"God - The Constant"

 Scripture:   Hebrews 13:5-8; Psalm 102:25-27; Hebrews 6:17-20

Today is Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate the Lord’s glorious entry into the city where He would shortly be condemned by the very people He had come to save.  Jesus knew what the Father’s plan would soon require of Him, but while His humanity would want to avoid the world’s condemnation (Luke22:39-44), His divinity could never deny the eternal plan that had been in place since before the beginning.  He knew that the fate of humanity hung in the balance, and that His submission to both their hatred and their eternal need was the only chance they had.

 We know all about change – it is a constant part of our lives!  The old saying is certainly true, that “the only thing that is certain in life is change!”  But when it comes to God, “change” is a foreign concept to Him.  For God, He knows about both growth and decay, but when it comes to the ultimate plan for His creation, that is the one constant that we can always depend on.

 We may change in so many ways, but God and His ways never will.

 Read Hebrews 13:5-8

 First, this passage begins, not with a condemnation of financial benefits, but rather against other, more general worldly goods.  It’s addressing our dependency on material possessions, upon the world’s standards for success, and especially upon our greed for more and more “stuff”.  The author of Hebrews is reminding us that we shouldn’t be so focused on how much more we can get, but instead, on being “content” with all that the LORD has already given us. The things of earth, those things we tend to trust, are just as susceptible to change as we are!  For within the blink of an eye, they will always let us down.

 But God, He is never changing, and His word is just as reliable!  Those words that we read in this book aren’t new to the world– the LORD first gave them to Israel through the words we find in Deuteronomy 31:6, and He would remind the people of this truth over and over again throughout scripture.  The word of God is absolute and eternal - it never changes, and it never contradicts itself.  The promise that the LORD is with us always also includes His promise to never leave us dependent on our own resources and abilities.  The power and strength of God will always be with us to support us, and nourish us, and provide for our every need.  And all that this promise requires on our part is faith – a faith that trusts solely in God, and believes that Jesus Christ is our only hope for eternal life.

 The second point of this passage tells us that we are part of a greater community, and that the faithful, not just recognized leaders of the church, but rather all who live a true life in Christ, are to be trusted in the things they say and teach and live.  But how do we know if they are actually following the ways that Christ exhibited?  By seeing if their lives reflect the life that the gospels proclaim!

 And the example has been set before us – that by the life and teaching of Jesus, He will sustain us through the most terrible storms that earth can bring.  He is the certainty in our faith, He is the eternal life that faith will lead us to, He is the one whose word will never change, and His love for the sinners of earth will always be great and will never diminish.

 Read Psalm 102:25-27

 This Psalm, whose author is unknown, proclaims the eternity of the LORD.  First, He was before the beginning – He actually laid the foundations for all of creation before the created order was even begun.  God had a purpose for all that He would do through creation, and that purpose would be the basis for all that He would bring to our lives.  The writer then proclaims that this wonderful order will not last – that even though it is created by the eternal God, creation itself will not be eternal.

 But that doesn’t mean that some day there will be nothing!  Revelation 21:1- 5 tells us that God will  “make all things new”, and that a new heaven and a new earth will come after the old ones have passed away.  God’s gift of creation will change, and yet, God will not pass, and God will not become new, and God will not change in any possible way! 

 But the best part is that we will be embraced by the new that comes from God, as well as by the eternal God Himself, whose “years will never end”.

 Read Hebrews 6:17-20

 Have you ever thought about how God could possibly take an oath?  In the movie “O God”, George Burns, who plays God, is called to testify in a court of law.  Now anyone who has ever been called to testify knows that, before you are seated in the court, you are asked “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”  George Burns, as God, was asked this same question in the movie, and he replies “So help me, Me!” 

In the verse preceding this passage (:16), we read about the significance of an oath – that it is made in the name of one who is greater than we are.  So since God’s oath, as indicated in this passage, could never have been made in the name of a greater Being, the LORD just wants us to know that He is telling “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”, as if He could ever do otherwise! 

