I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands, and among the lamp stands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Revelations 1:12-16
The first thing that I want you to notice about John's encounter with the Lord is that it was a personal encounter. Each of us is called to a personal encounter with the Lord. Sometimes they are awe inspiring and magnificent other times they are ordinary and mundane. Your message may not seem profound to you, but it is profound to God, because to Him it is personal. I have a friend who had such an encounter, he was given one word, “sing” another was told “do my work.” God wants to speak to his people. I know some believers over use “God said” but I am more concerned for believers who never say, “God said” our God is a talking God.
In regards to the lamp stands and stars the Bible tells us what they mean. “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.” Revelations 1:20. John is writing letters dictated by God to angels and churches with specific geographic regions. There appears to be a mutually accountability between the angelic realm and the individual's role in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. Daniel 10 is most informative about this issue.
An angel is speaking to Daniel, he says “Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” Daniel 10: 12-13 The prince of Persia and Michael are both referencing angels in this passage.
This verse confirms angelic rank, and geographic assignment consistent with John’s writing. It tells us that some messages don’t get to us without a fight wrought in the ring of fasting and prayer. John Bunyan said, “pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God and a scourge to Satan. Martyn Lloyd Jones encourages us to always obey the impulse to pray. The message of John is birthed by such an impulse. What would God birth through us if we obeyed the impulse to pray? What limitations have we placed on ourselves by not shielding our souls and scourging Satan?
I pray that each one reading this blog will enter a new realm of praying, beginning with its writer. That we will see more, believe bigger and hear clearer. John message was personal. Ours is too. God wants us to know the height and width of his love. He does that by laboring beside us and speaking with us throughout the task. John's task was to take dictation in heaven. Do you really believe that God needs a secretary? No, he does not but the Son of man, a term associated with his total dominion over all things, condescends to fellowship with mankind. That fellowship is even shared in prayer. “our father, who art in heaven” Jesus says.
The Apostle Paul said in regards to his prayer “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
The full measure involves relationship with the angelic realm that is overlooked in modern Christian experience 1 Corinthians 6:3, indicates that we will judge angels. Most commentators seem to limit that judgment to fallen angels only. The how and the why are not clear in this passage. As we continue in future blogs on the book of Revelations I am trying to understand why God wrote both to angels and churches in these passages, what is clear is they too receive assignments from a white haired, blazing eyed robed man, who just happens to be the Lord God Almighty
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Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Not a Shelf but a Shout
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” Revelations 1:9-11
Each of the Apostles writes from a personal perspective that invites us to fellowship with them, John describes himself as a brother and a companion. He does not see himself as a mystic or a guru or demigod. Beware of spiritual rankings; they are always attempts to make men more like gods than to acknowledge that God became a man. John paints himself as man in fellowship with God. He writes, “Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” but not until he first says, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us” John is concerned with delivering a message that leads us to relationship with the Godhead and he wants the message of that fellowship to be based on truth. “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” The truth is that the life a Christian leads should be hard. We are only John companion if there is a measure of suffering within the kingdom that requires some patient endurance.
John is an old exiled man when he is writing to us. He must have concluded that he was done and put on a shelf until his passing into glory. Wearied with age biblepath.com states, “he had to be carried to the church in the arms of his disciples. At these meetings, he was accustomed to say no more than, "Little children, love one another!" After a time, the disciples wearied at always hearing the same words, asked, "Master, why do you always say this?" "It is the Lord's command," was his reply. "And if this alone be done, it is enough!" I do not know the veracity of this story I do know that it is keeping with the character of the man who laid upon the breast of his savior.
Patmos was the shelf in which the living epistle of John the beloved was to collect dust and grow silent. It becomes the setting of pen placed on scrolled parchment that would roll through the history of mankind and call us to awe at the majesty of the master.
John was worshipping on the Lord’s Day, the seventh or the first day of the week, when Jesus spoke to him and said write and send. They were messages for specific churches in John’s generation and the things that were written to them were written for our example. I am cautious of teaching that tries to divide the churches into ages and epochs. Numerous scholars share this caution, to quote only one;
“The Seven Churches are representative of all churches everywhere in all time. There is no sound reason to make these to represent 7 progressive historical periods of the church age. All attempts to do this are transparently artificial. There are churches having these kinds of problems in every generation." - Willard Ramsey, in "Zion's Glad Morning."
I want to find Jesus’ message to me and to you in each of comments these churches. I hope you will join me in patient endurance as we journey through the word of the Lord as recorded in the book of Revelations. Like John, we might believe that you have been put on a shelf, but the greatest illuminations of the Word of God are in front of you not behind you. Rise Up! Hear the Trumpet Blast of him whose voice is like rushing water. You may fall down as dead, but you will rise up with the Word of the Lord in your mouth.
Each of the Apostles writes from a personal perspective that invites us to fellowship with them, John describes himself as a brother and a companion. He does not see himself as a mystic or a guru or demigod. Beware of spiritual rankings; they are always attempts to make men more like gods than to acknowledge that God became a man. John paints himself as man in fellowship with God. He writes, “Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” but not until he first says, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us” John is concerned with delivering a message that leads us to relationship with the Godhead and he wants the message of that fellowship to be based on truth. “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” The truth is that the life a Christian leads should be hard. We are only John companion if there is a measure of suffering within the kingdom that requires some patient endurance.
