Thursday, April 29, 2010
The Power of God's Word--Changed Lives
I am here to say the word of God has no power unless it is couched in life, fleshed out in living. Of what value to me is His word unless it creates change in my life or someone else's. Is it not a catalyst that creates a difference in that which it touches while itself remains the same? And unless it takes me to more change, or reality and sobriety, why should I count it of worth? Or why should anyone else consider its claims by my lips if he doesn’t see its power in my life--a life different than theirs? It is almost only as it is lived out by its proclaimers that it finds power in the life of the one to whom it is proclaimed. I say almost because the Word has power in itself without any external witness unto it. Unfortunately, it is often only the characters within its pages that are the real testimony of its power to others--the prophets, apostles, specified individuals and, of course, the Lord Himself. This is because so few of us who profess Christ really live in Him, through Him and as Him. Though not exactly God’s plan, the power of their testimony is sufficient to lead others to faith in Christ and eternal life. Even so, let us not allow the pages of Scripture to be the only life testimony to others. We must be so ourselves.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Why Art Thou Cast Down
Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (NKJV)
Three times the psalmist asked himself why he was cast down, or discouraged or disquieted within himself. Three times he admonished himself to hope in God, for God shall surly raise him up and give him cause to praise and thank Him again. Three times he says this, twice in one psalm and once in the following. Three times the seraphim declared God to be holy(Is. 6). Three times the LORD called on the people of all the earth to hear the hear His word, saying, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD" (Jeremiah 22:29). Three times it is said God gave up or over those who will not repent of their sin and accept His truth (Rm. 1:24, 26, 28), meaning He would leave them to their own devices from then on. He would not visit them again or give them another opportunity to repent and be saved. They would be lost forever, having no more hope for redemption. They had made up their minds and He confirmed them in it. They cannot even want to repent now, for God will never again move on them with His Spirit.
But what I wanted to bring out by mentioning the times God said something three times is that when He does so He is demanding our attention to the fullest. He always means business, but at these times He is intensely trying to get our attention. We must hear and heed what He says, especially at these times. So here, in these Psalms, regarding this repetition of the psalmist, let us give heed. Though we should be cast down and depressed and disquieted within ourselves, God will yet make a way for us and we shall praise Him. There shall never be a time when He will not bring us back up from the doldrums of despair--even the worst sort. We shall ever praise Him for His goodness to us.
In praise we both glorify Him by telling of His goodness and greatness to others and even to ourselves and Him, and we give thanks to Him for His goodness to us. The same word (יָדָה yadah) is translated both ways (praise and thanks) in the Psalms (here and Ps. 107, for instance). We never praise Him but what we give thanks, and we never give thanks to Him but what we praise. The two thoughts are ever together. We may be only intending the one, but the other is ever there. To praise God is to proclaim His worth. When we thank Him we declare His worth, for His kindness to us causes us to speak of what He did for us with a heart of rejoicing and gladness and appreciation.
We may be in the doldrums now, but we need not despair. We shall yet praise Him for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to us. Do not complain, but declare His praise!
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. (NKJV)
Three times the psalmist asked himself why he was cast down, or discouraged or disquieted within himself. Three times he admonished himself to hope in God, for God shall surly raise him up and give him cause to praise and thank Him again. Three times he says this, twice in one psalm and once in the following. Three times the seraphim declared God to be holy(Is. 6). Three times the LORD called on the people of all the earth to hear the hear His word, saying, "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD" (Jeremiah 22:29). Three times it is said God gave up or over those who will not repent of their sin and accept His truth (Rm. 1:24, 26, 28), meaning He would leave them to their own devices from then on. He would not visit them again or give them another opportunity to repent and be saved. They would be lost forever, having no more hope for redemption. They had made up their minds and He confirmed them in it. They cannot even want to repent now, for God will never again move on them with His Spirit.
But what I wanted to bring out by mentioning the times God said something three times is that when He does so He is demanding our attention to the fullest. He always means business, but at these times He is intensely trying to get our attention. We must hear and heed what He says, especially at these times. So here, in these Psalms, regarding this repetition of the psalmist, let us give heed. Though we should be cast down and depressed and disquieted within ourselves, God will yet make a way for us and we shall praise Him. There shall never be a time when He will not bring us back up from the doldrums of despair--even the worst sort. We shall ever praise Him for His goodness to us.
In praise we both glorify Him by telling of His goodness and greatness to others and even to ourselves and Him, and we give thanks to Him for His goodness to us. The same word (יָדָה yadah) is translated both ways (praise and thanks) in the Psalms (here and Ps. 107, for instance). We never praise Him but what we give thanks, and we never give thanks to Him but what we praise. The two thoughts are ever together. We may be only intending the one, but the other is ever there. To praise God is to proclaim His worth. When we thank Him we declare His worth, for His kindness to us causes us to speak of what He did for us with a heart of rejoicing and gladness and appreciation.
