Profound Gratitude

“Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.” (Mt 17:4 AV)

I think in Peter’s words we see a profound gratitude for the experience Peter is witnessing.  What I don’t see is an immature excitement of something new and different.  I don’t see an immature attitude of competition comparing himself against the nine that were not invited.  What I see is a man who understood the event.  I see a man who had walked with Jesus for a bit and began to understand who it was that was transfigured.  I see a man who is deeply grateful for the experience as one who does not deserve anything.  What I see in Peter is the spirit that should be in the heart of every believer.  Especially during those quiet times of prayer and Bible study.  What I see is the heart that should rest its head at night deeply grateful for the adoption to which we are called the children of God.  Circumstances change, but the presence of God does not.  What I see is a heart that is so grateful that he will never forget this moment.  I see in Peter a heart that is profoundly grateful to the point that it is understood there is nothing we can do that will equal it.

I also see a heart that understands the profound nature of the event and how it will change him.  Peter will never be the same again.  And I think he knew this.  Because of their question regarding Elijah, the three disciples truly understood that the mount of transfiguration was not a mere miracle.  It was far more than that.  They understood that they were experiencing Jesus in a vastly different way and they were the first ones.  I think they understood why it was so very important when Jesus told them that they were not to share this experience until after the resurrection.  They understood that the evidence of the deity of Christ was not to be the mount of transfiguration, but rather, that he would rise from the dead.  They understood this event was founded upon the faith of the three to believe what they were seeing.  They saw Elijah and Moses with Jesus Christ.  They knew who these two individuals were.  They had no problem with it.  In that moment, their faith grew exponentially.

I think we have lost our heart of gratitude for the relationship we have in Christ Jesus.  In particular, I think we have lost our heart of gratitude for the hand of God that brings us through experiences that grow us up.  Challenging times are growing times.  Profound times are times of maturing.  Have you ever been in a situation that you did not completely understand or felt overwhelming, but you knew it was good to be there? Fear abated.  Calm anticipation and a heightened sense of purpose ruled.  This is how our devotional and worship times should be each time we enter them.  Every time God speaks to us we should feel as Peter felt.  It is good to be here.  Every time we are thrust into a situation we cannot control and we are forced to spiritually grow, we should respond that it is good to be in such a place.  The grateful and mature Christian is hard to find.  Taking each event in stride and being grateful no matter what it might mean is where we need to be.  It is good to be called a child of God.  It is good to have Him as our Father.  It is good to be in His presence and under His hand.  It is good!

The Faithful Must Still Bless

“Bless ye the LORD, all [ye] his hosts; [ye] ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.” (Ps 103:21-22 AV)

This is an interesting scripture passage because it speaks to those who are already faithful in pleasing God.  Note that the psalmist is speaking to those who are presently doing the pleasure of God.  Note also the encouragement to bless the LORD is to all His works (that which He has created) that are in His dominion (or those surrendered under His will).  The command is a peculiar one.  To bless the LORD would be a given if one is in the will of God and also doing His pleasure, right?  Wouldn’t the two go hand in hand?  Wouldn’t serving the church, witnessing to others, and being a help to the children of God necessarily bless the LORD?  The key is in knowing the definition of the word ‘bless’.  The word means to kneel in adoration.  It is an emotionally oriented word.  Other uses of the same word can mean to be happy.  Or, it could mean doing something nice for others or for God.  But here, the psalmist tells the faithful servant who is in the will of God and doing His good pleasure not to forsake the personal aspect of his relationship with God.

