God the Father stays on the great white throne,
When the Triune God's in multiple roles;
He answers prayers, keeps things running on;
While His "partners" create, or convict lost souls!
The Father is supreme, when the Son's gone;
No man has ever seen the Father's face.
"If you know me, my Father you have known,"
Said Christ; "As you see me, on Him you gaze!"
The Son is God; He left His Dad behind,
When He lived with men, and died on the cross;
He fathered Himself, with the virgin kind;
God shed His own blood for men who were lost!
The most active of the Three is the Son;
We may as well call Him God, and be done!
Christians believe in one God that has revealed Himself in different roles with mankind, hence the name "The Triune God". Since "nothing is too hard for God" to do (See Genesis 18:14), He is able to divide Himself so that He can accomplish many tasks at once. For example, during the 33 years He lived in human flesh on earth like other men (Jesus), He left the Father in heaven on His throne. Yet, at His baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, all the manifestations of God---the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit---appeared simultaneously to all the onlookers (See Mark 1:9-11).
Since the Son, who was known historically as Jesus, and in heaven as Christ (anointed King), was in the most active role of God, it is appropriate that He be called "God"; but, of course, it is also proper to use the same appellation for the Father and the Holy Spirit, for they are all one. For this to happen, God has the power to divide Himself into multiple beings, as this occurs often in the Bible. The Holy Spirit can indwell millions of believers (and does) simultaneously, while indwelling millions of lost persons, warning them of their sins against God (See John 14:17; 16:8). Though divided much of the time, God is at all rimes Himself, knowing all, and in complete command. This is what makes the Triune God a "mystery", for human logic cannot explain it.
No one has seen the Father's face except the Son. He told His apostles in John 14:5-19, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." It is clear that He and the Father are one and the same being, yet He prayed often to the Father.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Look Around You, Man!
Created supreme by their God are men,
Subject to adoption, heirs with the Son;
Free are we, to serve God, or to serve sin;
Not to another was this allowed done!
From NOTHING, He spoke the universe, "BE!"
One word, and after fourteen billion years,
Here's Earth! Here're men, safe! Science can't yet see
Another safe spot for men! God! Three cheers!
We men strut around like gods, on this Earth,
Giving no thought tp what God's done for us;
We trash His image, caring not what it's worth;
We wallow in sin like a rusty ol' bus!
Look around you, man! Doesn't it matter
That He made you for better than this splatter?
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believed in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
"because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs---heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:14-17)
Not only did God create us (and give us life), He also created the Cosmos from NOTHING but His spoken word; He caused it to form heavenly bodies and galaxies of stars; He caused it to speed away from a single point in space, which it is still doing faster and faster 13,700,000,000 years later; He caused our sun, planets, and moons to form and to circle in orbits about the sun (which marked the beginning of time); and in all those billions of cubic miles of space, no other smidgin is safe for man to exist and thrive in.
He made us, because He loves us, in His OWN image; He gave us freedom of will, so that we can choose to serve Him and be adopted as His children, half-brothers to Jesus Christ; to share in Christ's inheritance of the universe and all authority therein; and to give us eternal life as members of His own family; but we also have freedom to choose to sin in accordance with the human natures that He put within each of us; to live this brief life ignoring the God who created us, and to offend Him by dragging His image through the muck and mire of this world's trashiness. Only a comparative few of us are choosing to serve the God that loved us so much; it is looking more and more like the beginning of the end times when professed Christians will be hunted down and slaughtered, and God will return to earth to set things straight. Won't you look around and recognize the offense man has made against his Creator? Won't you choose adoption into God's family and co-heirship with Jesus Christ, before it is forever too late?
Subject to adoption, heirs with the Son;
Free are we, to serve God, or to serve sin;
Not to another was this allowed done!
From NOTHING, He spoke the universe, "BE!"
One word, and after fourteen billion years,
Here's Earth! Here're men, safe! Science can't yet see
Another safe spot for men! God! Three cheers!