John is an old exiled man when he is writing to us. He must have concluded that he was done and put on a shelf until his passing into glory. Wearied with age biblepath.com states, “he had to be carried to the church in the arms of his disciples. At these meetings, he was accustomed to say no more than, "Little children, love one another!" After a time, the disciples wearied at always hearing the same words, asked, "Master, why do you always say this?" "It is the Lord's command," was his reply. "And if this alone be done, it is enough!" I do not know the veracity of this story I do know that it is keeping with the character of the man who laid upon the breast of his savior.
Patmos was the shelf in which the living epistle of John the beloved was to collect dust and grow silent. It becomes the setting of pen placed on scrolled parchment that would roll through the history of mankind and call us to awe at the majesty of the master.
John was worshipping on the Lord’s Day, the seventh or the first day of the week, when Jesus spoke to him and said write and send. They were messages for specific churches in John’s generation and the things that were written to them were written for our example. I am cautious of teaching that tries to divide the churches into ages and epochs. Numerous scholars share this caution, to quote only one;
“The Seven Churches are representative of all churches everywhere in all time. There is no sound reason to make these to represent 7 progressive historical periods of the church age. All attempts to do this are transparently artificial. There are churches having these kinds of problems in every generation." - Willard Ramsey, in "Zion's Glad Morning."
I want to find Jesus’ message to me and to you in each of comments these churches. I hope you will join me in patient endurance as we journey through the word of the Lord as recorded in the book of Revelations. Like John, we might believe that you have been put on a shelf, but the greatest illuminations of the Word of God are in front of you not behind you. Rise Up! Hear the Trumpet Blast of him whose voice is like rushing water. You may fall down as dead, but you will rise up with the Word of the Lord in your mouth.
Friday, February 17, 2012
The Nature, Reason, and Necessity of the Coming of the Lord
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelations 1:7-8
When we meditate on the coming of the Lord we are three things I would encourage the reader to consider. One is the nature of is coming, another is the reason for his coming, lastly we should think about the necessity of his coming. The nature of Christ coming is glorious and omnipresent. This is a Jesus that somehow fills the sky. Some have conjectured that we will all see him because of mass media. The same logic is used around the judgments later in this book around nuclear weapons. God does not need television or the internet to reveal himself to mankind and he does not need nuclear weapons to destroy portions of the earth. He is God all by himself and capable of accomplishing what he desires outside of human agency. However it is neither, glory or judgment that our savior is revealing, it is pierced hands and feet. Despite his glory and strength he purposes to remind us of his suffering. This suffering produces a mourning population.
I would like to suggest that there will be two types of mourners on that great day. There will be those that cry out in repentance for the lack of gratitude and acknowledgement of the savior, the second group will be those who despise his coming because it creates accountability for the unrighteousness that they so dearly love.
What is the reason for the coming of the savior? We know that it is not discontent with heaven. Heaven is our savior’s natural home. John 17:5 indicates his desire to be there when Jesus cries out, “now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” The reason for his coming is that God might unite himself with mankind. His coming is associated with the resurrection of the righteous. There is debate about the timing of this resurrection but no one argues the promise of the resurrection who is a believing Christian. Paul the Apostle excitedly writes about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55,
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The coming of the Lord is the consummation of the bringing together the family of God. The scriptures describe this family as a bride being prepared for its groom. I am filled with joy as I think about fellowship with men and women of old, from ancient times who served God obediently in their generations. I look forward to living in a land in that is Governed by the Lord himself, where justice and mercy are witnessed in every decision that is made by him. These are but a few of the reasons for his coming and they are marvelous to think about.
Finally I would like you to think about the necessity of his coming. One of those great resurrected saints Robert Robinson 1735- 1790 wrote “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love” If that is true of saints that love God how much truer for those that reject his love and goodness, Matthew 24:22 records the words of Jesus, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” 2 Timothy 3 describes the nature of the last days. “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
The necessity of Jesus return is that we who believe do not come to imitate those who do not. It is so those who have the strength to endure temptation and awful persecution do not have to do so in vain. The necessity of Christ return is for the salvation of the human race that God himself has chosen to identify with permanently through his only son, the God man Jesus Christ. He also make all who believe God’s sons and daughters as well.
John 1: 12-13 connect the Son of God with the sons and daughters of God for Jesus is “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
His coming is Glorious, His coming is has purpose and reason in the mind of God, His coming is necessary. Amen
When we meditate on the coming of the Lord we are three things I would encourage the reader to consider. One is the nature of is coming, another is the reason for his coming, lastly we should think about the necessity of his coming. The nature of Christ coming is glorious and omnipresent. This is a Jesus that somehow fills the sky. Some have conjectured that we will all see him because of mass media. The same logic is used around the judgments later in this book around nuclear weapons. God does not need television or the internet to reveal himself to mankind and he does not need nuclear weapons to destroy portions of the earth. He is God all by himself and capable of accomplishing what he desires outside of human agency. However it is neither, glory or judgment that our savior is revealing, it is pierced hands and feet. Despite his glory and strength he purposes to remind us of his suffering. This suffering produces a mourning population.
I would like to suggest that there will be two types of mourners on that great day. There will be those that cry out in repentance for the lack of gratitude and acknowledgement of the savior, the second group will be those who despise his coming because it creates accountability for the unrighteousness that they so dearly love.
