Friday, September 2, 2011
Wisdom
Art Katz defining wisdom - The unique and particular application of the mind of God to a present or future circumstance for which nothing of your past will have prepared you (and even if something in the past were given of God you cannot make the application because of a similarity- You need what is appropriate now, the present truth as it is in Christ Jesus for this situation. Wisdom is what God Himself gives out of His own mind in the appropriateness that only He can recognize and ive answer for a situation that has not previously come - that cannot be answered by any past experience and needs the present NOW understanding of God to resolve. The issue is not convenience but the Glory of God. Furthermore Art noted in his sermon on "The pursuit of Wisdom" that we are to be seeking wisdom, crying out for it, realizing our desperate NEED of it, that and that alone will put us in the disposition to get it. And when we begin simply "walking" in that wisdom then that disposition will lead to the "character" that one begins to live out, as one is "walking" out the truths of God. So what we are looking to do and see in our children is the disposition to be wanting truth, that is a gift from God, so once again, our prayer is simplified, "Lord choose _____, my child, and give them this gift." God make us aware of our desperate need of You, In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Romans Study #30 Romans 9:1-5
Romans Bible Study #30
Romans 9:1-5
The Freedom of God
1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. NASB
1-5 At the same time, you need to know that I carry with me at all times a huge sorrow. It's an enormous pain deep within me, and I'm never free of it. I'm not exaggerating—Christ and the Holy Spirit are my witnesses. It's the Israelites...If there were any way I could be cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him, I'd do it in a minute. They're my family. I grew up with them. They had everything going for them—family, glory, covenants, revelation, worship, promises, to say nothing of being the race that produced the Messiah, the Christ, who is God over everything, always. Oh, yes! The Message
This section starts with a heart cry, whose heart?, Paul’s, no, deeper, Christ’s heart and the heart of the Holy Spirit. A heart cry, not a disconnected, educated lesson, but a CRY! A cry of pain, of sorrow, of unceasing grief. Only revelation, from the heart of God, brings about this kind of change in a man. Education; highly exalted in our society, is of no use in forming this kind of heart. Oh God, You will have to do this work, or this work will not be done. Give us this kind of heart, we pray.
He just spoke of how we cannot be separated from the love of God, but if such a thing were possible, his heart would be willing for it. What has he gone through, what has he been brought through that he could have such a heart? These are the people who reject his teaching, who stone and whip him every chance they get and some even made a vow that they would not eat until they killed him, and yet for this people he has such love. What has made his heart one with Christ, deeply connected to the Holy Spirit?
The giant of the OT, Moses, and the giant of the NT, Paul, both were so in touch with the heart of God, that they could wish themselves accursed, to see this people change. (Exodus 32:32) It is not possible make ourselves accursed in the place of another, because God does not allow it, but to have that kind of heart is our goal.
So much has been lost by this people who had all of these things, including Christ according to the flesh. Exodus 4 Israel is the first reference to ‘sons’ in the Bible.
God’s first ‘adoption’ was this nation. This tiny group of people among the powerful peoples of the earth. He set them apart, He brought them out. He gave them His name and identified them as His possession. There is an amazing thing happening here, this nation has to fail in its call in every area and every time that it tries to grab hold of it in its own strength, but, this nation cannot ultimately fall, because the call was from God, the covenant was from God. His Name and His faithfulness is at stake in this ultimate fulfillment, NOT through some other people some other way, but through this people on this earth. Fulfilled THROUGH HIM, not education, skill, expertise, human gifts of any kind. Saved by God, or not saved at all, just like us. So they have to go through a time of death, a time of being set aside, in order for the fulfillment to come through resurrection. God’s ultimate and unchanging pattern. Eph. 1:6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”
The purpose of this section (9-11) is to show that God is God. The Potter can elect and choose. This section is a laser beam aimed at the works-oriented mentality of humanity. “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:16
If you dig deep enough, the cross is at the heart of our understanding. We did nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, to go from being an enemy of God to a saved and chosen friend. What Jesus did on the cross is all that was done, period.
You have to be in right relationship with the Spirit to pray rightly.
Apostolic heart is jealous for God’s Name, God’s word and as a result Israel. God will answer Paul’s prayer, but in a way that no one could have dreamed up, and as this plan is unfolded through and to Paul, he is brought to that great time of worship and praise at the end of Chapter 11.
