As I have wandered through David's 70+ Psalms I have been intrigued and surprised by some of his statements about God, many of which kind of fly in the face of what I have been taught and believed my whole life. One of the greatest lessons I have learned from David is to resist my cultural habit of making God into what I am comfortable with.
Here's an example, "The Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall see his face." Psalm 11:7 ESV
Having heard my whole life that no one can look on God's face and live, that statement from David has caused me to look more critically into what he Holy Spirit has revealed to us about the face of God. It is true that God told this to Moses at Exodus 33:20, but there are numerous other scripture references where God either said the opposite or he allowed men to look in his face and live.
I have no logical explanation for this apparent difference and feel no need to explain God's words or his actions. However, the idea of seeing God's face is truly a rather exciting prospect and something I am totally incapable of getting my mind around.
God is my Father and I love him as my Father but seeing his face isn't an event I can visualize or rehearse. He is very real to me and I long to see his face because he has given me everything I love and cherish. And, I am satisfied with the sure knowledge that my Father has revealed himself to all the human family in the face of his Son, Jesus Christ, so actually seeing his face isn't a real issue for me. But, it is an intriguing prospect. Kind of makes me think of Paul's self description at 2 Corinthians 12 about a man who was caught up to the third heaven who saw and heard things he could not even speak about.
This I know for certain - heaven will be way beyond anything I can even imagine right now. That doesn't frighten me and it shouldn't frighten any person of faith. It should be exciting and charge us with a renewed sense of destiny as we stumble around our own imperfect world. We will see things and experience some things that we wont be able to put into words. We will see Jesus. That's enough! HALLELUJAH!
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
THE ULTIMATE DEFINITION OF GOOD
Mark 10 records two graphic scenes that depict the heart of Jesus in two very different contexts. In the first he is seen reprimanding his disciples for attempting to prevent parents from bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed by him. His holy indignation at their misguided actions is obviously aimed at teaching them a very different truth about the heart of God the Father than they had ever known.
In the second scene, a young man of considerable wealth came to Jesus to ask what we might assume to be a serious question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus' response must have been a real shocker to the young man, especially since he felt confident that his commandment-keeping lifestyle had been intact from early boyhood.
But what truly intrigues me is Jesus' immediate response to the young man's question. Jesus sort of reprimands the young man for calling him "good master/teacher" with a question of his own, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."
David wrote: "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works." Psalm 145:17 NIV That is the best definition of "good" that I have ever read.
Jesus was right about God, comparatively there is no one "good" like God the Father. However, Jesus' comparison of himself is what intrigues me.
I have never EVER heard anyone make any kind of statement about Jesus that could be characterized as anything other than good. But, he seems to pretty severely reprimand the young man for calling him "good". He was/is good, but maybe the lesson for us is that nothing and no one compares to the absolute goodness of God our Father, not even his Son.
If there is anything in me that can be called "good", it is only because of what I have learned from God my Father. Maybe Jesus felt that way too. So did David. God is the uncaused first cause, not only with reference to the creation of our universe but with all that is good in it. Praise His holy name! HALLELUJAH!
In the second scene, a young man of considerable wealth came to Jesus to ask what we might assume to be a serious question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus' response must have been a real shocker to the young man, especially since he felt confident that his commandment-keeping lifestyle had been intact from early boyhood.
But what truly intrigues me is Jesus' immediate response to the young man's question. Jesus sort of reprimands the young man for calling him "good master/teacher" with a question of his own, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."
David wrote: "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works." Psalm 145:17 NIV That is the best definition of "good" that I have ever read.
Jesus was right about God, comparatively there is no one "good" like God the Father. However, Jesus' comparison of himself is what intrigues me.
I have never EVER heard anyone make any kind of statement about Jesus that could be characterized as anything other than good. But, he seems to pretty severely reprimand the young man for calling him "good". He was/is good, but maybe the lesson for us is that nothing and no one compares to the absolute goodness of God our Father, not even his Son.