We men strut around like gods, on this Earth,
Giving no thought tp what God's done for us;
We trash His image, caring not what it's worth;
We wallow in sin like a rusty ol' bus!
Look around you, man! Doesn't it matter
That He made you for better than this splatter?
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believed in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
"because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father'. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs---heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Romans 8:14-17)
Not only did God create us (and give us life), He also created the Cosmos from NOTHING but His spoken word; He caused it to form heavenly bodies and galaxies of stars; He caused it to speed away from a single point in space, which it is still doing faster and faster 13,700,000,000 years later; He caused our sun, planets, and moons to form and to circle in orbits about the sun (which marked the beginning of time); and in all those billions of cubic miles of space, no other smidgin is safe for man to exist and thrive in.
He made us, because He loves us, in His OWN image; He gave us freedom of will, so that we can choose to serve Him and be adopted as His children, half-brothers to Jesus Christ; to share in Christ's inheritance of the universe and all authority therein; and to give us eternal life as members of His own family; but we also have freedom to choose to sin in accordance with the human natures that He put within each of us; to live this brief life ignoring the God who created us, and to offend Him by dragging His image through the muck and mire of this world's trashiness. Only a comparative few of us are choosing to serve the God that loved us so much; it is looking more and more like the beginning of the end times when professed Christians will be hunted down and slaughtered, and God will return to earth to set things straight. Won't you look around and recognize the offense man has made against his Creator? Won't you choose adoption into God's family and co-heirship with Jesus Christ, before it is forever too late?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
The Triune God
God is One Supreme Being---only One;
But He has served in three different roles
At once, leaving no divine work undone;
For the purpose of redeeming lost souls!
He is God, the Father; and God, the Son;
And third, He is God, the Holy Spirit.
Yes, He can be in many places, or none;
He can multiply His pow'r, or pare it!
The Father stays in heaven, on the throne;
The Son created, and lived among men;
The Spirit dwells in redeemed men, to hone
Their love, joy, and peace; warns the lost of sin!
His final image is the same as man,
Who He loves; for whom He's done what He can!
"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:1-3) [Brackets added]
"Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.' Jesus answered, 'Don't you know me [meaning, the Father], Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone that has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.'" (John 14:8-10) [Brackets added]
Jesus, living in the flesh of a man, states clearly to His apostles that He and the Father are the same being. Jesus is called by John "the Word" in verse 1 of His gospel book, is given credit for creating the world and man, and said to have been with God "in the beginning", which means before time began; that is, before the creation of the sun and the moon. Later, in chapter 15, Jesus told the apostles He would send His Spirit into the world to indwell each; to guide each saved person in changing his sinful nature by teaching him how to love others, to have joy, peace, patience, meekness, and the other "fruits of the Spirit" (See Galatians 5:16ff). The Spirit was to convict lost men of their guilt in sinning also. These three beings, though doing different divine works simultaneously, are one, one God, dividing Himself into different roles. Muslims criticize Christianity for saying there are "three" Gods; they simply misunderstand the clear words of the Bible. As God told Abraham, who doubted God's promise of Sarah, his 90-year-old wife bearing him a son, "Is anything too hard for God?" (See Genesis 18:14).
The name "Almighty God" used many times for "God" in the Old Testament, is the same as that used for Jesus. Scholars of the Bible have concluded that, though many names were used in the Bible in different situations for God, the Supreme Being of the Bible is only one being. It is not a question of different beings, or whether one of them is more powerful than the others. It is true that calling Jesus the "only begotten son" of God, as in John 3:16, is confusing to a person not versed in spiritual insight, but one broadly knowledgeable of all 66 books of the Bible has little or no difficulty in accepting the fact of one God. Therefore, we interchangeably mean "God" when we use "Jesus"; the "Son of God"; the "Father"; the Holy Spirit. (or "Holy Ghost"); "Jehovah"; "Yahweh"; "I Am"; "Judge" at Judgement Day; "King", as in Kingdom of heaven; "Counselor"; "Ancient of Days"; etc. The many names used for "God" are a problem for even experienced Christians.
