In the classic film "The Princess Bride" based on a novel by William Goldman, a young woman found true love in a servant who worked for her. When she made requests of him he would always answer, "As you wish." The Grandfather, played by Peter Falk, read this line from his book: "That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'As you wish," what he meant was, 'I love you.'" True love is always displayed through action, and Westley showed he loved Buttercup by his faithful service.
Being a hired hand, it may be said Westley did not have a choice whether he obeyed Buttercup or not. But Westley certainly did have a choice. It could have cost him his position or had other negative consequences, but Westley had the freedom to choose. The same can be said for all people concerning belief, trust, and obedience. God has given every person the freedom to choose who we will serve. There are ultimately two final choices: I am free to live according to my will or God's will. Jesus held forth this truth as He bowed before His Father in heaven in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:41-42 reads, "And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed,
42
saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
God does not tell us His wishes - wistful thoughts of a powerless being who is at the mercy of men who claim to serve Him - but He has revealed unto those who trust God His perfect will. God can accomplish all things without the aid of man, yet He has chosen to use people as His vessels infused with the Holy Spirit. Jesus laid down the will of His flesh that He might do the will of the Father, and it is the same for us. In all things we are either doing as we wish or submitting ourselves to do God's will. It is through obedience to God's will we demonstrate our love for God, even as Westley proclaimed his love for Buttercup through faithful service. As Jesus said in John 15:10, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
Saying and doing as God wills is a way we display our love for God. May our lives everyday plainly say to Jesus Christ our LORD, "I love you."
20 July 2015
19 July 2015
God's Love for You and Me
We have embarked on a study of Song of Solomon during our Sunday morning messages at Calvary Chapel Sydney. The epic romance of the Shulamite and her beloved is like a rich tapestry, with multiple layers of meaning and insights into the love of God. It is amazing to think of royalty courting and marrying a common working woman, but even more phenomenal to consider the great love of God for people.
As I studied the beginning of chapter 2, it dawned on me how Solomon's love for the Shulamite was revealed in at least five ways. The love God has granted us by His grace ought to be love which marks our lives towards God and all we meet, especially those of the household of faith with whom we have been made one body through Christ. The way Solomon displayed love for his betrothed is a striking parallel to the way the love of Jesus has been given to me.
Solomon's love for his betrothed was personal. He affirmed his love through sincere compliments, and she was all fair in his eyes. He preferred the company of his beloved over all others. To him, it was as if she was the only woman around: if she was a lily, all others compared to her as thorns. He was a protector of his future mate, offering refuge like a shade tree from the sun's heat. He provided for his beloved with their future in mind, building a lovely house they would share together. Solomon also displayed his love publicly without embarrassment, and he rejoiced to claim his beloved as his own.
Isn't this strikingly similar to how Jesus has revealed His love for us? The love of Jesus is personal: He shed His blood for me. Romans 5:8 reminds us, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He prefers the company of those He calls friends, those who love Him and keep His commandments. Jesus Christ is my refuge in whom I find rest. He has provided for all my needs in this life, and is also preparing a place for me and all others who trust Him in heaven. He has displayed His love publicly, dying on the cross to atone for sins. As it is written of Christ in John 1:11-13, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Since God's love has been shed abroad in the hearts of Christ's followers through the Holy Spirit, so His love is to be dispensed through us to all. Loving God and others with the sacrificial, active love of God confirms that we are indeed His, adopted into His royal family. It is all of grace. Let us not be ashamed of Christ or His gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.
As I studied the beginning of chapter 2, it dawned on me how Solomon's love for the Shulamite was revealed in at least five ways. The love God has granted us by His grace ought to be love which marks our lives towards God and all we meet, especially those of the household of faith with whom we have been made one body through Christ. The way Solomon displayed love for his betrothed is a striking parallel to the way the love of Jesus has been given to me.
Solomon's love for his betrothed was personal. He affirmed his love through sincere compliments, and she was all fair in his eyes. He preferred the company of his beloved over all others. To him, it was as if she was the only woman around: if she was a lily, all others compared to her as thorns. He was a protector of his future mate, offering refuge like a shade tree from the sun's heat. He provided for his beloved with their future in mind, building a lovely house they would share together. Solomon also displayed his love publicly without embarrassment, and he rejoiced to claim his beloved as his own.