What is the reason for the coming of the savior? We know that it is not discontent with heaven. Heaven is our savior’s natural home. John 17:5 indicates his desire to be there when Jesus cries out, “now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” The reason for his coming is that God might unite himself with mankind. His coming is associated with the resurrection of the righteous. There is debate about the timing of this resurrection but no one argues the promise of the resurrection who is a believing Christian. Paul the Apostle excitedly writes about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55,
“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The coming of the Lord is the consummation of the bringing together the family of God. The scriptures describe this family as a bride being prepared for its groom. I am filled with joy as I think about fellowship with men and women of old, from ancient times who served God obediently in their generations. I look forward to living in a land in that is Governed by the Lord himself, where justice and mercy are witnessed in every decision that is made by him. These are but a few of the reasons for his coming and they are marvelous to think about.
Finally I would like you to think about the necessity of his coming. One of those great resurrected saints Robert Robinson 1735- 1790 wrote “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love” If that is true of saints that love God how much truer for those that reject his love and goodness, Matthew 24:22 records the words of Jesus, “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” 2 Timothy 3 describes the nature of the last days. “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
The necessity of Jesus return is that we who believe do not come to imitate those who do not. It is so those who have the strength to endure temptation and awful persecution do not have to do so in vain. The necessity of Christ return is for the salvation of the human race that God himself has chosen to identify with permanently through his only son, the God man Jesus Christ. He also make all who believe God’s sons and daughters as well.
John 1: 12-13 connect the Son of God with the sons and daughters of God for Jesus is “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
His coming is Glorious, His coming is has purpose and reason in the mind of God, His coming is necessary. Amen
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Greeting from God and the Spirits in Sky
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirit before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelations 1: 4-5
John starts by addressing seven churches. Seven is not the same as one. God never intended for all his churches to look, act and smell alike. They are geographic churches with weaknesses and strengths. They were churches that God knew would change with time and circumstance. He also knew that change causes stress he therefore blesses with peace and focuses on God who is the same yesterday today and forever. The second half of the greeting is very interesting; it is a greeting from the spirits before the throne. Speaking about angels is popular but I don’t think we meditate on their role in our lives enough.
The first thing that we should remember about angels, heavenly or hellish, is that they are old. They have been looking upon the condition of mankind for a long time. The angels around the throne, they are cheering the church on. They want us to succeed and are allowed at times to help us along. We don’t know them but they know us. I have grandchildren that I have never seen face to face. They don’t know me, but I know them. I love them as I do those who have been in my home many times. Our relationship with angels is like this. They are sending greeting to those whose lives they have observed and been a part of even as family separated by distance. My favorite verse to meditate on in regards to the topic of Angels is Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” There is a security that comes from this verse that we should always experience. I am always a “little one” in my father’s eyes and I know that he is watching me.
The greeting does not end with angels however but with the man who is God, who is and will be King of kings and Lord of lords. Why men reject such a benevolent God is a great question but it is answered easily when we witness the hardness of men’s hearts. Jesus is the greatest of these witnesses and the one whose rule must prevail. William Booth founder of the Salvation Army said all people must be either be pardoned or punished.
The book of Revelation details many of the punishments to come. The prophet Zechariah wrote of Jesus’ Kingship on earth and of his throne in Jerusalem. “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves “On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the LORD. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.’ Zechariah 12”4-5
The severity of his judgment is proportional the generosity of his pardon. God became man!!!! The distance between God and man is greater than the distance between man and dog, but I no man would become a dog, especially for a dog that bites the hand that feeds it. Man has been a dog that has bit not just the hands of his master, but his creator. Jesus will show us his bite marks himself when he comes again and no one will be free from accusation. All sin is sin against God and God alone.
Revelations 1:5-8 brings us from creator to redeemer, and blest are those who read these words aloud!
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirit before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Revelations 1: 4-5
John starts by addressing seven churches. Seven is not the same as one. God never intended for all his churches to look, act and smell alike. They are geographic churches with weaknesses and strengths. They were churches that God knew would change with time and circumstance. He also knew that change causes stress he therefore blesses with peace and focuses on God who is the same yesterday today and forever. The second half of the greeting is very interesting; it is a greeting from the spirits before the throne. Speaking about angels is popular but I don’t think we meditate on their role in our lives enough.
The first thing that we should remember about angels, heavenly or hellish, is that they are old. They have been looking upon the condition of mankind for a long time. The angels around the throne, they are cheering the church on. They want us to succeed and are allowed at times to help us along. We don’t know them but they know us. I have grandchildren that I have never seen face to face. They don’t know me, but I know them. I love them as I do those who have been in my home many times. Our relationship with angels is like this. They are sending greeting to those whose lives they have observed and been a part of even as family separated by distance. My favorite verse to meditate on in regards to the topic of Angels is Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” There is a security that comes from this verse that we should always experience. I am always a “little one” in my father’s eyes and I know that he is watching me.
The greeting does not end with angels however but with the man who is God, who is and will be King of kings and Lord of lords. Why men reject such a benevolent God is a great question but it is answered easily when we witness the hardness of men’s hearts. Jesus is the greatest of these witnesses and the one whose rule must prevail. William Booth founder of the Salvation Army said all people must be either be pardoned or punished.
