Category: PASSION Reflections

Not Offended

On By BrianIn Identity

Have you noticed that everyone seems to be offended?  Even outraged!  Several weeks ago a school decided not to have a Valentine’s party lest someone be offended.  But of course their decision offended other people.  Facebook is full of the rants and ravings of offended people.  What are we to make of this?  Here’s my theory.

Somehow we have come to base our identity on what others think and do.  So if someone thinks or does something that I like, it validates my thoughts and actions, and so validates my identity.  On the flip side, if someone disagrees with me about something or does something I don’t like, it opposes my thoughts and my actions, and so threatens my identity.  And I get offended, or even outraged.

And so suddenly having or not having a Valentine’s party threatens someone’s identity.  Opposing or supporting same-sex marriage, or gun-control, or abortion, or practically anything threatens someone’s identity.  We can no longer have a rational conversation about anything, because our identity is at stake.  And so we quickly get offended or even outraged.

Even many Christians, who should know better, seem to have based their identity on what the rest of world thinks and does.  The majority of our country used to agree with us on moral issues, but now it doesn’t, and so our identity is somehow threatened.  And so we act like the rest of the world – offended, outraged, ranting and raving.

But our identity as Christians is not based on the opinions or actions of others.  Our identity is found in Christ who loved us and died for us and made us children of God.  We are in Christ.  He is our identity.  And so we need not be so easily offended.  We need not be outraged at every little thing that happens.

Now let me be clear – we may not like what others think or do.  We may hate the sin that we see in our culture and the harm that it brings to people.  Sin should bother us.  Sin is offensive.  But we need not be offended or outraged by the thoughts and behaviors of others as if it somehow threatens our identity.  We ought not live in a constant state of offense and outrage.

Our identity is found in Christ and not in what others think or do.  So let’s live as Christians and not be so easily offended.

 

Father of Glory

On By BrianIn Books of the Bible, Habit of Prayer1 Comment

In Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:16-20, he approaches God as the Father of glory. God is our Father, and yet at the same time he is the God of all glory. In the Old Testament, God is often referred to as the God of glory or the King of glory. Now we can call him our Father, but he is still the Father of glory. Or as Jesus teaches us, he is our Father in heaven. Calling him our Father means we can come boldly into his presence through Jesus as his children. “In heaven” and “of glory” means we must approach him with reverence and humility.

Is this how we approach God when we come before him in prayer or to worship? Boldly before our Father? Reverently and humbly before our glorious God? Do we mindlessly come into his presence, or do we consider into whose presence we come? He is the Father of glory.

A Prayer

On By BrianIn Books of the Bible

Father, you have opened our blinded eyes that we might see you and know you, but too often our eyes are sleepy when it comes to your spiritual blessings. So open our eyes that we might grasp the ramifications of your great salvation for us. Open our eyes that we might live out the blessings that we have in Christ. May your Spirit enlighten the eyes of our hearts with wisdom to understand and live out the revelation of the gospel that you have given to us.

Open our eyes to know you in an intimate, experiential, life-impacting way. To grow in our personal relationship with you. To commune with you more and more – listening to you as you speak to us in your Word, and responding to you in prayer. Open our eyes to know you better.

Open our eyes to know in an intimate, experiential, life-impacting way the hope of your calling to us. To grasp the incredible inheritance that you have for your children. To cling to the hope of our own resurrection that we might dwell with you forever and ever. And to live in response to this hope in the midst of the struggles of life. Open our eyes to this great hope.

Open our eyes to know in an intimate, experiential, life-impacting way the riches of your inheritance in us. To grasp the wonder of being your own people, your own inheritance. To cling to the reality of your delight in us, desire for us, love for us, care for us – not because we are so great, but because of your incredible love. And to live each day in response to your amazing love for us no matter what others may think of us. Open our eyes to your great love.

Open our eyes to know in an intimate, experiential, life-impacting way the greatness of your power toward us. To grasp the immeasurable greatness of your power, your great might working in us. To cling to this same power toward us that raised Jesus from the dead and placed him above every other power. And to live each day in response to your mighty power toward us which is greater than anything that can come against us. Open our eyes to your great power.

Open our eyes to know you, to know this hope, to know this love, to know this power in an intimate, experiential, life-impacting way. Open our eyes, O God, open our eyes.

(Inspired by Ephesians 1:16-20)

You Were Chosen

On By BrianIn Books of the Bible

You were chosen.

Before the foundation of the world. Before time and space existed. Before all of creation. You were on God’s mind. He was thinking about you.

You were chosen.

According to the purpose of his will. His purpose. His will. It was his purpose, his good pleasure, to choose you. It was his desire to choose you. It was his delight to choose you.

You were chosen.

To be holy and blameless before him. To have your sin and guilt and shame removed. To be declared righteous in his sight. To live as one set apart unto God. To live for Him. To one day stand before him holy and blameless forever.

You were chosen.

For adoption as sons. To be God’s beloved child. To be part of God’s family. To receive an inheritance forever.

You were chosen.

In Christ. Through Jesus Christ. All because of Christ. As we are united to Christ.

You were chosen.

