Category: PASSION Reflections

Recognizing God’s Presence

On By BrianIn Habit of Prayer

Psalm 139 is a great prayer that reminds us that God is intimately involved in our lives.  Part of that involvement is his constant presence.  As David prays, he recognizes God’s presence with him:

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me. (v7-10)

Do we recognize God’s presence with us when we pray?  Do we consider that he is right there with us?

The address to our prayers should remind us of who we are talking to and that he is right there listening to us.  When we start our prayers with “Dear Lord” or “Our Father” or something similar, these addresses ought to draw all of our attention to our very present God.  And yet I fear we too often zip right through it; we forget who we are talking to.  We just start talking without thinking about what we are doing.  At least I know I do. 

How different our prayers might be if at the beginning of each prayer we simply stopped to consider who we are talking to, if we recognized that we are talking to a great God who is right there listening to us.  We are not talking to the air.  We are not talking to ourselves.  We are not talking to a distant god who may or may not hear us.  We are talking to a very present God who hears every word.  As we recognize his presence, we can really talk to God as we should.

Fill Your Head With Scripture

On By BrianIn Habit of Scripture1 Comment

Many of the last sayings of Jesus on the cross come straight from Scripture, which leads James Montgomery Boice to write:

This means that Jesus was filling his mind and strengthening his spirit not by trying to keep a stiff upper lip or look for a silver lining, as we might say, but by an act of deliberately remembering and consciously clinging to the great prophecies and promises of God.  If Jesus did that, don’t you think you should do it too?  And not only when you come to die.

You need to fill your head with Scripture and think of your life in terms of the promises of Scripture now.  If you do not do it now, how will you ever find strength to do it when you come to die?  You must live by Scripture, committing your spirit into the hands of God day by day if you are to yield your spirit into God’s loving hands trustingly at the last.

For further thoughts on filling your head with Scripture, I encourage you to look at this article about memorizing Scripture.  John Wilson interacts with Joshua Choonmin Kang’s book, Scripture By Heart.  It is a book on my reading list, and Wilson shares one challenge from the book – spend 15 minutes a day memorizing Scripture.  How might our thoughts and indeed our entire lives change if we did this?  Perhaps we could live and die like Jesus….

Without A Murmur

On By BrianIn Virtue Miscellaneous

J. C. Ryle writes regarding the cross:

Let us meditate frequently on these things: let us often read over the story of Christ’s cross and passion.  Let us remember, not least, that all these horrible sufferings were borne without a murmur; no word of impatience crossed our Lord’s lips.  In his death, no less than in his life, he was perfect.  To the very last, Satan had no hold on him…

These words challenge me.  As he stood in turn before the chief priests, Herod, and Pilate, he endured a mockery of justice without a murmur.  He endured the lashings without a murmur.  He endured the mockery with a murmur.  He endured the beatings without a murmur.  He endured the spitting without a murmur.  He endured the crown of thorns without a murmur.  He endured the nails piercing his body without a murmur.  He endured hanging on that cross without a murmur.  He endured the wrath of God for my sin without a murmur.  Without a murmur.

And yet these words also convict me.  They point to my own sinfulness.  He endured horrible suffering without a murmur, yet I can easily murmur at the smallest things.  A slow driver in front of me, an interruption while I’m trying to focus on a task, and many other small things in life can cause me to murmur.  In his perfect example I am confronted afresh with my own sin.  I simply don’t measure up.  And yet that is why he endured the suffering without a murmur.  So my sins could be laid on him.  So his perfection might be attributed to me.

As I ponder his sufferings for me, it moves me to change.  I want to be more like Jesus.  I want to face the trials of life without a murmur.  On my own, I simply can’t.  But with his help in the power of the Spirit, I can press forward, I can grow more like him, I can begin to face life without a murmur. 

Father, help me to face today’s trials without a murmur, as I remember Jesus who endured for me so much more – without a murmur.  Amen.

More Reason To Praise

On By BrianIn Church Life

On Sunday we reviewed the story in Mark 11:7-10 of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  The people had lined the way into Jerusalem with palm branches and their own cloaks.  They were shouting and singing and celebrating.  There was excitement in the air.  They saw in Jesus the long awaited king who would save them from Roman oppression. 