 And the promise for those who are not direct members of the family of Israel, is that all can receive the same blessing that Israel has been promised.  But in order to receive it, we must “flee” from the lies of earth before we can ever “take hold” of the hope that exists in Christ Jesus.  And why must we flee?  It isn’t because of our fear of those other ways, but out of the hope we know exists in the Christ.

 And the reference to the High Priest Melchizedek is also important.  This priest lived in the days of Abram, whom he blessed after a victory in combat. (Genesis 14:17-20)  He, Melchizedek, was a priest of Almighty God before Israel ever existed, and we read that Jesus has assumed that same position for the benefit of all.  And now we read that the Hope of God has entered the “sanctuary behind to curtain”.  In the temple, this was the area where it was believed that Jehovah God resided, and the only person who was allowed to enter this area was the High Priest.  Jesus, as God, as well as the High Priest of earth, has absolute authority to go wherever and do whatever He deems necessary, for the express purpose of carrying out the will and plan of God the Father. 

 The difference between Jesus and Melchizedek, though, is that Jesus is the last and eternal High Priest of God, “a High Priest Forever”.  The Three Persons of the Trinity are eternal and unchanging.  Who they are at the beginning, and who they will be in the forever, is exactly and perfectly the same.  God is who He is, then, now, and always.  And that is a promise confirmed in His oath to each and every one of us..

 And on this Palm Sunday, even though it comes in a time of great suffering and fear for both our nation and the world, the Hope of God continues to be with all who will put their trust in the eternal God of Hope – Jesus the Christ.  

May He enter triumphantly into the hearts and spirits of all who will “flee” the coming wrath, and rejoice in the love and purpose of our Lord and Savior.  

May He be glorified – always!

 

“God – The Faithful”

 Scripture:   Matthew 21:21-22, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

 Last week, we considered the extent of God’s Perfection, that it exists because of who God is, and not by any standard that we can establish or even imagine.  And every true word in scripture that describes the LORD, comes from this one attribute – His Perfection.  Even the forgiveness that He offered us from Calvary comes through faith in Jesus Christ, and is based solely in this perfection that establishes it and guarantees it.

And everything that comes to us by faith – forgiveness, eternal life, love, power, truth, direction, purpose, and even faith itself – can only exist within us because it first belonged to God.  It is shown to us by God, and is given to us by God.

But you may say that while we need most of those things, and even more, why do we need faith?  Isn’t the LORD’s mercy enough for us to become worthy of His gifts?  The truth is that without faith, nothing else is possible, including divine mercy!  In Matthew  13:58 we read that even Jesus was unable to do any more than a few miracles in His hometown because the people didn’t believe in Him.  So every gift that God wishes to give us is totally dependent on whether we believe in Him and His word, or not.

Today, we consider the attribute of Faith – what faith can do within us, and what God’s faith means when it changes our lives.

 Read Matthew21:21-22

 This passage comes from the story of the fig tree that Jesus cursed because it was unable to bear fruit (Matthew 21:18-22).  Matthew has preserved this story, not because it’s about an unfruitful tree, but rather because it is about us.  The tree had leaves, but any semblance of fruit – a sign of the tree’s life – is missing from its limbs.  The significance of this parable is about those who have the outward appearance of faith – are a member of a church, attend worship, and even offer service to others - but who have never given their lives to Christ, and have never done a single thing that would give glory to God Almighty (Matthew 7:21-23).

 The fruit of the fig tree is nothing more than figs, but the Fruit that comes by the Spirit of God, those that we find in Galatians 5:22-26, are the special gifts that come from God, and through us, are passed on to others.  And when our life is devoid of Christ in His fullness, it is also empty of all other gifts of God, and we will become cursed by our own lack of faith.  But when we truly trust in the LORD and follow His ways, we will receive the gifts of God, like power and strength and wisdom and mercy and life, and these are to be used, not for our own glory, but for glorifying the LORD and the kingdom that He rules over.

 A number of years ago, Michael Card put out a song titled “That’s What Faith Must Be”.  The chorus tells us this - “To hear with our heart, to see with our soul, to be guided by a hand that I cannot hold, to trust in a way that I cannot see, that’s what faith must be.”

