Tag: Bible

Passions Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

It has been a busy week with little time to write or reflect on anything to write.  But here at the end of the week are some good posts from others for you to consider:

Mark Altrogge reminds us that Christian growth takes time.  Growth isn’t instant, yet it is simple.  We can get caught up in so many details and disciplines, but in the end, Stephen Altrogge reminds us it comes down to one thing.  Certainly one discipline that can help us do that one thing (you really need to follow the link to find out what it is), is to be in the Bible.  Ray Pennoyer gives us a fresh challenge from a recent movie and a one of my heroes of the faith to be in God’s Word.  Don’t let the habits of the “hero” cast you down – most of us don’t have the time he had to devote to such things, but do let his example challenge you to hunger more for the Word.

Meanwhile, over at Crossway we get some excerpt’s of C. J. Mahaney’s new book Don’t Waste Your Sports, addressing the important issues of  humility and the temptation to play for our glory rather than God’s.  While focused on the athlete, the principles can be applied to all of life.

That is probably enough for this week.  Have a blessed Lord’s Day as you gather with God’s people to worship our great God!

Listen

On By BrianIn Book of Luke

During the Transfiguration recorded in Luke 9:28-36, a cloud overshadows them, and a voice says, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”  The Father commands the disciples to listen to Jesus.  We too must listen to Jesus, but how?  He does not walk among us as he did then, so how do we listen to him?

Some might suggest that the words that he spoke while he was here that are recorded in Scripture – the words in red – are his words that we must listen to, but that does not go far enough.  We know that the apostles and prophets wrote the entire Bible as they were led by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:20-21).  We also know that the Spirit speaks the words of Jesus (John 16:13-14).  That means that the entire Bible is the words of Jesus.  When we open the Bible and read, Jesus speaks to us.  We must listen.

We must stop and listen.  Peter wakes up to find Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, and he bgins to chatter on about building three tents.  But is this a time to talk?  Would you interrupt Jesus, Moses, and Elijah?  Wouldn’t you want to hear their conversation?  This is a time to stop all other thoughts, words, and actions, and just listen.

As we gather on Sunday mornings to open the Book which contains the very words of our glorious Savior, this is not a time to get up and wander about, to daydream, to think about lunch or afternoon plans.  This a time to stop and listen.

As we wake up each morning to open the Book to read the very words of Jesus, we must stop all distractions, stop thinking about our plans for the day, and just listen to Jesus Himself speak to us.  Stop and listen.

But we must not just stop and listen, we must also listen and respond.  We cannot listen to Jesus like we often listen to a news announcer – in one ear and out the other as they say.  When God speaks, we must respond.  The Parable of the Sower in the prior chapter reminds us that we must not just hear the Word, but must respond (8:4-15).  Jesus tells us his family are those who “hear the Word of God and do it” (8:21).  We must not just hear the Word; we must do what it says (James 1:22).

So as we gather on Sunday morning to open the Book, do we come planning to not only hear but also respond?  As we open the Book each morning, do we intend to respond?  Do we intend to obey that command, or claim that promise, or believe that truth, or confess that sin, or follow that example?  Do we plan to listen and respond?

Father, you have given us a great gift – the very words of Jesus.  As we open the Book, help us to remember that we are reading the very words of God.  Help us to stop.  Help us to listen.  Help us to respond.  For your glory, we pray.  Amen.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Last week was a very good and busy week of VBS at our church, so I wasn’t able to blog much.  Let’s start this week with a few recommended posts to visit from around the web related to Three Passion living.

First, we start with God’s passion for us.  Justin Taylor explores how Paul describes God’s grace throughout the book of Ephesians.  His question at the end of his post is important for us to consider: “Do we feel, with Paul, how truly great God’s grace is?”

People are obsessed about all kinds of things in our world, but our passion should only be found in one place as Mark Altrogge reminds us.

If we are going to grow in our passion for God and compassion for people, we need to be in God’s Word.  James MacDonald reminds us of some of the Bible’s vivid pictures of itself – and what they mean for us.

Examples of Grace 12

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

I Samuel continues the theme of grace.

Hannah prays for a son.  God graciously gives her one.  How many times have we prayed, and God has granted our request?  We are unworthy, we constantly fail the Lord, yet he answers our prayers.  This is grace.

Throughout the book, we see God’s gracious deliverance.  The Lord delivers Israel from the Philistines.  The Lord delivers David from Saul.  How many times has God delivered us – from sickness, from trials, from danger?  This is grace.

Nabal offends David.  David prepares to take vengeance.  But God uses Abigail to stop him.  He was about to sin, but God kept him from it.  How many times has God kept us from sinning?  Keeping a temptation from us.  Removing a temptation.  Giving us strength to overcome.  This too is grace.

Let us glory in the wonderful grace of God!

Humble Gratitude

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility

A Pharisee invites Jesus to his home.  He treats Jesus rudely – neither giving him water to wash his feet or even giving  a proper greeting.  Then comes this woman.  We know little about her – only that she was a sinner.  She had a reputation – and not a good one.  Somewhere, somehow we must surmise that she had crossed paths with Jesus.  She had heard him speak of repentance and forgiveness.  She had found mercy and love and grace.  And so now she comes.  Risking the ridicule and hostility of those at the Pharisee’s house, she comes.  She begins to weep at Jesus’ feet.  She begins to anoint his feet with ointment.  She begins to wash his dirty feet with her hair, and kiss his feet.  Here is an incredible example of humble gratitude toward God.

Do we remember our past sins?  Can we see our continued failures to follow the Lord?  Are we still amazed at his mercy and love and grace in our lives?

