Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
I Will Never Tire Of The Gospel!
I will never tire of hearing the gospel preached! I am a sinner who deserves the wrath of a Just and Holy God. If He were to send me to hell, I would deserve it - for I have broken His laws, ignored his commands, rebelled against his authority and sought to establish my own throne. For most of my life I have lived for self, done what I want, when I want, with little or no regard for God or his creatures (humanity). Such anarchy, such treason, such rebellion deserves to be punished! Yet, even though I was an enemy of God, living after the pleasures of this world - he did not crush me in His anger, or cut me off in His wrath. Instead he sent His Son Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the cross in my place - to take the punishment that I deserve. Though I broke His law, I found that Jesus was willing to pay my fine! I am humbled by such love and mercy! Make no mistake - God is a just God and will not let sin go unpunished! For those who refuse to repent, to turn and call upon the Lord for salvation - there will be no hope. For those who refuse to cry out for mercy and die in their sins - there will be great suffering in hell. There will be just punishment for sinners. But for those who repent, who turn and call upon the Lord for mercy, who trust in Him to save them - there will be joy unspeakable! They will be ransomed! Christ will surely save them! They will be pardoned, set free, forgiven - and will dwell with their God forever! Can a pardoned sinner ever tire of hearing such good news preached? I can’t!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Is Your Faith In Rags?
Franz Reichelt, "The Jumping Tailor", sadly put his faith in fabric and jumped to his death on February 4, 1912.Reichelt designed an overcoat to fly or float its wearer gently to the ground like the modern parachute. To demonstrate his invention he made a jump of 60 meters from the first deck of the Eiffel Tower. The parachute failed and Reichelt fell to his death.
Though employing all his skill to create a bat wing style cape that would catch the air in its folds and deliver him safely to the ground, Franz did not stand a chance against the universal law of gravitation.
In the same way, many people today are hard at work sewing together complex overcoats of self righteous works in the vain hope it will carry them to safety when they jump from time into eternity. Instead of trusting in Jesus Christ, who has promised to save to the utmost all who come to him, they hope in themselves. Instead of putting on the rich garments of salvation, freely given by our God, they choose rather to wear robes made from filthy rags.
Their end will be the same, they do not stand a chance against the universal law of God’s justice!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The God Of Numbers
"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Matthew 10:30
Have you ever stopped to think about that? God knows the exact number of hairs on your head - real time! Whether one grows or falls out - he never loses count!
Oftentimes this verse is used as a means of comfort, indeed, Jesus follows on with a word of encouragement for his followers - but have you wondered at the implications of this verse as it relates to sinners!
God knows all things, and he is keeping count!
He knows how many times you have blasphemed his name. Not only that, but of your total life to date, he has a count of how many minutes and seconds that you have spent uttering proud blasphemies, even the count of syllables of all blasphemous words combined.
He knows how many lies that have left your lips - white, black or otherwise - and the number of times you have gossiped about or slandered friends, family, colleagues or strangers!
He knows how many perverted photographs you have viewed, even down to the number of mega pixels in each shot. How many hours, minutes and seconds of pornographic content you have hired from the store or streamed from the Internet using your computer - including the number of bytes downloaded and the time taken to download them all.
He knows how many times you have committed adultery (both physically and in the heart), how many men or women you have lusted after, and how many prostitutes that you may have visited including the amount in dollars and cents that you have paid for services rendered.
He knows every course joke you have ever laughed at, thought about or spoken to others! Including ones about his only begotten Son, whom he loves!
He knows how many people you have hated and precisely for how long you have hated them, even how many times you have given them the middle finger - whether to their face or behind their back! He knows how many times you have got angry at your spouse or children without cause, and how many times you have hit them - even the force of every blow.
He knows how many things you have ever stolen in your life, including, to a fraction of a cent, the total dollar figure of the goods taken (plus interest). Not only that, but He even knows the date and time of each theft or robbery and what you were wearing at the time.
If you have ever thought about murdering someone - he knows it! If you have murdered someone then He knows exactly how long it took for them to die, where you hid the weapon and disposed of their body. He knew how many hairs were on the head of your victim too!
Friends, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So are your heartbeats! He knows how many times your heart will beat in your lifetime, and how many beats are left before it stops!
All of this will come out on that great and awesome day when you stand before the throne of God to be judged! It is all written down!
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
Worried? You should be! If you die in your sins, you will find yourself standing before God wishing you were never born - as he brings judgement upon you swiftly. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
There is hope though! There is good news! There is a gospel! God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He is both willing and able to save to the utmost all who come to him! Will you not humble yourselves? Will you not turn to God in repentance and call out to Him for mercy?