National culpability, verse 4 “Israelites.” God has a view of mankind that is both individual and national. He brings judgment both on the basis of individual sin and national sin. His choosing of this nation is not a 'changeable’ thing. This verse, 11:29 “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” is often used for many things, but is specifically in reference to Israel, another reason why “replacement theology” is wrong.
Galatians 3:28“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”Just as a side note, this verse is used to argue for replacement theology, Paul is laboring in this book to show the inadequacy of the law and the true salvation of being ‘in Christ by faith.’ When we come to Christ by faith we are children of Abraham and we do inherit the promises, as individuals, BUT, this does not eliminate the “call and election” of Israel, and Israel alone, to be a chosen nation.
So when 1peter 2verse 9 says all these promises they are Israel’s promises which are yet to be truly fulfilled in them. 9 “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” These verses could be used to ‘teach’ replacement theology if you did not know that these are Israel’s promises in verse 9, being given to the gentiles in verse 10 and one day they will find their literal fulfillment in the nation of Israel on the promised day when the natural branch is grafted back onto the vine. (Romans 11:24) Very few people are willing to do what we are striving to do, see the whole truth of God as it is revealed by the Apostle over 3 chapters. God we continually ask for grace to let the scriptures change us.
It is important that when Balak was willing to pay Balaam to curse Israel, he could not, because God would not. Numbers 23
Judgment begins with the “household of God” (1Peter 4:17) one aspect of God’s judgment is its ‘national’ view. Our “nation” as individual believers is “the household of God.”
Lastly a comment from Reggie Kelly regarding these chapters.
“The temptation is always to exalt reason over revelation. Without the profound difficulty and mystery of Ro 9, we could not have Paul’s glorious doxology in Ro 11:33-36, because the way to that glory must pass through the perplexities of Ro 9, offenses notwithstanding. Paul simply does not answer the dilemma of election with the naturally expected appeal to free will. He does not satisfy our natural objections by that more ‘reasonable’ solution. Rather, he says “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” And “so then, it is NOT of him that wills or of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.” I just have to leave it there. I dare not say more than scripture, but I must not say less. For this, any servant that refuses to compromise will suffer great loss and reproach, as I’ve often experienced the intimidation of the powers tempting me to refrain from getting anywhere near the subject, lest I open the proverbial can of worms. However, such convenience can only be maintained if the subject of Israel be kept at a comparatively minimal and superficial level; but is that God’s intention?” Reggie Kelly
The next mountain we are to climb by the grace of God is the famous section on Jacob and Esau.
God prepare our hearts, give us eyes to see and ears to hear, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Romans 9:1-5
The Freedom of God
1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. NASB
1-5 At the same time, you need to know that I carry with me at all times a huge sorrow. It's an enormous pain deep within me, and I'm never free of it. I'm not exaggerating—Christ and the Holy Spirit are my witnesses. It's the Israelites...If there were any way I could be cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him, I'd do it in a minute. They're my family. I grew up with them. They had everything going for them—family, glory, covenants, revelation, worship, promises, to say nothing of being the race that produced the Messiah, the Christ, who is God over everything, always. Oh, yes! The Message
This section starts with a heart cry, whose heart?, Paul’s, no, deeper, Christ’s heart and the heart of the Holy Spirit. A heart cry, not a disconnected, educated lesson, but a CRY! A cry of pain, of sorrow, of unceasing grief. Only revelation, from the heart of God, brings about this kind of change in a man. Education; highly exalted in our society, is of no use in forming this kind of heart. Oh God, You will have to do this work, or this work will not be done. Give us this kind of heart, we pray.
He just spoke of how we cannot be separated from the love of God, but if such a thing were possible, his heart would be willing for it. What has he gone through, what has he been brought through that he could have such a heart? These are the people who reject his teaching, who stone and whip him every chance they get and some even made a vow that they would not eat until they killed him, and yet for this people he has such love. What has made his heart one with Christ, deeply connected to the Holy Spirit?
The giant of the OT, Moses, and the giant of the NT, Paul, both were so in touch with the heart of God, that they could wish themselves accursed, to see this people change. (Exodus 32:32) It is not possible make ourselves accursed in the place of another, because God does not allow it, but to have that kind of heart is our goal.