 And through the power of prayer, that is what our faith will be, too!

 Read 2 Timothy 2:11-13

 Here we have 4 sayings regarding faith.  The first two relate to the faith we have, while the last two apply when our faith is reflected in the fig tree.  It all comes down to the degree of trust that we place in the teachings of Jesus, which is where our faith originates. 

 Paul’s letter to the church in Rome (Romans 6:5-10) is the basis for the first of these sayings.  In this, he writes that when we die with Christ, we will also live with Him.  Of course, the death he writes about is our dying to sin, which allows the death of Christ to take our sin and destroy it’s power.  However, if we refuse to let our sin die, it will continue to live within us, and Christ’s death will have no hold over it. 

“If we died with Him, we will also live with Him.”  And without that death, there is no life.

 In Romans8:23-25, Paul again writes about this same thing, except that the theme here is patience, which is where endurance becomes the strongest.  Patience for what God has promised means that our hope in Christ will never fail, that even when the going gets rough, and it seems like the world is on the verge of winning, “endurance” in Jesus will always see us through.

 The last two take a turn, with the third saying – “disowning” - fitting with other passages.  In Mark 8:38 – “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words … the Son of Man will be ashamed of them …”.  Being ashamed of Jesus is what keeps us from claiming Him, with the result being that there can be no relationship – Jesus, and we, will both be “disowned”.

 But the fourth saying is the most important. If Paul had continued with his approach as evidenced in the others, it would logically read “If we are faithless in our life, He will be faithless in return” – IF God was logical that is!  We can, and must change, but God never changes!  His promises are always before us, and will never be taken away!  The faith of God is certainly different, isn’t it!  Even when we are faithless toward the LORD, His faith will remain strongly offered to us, and if our attitude ever changes toward Him, we will discover that God’s faithfulness is so powerful and consistent that the change that comes over us will amaze us.  All of God’s presence will come upon us, and the promise of Revelation 21:5  will come true for us – “Behold, I make all things new!”

 God’s faithfulness is what can, and will, make us new in Jesus Christ – it will be as though we had never sinned!  Why?  Because that’s how the LORD wants it.

 Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

 This is a great passage, with the key points being that there are many things that the LORD wants for our lives (“… this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”), but with each and every one of them, He also enables us to receive them, and empowers them to work within our lives.  And the passage ends with God’s promise to us all – “… the One who calls you is faithful …”) 

 Whether it is through the joy we have by faith, or through prayer, or in giving thanks, in receiving the Spirit’s fire, or claiming God’s prophecies, in testing the things we are given for God’s voice, or holding on to His goodness and rejecting all forms of evil – these are all evidence that we trust in the faithfulness and truth of the One and All Mighty God, the hope of our salvation, the promise of eternal life, the way of heaven, and the direction for this life.

 God never gives up on us, and will continue to nudge and call and show Himself, until the time comes when we finally let His gift of faithful living fill us.  He will always be faithful to who He is, for if He has promised it, He will do it.  No doubt, no question, and never any other way.

 May the faithfulness of God inspire each and every one of us to repay His gift of faith – that we might be as faithful to Him as He has always been to us.

 

“God – The Perfection”

Scripture: Isaiah 40:13-14, 18; Isaiah40:27-31; Romans 12:1-3

It’s been said, perhaps surprisingly, that many people today are searching for spiritual meaning in their lives.  Unfortunately, and probably not surprising, very few are looking for that meaning in our eternal, loving and perfect God!  But even more than that, the Church has also lost much of the passion and trust for Christ that has sustained the faith for two thousand years.  And striving to keep the words that Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:48 – “Be perfect, therefore, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” – no longer hold any purpose for many.

 Degradation of the faith may even be greater that we know. A. W. Tozer, in volume 1 of his “Attributes of God” (Wingspead Publishers, Chicago, IL, pg. 179) writes “And along with our loss of religious fear [comes] a corresponding flippancy and familiarity toward God that our fathers never knew.”  He wrote these words of warning nearly 70 years ago, and the loss has grown even greater.  Evil can easily so emerge within our lives, and begin to grow and consume those who, through their personal doubts in faith, open themselves to the destructive ways of Satan.