But we know something they didn’t.  In less than a week, Jesus would die on a cross, because he came not to save them from the tyranny of Rome, but from the tyranny of sin.  He came to save us by becoming our sacrifice for sins so we could be forgiven and reconciled to God.  He came to rise again so we too could be raised from the dead someday.  He rose to reign not merely as the king of Israel, but as the king of the whole world, for he is not only in the line of David but also God in the flesh. 

If Israel had reason to gather to shout and sing and celebrate Jesus, how much more reason do we have to gather to shout and sing and celebrate Jesus? 

But is that why we gather on Sundays?  Do we gather to praise the Lord?  Do we come ready to shout and sing and celebrate?  Really?  Is it in our minds?  Is it on our hearts?  The Israelites had been anticipating that day for years.  Do we anticipate during the week that time when we can gather with God’s people to praise him together?  Can we hardly wait?  Are we excited to come together to praise our great King and Savior? 

We have more reason to praise Jesus than the Israelites did.  Let’s act like it as we gather this Sunday to praise our risen Savior and King. 

And yet we need not wait until Sunday.  Let’s get warmed up during the week.  As we reflect on the cross this week, let’s shout and sing and celebrate in our personal times with the Lord.  Let’s praise the Lord in our own homes as families.  We have more reason to praise Jesus this week.  Let’s live like it!

The Pursuit of Joy

On By BrianIn Virtue of Joy

Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4).  But that is often easier said than done.  In the midst of the storms of life, how can we pursue joy in Christ?  Mark Altrogge gives us 25 helpful suggestions which include praise, prayer, the Word, serving, giving, and more.  Read the whole thing here, and find help to rejoice in the Lord always.

Better Than Life

On By BrianIn God & His Glory

Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
– Psalm 63:3

Because your steadfast love…
Your help
Your strength
Your comfort
Your blessing
Your sustaining
Your sacrifice
Your forgiveness
Your salvation
Your promises

…is better than life…
Money
Things
Job
Vacations
Recreation
Entertainment
Internet
Sleep
Food
Popularity
Status
Friends
Family
Health

…my lips will praise you.
Celebrate you
Sing of you
Honor you
Glorify you
Tell of you

Amen.

Family Worship

On By BrianIn Family/Single Life

A few years ago I came across this idea of Family Worship.  The idea is simply to gather daily as a family to worship God together through the Word, prayer, and praise.  So we started doing it.  Now my children will often come and tell me it is time for family time (as we call it).  When we are going to miss a day, my children are often disappointed.  Family time has become a special time for us to be together and focus on the One who should be the center of our family.   

If you don’t have a daily time of family worship, I highly recommend it.  To get started, check out Jason Helopoulos’ 11 reasons to worship with your family.  Then continue with his what, when, and how of family worship.  Then just do it.  You and your family will be glad you did.

What Kind Of Head?

On By BrianIn Church Life

And he is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be preeminent.
– Colossians 1:18

My wife and I attended the Church Ministries Conference in Grand Rapids this past weekend.  The speaker for the general sessions was Jim Jeffery, president of Baptist Bible College and Seminary.  In one session he spoke about the church as a Body with Christ as the Head.  As he discussed the verse above, he asked this probing question:

Is Christ the functioning head of your church or merely a figure head?

In other words, are we seeking and submitting to his leadership, or is he merely some kind of mascot?  Is he really preeminent in our church?  Does his will take first place among us?  Or are we running the show all the while paying him lip service? 

Good questions…

Health To Serve

On By BrianIn Habit of Stewardship

And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.
– Luke 4:38-39

Simon’s mother-in-law was sick, unable to serve.  Then Jesus healed her, and as soon as she was well, she began to serve.  She used her new health to serve Jesus. 

Has God given you health in this period of your life?  If so, what are you doing with it?  Are you using it to serve Jesus?

Perhaps your health is limited.  Are you using what health you have to serve Jesus?

Don’t waste your health.  Use it to serve the Lord.