We may be in the doldrums now, but we need not despair. We shall yet praise Him for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to us. Do not complain, but declare His praise!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A Response to a Friend--Morality Not Up For Grabs
One of my friends (not just on facebook) posted a sample of the type of conversations he has with some of his wife's liberal friends. They, of course, love everything ungodly (possibly an overstatement) and try to defend their positions with illogical and irrational arguments--the only type of arguments that one can argue against truth and Biblical godliness. I commented on his post and now share my comments with you.
When one wants something he/she can find a way to justify it and, or get it. But neither the wanting or getting is justifiable in all cases. Morality is one of those cases. Morality IS and cannot be changed, whether or not one likes it. If society creates morality, which is a main feature in such arguments as you presented, then where is my voice? I am a part of society. And what right does the rest of society have to foist upon me their wishes? Is that not the very thing these people who want to redefine everything they don't like complaining about? They seem to think it is OK for them to foist their views on others--even if, as in the case of same-sex marriage (via the voting booth), the strong majority doesn't want it. If such large percentages of people in society don't want same-sex marriage, and if society (not a Deity) determines morality, then why do the critics continue on? Have they not gotten what they want, a society-based morality? And why do they want a society-based morality? Is it not so they can change it at their whim? A God-determined morality is set eternally, or until the Deity changes. For the God of the Bible (the only God there is or ever has been or every will be) to change is an impossibility for His nature is eternal and immutable. We had best thank Him for that. "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). For there to be a variability in God, as there is in us, would not be a good thing. Were there, the wicked would have been cut off at the start of their wickedness instead of His waiting for a day of judgment with a view to their repentance by which they will receive forgiveness and justification and regeneration by the very God they despise, but Who loves them to such a degree and in such a way as to give His own Son, Jesus Christ, in torment and death that they might have this forgiveness and justification and regeneration. The One they hate is the One who wants them for His own children. Could and should they understand this they might have a very different attitude toward Him---and a very different eternal destiny as a result.
More could be said, but enough has been--for now.
When one wants something he/she can find a way to justify it and, or get it. But neither the wanting or getting is justifiable in all cases. Morality is one of those cases. Morality IS and cannot be changed, whether or not one likes it. If society creates morality, which is a main feature in such arguments as you presented, then where is my voice? I am a part of society. And what right does the rest of society have to foist upon me their wishes? Is that not the very thing these people who want to redefine everything they don't like complaining about? They seem to think it is OK for them to foist their views on others--even if, as in the case of same-sex marriage (via the voting booth), the strong majority doesn't want it. If such large percentages of people in society don't want same-sex marriage, and if society (not a Deity) determines morality, then why do the critics continue on? Have they not gotten what they want, a society-based morality? And why do they want a society-based morality? Is it not so they can change it at their whim? A God-determined morality is set eternally, or until the Deity changes. For the God of the Bible (the only God there is or ever has been or every will be) to change is an impossibility for His nature is eternal and immutable. We had best thank Him for that. "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). For there to be a variability in God, as there is in us, would not be a good thing. Were there, the wicked would have been cut off at the start of their wickedness instead of His waiting for a day of judgment with a view to their repentance by which they will receive forgiveness and justification and regeneration by the very God they despise, but Who loves them to such a degree and in such a way as to give His own Son, Jesus Christ, in torment and death that they might have this forgiveness and justification and regeneration. The One they hate is the One who wants them for His own children. Could and should they understand this they might have a very different attitude toward Him---and a very different eternal destiny as a result.
More could be said, but enough has been--for now.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Grace
Grace is the unwarranted favor of God bestowed freely, without expectation of return. Grace, though, is sometimes the descriptive used to denote the gift or enabling given. In other words, grace is itself the gift given. For example, someone might say he had grace to get through a particularly tough day. What is meant by that is he was strengthened by the Lord to meet the trials of the day. God graciously gave the strength and so it is referred to as grace itself. In this venue, grace is sometimes the discipline to live the Christian life. Discipline, I say, must be worked at. It does not come automatically, as its definition, self-control, determines. Control is something one enacts in and for himself. It must be exercised. And it is this grace that more than not makes life worth living and our Christian life useful.
One caution, though, must be made. This self-control which we call discipline must not be enacted by self-strength, as if we possessed such ability. No. It is the act of God in us, an act of grace. He enables us to be disciplined and use, or act-out, that enabling. This thought is proclaimed in Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (NASB). And the apostle Paul, recognizing this grace of God bestowed on him, said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1Corinthians 15:1, NASB). The entirety of the Christian life must be lived in full dependence on the Lord.
One caution, though, must be made. This self-control which we call discipline must not be enacted by self-strength, as if we possessed such ability. No. It is the act of God in us, an act of grace. He enables us to be disciplined and use, or act-out, that enabling. This thought is proclaimed in Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (NASB). And the apostle Paul, recognizing this grace of God bestowed on him, said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1Corinthians 15:1, NASB). The entirety of the Christian life must be lived in full dependence on the Lord.
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