We are all spiritually bankrupt! We have transgressed all God's laws more times than we can remember! Will you not come to him as a beggar and cry for mercy - which he will freely give out of the rich storehouse of his grace? Please do not have such cruel thoughts of him, as if he would treat you as the rich man treated Lazarus! But he calls all who are poor, blind, naked and hungry:
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost."
Do you not know that Jesus Christ came to save fallen creatures such as we? As a doctor does not come to help the healthy but the sick, so it is that the Saviour did not come because we are good, but because we are sinners! If we were righteous, then there would be no need for Christ to shed his precious blood! But there is no one righteous, no not one! We have all gone astray!
This is the good news folks! Jesus Christ does not come to us because we are clean, but because we are unclean. He does not call us because we are worthy, but because we are unworthy. Though our sin is as leprosy, he does not recoil from us in disgust!
"And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean."
Will you not come to him to be clean?
Have you ever stopped to think about that? God knows the exact number of hairs on your head - real time! Whether one grows or falls out - he never loses count!
Oftentimes this verse is used as a means of comfort, indeed, Jesus follows on with a word of encouragement for his followers - but have you wondered at the implications of this verse as it relates to sinners!
God knows all things, and he is keeping count!
He knows how many times you have blasphemed his name. Not only that, but of your total life to date, he has a count of how many minutes and seconds that you have spent uttering proud blasphemies, even the count of syllables of all blasphemous words combined.
He knows how many lies that have left your lips - white, black or otherwise - and the number of times you have gossiped about or slandered friends, family, colleagues or strangers!
He knows how many perverted photographs you have viewed, even down to the number of mega pixels in each shot. How many hours, minutes and seconds of pornographic content you have hired from the store or streamed from the Internet using your computer - including the number of bytes downloaded and the time taken to download them all.
He knows how many times you have committed adultery (both physically and in the heart), how many men or women you have lusted after, and how many prostitutes that you may have visited including the amount in dollars and cents that you have paid for services rendered.
He knows every course joke you have ever laughed at, thought about or spoken to others! Including ones about his only begotten Son, whom he loves!
He knows how many people you have hated and precisely for how long you have hated them, even how many times you have given them the middle finger - whether to their face or behind their back! He knows how many times you have got angry at your spouse or children without cause, and how many times you have hit them - even the force of every blow.
He knows how many things you have ever stolen in your life, including, to a fraction of a cent, the total dollar figure of the goods taken (plus interest). Not only that, but He even knows the date and time of each theft or robbery and what you were wearing at the time.
If you have ever thought about murdering someone - he knows it! If you have murdered someone then He knows exactly how long it took for them to die, where you hid the weapon and disposed of their body. He knew how many hairs were on the head of your victim too!
Friends, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So are your heartbeats! He knows how many times your heart will beat in your lifetime, and how many beats are left before it stops!
All of this will come out on that great and awesome day when you stand before the throne of God to be judged! It is all written down!
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
Worried? You should be! If you die in your sins, you will find yourself standing before God wishing you were never born - as he brings judgement upon you swiftly. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
There is hope though! There is good news! There is a gospel! God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He is both willing and able to save to the utmost all who come to him! Will you not humble yourselves? Will you not turn to God in repentance and call out to Him for mercy?
We are all spiritually bankrupt! We have transgressed all God's laws more times than we can remember! Will you not come to him as a beggar and cry for mercy - which he will freely give out of the rich storehouse of his grace? Please do not have such cruel thoughts of him, as if he would treat you as the rich man treated Lazarus! But he calls all who are poor, blind, naked and hungry:
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost."
Do you not know that Jesus Christ came to save fallen creatures such as we? As a doctor does not come to help the healthy but the sick, so it is that the Saviour did not come because we are good, but because we are sinners! If we were righteous, then there would be no need for Christ to shed his precious blood! But there is no one righteous, no not one! We have all gone astray!
This is the good news folks! Jesus Christ does not come to us because we are clean, but because we are unclean. He does not call us because we are worthy, but because we are unworthy. Though our sin is as leprosy, he does not recoil from us in disgust!
"And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean."
Will you not come to him to be clean?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Salvation's Inevitable Joy
When a person truly repents and trusts in Jesus Christ, he receives a pardon from God – he knows without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ has taken his sin and punishment and granted him eternal life. At that moment, joy and peace flood into his heart – he has finally found a place of rest. A place of safety – not from the trials of this life – but from the shadow of death that hangs over him, and from the judgment that is to come.
Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:10, 11, 12)
It’s not an abstract, intellectual exercise in metaphysics! It is impossible for a man to be born again and not find rest! For Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". Likewise, it is impossible for a believer to receive the gift of eternal life, by faith in Jesus Christ, and not be filled with an inner joy! Salvation's inevitable joy!
