the weight of it seems too much to bear.  But when we remind ourselves of Your love, revealed to us at Calvary, we find hope.  And when we think of how Jesus Himself suffered for us, and would not be moved from the cup You had set before Him, we find in Him a perfect example to follow.  Amidst our sufferings, grant us the grace to avoid the temptation to take matters into our own hands, and instead to respond by trusting You, knowing that You cause all things to work together for good in the lives of those who love You!  Amen!

HAVE FAITH IN GOD

Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely.
He sees and knows all the way you have trod;
Never alone are the least of His children;
Have faith in God, have faith in God.

Refrain:
Have faith in God, He’s on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.

Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered,
Your earnest plea He will never forget;
Wait on the lord, trust His word and be patient,
Have faith in God. He’ll answer yet.

Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow,
His heart is touched with your grief and despair;
Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him,
And leave them there, oh, leave them there.

Have faith in God though all else fall about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own:
He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish.
He rules. He reigns upon His throne.

Christ, Our Example, Part 1

Bible Reading: John 13:34-35; Ephesians 4:32-5:2; 1 John 3:16

“In His Steps” is a best-selling Christian fiction novel written by Charles Monroe Sheldon. First published in 1896, the book has sold more than 50,000,000 copies, and ranks as one of the best-selling books of all time.  Written by a pastor, it tells the story of a small town who resolved to take no action without first considering Christ’s example.  The book was subtitled, “What Would Jesus do?” and popularized that expression, which later adorned Bible covers and Christian paraphernalia with the acrostic WWJD.

So what would Jesus do?  And how are we to know?  And how is it even possible that we could think or live or do or speak according to the example of Jesus?  He is after all, no mere man, He is the Divine Son of God who was (and is) perfect in every way.  There’s arguably no loftier aspiration than to follow Christ’s example.  There are many Scriptures which speak to the need for us to imitate Christ (you’ve read a few of them today).  I wrote my master’s thesis on this topic, some 32 years ago.  It was entitled “The Imitation of Christ: A Proposed Doctrine.”  I was glancing through it the other day, I’m thinking it could use some revision.

The problem is that we don’t have it in us to follow in His steps.  Not in our own wisdom or strength.  In fact, the very thought of “what would Jesus do” in any given situation is beyond our human capacity to even discern, let alone do.  A better question might be to prayerfully ask “what would Jesus have me to do,” but there’s still the need to be led and empowered by the Spirit for that to happen.  The flesh has no power to do that which Jesus would do, it is only as we walk by the Spirit that Christ-like virtues are borne in us, which are in turn expressed in Christlike deeds and words (Galatians 5:16-26).  The imitation of Christ then becomes possible as the Spirit of God mediates the presence of Christ to us, in us, and through us.  The key then to following in Jesus’ steps is walking closely with Him!

Christ is our perfect example in every virtuous way: in His love, His leadership style, His subjection to the Father, His obedience, His willingness to suffer, His servanthood, His deeds, His Words; the list goes on and on. But it is His example with respect to love that Scripture speaks to the most.  John 13:34-35 is notable in this regard.    There are two striking truths we find in these verses.  Jesus calls the command to “love one another” a new commandment.  In what sense?  Wasn’t there already a command to love (Matthew 22:39)?  Indeed.  But the new commandment differs in that the standard is new.  By nature we love ourselves, orienting our lives and decisions based on what we deem best for us, and we were commanded to love our neighbors in the same way.  The new standard is not to love others as we love ourselves, but to love according to the example set before us in Jesus and His selfless sacrifice–“just as I have loved you” (John 13:34; Ephesians 4:32-5:2; 1 John 3:16).  The term “love” is used in society’s vernacular in all kinds of different ways, but God has demonstrated and defined love for us in terms of Jesus’ sacrifice.  In following Jesus’ example we are called to that same kind of selfless, sacrificial love which works to put the needs of others ahead of our own.  The other notable thing we find in this passage is how the practice of Christlike love relates to our testimony.  “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).  Francis Shaeffer called love “the mark of the Christian,” undoubtedly in part because of this passage.  The practice of Christlike love is a distinguishing characteristic of the followers of Christ. In following Christ’s example of loving and forgiving, we bear a credible and appealing testimony before the lost, directing folks to the source of love, God Himself (1 John 4:7-8)!  There’s no better example to follow than His!