But He has served in three different roles
At once, leaving no divine work undone;
For the purpose of redeeming lost souls!
He is God, the Father; and God, the Son;
And third, He is God, the Holy Spirit.
Yes, He can be in many places, or none;
He can multiply His pow'r, or pare it!
The Father stays in heaven, on the throne;
The Son created, and lived among men;
The Spirit dwells in redeemed men, to hone
Their love, joy, and peace; warns the lost of sin!
His final image is the same as man,
Who He loves; for whom He's done what He can!
"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:1-3) [Brackets added]
"Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.' Jesus answered, 'Don't you know me [meaning, the Father], Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone that has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say,
Jesus, living in the flesh of a man, states clearly to His apostles that He and the Father are the same being. Jesus is called by John "the Word" in verse 1 of His gospel book, is given credit for creating the world and man, and said to have been with God "in the beginning", which means before time began; that is, before the creation of the sun and the moon. Later, in chapter 15, Jesus told the apostles He would send His Spirit into the world to indwell each; to guide each saved person in changing his sinful nature by teaching him how to love others, to have joy, peace, patience, meekness, and the other "fruits of the Spirit" (See Galatians 5:16ff). The Spirit was to convict lost men of their guilt in sinning also. These three beings, though doing different divine works simultaneously, are one, one God, dividing Himself into different roles. Muslims criticize Christianity for saying there are "three" Gods; they simply misunderstand the clear words of the Bible. As God told Abraham, who doubted God's promise of Sarah, his 90-year-old wife bearing him a son, "Is anything too hard for God?" (See Genesis 18:14).
The name "Almighty God" used many times for "God" in the Old Testament, is the same as that used for Jesus. Scholars of the Bible have concluded that, though many names were used in the Bible in different situations for God, the Supreme Being of the Bible is only one being. It is not a question of different beings, or whether one of them is more powerful than the others. It is true that calling Jesus the "only begotten son" of God, as in John 3:16, is confusing to a person not versed in spiritual insight, but one broadly knowledgeable of all 66 books of the Bible has little or no difficulty in accepting the fact of one God. Therefore, we interchangeably mean "God" when we use "Jesus"; the "Son of God"; the "Father"; the Holy Spirit. (or "Holy Ghost"); "Jehovah"; "Yahweh"; "I Am"; "Judge" at Judgement Day; "King", as in Kingdom of heaven; "Counselor"; "Ancient of Days"; etc. The many names used for "God" are a problem for even experienced Christians.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Gossip
Ho! Young preacher! Prepare both well and wise,
For service in whited fields of the lost;
There will be helpers, eager to advise,
Some whose words are sound, and some at great cost!
Let drop a careless jibe, which gets repeated,
From wagging tongue to ear, a dozen times;
A malignant twist or two secreted;
Until the town's abuzz with pastor's crimes!
Engrave this deeply on your slate of mind:
WHISPERS OF ILL REPUTE ARE MORE OFT HEARD,
THAN NEWS OF RIGHTEOUS ACTS, OR DEEDS MOST KIND;
AND MORE BELIEVED, THE MORE SHOCKING WORD!
For Jesus was beseiged by gossips, too,
Their viciousness the devil's poisoned brew!
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world." (James 1:26-27)
You may be familiar with a childhood game called "Telephone". The youngsters sit in a circle. No. 1 whispers a word or phrase into the ear of No. 2. He turns and whispers the same into the ear of No. 3, and so on around the circle. The last person to receive the message repeats it aloud, to gales of laughter, because invariably it is extremely different from the message that No. 1 whispered to No. 2. However, it really is not funny, because serious research has shown it to be a true phenomenon of human nature. That is exactly what happens to gossip passed from person to person, and it always undergoes drastic changes toward the malevolent. All gossip deteriorates as it is passed on, to the discredit of the person that is the subject. This is especially true of church leaders; I suppose it is because the good reputations of most make especially inviting targets for those less reputable. The tongue is the most effective weapon of Satan in churches.
