Hebrews 1:14

Hebrews 1:14 ESV

"Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?"

 

Not every passage in Scripture is as clear as a mountain stream.  Take the duty of angels.  They are working to do every word the Lord commands; and apparently He commands them concerning us.

 

Psalm 91:11ESV 

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

 

This verse is famously misquoted by Satan, but gives hope to many to know that God has issued a special detail to guard us.  Of course, I think this is more concerning us walking more closely with God than with protecting us from car crashes, but the very next verse seems to indicate that as well...

 

Very amazing to me is the off hand comment by Paul:

 

1 Corinthians 6:3 ESV

"Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!"

 

Praise Jesus for angels, I don't understand them; I bet they understand me though...and I know that all things God does is for His glory and for my good.

 

Praise You Father that Your servants are so awesome!

Praise You Son that You are infinitely higher even than they!

Praise You Spirit that You move them at Your will!

 

Serving along with angels with you,

Pastor Greg

Hebrews 1:9

Hebrews 1:9 ESV
"You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God,
has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."

Billions of dollars (and every other kind of currency in the world) are spent every year for something you can only get without money: joy.

Money will buy happiness, there is no doubt about it: a day at Disneyland, or (far better) a month at the Boundary Waters can bring enormous happiness (for a time). Inevitably boredome, illness, cranky neighbors (and/or long lines) will cause the happiness to prove its character: happiness is based on happenings.

Now, John Piper has wisely commented that people like me make too much distinction between joy and happiness. My point is that one is a species of the other: joy is abiding, gives strength and endurance while happiness does the same but is much less abiding. His point is that without a measure of happiness one cannot be said to be joyful; happiness in circumstances is central to what it means to be joyfull.

This verse I think helps establish Piper's point, to a degree, but the 'oil of gladness BEYOND your companions' is the key point to me. Of course all this is said of the Son. But the love of righteousness and the hatred of wickedness is the recipe of gladness/happiness/joy for all of God's creatures (even more so for all of the Son's brothers.

And this corrosponding love/hatred doesn't COST; it doesn't cost money any way. And I recently heard a non-Christian say something I've said for years: it isn't a problem to know right from wrong, it is a problem to choose to do the right instead of the wrong. So, the point for us is to live in such a way that we look at the wrong we know with hatred and learn to embrace the good with love: then we will find that happiness (or joy) that you've been looking for all your life.

Praise You Father for happiness.
Praise You Son for making it available.
Prasie You Spirit for communicating it to our hearts.

Seeking joy with you,
Pastor Greg

Hebrews 11:3

Hebrews 1:3 ^ESV

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

 

“After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

 

Christ finished his work after he made purification for sins so He sat down.

Why did He sit down?  Because He was done: “After making purification for sins”.

Where did He sit down?  In the most honorable place in the universe: “at the right hand of the Majesty on high”.

 

One thing that is interesting to me about this portion is that Christ made ‘purification’ for sins.

 

It is true that He made atonement:

          Christ forgave the guilt of our sin: Ephesians 1:7

          Christ graced us with His righteousness: 2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Christ made atonement because sin is guilt that needs to be forgiven; God must be propitiated (have his anger turned away from us so that He can have a relationship with us (Rom 3:21-26).

 

But here it says that Christ made ‘purification’: sin is also filth that must be cleansed.  We are stained (Isaiah 1:18).  Our works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). 

 

Sin is also an illness that must be cured: Our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9); our position pitiable (Rev 3:17).

 

Oh Lord, save me from the sins that plague me!  Forgive me, cleanse me, cure me!  Give me mercy: propitiate me (Luke 18:13) lest I die!

 

Father in Heaven, praise You for your holiness.

Son on Earth, praise You for your mercy.

Spirit among us, praise You for your communicating both to me.

 

Longing for complete redemption with you,

Pastor Greg

Hebrews 1:3c

Hebrews 1:3 ^ESV

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

 

“he upholds the universe by the word of his power”

 

The word that strikes me here is ‘upholds’:  Jesus has the universe from the bottom up.

 

Now, this would not have occurred to the 1^st century mind, but if ‘strings’ are the ‘ultimate’ sub-atomic particle, then what holds the energy that is ‘strings’ together:  Jesus.  Naked energy is just that, there is no form, there is no ‘part’ to the sub-atomic particle.  But if Jesus ‘upholds’ these with his word, then the ‘form’ this naked energy takes is held together so that it may make the quarks which make the protons, neutrons, and electrons, which in turn make the atoms which make the molecules which make everything else.  Jesus upholds the universe by holding the power that makes the material:  amazing, awesome, God!