There is a difference waiting on tables of complete strangers and waiting on a table of people you know and are close to.  In the restaurant I managed, these situations we common.  We had a dining area and served dine-in customers.  Our cashiers were also part-time waitresses.  They didn’t wait on the table directly, but did see to our guest’s needs.  Mostly they cleared dishes, got more soda, or delivered doggy boxes.  They were very good at waiting on customers at both the counter and the dining area.  That is, until someone they knew came in.  This happened quite frequently on Friday nights during High School football season.  Having employed many teenagers, it was normal to remind our staff that there were other customers to be waited on and spending too much time with the people they knew was not ideal service.  What was the difference?  Those whom the cashiers didn’t know were served faithfully.  They did not go without their order.  They were greeted cheerfully and cashed out the same.  There was no disconnect there.  But for those whom the cashiers did know, they enjoyed something others did not.  They enjoyed the cashiers’ hearts.  There was a connection.  The first order of service was wonderful.  But it lacked a personal connection.  The second received a level of service that the first would never enjoy because of an established personal relationship.

Our psalmist is reminding us that in our faithful service and walk toward God, let us not forget the personal aspect of our relationship.  Yes, He is our Creator worthy of our faithful worship and service.  Yes, He is almighty and above all He has created.  Yes, He should be feared.  However, the psalmist is reminding us that in all of this, do not forget to fall to our knees in adoration for the person of Jehovah.  Our drawing nigh to the Father does not stop with obedience and service.  It starts there.  What God wants above all other things is for His children to love Him with all their hearts and souls as well as their bodies and minds.  In short, the writer is encouraging us to draw nigh to God with more than our lips or hands.  He is reminding us to love the LORD our God as He is.  Our patient and ever-loving Father.

Unoffended and Blessed

“And blessed is [he], whosoever shall not be offended in me.” (Mt 11:6 AV)

These are precious words of our LORD to His disciples.  They are very true words.  The sceptic in us would debate the truth stated above.  We would be less than honest if we didn’t claim to agree with Israel from time to time when they say, “Ye have said, It [is] vain to serve God: and what profit [is it] that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?” (Mal 3:14 AV)  In times of persecution or need, perhaps we thought that being a Christian was not worth it.  Especially in those early years.  Like Israel who could not go into Canaan fresh from the exodus, we became a bit offended at the cost of being a believer.  So, when Jesus says those who are not offended in Christ are blessed, there were times we didn’t feel all that blessed.  Our experiences do not determine truth.  Being a wandering Jew, I am sure that most of the time they didn’t feel blessed.  That is why they murmured.  God was maturing them into a nation.  They were blessed and didn’t even know it.

Taking this verse as truth regardless of what we perceive to be reality helps us see life in a completely different way.  It changes the way we look at events not only from the past, but while they are transpiring as well.  Going out to eat is a good test to try the truth above.  Early in my walk with Christ, I would not pray all that long or that loudly while blessing the food.  Over the years, you lose your inhibitions and do as the Spirit leads.  Interesting things happen.  You get all sorts of ugly looks.  People may even move to another table.  If your walk with God spills over into table conversation with a guest, the reactions of those around you become more dramatic.  There may be a cross word or an all-out argument with someone you don’t even know.  More times than not, there is an interested soul within earshot.  At first, you don’t notice them.  They may have their backs turned to you, and you are unaware that they are listening.  Or, it might be your server who hears your conversation.  When the meal is done and you go to pay your bill, someone who heard you, stops and asks questions.  Or you see a smile that tells you the guest was a believer, and they appreciated someone who was not ashamed to speak of spiritual matters.

Yes, the Christian life is a hard one.  The LORD never promised anything different.  The older I get, the more I appreciate the truth above.  Life has taught me that being in Christ is indeed a blessed life.  It hasn’t always been easy.  There are more difficult days ahead.  With old age comes disease.  With old age comes uncertainty.  With old age come new fears.  With old age comes loneliness.  But to say that walking with God has not been blessed would be the worst lie of all.  The key is to fight shame over one’s identity in Christ.  If we are ashamed to be called a believer, the trouble we face will still be there.  But there will be no offramp.  To have a blessed life, one must embrace his or her identity in Jesus.  To have the best life possible, the saint must welcome what it means and what it costs to be a Christian.  Jesus made a promise.  If we are not ashamed of Christ, yet do not feel blessed, then the fault lies with us.