Gossiping is a sin. There are scriptures throughout the Bible that testify to this truth. Be careful in repeating things you hear. Repeat nothing discreditable about anyone, especially your pastor or church leaders. In one place the Christian is advised to let his remarks be confined only to "yes" and "no". Obviously, that is not a good way to witness to others about Jesus, but it is certainly good advice when talking with a known gossiper. Say only complimentary remarks about others; they are not as exciting as juicy tidbits of wrongdoing, but compliments do not discredit unless deliberately perverted. Even if you hear something salacious and are dying to get on the telephone and tell it, let it stop with you. God will approve of your caution.
For service in whited fields of the lost;
There will be helpers, eager to advise,
Some whose words are sound, and some at great cost!
Let drop a careless jibe, which gets repeated,
From wagging tongue to ear, a dozen times;
A malignant twist or two secreted;
Until the town's abuzz with pastor's crimes!
Engrave this deeply on your slate of mind:
WHISPERS OF ILL REPUTE ARE MORE OFT HEARD,
THAN NEWS OF RIGHTEOUS ACTS, OR DEEDS MOST KIND;
AND MORE BELIEVED, THE MORE SHOCKING WORD!
For Jesus was beseiged by gossips, too,
Their viciousness the devil's poisoned brew!
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world." (James 1:26-27)
You may be familiar with a childhood game called "Telephone". The youngsters sit in a circle. No. 1 whispers a word or phrase into the ear of No. 2. He turns and whispers the same into the ear of No. 3, and so on around the circle. The last person to receive the message repeats it aloud, to gales of laughter, because invariably it is extremely different from the message that No. 1 whispered to No. 2. However, it really is not funny, because serious research has shown it to be a true phenomenon of human nature. That is exactly what happens to gossip passed from person to person, and it always undergoes drastic changes toward the malevolent. All gossip deteriorates as it is passed on, to the discredit of the person that is the subject. This is especially true of church leaders; I suppose it is because the good reputations of most make especially inviting targets for those less reputable. The tongue is the most effective weapon of Satan in churches.
Gossiping is a sin. There are scriptures throughout the Bible that testify to this truth. Be careful in repeating things you hear. Repeat nothing discreditable about anyone, especially your pastor or church leaders. In one place the Christian is advised to let his remarks be confined only to "yes" and "no". Obviously, that is not a good way to witness to others about Jesus, but it is certainly good advice when talking with a known gossiper. Say only complimentary remarks about others; they are not as exciting as juicy tidbits of wrongdoing, but compliments do not discredit unless deliberately perverted. Even if you hear something salacious and are dying to get on the telephone and tell it, let it stop with you. God will approve of your caution.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Blessed Are The Persecuted For Jesus
If the world embraced all that Jesus taught,
It would be a kinder, gentler, more loving place;
But most rejected the future He brought,
Killing Him, and hating those saved by grace!
He hatched no plots; promoted no treason;
Broke no law; taught His disciples to love;
The world jailed and killed them, for no reason,
Except its hatred of their Lord above!
The more righteous God's supporters behave,
The more that persecution comes their way;
The worse they're treated, they become more brave;
They share with Jesus Crucifiction Day!
Rejoice, Jesus said, when you suffer the worst,
For so they slew prophets before you first!
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)
The last Beatitude Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount was an encouragement to His followers to rejoice when persecution from the world came upon them for His sake. Everything Jesus spoke was true, and this prediction of future suffering for Christians was no exception. Beginning with the very first church in Jerusalem, there has never been a time in world history when Christianity was not under terrible persecution in some parts of the world. Even in America, when the Puritans fled England to escape the horrible slayings and imprisonment of the Church of England (other Christians themselves), they immediately set about harassing and persecuting Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers, and other protestants---even burning some at the stake for being so-called witches. Even now, the New York Times and other print and television media are publishing vicious articles of libel against Catholics and other Christians who oppose the upcoming Health Care Reform bill for including government funds to pay for legal abortions. Coming soon, as well, is the period called The Tribulation, when Christians will be hunted down in America and beheaded for refusing to reject Christianity in favor of Islam.