So much has been lost by this people who had all of these things, including Christ according to the flesh. Exodus 4 Israel is the first reference to ‘sons’ in the Bible.
God’s first ‘adoption’ was this nation. This tiny group of people among the powerful peoples of the earth. He set them apart, He brought them out. He gave them His name and identified them as His possession. There is an amazing thing happening here, this nation has to fail in its call in every area and every time that it tries to grab hold of it in its own strength, but, this nation cannot ultimately fall, because the call was from God, the covenant was from God. His Name and His faithfulness is at stake in this ultimate fulfillment, NOT through some other people some other way, but through this people on this earth. Fulfilled THROUGH HIM, not education, skill, expertise, human gifts of any kind. Saved by God, or not saved at all, just like us. So they have to go through a time of death, a time of being set aside, in order for the fulfillment to come through resurrection. God’s ultimate and unchanging pattern. Eph. 1:6 “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”
The purpose of this section (9-11) is to show that God is God. The Potter can elect and choose. This section is a laser beam aimed at the works-oriented mentality of humanity. “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:16
If you dig deep enough, the cross is at the heart of our understanding. We did nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, to go from being an enemy of God to a saved and chosen friend. What Jesus did on the cross is all that was done, period.
You have to be in right relationship with the Spirit to pray rightly.
Apostolic heart is jealous for God’s Name, God’s word and as a result Israel. God will answer Paul’s prayer, but in a way that no one could have dreamed up, and as this plan is unfolded through and to Paul, he is brought to that great time of worship and praise at the end of Chapter 11.
National culpability, verse 4 “Israelites.” God has a view of mankind that is both individual and national. He brings judgment both on the basis of individual sin and national sin. His choosing of this nation is not a 'changeable’ thing. This verse, 11:29 “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” is often used for many things, but is specifically in reference to Israel, another reason why “replacement theology” is wrong.
Galatians 3:28“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”Just as a side note, this verse is used to argue for replacement theology, Paul is laboring in this book to show the inadequacy of the law and the true salvation of being ‘in Christ by faith.’ When we come to Christ by faith we are children of Abraham and we do inherit the promises, as individuals, BUT, this does not eliminate the “call and election” of Israel, and Israel alone, to be a chosen nation.
So when 1peter 2verse 9 says all these promises they are Israel’s promises which are yet to be truly fulfilled in them. 9 “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” These verses could be used to ‘teach’ replacement theology if you did not know that these are Israel’s promises in verse 9, being given to the gentiles in verse 10 and one day they will find their literal fulfillment in the nation of Israel on the promised day when the natural branch is grafted back onto the vine. (Romans 11:24) Very few people are willing to do what we are striving to do, see the whole truth of God as it is revealed by the Apostle over 3 chapters. God we continually ask for grace to let the scriptures change us.
It is important that when Balak was willing to pay Balaam to curse Israel, he could not, because God would not. Numbers 23
Judgment begins with the “household of God” (1Peter 4:17) one aspect of God’s judgment is its ‘national’ view. Our “nation” as individual believers is “the household of God.”
Lastly a comment from Reggie Kelly regarding these chapters.
“The temptation is always to exalt reason over revelation. Without the profound difficulty and mystery of Ro 9, we could not have Paul’s glorious doxology in Ro 11:33-36, because the way to that glory must pass through the perplexities of Ro 9, offenses notwithstanding. Paul simply does not answer the dilemma of election with the naturally expected appeal to free will. He does not satisfy our natural objections by that more ‘reasonable’ solution. Rather, he says “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” And “so then, it is NOT of him that wills or of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy.” I just have to leave it there. I dare not say more than scripture, but I must not say less. For this, any servant that refuses to compromise will suffer great loss and reproach, as I’ve often experienced the intimidation of the powers tempting me to refrain from getting anywhere near the subject, lest I open the proverbial can of worms. However, such convenience can only be maintained if the subject of Israel be kept at a comparatively minimal and superficial level; but is that God’s intention?” Reggie Kelly
The next mountain we are to climb by the grace of God is the famous section on Jacob and Esau.
