I have lived my life in an age of convenience. Some of the definitions of "convenient" found in the Merriam Webster dictionary are, "suited to personal comfort or to easy performance; suited to a particular situation; affording accommodation or advantage." The world panders to our natural selfishness. We want things to be easy, comfortable, and advantageous. Most people are happy to pay more for greater convenience. We complain when the seal on the tomato sauce or the peanut butter doesn't have suitable sized tabs for easy removal. We avoid peak-hour traffic when we can because it is a great inconvenience. Today was a lesson in convenience I won't soon forget.
My eldest son began his work experience today at Macquarie University. My wife had planned on accompanying him on the bus and making sure he arrived at his destination. Riding the bus in Sydney can be tricky because there are no announcements of an upcoming stop or what stop it is! You need to know where you are going and push the "stop" button and the driver will stop at the next scheduled stop on the route. I already had the day planned, and hoped to accomplish some important preparation for the week. It turned out Laura woke up with a terrific migraine. I would have to drive to the station, take the bus to Macquarie University, and turn right around and come home. I was not happy. My plans were shot, and it was most inconvenient.
As the bus rumbled along at a snail's pace, I thought about feeling inconvenienced. What I saw in my heart was not pretty. If I could boil it down to the most fundamental aspect, it is inherently selfish. It is placing your own ease and comfort above everything else. I thought about how Jesus left the glory of heaven, entered time, inhabited a human body for decades, only to be rejected and die a brutal death on the cross. Jesus knew this faced Him, but He gladly did it anyway. "Inconvenient" does not begin to sum up His sacrifice. There I was, annoyed about a modified schedule which would cost me a few hours, when Jesus joyfully went to the cross for my sins. I was convicted by my selfishness. And then a thought came: "Love is not inconvenienced." Jesus did not see it as "inconvenient" to leave heaven and become a man. He did not come to earth for convenience: Jesus came because He loved lost souls He wanted to save.
Isn't it true when you walk in love, nothing is too hard or difficult? No sacrifice is too great for your beloved, and even great personal cost is as nothing. I was once invited to be a groomsman at a close friend's wedding. It was a day of great rejoicing. It didn't matter it was quite a long drive to the church. It didn't matter the tux rental cost me more than a day's wages! I didn't care how long the wedding lasted. I loved my friend, his bride, and family, and just being there with him on his wedding day was a treasured joy. But I honestly have not always felt this way about every wedding. Some weddings I have been invited to seemed a bit inconvenient because of location, duration, or many other factors. It was because I was not viewing that person through the lens of Christ's giving, unchanging, unrelenting love. Love is never inconvenienced because it is wholly focused on others and saturated with grace and mercy. This morning I repented because my feelings of being inconvenienced proved I was not abiding in Christ's love. My early morning perspective was all about me when it should have been about loving God and others.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 provides a tidy description of God's love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
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It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
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Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." God's love is infinite, and there is no description adequate to sum it up. Today God gave me a practical application in my own life by allowing my feelings to alert me to a problem in my heart. Thankfully God forgives all who repent. This morning I had my own plans, but God's plans included teaching me a lesson I will benefit from for eternity. How good and gracious the LORD is to not only give awareness of sin, but the righteous path leading to joy and gladness!
08 March 2015
04 March 2015
Thirsty for Mercy
Recently I discovered a connection I had never noticed before: the correlation between receiving mercy from God and courageous strength. Many times in scripture the exhortation is given by God and devout souls who feared God: "Be strong!" The glory of young men is their strength, but it is not by lifting weights and physical exercise that brings this strength. Spiritual strength is derived only from God through faith and experienced as we obey.
The Bible is filled with examples of people who triumphed over their enemies - not because they were physically stronger, had larger armies, better weapons or training, or held a strategic advantage - but because they trusted God and obeyed Him. There are also examples of people who faced unbearable suffering and horrendous circumstances. Strength from God was needed just to endure the day, for their lives hung by a thread. This is the sad condition faced by God's people in the Lamentations of Jeremiah. God punished those in Jerusalem for their sins through cruel enemies, and people were dying in the streets during the siege. The first few chapters of Lamentations paint a picture so bleak, so horrible, it is truly beyond comprehension. The enemies were closing in, God had shut out the prayers of His people, and death loomed ever closer.