The book of Revelation details many of the punishments to come. The prophet Zechariah wrote of Jesus’ Kingship on earth and of his throne in Jerusalem. “On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves “On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the LORD. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.’ Zechariah 12”4-5
The severity of his judgment is proportional the generosity of his pardon. God became man!!!! The distance between God and man is greater than the distance between man and dog, but I no man would become a dog, especially for a dog that bites the hand that feeds it. Man has been a dog that has bit not just the hands of his master, but his creator. Jesus will show us his bite marks himself when he comes again and no one will be free from accusation. All sin is sin against God and God alone.
Revelations 1:5-8 brings us from creator to redeemer, and blest are those who read these words aloud!
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Monday, February 13, 2012
When The Grace Runs Out
The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what, must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Revelations 1: 1-3
I enter into a series of blogs on the book of Revelations with an eye for adventure. I have a specific theology around end times that I will keep disclosed for now. I approach each blog as an individual unit, unless otherwise designated. They are designed to be a meal for sheep looking for food in contrast the theology written in stone. That will be my approach to this book that sets off so much theological debate. Where it is appropriate and I see the necessity to do so I will address doctrinal issues. Theology is a starch and is necessary for our nutrition. Doctrine is the human energy it creates. I will try to give each appropriate attention.
We begin with a distinction without a difference in verse 1. What God gives Jesus belongs to Jesus as God. The purpose of the giving is that Jesus as man can share it with men as a man. Such is the Revelation from Jesus Christ that John the Apostle shares with humanity. The revelation is not a private one but global and impacts the reader when it is shared publicly. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy.” Much of the imagery of the book of revelations is mysterious and frightening. It is designed to move us to a sense of awe in its reading.
Ravi Zacharias describes one type of knowledge as “a wash” It is the type of knowledge that you hear and don’t know what to do with it. It washes over you and overwhelms the senses. The book of Revelations is like that in it first readings. In order to “hear it and take to heart what is written in it” you need to hear again and again. What it does is create a sense of urgency in you about the coming of the Lord. This urgency has held firm in believers who embrace this book from the first century to the present.
John did not just hear the words of Jesus Christ but saw the revelation as being there. He saw the future conflicts between good and evil that would transpire at the end of time. The comfort that comes from this book is from Jesus himself. He begins his comfort with John and extends it to us. When John saw him, him fell at his feet as though dead. Then Jesus placed his right hand on him and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelations 1:18. The Lord uses the book of Revelations to catapult us to a future of dread yet one filled with hope.
The book of Revelations could be titled “when the grace runs out” that should create dread, but for the believer it is a time when the evils are men are judged by one who is impartial, fair, and merciful. The book closes with evil forever quarantined and in the personages of those who hate God, both angelic and human cursing the God who created them in love. They are without repentance and if they continued in their labors evil the elect would be deceived.
I enter into a series of blogs on the book of Revelations with an eye for adventure. I have a specific theology around end times that I will keep disclosed for now. I approach each blog as an individual unit, unless otherwise designated. They are designed to be a meal for sheep looking for food in contrast the theology written in stone. That will be my approach to this book that sets off so much theological debate. Where it is appropriate and I see the necessity to do so I will address doctrinal issues. Theology is a starch and is necessary for our nutrition. Doctrine is the human energy it creates. I will try to give each appropriate attention.
We begin with a distinction without a difference in verse 1. What God gives Jesus belongs to Jesus as God. The purpose of the giving is that Jesus as man can share it with men as a man. Such is the Revelation from Jesus Christ that John the Apostle shares with humanity. The revelation is not a private one but global and impacts the reader when it is shared publicly. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy.” Much of the imagery of the book of revelations is mysterious and frightening. It is designed to move us to a sense of awe in its reading.
Ravi Zacharias describes one type of knowledge as “a wash” It is the type of knowledge that you hear and don’t know what to do with it. It washes over you and overwhelms the senses. The book of Revelations is like that in it first readings. In order to “hear it and take to heart what is written in it” you need to hear again and again. What it does is create a sense of urgency in you about the coming of the Lord. This urgency has held firm in believers who embrace this book from the first century to the present.
John did not just hear the words of Jesus Christ but saw the revelation as being there. He saw the future conflicts between good and evil that would transpire at the end of time. The comfort that comes from this book is from Jesus himself. He begins his comfort with John and extends it to us. When John saw him, him fell at his feet as though dead. Then Jesus placed his right hand on him and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelations 1:18. The Lord uses the book of Revelations to catapult us to a future of dread yet one filled with hope.
The book of Revelations could be titled “when the grace runs out” that should create dread, but for the believer it is a time when the evils are men are judged by one who is impartial, fair, and merciful. The book closes with evil forever quarantined and in the personages of those who hate God, both angelic and human cursing the God who created them in love. They are without repentance and if they continued in their labors evil the elect would be deceived.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Daddy God Bakes the Bread
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5: 10-11
Peter knew a little bit about restoration, John 21 covers that restoration and Peter was aware of a personal invitation from the Lord to come to receive his forgiveness purchased for him, the angel said; “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Peter is writing us as an older man, one who has been strong firm and steadfast. His letters contain more duty than intimacy. When he references Father in 1 Peter it is in the context of judgment. “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.” 1 Peter 1:17, when he references it in 2 Peter it is with Christ in mind. “He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 2 Peter 1:17.