Isn't this strikingly similar to how Jesus has revealed His love for us? The love of Jesus is personal: He shed His blood for me. Romans 5:8 reminds us, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He prefers the company of those He calls friends, those who love Him and keep His commandments. Jesus Christ is my refuge in whom I find rest. He has provided for all my needs in this life, and is also preparing a place for me and all others who trust Him in heaven. He has displayed His love publicly, dying on the cross to atone for sins. As it is written of Christ in John 1:11-13, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
Since God's love has been shed abroad in the hearts of Christ's followers through the Holy Spirit, so His love is to be dispensed through us to all. Loving God and others with the sacrificial, active love of God confirms that we are indeed His, adopted into His royal family. It is all of grace. Let us not be ashamed of Christ or His gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.
16 July 2015
Angry With God?
During a discussion recently, the topic of conversation turned to one not often addressed: being angry with God. My friend observed he had noticed an increasing number of students and interns in Bible schools who claim to be currently "angry with God" like it is a badge of honour and justifiable. For some time he noticed a growing trend - among professing Christians - who said they were angry with God. That brings up a question: is it OK to be angry with God?
The scripture says of anger in Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath..." Whilst it is possible to be angry without sin, this scripture reveals it is impossible for us to remain angry without sin. Solomon cautioned in Ecclesiastes 7:9, "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools." Frequent anger is an indication of foolishness, and a fool is someone who lives without regard or fear of God. We would like to think we bristle with righteous indignation when we are angry, yet often the reality is anything but.
Scripture reveals times when God's anger was stirred up, and with the ridiculous caricatures of God often presented the occurrences are far more rare than one might think. David wrote in Psalm 7:11, "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day." When God perceives wickedness in His people, His righteous anger is aroused. In Deuteronomy 9:20, God was very angry with Aaron the High Priest for leading the nation into idolatry. God was angry with Moses for not sanctifying Him before the people (Deut. 1:37; 4:21). 1 Kings 11:9 reads, "So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice..." To whom much is given much is required, and God's anger is aroused by sinfulness - not just among those who know not God, but to those He has revealed Himself. Sin is the fuel and man supplies the fire through unbelief and sin which kindles the anger of God. God's anger is provoked as a result of sin.
Our common motives for being angry are primarily selfish, usually concern over how we have been negatively affected by circumstances. Since we are not in agreement or pleased with what God has seen fit to allow, we can become angry. When Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's was rejected, Cain was angry. Whether he was specifically angry with God is not explicitly revealed in the text, but God warned Cain how sinful anger leads to more sin. Genesis 4:6-7 says, "So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." In the very next verse, Cain murdered his brother Abel. Whenever we are angry, we do well to answer the question: why am I angry? Anger is often inflamed with sinful motives, and unless we repent it will surely lead to greater sin.
Another case of anger in God's people was after Jonah the prophet was sent by God to warn the Ninevites of coming judgment. When they repented and mourned over their sin, God spared the people and the city. Jonah 4:1 tells us Jonah's surprising reaction: "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry." Was Jonah angry at God? Maybe. Jonah complained God was slow to anger and relented from doing harm. He felt so miserable it would be better for him to die than live. In Jonah 4:4 God responded with a probing question: "Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" As Jonah continued to sulk and watched to see what would become of the city, God caused a plant to grow which shaded his head from the sun. He was grateful for that! During the night God prepared a worm to eat the plant and it died. When the sun arose, God prepared a strong wind to blow on Jonah and he wished for death. Jonah 4:9 says, "Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" It was not right for Jonah to be angry, and that is why He provided the plant, the worm, and the strong wind. And when faced with his sinful anger over a plant, Jonah decided he would rather die than let it go. When we hold on to sinful anger, it will eventually kill us.
There is only one instance in the Gospels I am aware of the Bible explicitly says Jesus Christ, God made flesh, was angry. If you are thinking about when Jesus fashioned a whip and drove out the money-changers and animals, it was zeal the scripture tells us - not anger - prompted Him. Since the scriptures do not explicitly say Jesus was angry on those two occasions, to say He must have been angry is conjecture at best and false accusation at worst. It is also thought when Jesus "groaned" in His spirit before He raised Jesus from the dead, the Greek word suggests anger. It is likely Jesus was angry many times (and moved by righteousness), but Jesus once was angry in the Gospels out of grief for the hardness of people's hearts, that they cared more for their animals than for a fellow man who was suffering. We find the passage in Mark 3:1-5: "And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." 4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other."