Lamentations 3:18-25 records the words of the prophet: "And I said, "My strength and my hope have perished from the LORD." 19 Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul still remembers and sinks within me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. 22 Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him." Out of the deepest, darkest depression, Jeremiah's heart shifts away from suffering to the God who loves him. It was in remembering God's goodness, mercy, and compassion when the light of divine hope shone upon Jeremiah's mind and heart. He realised it was only by God's grace and mercies which were new every morning which brought strength and salvation. In the darkest pit, God's goodness still shines bright because God is always faithful, merciful, and good.
In 2 Corinthians 4:1 Paul wrote, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart." God is merciful and His mercies are new every morning for great is His faithfulness. These mercies are received by faith in God. Paul recognised the connection between receiving mercy from God and in doing so finding strength and courage to serve God. Things were not easy for Paul, and life is no easier for us. God does not change, and He remains ever merciful. When you lose heart, remember to turn your eyes back to God again. Receive the mercy He has graciously provided for you today. As we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. We can lose heart, but we don't have to!
The Bible is filled with examples of people who triumphed over their enemies - not because they were physically stronger, had larger armies, better weapons or training, or held a strategic advantage - but because they trusted God and obeyed Him. There are also examples of people who faced unbearable suffering and horrendous circumstances. Strength from God was needed just to endure the day, for their lives hung by a thread. This is the sad condition faced by God's people in the Lamentations of Jeremiah. God punished those in Jerusalem for their sins through cruel enemies, and people were dying in the streets during the siege. The first few chapters of Lamentations paint a picture so bleak, so horrible, it is truly beyond comprehension. The enemies were closing in, God had shut out the prayers of His people, and death loomed ever closer.
Lamentations 3:18-25 records the words of the prophet: "And I said, "My strength and my hope have perished from the LORD." 19 Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul still remembers and sinks within me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. 22 Through the LORD'S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him." Out of the deepest, darkest depression, Jeremiah's heart shifts away from suffering to the God who loves him. It was in remembering God's goodness, mercy, and compassion when the light of divine hope shone upon Jeremiah's mind and heart. He realised it was only by God's grace and mercies which were new every morning which brought strength and salvation. In the darkest pit, God's goodness still shines bright because God is always faithful, merciful, and good.
In 2 Corinthians 4:1 Paul wrote, "Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart." God is merciful and His mercies are new every morning for great is His faithfulness. These mercies are received by faith in God. Paul recognised the connection between receiving mercy from God and in doing so finding strength and courage to serve God. Things were not easy for Paul, and life is no easier for us. God does not change, and He remains ever merciful. When you lose heart, remember to turn your eyes back to God again. Receive the mercy He has graciously provided for you today. As we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. We can lose heart, but we don't have to!
03 March 2015
A Crucified Life
"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation."
Galatians 6:14-15
The triumph of Jesus was culminated by His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. Not only was the blood of Jesus shed to atone for the sins of the world, but the Law which condemned all men was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). The death of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world provided the killing blow to the power of the enemy to condemn or destroy all who repent and receive the Gospel.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul draws upon the imagery of the cross to reveal another accomplishment of Christ for all who trust in Him. The world had been crucified to Paul, and Paul had been crucified to the world. The world under the sway of Satan was rendered powerless by the death of Jesus on the cross. The world which used to influence our minds and hearts, the things which once held us in bondage, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lure of the lust of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life had been dealt a death blow. When a cruel tyrant is killed, the people once oppressed rejoice and shout for joy. The one who once exerted power over them is now powerless in death. This is the case for all who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus. The power of sin to control, addict, and oppress us has been conquered by Christ's victory, and we can walk in newness of life and freedom.
Christ accomplished much more than ending sin's reign of terror in our lives. He has transformed us into new creations, and is now enabled to live His life through His redeemed by the Holy Spirit. This world has been crucified to us, and we have been crucified to this world. The spiritual reality of Christ's death and resurrection is our flesh has been stricken of power to dominate and control us for evil. Satan, the world, and our flesh only have the amount of power we allow or give them. The truth is, we don't need to give a place to the devil or let the demands of the flesh rule our lives any more. This is the reality for all who are in Christ, not something we say to convince ourselves. "Positive thinking" has nothing to do with walking in victory. Knowledge of our identity in Christ and the reality of what He has accomplished must impact our minds and hearts. Once we are convinced of the reality of Christ's victory at the cross and our new nature free from the power of sin apart from our works, knowledge mixed with faith and obedience paves the way for us to walk in absolute victory.