Peter was faithful to feed his sheep. He continues to do so from the letter he shared with us. Peter is like many who are restored, strong, and steadfast. They know they can boldly access the throne of God, but the knock just the same. It is difficult for them to be free from fear and cry Abba Father or Daddy God. Romans chapter 8 tells us that we have received a Spirit of adoption, that we are sons, and children of God. It also makes reference to suffering and glory as Peter does.
Paul could write “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” He and Peter would but experience that in the martyrdom of Rome. It may be that Peter was strong and Paul was singing. If you have failed the Lord I would like to encourage you to sing a song to your Daddy. Yes be strong, be firm, and be steadfast. However, remember that “he who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the very end.” Do not be afraid the call your God, Dad and remember every though he is a judge he is a Father that cares for his children. Love and forgiveness can be hard to receive. I believe they were for Peter and maybe for you to. Go feed his sheep, but remember it is Daddy that baked the bread.
Peter knew a little bit about restoration, John 21 covers that restoration and Peter was aware of a personal invitation from the Lord to come to receive his forgiveness purchased for him, the angel said; “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Peter is writing us as an older man, one who has been strong firm and steadfast. His letters contain more duty than intimacy. When he references Father in 1 Peter it is in the context of judgment. “Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.” 1 Peter 1:17, when he references it in 2 Peter it is with Christ in mind. “He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 2 Peter 1:17.
Peter was faithful to feed his sheep. He continues to do so from the letter he shared with us. Peter is like many who are restored, strong, and steadfast. They know they can boldly access the throne of God, but the knock just the same. It is difficult for them to be free from fear and cry Abba Father or Daddy God. Romans chapter 8 tells us that we have received a Spirit of adoption, that we are sons, and children of God. It also makes reference to suffering and glory as Peter does.
Paul could write “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” He and Peter would but experience that in the martyrdom of Rome. It may be that Peter was strong and Paul was singing. If you have failed the Lord I would like to encourage you to sing a song to your Daddy. Yes be strong, be firm, and be steadfast. However, remember that “he who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the very end.” Do not be afraid the call your God, Dad and remember every though he is a judge he is a Father that cares for his children. Love and forgiveness can be hard to receive. I believe they were for Peter and maybe for you to. Go feed his sheep, but remember it is Daddy that baked the bread.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where are your Wounds?
“We will go before God to be judged, and God will ask us, "Where are your wounds? And we will say, "We have not wounds." And God will ask, "Was nothing worth fighting for?" Rev. Allan Boesak, South Africa
This quote seems very appropriate as we round the bend to complete our blogging of 1 Peter. Our journey began on December 3, 2011 today is February 7, 2012. During that time we have visited numerous historic places. We spent a great deal of time with the pre flood generation; we were in a weeping Bethlehem, a liberated India with Gandhi. We contemplated the usefulness of his methods in the prison camps of Europe and came to the conclusion that we are more perpetrator than liberator. Our hearts sank and we called out for mercy. Submission was a reoccurring theme that demonstrated love is the prerequisite to its accomplishment. We quoted from Confucius, Simon and Garfunkel and met a young Aerosmith lyric writer who was feeling old. Plato, George Washington and John Huss helped us understand community and the courage it takes to build one.
The Apostle Peter was and is our guide. He is identified with us and tells us so in his letter.
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5: 1-3
Peter is not making wide the corners of his garments. He is telling us, “I am with you” more importantly he knew that Christ would be as well. He knew that a life of godliness, submission, and love or a life indentified with the person of Jesus would be a life filled with wounds. He knew that with “much wisdom would come much sorrow”. He knew that he was sending out his flock as sheep among wolves, he knew that they were fighting a malevolent invisible enemy who was seeking those he could devourer. He therefore told his leaders “watch out for them”. Watch out for those who are doing well because they well often grow weary in well doing. Watch out for those who are doing poorly because the cares of this life can become a snare to them. As you watch out for them, do it with your heart, living as they live, walking beside your folk and not in front of your flock. As you watch out for them also remember to watch out for yourself. Don’t let blessings become an entitlement and remember that pay day follows the cemetery and not the seminary.
Be a shepherd. Peter knew the admonishment contained in Ezekiel 33: 7-9. “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.”
Peter was interested in a lot more than just his own salvation. He would ultimately give his life in the service of Jesus, but not before he trained like minded leaders to be filled with a love for the sheep and the love of a good fight for souls and needs of men.
This quote seems very appropriate as we round the bend to complete our blogging of 1 Peter. Our journey began on December 3, 2011 today is February 7, 2012. During that time we have visited numerous historic places. We spent a great deal of time with the pre flood generation; we were in a weeping Bethlehem, a liberated India with Gandhi. We contemplated the usefulness of his methods in the prison camps of Europe and came to the conclusion that we are more perpetrator than liberator. Our hearts sank and we called out for mercy. Submission was a reoccurring theme that demonstrated love is the prerequisite to its accomplishment. We quoted from Confucius, Simon and Garfunkel and met a young Aerosmith lyric writer who was feeling old. Plato, George Washington and John Huss helped us understand community and the courage it takes to build one.
The Apostle Peter was and is our guide. He is identified with us and tells us so in his letter.