Imagine for a second the plight of a condemned man walking the green mile. At the end of the corridor his death awaits him - no one has ever returned from where he's headed. As he is strapped into the electric chair, a man steps forward and produces a legally binding document declaring his pardon. He has been spared at the eleventh hour. Do you not think that his dread will turn into relief, his terror into joy? In the same way, a when a man receives eternal life from the hand of his Lord, when he realises that his pardon is assured, his salvation is complete and such joy fills his heart!
Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:10, 11, 12)
It’s not an abstract, intellectual exercise in metaphysics! It is impossible for a man to be born again and not find rest! For Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". Likewise, it is impossible for a believer to receive the gift of eternal life, by faith in Jesus Christ, and not be filled with an inner joy! Salvation's inevitable joy!
Imagine for a second the plight of a condemned man walking the green mile. At the end of the corridor his death awaits him - no one has ever returned from where he's headed. As he is strapped into the electric chair, a man steps forward and produces a legally binding document declaring his pardon. He has been spared at the eleventh hour. Do you not think that his dread will turn into relief, his terror into joy? In the same way, a when a man receives eternal life from the hand of his Lord, when he realises that his pardon is assured, his salvation is complete and such joy fills his heart!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Who Is There Like Our God?
Who is there like our God? Who is his equal? Who is there worthy of such honour and praise? He takes the twisted, corrupt sons of men, men who were conceived in iniquity, born in sin, who are rebellious to the core and proud at heart, men who are godless, heartless, faithless and supremely selfish, without hope and utterly helpless - and He saves them! He takes mere men, like wild beasts of the earth, and subdues them. Who can stand against him? Who can resist him or thwart his ways? The people plot in vain against him. All their fighting, and cursing, and bitter hatred is drowned out when he speaks, for he brings rebellious nations to ruin, and drives the proud of heart into the dust. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The cries of the broken hearted he does not ignore, nor the pleadings of the weak, contrite ones. His loving kindness does not fail! He does not drive away those who come to him seeking mercy, nor does he hide himself from those who seek him with all their heart. He is full of compassion and mercy! Who is there like our God? Who is his equal? Who is there worthy of such honour and praise?
Friday, November 7, 2008
In The Beginning
Did God create the world in 6 24 hour literal days?
If Genesis refers to something other than literal 24 hour days, then to correctly interpret the text, God must have rested for something other than a literal 24 hour day.
Regardless of whether it was hundreds, thousands, or millions of years - What was Adam doing during this time?
If Genesis refers to something other than literal 24 hour days, then to correctly interpret the text, God must have rested for something other than a literal 24 hour day.
Regardless of whether it was hundreds, thousands, or millions of years - What was Adam doing during this time?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Stones, Judgement & Mercy!
Late last month a young 13-year old Somalian girl was stoned to death publicly after having reported her own rape at the hands of three men. Little Aisha Ibrahim Kuhulow was sentenced to death by Islamic militants under Sharia law for having sex outside of marriage.
"Thousands of people witnessed the grotesque execution of Aisha at a football stadium in the port town of Kismayo on Monday.
The 13-year old was led in and forced into a hole in the ground. The hole was then filled so that only her head was showing. About 50 men then started to throw stones at her, according to Amensty’s information.
After a while, nurses were called to check whether Aisha was still alive. The think body was then brought out of the hold and examined. When it was established that she was still alive, she was again placed in the hole so that the stone-throwers could continue.
When some of the spectators tried to storm the stadium to save Aisha, the militia opened fire on the crowd, and a young boy was killed." (Source: aftenbladet.no)
When I read this account my heart was troubled: For Aisha, for her family, for those who participated in her execution. I fear for those men who raped her! I fear for those men who stoned her! I fear for those who gunned down the spectators trying to prevent her murder! I fear for those holding the robes of those that cast the stones and cheered them on! For unless the Lord graciously extends mercy to them and moves among them by His Holy Spirit - such that they come under conviction of their sin, truly repent, and in faith reach out to Christ and put their trust in him - then all that awaits them is the fierce, wrath of God! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Not a single one of them will escape His righteous judgement!
I wonder how many of those who cast stones are themselves guilty of committing adultery in the eyes of God? Probably all of them, as the Lord proclaimed in His Sermon on the Mount, for "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The Apostle Paul has an apt word for them (and us) at this time:
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?" Romans 2:1-3
Lord, I pray that you would use this terrible event to draw members of Aisha's family, her murderers and those who cheered them on to a place of repentance and faith in Christ! Please have mercy on them Lord, for you are not a God who delights in the death of the wicked! Though these men deserve Divine Justice, please save them through your Son, for you are a God who is full of compassion and mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement!
I am reminded again of the account in the book of John, of when the Lord was faced with a blood thirsty mob of men seeking to trap Him...
"At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:1-11
May we do likewise!
"Thousands of people witnessed the grotesque execution of Aisha at a football stadium in the port town of Kismayo on Monday.