Our Greatest Need!

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” (Mt 9:6 AV)

This is an amazing truth.  Remember, this event was rather early in His ministry.  Remember that the foundation of the ministry of Christ was not medicinal.  It was spiritual.  In particular, the foundation of the ministry of Jesus was repentance and faith toward God.  The body will perish.  Those who are redeemed will receive a perfect and eternal body.  There is no deaf, dumb, or lame saints in glory.  When Jesus healed the sick, it was only temporary.  Eventually everyone whom He made whole would die of something.  Above, we see the real power of Jesus Christ.  We see the eternal power of Christ.  We see what matters most.  We see that the Son has power to forgive all sins.  The Father has bestowed upon the Son the privilege of judicial forgiveness.  The Son will sit upon His white throne and look upon those who have trusted in His grace.  He will say one word which opens the gates of heaven – FORGIVEN!  This word is uttered on earth before it is uttered in heaven.  The day a lost soul chooses to trust in the grace of his Creator and the gift of salvation bought by the blood of the Son is the day the Son shouted from glory – FORGIVEN!

Forgiveness is a natural human desire.  It is stronger in some than others, but it is there.  It is closely associated with our need to be affirmed.  We want someone to accept us regardless of what we have done or what we are.  If we are unacceptable, we turn to other means to drown out the sorrow.  But forgiveness is what we need and what we want.  One of the saddest circumstances I have ever had to deal with was that of a dying patient who was estranged from her daughter.  She was dying from emphysema.  It is a particularly cruel way to go.  The patient is slowly dying from oxygen deprivation.  She could not breathe.  One of her last wishes was to be reunited with her estranged daughter.  Apparently, they had a falling out decades earlier.  As to the measure of fault each held, that was not a detail divulged to me.  It really didn’t matter, anyway.  In any failure of relationship, the fault is usually shared.  This dear lady was in tears.  She simply wanted a brief visit from her daughter so she could gain forgiveness for whatever part of which she was responsible.  There was no manipulation.  There was no pretense.  She simply wanted her daughter to forgive her.  The daughter would not even speak to her mother on the phone.  As far as I know, this greatly humbled lady died as an unforgiven mother.  More time was not her greatest need.  Her greatest need was her daughter’s forgiveness.

The reaction of those assembled to the miracle they had just witnessed is very telling.  There were some who were deeply offended that Jesus forgave the sins of the lame man.  They would be right to be offended if Jesus was mere man.  If Jesus is not the Lord Jesus Christ, they would be righteous to be angry.  But then there were those who rejoiced that such power was given to man.  Some suggest the power to heal was that to which Matthew we referring.  But the context lends to eternal forgiveness being the power given to man.  In particular, the power was given to Jesus Christ who came in the form of a man.  Why?  Because forgiveness, and specifically eternal forgiveness, is man’s greatest need.  I can rest my head upon my pillow is peace every single night because I know that I have been forgiven!  I can walk upon this earth with no fear of death because I know I am forgiven.  I did not earn it.  I cannot earn it.  I am no better than anyone else and must worse than most.  But this saint has trusted in the grace of God by which forgiveness comes.  He does not owe it to me.  My faith in Him does not entitle me to His grace.  Rather, my Creator took pity on me and accepted the blood of His Son as full payment of all that I have or will do and for that which I have or will fail to do.  FORGIVENESS!  My greatest need met in the person and offering of the man who came with the power to forgive.  JESUS CHRIST!