 

Then, not only does Jesus hold everything together, Jesus also holds the larger parts together.  However many quadrillion strings Jesus holds together to make us live, but then he also holds us ‘together’ in our lives.  He is the author and Perfecter of our salvation.  He is the One who guides us and shapes us and makes us into the persons He created us to be.

 

Then, not only does Jesus hold together our lives, but then Jesus also holds together our lives in community; not just within Santa Maria, or the USA: Jesus holds all of history together to bring about his purposes (Acts 17:24).

 

Jesus also holds together the atoms that make the rings about Saturn.  Jesus also holds together the atoms that make up the Crab Nebula.

 

And He does this not as a frantic mother chasing her child from place to place; He does it simply with his word of power.

 

Your Majesty,

Praise You Father for your power.

Praise You Son for speaking that power.

Praise You Spirit for acting in that power.

 

Praising the King with you,

Pastor Greg

Hebrews 1:3b

Hebrews 1:3 ^ESV

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

 

“He is…the exact imprint of his nature,”

 

John 14:9

2 Corinthians 4:4

Colossians 1:15

 

Barclay paraphrased this clause with ‘just as the mark is the exact impression of the seal’. 

 

Of course, the author of Hebrews is repeating the idea just given as ‘the radiance of the Glory of God’.  But here he has become more specific; here our author is moving one step closer to the reality and further from the metaphor.

 

The word ‘nature’ here is directly translated as ‘substance’ (anyone here remember your 2^nd year philosophy?).  In English today we translate this idea with either ‘essence’ or ‘nature’: ‘that which makes God who He is’.  So, Christ is the imprint, the mark made by the die of ‘that which makes God who He is.’  The author of Hebrews could not have been clearer using any words: the only way you could be the exact mark left by God is to be, in fact, God.  This is Who we have in Christ. 

 

The other verses listed above merely give additional testimony worded in a slightly different manner to this reality: the Son is God, while at the same time (mysteriously) not the same as God the Father (they are one is substance, but two in Person).  My head is spinning again.  Praise Jesus!  If He were merely a god I could understand then He might be a god worth fearing, but not a God worth worshipping, not a God worth basing my entire life and all my decisions upon.  Praise Jesus He is so much more than I can understand.

 

Praise You Father for being infinitely higher than my comprehension.

Praise You Son for coming to earth so that I may have understanding.

Praise You Spirit for revealing the truth I can understand so that I may give you glory.

 

Glorifying our incomprehensible God together with you,

Pastor Greg

Hebrews 1:3

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat d0own at the right hand of the Majesty on high."
Hebrews 1:3

"He is the radiance of the glory of God..."

The glory of God is invisible right now. Habakkuk 2:14 says that "The knowledge of the glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." But that day is not yet.

There are of course many hints of God's glory: Yosemite Valley, towering redwoods, the ocean itself. But none of these are the glory of God.

On the other hand, Jesus is God with skin on; Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. The metaphor is that God's glory is like light, so Christ came to earth so we could see the light. God hides himself, as it were, because if we saw anything but the tiniest portion of Him we would be overwhelmed and would not be able to do anything but fall in abject prostration (or worse, descend directly, absolutely, and finally into Hell).

So Jesus came to show us God; to display a portion of his glory. When we look at Christ we are looking at God visible. Let us look, let us see how He lived and what He did so that we can enjoy the glory of God now before it is too late to enjoy it forever.

Praise You Father for being glorious.
Praise You Son for showing that glory.
Praise You Spirit for enabling our hearts to enjoy that glory.

Seeing glory together with you,
Pastor Greg

James 1:18

James 1:18 ^ESV

“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.”

 

God has done what He wants to do: ‘He brought us forth’.

 

God has done what He wants to do through His own means: ‘by the word of truth’.

 

God has done what He wants to do for His own purpose: ‘that we should be a kind of first fruits’.

 

God has done what He wants to do with what He has made: ‘his creatures’.