The 13-year old was led in and forced into a hole in the ground. The hole was then filled so that only her head was showing. About 50 men then started to throw stones at her, according to Amensty’s information.
After a while, nurses were called to check whether Aisha was still alive. The think body was then brought out of the hold and examined. When it was established that she was still alive, she was again placed in the hole so that the stone-throwers could continue.
When some of the spectators tried to storm the stadium to save Aisha, the militia opened fire on the crowd, and a young boy was killed." (Source: aftenbladet.no)
When I read this account my heart was troubled: For Aisha, for her family, for those who participated in her execution. I fear for those men who raped her! I fear for those men who stoned her! I fear for those who gunned down the spectators trying to prevent her murder! I fear for those holding the robes of those that cast the stones and cheered them on! For unless the Lord graciously extends mercy to them and moves among them by His Holy Spirit - such that they come under conviction of their sin, truly repent, and in faith reach out to Christ and put their trust in him - then all that awaits them is the fierce, wrath of God! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Not a single one of them will escape His righteous judgement!
I wonder how many of those who cast stones are themselves guilty of committing adultery in the eyes of God? Probably all of them, as the Lord proclaimed in His Sermon on the Mount, for "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The Apostle Paul has an apt word for them (and us) at this time:
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?" Romans 2:1-3
Lord, I pray that you would use this terrible event to draw members of Aisha's family, her murderers and those who cheered them on to a place of repentance and faith in Christ! Please have mercy on them Lord, for you are not a God who delights in the death of the wicked! Though these men deserve Divine Justice, please save them through your Son, for you are a God who is full of compassion and mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement!
I am reminded again of the account in the book of John, of when the Lord was faced with a blood thirsty mob of men seeking to trap Him...
"At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." John 8:1-11
May we do likewise!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
As An Angel Of Light!
"Watch Out Peter! Be Careful! That one almost got you!" Peter's eyes divert their focus and turn towards the waves. It was a stormy night that night, and Peter had never before walked on water. "Don't let that wave hit you Peter. Watch it! Watch it!" Peter turns and faces the wave head on. His companion continues, "If it does you'll surely sink". Fear begins to rise in his heart as the wind throws fistfuls of stinging sea spray into his eyes. With his attention now fully trained on the raging waters, Peter's companion cries out again. "Peter! Look down! Watch Out! You're sinking". Fear grips his heart. He can feel the cool fingers of water wrapping themselves around his ankles and pulling him below. Panic sets in. His earlier bravado has all but evaporated, sheer terror has now engulfed him. The elation of leaving his footprints on the surface of the deep is quickly swept away by the rising waters. He pauses, waiting for the voice of his companion who had been watching out for him, who had drawn his attention to the breaking waves. Nothing. Nothing but the howling silence of the wind. As he slowly sinks he turns back around. Back to where he was headed. His wide eyes lock upon a beacon of hope standing there amidst the rolling billows, the one who can save him. "Lord! Save Me!", Peter cries out. Immediately Jesus stretches forth his hand, and catches him.
I have been thinking over the account of Simon Peter walking upon the stormy sea, for it seems to be an accurate account of my own life of late. Faith turning to fear in the face of the stormy trials of life.
Peter's rebuke has been ringing in my own ears "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Oh Lord, I lost sight of you! I lost sight of your glorious face! My eyes and ears turned upon the trials of life. My attention was snatched away by this vanity fair. Oh Lord, I fell in with doubt because I lost sight of you! Please forgive me Lord!
Faith has its birth in looking to Christ and its death in looking away, and so it is that the enemy tries with such tenacity to distract a believer and draw his gaze onto something else... anything else but Christ.
One thing I have come to learn the hard way is that the enemy doesn't always prowl around (outwardly) like a roaring lion, though he is always one within. More often than not he will come to you as an angel of light. Full of trickery and deception, his subtle means of drawing your focus from Christ oftentimes come in seemingly innocent forms, and from the least likely places.
Take the story above for example: the enemy comes to Peter as an angel of light while he is walking on the water, and with the appearance of helpfulness veiled by a false concern about Peter's well being, he whispers in his ear: Careful Peter, watch out! Here comes a wave, watch it.
So subtle are his means at times, that before the believer knows it, he will find himself full of fear and overwhelmed by the approaching storm - without even realising that he has lost sight of Christ!
To my own shame I have found myself many times coming to the realising I have lost sight of Christ! Woken up to find fear in place of faith.
But praise God he is faithful!
Thank you Lord that when we call to you, you immediately reach out your hand and catch us from sliding completely beneath the waves!
I have been thinking over the account of Simon Peter walking upon the stormy sea, for it seems to be an accurate account of my own life of late. Faith turning to fear in the face of the stormy trials of life.