Lord Jesus, how incredible is the example of love You have set before us.  That you would undertake to transform any of us, sinful and selfish as we were, to make us to be like You–indeed Yours is a salvation to the uttermost!  We are forever prone to looking out for ourselves first, but You’ve unveiled to us a radically different manner of life that is altogether pleasing to You, and of great benefit both to ourselves and others.  Grant us that by the Spirit that we might put off the old sinful and selfish ways and put on Christlikeness, that we might be channels of the love You revealed to us and Calvary and shed abroad in within our hearts!  

MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST, MY SAVIOR

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me,
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

A Salvation to the Uttermost

Bible Reading: Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:20-21

Hebrews 7:25 speaks of a “salvation to the uttermost.”  Billy Sunday, that great baseball player turned evangelist of the late 1800s, once spoke in a sermon of how God saved him from the “guttermost” to the “uttermost” because he was gutter-drunk when God saved Him.  Which reminds me of the Psalmist’s experience of having been saved from “mire” to the “choir” (Psalm 40:1-3).  If you are a believer in Christ, you are the recipient of so great a salvation!

What’s this salvation to the uttermost all about?    The term translated “uttermost” means either “forever” or “completely” (the Greek term used can mean both).  The context tends towards the “forever” interpretation of the term, but the “complete” aspect of His salvation is both implied here and spoken of elsewhere.  The salvation provisioned by God through Christ to the believer is no half-hearted salvation!  In every respect salvation has to do primarily with salvation from sin.  It includes three tenses—justification (past), sanctification (present), and glorification (future).  There is justification (freedom from the penalty of sin).  The repeated sacrifices of the former priests were of limited value.  But by His “once for all” sacrifice, Christ has worked to secure an internal and eternal cleansing from sin (Hebrews 9:12-14).  Then there is sanctification (freedom from the practice of sin).  By His sacrifice the believer is cleansed of conscience “from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:14).  Finally, there is the glorification (freedom from the presence of sin), in which our humble bodies are transformed to be like Jesus’ glorious one (Philippians 3:21).  The work of salvation is a miraculous thing.  Something that man could never hope to devise or accomplish.  We all need a Savior, and in Jesus we have One who is preeminently qualified and able!  

That’s looking at the matter of salvation primarily from one angle–what we are saved from.  But what are we saved to? Ephesians chapters 1-3 have a lot to say about that.   By grace we who were dead in our trespasses and sins, have been made alive and seated in the heavenlies with Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6).  We’ve been chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, enlightened, enriched, and sealed by the Spirit (Ephesians 1:3-14).   Ephesians 3:20-21 summarizes the matter by stating that what God is doing in us is beyond what we could possibly imagine or even have the wherewithal to ask for.  Indeed, it is His plan to fill us up with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19)!  A salvation to the uttermost indeed!

Heavenly Father, how thankful we are for saving us, and not just from the depths of sin and despair of our previous estate, but in saving us to heights that even now transcend our ability to comprehend.  We praise You, for it is entirely by Your amazing grace that we’ve experienced so great a salvation!  May we be ever mindful not only of that which we’ve been saved from, but by the Spirit may our eyes be opened to the glory of that which we’ve been saved to–that we might walk in a manner worthy of the high calling we have received!

He Lifted Me

In loving kindness Jesus came
My soul in mercy to reclaim,
And from the depths of sin and shame
Through grace He lifted me.

Refrain:
From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me,
From shades of night to plains of light,
O praise His name, He lifted me!

He called me long before I heard,
Before my sinful heart was stirred,
But when I took Him at His word,
Forgiven He lifted me. [Refrain]

His brow was pierced with many a thorn,
His hands by cruel nails were torn,
When from my guilt and grief, forlorn,
In love He lifted me. [Refrain]

Now on a higher plane I dwell,
And with my soul I know ’tis well;
Yet how or why, I cannot tell,
He should have lifted me. [Refrain]

His “Once For All” Sacrifice

Bible Reading: Hebrews 10:10-25; 1 Peter 3:18

You likely know of John Newton as the pastor and author of the great hymn “Amazing Grace.”  What you may not know was that long before he was a pastor, he was a slave ship captain. Yes, John Newton had captained slave ships and oversaw the inhumane treatment of slaves in conditions which were beyond appalling.  The male slaves were packed together below deck and were secured by leg irons. The space was so cramped they were forced to crouch or lie down. Women and children were kept in separate quarters, sometimes on deck, allowing them limited freedom of movement, but also exposing them to violence and sexual abuse from the crew.  The air in the hold was foul and putrid. Seasickness was common and the heat was oppressive. The lack of sanitation and suffocating conditions meant there was a constant threat of disease. Epidemics of fever, dysentery, and smallpox were frequent. Captives endured these conditions for about two months, sometimes longer. In good weather the captives were brought on deck and forced to exercise. They were fed twice a day and those refusing to eat were force-fed. Those who died were thrown overboard. The combination of disease, inadequate food, rebellion and punishment took a heavy toll on captives and crew alike. Surviving records suggest that until the 1750s one in five Africans on board ship died.  The Pastor John Newton had formerly been a party to all that!