 

There is no notion of ‘fairness’ mentioned at all.  The whole category didn’t even occur (apparently) to James.  But the question of fairness ought not occur to us either; for at least 2 reasons:

 

1.    We belong to God: you don’t ask a shovel if you may dig with it (though we are much greater than a shovel, we still belong to Him, and as you use a shovel for a purpose, God uses us for a purpose fitting with us that He created us to be—which is far greater than that of a shovel.)

 

2.   God’s will is ultimately for our blessing.  You wouldn’t necessarily ask someone if it is ok that you gave them $1 million (you might, the analogy isn’t perfect).  But God, in is sovereign position is both willing and able to give greater blessing than any cash boon.  There is no notion of ‘fairness’ here because what God is giving is not ‘fair’ in the sense that it is not ‘just’: He is giving us what we don’t deserve.  It is also not ‘injustice’ because He is not giving us less than we deserve; God is giving us far more than we deserve.

 

But you might say, “I don’t struggle with fairness when it is spoken this way, for my benefit; but does this mean I must also accept this kind of statement when the issue at hand seems to be less than what I desire?”  I’ll leave you to answer that; the fact that the question comes so easily to us shows us our self-centered (i.e. sinful) heart.

 

So, the point of this verse; the application so we can take something home is this: make use of the means God offers to secure the blessing He desires to give us and which he took great pains to secure for us.

 

In other words: read and trust the Word of Truth for the good of your own soul.

 

Praise You Father for choosing to bless us.

Praise You Son for securing that blessing.

Praise You Spirit for giving us enlightenment so that we may partake in that blessing.

 

Pursuing God together,

Pastor Greg

Hebrews 11:13-16

"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city."

Hebrews 11:13-16

 

We just got home yesterday after a vacation.  It was great: family, fishing, hiking; wonderful things!  Surprisingly not a lot of 'rest' even though that was the 'purpose' of our trip.

 

It is wonderful to get back home.  Today is going to be a busy day of de-vacationing, we have a couple of things to do with friends, get ready for the day at church and back to the 'real' world (and begin the transition to a new chapter in our lives at church).  I (almost) wish we had come back one day earlier so all this could have been spread out--but then I wouldn't have been able to teach that pesky trout a little respect for taking 4 of my worms before I took him!

 

As wonderful as both vacation and being home is, I was listening to the Steven Curtis Chapman song "Not home yet" song rolling down the 395 yesterday and was reminded of the truth of these verses.  I am not home yet; may I never be "too content to say I am not home yet!"  God is not ashamed of me because He has put within my heart a faith, a trust that whatever good this world can give me it is nothing compared to what awaits in my homeland I have never yet seen. 

 

Oh praise Jesus!  I am so glad to be Yours!  Thank You for a 'break' while I am in this world.  I pray Jesus that You would work in me so that I am still 'Yours' while on vacation; that I would not take 'vacation' from being Your child.  God work in me and through me so that all who see me (whether 'in season' or 'out of season') they recognize good works from me and give glory to You.

 

Praise You Father for the creation we enjoyed last week.

Praise You Son for the redemption I enjoyed with Your people last week.

Praise You Spirit for the grace to enjoy them both.

 

Looking for home together,

Pastor Greg

 

7-22-10

 

Acts 20:20

"how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,"

 

Paul's ministry for 3 years in Ephesus was a teaching ministry.  People are ignorant of the things of God, so they need to be taught.

 

Paul taught them anything that was profitable.  If there was a particular new teaching en vogue then Paul was willing to speak against it.  If there was some connection to a cultural 'truth', Paul used it in his teaching (Acts 17). 

 

Paul was also careful to teach both in public and in private.  Some things are too important to teach only in private; some things are to complex to teach in public.  So Paul set about doing what he needed to do in order to teach the Ephesians properly.

 

Now Paul was ready to die.

 

Acts 20:24

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

 

In Paul's heart the ministry was a death.  He daily gave up his 'rights' so that others could be blessed with eternal life.  Though he didn't die for at least some time afterwards, Paul's whole life after the Damascus Road experience was death. 

 

Praise Jesus for the gift of ministry.  Lord, grant that I would have a heart that leans more fully on Your vision for ministry.  Help me Jesus to die to myself: when I am ministering to my family, when I am ministering to my flock, and when I am ministering to those around me in need.  Help me to view both life and death, and the ministry as Paul did.

 

Praise You Father for the gift of Your Son.

