Saturday, July 25, 2009
Galatians study
How do we reverse the Gospel in our society? It is very easy to feel unaceptable to God if our feelings are not in line wit the truth. I try to evoke feelings toward Christ because strong feelings = strong faith = salvation. However, it is not the level, but the object of our faith that saves us. Object has nothing to do with levels.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Mercy, not sacrifice
When God asks for a record of your mercy at the judgment day, he will not be asking for a punched time card. You won't say, "Here it is. Eight hours of mercy. Now where's my wage?"
Instead, God will be asking for your medical charts. You will hand them to him in all lowliness and meekness, and there he will read the evidences of how you trusted him as your divine Physician, and how the medicine of his Word and the therapy of his Spirit took effect in your life because you relied on them to heal you of your unmerciful disposition. And when he sees the evidence of your faith and his healing, he will complete your healing and welcome you into the kingdom forever. Therefore, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
- John Piper
The opposite of mercy is religious triviality. How do we know what color of paint Mercy demands ona canvas? We are not required to know what to apply in every situation or have a paint by number diagram, but to be merciful people. Merciful people are broken.
Mercy comes from a heart that has first felt its spiritual bankruptcy, and has come to grief over its sin, and has learned to wait meekly for the timing of the Lord, and to cry out in hunger for the work of his mercy to satisfy us with the righteousness we need.
The mercy that God blesses is itself the blessing of God. It grows up like fruit in a broken heart and a meek spirit and a soul that hungers and thirsts for God to be merciful. Mercy comes from mercy. Our mercy to each other comes from God's mercy to us.
The key to becoming a merciful person is to become a broken person. You get the power to show mercy from the real feeling in your heart that you owe everything you are and have to sheer divine mercy. Therefore, if we want to become merciful people, it is imperative that we cultivate a view of God and ourselves that helps us to say with all our heart that every joy and virtue and distress of our lives is owing to the free and undeserved mercy of God.
-JP... again.
Instead, God will be asking for your medical charts. You will hand them to him in all lowliness and meekness, and there he will read the evidences of how you trusted him as your divine Physician, and how the medicine of his Word and the therapy of his Spirit took effect in your life because you relied on them to heal you of your unmerciful disposition. And when he sees the evidence of your faith and his healing, he will complete your healing and welcome you into the kingdom forever. Therefore, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
- John Piper
The opposite of mercy is religious triviality. How do we know what color of paint Mercy demands ona canvas? We are not required to know what to apply in every situation or have a paint by number diagram, but to be merciful people. Merciful people are broken.
Mercy comes from a heart that has first felt its spiritual bankruptcy, and has come to grief over its sin, and has learned to wait meekly for the timing of the Lord, and to cry out in hunger for the work of his mercy to satisfy us with the righteousness we need.
The mercy that God blesses is itself the blessing of God. It grows up like fruit in a broken heart and a meek spirit and a soul that hungers and thirsts for God to be merciful. Mercy comes from mercy. Our mercy to each other comes from God's mercy to us.
The key to becoming a merciful person is to become a broken person. You get the power to show mercy from the real feeling in your heart that you owe everything you are and have to sheer divine mercy. Therefore, if we want to become merciful people, it is imperative that we cultivate a view of God and ourselves that helps us to say with all our heart that every joy and virtue and distress of our lives is owing to the free and undeserved mercy of God.
-JP... again.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Godly sorrow
2 Corinthians 7:11 "See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done..."
I went upstairs to discipline Wyatt for getting out of bed today. We sat down and I told him what he did wrong and asked him what happens when he disobeys Daddy. "Get a spankin'" he replies. So I disciplined him, gave him a big hug and remembered at that moment something Mitch had said about when disciplining is done, it is done. Hugs and kisses and happiness because things have been righted. So I did that, put him back to bed and went downstairs.
I told Amber that we should do this after every time he is disciplined. See, it happens so much, particularly with bedtimes, that I spank him and hug him afterwards, but with the attitude of expectancy of him disobeying promptly when I leave. So I leave the room with this "I'll be back..." sort of exit.
Then the revelation alit: When I sin, I hold it over my head - therefore, I hold it over my sons head.
Oh Jesus, how I have lived in unbelief of the gospel and therefore misrepresented the gospel to my son. How dishonoring to the Lord and Who He is? This revelation is still heavy on me and I am sorrowful in my heart both that I have flavored the soup in this bitter salt.
May this godly sorrow work in me what the verse says. The alarm that this revelation has brought about how I have misrepresented the Gospel, May I be diligent to make sure this attitude is dealt with and a readiness to make things right. The diligence to make sure my soul doesn't run to this Iron Maiden of repentance.
Thank you God. I am sorrowful about this. Would you restore the years of my destruction? Would you teach me to rejoice in the grace of Christ, rather than wallow in the mire? Come and revive me, not for me, but for Your Name. Teach me a new way.