One wonders how much John Newton thought about those former days and those heinous sins he had committed.  The Apostle Paul likewise had a former life filled with dreadful sins.  He had persecuted Christians and  caused many believers to be sent to prison, casting his vote against them when they were condemned to death (Acts 26:10).  As an apostle he referred to himself as the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He once wrote, “Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from the body of this death? (Romans 7:24)”

In spite of those former sins, both men experienced the grace of God in salvation, and were much used by God!!  And though their sins seem to us to be especially appalling, the Scriptures remind us that we are all born sinners!  Jeremiah 17:9 speaks to this reality: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  We are born into this world “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (Colossians 1:21).  According to Romans 6:23, the deserved punishment for such behavior is death!

Christ died “once for all” for sins.  That’s the truth reiterated throughout the passages in today’s Bible reading.  John MacArthur commented on this: “But the good news is Christ died for sins. This is the greatest, joyous, most blessed, hopeful, comforting truth ever. His suffering was ultimate. He died. Why? Why did He die for our sins? He was without sin. Why did He die for our sins? Because that was what God required. The wages of sin in death. Somebody has to die, either the sinner or a substitute. And so Christ died for sins. Not His, ours. Sins put Him there. Not His sins, He didn’t have any. Ours. And I want you to notice that He died for sins once – hapax in the Greek – hapax. Important word, it means one time only. It means an event that occurred one time with perpetual validity without requiring repetition. It’s very rare that some event, some act is hapax. That is to say, done once, never needing to be repeated. And securing by that one act all that was intended. But that is exactly what happened in the death of Christ.”

As he was dying at the age eighty-two, John Newton whispered to a friend, “My memory is nearly gone. But I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”. In his epitaph Newton summed up his life in these words, “John Newton, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”

Christ died “once for all” for sins.  A complete pardon, of all one’s past, present, and future sins, is availed to anyone who trusts in Jesus. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Indeed, we are all great sinners, but Christ is a wonderful Savior!

Lord Jesus, Your grace is indeed amazing! That you would save any of us out of the depths of our depravity is an incredible thing!  That You would so work on the cross to make a “once for all” sacrifice for our sins, is a precious truth indeed!  That you would take a man like John Newton, or Paul, and so incredibly transform them, bringing good out of their bad, speaks to the glorious nature of Your salvation!  May we remain ever thankful, overflowing with gratitude, and not just with our lips, but with our lives!  Amen.

AMAZING GRACE

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Our Great High Priest

Bible Reading: Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-16

For 24 hours beginning at sunset on October 4th, 2022 the entirety of Israel will celebrate Yom Kippur (Yom Kippur = day of atonement).  Normal life in Israel will stop.  All businesses including all restaurants will be closed.  All transportation will stop, including air travel to and from Israel’s major airport.  Almost all private vehicles will also stop, so the roads will be devoid of traffic.  While it is commendable that the people should honor their centuries-old tradition, there is no temple or high priest or sacrifices.  The people refrain from work and observe Yom Kippur these days in fasting and prayer, but all the prayers in the world will not work to avail unfettered access to the throne of grace.

The priests of the Old Testament were appointed by God to mediate between Himself and His people.  Only the High Priest could offer the highest sacrifice, and that he did on Yom Kippur.  All the sins of the people were symbolically brought into the holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy seat for atonement.  Before the high priest could make a sacrifice for the people, he had to make a sacrifice for himself, because he was a sinner too.  His time in the presence of the Shekinah glory was limited to the time it took to make the sacrifice.  He could not sit down or delay, and he left as soon as he was done.  Every year, once a year, another Yom Kippur was required.  Between these sacrifices, every day, thousands of other sacrifices were made.  In spite of all these many sacrifices, no unfettered access to the throne of grace was availed to those folks.