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5: 1-3
Peter is not making wide the corners of his garments. He is telling us, “I am with you” more importantly he knew that Christ would be as well. He knew that a life of godliness, submission, and love or a life indentified with the person of Jesus would be a life filled with wounds. He knew that with “much wisdom would come much sorrow”. He knew that he was sending out his flock as sheep among wolves, he knew that they were fighting a malevolent invisible enemy who was seeking those he could devourer. He therefore told his leaders “watch out for them”. Watch out for those who are doing well because they well often grow weary in well doing. Watch out for those who are doing poorly because the cares of this life can become a snare to them. As you watch out for them, do it with your heart, living as they live, walking beside your folk and not in front of your flock. As you watch out for them also remember to watch out for yourself. Don’t let blessings become an entitlement and remember that pay day follows the cemetery and not the seminary.
Be a shepherd. Peter knew the admonishment contained in Ezekiel 33: 7-9. “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.”
Peter was interested in a lot more than just his own salvation. He would ultimately give his life in the service of Jesus, but not before he trained like minded leaders to be filled with a love for the sheep and the love of a good fight for souls and needs of men.
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Joyful Fire
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4 12-17
We as Christians need to be more discerning about how we define a fiery ordeal. The scriptures define it one way and one way only. It is persecution. A fiery ordeal is not our being in financial crises because we have spent more money than we made. A fiery ordeal is not our child drifting from the faith because we have been too lenient or too harsh with them. A fiery ordeal is not a health crisis that is directly traceable to poor diet and lack of exercise. A fiery ordeal is not a struggling marriage in which spouses refuse to submit to biblical precepts. These are not trials, these are consequences. Verse 14 of this passage defines the beginning fiery trial and promises a greater measure in blessing. The trial comes about “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ” the blessing is “for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you”. So here are two questions that we must ponder. When was the last time you were insulted for the Gospel’s sake? When was the last time you heard about the glory resting on someone because of persecution? We tend to define “glory resting on us” as something that happens when believers gather together to worship God. This passage seems to indicate that there is a higher glory when we stand alone and firm in our conviction of the truth of the Gospel.
Verse 17 says “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household” That judgment that we need to contemplate is our perpetual desire for comfort and ease, when we are called to seek and save that which is lost. If our priorities were in keeping with the scriptures our fiery trials would follow as a natural consequence and we would be “overjoyed when his glory is revealed” is us.
If we spent our money responsibly on the extension of the Gospel we would owe no debts but that of love. If our enthusiasm and joy were extant in our living the Gospel our children would most often embrace a Godly lifestyle. If we recognized the importance of being physically strong and being prepared to “go” we would not abuse our bodies with junk food. If we saw our marriage as a reflection of Christ and his church we would serve our spouses as Christ served us, without complaint or accusation, esteeming them higher than ourselves. If we did these things glory would manifest in our giving, our families our bodies and our marriages. That glory would prepare us for whatever insult followed because we would be too blessed and too connected to Jesus to be bothered by it. In fact our response would be to pray for those who insult us and persecuted us. I pray the fires in your life that are blazing that are non-biblical would be snuffed out in Jesus name, and I pray that the fires that you are called to start would blaze brightly equip for every good work, especially those associated with persecution.
We as Christians need to be more discerning about how we define a fiery ordeal. The scriptures define it one way and one way only. It is persecution. A fiery ordeal is not our being in financial crises because we have spent more money than we made. A fiery ordeal is not our child drifting from the faith because we have been too lenient or too harsh with them. A fiery ordeal is not a health crisis that is directly traceable to poor diet and lack of exercise. A fiery ordeal is not a struggling marriage in which spouses refuse to submit to biblical precepts. These are not trials, these are consequences. Verse 14 of this passage defines the beginning fiery trial and promises a greater measure in blessing. The trial comes about “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ” the blessing is “for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you”. So here are two questions that we must ponder. When was the last time you were insulted for the Gospel’s sake? When was the last time you heard about the glory resting on someone because of persecution? We tend to define “glory resting on us” as something that happens when believers gather together to worship God. This passage seems to indicate that there is a higher glory when we stand alone and firm in our conviction of the truth of the Gospel.
Verse 17 says “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household” That judgment that we need to contemplate is our perpetual desire for comfort and ease, when we are called to seek and save that which is lost. If our priorities were in keeping with the scriptures our fiery trials would follow as a natural consequence and we would be “overjoyed when his glory is revealed” is us.