Praise You Son for opening the door for Kingdom work.

Praise You Spirit for the gift of ministry.

 

Your fellow minister in Christ,

Pastor Greg

7-21-10

 

Psalm 119:5-6

"Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments."

 

Oh Lord, my heart is so fickle.  I am so easily distracted from following after you and towards things like catching fish.  Lord, keep my heart steadfast; make me steadfast in following Your law.  Give me grace oh Lord lest I die!

 

Oh Lord, let not Your servant be put to shame.  Let not my sins rule over me; rather, give me fixed eyes on Your commandments.  Lord, give me grace so that when others do revile me it will not be because of my sin, but it will be because they hate Your law.  Let me not hate your Law.  Let me not live as an atheist because I am functionally living apart from You.

 

Father, grace!

Son, mercy!

Spirit, love!

 

Your servant,

Greg

7-20-10

Psalm 118:24

"This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

 

Thank you for protecting me when I fell yesterday. Thank also for reminding me what I ought to be thankful for; a wife who is willing to camp with or without a camper/5^th wheel.  Thank you for the stars and the planets and the joy of watching them.

 

Thank you for the sun rising.  Thank you for this computer to do a quiet time in.  Thank you for Psalm118.  Thank you for calling it to my attention and putting it into my heart.

 

Thank you also for the courage to speak to my dad yesterday.  Forgive his stubbornness before it is too late.  Save his soul o Jesus.

 

Give my family a heart to rejoice and be glad in this day You have created for us Father!

 

Let all the Burtnetts say: "His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 118: 2b)

 

Thank You Father for the sun to warm our bodies.

Thank You Jesus for demonstrating the eternal steadfast love.

Thank You Spirit for the grace to warm our souls.

 

Rejoicing with you,

Pastor Greg

 

7-19-10

 

Psalm 5:11

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you."

 

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;""

I have always found these kinds of statements interesting.  The type of statement has a name, but I have forgotten; perhaps I'll remember before I'm finished. 

 

David is calling on the Lord to do what God already does.  This is effectively a statement of what God does, and yet it is an agreement, a desire that what God normally does He would in fact do.  

 

In this case the desire is that God would cause His People to rejoice.  Rejoicing is the definitive mark of one who belongs to God (aside from love:  perhaps one is the attitude and the other is the action).  Joy works in all circumstances (as does love).  So David desires that God would cause His people to reoice.

 

"let them ever sing for joy,"

Singing is the outward expression of joy.  It is saying, "hey I'm here and I belong to God!  Isn't He great!"

 

"and spread your protection over them,"

We can sing because God protects us through whatever difficulty we are experiencing.  He does not allow His people to suffer apart from His love and guidance.  But, oh, it may feel like it sometimes.  Hence the call to 'let those who take refuge in You rejoice.'

 

"that those who love your name may exult in you."

This protection has a purpose. The  purpose is that God's people may sing, may loudly proclaim what God has done for them.  Exulting in God is the expression of great joy and gladness that God is (or whatever you are exulting in) great!

 

Lord may I exult in you today.

 

Thank you Father for your protection.

Thank you Son for your power.

Thank you spirit for your Joy!

 

Rejoicing with you,

Pastor Greg

7-18-10

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Psalm 3:5

"I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me."

 

Good morning Jesus.  Thank You for awakening me this morning.  Thank You for the rest I had last night.  Thank You Jesus for the resources to take this vacation.

 

Jesus, I long to serve You this day.  I long to desire You more than fish, more than convenience, more than the praise of any person.  Fill my heart with love and compassion and truth.  Give me grace to see with Your eyes, and give me opportunities.

 

Thank You for the reminder last night to feed people; to give them food.  God, place in my heart a desire to do what is right.  Sustain me Lord so that I may do good so that others will see my good works and give glory to You, my Father in Heaven.

 

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.  Praise Him all creatures here below.  Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.  Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

 

Amen.

 

Doulos Greg

7-17-10

 

Romans 8:32

"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"

 

Promises, promises. Doubt is the default attitude in our culture.  No one can be depended upon.  So, even as believers we are tempted when reading the breathtaking promises of God to doubt: "they are not for me" "God is talking aboutsome one or something else", "God simply doesn't know what I've done; or He does know and He is mocking me saying 'I'm going to dangle this promise out in front of you just so you know what you're missing."

 

May it never be!