In Jesus “we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14).  Unlike his predecessors, Jesus was without sin and didn’t need to make an offering for himself (Hebrews 7:26-28).  Those previous priests all died, but Jesus lives forever to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:15-28).  Those previous priests ministered in a small earthly temple (in which they dared not to sit), but after making his once for all sacrifice, Jesus passed through the heavens and is now seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 8:1-2).  The best those priests could offer was the blood of bulls and goats, which could never take away sins, but Jesus offered Himself in a once for all sacrifice that can save to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25; 10:4, 12, 22). The OT High Priests alone could enter the Holy of Holies, and then but once a year.  The people themselves never had such access.  But when Jesus, our high priest, died on the cross He inaugurated for us all a new and living way of access through His flesh (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Jesus has worked to mediate for you unfettered access to the throne of grace!  Even more amazing is that we have an open invitation, founded on the merits of Jesus and His sacrifice, to go with confidence to such a throne to receive help in time of need.  Who doesn’t have a time of need!  We have them all–spiritual, emotional, physical, financial, relational–the list goes on and on.  We needn’t keep them to ourselves, we are exhorted to take them to the throne of grace.  And think about that for a moment.  The throne of a king in Bible times could hardly be called a throne of grace.  But God’s throne is as God is.  He freely bestows mercy and grace to those who ask!  What an amazing privilege!  Perhaps you’ve some need you’ve held on to for too long already, your Heavenly Father bids you to bring that to Him!

Heavenly Father, how incredibly privileged we are to be able to come freely before Your throne of grace!  Thank you for the gracious provision of Your Son’s sacrifice that has worked to tear down the veil, opening a way of access to us.  We come in His name, on the basis of His shed blood, and the cleansing it has availed to us.  Forgive us that we don’t make our way to Your throne as often as we should.  We are in fact, very needy, and with needs that are way to big for us to deal with.  So Father, we bring them to You, so very thankful that in Your storehouse of grace there is an infinite supply of help availed to us.  Amen.

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Humbled and Exalted

Bible Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

Alas, according to the law of gravity, what goes up must inevitably come down!  That is a law which governs the way things work on this planet.  It is an undeniable and unavoidable reality. There are many such laws of physics and life pertaining to the physical realm of our existence.  Likewise, there are spiritual laws which relate to all of us.  There are undeniable spiritual laws, axioms if you will, which govern the affairs of men in relationship to God.

One of those is a principle often cited in the Bible: “Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:7-11, 18:9-14; Matthew 23:6-12).  Those who lift themselves up in pride, will be humbled by God.  Those who humble themselves before God, shall be exalted (Cf. Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

This validity of this spiritual truism is vividly demonstrated in the example of the Lord Jesus.  Philippians 2:5-8 speaks to the humility of Christ.  Philippians 2:9-11 speaks to His exaltation.  To what extent did Jesus humble himself?  To the maximum extent possible!  In descending from the heights of heaven, then humbling himself to the point of death on a cross, he humbled himself beyond that of any person in the history of men.  “He humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:8).  He was not humbled by others.  He deliberately chose that path.  He “super-humbled” Himself.

So, on the other side of this spiritual axiom, we have the expected result.  “He who humbles Himself shall be exalted.”  So, what if someone decided to super-humble themselves in a transcendent and preeminent manner?  What would we expect in that case?  Well it is exactly as we suppose—according to this spiritual law—that person would be “super-exalted” to a place of preeminent honor. This is exactly what we read about in the history of Jesus.  He was born into this world.  He lived among men as a servant.  He humbled Himself to the point of death.  He died on a cross for sins.  He rose from the dead.  In Acts chapter 1 we read of how He ascended to heaven.  And in his first sermon, Peter preached on these matters.  And we read in Acts 2:32-33, “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.  Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God…”

Charles Spurgeon, “He stooped, who can tell how low? He was raised, who shall tell how high? “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him. He threw away his name; he emptied himself of his reputation. How high is his reputation now! How glorious is the name that God hath given him as the reward of his redemptive work!”  And He stands in this super-exalted position in relation to the church, His body.  From heaven He exercises authority (Matthew 28:18).  From heaven He is at work preparing His bride, the church, for His return (Ephesians 5:27).  From heaven He intercedes on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25).  God has given to Him the Highest Place, the Highest Name, and the Highest Reign. The One who died for sins in humility, is now exalted to the right hand of God in glory.  And He’s coming again and will reign over all.  