 When we begin to doubt God and His ways, we will soon allow our own imperfections to supplant the age old understanding that God, and God alone, is perfect in every way.  Today, we consider the attribute of Perfection that reassures us when we trust in the LORD’s truth.

 Read Isaiah 40:13-14, 18

 God’s infinite perfection is centered within every other characteristic that defines our LORD.  The power of His wisdom and understanding, the truth behind His every word and act, the extent of His authority over creation, and even the ability that enabled Him to solely create and order the heavens and the earth, comes about through the perfection of our Almighty God.  And the questions that the prophet asks regarding divine perfection should make the doubters and scoffers of this world question their own assumptions.  Consider the prophet’s words.

 “Who has understood the mind of the LORD?”  Think about it – how could the limited mental capacity of our confined brain even begin to comprehend the vastness of God’s wisdom.  How could our imperfect human understanding of those things of the universe even begin to qualify us to advise God on divine matters or even worse, to challenge His ways and plans?  And since God is the source of all things and of all truths, why would we ever imagine that the LORD could possibly be wrong, and that we, His infinitesimal and mortal creation, knows more and better that He does?

 The point is that God is unchanging, while we are constantly in the flux of change.  The Perfect who existed before anything else did, is the same today, tomorrow and yesterday (Hebrews 13:7-8), while our “today” can so easily be completely different than our “tomorrow”, and usually has little or no connection to our “yesterday”. (Job 8:8-15)  And the prophet asks a rhetorical question – who can we even begin to compare God to, either human, or image, or anything else that we can possibly imagine?  Of course, the only sensible answer has to be “There is nothing”!

 Read Isaiah40:27-31

 Israel had always questioned God’s ways, especially during their 40 years of wilderness life.  They accused Him of leading them out into the desert to starve to death, while that was never the plan. (Exodus16:2-3) Even after their needs were cared for, and manna and quail would be given to them every day, they would soon complain that the “menu” was too bland!

 Later, in the years following Solomon’s reign, their doubts and complaints would blossom into idol worship – they would put their trust in gods who could do absolutely nothing for the people! (1 Kings 14:8-9)   And even after Jesus came to redeem Israel and all people, failure to believe and trust in His divine perfection continued.  They, and we, find God’s way just a little too much of a stretch to accept completely, and we, and they, decided to put their own understandings above His. (Isaiah 55:6-11) And they, and we, will suffer for it.

 But for some unknown reason, we still think that we are either a lot smarter than God is, or that those things we do, say, and even think are in the “Darkness”, will never be known by the LORD.  Of course the Light of God exposes all things, and the darkness has no power to object.  But the prophet doesn’t stop with just chastising the nation – he begins offering a comparison between us and God! 

 The LORD is the everlasting God, while we, when we strike out on our own, become anything BUT eternal!

He is Creator of the ends of the earth, and then some!  Can we even come close to understand all of that, let alone our own little place in creation?

He never tires, and while I don’t know about you, I get tired every day! – otherwise why would we ever need to sleep, not to mention taking those great afternoon Naps!

And then he reminds us of God’s wonderful gifts – strength for the weary, and power for the weak.  He wants us to know that when we can’t, God can, and that He will give us all that we will ever need to accomplish those things that He would have us do, IF we will just trust in His way and plan for this life.

 Read Romans12:1-3

 There’s a lot about our relationship with God in these 3 verses, but let’s consider each issue in the context of our own life today, and not as though they are only about the lives that were lived in the 1^st century.

 First, God’s mercy, which is perfect in every way.  And that’s the point – God’s mercy – His kindness, His generosity, His love, His forgiveness has been extended to each and every person on earth through the blessed sacrifice that He has made through Jesus at Calvary.  God has made this great sacrifice on our behalf – one which we are totally incapable of making for Him.

Second, we are still called to make our own sacrifice, but not one of physical proportions.  Ours is to be spiritual in nature, or in other words, it is to be heart felt, and not one of our intellect.