Peter's rebuke has been ringing in my own ears "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Oh Lord, I lost sight of you! I lost sight of your glorious face! My eyes and ears turned upon the trials of life. My attention was snatched away by this vanity fair. Oh Lord, I fell in with doubt because I lost sight of you! Please forgive me Lord!
Faith has its birth in looking to Christ and its death in looking away, and so it is that the enemy tries with such tenacity to distract a believer and draw his gaze onto something else... anything else but Christ.
One thing I have come to learn the hard way is that the enemy doesn't always prowl around (outwardly) like a roaring lion, though he is always one within. More often than not he will come to you as an angel of light. Full of trickery and deception, his subtle means of drawing your focus from Christ oftentimes come in seemingly innocent forms, and from the least likely places.
Take the story above for example: the enemy comes to Peter as an angel of light while he is walking on the water, and with the appearance of helpfulness veiled by a false concern about Peter's well being, he whispers in his ear: Careful Peter, watch out! Here comes a wave, watch it.
So subtle are his means at times, that before the believer knows it, he will find himself full of fear and overwhelmed by the approaching storm - without even realising that he has lost sight of Christ!
To my own shame I have found myself many times coming to the realising I have lost sight of Christ! Woken up to find fear in place of faith.
But praise God he is faithful!
Thank you Lord that when we call to you, you immediately reach out your hand and catch us from sliding completely beneath the waves!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
In The God Business
Each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is dragged away and enticed, and after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full grown gives birth to death!
Man's Problem: The Enticement.
He wants to rule his own life! He wants to be God! He wants to call the shots and make all the decisions - all of which are to this one end... the of pleasing self.
The Determination; The Conception.
Man decides I will be the God of my own life. He rebels against God and steals his own life away from His creator. He has gone into the God business for himself!
The Result: The Death.
Man is living in open rebellion towards God. In his heart he cries out to God, I am the god of my own life and You WILL bow down to me! You will let me have my way. You will let me make my own decisions. If you do not then I will make a god in my own image who will bow down to me.
How to determine if you are in the God business for yourself?
God is the standard of all Truth and Morality. All that He is, thinks and does is perfect in every way. He does not conform to a standard (as if there was an external standard above Him) but the standard, that is, the law, by definition, is Himself. This is also His will. His will is that all be in perfect conformity to Him.
We know that we are in the God business for ourselves when WE begin defining both truth and morality... When Truth and morality becomes relative to us, molded by our own corrupt imaginations and evil desires of the heart.
Question:
1. Is Truth relative to you?
2. Is Morality relative to you?
Man's Problem: The Enticement.
He wants to rule his own life! He wants to be God! He wants to call the shots and make all the decisions - all of which are to this one end... the of pleasing self.
The Determination; The Conception.
Man decides I will be the God of my own life. He rebels against God and steals his own life away from His creator. He has gone into the God business for himself!
The Result: The Death.
Man is living in open rebellion towards God. In his heart he cries out to God, I am the god of my own life and You WILL bow down to me! You will let me have my way. You will let me make my own decisions. If you do not then I will make a god in my own image who will bow down to me.
How to determine if you are in the God business for yourself?
God is the standard of all Truth and Morality. All that He is, thinks and does is perfect in every way. He does not conform to a standard (as if there was an external standard above Him) but the standard, that is, the law, by definition, is Himself. This is also His will. His will is that all be in perfect conformity to Him.
We know that we are in the God business for ourselves when WE begin defining both truth and morality... When Truth and morality becomes relative to us, molded by our own corrupt imaginations and evil desires of the heart.
Question:
1. Is Truth relative to you?
2. Is Morality relative to you?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Limpet Christianity
On a recent camping trip we spent some time at the beach where I prised some limpets off the rocks for the kids to look at.
Limpets don't know much I'm sure, but one thing they do know how to do well is cling fast to that rock when you fail to get them off in the first go.
At the first sign of trouble they hold tight! Not to themselves, or each other, but to the rock. The immovable rock!
In the first chapter of James we read these encouraging words to the saints: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Just like the limpet, during times of trial, we are to cling to Christ with all our might. He is the immovable rock of our salvation! And we would do well to consider these trials a blessing as they drive us to press further into Christ - our rock, our fortress our shield!
During each storm, as we cling to Christ our Salvation, our faith grows as we see again and again that He has kept us soundly safe.
Sometimes faith is little more than a simple clinging to Christ; a sense of dependence and a willingness so to depend. When you are down at the seaside you will see limpets sticking to the rock. You walk with a soft tread up to the rock; you strike the mollusk a rapid blow with your walking-stick and off he comes. Try the next limpet in that way. You have given him warning; he heard the blow with which you struck his neighbor, and he clings with all his might. You will never get him off; not you! Strike, and strike again, but you may as soon break the rock. Our little friend, the limpet, does not know much, but he clings. He is not acquainted with the geological formation of the rock, but he clings. He can cling, and he has found something to cling to: this is all his stock of knowledge, and he uses it for his security and salvation. It is the limpet's life to cling to the rock, and it is the sinner's life to cling to Jesus. Thousands of God's people have no more faith than this; they know enough to cling to Jesus with all their heart and soul, and this suffices for present peace and eternal safety. Jesus Christ is to them a Saviour strong and mighty, a Rock immovable and immutable; they cling to him for dear life, and this clinging saves them. Reader, cannot you cling? Do so at once.