When we are angry we do well to first admit we are angry, and then ask ourselves the questions God posed: 1) Why am I angry? 2) Is it right for me to be angry? We can also follow up with: 3) Am I choosing to remain angry? If we will judge ourselves according to God's standard of righteousness, we will see there is never a righteous justification to be angry at a righteous God. Because God's anger is only kindled by sin, and God is completely without sin, it is always a sin to be angry with God. But you do not know what I've suffered, you might protest. You're right. I have no idea. But I do know Job is a great example of a man who recognised God's goodness despite the grave trials he suffered, and there is no one save Christ who can claim such calamities befell them by the hand of God in a single day. After Job was stripped of all his wealth, ten children, and his health, Job 2:9-10 says, "Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips."
Oh burdened heart, do not be angry at the only One who can deliver and save you! No man can be angry at God justly. Praise God His character is precisely as Jonah said: "You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm." If you find yourself angry with God, I beg you to confess it as sin and cast your cares upon Jesus who cares for you. Is it right for you to be angry when Jesus willingly went to the cross, dying to deliver you from sinful anger? Our anger cannot add to His when it comes to sin. Remaining angry only kindles God's wrath, and repentance and faith in Christ provides our only escape.
The scripture says of anger in Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath..." Whilst it is possible to be angry without sin, this scripture reveals it is impossible for us to remain angry without sin. Solomon cautioned in Ecclesiastes 7:9, "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools." Frequent anger is an indication of foolishness, and a fool is someone who lives without regard or fear of God. We would like to think we bristle with righteous indignation when we are angry, yet often the reality is anything but.
Scripture reveals times when God's anger was stirred up, and with the ridiculous caricatures of God often presented the occurrences are far more rare than one might think. David wrote in Psalm 7:11, "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day." When God perceives wickedness in His people, His righteous anger is aroused. In Deuteronomy 9:20, God was very angry with Aaron the High Priest for leading the nation into idolatry. God was angry with Moses for not sanctifying Him before the people (Deut. 1:37; 4:21). 1 Kings 11:9 reads, "So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice..." To whom much is given much is required, and God's anger is aroused by sinfulness - not just among those who know not God, but to those He has revealed Himself. Sin is the fuel and man supplies the fire through unbelief and sin which kindles the anger of God. God's anger is provoked as a result of sin.
Our common motives for being angry are primarily selfish, usually concern over how we have been negatively affected by circumstances. Since we are not in agreement or pleased with what God has seen fit to allow, we can become angry. When Abel's sacrifice was accepted and Cain's was rejected, Cain was angry. Whether he was specifically angry with God is not explicitly revealed in the text, but God warned Cain how sinful anger leads to more sin. Genesis 4:6-7 says, "So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." In the very next verse, Cain murdered his brother Abel. Whenever we are angry, we do well to answer the question: why am I angry? Anger is often inflamed with sinful motives, and unless we repent it will surely lead to greater sin.
Another case of anger in God's people was after Jonah the prophet was sent by God to warn the Ninevites of coming judgment. When they repented and mourned over their sin, God spared the people and the city. Jonah 4:1 tells us Jonah's surprising reaction: "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry." Was Jonah angry at God? Maybe. Jonah complained God was slow to anger and relented from doing harm. He felt so miserable it would be better for him to die than live. In Jonah 4:4 God responded with a probing question: "Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" As Jonah continued to sulk and watched to see what would become of the city, God caused a plant to grow which shaded his head from the sun. He was grateful for that! During the night God prepared a worm to eat the plant and it died. When the sun arose, God prepared a strong wind to blow on Jonah and he wished for death. Jonah 4:9 says, "Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" It was not right for Jonah to be angry, and that is why He provided the plant, the worm, and the strong wind. And when faced with his sinful anger over a plant, Jonah decided he would rather die than let it go. When we hold on to sinful anger, it will eventually kill us.
There is only one instance in the Gospels I am aware of the Bible explicitly says Jesus Christ, God made flesh, was angry. If you are thinking about when Jesus fashioned a whip and drove out the money-changers and animals, it was zeal the scripture tells us - not anger - prompted Him. Since the scriptures do not explicitly say Jesus was angry on those two occasions, to say He must have been angry is conjecture at best and false accusation at worst. It is also thought when Jesus "groaned" in His spirit before He raised Jesus from the dead, the Greek word suggests anger. It is likely Jesus was angry many times (and moved by righteousness), but Jesus once was angry in the Gospels out of grief for the hardness of people's hearts, that they cared more for their animals than for a fellow man who was suffering. We find the passage in Mark 3:1-5: "And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." 4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other."