Third, our sacrifice is to be the basis for our worship of God.  Without first giving our hearts, and surrendering our lives to the LORD, no matter what we may appear to do in the name of Jesus, it is worthless until we sacrifice our life in the world and claim the life that Jesus offers.  In Matthew 7:21-23, we read “this is our spiritual act of worship”

Fourth, reject the ways of earth, and be renewed in mind, heart, and strength.  God cannot begin working His way in our lives until we stop conforming our life to the style of the world’s way.  It’s all about where the focus of our life is placed – is it on the truth of the LORD, or is it on the lies of earth?  Jesus said that we need to decide, for if we try to live with one foot in the world, and one with Him, we will fail in both.  We can’t have it both ways. (Matthew 6:24)

Fifth, once we receive God’s transforming grace, it is only then that we will know what His will is for our lives.  He has great plans for each and every one of us, but until our life is only in Him, we will never understand what it is that He wants to give us.

Sixth, Paul reminds us of that passage from Isaiah 55:9, in which we are told “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  We are never to give our understanding, our desires, our plans more prestige than we give to God’s.  As a matter of fact, we must set our thoughts aside, if we have any hope of receiving His divine thoughts and word.

 God’s way is not only “higher” than the way of earth, it is absolute perfection, and as A.W. Tozer put it, perfection “is not lacking in anything and doesn’t have anything it shouldn’t have.” (“Attributes of God, Vol. 1”, Wingspead Publishers, Chicago, IL, pg. 183)

So what will it be for our lives – God’s perfection in word and call, or the world’s imperfection that is based completely in their deceptive ways.  May our decision be “perfect”!

“God - the Holy”

Scripture:   Isaiah 8:12-17; Revelation 3:7-11

 God is holy!  That seems to be a powerful theme of the Christian faith, but how powerful is it in the lives of humanity?  For some, the power of God is very evident in their lives, but for others, it seems to be so obviously lacking.  God’s Holiness does not mean that the LORD is unapproachable, it doesn’t mean that He is indifferent to our needs and concerns, and it definitely doesn’t mean that He doesn’t care whether we live a life with Him or not.

 The word “holy” simply means that God’s way is pure and right – a way that He also calls each one of us to live.  It isn’t a way that is kept secret, and it isn’t a way that is easy to live!  But holiness, God’s way for all who believe in His Son, is a call that is placed in the hearts and souls of His faithful.

 But if the LORD calls all to follow in His holy way,  why would so many refuse to accept that call?  The truth is that the way of earth is in constant conflict with the way of God, and people will always see it as an easier and more sensible option for their lives.  And many will always choose the easy way out.

 But the plan that our holy God has put in motion will never fail those who faithfully believe, and it will never surrender to the lies of earth.

 Read  Isaiah 8:12-17

 Israel had split into two nations – the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  The Assyrians were knocking on the door of both of these people, and destruction was growing ever nearer.  And why would the One who had selected these people to represent Him in the world allow this to ever happen?  Because the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom, and in time the remaining tribes in the south, had chosen to follow the ways of earth instead of the holy way of their LORD!

 The prophet Isaiah, as well as others, had been called to reveal the failures that the people had committed, as well as the promise that could restore them to the grace and love of God.  In this passage, the prophet begins by saying that the words he was about to speak were not his own, but rather those that had been given to him by Jehovah God.  And the general message?  That he was never to follow the ways that the people around him were living, that the only way for him was the true and divine way.  And the prophet realizes that these words were never meant solely for his own life, but for the lives of all who would listen. 

 The people are then told where they had missed the truth that God had given them.  They were living in the lies of earth, they were afraid to worship except in the ways of earth, and the only thing they truly feared was the change that they would have to make to come back to the purity, the holiness, of the LORD.  He had been offering His word and love to them throughout the ages, and even though they had turned away, holiness could even be theirs again, if they would only come back to the Truth.