God prepare our hearts, give us eyes to see and ears to hear, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
Monday, August 1, 2011
Romans Study #29 Chap. 9-11
Romans Bible Study #29
Reading Chapter 9-11
“I seek not to understand in order that I may believe; rather, I believe that I may understand.” Anselm of Canterbury
I am indebted to many wiser-than-I men who I look to, to help me wade through these deep waters. Art Katz has a most appropriate teaching that relates to how we should look at these chapters. It has long been our goal to, “not change the scriptures but to let the scriptures change us.” These chapters are like the burning bush that Moses turned aside to see. It is said that once he turned aside to see that bush, that he would be forever changed, he could never ‘turn back’ to where or who he was after seeing this sight. That kind of ‘life-changing’ time is awaiting us in these chapters. It is impossible for a bush to be burning and yet not be consumed. It is impossible for God to be free, sovereign and the ultimate cause of all things, and to hold us accountable for our actions. One thing to keep in mind is that although scripture compares us with sheep at times it also compares us to clay on a potter’s wheel. The clay is not just ‘a little less smart than the potter,’ it is completely something “other” than what the potter is. The Potter has the right to do with the clay what He wants. Mercy, wisdom, sovereignty, are all on display in these chapters. These great truths push aside a lie called ‘replacement theology,’ which essentially states that God’s Old Testament promises to Israel are fulfilled by the church and that God is done with Israel.
Romans 9-11 do not stand alone in the Bible, they complete the truth of the Sovereign God of the Bible. He Who will NOT suffer His plans to be thwarted. He intended for Israel to be a light to the other nations demonstrating His government. Blessing the nations by being a nation ruled by Him. If these promises are not fulfilled God is not God. If they are not fulfilled totally by Him without the help of man, it is not grace. Election/Predestination is grace in its most pride-killing form, and these chapters will not let ‘man’ squirm out from under the truth that ultimately God is in total control of all things.
Jeremiah 31:35-37Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD.
These chapters are one complete thought and so tonight we will read them straight through and that will be our study.
Reading Chapter 9-11
“I seek not to understand in order that I may believe; rather, I believe that I may understand.” Anselm of Canterbury
I am indebted to many wiser-than-I men who I look to, to help me wade through these deep waters. Art Katz has a most appropriate teaching that relates to how we should look at these chapters. It has long been our goal to, “not change the scriptures but to let the scriptures change us.” These chapters are like the burning bush that Moses turned aside to see. It is said that once he turned aside to see that bush, that he would be forever changed, he could never ‘turn back’ to where or who he was after seeing this sight. That kind of ‘life-changing’ time is awaiting us in these chapters. It is impossible for a bush to be burning and yet not be consumed. It is impossible for God to be free, sovereign and the ultimate cause of all things, and to hold us accountable for our actions. One thing to keep in mind is that although scripture compares us with sheep at times it also compares us to clay on a potter’s wheel. The clay is not just ‘a little less smart than the potter,’ it is completely something “other” than what the potter is. The Potter has the right to do with the clay what He wants. Mercy, wisdom, sovereignty, are all on display in these chapters. These great truths push aside a lie called ‘replacement theology,’ which essentially states that God’s Old Testament promises to Israel are fulfilled by the church and that God is done with Israel.
Romans 9-11 do not stand alone in the Bible, they complete the truth of the Sovereign God of the Bible. He Who will NOT suffer His plans to be thwarted. He intended for Israel to be a light to the other nations demonstrating His government. Blessing the nations by being a nation ruled by Him. If these promises are not fulfilled God is not God. If they are not fulfilled totally by Him without the help of man, it is not grace. Election/Predestination is grace in its most pride-killing form, and these chapters will not let ‘man’ squirm out from under the truth that ultimately God is in total control of all things.
Jeremiah 31:35-37Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: "If this fixed order departs From before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the LORD, "If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done," declares the LORD.
These chapters are one complete thought and so tonight we will read them straight through and that will be our study.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
real conversion
North Korean Christians make the decision when they come to faith that one day they will die for Christ.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Romans Study #28 Romans 8:28-39
Romans Bible Study # 28
Romans 8:28-39
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NASB
Romans 8:28That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. The Message
A massive amount of divine energy is needed to bring the promise of Romans 8:28 to pass. “God causes” is more massive than we could ever wrap our minds around. To quote Jerry, “God is always painting on a canvas bigger than we can see.” So tempting in the middle of the latest trial to rise up and question God. To pout and go off to self-pity land and commit some sin to “get back” at Him. I have actually done that. How incredibly stupid. What should we do? Focus on the truth, “God, You promise to cause all things to work together for Good, (be very, very aware, it does not say your good, it just says good. You are not the center of the universe, He is, and He knows what is ultimately good.) and so You are busy working right now and ultimately this is good. I can’t see it, I don’t know how, but I trust You and the Holy Spirit who is right now praying for me, and Jesus who is right now interceding for me. All the power of heaven is causing this to work together for the good!”