If there is anything in me that can be called "good", it is only because of what I have learned from God my Father. Maybe Jesus felt that way too. So did David. God is the uncaused first cause, not only with reference to the creation of our universe but with all that is good in it. Praise His holy name! HALLELUJAH!
Monday, April 26, 2010
FAITH MAY NOT ALWAYS MAKE SENSE
Faith that expects God to make my life a smooth sail is both unrealistic and without any Biblical context. In both the Old and New Testaments, people of unshakable faith were subjected to some horrendous tragedies. Contemporary evidence abounds that even the most dedicated servants of God often experience the worst life can dish up. Such being the case, why would I even consider faith in God as a way of life. What's in it for me if I have no advantage over others who live a totally self-serving lifestyle?
Having had this conversation with literally thousands of men and women of all ages, I will admit that faith doesn't always seem to make sense. All people of faith have to face up to the difficulty of praying or trusting in faith when all seems bleak or even hopeless. It's one thing to sing and pray in trusting faith on Sunday but may be quite another deal on Monday if I am standing beside the hospital bed of my three year old who is fighting for her life following a tragic accident. I've been right there with a lot of great people who ask a lot more questions than I can answer.
If you are there now, struggling to believe, please don't give up, no matter what! Sit down in a secluded place, open your Bible to these words of David and think through it: "I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." Psalm 16:7-10 NIV
Read it over and over and try to see your situation from God's perspective. Poets, preachers and song writers have given the world an endless stream of pretty words to encourage the brokenhearted and discouraged, but it still always comes back to the point of decision - to doubt, reject altogether or believe.
Although David's words are said to be about Jesus (Acts 2:25), they're also true of all people of like faith. Jesus provides us with the firm example of faith in the face of tragic circumstances but even he too cried out in frustration to the Father. The picture of Jesus drawn by the Spirit at Hebrews 5:7-9 should encourage all of us who claim faith as our lifestyle, even when faith doesn't make sense. HALLELUJAH!
Having had this conversation with literally thousands of men and women of all ages, I will admit that faith doesn't always seem to make sense. All people of faith have to face up to the difficulty of praying or trusting in faith when all seems bleak or even hopeless. It's one thing to sing and pray in trusting faith on Sunday but may be quite another deal on Monday if I am standing beside the hospital bed of my three year old who is fighting for her life following a tragic accident. I've been right there with a lot of great people who ask a lot more questions than I can answer.
If you are there now, struggling to believe, please don't give up, no matter what! Sit down in a secluded place, open your Bible to these words of David and think through it: "I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." Psalm 16:7-10 NIV
Read it over and over and try to see your situation from God's perspective. Poets, preachers and song writers have given the world an endless stream of pretty words to encourage the brokenhearted and discouraged, but it still always comes back to the point of decision - to doubt, reject altogether or believe.
Although David's words are said to be about Jesus (Acts 2:25), they're also true of all people of like faith. Jesus provides us with the firm example of faith in the face of tragic circumstances but even he too cried out in frustration to the Father. The picture of Jesus drawn by the Spirit at Hebrews 5:7-9 should encourage all of us who claim faith as our lifestyle, even when faith doesn't make sense. HALLELUJAH!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
THE PSALMS & WORSHIP IN THE KINGDOM
Much of what we read in the Psalms isn't appropriate for Christians to sing, it's just too violent and hateful against others. David seems to always be in a turmoil because of one enemy or another and he repeatedly calls on God to do some terrible things to them and their families.
Reading the words of Jesus and His Apostles confirms their familiarity with these songs probably from early childhood. They were sung regularly by the Jews of Jesus' day and obviously to some extent by the first disciples of Jesus in the first century and beyond. In the New Testament the Psalms is the most quoted Old Testament book but the emphasis on military victory over one's enemies is absent from the dialogue.