- Charles Spurgeon (All of Grace)
Limpets don't know much I'm sure, but one thing they do know how to do well is cling fast to that rock when you fail to get them off in the first go.
At the first sign of trouble they hold tight! Not to themselves, or each other, but to the rock. The immovable rock!
In the first chapter of James we read these encouraging words to the saints: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Just like the limpet, during times of trial, we are to cling to Christ with all our might. He is the immovable rock of our salvation! And we would do well to consider these trials a blessing as they drive us to press further into Christ - our rock, our fortress our shield!
During each storm, as we cling to Christ our Salvation, our faith grows as we see again and again that He has kept us soundly safe.
Sometimes faith is little more than a simple clinging to Christ; a sense of dependence and a willingness so to depend. When you are down at the seaside you will see limpets sticking to the rock. You walk with a soft tread up to the rock; you strike the mollusk a rapid blow with your walking-stick and off he comes. Try the next limpet in that way. You have given him warning; he heard the blow with which you struck his neighbor, and he clings with all his might. You will never get him off; not you! Strike, and strike again, but you may as soon break the rock. Our little friend, the limpet, does not know much, but he clings. He is not acquainted with the geological formation of the rock, but he clings. He can cling, and he has found something to cling to: this is all his stock of knowledge, and he uses it for his security and salvation. It is the limpet's life to cling to the rock, and it is the sinner's life to cling to Jesus. Thousands of God's people have no more faith than this; they know enough to cling to Jesus with all their heart and soul, and this suffices for present peace and eternal safety. Jesus Christ is to them a Saviour strong and mighty, a Rock immovable and immutable; they cling to him for dear life, and this clinging saves them. Reader, cannot you cling? Do so at once.
- Charles Spurgeon (All of Grace)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Absolute Truth?
As a software developer I am daily immersed in logic. Without it, computers would not function! In fact, all a computer does at the end of the day is execute millions of logical instructions a second to produce the desired result: show a screen, capture data, process data and store it in a data repository of some sort.
It is nothing more than: If this condition is met then, if this variable equals that value then, do until this condition is met and so on.
At its most basic level all decisions are made on the basis of whether an expression evaluates to a Boolean value of True or False. If it is not True, then it is False. If it is not False, then it must be True. There is no such thing as relative truth. Partly True is still False.
The following expression 1 = 1 evaluates to a value of True. 1 = 2 evaluates to a value of False, as does 1 = 3 and 1 = 4 and 1 = 5 and so on! 1 = 0.99999 is no closer to being True than 1 = 1000, both are False.
Truth is, 1 = 1 and that's it! But there are an infinite number of False permutations! 1 = ? (where ? is not 1).
The point I am trying to make is... the existence of logic is the evidence of absolute truth. Logic does not exist if truth is not absolute!
If truth were relative, programming would be impossible!! 1 = 2 to you and 1 = 4 to you and 1 = 1 to me... absolutely absurd!
There is only one truth!
It is no different spiritually. There is an absolute truth spiritually speaking!
Jesus Christ asserted that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life! Logically, if this is True, then every other way must be False. It is not a case, figuratively speaking, of all roads lead to Rome. According to Christ, only one way leads to God - Him! Accepting or rejecting that fact is accepting or rejecting the Truth.
It is nothing more than: If this condition is met then, if this variable equals that value then, do until this condition is met and so on.
At its most basic level all decisions are made on the basis of whether an expression evaluates to a Boolean value of True or False. If it is not True, then it is False. If it is not False, then it must be True. There is no such thing as relative truth. Partly True is still False.
The following expression 1 = 1 evaluates to a value of True. 1 = 2 evaluates to a value of False, as does 1 = 3 and 1 = 4 and 1 = 5 and so on! 1 = 0.99999 is no closer to being True than 1 = 1000, both are False.
Truth is, 1 = 1 and that's it! But there are an infinite number of False permutations! 1 = ? (where ? is not 1).
The point I am trying to make is... the existence of logic is the evidence of absolute truth. Logic does not exist if truth is not absolute!
If truth were relative, programming would be impossible!! 1 = 2 to you and 1 = 4 to you and 1 = 1 to me... absolutely absurd!
There is only one truth!
It is no different spiritually. There is an absolute truth spiritually speaking!