The promise is not to everyone. Ah Oh. We must all come to terms with this truth. All men fall short. All men deserve hell. So the fact that God has worked to overcome this and to make a way and has chosen some to reflect the amazing grace that He has shown, is a grace, is mercy. No one would be foolish enough to proclaim that he just chose to love God. No, before love appeared in our hearts, there was only stony disobedience and rebellion and pride. God chose us and called us and brought us in, revealing His Son to us, on the cross. We would not want this promise to rest only on our love, because our love is fickle and “all too human.” No, we need this promise to rest on a far stronger, far better foundation, “being called according to His purpose." This love in fact, flows out or our being called.
John Piper has some scriptures that speak of this “security.”
“Jude 1:1, "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:8, "[God] will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
In other words, God will confirm you to the end because he called you. That is what God’s faithfulness means. God called you according to his purpose to save you, and God always does what he purposes to do. That is his faithfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."
God is faithful. Therefore, if he called you, he will keep you.” Piper
June 25th Oswald Chambers. RECEIVING ONE'S SELF IN THE FIRES OF SORROW
"What shall I say? Father, save me, from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name." John 12:27-29 (R.V.)
My attitude as a saint to sorrow and difficulty is not to ask that they may be prevented, but to ask that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself in the fire of sorrow, He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.
We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to receive ourselves in its fires. If we try and evade sorrow, refuse to lay our account with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life; it is no use saying sorrow ought not to be. Sin and sorrow and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.
Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness, but it does not always make a man better. Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self. You cannot receive your self in success, you lose your head; you cannot receive your self in monotony, you grouse. The way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be so is another matter, but that it is so is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You always know the man who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, you are certain you can go to him in trouble and find that he has ample leisure for you. If a man has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, he has no time for you. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.
Foreknew, predestined, God is before all, we are objects of His love, His sovereign choice. His love, His choosing is our foundation. “Conformed to the image of His Son” and Barth adds that “the image to which they are conformed is the death of Jesus. Philippians 3:10 “ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”
He goes on to explain this, “When, like Job or Paul, men proclaim the death of Jesus; when they are able to rejoice in tribulation as their glory and salvation; when in their distress, in spite of it and because of it, they shine forth as lights in the world, then is fulfilled in them the occurrence of divine fore-ordination, and God operates in them and through them.” It is not a thing or action that we choose but something that He creates in us, it is the unobservable, but very real sonship.
Predestined, called, justified, glorified, all past tense, all “done” works.
If God is for us... what else matters.
Paul argues from the top down, the greatest height of love was shown in the giving up of His Son, all else is ours, because all else is less than that.
Many charges can be brought, Stephen was martyred due to false charges, but none of these charges will “stick”, because God is the ultimate One who decides which charges stick. So again the argument is from the top down, God says no charge will stick and so that is the end of the story. Barth says these things are too great to speak about AND too great to be silent about!!
Jesus intercedes for us. Perfect God who has our ultimate good in mind, intercedes for us.
35 We are subject to all of these things and none of them separate us from His love. It is a thorough list of 7 things including “sword,” which is to say the beheading, that tradition says, is how Paul died.
We can go through each of these verses and ask, What is the grace of God in this verse for us?
Ultimately no one has the power to be against you... so that offensive person
is not... there is no need for revenge or pay back or even taking offense.
These verses provide
massive security for
merciful service through
many sufferings J. Piper
Suffering that could/will make the “love of many grow cold.”
Matthew 24:12
Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
That’s the “agape” of many will grow cold, I have often puzzled over that verse... so a proper understanding and revelation of these verses to our hearts is key. Key because the times of trouble are real and we need a real foundation of belief in our life to get us through.
This little section of Ephesians fits in nicely here. Eph. 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
This is all too glorious for us to comprehend, so we join with Paul and pray that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know these amazing truths.