If we spent our money responsibly on the extension of the Gospel we would owe no debts but that of love. If our enthusiasm and joy were extant in our living the Gospel our children would most often embrace a Godly lifestyle. If we recognized the importance of being physically strong and being prepared to “go” we would not abuse our bodies with junk food. If we saw our marriage as a reflection of Christ and his church we would serve our spouses as Christ served us, without complaint or accusation, esteeming them higher than ourselves. If we did these things glory would manifest in our giving, our families our bodies and our marriages. That glory would prepare us for whatever insult followed because we would be too blessed and too connected to Jesus to be bothered by it. In fact our response would be to pray for those who insult us and persecuted us. I pray the fires in your life that are blazing that are non-biblical would be snuffed out in Jesus name, and I pray that the fires that you are called to start would blaze brightly equip for every good work, especially those associated with persecution.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Deep Love meets Deep Prayer
The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:7-9
The lack of attention to spiritual disciplines on a positive end and temptation on the negative gets in the way of our praying. That is why Peter calls us to be alert and sober, or serious minded. Now this is not a joyless mind because he next tells us to love deeply. It is deep love that drives us to deep prayer. A life that is filled with prayer is the same as a life filled with love. Love that is thoughtful, meditative, and considerate of the problems of others is conscience of the fact that it is powerless to heal and bring comfort to those who need love. Love that grows in wisdom understands that only a divine source or God himself interceded with and through, causes us to love and then love causes us to pray, and prayer causes us to love. However this work is not done on our knees only but in the mingled with the every day. Peter brings love to the kitchen table when he says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
To live a life of love and prayer is to make yourself vulnerable to the temptation of complaint and grumbling, but “love covers a multitude of sins” even those we commit in the practice of loving others. Oh but if we would get the full meaning of our ability to cover sin with prayer. We would change the course of lives and nations. Is it possible that Steven’s last words and last prayer “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” was the catalyst for the conversion of a spiritual blind Paul? Was it not the love and prayer of the young man Daniel that went to King Nebuchadnezzar when he decreed that all the wise men in the kingdom would be executed if his dream were not interpreted? This dream contained the history of the human race and was unlocked because a young man was concerned with the life of others and prayed. 2 Timothy 2:2 makes the direct connection between the King’s table and our kitchen table when he commands. “Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” Our lives are connected to those who are in authority. If we pray for them our loved ones we reap the benefit. It is a double blessing of love. Those who are in authority are only human and subject to human failures. Their failure is our failure because they represent us 1 Peter 2:17 “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”
We need to understand the “God makes men what they are” (Brave heart) and he has made you who you are, Peter understanding this facts and tells us that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 He elevates these gifts to divine representation, or as The Apostle Paul more clearly defines as ambassadors of Christ.
“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:11
God is calling us to be done with earthly words and work. He is calling us to walk in the Spirit in a manner that is defined in Romans chapter 8. Proverbs 16:9 tells us “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” If we believe that the Lord is establishing our steps shouldn’t we believe that he is planning them for divine purpose? Do we dare to add faith to all the moments of our life and let love and joy and prayer fill them in such a way the divine character of Jesus Christ fills each day? I am growing desperate to live this way. The scriptures tell me that I can. So let it be written in my heart and lived out in my walk as it is written to the words of the scriptures.
The lack of attention to spiritual disciplines on a positive end and temptation on the negative gets in the way of our praying. That is why Peter calls us to be alert and sober, or serious minded. Now this is not a joyless mind because he next tells us to love deeply. It is deep love that drives us to deep prayer. A life that is filled with prayer is the same as a life filled with love. Love that is thoughtful, meditative, and considerate of the problems of others is conscience of the fact that it is powerless to heal and bring comfort to those who need love. Love that grows in wisdom understands that only a divine source or God himself interceded with and through, causes us to love and then love causes us to pray, and prayer causes us to love. However this work is not done on our knees only but in the mingled with the every day. Peter brings love to the kitchen table when he says, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
To live a life of love and prayer is to make yourself vulnerable to the temptation of complaint and grumbling, but “love covers a multitude of sins” even those we commit in the practice of loving others. Oh but if we would get the full meaning of our ability to cover sin with prayer. We would change the course of lives and nations. Is it possible that Steven’s last words and last prayer “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” was the catalyst for the conversion of a spiritual blind Paul? Was it not the love and prayer of the young man Daniel that went to King Nebuchadnezzar when he decreed that all the wise men in the kingdom would be executed if his dream were not interpreted? This dream contained the history of the human race and was unlocked because a young man was concerned with the life of others and prayed. 2 Timothy 2:2 makes the direct connection between the King’s table and our kitchen table when he commands. “Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” Our lives are connected to those who are in authority. If we pray for them our loved ones we reap the benefit. It is a double blessing of love. Those who are in authority are only human and subject to human failures. Their failure is our failure because they represent us 1 Peter 2:17 “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”
We need to understand the “God makes men what they are” (Brave heart) and he has made you who you are, Peter understanding this facts and tells us that “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 He elevates these gifts to divine representation, or as The Apostle Paul more clearly defines as ambassadors of Christ.
“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:11
God is calling us to be done with earthly words and work. He is calling us to walk in the Spirit in a manner that is defined in Romans chapter 8. Proverbs 16:9 tells us “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” If we believe that the Lord is establishing our steps shouldn’t we believe that he is planning them for divine purpose? Do we dare to add faith to all the moments of our life and let love and joy and prayer fill them in such a way the divine character of Jesus Christ fills each day? I am growing desperate to live this way. The scriptures tell me that I can. So let it be written in my heart and lived out in my walk as it is written to the words of the scriptures.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Pray without Ceasing, Work without Easing, and Talk without Teasing
As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:2
The passage bears repeating before commenting, “they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but for the will of God.” Is this a message our generation can grasp or are we so dependent on grace and mercy that we have given up on righteousness and holiness? Verse 3 defines what we are not suppose to engage in “debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry” Webster defines debauchery as “extreme indulgence in sensuality” The list is inclusive of one thing, sin, the distinctions are simply made for emphasis. Peter admits that before we were born again many of us participated in these activities but he sets a pastoral limit when he declares “you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do” Meaning “don’t do that stuff anymore” A pastors.com survey indicated that 54% of pastors had viewed pornography within the last year. If half of the leadership in the church is participating in a form of debauchery no wonder we are not hearing messages that state we can live the rest of our lives free of earthly human desires.