The Cornerstone of Christ's Sermons

“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17 AV)

Much is preached in our pulpits today.  Everything from encouragement for the weary to advice on raising a family.  The Bible has much to say regarding our life on earth.  Yet none of it matters unless there is repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ.  What makes this statement so powerful is the location of its appearance.  Matthew felt it necessary to inform us that Jesus made a priority of repentance and faith before He preached the Sermon on the Mount.  The first sermon Israel heard before the Messiah was presented was on repentance.  It amazes me how much sin and repentance are neglected in our pulpits today.  People want to know advice on relationships, direction of life, or financial responsibility.  They want to know how to have a better marriage, information on prophetical events, or some tidbit that they have never heard before.  YouTube apologetics is all the rage.  Our younger generation what to debate metaphysics or what they consider the deeper things of God.  Yet no one speaks of sin and repentance.  Never before in the history of mankind have we had so much information at our fingertips.  If I hear one more argument on the Nephilim, I think I will have a come-apart!

The world looks upon the church as a discredited group of quacks because we have lost the moral credibility to preach the gospel.  Repentance is just as much for the child of God as it is the lost.  Just because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and LORD does not mean repentance has been completed.  Not at all! It has just begun.  As a preacher, we don’t like the response to this message.  We have had several visitors as of late, and the LORD has led me to preach heavily on sin, hell, repentance, redemption, forgiveness, and heaven.  It is amazing how soon they leave.  They come for a few weeks, then you never hear from them again.  This is not new.  This happened when Jesus preached, too.  In John chapter six, he lost hundreds of followers because he dared to preach the truth.

We would be unethical to say the least, dishonest and worthless to say the most, if we neglected the ministry of repentance and faith.  Before Jesus taught of comfort; before He healed a crippled body; before He fed a hungry crowd; He preached repentance and faith toward God.  The Son of God made it is top priority to reveal the fallen and wicked nature of mankind to a planet that didn’t want to hear about it.  The Son of God could have drawn a crowd and kept that same crowd if He fed them, healed them, encouraged them, and never spoke of their wickedness.  Yet it is the sin issue that is our greatest problem.  Our bodies will fail.  We will spend an eternity somewhere.  God created us to know Him and love Him forever.  This is impossible unless there is repentance from sin, which so deeply offends Him.  The truth of repentance from sin and faith toward God as the cornerstone of Christ’s ministry cannot be lost.  The Sermon on the Mount was a great sermon.  Much encouragement and instruction.  The LORD’s prayer is a great prayer to study.  But unless there is repentance from sin and faith toward God, all of it matters not.  Repentance from sin and faith toward God are the beginning.  It is the cornerstone upon which all other truths rest.

Delight to Distain - How?

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Mal 3:1 AV)

This prophecy clearly speaks of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.  The messenger who prepares the way is John.  For several months, he preached the coming of the Messiah.  John preached preparation through repentance manifested by baptism in the River Jordan.  He preached that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham and David.  Through the seed of God and mankind, God was made in the likeness of man.  When Jesus came to be baptized by John, the Holy Spirit descended upon him, and a voice from heaven was heard by all stating that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that they were to follow Him.  Jesus began His public ministry by coming to the temple and cleansing it.  Just as Malachi had foretold.  He came to die for the sins of His people, rise from the dead, and come again.  When He comes again, he will set up and reign in the kingdom that God promised to the Hebrews.  Knowing how this ended, there is a phrase that sticks out at me.  “Whom ye delight in.”   Isn’t that odd?  If they delighted in their Messiah, why did they kill Him?

It is interesting how we can delight in a forthcoming promise, then reject it once it comes.  We want the blessings of it.  We had not counted the cost in that which we delighted in.  Imagine you are from a very poor family, and it is your life’s dream to go to college, earn a professional degree, work in a very profitable career, and help your parents for the rest of their lives.  You work hard.  You study.  You graduated at the top of the class.  It seems as though your dream just might come true.  Applications go out.  You submit your thesis explaining your wish to attend that particular school.  The administration meets and agrees that you are the perfect candidate.  There is joy in your heart until you find out the cost.  It appears your dream is coming true, but the financial obligation is far beyond your reach.  You apply for different grants and loans.  A few come in, but the chasm between what is available and what you need may as well be the Grand Canyon.  You are distraught.  Your intentions were good.  You wanted to help those who raised you.  You wept.  You prayed.  You asked the LORD to do something for you that you could not do for yourself.  He assured you that He would answer your prayer.  The last quarter of the last semester loomed large.  No answer.  Would He supply your need?  When the commitment letter came and you had to sign on the dotted line, there was still that very large sum that seemed like mount Everest.  God has not answered.  Will He?  Then, out of the blue, one of your old bosses heard of your dilemma and promised to cover the cost of your entire education.  Finally, your delight had come!

