Monthly Archives: January 2017

Response

Romans 11:4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

What happens when you study your Bible? God speaks to you in ways you likely did not expect, taking you places in scripture you did not know, and his Spirit that dwells within you teaches you these things. I am a word study guy; many times God lays a word on my heart in prayer and I research that word. This morning the word was “response,” for I was in a prayer of thanksgiving for the response of my heart being drawn to him. The study led me to the passage above, where God responds to the prophet Elijah, and tells him that he is not alone. God has designed or allowed all that is happening in that season of his life. The passage took me deeper, speaking of the doctrine of elections and grace, and God’s sovereign design of it all. It reminded me of this women’s movement currently, and how twisted so much of it is.

Romans 11:7-9 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.” 9 And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, A stumbling block and a recompense to them.

In our current events, God’s holy Word can still speak to us in a way we cannot comprehend, because even the events in the history from thousands of years ago, play out currently in our time. God does not see, God does not recognize, God limits our minds with time, but his Holy Word is alive in speaking to all that we see and struggle with this very day. The study takes us deeper into the Old Testament, into the prophet Isaiah, and to the book of Moses, both long before Jesus walked the earth, and Paul wrote the book of Romans.

Isaiah 29:10-14 For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. 11 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” 13 Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

Deuteronomy 29:4 Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

God is at work in all these “movements” today, just as he was at work in the rebellion of Israel thousand of years ago. Some in any movement mock God, and God has blinded them and condemned them to eternal punishment. Some in any movement will be drawn to God, and they will have a response to him, and their lives will become a testimony to him from the delivery from their sins. All our lives can become a response to our heavenly Lord, Father, and Savior.

For His Glory

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

I really didn’t know until studying this passage that Paul was so moved by God he just had to praise God. Paul had spent the first eleven chapters of his likely greatest writing expounding deeply on salvation, and here he just can’t contain himself any longer and pens out a closing praise to who God is. He is likely overcome in heavenly awe of a glimpse of the realization of how big God is over everything; a glimpse of heavenly sovereignty, a minuscule taste of how unsearchable the greatness of the One he calls Lord is over all of creation; a quick glimpse of the unrecognizable time to the One who sees it all the same, therefore has power over the limit he has placed on us, that one limit is unsearchable. Time is a limit God placed on his creation, a limit that effects our minds, effects our comprehension of many things, yet also helps us to realize by his creation at how great he is, and deserves such praise as Paul could not contain.

How could I pen what I cannot explain? How can I pen, or explain if you will, what I do not understand? All the great scholars have been so moved by God that they have expounded on his sovereignty, on the level of his might that has been shown to them. I am a nobody in His army, a private first class that claims no authority, but I just like you, have a heart for my God that I cannot contain such as Paul. I quote many times the prophet Isaiah, how he penned what God laid on his heart. Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. All throughout the Old Testament God used prophets to proclaim how great he is. He used the prophets to call out the sins of the people; God used them to proclaim repentance from their sins, and warned of the coming judgement of God upon those who did not repent. God showed his glory to these prophets, and those glimpses of God were so great they could not remain silent or care what anyone thought, they were the patriarchs of bold faith going into great nations and proclaiming against their sins against God.

Paul wrote of a hidden struggle most of us face, the anxieties of life. Paul wrote of how when we focus on God, how big he truly is, and seek him with all prayers and supplications throughout his epistles, that worry of life will leave us. We will gain a heavenly peace within us the world desires but cannot understand without a like heart for God. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. When the Apostle John was writing about the gift of the Holy Spirit, he penned some of the most beautiful words of this peace that God gives those who truly believe. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. If you will seek God with all your heart, mind, body and soul, he will reveal himself to you. You will change from the inside out, and those glimpses he gives you of his glory, you will proclaim as all the prophets and Apostles did in the Bible; you will become a light unto a very dark world, and God will give you a hope and peace and power that all the world desires, because you live your life for his glory.

Enough about you…what about me?