 

God made his promises to you knowing the lousy wretched sinner you would be.  You are as human as anyone else.  Still the promises are for you and for all who trust them.  Turn off the MP3 player in your head that tells you to doubt the promises and begin trusting them today.

 

Thank you Father for many precious promises.

Thank You Son for making them apply.

Thank You Spirit for revealing them to the prophets so I may read and believe.

 

Your fellow truster,

Pastor Greg

7-16-10

Psalm 81:10

I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

 

In the book Pride and Prejudice Mr W can't stop talking about the 'condescension' of Lady Catherine de Bourg.  When we finally meet her she is a self-centered, bossy, arrogant lady who is anything but truly condescending (in the old way the word was used; perhaps she is the reason why 'condescending' has the negative meaning it does today???).

 

God says to self-centered, bossy, arrogant sinners, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." 

 

He gives a grounds for His willingness: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."  In other words, the reason God is willing to fill our mouths is because He has already done so much for us.  God simply takes delight in being a blessing to His people.

 

But there is something else vital to understanding this verse:  The command remains: "Open your mouth."  You must be willing to receive what God will give.  You must desire His blessing before you can have it: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matt 5:1-8)

 

In the movie Knight's Tale when William is finally discovered and he is to be led from to the Tower, his love stands there crying looking at him.  He spreads his arms wide as if to say, "Here I am.  Now that you know me what do you think?"

 

God has much to give (every good and perfect gift James 1:17), but there are things He is unwilling to give.  Those things are all those which are not first and foremost, Himself.  The blessing offered is every good and perfect gift; the warning is that in our fallen state we fill not always find those gifts pleasant.

 

Right now you have the choice, but choose wisely because if you don't open your mouth so God can freely pour blessings in, you will find your mouth closed in shame and emptiness for eternity.

 

Thank You Father for this remarkable promise.

Thank You Son for securing it for me.

Thank You Spirit for revealing this great and gracious love to me.

 

Fill my heart O god!

 

Ask your Father today to change your heart so that you are willing to receive all that He gives.

Your fellow empty vessel.

Pastor Greg

Praise Jesus

We just got home from vacation.

I'll have all this week's blog posts up tomorrow.

Praise Jesus!

Habakkuk 2:12-14

Hab 2:12-14

 

Cities built on blood and sin will not stand: those who so build will find that all they have built is meant for fire, it will be destroyed because it is destined for nothing.  The reason for this vanity is:

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord."

 

The glory of God will so consume all the earth that people will not be able to deny it.  While we look at majestic mountains, towering trees, and an amazing diversity of life starting today my family and I will see the glory of God; but this verse promises that some who refuse to see His glory will be forced to see it because all the structures evil men have built will finally be destroyed: once and for all.  When everything that hinders our view of God is wiped out, nothing will be left to prop up our own delusions and God will be seen as glorious as He is.

 

Father in Heaven, let me see Your glory today!

Son in Heaven, let Your glory be praised today!

Spirit in Heaven, let Your glory be sung today!

 

Praising Jesus with you,

Pastor Greg

"The God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac."

Genesis 31:42

 

What did Jacob know about his grandfather Abraham and his relationship with God?

What did Jacob know about his father Isaac and his relationship with his Fear?

 

Enough it seems to know who protected him for 20 years under Laban's orders.

 

More interesting that that is how God identified himself to Jacob: "I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me." Genesis 31:13

 

A promise made 20 years ago was not forgotten by God; nor did God hesitate to make clear to Jacob that He is a very personal God: "I am the God of Bethel".

 

Jacob fled from his father in law with his wife and children in tow.  But he did not flee from God.  The God to whom Jacob had sworn 20 years ago played a significant role (at least in his words) throughout the chapter.  He would play and even larger role when Jacob finally wrestles with the God Who would not let him go after all these years (Genesis 32:22-32).  God had already invested too much to allow Jacob to walk away without a fight (and a limp) to prove how much God wanted to bless him, and others through him.

 

How small a life Jacob lived; yet how significant!  You too may also lead a small life: but if it is lived for God, it may be far more significant that you can yet imagine.

 

Praise You Father for using a shepherd from the Fertile Crescent 4000 years ago.

Praise You Son for using fishermen from the Sea of Gallilee 2000 years ago.

Praise You Spirit for using and even less significant person today.