 And if they return, the LORD’s protection – His “sanctuary” – will surround them and protect them from the coming disaster.  But if they won’t, the very words that they are hearing will become all too real for their lives.  Some believe that the hatred and pain that enters our lives is God’s vengeance at work for the sinful ways that we live.  But the truth is that the LORD’s way has nothing to do with retribution and punishment.  In John 3:16-17, we read that Christ came to earth for salvation, not condemnation – “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

 Is this promise too good to be true?  Apparently for some, it is!  Do some want condemnation?  Do some want God to be vindictive and hateful?  Or do they just think God’s way is wrong, and want Him to change His mind!  None of this is true, and none of it will ever come to be.  Holy is holy, regardless of what anyone may think, and the holiness of God is so pure, and so perfect, and so incredibly generous that we can only stand in awe of it.

 We are to hold this truth tightly, but even while we do that, we are to share it with all who will trust that the LORD’s word is true and is pure – and is holy beyond our greatest imagination!

 But is it forever?

 In the early chapters of Revelation, the LORD opens a letter to each of seven of His churches.  Some are chastised, some are forgiven, and 2 of them, Smyrna and Philadelphia, are praised for their faithful service in the holy name of Jesus. Today we consider one of those letters of praise.

 Read Revelation 3:7-11

 Several points are being made here:

The "key of David" is also referred to in Isaiah 22:20-24 – and the implication of this key is that it is the key to salvation.  It unlocks the door to heaven, and it is the Christ, and Him alone, who has been given the authority to possess and use this key.  If He uses it to unlock the door, no one else has the power to lock it again.  But if He locks the door to anyone, it remains locked and will never be allowed to open.

 Now while this may, at first glance, seem a bit random and condescending, the significance is simple – that faith in Jesus Christ is the key, and without the key, there is no access to the Father.  In John 14:6, the LORD tells us that “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Eternal life is that simple – faith in Jesus is the key to eternity, and there is no other way.  And this shows the importance of the holiness of God in Christ.  Holy truth never changes.  Holy faith brings acceptance.  And the absence of faith, the lack of holiness, can result in nothing other than condemnation.  Note that the absence of faith and trust and obedience is our own choice – condemnation is by our own decision, not by God’s desire or plan.

 Jesus Christ – the holy key of God – is before the people of this world, and whether we choose to claim its power or not, the choice is upon us and us alone.  And the message continues.  Apparently, the church at Philadelphia was not one of those mighty and powerful bodies, but that didn’t deter the faithful from rejoicing in the name of Jesus and never turning against that blessed name.  These should be words of encouragement for small churches all over the world who have little in the way of resources to minister and reach out to the world.  If all will just do what they can, with what they have, and in the way that God empowers them, the “Key” will turn in their favor.

 And the message that comes to us through John continues against the “synagogue of Satan”.  This refers to those communities who claim that they are great in the LORD, but who, in truth, are nothing more than “liars”, and they will suffer the same fate as Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 4:32-5:11.  These, throughout the centuries, are those who have perverted the word of God, who have strived to remake the Almighty into their own image.  These are the very ones to whom the “key of David” will never be used to open the door of salvation!  They will plead, they will beg, they will cry out, but when the door is locked, it can never be opened for them again. 

 And then there is verse 10 - patience in Christ.  It has little to do with turning the key, but it is a sign of trust in God.  The “patient” Christian is a complete Christian who believes that the word of Jesus is true (holy!), whenever it is going to be revealed!  And for those who are not especially strong, it helps to strength us in faith and trust that our holy God is our only hope in this life.

 And the final word is “Hold on to what you have”.  Notice that the holy word isn’t “work to get more”, or “change it if you don’t like it”, or “condemn those who don’t believe what you do”.  Whatever God has given us is enough!  And regardless of what we have, when it comes from God, it brings a blessing of holiness to our lives.

 The Father is the Holy whose plan of salvation makes this life worthwhile; Jesus is the Holy who holds the key of David and will be our “turn” of the lock; the Holy Spirit is the Holy who continues to remind us that Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life, and that He is the only one who will see us safely through that door and into eternity. 

Isn’t holiness something that we all should truly be rejoicing over?  And if so, why aren’t we doing it more often?