Under Roman Emperors from Nero to Diocletian, Christians were hunted down, jailed, and killed by the thousands. Nero had them covered alive with tar and set afire on poles in palace grounds to provide light for wild parties. Babies were sewn into fresh animal skins and scattered about the floor of the Coliseum for lions to tear apart and consume. For 300 years this terrible persecution continued, until in 325 A.D. Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire; ironically, the persecuted Christians "conquered" their persecutors! Through the Dark Ages and the Reformation periods, the Roman Catholic Church were the greatest persecutors of other Christians, killing several hundred thousand in the war against Martin Luther and other ecclesiastical efforts to stifle competition.
In the twentieth century there were more Christians killed for their faith than in any other century. This occurred mostly in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries; China; North Korea; Indonesia; Pakistan, and in a number of Islamic counrries. History has shown that Christianity flourishes most during times of persecution. In China today the central government tries to pervert Christianity by controlling it---churches have to register with the government and follow orders in the doctrines they teach. Simultaneously millions of new converts are being made, meeting in clandestine home churches, smuggling Bibles, and trying to remain undercover. Imprisonment and execution on a gigantic scale haven't slowed the growth of Christianity. An American missionary asked the undercover churches if they wanted America to pray that the Chinese government free the Christian religion. The answer was, No; if we were free, we would get lukewarm like Christianity in the West. Maybe the increasing persecution of Christians in the United States will set the faith on fire, and we will see growth in this country, too!
It would be a kinder, gentler, more loving place;
But most rejected the future He brought,
Killing Him, and hating those saved by grace!
He hatched no plots; promoted no treason;
Broke no law; taught His disciples to love;
The world jailed and killed them, for no reason,
Except its hatred of their Lord above!
The more righteous God's supporters behave,
The more that persecution comes their way;
The worse they're treated, they become more brave;
They share with Jesus Crucifiction Day!
Rejoice, Jesus said, when you suffer the worst,
For so they slew prophets before you first!
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)
The last Beatitude Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount was an encouragement to His followers to rejoice when persecution from the world came upon them for His sake. Everything Jesus spoke was true, and this prediction of future suffering for Christians was no exception. Beginning with the very first church in Jerusalem, there has never been a time in world history when Christianity was not under terrible persecution in some parts of the world. Even in America, when the Puritans fled England to escape the horrible slayings and imprisonment of the Church of England (other Christians themselves), they immediately set about harassing and persecuting Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers, and other protestants---even burning some at the stake for being so-called witches. Even now, the New York Times and other print and television media are publishing vicious articles of libel against Catholics and other Christians who oppose the upcoming Health Care Reform bill for including government funds to pay for legal abortions. Coming soon, as well, is the period called The Tribulation, when Christians will be hunted down in America and beheaded for refusing to reject Christianity in favor of Islam.
Under Roman Emperors from Nero to Diocletian, Christians were hunted down, jailed, and killed by the thousands. Nero had them covered alive with tar and set afire on poles in palace grounds to provide light for wild parties. Babies were sewn into fresh animal skins and scattered about the floor of the Coliseum for lions to tear apart and consume. For 300 years this terrible persecution continued, until in 325 A.D. Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire; ironically, the persecuted Christians "conquered" their persecutors! Through the Dark Ages and the Reformation periods, the Roman Catholic Church were the greatest persecutors of other Christians, killing several hundred thousand in the war against Martin Luther and other ecclesiastical efforts to stifle competition.