The path of humility demonstrated in Jesus, is the path to which He has called us as believers (Philippians 2:3-5).  The Apostle Peter put it this way (1 Peter 5:5-6): “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you at the proper time.”  In other words, live like Jesus.  Humbly serve Jesus by serving others.  In due time you will receive your reward.

Lord Jesus, we are forever amazed at You in Your sacrifice, that You would humble Yourself to the point of death for us! But now God has exalted You above all! As we eagerly wait for your return, may we be careful to follow in Your example as we humbly serve You as we serve others! 

Emptied of His glory, God became a man

To walk on earth in ridicule and shame

A ruler yet a servant, A shepherd yet a lamb

A man of sorrows, agony and shame.

Humbled and rejected, Beaten and despised,

Upon the Cross the Son of God was slain

Just like a lamb to slaughter, A sinless sacrifice

But by His death His Cross became our gain.

Satan’s forces crumbled, Like a mighty wall

The stone that held Him in was rolled aside

The Prince of life in glory, Was lifted over all

Now earth and heaven echo with a cry.

CHORUS

He is Lord! He is Lord! He is risen from the dead

And He is Lord!

Every knee shall bow, Every tongue confess

That Jesus Christ is Lord!

Do You Realize How Incredibly Blessed You Are?

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21

In February 2013 a California couple made an amazing discovery.  They were walking their dog on their property, along a path they’d transversed many times before, when they spotted a rust-covered metal can poking out of the ground.  Exploring further, they eventually uncovered 1427 gold coins having a face value of $27,980, but assessed to be worth about $10 million.  Before you head out to take a walk around your property, let me assure you, if you are a believer in Christ, you already possess greater riches than that!

The two prayers of the Apostle Paul in today’s Bible reading are incredibly helpful to us for a variety of reasons.  One, they serve as model prayers for us, in the kinds of things we should pray for both for ourselves and others.  Two, these prayers focus our attention on the kinds of things which matter most in our Christian lives.  We are challenged by the need to “set our minds on things above, not on things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2), these prayers are about “things above” kind of matters.  Thirdly, both prayers speak to our dependence upon the Spirit, if we are to rightly understand and appreciate the majesty of the blessings which we already possess in Christ.

Note how Paul framed his prayer requests.  Ephesians 1:17, “(that God) may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know…”  And again in Ephesians 3:16, “(that) he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that…”  Notice the similarities?  In both cases, Paul prayed that we would come to a realization and appreciation, of certain truths through the inner working of the Spirit.  Also of note is the reality the specific things he was praying about, are the very truths he had specifically written about in this very epistle!  All that being said, there’s a difference between knowing and KNOWING.  Paul was praying for the kind of heart-level, life-altering, hope-imparting knowledge bound up in the intimacy of our relationship with Jesus Himself.  He was praying in essence, that we’d have eyes to see the treasure we even now possess in Him.

These prayers speak to five particular things you need by the Spirit to see: 1) the hope you have in Jesus (1:18); 2) the riches you possess in Jesus (1:18); 3) the power which has been availed to you in Jesus (1:19); 4) the intimacy of relationship intended for you in Jesus (3:17); 5) the incomprehensible nature of Jesus’ love for you (3:18-19). These are all ours in Him! We possess them whether we realize it, or not! As Christians, we can be just like that California couple. How many times did they walk that path oblivious to the treasure which was laying there just below the surface? We need to look and see!

The path to glory is not an easy one.  There are threats, obstacles and setbacks along with all kinds of troubles.  Yet it makes a big difference if we are buoyed by the certain hope of a future inheritance!  It makes a difference if we are appreciating the power and love which is ours in Jesus!  It matters if we know we are not alone in the journey, but He is with us each step of the way!  Believer in Christ, whether you realize it or not, you are incredibly blessed!  As we read in the Scriptures of the blessings availed to us, let us also pray the Spirit will open the eyes of our heart to the full measure of these blessings, that we might appreciate and walk in the light of them!

Lord Jesus, we read of how Your grace has been lavished on us. And that we possess every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in You. You’ve blessed us beyond measure! Forgive us that we are not fully appreciating all You’ve done for us and walking in the light of these blessings. Open our eyes to these spiritual realities that we might be awestruck both by You and by Your incredible provision unto us of everything needful. That we might walk in a manner worthy of the high calling we have received. Amen.

My Father is rich in houses and land,

He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!

Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,

His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

Refrain:

I’m a child of the King,

A child of the King,

With Jesus my Savior,

I’m a child of the King.

My Father’s own Son, the Savior of men,

Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;

But now He is reigning for ever on high,

And will give me a home in heav’n by and by. [Refrain]

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,

A sinner by choice and an alien by birth;

But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,

An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown. [Refrain]

A tent or a cottage, why should I care?

They’re building a palace for me over there;

Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:

All glory to God, I’m a child of the King. [Refrain]

Divine Deliverance

Bible Reading: Colossians 1:13, 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15

In August 2010 a large cave-in in a mine in Chile entombed thirty three miners 2300 feet underground.  The world anxiously waited for seventeen days as exploratory bore holes were drilled to learn whether any of the miners were still alive.  Once that was ascertained, extensive rescue efforts began.  Meanwhile the miners tried to escape on their own.  But the mandated escape ladders had never been installed.  So the duty shift supervisor gathered the men into a secure room, then organized them and their meager resources to ensure their long term survival.  The room was only 540 square feet in size and had but two benches.  Food supplies were limited and each man lost an average of 18 pounds by the time they were discovered.  Because of the high heat and humidity the men were always covered with sweat.  They would venture into the tunnels to find ventilation.  Sanitation was a problem.  Health problems ensued over time—two men suffered from silicosis, one developed pneumonia, others suffered from eye and teeth problems.  Plans were undertaken to rescue the men.  Nearly every Chilean government agency, NASA and more than a dozen international corporations were involved.  A large hole was drilled (large enough to winch down a rescue capsule) and a rescue worker was sent down in the capsule to the workers.  Soon afterwards the first miner made his way to the surface.  After sixty-nine days underground, in front of a TV audience estimated at more than one billion viewers, thirty-three miners were brought safely to the surface.  After winching the last trapped miner to the surface, the rescue workers, still underground, held up a sign for the TV cameras.  The sign read “Mission Accomplished Chile.”  On the surface people cried, hugged, and cheered.  It was a remarkable rescue.  But every believer in Christ has experienced, in salvation, a deliverance of far greater importance and proportion.

The term translated “domain,” in Colossians 1:13 speaks of “the power of one whose commands must be submitted to.”  The unbeliever is a person bound in sin to “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2; Cf. 1 John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4).  Satan’s domain is one of spiritual “darkness” in which he terrorizes his captives (Cf. Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:11, 6:12).  He is glad for the miserable and harsh enslavement of the lost, anticipating their damnation in “the outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12).  He hides their sole means of escape to direct lost souls in a broad way leading to a disastrous end (Cf. Matthew 7:13).  There is, from the “domain of darkness,” no human means of escape.

The term translated “delivered” means “to rescue from.”  Jesus, “the Deliverer” (Cf. Romans 11:26), represents the sole means of rescue for sin-captives.  He has done all that is necessary to accomplish their deliverance.  “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15).  Through His death on the cross Jesus has worked to accomplish the greatest of all rescue operations. Those rescuers of the Chilean miners were caring enough, wise enough, and resourceful enough to get the job done.  Likewise God purposed to intercede according to His love, power, and wisdom (Cf. John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 1:24). God not only intervened—that would be reason enough to praise and thank Him—but He did so at great cost to Himself, though we, as sin rebels, were in no way deserving of His rescuing work (Cf. Romans 5:8).

The Chilean miners were transferred from a dark and foreboding place to the light of the sun and the warm embrace of family members and friends.  The believer has been delivered out of the domain of darkness and brought into a “kingdom,” “a sphere of God’s rule,” which is characterized by love (Cf. Colossians 1:13).  The “domain” was according to the nature and character of the devil.  He is the father of lies, the adversary, the destroyer—and that is the character of his domain.  Christ is all loving, all wise, and all powerful—He reigns according to His benevolent nature.  His subjects are glad to love and serve Him (Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:15).

If you have not trusted in Jesus Christ you need to be rescued.  Your sin demands punishment.  Left unresolved, the darkness of your present experience, will be nothing compared to the eternal darkness which awaits when you pass from this life (Cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:9).  You are like those miners, in the depths of an inescapable tomb, from which Christ alone can save you (Cf. Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9).  The Chilean miners were thankful and rejoicing when they were finally brought to the surface.  The believer in Christ has sufficient reason in his rescue from sin to forevermore abound in thanksgiving to God (Cf. Colossians 1:12, 2:7)!