 

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Greg

Jeremiah 17:9

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
Jeremiah 17:9-10

Has your heart ever lied to you?

That moment of sin in which you believed that this sin would be pleasant; when you tasted its fruit however, death.

The time you lusted, longingly after the touch of an adulteress; the thrill of another's prize; the praise of the crowd around you: when it finally is yours the object you pull so closely is a firebrand.

The time you served the homeless, caressed a distraught child, helped an old lady to cross the street: ARGH! but sin bit you on your heal as you thought about how great it is you did that.

Only the wisest know; only the discerning can tell; only those close to Christ will be able to mark the deceitfulness of their own heart. And only those who are walking closely to the Spirit will then be able, by the grace of Almighty God, to do something about it.

Praise You Father for saving my soul.
Praise You Son for working in my heart.
Praise You Spirit for renewing my mind.

Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Greg

Psalm 33:9

"For He spoke and it came to be;
He commanded, and it stood firm."
Psalm 33:9

Who can speak something into existence? Who can think and it comes to be?

We expend much mental energy (rightly) to accomplish tasks (for some things only come by thinking, some only by work, and some only by prayer). But that mental energy does not accomplish the moving of a mountain; God's thoughts create a mountain.

Not only does God speak and something comes into being, but it comes fully into being: all the necessary parts, all the atoms are aligned correctly, and the amino acids are sequenced properly, all the water and carbon and gold. God speaks and the thought is in a wonderfully final sense FULL.

So it is with His promises. When God speaks a blessing to one of His children, God does not fail to consider possibilities; God does not forget that He promised it; God is not surprised: His promises are good, good in the best sense of the word. Therefore, you can count on them. You can base your life on those promises just as you can found your house on a rock or mountain that God spoke into existence as well.

Praise Jesus!

Praise You Father for Your Promises.
Praise You Son for confirming those Promises.
Praise You Spirit for communicating those Promises.

Trusting the promises with you,
Pastor Greg

James 1:17b

James 1:17
HCSB
"with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning."
ESV
"with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
NIV
"who does not change like shifting shadows."
NASB
"with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow of turning"
KJV
"with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

God does not change. Sometimes He appears to change, usuly this
However is in response to us changing so that He can come through on
His promise of grace for us. The effective. Change is not in God due
to caprice, but to a loving faithfulness, to steadfast love, to
faithful mercy (translations of the Hebrew word hesed). Thus the
change experienced by the worshipers of pagan gods (both ancient and
modern) simply does nit exist in the loving covenant Unchanging God of
the Bible.

And because thus is true, you can trust that He will come through on
His promises to you in Christ: bank on it.

Father, praise You for your unchanging love for me.
Jesus, praise You for Your promises which find their amen in You.
Spirit, praise You for speaking Your promises into my heart.

Trust your changless God today in an area of specific need that
relates to His glory today.

Trusting/hoping with you today,
Pastor Greg

Psalm 130:7-8

"O Israel, hope in YHWH!
For with YHWH there is steadfast love,
and with Him is plentiful redemption.
And He will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities."
Psalm 130:1-8

One of my struggles in relating with our Savior God is the greatest thing about Him.

I know that He is full of hesed--(steadfast love, loving kindness, faithful mercy).
I know that with Him there is plentiful redemption.
I know that He will redeem His people from our iniquities.

O blessed truth, overwhelm my soul. Wash me clean of doubts. Rain and Reign in my heart that I may trust Your promises!

Father in Heaven, take my heart.
Son on Earth, clean my mind.
Spirit inside me, renew my soul.

Amen.

James 3:17

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."
James 3:17

"You're too heavenly minded to be any earthly good!" Have you heard that foolishness before? There are some who claim to be spiritual who just want to do the cultural equivalent of wearing a white robe and sitting on top of a hill somewhere: in their foolishness they claim to be 'heavenly minded' and they certainly are no earthly good. But their actions belie their 'mindedness'. Instead of heavenly, their thoughts are slothful, selfish, and/or completely immature.

On the other hand, James reminds us that heavenly mindedness is active, initiating, it is loving. A truly heavenly minded person is one who doesn't fold his hands over his uncomfortably crossed legs and breathes mantras; a truly heavenly minded person is one who finds those in the community who need to be blessed and he blesses them: beginning with the house of God (Galatians 6:9-10).