In the twentieth century there were more Christians killed for their faith than in any other century. This occurred mostly in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries; China; North Korea; Indonesia; Pakistan, and in a number of Islamic counrries. History has shown that Christianity flourishes most during times of persecution. In China today the central government tries to pervert Christianity by controlling it---churches have to register with the government and follow orders in the doctrines they teach. Simultaneously millions of new converts are being made, meeting in clandestine home churches, smuggling Bibles, and trying to remain undercover. Imprisonment and execution on a gigantic scale haven't slowed the growth of Christianity. An American missionary asked the undercover churches if they wanted America to pray that the Chinese government free the Christian religion. The answer was, No; if we were free, we would get lukewarm like Christianity in the West. Maybe the increasing persecution of Christians in the United States will set the faith on fire, and we will see growth in this country, too!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Blessed Are The Peacemakers
Human nature is contentious and proud,
An enemy always at war with God;
It must be restrained and never allowed
By believers to influence paths they trod!
Such control is step one for the peacemaker,
And it must continue throughout his life;
Next, win men from Satan the soul-taker,
To reduce God's troops lost in warring strife!
Winning the lost for God is making peace,
Not ending conflicts between the nations;
War between God and carnal men won't cease,
Till the whole Book of Life has salvation!
Not just peacemakers, but brothers, co-heirs,
And God's Sons, are those for whom Jesus cares*!
*Romans 7:13-17
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)
Bloody wars between nations have erupted continually throughout the sordid history of man, and Jesus said in Matthew 24:6 they will continue until the end of time. The "peacemakers" that Jesus asks us to be in the Beatitudes are not diplomats that shuttle to and fro between warring nations, for God knows that permanent peace between nations of sinful men is not possible of achieving. The "war" that concerns God is that between human nature and Him; man is born with a truculent disposition containing stubborn pride, contentiousness, competitiveness, and aggression that induces conflict, not only between men, but against all the precepts of holiness. The "peace" that concerns God is only possible when the human nature of man after man is conquered and controlled, so that men's actions are those taught by Jesus---love, mercy, purity, meekness, humility, etc. One by one, as men are won to Jesus and each begins to restrain the sinful tendencies of his inherent nature, peace between God and man comes to pass, and the war will continue so long as any man follows his natural inclinations.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord, he receives salvation, but the war between him and his sinful nature is just beginning. Jesus said if anyone loves Him, he will follow His teachings. The moment you try to apply the first teaching, such as to turn the other cheek, your innate, stubborn pride flares up in anger against your offender---instead of forgiving him and turning the other cheek, you want to fight back---but that is what you must not do. It is continual war from that moment on, until you turn your rebellious nature completely around; keeping it there lasts your whole lifetime.
The battle between your will and your uncooperative sinful nature continues, but in Matthew 28:20 Jesus gives you His great commission, to go into all the world, teaching the gospel, winning souls, each one a bit of the peace that God has commanded you to make. Is it any wonder why the lost look at the saver with gimlet eyes, like, What makes you better than me? After all, the believer never completely gains control over sin---he is in continual battle (Read Romans 7 for Paul's account of his own battle with sin internally)---and he cannot say to the lost, Look at me. for all he is is a striggling sinner! However, each time a lurid daydream is eliminated from the believer's mind, a small bit of peace is achieved in the war between God and human nature; bit by bit, he conquers his enemy, until he becomes a real peacemaker and a son of God. Every soul won and admitted to heaven is a peacemaker and will be called a son of God.
An enemy always at war with God;
It must be restrained and never allowed
By believers to influence paths they trod!
Such control is step one for the peacemaker,
And it must continue throughout his life;
Next, win men from Satan the soul-taker,
To reduce God's troops lost in warring strife!
Winning the lost for God is making peace,
Not ending conflicts between the nations;
War between God and carnal men won't cease,
Till the whole Book of Life has salvation!
Not just peacemakers, but brothers, co-heirs,
And God's Sons, are those for whom Jesus cares*!