The early church struggled with legalism, as many do to this day. Paul's emphasis was not on touting circumcision or justifying uncircumcision, but our need to be "in Christ Jesus." Through Him the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. If you are in Christ, the world has been crucified to you and you to the world. Does your life demonstrate this reality? The rule of Satan, the world, and the flesh has been forever vanquished by grace through faith in Christ. If we have been freed from bondage, why should we return to bondage? The efforts of the flesh could not save, perfect, empower, or deliver us. Only Jesus can do that! it is not what we have done, but according to His mercy He has saved, is saving, and will save us!
01 March 2015
Jesus Satisfies
When the Rolling Stones hit "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" rocketed to number one on the charts in 1965, it struck a nerve which has continued to twang. Few people have obtained the fame, money, and notoriety of the Rolling Stones, and they still play the same song at nearly every show to this day. The issues the song speaks of - useless information on the radio, having the whitest shirts, and sexual frustration - can be interchanged with anything this world has to offer, but the grain of truth remains static: this world cannot deliver on true, lasting, genuine satisfaction.
Reality never seems to scratch the itch of fantasy. It always beckons alluringly, tantilisingly just out of reach. The lie it perpetuates is if the conditions were altered slightly according to our desire, we would achieve satisfaction that seemingly eludes our grasp. It is an exercise in futility because this world cannot possibly deliver all it promises without the negative side effects it doesn't talk about. The bait always has a hook which makes us wish in retrospect we never went for it in the first place! The pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment of an the activity, experience, or thing was supposed to provide never measures up and doesn't last. It is not that our standards are too high, but it is an issue of this world and our hearts. Think of it this way: how many times have you obtained your desire only to realise it wasn't what you thought it would be? Say you designed your house and even chose the colours and hardware, but in retrospect you would have changed something. Or perhaps you chose a concrete finish and you weren't happy with how parts of it turned out. Or there was more maintenance than your originally thought. The list goes on and on!
This world has never delivered on any promise. We can be "satisfied" with our purchase, in that we believe we have been provided a good product at a fair price. We can experience something which we romanticise in our minds and at great expense we labour to experience it again. No matter how hard we try, no matter the cost, it never delivers quite like we hoped it would. All our problems would be solved with a different job, career, spouse, or if we won the lottery. Yet even when we obtain our desire, dissatisfaction only seems to increase. King Solomon was a man of wealth, fame, and power few have ever obtained. He pointed out the objective reality in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11: "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?" This points to the heart problem of every person on earth. The things we love cannot satisfy us, and do not profit. We think perhaps if we were able to obtain more of the thing we love it would do the trick. But it doesn't work, and it never has. Yet like mythical lemmings or sheep without a shepherd, people keep futilely following after the same things thinking it will satisfy their desire for love, significance, acceptance, and satisfaction.
In our natural state, we all have idols we worship and value. But no man can offer his life as a sacrifice to an idol out of a pure heart: we always have an self-serving angle. Even if we worship self and try to satisfy our every whim, we find ourselves increasing empty and dissatisfied. All our consuming only consumes us. We desire riches and wealth because of the things we could buy, the things money would allow us to do, or places we could go. We pursue relationships with other people to obtain our own desires. We want a particular career because of the money, status, or influence we would gain. In many eastern cultures idols are worshiped to promote health, become wealthy, or to drive away evil. People sacrifice not because they love the deities they worship or are loved by those same deities, but because they hope to somehow benefit themselves. The world is packed with users: people using others whilst being used themselves. It provides a narcissistic recipe for envy, bitterness, cynicism, and disillusionment. The world cannot deliver anything that truly satisfies.
Contrast the reality of this world's inability and futility to save or satisfy with the life of Jesus Christ freely offered to all who repent and trust in Him. Proverbs 21:21 says, "He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honour." 1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us Jesus Christ has been made for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and wisdom. As long as we are following the dictates of our deceitful hearts, we trust a blind guide which cannot lead us to what our souls long for. Jesus Christ delivers exactly what we are looking for. It is in following Jesus Christ our righteousness which enables all we who seek with their whole hearts to be satisfied - and more still! Notice in the Proverbs passage how following righteousness and mercy opens the door to life, righteousness, and honour! In Christ alone are all our desires perfectly satisfied. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Jesus came to this world with the express purpose to provide abundant life. It is a life obtained through being born again through faith in Jesus. There is always more for us as we follow Jesus, a more abundant life by God's grace.