Father in Heaven, create in me a clean, heavenly minded heart.
Son on Earth, move in me to love as you have loved.
Spirit in our midst, lead me to those who need Your grace.

Search for opportunities around you today where you can be heavenly minded.

Searching with you,
Pastor Greg

James 1:15

James 1:15
"Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin
is fully grown, it gives birth to death."

Maturity works in one direction; whatever direction you are going in
life, you will get there: if you are headed towards sin you will die,
if you are beaded towards God you will find life.

The point is that you will become what you are becoming; every road
leads somewhere. A few verses earlier (James 1:4) says that
steadfastness leads to being mature (same root word translated As
grown in our verse) and complete: what a human being ought to be (as
opposed to what a human being ought not to be (dead).

Trust God for the grace to be steadfast in light of temptation and you
will be whole. Trust God for the grace to be purposeful instead of
blowing like the wave of the sea. Trust God to make you become the
best you can possibly be; then wherever you are you will be where God
wants you.

Praise you Father that you have defined what mature and complete is.
Praise you Son for showing that to us.
Praise you Spirit for working the desire to be mature and complete in
our heart.

Persevere today in the face of temptation.

Maturing with you,
Pastor Greg

Psalm 130:3-4

"If You, O YHWH, should mark iniquities,
O King, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness,
that You may be feared."
Psalm 130:1-8

Oh YHWH! Mercy! Please O King, mercy!
I cannot stand in your presence O Father unless Your Son causes me to stand. Give me grace O King! Grace for that which I do not earn.

And yet, my King, with You there is forgiveness. You have promised; not based upon my own goodness [sic], but that You may be feared!

YHWH, allow my heart to fear You properly. Give me grace that I might seek Your face more than the trinkets I seek on earth. Save me from my desires which are far to easily satisfied and ravish my soul with greatness so that I may be satisfied where I am.

Your humble servant,
greg

Psalm 130:1-2

Psalms 130:1-2
Psalm 130
"1 Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh!
2 King, listen to my voice;
let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for help."

People can not help calling out to God from their depths; leaste of
all believers. Even when we are not in the habit of praying we must
cry out because it is how God has made us.

The problem isn't the ejaculatory nature of our prayers, the problem
is the ejaculatory prayer is all that we give; and yet the Lord
continues to hear.

The psalmist cries out to God for an audience expecting that grace to
be given. He asks for the forgiveness of his sins(Psalm 130:3-4), then
he affirms his undying loyalty to the Lord (Psalm 130:5-6), then calls
on those around him to do the same (Psalm 130:7-8).

Let this also be a pattern we follow in our prayer. Let us also take
these steps so that we will pray eighty and God, in His grace and
mercy, will likewise hear.

Praise You Father for hearing us in spite of our sin.
Thank You Son for removing our sin.
Thank You Spirit for communicating our prayers to the Father.

Pray.

Praying with you,
Pastor Greg

James 4:12

“There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” ^ESV

James 4:12

 

Not judging your neighbor is a fairly significant teaching throughout the NT.  Most familiar is probably Matt 7:1.  The issue there is that we must not condemn our neighbor; a few verses later (Matt 7:15-20) Jesus commands us to ‘inspect fruit’.  So obviously, when we are ‘judging’ someone, we are doing something other than simply trying to determine if the person is who they say they are.

 

This is where James 4:12 comes in.  It seems that James is distinguishing ‘judging’ as the sole prerogative of the One ‘who is able to save and to destroy’.  Judging, condemning, determining the future of a person is the job of the One who can do it perfectly.  Because this is true, we must not ‘speak evil against one another’ (James 4:11).  Speaking evil or ‘evilly’ was evidently an important enough example to James of what ‘condemning’ was that he specifically spoke against it in the context of the judging we are to leave to God.

 

So, for you and I, we are to love our neighbor (Matt 22:37-40) so that they can see the love of the Father (Matt 5:16) who is near us and is willing to save rather than destroy (Acts 17:27).  This love is very often of the ‘tough’ kind because true love is not as interested in comfort as it is interested in the good (Eph 4:15).

 

Thank You Father for being a perfectly righteous Judge.

Thank You Son for being the judgment Bearer for me.

Thank You Spirit for being the Peace we need.

 

Who have you been judging?  How must you repent?

 

Repenting together with you,

Pastor Greg