I went upstairs to discipline Wyatt for getting out of bed today. We sat down and I told him what he did wrong and asked him what happens when he disobeys Daddy. "Get a spankin'" he replies. So I disciplined him, gave him a big hug and remembered at that moment something Mitch had said about when disciplining is done, it is done. Hugs and kisses and happiness because things have been righted. So I did that, put him back to bed and went downstairs.
I told Amber that we should do this after every time he is disciplined. See, it happens so much, particularly with bedtimes, that I spank him and hug him afterwards, but with the attitude of expectancy of him disobeying promptly when I leave. So I leave the room with this "I'll be back..." sort of exit.
Then the revelation alit: When I sin, I hold it over my head - therefore, I hold it over my sons head.
Oh Jesus, how I have lived in unbelief of the gospel and therefore misrepresented the gospel to my son. How dishonoring to the Lord and Who He is? This revelation is still heavy on me and I am sorrowful in my heart both that I have flavored the soup in this bitter salt.
May this godly sorrow work in me what the verse says. The alarm that this revelation has brought about how I have misrepresented the Gospel, May I be diligent to make sure this attitude is dealt with and a readiness to make things right. The diligence to make sure my soul doesn't run to this Iron Maiden of repentance.
Thank you God. I am sorrowful about this. Would you restore the years of my destruction? Would you teach me to rejoice in the grace of Christ, rather than wallow in the mire? Come and revive me, not for me, but for Your Name. Teach me a new way.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
God of Jesus Christ
Blaise Pascal:
"Year of grace 1654, Monday 23 November, feast of St. Clement . . . from about half past ten at night to about half an hour after midnight, FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars. Certitude, heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. God of Jesus Christ. "My God and your God." . . . Joy, Joy, Joy, tears of joy. . . Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. May I never be separated from him.
He wrote this down on a piece of parchment and sewed into his coat where it was found after his death eight years later.
"Year of grace 1654, Monday 23 November, feast of St. Clement . . . from about half past ten at night to about half an hour after midnight, FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars. Certitude, heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. God of Jesus Christ. "My God and your God." . . . Joy, Joy, Joy, tears of joy. . . Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. May I never be separated from him.
He wrote this down on a piece of parchment and sewed into his coat where it was found after his death eight years later.
Waiting
Psalm 25:5 "Lead me in your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all day."
Events of the past few weeks have left me thirsty. School, absence from the family, discipline issues with Wyatt, not seeing my beautiful wife's smile nearly enough. It's been pretty emotional, particularly with Wyatt. Always wondering if I am winning his heart or wounding it. But I have racked my brain and I cannot think of any other ways to win him to me. It's crippling. I feel like I have been left an invalid.
In these times my normal patterns of dealing have been woefully ineffective for anything. Entertainment, checking out, my own will - they have no answers, no sustenance. They are a chewing on the tongue.
The Lord brought me to Psalm 25. David asks God to show him His ways and teach him. Therefore he waits.
Waiting comes before teaching and leading in the way of truth. So often in a heart of mistrust, a man will become impatient, doubtful and arrogant and go off in the direction of his own understanding. He does not trust in God's way; he feels he will be found wanting in Gods way, therefore he defects.
A man that waits is broken and needy; knowing the uncleanness of his leprous heart and the deficiency of his will and understanding. It seems as though God will thwart us until we sit and wait with a heart that has no other place to go and is looking for Him.
Then, after a period of waiting and Gods establishing our ear to His tender voice, He will lead us in the way of truth.
And all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to those who love Him.
Be still my soul and wait on Him. Those who wait on Him will not be put to shame.
Events of the past few weeks have left me thirsty. School, absence from the family, discipline issues with Wyatt, not seeing my beautiful wife's smile nearly enough. It's been pretty emotional, particularly with Wyatt. Always wondering if I am winning his heart or wounding it. But I have racked my brain and I cannot think of any other ways to win him to me. It's crippling. I feel like I have been left an invalid.
In these times my normal patterns of dealing have been woefully ineffective for anything. Entertainment, checking out, my own will - they have no answers, no sustenance. They are a chewing on the tongue.
The Lord brought me to Psalm 25. David asks God to show him His ways and teach him. Therefore he waits.
Waiting comes before teaching and leading in the way of truth. So often in a heart of mistrust, a man will become impatient, doubtful and arrogant and go off in the direction of his own understanding. He does not trust in God's way; he feels he will be found wanting in Gods way, therefore he defects.
A man that waits is broken and needy; knowing the uncleanness of his leprous heart and the deficiency of his will and understanding. It seems as though God will thwart us until we sit and wait with a heart that has no other place to go and is looking for Him.
Then, after a period of waiting and Gods establishing our ear to His tender voice, He will lead us in the way of truth.
And all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to those who love Him.
Be still my soul and wait on Him. Those who wait on Him will not be put to shame.
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