Our next time together we will read Romans 9-11 because it is one cohesive thought and needs to be considered as a whole, before we start to break it down. Right now I will share what I believe the gracious God revealed to me about how Romans 8 leads into this next section, as Paul continues to build systematically his argument, his teaching, in this amazing book.
Romans 8 finishes with the amazing section that a whole list of things that can happen to us, DO NOT separate us from His love. Then Paul says the love that God has put in him for Israel, leads him to be willing for the ultimate being 'cut off' from God, if it would mean their salvation. Then he describes the great mystery of the ages, how God elected a nation, how He allowed that nation to turn from Him and kill their Messiah, how He turned that death into salvation for the gentiles (and believing Jews), and how ,now, the call to the church is to be willing for the whole list of things from Romans 8 to happen to them as they reach out with supernatural magnanimity to a people who are being extremely persecuted (beyond the Nazi time) in the last days. Our reaching out to them means our loss, our being associated with them means, like Corrie ten Booms' family, we may be hunted down and killed with them, but that knowledge does not stop us from loving because NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. In showing that kind of supernatural love, we prepare the hearts of ‘Israel’ to receive the return of the “one whom they had pierced.”
Only God in His grace and mercy could reveal that to my mind, and heart I am so grateful to Him
Romans 8:28-39
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NASB
Romans 8:28That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. The Message
A massive amount of divine energy is needed to bring the promise of Romans 8:28 to pass. “God causes” is more massive than we could ever wrap our minds around. To quote Jerry, “God is always painting on a canvas bigger than we can see.” So tempting in the middle of the latest trial to rise up and question God. To pout and go off to self-pity land and commit some sin to “get back” at Him. I have actually done that. How incredibly stupid. What should we do? Focus on the truth, “God, You promise to cause all things to work together for Good, (be very, very aware, it does not say your good, it just says good. You are not the center of the universe, He is, and He knows what is ultimately good.) and so You are busy working right now and ultimately this is good. I can’t see it, I don’t know how, but I trust You and the Holy Spirit who is right now praying for me, and Jesus who is right now interceding for me. All the power of heaven is causing this to work together for the good!”
The promise is not to everyone. Ah Oh. We must all come to terms with this truth. All men fall short. All men deserve hell. So the fact that God has worked to overcome this and to make a way and has chosen some to reflect the amazing grace that He has shown, is a grace, is mercy. No one would be foolish enough to proclaim that he just chose to love God. No, before love appeared in our hearts, there was only stony disobedience and rebellion and pride. God chose us and called us and brought us in, revealing His Son to us, on the cross. We would not want this promise to rest only on our love, because our love is fickle and “all too human.” No, we need this promise to rest on a far stronger, far better foundation, “being called according to His purpose." This love in fact, flows out or our being called.
John Piper has some scriptures that speak of this “security.”
“Jude 1:1, "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:8, "[God] will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
In other words, God will confirm you to the end because he called you. That is what God’s faithfulness means. God called you according to his purpose to save you, and God always does what he purposes to do. That is his faithfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it."
God is faithful. Therefore, if he called you, he will keep you.” Piper
June 25th Oswald Chambers. RECEIVING ONE'S SELF IN THE FIRES OF SORROW
"What shall I say? Father, save me, from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name." John 12:27-29 (R.V.)
My attitude as a saint to sorrow and difficulty is not to ask that they may be prevented, but to ask that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself in the fire of sorrow, He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.
We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to receive ourselves in its fires. If we try and evade sorrow, refuse to lay our account with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life; it is no use saying sorrow ought not to be. Sin and sorrow and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.
Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness, but it does not always make a man better. Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self. You cannot receive your self in success, you lose your head; you cannot receive your self in monotony, you grouse. The way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be so is another matter, but that it is so is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You always know the man who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, you are certain you can go to him in trouble and find that he has ample leisure for you. If a man has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, he has no time for you. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.
Foreknew, predestined, God is before all, we are objects of His love, His sovereign choice. His love, His choosing is our foundation. “Conformed to the image of His Son” and Barth adds that “the image to which they are conformed is the death of Jesus. Philippians 3:10 “ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”
He goes on to explain this, “When, like Job or Paul, men proclaim the death of Jesus; when they are able to rejoice in tribulation as their glory and salvation; when in their distress, in spite of it and because of it, they shine forth as lights in the world, then is fulfilled in them the occurrence of divine fore-ordination, and God operates in them and through them.” It is not a thing or action that we choose but something that He creates in us, it is the unobservable, but very real sonship.