Jesus taught a very different message than what is typically found in the Psalms of David. At the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus preached "You have heard it said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you , Love your enemies" etc. Matthew 5:43 There seems to be no such command anywhere in the Old Testament concerning one's enemies, but Jesus may have been referring to "hate your enemy" as a persistent theme found in the Psalms. At the time of Jesus' ministry, that certainly was the expectation of the Jews. i.e. that God would destroy their enemies and give them military and social superiority again.
After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the Holy Spirit began His ministry with the Apostles and qualified them to write the New Testament. I think they got the new message and learned to couple it with much that had been sung by their people for a lot of centuries.
David wrote:"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation" at Psalm 68:19 ESV The context of Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount sound a lot like the words of David that had been sung by the Jews for centuries. The Apostles carried the message of Jesus to their generation of Jews and Gentiles and achieved a mighty result.
Another example is Psalm 55:22, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you, He will not permit the righteous to be moved." Peter may have been thinking of this song he had sung many times when he wrote, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you, casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 Of course singing it in a song or repeating the words in a prayer is pretty simple, but actually taking the action is a much different process. However, singing and praying about it surely helps our spirit do it.
For me, singing the Psalms is something like eating fish with bones in it, you have to learn how to eat around those bones to enjoy the meal. I have learned to pray the Psalms with the full understanding of the times in which they were composed as a way to give glory to Yahweh and encourage the people. There is a huge blessing to be realized from all of the Psalms but we must always read them under the overshadowing of Jesus.
I am blessed today by the words of David and the other Psalmists, they give me a new vision of my Father that thrills my spirit often. Thank you Father for preserving these beautiful words for all generations of your family. HALLELUJAH!
Reading the words of Jesus and His Apostles confirms their familiarity with these songs probably from early childhood. They were sung regularly by the Jews of Jesus' day and obviously to some extent by the first disciples of Jesus in the first century and beyond. In the New Testament the Psalms is the most quoted Old Testament book but the emphasis on military victory over one's enemies is absent from the dialogue.
Jesus taught a very different message than what is typically found in the Psalms of David. At the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus preached "You have heard it said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you , Love your enemies" etc. Matthew 5:43 There seems to be no such command anywhere in the Old Testament concerning one's enemies, but Jesus may have been referring to "hate your enemy" as a persistent theme found in the Psalms. At the time of Jesus' ministry, that certainly was the expectation of the Jews. i.e. that God would destroy their enemies and give them military and social superiority again.
After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the Holy Spirit began His ministry with the Apostles and qualified them to write the New Testament. I think they got the new message and learned to couple it with much that had been sung by their people for a lot of centuries.
David wrote:"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation" at Psalm 68:19 ESV The context of Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount sound a lot like the words of David that had been sung by the Jews for centuries. The Apostles carried the message of Jesus to their generation of Jews and Gentiles and achieved a mighty result.
Another example is Psalm 55:22, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you, He will not permit the righteous to be moved." Peter may have been thinking of this song he had sung many times when he wrote, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you, casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 Of course singing it in a song or repeating the words in a prayer is pretty simple, but actually taking the action is a much different process. However, singing and praying about it surely helps our spirit do it.
For me, singing the Psalms is something like eating fish with bones in it, you have to learn how to eat around those bones to enjoy the meal. I have learned to pray the Psalms with the full understanding of the times in which they were composed as a way to give glory to Yahweh and encourage the people. There is a huge blessing to be realized from all of the Psalms but we must always read them under the overshadowing of Jesus.
I am blessed today by the words of David and the other Psalmists, they give me a new vision of my Father that thrills my spirit often. Thank you Father for preserving these beautiful words for all generations of your family. HALLELUJAH!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
DAVID'S AWESOME VISION OF GOD - AND JESUS
David often wrote songs that depict the many visions he had of Yahweh. Virtually all of them contain some element of God's absolute superiority and control over both the human family and the unseen world. Here is one example: "Sing praises to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song to Him who rides through the desert, His name is the Lord....You ascended on high leading a host of captives in your train, and receiving gift from men." Psalm 68:4,18 ESV
All of this Psalm is about the actions of Yahweh and like most of David's Psalms, it contains a military emphasis on how God conquers those who think they have the upper hand. David affirms that to never be the case. He wrote, "The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai to His sanctuary", which relates back to the time of Moses when he met God on that mountain to receive the Law.