Jesus Christ asserted that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life! Logically, if this is True, then every other way must be False. It is not a case, figuratively speaking, of all roads lead to Rome. According to Christ, only one way leads to God - Him! Accepting or rejecting that fact is accepting or rejecting the Truth.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Fathers Day!
May we take today as an opportunity to reflect upon the past 12 months - as fathers, have we lived as Christ before our children and trained them in the way they should go - as husbands, have we loved our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her - as men, have we been growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, growing in holiness and bearing much fruit showing ourselves to be his disciples?
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
God vs Man!
(The earth in comparison to the sun)
I saw this photo the other day on the NASA website and it reminded me of something... how small and weak we are compared to how big and powerful God is!
For all those who are apart from Christ, don't think you are going to stand boldly before the throne of God on the day of judgement! Because of your sin will be like a wax figurine standing in front of a blast furnace.
In fact, the bible declares that on that day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord!
Think about it... God in his sovereignty has declared that every knee shall bow. Man in his sinful rebellion proudly asserts "I shall never bow my knee to you God!" The result: Man makes a decision to spurn the kindness of God and refuses to bow his knee under grace, but will be forced to bow his knee under sentence of the law and judgement.
So what will happen? Man will melt like a wax figurine in front of a blast furnace!
Monday, July 7, 2008
No Thanks!
I had an amazing encounter today with a homeless man that left me quite perplexed.
On my way to work this morning, I passed him asleep in a doorway under a very thin blanket on some very hard concrete.
I decided to buy him something to eat to let him know that someone cares. More importantly I wanted him to know that God cares and hasn't forgotten about him, and I wanted to share the gospel with him. Thinking that he probably wouldn't have a great diet, I decided upon a nice double cut ham and salad roll and a 600ml orange juice.
By the time I got back to him, he was awake and puffing on the remains of a hand rolled cigarette. Good, I thought, I'm glad I didn't have to wake him!
I handed over the lunch, not expecting him to dance a jig or anything, but I thought he'd at least take it! What I didn't expect was what came out of his mouth: "I don't drink orange juice", he said followed by "and I don't eat ham either".
After making sure he really didn't want to take it, I asked whether it was because of religious beliefs he wouldn't eat ham - hoping that this would swing to the spiritual. He didn't seem to want to go there. The optical illusion tract didn't get much interest either.
Just when I was leaving I took out a ten commandments coin from my pocket, which caught his attention. He took that and I left him reading at least a short presentation of the gospel message complete with the commandments.
It got me to thinking though... at how many people will reject Jesus Christ the only one who can save them from a hopeless, miserable eternity of separation from God on account of their rebellion and self-centered, truth suppressing lives.
Isaiah 55:1-3
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live."
Such a wonderful and gracious invitation! A holy and just God who is both willing and able to take the punishment you deserve, and place it upon himself - if you will only humble the knee before him, and with a repentant heart, cry out for compassion and mercy. As a beggar desiring food, and void of any means to buy his own, must cry out for someone to have compassion on him.
Yet many will say, "I don't drink orange juice and I don't eat ham either!"
On my way to work this morning, I passed him asleep in a doorway under a very thin blanket on some very hard concrete.
I decided to buy him something to eat to let him know that someone cares. More importantly I wanted him to know that God cares and hasn't forgotten about him, and I wanted to share the gospel with him. Thinking that he probably wouldn't have a great diet, I decided upon a nice double cut ham and salad roll and a 600ml orange juice.
By the time I got back to him, he was awake and puffing on the remains of a hand rolled cigarette. Good, I thought, I'm glad I didn't have to wake him!
I handed over the lunch, not expecting him to dance a jig or anything, but I thought he'd at least take it! What I didn't expect was what came out of his mouth: "I don't drink orange juice", he said followed by "and I don't eat ham either".
After making sure he really didn't want to take it, I asked whether it was because of religious beliefs he wouldn't eat ham - hoping that this would swing to the spiritual. He didn't seem to want to go there. The optical illusion tract didn't get much interest either.
Just when I was leaving I took out a ten commandments coin from my pocket, which caught his attention. He took that and I left him reading at least a short presentation of the gospel message complete with the commandments.
It got me to thinking though... at how many people will reject Jesus Christ the only one who can save them from a hopeless, miserable eternity of separation from God on account of their rebellion and self-centered, truth suppressing lives.
Isaiah 55:1-3
"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live."
Such a wonderful and gracious invitation! A holy and just God who is both willing and able to take the punishment you deserve, and place it upon himself - if you will only humble the knee before him, and with a repentant heart, cry out for compassion and mercy. As a beggar desiring food, and void of any means to buy his own, must cry out for someone to have compassion on him.
Yet many will say, "I don't drink orange juice and I don't eat ham either!"
Friday, June 20, 2008
Battle Cry!