Predestined, called, justified, glorified, all past tense, all “done” works.
If God is for us... what else matters.
Paul argues from the top down, the greatest height of love was shown in the giving up of His Son, all else is ours, because all else is less than that.
Many charges can be brought, Stephen was martyred due to false charges, but none of these charges will “stick”, because God is the ultimate One who decides which charges stick. So again the argument is from the top down, God says no charge will stick and so that is the end of the story. Barth says these things are too great to speak about AND too great to be silent about!!
Jesus intercedes for us. Perfect God who has our ultimate good in mind, intercedes for us.
35 We are subject to all of these things and none of them separate us from His love. It is a thorough list of 7 things including “sword,” which is to say the beheading, that tradition says, is how Paul died.
We can go through each of these verses and ask, What is the grace of God in this verse for us?
Ultimately no one has the power to be against you... so that offensive person
is not... there is no need for revenge or pay back or even taking offense.
These verses provide
massive security for
merciful service through
many sufferings J. Piper
Suffering that could/will make the “love of many grow cold.”
Matthew 24:12
Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
That’s the “agape” of many will grow cold, I have often puzzled over that verse... so a proper understanding and revelation of these verses to our hearts is key. Key because the times of trouble are real and we need a real foundation of belief in our life to get us through.
This little section of Ephesians fits in nicely here. Eph. 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
This is all too glorious for us to comprehend, so we join with Paul and pray that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know these amazing truths.
Our next time together we will read Romans 9-11 because it is one cohesive thought and needs to be considered as a whole, before we start to break it down. Right now I will share what I believe the gracious God revealed to me about how Romans 8 leads into this next section, as Paul continues to build systematically his argument, his teaching, in this amazing book.
Romans 8 finishes with the amazing section that a whole list of things that can happen to us, DO NOT separate us from His love. Then Paul says the love that God has put in him for Israel, leads him to be willing for the ultimate being 'cut off' from God, if it would mean their salvation. Then he describes the great mystery of the ages, how God elected a nation, how He allowed that nation to turn from Him and kill their Messiah, how He turned that death into salvation for the gentiles (and believing Jews), and how ,now, the call to the church is to be willing for the whole list of things from Romans 8 to happen to them as they reach out with supernatural magnanimity to a people who are being extremely persecuted (beyond the Nazi time) in the last days. Our reaching out to them means our loss, our being associated with them means, like Corrie ten Booms' family, we may be hunted down and killed with them, but that knowledge does not stop us from loving because NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. In showing that kind of supernatural love, we prepare the hearts of ‘Israel’ to receive the return of the “one whom they had pierced.”
Only God in His grace and mercy could reveal that to my mind, and heart I am so grateful to Him
Romans 8 leads into Romans 9
I love it when a simple truth is also a deep amazing revelation.
Example:
Romans 8 leads to Romans 9.
Romans 8 finishes with the amazing section that a whole list of things that can happen to us, DO NOT separate us from His love. Then Paul says the love that God has put in him for Israel, leads him to be willing for the ultimate being 'cut off' from God, if it would mean their salvation. Then he describes the great mystery of the ages, how God elected a nation, how He allowed that nation to turn from Him and kill their Messiah, how He turned that death into salvation for the gentiles (and believing Jews), and how ,now, the call to the church is to be willing for the whole list of things from Romans 8 to happen to them as they reach out with supernatural magnanimity to a people who are being extremely persecuted (beyond the Nazi time) in the last days. Our reaching out to them means our loss, our being associated with them means, like Corrie ten Booms' family, we may be hunted down and killed with them, but that knowledge does not stop us from loving because NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. In showing that kind of supernatural love, we prepare the hearts of ‘Israel’ to receive the return of the “one whom they had pierced.”
Only God in His grace and mercy could reveal that to my mind, and heart I am so grateful to Him
Example:
Romans 8 leads to Romans 9.