Lord Jesus, all praise, glory, and honor belongs to You for You’ve worked to accomplish the greatest of all rescues.  We were trapped by our own sins in an evil and foreboding place, but by Your grace, love, and mercy You’ve brought us into the light!  May we now walk in the light even as You are in the light that Your gospel message might shine forth through us!

I was sinking deep in sin

Far from the peaceful shore

Very deeply stained within

Sinking to rise no more

But the master of the sea

Heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me

Now safe am I

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

“He Shall Glorify Me”

Bible Reading: John 14:16-17, 16:7-14; 2 Corinthians 3:18

What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?  Your bride (or husband) on your wedding day?  A newborn child, having just made his, or her entrance into this world?  Some majestic part of God’s creation–a snow covered mountain peak, or some beautiful river cascading through some tree lined canyon, or the vast expanse of the star-filled heaven, or the deep-blue sea?  When you stop to think about it, the beauty we see in creation owes its beauty to the One who created it.  If these things on earth can be so lovely to us, how much more beautiful is the One who made it all!  

That being said, the most beautiful thing in all of God’s creation is the person of Jesus Christ.  Though sin works to blind sinners to that reality, we who believe have had our own eye-opening experience to the beauty of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6).  By the Spirit we are even now “beholding His glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The story of Fanny Crosby, the hymn writer, is a remarkable one indeed!  She was the writer of some hymns you probably know, like: “Blessed Assurance,” “Rescue the Perishing,” and “To God be the Glory.” What you may not know is, she was blinded by the malpractice of a doctor when she was only six weeks old and never regained her sight. As a young girl, she possessed a joyful spirit and loved to play with her friends, who would describe for her various things she could not see.  Early on it became apparent she had an amazing ability to memorize Scripture, God would make much use of that gift when she grew older.

Through the course of her life Fanny Crosby would write the words to more than 8000 hymns!  You’ve no doubt sung some of them.  Each song is centered around the beauty of Our Savior and the work He has accomplished for us.  Take for example what she wrote in “Give Me Jesus”: “Take the world, but give me Jesus, in His cross my trust shall be; Till, with clearer, brighter vision, face to face my Lord I see!”  

During the last years of her life, Frances Ridley Havergal (the writer of the hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be”) kept up a correspondence with Fanny Crosby.  Frances wrote about her friend, saying, “How can she sing in the dark like this?  What is her fountain of light and bliss?  Her heart can see, her heart can see!  Well may she sing so joyously!  For the King Himself, in His tender grace, hath shown her the brightness of His face!”

You and I are not blind.  It’s hard to envision what that’d be like!  Yet blind or not blind, the Spirit of God is well able to unveil the beauty of Jesus to us.  As J. I. Packer explains, that is His chief ministry: “The Spirit focuses attention, not on himself, but on the Savior. He has a ministry of illumination through the Word that convinces us of the reality of Christ; a ministry that leads us to see our need of Christ so that we embrace him in faith and love; a ministry that keeps us prayerfully in touch with Christ and assured of salvation by Christ; and a ministry of oneness which connects us to Christ in such a way that his risen life flows into us and he ministers to others through us.”  

I wrote in an earlier post, of a challenge we sometimes face as believers inasmuch as our prayers don’t reach high enough. Our concern for earthly comforts outweighs other loftier and eternal matters. Let’s pray that we might be “awestruck by Jesus,” as we realize the Holy Spirit is already at work in our lives to that end. There is a line in the hymn “More About Jesus” which prayerfully speaks to this: “More about Jesus let me learn, More of His holy will discern; Spirit of God, my teacher be, Showing the things of Christ to me.” In humility let us go to the Word, not just to know more about what it says, but to behold the beauty of Jesus, in anticipation of the day when we will marvel at Him (2 Thessalonians 1:10)! There’s nothing in all of creation more beautiful than He!

Heavenly Father, how incredibly blessed we are!  We once were blind, but now we see, as You’ve worked to bring us out of darkness into Your wonderful light!  Yet we tend to long for earthly things and be enamored with earthly sights!  Grant us grace to simply long to know You better!  That our hearts would refuse to be satisfied in earthly distractions of passing pleasure!  We pray  Your beauty, Lord Jesus, would captivate our being, fill our hearts and minds and flow forth from our lips!  We long for the day in which we shall behold You face to face and we will be awestruck by You forevermore!  Amen.

Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,

and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son,

but purer and higher and greater will be

our joy and our wonder, when Jesus we see.