But, this Psalm is actually about Jesus, what He would do. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 at Ephesians 4:8 and applies David's vision to Jesus. He does make a minor revision saying when Jesus ascended on high, He "gave gifts to men". As the one to whom the Father has given all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18) Jesus Christ now reigns as Lord. This is the message of the book of Revelation.
Paul knew David's vision was about Jesus because Jesus told him the He had descended into the unseen world and after His resurrection ascended back to the Father. We cant actually know if Paul had some kind of vision that is comparable to what David saw in his own mind, but whatever David envisioned, Jesus accomplished.
Today we, all Christians, serve a Master and King who has been enthroned in heaven at the Father's right hand and eagerly await His coming to take us there too. Maybe David saw what I see by faith. I certainly love how he ended his vision, "You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God." Psalm 68:35 HALLELUJAH!
All of this Psalm is about the actions of Yahweh and like most of David's Psalms, it contains a military emphasis on how God conquers those who think they have the upper hand. David affirms that to never be the case. He wrote, "The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai to His sanctuary", which relates back to the time of Moses when he met God on that mountain to receive the Law.
But, this Psalm is actually about Jesus, what He would do. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18 at Ephesians 4:8 and applies David's vision to Jesus. He does make a minor revision saying when Jesus ascended on high, He "gave gifts to men". As the one to whom the Father has given all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18) Jesus Christ now reigns as Lord. This is the message of the book of Revelation.
Paul knew David's vision was about Jesus because Jesus told him the He had descended into the unseen world and after His resurrection ascended back to the Father. We cant actually know if Paul had some kind of vision that is comparable to what David saw in his own mind, but whatever David envisioned, Jesus accomplished.
Today we, all Christians, serve a Master and King who has been enthroned in heaven at the Father's right hand and eagerly await His coming to take us there too. Maybe David saw what I see by faith. I certainly love how he ended his vision, "You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God." Psalm 68:35 HALLELUJAH!
Monday, March 1, 2010
CLINGING TO GOD
David wrote: "You have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:7-8 ESV
I have found faith to be a truly amazing gift. Along with hope and love, faith only grows stronger with age and experience because it is timeless, limitless, universally possible at all times for all people of faith. Even in the most fear inducing times, people of faith rise above the threat of the moment and cling to God because they always know He will hold on to them no matter what.
David learned how faith is the 24/7/365 sustainer of all that is good about life in
God's house. As people of faith we always reach a point where we look up because no matter how hard Satan tries to discourage us we always know his limitations have been forever exposed by Jesus our Lord, Savior and High Priest.
Paul said the three things that remain are faith, hope and love. (1 Cor 13:13) Because of what remains, people of faith always know how every up and down of life will finally turn out, so its all good. We always know to cling to God because He too clings to us. I really like that word cling. It feels truly heavenly to have my Father cling to me and hold me in his right hand. HALLELUJAH!
I have found faith to be a truly amazing gift. Along with hope and love, faith only grows stronger with age and experience because it is timeless, limitless, universally possible at all times for all people of faith. Even in the most fear inducing times, people of faith rise above the threat of the moment and cling to God because they always know He will hold on to them no matter what.
David learned how faith is the 24/7/365 sustainer of all that is good about life in
God's house. As people of faith we always reach a point where we look up because no matter how hard Satan tries to discourage us we always know his limitations have been forever exposed by Jesus our Lord, Savior and High Priest.
Paul said the three things that remain are faith, hope and love. (1 Cor 13:13) Because of what remains, people of faith always know how every up and down of life will finally turn out, so its all good. We always know to cling to God because He too clings to us. I really like that word cling. It feels truly heavenly to have my Father cling to me and hold me in his right hand. HALLELUJAH!
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