*Romans 7:13-17
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God." (Matthew 5:9)
Bloody wars between nations have erupted continually throughout the sordid history of man, and Jesus said in Matthew 24:6 they will continue until the end of time. The "peacemakers" that Jesus asks us to be in the Beatitudes are not diplomats that shuttle to and fro between warring nations, for God knows that permanent peace between nations of sinful men is not possible of achieving. The "war" that concerns God is that between human nature and Him; man is born with a truculent disposition containing stubborn pride, contentiousness, competitiveness, and aggression that induces conflict, not only between men, but against all the precepts of holiness. The "peace" that concerns God is only possible when the human nature of man after man is conquered and controlled, so that men's actions are those taught by Jesus---love, mercy, purity, meekness, humility, etc. One by one, as men are won to Jesus and each begins to restrain the sinful tendencies of his inherent nature, peace between God and man comes to pass, and the war will continue so long as any man follows his natural inclinations.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as Lord, he receives salvation, but the war between him and his sinful nature is just beginning. Jesus said if anyone loves Him, he will follow His teachings. The moment you try to apply the first teaching, such as to turn the other cheek, your innate, stubborn pride flares up in anger against your offender---instead of forgiving him and turning the other cheek, you want to fight back---but that is what you must not do. It is continual war from that moment on, until you turn your rebellious nature completely around; keeping it there lasts your whole lifetime.
The battle between your will and your uncooperative sinful nature continues, but in Matthew 28:20 Jesus gives you His great commission, to go into all the world, teaching the gospel, winning souls, each one a bit of the peace that God has commanded you to make. Is it any wonder why the lost look at the saver with gimlet eyes, like, What makes you better than me? After all, the believer never completely gains control over sin---he is in continual battle (Read Romans 7 for Paul's account of his own battle with sin internally)---and he cannot say to the lost, Look at me. for all he is is a striggling sinner! However, each time a lurid daydream is eliminated from the believer's mind, a small bit of peace is achieved in the war between God and human nature; bit by bit, he conquers his enemy, until he becomes a real peacemaker and a son of God. Every soul won and admitted to heaven is a peacemaker and will be called a son of God.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
God knows what we do and say all our days;
Also, the feelings and thoughts of the mind.
In few of us are deeds and thoughts in phase;
Judgment for the unmatched might be unkind!
For he who rids his mind of hidden sin
And guards his acts and words as Jesus taught,
Will, in heaven, be near to God, drawn in
His inner circle, forever so taut!
But he whose heart nurtures pride and lust,
While outward works lift him high in Christ's church,
Might end his life as one of futile trust,
When judged a goat*, for the sheep he'd besmirch!
May my inner and outer lives be pure,
That in heaven I'll see my God for sure!
*"judged a goat" = be condemned
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)
By "pure in heart" Jesus meant a sinless mind, the inner nonpublic thoughts, feelings, memory, attitudes---that is, sinlessness on the inside, which, by the way, is much more difficult for the Christian to achieve than purity on the outaide. Like righteousness, purity of heart is probably unattainable to achieve in this life. You may well ask, then, how can anyone become perfect enough to be eligible for admission to heaven? The answer is, he cannot, not by his efforts; thank God, by His grace He adds to what we have struggled to improve in the flesh what we need for purity on the inside and outside, because everyone in heaven must have perfect purity. The greatest handicap to the Kingdom of God is the impurity evident in the lives of believers on earth, especially the gap between outward and inner purity of Christians. All Christians are, to some extent, hypocrites. This unhappy truth acts as a restraint to many non-believers. Mahatma Ghandi once said that he would be a Christian if he ever met one. What such an attitude reveals is a lack of understanding of God's grace---His unmerited mercy that adds to the meagre goodness that any human can achieve on his own.
The grace of God that makes us admissible to heaven is due to the atoning death of Jesus. Had He not lived and died in the flesh, no one could have entered heaven. That is the reason that Christians are so villified in postmodern thought for insisting that without belief in Jesus Christ no one can be saved (See John 14:6).