Matthew 7:1-5 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (ESV)

It would be impossible to expound this passage into a OneMinuteMinistry; the depth of this passage covers subject and huge struggle of any proclaiming Christian. The depth of our own sin is opened up, and the self-righteousness is openly addressed. The sin within us is quick to judge, standing on the platform of righteousness, using our own good will many times against us; then to complicate the depth of this passage even more, the Bible tells the saint to proclaim truth, to be the salt and light of the earth, and to not conform to the evil among us. The complexity of this passage demands a heart that continually seeks guidance, wisdom, and an abiding relationship with Jesus on a daily basis, to follow his lead as he speaks into our spirit regarding those he places before us. The sin within us prompts the opposite quick reactions standing on our own false regard; this battle is a continuous one until hopefully deep into the walk of God’s sanctification within us.

One of the hardest things I must do as a business owner is to find and address the faults of employees; this is for a long list of reasons, from everything of running a business, to the painful tasks of addressing personality traits and shortcomings. This is somewhat more difficult than terminating someone, because it makes people look within themselves, and they may harden their hearts with no change or improvement. It clearly in it’s simplest sense, makes me judge that person. Do you see how the Bible addresses this; how we must guard ourselves and look within ourselves before we pronounce judgement? It makes me think of the book of James, and how we may not see ourselves as others see us. James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (ESV) The writer of the first book of the New Testament, Jesus’ half brother, was clearly addressing those that proclaim Christianity, but don’t act or live like it; one’s that may sit on a false self-righteousness and judge others, openly, as in the context of James passage. Men I admire, Godly men, have given me advice such as this: “There is more to see than what you see.” “If you had any idea what goes on in my head, you would never listen to me.” We all struggle……..

You cannot even take a brief look at this passage and not address verse six of Matthew seven. 6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. In the simplest understanding of this passage, we must grasp the level of evil in this world, those that openly reject the Gospel, and of how we must guard ourselves from them. The Holy Spirit must be our inner guide, to flee or to engage, and only the prepared may engage with the strength He provides. Do not judge those evil among you, move on and tell them you will pray for them. Only God can turn the wicked, but God can protect you from them too. In all things, the depth of the saint’s judgement is relative and reliant on their daily walk and pursuit of God in prayer and his Word.

Our Heart’s Desires

Ephesians 1:17-18 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Our hearts ache for others to “get it”
Our hearts desire is for others to possess what we do
Our hearts desire is for God to pursue those we pursue
Our hearts desire is for others lives to be transformed.

We want to witness the change only Jesus can make
We want to witness the security of eternal paradise
We want to witness the boldness of the saint
We want to witness the work of God before us.

A security of our own salvation lies in this passage
A security lies in the depth of these desires
A security lies in the boldness to proclaim and not just claim
A security lies in the level of our love for the lost.

We don’t understand the predestination of the chosen
We don’t understand the sovereignty of God
We don’t understand why our words don’t save
We don’t understand but trust our Lord and Savior.

Do we have a heart such as Paul
Do we pray continually for those such as he
Do we live with the boldness anywhere our feet may be
Do we focus only on eternity and not the temporary?

Who is around you in your circle of influence
Who has God given you to disciple
Who may you invest in prayer such as Paul
Who may God use you to change eternally?

Are you using the gift He has given you
Are you seeking God daily in prayer and his Word
Are you seeking the wisdom and riches he will give
Are you seeking him with all your heart, mind, body, and soul?

The life of a disciple asks themselves these questions
The life of a disciple possesses these traits
The life of a disciple seeks and prays such as Paul
The life of a disciple seeks to draw glory to God in all that do.

Inexpressible Joy
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

The Lord woke me this morning with joy in my heart again. He reminded me of this week, of how clearly he spoke to me in the middle of the night, of his plans for the coming days. This joy is almost inexpressible, but the peace that comes with it is so clearly from God that I have said it is almost like my soul is excited. Many of you know of the rough season I just left, of how God let me go down incredibly tough roads of some anxiety, but much worse the depression side of things. He let me go down those dark roads to deepen my relationship with him; to test my faith in him, to mold me into more of the person he wants me to be. I had been struggling with a lot of huge life questions that effected my family, and everyone in my circle of influence; it was a great burden to bear. But in the middle of the night earlier this week, God clearly spoke to me and set my path to the center of his will for this next season. It was reminiscent of when he spoke to me when we downsized the business, pulling out before the economy crashed, and by the grace of God that decision allowed us to survive. In an incredibly sweet time with the Lord, he had detailed answers to all my questions in the wee hours of the morning. The peace of God, the excitement of change, the knowing what he wants for my family is inexpressible, but I will rejoice in it.