Romans 8 finishes with the amazing section that a whole list of things that can happen to us, DO NOT separate us from His love. Then Paul says the love that God has put in him for Israel, leads him to be willing for the ultimate being 'cut off' from God, if it would mean their salvation. Then he describes the great mystery of the ages, how God elected a nation, how He allowed that nation to turn from Him and kill their Messiah, how He turned that death into salvation for the gentiles (and believing Jews), and how ,now, the call to the church is to be willing for the whole list of things from Romans 8 to happen to them as they reach out with supernatural magnanimity to a people who are being extremely persecuted (beyond the Nazi time) in the last days. Our reaching out to them means our loss, our being associated with them means, like Corrie ten Booms' family, we may be hunted down and killed with them, but that knowledge does not stop us from loving because NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. In showing that kind of supernatural love, we prepare the hearts of ‘Israel’ to receive the return of the “one whom they had pierced.”
Only God in His grace and mercy could reveal that to my mind, and heart I am so grateful to Him
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Psalm 102:12-14 "spiritual self-seeking"
12 But You, O LORD, abide forever,
And Your name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion;
For it is time to be gracious to her,
For the appointed time has come.
14 Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones
And feel pity for her dust.
God is waiting for the attitude of the church to be one of compassion. When Israel is being crushed, the church rises up to join the Lord in a heart of compassion for this humbled people.
In the midst of a message explaining this, Art Katz, went into a "Spirit-led" rant against the "spiritual self-seeking" of a people who even in the guise of "wanting more of God" are actually seeking for an increase in themselves. The subtlety of pride is exposed by this. It is a deep thing. One that I have come to acknowledge was very present in me, as i went from conference to conference, seeking a "touch" or a "word" that would set me up as one of the 'ones' with power and anointing.
Here is his rant, as best as I could transcribe it. Speaking to people at a place where they had gone, (outwardly) for more of God, but underneath....
"because He (God) has waited for you to come to this condition. You hard Americans, you callow, shallow, evangelical charismatics who are rooted in self-centeredness, with an overlay of seeming spirituality but your self-interest is the predominant factor that is the center of your being and moving, even coming to a place like this to learn ministry and how to obtain...It's Deep! and it is the wrong principle, its the wrong center, the right center is an identification with God, in those things that are contrary to self-interest, even spiritual self-interest and it shows itself in a way that beggars the mind and stupifies the imagination that a gentile would be so identified with Jews in their ultimate depravity of distress and judgment, that they would take it upon themselves as being appropriate to themselves. It is not from a distance that you cluck your tongue 'too bad about those Jews' you are with them in it, you are not just having mercy about the dust, YOU"RE IN THE DUST and when God sees that He can now deliver Israel, because the issue of Israel has produced in you that quality of divine character which is at the heart of God Himself, and is the very genius of deity, which is compassion!" ART Katz
And Your name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion;
For it is time to be gracious to her,
For the appointed time has come.
14 Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones
And feel pity for her dust.
God is waiting for the attitude of the church to be one of compassion. When Israel is being crushed, the church rises up to join the Lord in a heart of compassion for this humbled people.
In the midst of a message explaining this, Art Katz, went into a "Spirit-led" rant against the "spiritual self-seeking" of a people who even in the guise of "wanting more of God" are actually seeking for an increase in themselves. The subtlety of pride is exposed by this. It is a deep thing. One that I have come to acknowledge was very present in me, as i went from conference to conference, seeking a "touch" or a "word" that would set me up as one of the 'ones' with power and anointing.
Here is his rant, as best as I could transcribe it. Speaking to people at a place where they had gone, (outwardly) for more of God, but underneath....
"because He (God) has waited for you to come to this condition. You hard Americans, you callow, shallow, evangelical charismatics who are rooted in self-centeredness, with an overlay of seeming spirituality but your self-interest is the predominant factor that is the center of your being and moving, even coming to a place like this to learn ministry and how to obtain...It's Deep! and it is the wrong principle, its the wrong center, the right center is an identification with God, in those things that are contrary to self-interest, even spiritual self-interest and it shows itself in a way that beggars the mind and stupifies the imagination that a gentile would be so identified with Jews in their ultimate depravity of distress and judgment, that they would take it upon themselves as being appropriate to themselves. It is not from a distance that you cluck your tongue 'too bad about those Jews' you are with them in it, you are not just having mercy about the dust, YOU"RE IN THE DUST and when God sees that He can now deliver Israel, because the issue of Israel has produced in you that quality of divine character which is at the heart of God Himself, and is the very genius of deity, which is compassion!" ART Katz
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