When the guns open up and the battle is on I will stand in line ready to charge. Bayonets fixed, waiting for my commanding officer to give the order. When the whistle sounds and the order is given I will charge into battle for He will strengthen me. He has gone before me and prepared a the path for me. He is my shield and my strength. I will not fear the outcome, for my life is found in His. There is no other name in heaven I will call to. None! Not even my own, for apart from Him I am a blind, deaf wretch. He drank the cup of God's wrath that was prepared for me. He was crushed in my place. That should have been me, that should have been me! My life is yours Lord, who gave your life for me!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
It Was Just A Little Bite, Wasn't It?
Have you ever read the account of man's fall in the Garden of Eden and thought to yourself, "Man, that seems pretty harsh. One bite of the apple and they are stewed fruit!" It might seem pretty heavy, but judge Eve's actions by the 10 Commandments for a minute and you'll find that she actually broke 8 out of the 10 (maybe 9 if this took place on the Sabbath).
Eve broke the 9th (You shall not lie) when she embellished the truth and misrepresented God's command saying, "and you must not touch it, or you will die.'". According to the Genesis 2 account, God's recorded command was "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
The next commandment to fall was the first (You shall have no other gods before me). When Eve took counsel from the serpent over the counsel of God, she placed the serpent before Him. Is not a god something you look to, turn to or serve? By siding with the serpent, Eve in actual fact became an accuser of God - though not verbally, her unbelief (as demonstrated by her actions) accused God of being a liar or worse, a fool. He either lied to me about eating this fruit and I will not surely die, or he thinks that I will surely die but he really has no idea what he's talking about! Such blasphemous thoughts! (3rd commandment)
Rapidly preceding this was a toppling of the 10th (You shall not covet) for "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom" she decided in her heart - now is my chance to be like God. Is that not the very thing that caused the serpent to fall?
A split second later her hand reached out and "she took some and ate it". This was not her fruit to eat, so by stealing the fruit Eve broke the eighth (You shall not steal).
At the same time I would submit to you that Eve also broke the second commandment (You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them). When she looked, desired and took the fruit, she in effect made the fruit an idol. She looked to it for wisdom and to make her like God, and then she bowed down and worshiped it by eating!
Her very next action was a violation of the sixth commandment (You shall not murder), for when "She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" she murdered him (not to mention the entire human race that would come out of Adam's seed). The weapon? An apple! You may not agree with that, but by her very actions you can see that she has lost all love for Adam in giving him the apple. She didn't care if he lived or died apparently, and as is says in the scriptures "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer”
Finally, in all this she broke the fifth commandment (Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you). Her father God, who made her and breathed life into her, commanded her not to eat the fruit and she dishonoured Him by disobeying his commandments.
And I don't think it is by chance that the fifth commandment is also the first with a promise "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you". Didn't Eve's actions result in them being banished on from the garden and the sentence of death being placed upon their lives?
A little food for thought!
Eve broke the 9th (You shall not lie) when she embellished the truth and misrepresented God's command saying, "and you must not touch it, or you will die.'". According to the Genesis 2 account, God's recorded command was "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
The next commandment to fall was the first (You shall have no other gods before me). When Eve took counsel from the serpent over the counsel of God, she placed the serpent before Him. Is not a god something you look to, turn to or serve? By siding with the serpent, Eve in actual fact became an accuser of God - though not verbally, her unbelief (as demonstrated by her actions) accused God of being a liar or worse, a fool. He either lied to me about eating this fruit and I will not surely die, or he thinks that I will surely die but he really has no idea what he's talking about! Such blasphemous thoughts! (3rd commandment)
Rapidly preceding this was a toppling of the 10th (You shall not covet) for "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom" she decided in her heart - now is my chance to be like God. Is that not the very thing that caused the serpent to fall?
A split second later her hand reached out and "she took some and ate it". This was not her fruit to eat, so by stealing the fruit Eve broke the eighth (You shall not steal).
At the same time I would submit to you that Eve also broke the second commandment (You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them). When she looked, desired and took the fruit, she in effect made the fruit an idol. She looked to it for wisdom and to make her like God, and then she bowed down and worshiped it by eating!
Her very next action was a violation of the sixth commandment (You shall not murder), for when "She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" she murdered him (not to mention the entire human race that would come out of Adam's seed). The weapon? An apple! You may not agree with that, but by her very actions you can see that she has lost all love for Adam in giving him the apple. She didn't care if he lived or died apparently, and as is says in the scriptures "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer”
Finally, in all this she broke the fifth commandment (Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you). Her father God, who made her and breathed life into her, commanded her not to eat the fruit and she dishonoured Him by disobeying his commandments.
And I don't think it is by chance that the fifth commandment is also the first with a promise "Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you". Didn't Eve's actions result in them being banished on from the garden and the sentence of death being placed upon their lives?
A little food for thought!
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