When we are angry we do well to first admit we are angry, and then ask ourselves the questions God posed: 1) Why am I angry? 2) Is it right for me to be angry? We can also follow up with: 3) Am I choosing to remain angry? If we will judge ourselves according to God's standard of righteousness, we will see there is never a righteous justification to be angry at a righteous God. Because God's anger is only kindled by sin, and God is completely without sin, it is always a sin to be angry with God. But you do not know what I've suffered, you might protest. You're right. I have no idea. But I do know Job is a great example of a man who recognised God's goodness despite the grave trials he suffered, and there is no one save Christ who can claim such calamities befell them by the hand of God in a single day. After Job was stripped of all his wealth, ten children, and his health, Job 2:9-10 says, "Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips."
Oh burdened heart, do not be angry at the only One who can deliver and save you! No man can be angry at God justly. Praise God His character is precisely as Jonah said: "You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm." If you find yourself angry with God, I beg you to confess it as sin and cast your cares upon Jesus who cares for you. Is it right for you to be angry when Jesus willingly went to the cross, dying to deliver you from sinful anger? Our anger cannot add to His when it comes to sin. Remaining angry only kindles God's wrath, and repentance and faith in Christ provides our only escape.
14 July 2015
Crystals and Bucket Lists
The best stories are those straight from the Bible, but a close second
are those which affirm God's eternal truth. God has crammed life full of
situations the Holy Spirit transforms into meaningful parables for those
with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand. I am always on the lookout for good stories, and I came across one yesterday written by my sister-in-law, Jena. Enjoy the following guest post!
Several years ago, when Jack was a wee lad, no more than four, we would head over to Mission Trails and take a small hike to a little place called Crystal Cave. I don't even know if that's its actual name; it's just what I was told. My aunt and uncles grew up living on Mission Trails, and I grew up listening to the stories they had of adventure and conquest during their childhood. Crystal Cave was one of those places. Apparently it was once a cave used to mine crystals, but for whatever reason was abandoned and broken down. Around what used to be the entrance were tons of partially crystallized rocks, worthless for sure, but treasure to a four-year-old. And not just for any four-year-old, but a four-year-old pirate. That's right! Mom won major points for these little excursions.
During one of our trips to Crystal Cave, we brought Jack's buddy Josh along with us. He had never been before, and we were excited to share this with him. We collected our buckets and headed out. Josh had been prepped for the “treasures” that lay ahead, but was distracted on the way and started filling his bucket with rocks. Plain. Old. Rocks. Jack and I tried to tell him that he wouldn't even want the rocks once we got to the cave, but he wouldn't listen. Soon his bucket got heavy and he became tired. The whining started as he fell behind. "I need heeeeeelllllppppp." "You guys are going too fast." "My arms are hurting." The funny thing is, try as we might, that kid would not dump the rocks. He lugged them all the way up to Crystal Cave. But as soon as his little head peeked over the precipice and saw the crystals, he promptly dumped his bucket of rocks and started collecting treasure.
Such needless frustration. I don’t imagine a modern day Jesus with a bucket list, do you? Like, “Before I die, I have to go bungee jumping!” I don’t imagine Him trying to extract every earthly pleasure (sin-free, obviously) out of His tenure here. But we do. Jesus came from heaven, so what on earth is He ever going to do here that would ever compare to where He’s been? There obviously isn’t anything wrong with bungee jumping or other earthly gifts, but like rocks let’s pick them up, enjoy them, and then put them back down. Enjoy them for what they are, but then let them go. How caught up are you on decorating/remodeling your house? How much mental real estate does your body shape/health take up? Does your residence need to be in a beautiful place and your life full of “adventure” to be full of joy? I have one word for you. Rocks. Let’s not carry these things around like they actually matter. These things don’t matter and worse, they weigh us down. Let’s cut ties. Let’s pick up crystals. Do you hear me? God has crystals for us. Things like revelation and resurrection! Works that transcend the here and now. Let’s get in the dirt, give away our stuff, our time, our bodies and our energies to divine appointments and a life of charity. Then this little thing called life - and that more abundantly - will overflow our lives, eerrr buckets. (story by Jena Krych Grisez)
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