The freshman year started out rough.  What came easy in High School was super hard in college.  You found yourself falling further down the academic ranking.  What seemed like a delight was not a burden.  With the dream comes hard work.  With delight comes responsibility.  There comes a time when you must choose to see it all the way through or drop out.  Dropping out would be an insult to the one who paid your way.  What would you do?  That is exactly what Israel did with Jesus Christ and I am afraid many church saints as well.  We want the blessings of being saved.  We what God to be our benevolent Father.  We what heaven instead of hell.  But when the responsibility of the arrangement comes due, then all of a sudden what once was a delight becomes a burden.  Israel rejected Jesus because it meant rejecting Rome and living holy.  Accepting their Messiah meant short-term hardship for long-term bliss.  It is amazing that we reject what is best for us because of the responsibility of possessing it.

Holiness For All

“In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.” (Zec 14:20-21 AV)

The pots and bowls were used for two distinct purposes.  They were also of different materials and quality.  The pots were earthenware made for seething meat over a fire.  The bowls were made of brass and used to gather blood from a sacrifice to apply to the altar.  The first was used for temporal needs and would be covered in evidence of its use.  The latter would be used for sacred purposes and ceremonially cleansed.  The first was common and used for temporal reasons.  The latter was special and used for sacred reasons.  However, when used for the purposes for which God intended, they were both holy.  Condition alone did not determine holiness.  A newly formed seething pot that sat unused was not considered holy.  A brass bowl, newly formed and polished was not considered holy.  Proper conditioning and use determined holiness.  This means holiness is not determined by one’s call or qualifications for that call.  Rather, holiness is determined by preparation for and execution of a divinely appointed purpose.

Somewhere along the timeline of Israel, they misunderstood the principle of holiness.  The seething pot, because it was a cooking vessel, was considered common and unclean.  The brass bowl, because it was used in the sacrifices of the tabernacle, we automatically considered holy.  What Israel forgot is the principle of divine decree.  No matter the vessel, as long as they were prepared and used, they were considered holy.  Somewhere along the line, the church may have forgotten the same truth.  Especially where it applies to people.  Social status, personality, abilities, public versus private ministry, or education are not determining factors to a person’s holiness.  Even though outward appearance is important, outward appearance alone does not define someone as holy.  There is a word of encouragement here for the seething pots.  Those who work for the LORD in more mundane or temporally defined ways are no less holy before the LORD than those who are serving in capacities of public attention or leadership.

Note in particular the promise given to the pots.  Notice also the distinction given to the Canaanites.  The promise to the pots of seething (the Canaanites) that their ministry will touch the lives of everyone who comes to worship.  The same is not given to the bowls.  The common and earthen vessels are met with those who need that which is contained within.  The bowls have become obsolete by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  The pots of seething are never outdated.  People will need nourishment.  It reminds me of Paul’s comparison of the human body to the church.  The more needful parts are the more comely parts.  The big toe or thumb is needed more than the head or heart.  The Canaanite, or the Gentile, was forbidden from tabernacle service.  Only the Levitical priesthood could do service at the temple or tabernacle.  When Jesus comes, then all will be able to serve.  There is no distinction.  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Ga 3:28 AV)   As long as we are in the center of God’s will striving after Christlikeness and purpose, then we are considered holy.  Praise be to God.