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
Paul is reassuring the Philippian Christians that Jesus will continue perfecting purity in them until the end of time, meaning that because of their trust in accepting Jesus as God He will work in their lives through the Holy Spirit to perfect their purity until heaven begins. There are many more scriptural references to God's adding that which our human natures have prevented us from achieving. A very good assurance is found in Zechariah 3:1-6. Here Joshua, the current high priest 500 years before the birth of Jesus, in a vision, symbolically appears before God in filthy garments (meaning with sin clinging to him). Satan is with him, acting like a prosecutor, accusing him of being unworthy to enter heaven. God (Jesus) orders the abgels to put spotless robes on Joshua, making him symbolically clearn, then berates Satan, saying, Wasn't Joshua a "brand snatched from the fire"? In other words, He compared Joshua, imperfect as he obviously was, to any other sinner snatched from condemnation to hell at the last minute and admitted into heaven by the addition of grace from God. Praise God! By His mercy we enter eternal life in heaven, not by our own goodness!
Also, the feelings and thoughts of the mind.
In few of us are deeds and thoughts in phase;
Judgment for the unmatched might be unkind!
For he who rids his mind of hidden sin
And guards his acts and words as Jesus taught,
Will, in heaven, be near to God, drawn in
His inner circle, forever so taut!
But he whose heart nurtures pride and lust,
While outward works lift him high in Christ's church,
Might end his life as one of futile trust,
When judged a goat*, for the sheep he'd besmirch!
May my inner and outer lives be pure,
That in heaven I'll see my God for sure!
*"judged a goat" = be condemned
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8)
By "pure in heart" Jesus meant a sinless mind, the inner nonpublic thoughts, feelings, memory, attitudes---that is, sinlessness on the inside, which, by the way, is much more difficult for the Christian to achieve than purity on the outaide. Like righteousness, purity of heart is probably unattainable to achieve in this life. You may well ask, then, how can anyone become perfect enough to be eligible for admission to heaven? The answer is, he cannot, not by his efforts; thank God, by His grace He adds to what we have struggled to improve in the flesh what we need for purity on the inside and outside, because everyone in heaven must have perfect purity. The greatest handicap to the Kingdom of God is the impurity evident in the lives of believers on earth, especially the gap between outward and inner purity of Christians. All Christians are, to some extent, hypocrites. This unhappy truth acts as a restraint to many non-believers. Mahatma Ghandi once said that he would be a Christian if he ever met one. What such an attitude reveals is a lack of understanding of God's grace---His unmerited mercy that adds to the meagre goodness that any human can achieve on his own.
The grace of God that makes us admissible to heaven is due to the atoning death of Jesus. Had He not lived and died in the flesh, no one could have entered heaven. That is the reason that Christians are so villified in postmodern thought for insisting that without belief in Jesus Christ no one can be saved (See John 14:6).
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
Paul is reassuring the Philippian Christians that Jesus will continue perfecting purity in them until the end of time, meaning that because of their trust in accepting Jesus as God He will work in their lives through the Holy Spirit to perfect their purity until heaven begins. There are many more scriptural references to God's adding that which our human natures have prevented us from achieving. A very good assurance is found in Zechariah 3:1-6. Here Joshua, the current high priest 500 years before the birth of Jesus, in a vision, symbolically appears before God in filthy garments (meaning with sin clinging to him). Satan is with him, acting like a prosecutor, accusing him of being unworthy to enter heaven. God (Jesus) orders the abgels to put spotless robes on Joshua, making him symbolically clearn, then berates Satan, saying, Wasn't Joshua a "brand snatched from the fire"? In other words, He compared Joshua, imperfect as he obviously was, to any other sinner snatched from condemnation to hell at the last minute and admitted into heaven by the addition of grace from God. Praise God! By His mercy we enter eternal life in heaven, not by our own goodness!
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