To the praise of his glorious grace. That God might be praised, exalted, lifted up, worshiped, glorified. For his grace toward us, his underserved favor, his unearned blessing, his glorious gift of salvation for us.

You were chosen.

Go to Jesus

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

In Isaiah 61, we are encouraged to go to Jesus.

Go to Jesus with your poverty and affliction and receive good news of hope for future.

Go to Jesus with your mourning and sorrow and find his comfort.

Go to Jesus with your captivity to sin and find freedom.

Go to Jesus with your sin and receive forgiveness and righteousness.

Go to Jesus with the ruins of your life and let him rebuild you into something beautiful.

Go to Jesus with your shame and dishonor and receive the honor and joy found in him.

What do you need to go to Jesus for today?

Look Forward

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

Isaiah 60 calls us to look forward to the New Jerusalem where:

  • God will dwell with us in all of his glory with such brilliance that there will be no need for the sun or moon (v1-2, 19-20, see also Rev. 21:3, 23).
  • God’s people will be gathered from the nations to dwell with God forever (v3-4, 9, 21, see also Rev. 21:2-3).
  • God will make the city a place of glorious beauty (v7, 13, 15, see also Rev. 21:2, 11, 18-21).
  • Great wealth, abundance, and praise will flow into the city for an ever-expanding glorious beauty (v5-7, 9, 11, 13, 17, see also Rev. 21:24-26).
  • Great salvation from sin will be completed as everyone trusts in him, submits to him, and walks in righteousness before him (v9, 10-12, 14, 17-18, 21, see also Rev. 21:8, 27).
  • Great salvation from the consequences of sin become a reality as peace reigns, mourning comes to an end, and joy abounds (v11, 15, 20, see also Rev. 21:4, 25)

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Will We Be Faithful?

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

In Isaiah 59:12-15, Isaiah addresses Israel’s sins in terms that could have been written to our country today. He speaks of sin, transgression, and iniquity, and it doesn’t take long to see the moral depravity of our own nation. He speaks of Israel walking away from God, and it appears that our nation is doing the same as it drifts back into paganism. Isaiah says truth has stumbled in the public square, and today people just don’t want to hear about God, His Word, or truth in our culture or our government. Isaiah says that the person who departs from evil makes himself a prey, and we see examples today of Christians who have refused to participate in evil being sued and even losing their businesses. And the question for the church today is: will we be faithful?

In a culture that celebrates sin, will we be faithful to turn from it? In a nation walking away from God, will we be faithful to follow Him? In a country that rejects truth, will we be faithful to stand for the truth? In a world that rejects righteousness, will we be faithful to walk in righteousness? Will we be faithful?

Today, as we gratefully remember our veterans who gave themselves for our country, will we as Christians faithfully give ourselves for our Lord? Will we be faithful?

Where God Dwells

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
– Isaiah 57:15 (ESV)

God is high and holy, so it should not surprise us that he dwells in a high and holy place. What should absolutely amaze us is that he would dwell with people – with those who are contrite and lowly.

To be lowly is to see ourselves in a right relationship to God. He is high and we are low. He is eternal and we are temporal. He is holy and we are not. Being lowly is not thinking we are garbage – we are image-bearers of God! Being lowly simply means that we see things as they are – God is greater than I am, and so life is about him and not me.

To be contrite is to be crushed or undone by our sins. It means that our sins against God that led him to the cross move us to weep. We cry out with Isaiah, “Woe is me!” (Isaiah 6).

And when we humble ourselves before the Lord, humbly confessing our sins and looking to him for salvation, he moves into our lives. The Holy Spirit makes us his home. We become temples of the living God. God dwells with us. What a wonderful thing that God would dwell with us!

And as God dwells with us – he revives our spirits, he revives our hearts. He gives us life – new life. He gives us significance as his presence exalts us. He gives us salvation from our sins as his Spirit applies the work of Jesus to our lives. When we come with contrite and lowly hearts, he exalts us and saves us – as he comes to dwell within us.

Everlasting Significance

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
– Isaiah 56:5 (ESV)

God is speaking in this verse to eunuchs who would never have children. In Israel, it was important to have children to continue the family line. To be single and never have children was a tragedy, to be a failure. But God says he will give them an everlasting name better than children. He will give them everlasting significance apart from family.

Mark this. A spouse can never give you lasting significance. If you look for your significance in your spouse, you will destroy your marriage. Your spouse was never designed to give you significance, to satisfy your soul. Only God can give you lasting significance.

Your children can never give you lasting significance either. If you look for significance in your children, you will destroy your children. And when they leave home, your sense of significance will walk right out the door with them. Only God can give you lasting significance.

Everyone is searching for significance. You may be seeking it in family, or achievements, or recognition, or fame, or power. Many today seek significance in Facebook – how many friends do you have, how many people liked your last status? People try to recreate themselves in their own image striving for significance. But only God can give you lasting significance.

Don’t seek lasting significance in the temporary. Only an eternal God can give you lasting significance. He gives us an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

Come

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live….

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in me shall never thirst….

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

– Isaiah 55:1-3a, John 6:35, Revelation 22:17 (ESV)