Verse 1 of this chapter tells us that we can be “done with sin” and tells us how. It says to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ. That may be too abstract to wrap our arms around so let me suggest three things to begin. Pray without ceasing, work without easing, and talk without teasing. If we continue to these three it will be God that we are pleasing.
Pray without ceasing.
Believers fail in this regard because they separate the normal routines of life from the spiritual life. A. Saphir’s work on the Lord ’s Prayer from the 1860’s states, “In the Lord Jesus Christ we see most clearly the union of prayer and life, the harmony and continual interpenetration of the two spheres of life – communion with God and work on earth.” Interpenetration is a new word for me. In theological terms it “refers to the mutual inter-penetration and indwelling within the threefold nature of the Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”. As implied generally it means a mutual penetration of two things. In reference to our topic it is prayer and work.
Work without ceasing.
Over time I have increasing defined my theology around Sabbath keeping, or resting on the 7 day. This sounds glorious and in fact is glorious, but if I dedicated myself to resting on the Sabbath I am obliged also to honor God and work for six days. Idle hands are indeed the devils workshop and extended leisure has been the demise of many believers. Many congregations would do well in encouraging their pastors to work and additional job. The sweat of the brow is often a better motivator to prayer than the inactivity of a pastor’s cell or office. I suspect a busy man, worn down with a day full of labor is strengthen in his spiritual resolve in comparison with a bored man who is thirsting for entertainment and finding it in illicit sin.
Talk without teasing.
Men and women work in closer proximity in this generation than in any other. That work is also more separated from home than it has been in many other generations. That being true the opportunity for sin and the difficulty of living the rest of our earthly lives free from evil human desire becomes more difficult. One of the keys to our success is how we talk with the opposite gender in the work place. Playful teasing, coarse joking, are often create cracks in spiritual armor that left unattended leave the Christian soldier vulnerable to attack. Such teasing also indicates a lack of prayerful consideration for our co-workers and means that we are stealing time from productive work that the Lord has assigned us to. This may sound harsh and exacting but it is the casualness of our attitudes that is causing the routine nature of our sin. Jesus armed himself with prayer and his attitude was that he would live all of his earthly life for the will of God. Our attitude is to be the same, the availability of mercies that are new every morning, should not be accompanied but the necessity of those mercies, especially as it relates to sins classified as debauchery.
The passage bears repeating before commenting, “they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but for the will of God.” Is this a message our generation can grasp or are we so dependent on grace and mercy that we have given up on righteousness and holiness? Verse 3 defines what we are not suppose to engage in “debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry” Webster defines debauchery as “extreme indulgence in sensuality” The list is inclusive of one thing, sin, the distinctions are simply made for emphasis. Peter admits that before we were born again many of us participated in these activities but he sets a pastoral limit when he declares “you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do” Meaning “don’t do that stuff anymore” A pastors.com survey indicated that 54% of pastors had viewed pornography within the last year. If half of the leadership in the church is participating in a form of debauchery no wonder we are not hearing messages that state we can live the rest of our lives free of earthly human desires.
Verse 1 of this chapter tells us that we can be “done with sin” and tells us how. It says to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ. That may be too abstract to wrap our arms around so let me suggest three things to begin. Pray without ceasing, work without easing, and talk without teasing. If we continue to these three it will be God that we are pleasing.
Pray without ceasing.
Believers fail in this regard because they separate the normal routines of life from the spiritual life. A. Saphir’s work on the Lord ’s Prayer from the 1860’s states, “In the Lord Jesus Christ we see most clearly the union of prayer and life, the harmony and continual interpenetration of the two spheres of life – communion with God and work on earth.” Interpenetration is a new word for me. In theological terms it “refers to the mutual inter-penetration and indwelling within the threefold nature of the Trinity, God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”. As implied generally it means a mutual penetration of two things. In reference to our topic it is prayer and work.
Work without ceasing.
Over time I have increasing defined my theology around Sabbath keeping, or resting on the 7 day. This sounds glorious and in fact is glorious, but if I dedicated myself to resting on the Sabbath I am obliged also to honor God and work for six days. Idle hands are indeed the devils workshop and extended leisure has been the demise of many believers. Many congregations would do well in encouraging their pastors to work and additional job. The sweat of the brow is often a better motivator to prayer than the inactivity of a pastor’s cell or office. I suspect a busy man, worn down with a day full of labor is strengthen in his spiritual resolve in comparison with a bored man who is thirsting for entertainment and finding it in illicit sin.
Talk without teasing.
Men and women work in closer proximity in this generation than in any other. That work is also more separated from home than it has been in many other generations. That being true the opportunity for sin and the difficulty of living the rest of our earthly lives free from evil human desire becomes more difficult. One of the keys to our success is how we talk with the opposite gender in the work place. Playful teasing, coarse joking, are often create cracks in spiritual armor that left unattended leave the Christian soldier vulnerable to attack. Such teasing also indicates a lack of prayerful consideration for our co-workers and means that we are stealing time from productive work that the Lord has assigned us to. This may sound harsh and exacting but it is the casualness of our attitudes that is causing the routine nature of our sin. Jesus armed himself with prayer and his attitude was that he would live all of his earthly life for the will of God. Our attitude is to be the same, the availability of mercies that are new every morning, should not be accompanied but the necessity of those mercies, especially as it relates to sins classified as debauchery.
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