Everything we have talked about this week in past posts – humble submission, humble worship, humble service, and humble giving will quickly become a chore, a duty, a struggle – unless it is motivated by a humble gratitude to God for all that he has done for sinners like us.

What motivates us?  Why do we do what we do?  Are we trying to earn God’s favor?  Earn our way into heaven?  Trying to impress God?  Impress others?  All of this is so much foolishness and will wear us out in the trying.

Jesus died for our sins.  He loves us in spite of our rebellion.  In humble gratitude may we give ourselves to God…like this sinful woman did.

(Luke 7:36-50)

Humble Giving

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility1 Comment

We often think of the 12 disciples when we think of those who followed Jesus, but he had many other followers – including many women.  These women not only followed Jesus, but they provided for him and his ministry from their own means.  They give us an example of humble giving to God.

Are we following their example?  Are we providing for the ministry of our local church out of our means?  Not occasional token gifts, but true regular giving to the Lord out of what God has graciously given to us?  Have we discovered the joy of giving?

I know of numerous missionaries who are stranded in our country, unable to go to the missions field because they can’t find the support.  Yet we are the wealthiest country in the world!  This is a huge indictment upon the American church.  Are we serving God with our money or ourselves?  Are we bowing down to the Lord or materialism?

How we need to follow the example of these dear women.  How quickly we could send out these missionaries if all of God’s people regularly and joyfully gave back to God a portion of what he has given to them.  Not a meager portion.  But a generous portion for his work and his glory.  Father, grant that we would humbly give to you.

(Luke 8:1-3)

Humble Service

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility

Simon’s mother-in-law was sick when Jesus came to visit, but not for long.  Jesus healed her, and immediately she arose and began to serve.  To serve.  What an incredible example of humble service to God.  Jesus gave her health, and she served him.  Even so God has given each of us whatever level of health we have so that we might serve him.  That is the reason we exist – to serve him and in doing so bring him glory.  Are we using the health God gives us to serve him?

Serving God can take many forms, but most often it comes in the form of serving people.  Simon’s mother-in-law served God by serving not only Jesus but also the disciples.  Even so, we can serve God by serving people.  We can serve God as we serve our families.  We can serve God as we serve our employers (see Colossians 3:23-24).  We can serve God as we serve our church family.  We can serve God as we serve the poor and needy.  We can serve God as we serve our neighbors, our friends, and the list goes on.

But do we see our service to people as service to God?  Do we offer up our service to people as service to God?  How do we approach serving?  What is our attitude?

And are we using the health God has given us to serve God by serving people?  Or are we too busy serving ourselves?

Simon’s mother-in-law gives us a good example of humble service to God.  May God’s Spirit help us to follow her godly example.

(Luke 4:38-39)

Humble Worship

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility2 Comments

There was a lady named Anna.  She had been a widow for many years.  She did not depart from the temple, but worshiped God with prayer and fasting night and day.  Night and day.  24/7.  Continuously.  Constantly.  This speaks volumes about her heart…and ours.  How many of us can see ourselves doing this?  Her heart must have been ablaze with love and adoration toward God to sustain this constant humble worship.

Do we approach each day as an opportunity to worship God? To spend time with God in praise and prayer?  As we awake?  On the road?  In our spare moments?  As we go to sleep?  Even in the midst of many tasks, we can praise God and pray – do we?  Most of us can’t focus exclusively on worship like Anna did – we have families and jobs.  Yet even those activities can be offered up to God as worship – honoring him, serving him.

Are you ready to offer humble worship to God today?

(Luke 2:36-38)

Humble Submission

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility2 Comments

One day an angel visited Mary with incredible news.  She was going to be the mother of the Messiah.  She would bear the one whose coming was foretold throughout the Old Testament.  What a privilege!  But she is confused.  She isn’t married.  How can she bear a child?  The angel tells her it will be through the Holy Spirit.  It will be a miraculous, supernatural birth.

Mary’s life suddenly becomes very complicated.  She was going to have a child outside of marriage in a culture that firmly held to God’s law?  What would her fiance Joseph think?  And while a great privilege to bear the Messiah – what an incredible responsibility to raise such a child.

But her response speaks volumes about the character of this young woman.  “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  She is God’s servant.  She will humbly do what God says.  She gives us an incredible example of humble submission to God. She will submit to his word.

When we come to God’s Word, do we come with the attitude: “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”?  Do we approach the Word ready to humbly submit to his authority?  To do whatever he commands?  To believe whatever he says?  To follow wherever he leads?  No matter what?  No matter how hard?  No matter whether we like it or not?  No matter what others think or say?  Do we come to the Word, ready to humbly submit to God?

The answers to these questions will have serious ramifications for our lives.  As we approach God’s Word today, this week, are we ready to humbly submit to his Word?

(Luke 1:26-38)

Examples of Grace 11

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Ruth is short, but gives some great examples of grace.

Ruth is a foreigner, apart from the people of Israel, apart from God.  Yet God graciously makes her part of his people, even including her as an ancestor of Jesus. She finds refuge in God.  In the same way, Peter tells us once we were not among God’s people, but now we are God’s people (2:9-10).  In Christ we have a relationship with God.  Ruth didn’t deserve it; neither do we.  But God made us his people and drew us to himself – that’s grace.

There is also the picture of the kinsman redeemer.  Boaz is a kinsman redeemer for Ruth – marrying her and providing for her.  Jesus is our kinsman redeemer – we are the bride of Christ, and he provides for us not only our daily needs but salvation as well.  Again, we don’t deserve this – it’s all grace.