This passage above is in the context of the description of God’s sovereign design of Jesus’ work for your salvation. This passage speaks of a depth we cannot comprehend, but of how we can rejoice at how great our God is, and the sacrifice he made for us. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118 is a special song of praise, a writing that carries much description, and is worthy of your study. Take the time to study this writing, see how Jesus recounted it, how many think it was written for a special occasion, but moreover, let God speak to you as you diligently study his word, let his joy fill your heart.

I was reminded of an A.W. Tozer excerpt I read earlier this morning on holiness. The Psalmist here talks about entering the “gates of righteousness,” and Tozer was writing of the pursuit of holiness. “You cannot study the Bible diligently and earnestly without being struck by an obvious fact–the whole matter of personal holiness is highly important to God!” 1 Peter 1:15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” We are called to be different from the rest of the world; to live for God in this pursuit of righteousness, to be salt and light to a very distasteful, dark world. The pursuit of holiness that flings the heavenly gates of righteousness wide open is found through Jesus only, and the hearts pursuit of him in his Word. You cannot remain the same person you were the day before; God transforms you from the inside out, and conforms you into the image of his Son. The joy that comes to one’s heartfelt pursuit is sometimes inexpressible, but many times exudes from the smile on your face, and how you greet the day.

Changes

Matthew 5:1-12   When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NASB)

I have told those close to me, I can sense God laying on my heart that a change is coming. I know not what it is, for he has not revealed it yet, but something in my life on a larger scale is about to change. That feeling can bring anxieties, but it can also bring excitement. Throughout all of it, my hearts desire is to remain in the center of God’s will for my life through it. When he decides to reveal whatever it may be, my hope is not for my will through desire or disobedience to change my path through, and to it. So many times God lays something before us, and our free-will moves us away; sin draws us away, instead of one’s desire to abide in the daily with Him. Oswald Chambers wrote, “The saints duty is to be still and listen”; that is the hardest part of the life of a disciple, to not move on one’s own will ahead of God.

Jesus opened his great discourse, his great Sermon on the Mount, talking about the life of his disciples. His great message here was one to his followers, those who had likely heard his message of repentance before, and followed the tugs on their hearts for more. They wanted the applications of how to live their lives; what was next, what to do, what did this life hold for them? Many of them quickly suffered persecution on many levels, and Jesus began his message directly addressing what many of them were facing. He directly pointed them to heaven, to God, to what awaited them as his disciples. He made them question their hearts, to ask themselves if they were in or out, for commitment to pressing through these changes they were facing. He was really asking them what were they focusing on, this life or the next?

The Beatitudes somewhat hinge on verse six. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew Henry expounds; “Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. See Ps. 24:5 ; ch. 6:33 . They are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ; conveyed and secured by the imputation of that righteousness to us; and confirmed by the faithfulness of God. To have Christ made of God to us righteousness, and to be made the righteousness of God in him; to have the whole man renewed in righteousness, so as to become a new man, and to bear the image of God; to have an interest in Christ and the promises—this is righteousness. 2. These we must hunger and thirst after. We must truly and really desire them, as one who is hungry and thirsty desires meat and drink, who cannot be satisfied with any thing but meat and drink, and will be satisfied with them, though other things be wanting. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest and importunate; “Give me these, or else I die; every thing else is dross and chaff, unsatisfying; give me these, and I have enough, though I had nothing else.’’ Hunger and thirst are appetites that return frequently, and call for fresh satisfactions; so these holy desires rest not in any thing attained, but are carried out toward renewed pardons, and daily fresh supplies of grace. The quickened soul calls for constant meals of righteousness, grace to do the work of every day in its day, as duly as the living body calls for food. Those who hunger and thirst will labour for supplies; so we must not only desire spiritual blessings, but take pains for them in the use of the appointed means.”

Your hearts desire for God is measured by what you do with it. Is this something you proclaim, yet there is no evidence of your supposed heart for him? Is this something you check off the list of religious duty, a life of good works to produce a false salvation, or a life of good works produced from true salvation? Jesus continues teaching of those that have true hearts for him; those that emit his light to a very dark world by living out their faith. They become so bright that all know of their faith in Jesus, and he knows their true hearts. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. If you truly seek God, with all your heart, mind, body, and soul, you will not worry about this life, but will be excited for the change that comes to and throughout it unto eternity.