Would you use a delivery service which never actually delivered anything like you hoped it would? Would you support a politician who has not delivered on a single promise ever? Then why do we keep going back to this world in a vain attempt to satisfy our souls? Look to God and trust in Him, for in Christ we find all our desire and more than we could have ever imagined. I can't get no satisfaction, but Jesus gives satisfaction to all who repent and trust in Him! You will never be satisfied apart from Jesus. Will you receive Him today?
Reality never seems to scratch the itch of fantasy. It always beckons alluringly, tantilisingly just out of reach. The lie it perpetuates is if the conditions were altered slightly according to our desire, we would achieve satisfaction that seemingly eludes our grasp. It is an exercise in futility because this world cannot possibly deliver all it promises without the negative side effects it doesn't talk about. The bait always has a hook which makes us wish in retrospect we never went for it in the first place! The pleasure, satisfaction, or enjoyment of an the activity, experience, or thing was supposed to provide never measures up and doesn't last. It is not that our standards are too high, but it is an issue of this world and our hearts. Think of it this way: how many times have you obtained your desire only to realise it wasn't what you thought it would be? Say you designed your house and even chose the colours and hardware, but in retrospect you would have changed something. Or perhaps you chose a concrete finish and you weren't happy with how parts of it turned out. Or there was more maintenance than your originally thought. The list goes on and on!
This world has never delivered on any promise. We can be "satisfied" with our purchase, in that we believe we have been provided a good product at a fair price. We can experience something which we romanticise in our minds and at great expense we labour to experience it again. No matter how hard we try, no matter the cost, it never delivers quite like we hoped it would. All our problems would be solved with a different job, career, spouse, or if we won the lottery. Yet even when we obtain our desire, dissatisfaction only seems to increase. King Solomon was a man of wealth, fame, and power few have ever obtained. He pointed out the objective reality in Ecclesiastes 5:10-11: "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them; so what profit have the owners except to see them with their eyes?" This points to the heart problem of every person on earth. The things we love cannot satisfy us, and do not profit. We think perhaps if we were able to obtain more of the thing we love it would do the trick. But it doesn't work, and it never has. Yet like mythical lemmings or sheep without a shepherd, people keep futilely following after the same things thinking it will satisfy their desire for love, significance, acceptance, and satisfaction.
In our natural state, we all have idols we worship and value. But no man can offer his life as a sacrifice to an idol out of a pure heart: we always have an self-serving angle. Even if we worship self and try to satisfy our every whim, we find ourselves increasing empty and dissatisfied. All our consuming only consumes us. We desire riches and wealth because of the things we could buy, the things money would allow us to do, or places we could go. We pursue relationships with other people to obtain our own desires. We want a particular career because of the money, status, or influence we would gain. In many eastern cultures idols are worshiped to promote health, become wealthy, or to drive away evil. People sacrifice not because they love the deities they worship or are loved by those same deities, but because they hope to somehow benefit themselves. The world is packed with users: people using others whilst being used themselves. It provides a narcissistic recipe for envy, bitterness, cynicism, and disillusionment. The world cannot deliver anything that truly satisfies.
Contrast the reality of this world's inability and futility to save or satisfy with the life of Jesus Christ freely offered to all who repent and trust in Him. Proverbs 21:21 says, "He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness and honour." 1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us Jesus Christ has been made for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and wisdom. As long as we are following the dictates of our deceitful hearts, we trust a blind guide which cannot lead us to what our souls long for. Jesus Christ delivers exactly what we are looking for. It is in following Jesus Christ our righteousness which enables all we who seek with their whole hearts to be satisfied - and more still! Notice in the Proverbs passage how following righteousness and mercy opens the door to life, righteousness, and honour! In Christ alone are all our desires perfectly satisfied. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Jesus came to this world with the express purpose to provide abundant life. It is a life obtained through being born again through faith in Jesus. There is always more for us as we follow Jesus, a more abundant life by God's grace.
Would you use a delivery service which never actually delivered anything like you hoped it would? Would you support a politician who has not delivered on a single promise ever? Then why do we keep going back to this world in a vain attempt to satisfy our souls? Look to God and trust in Him, for in Christ we find all our desire and more than we could have ever imagined. I can't get no satisfaction, but Jesus gives satisfaction to all who repent and trust in Him! You will never be satisfied apart from Jesus. Will you receive Him today?
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