2020: New Year, New Decade, New Word

Happy New Year!  

A little more than twenty years ago everyone was sure the world was coming to an end.  The Y2K conspiracy was in full affect.  We were going back to the dark ages for certain.  Then the clock rolled over and everyone discovered that the world was gonna keep on kicking and time would keep on ticking.  Since then we have had many dramatic moments as a human race, but New Years hasn't really been one of them. 

And so, 20 yrs later,  I am thankful to welcome 2020 to into my life.  A year when the worst thing that could happen at this point is that President Trump is reelected...depending on your perspective.  Yes, it is a new year and a new decade but mostly it just another year.  However, I believe that what every new year does bring is a fresh opportunity to examine life and contemplate doing a few things differently.  

New Beginnings

It struck me that perhaps one way to have a healthy perspective on this "new beginning" is to think on He who has been the same, ever-present, faithful friend since the very beginning of time and creation.  

John 1:1 tells us that "in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS GOD."  

Genesis 1:1 tells us "in the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth."  

You see God has been with us from the very beginning.  In the same way Jesus has been there from the very beginning.  Jesus, THE WORD, was there when the earth was being formed.  He was there and knew us when were being formed in our mothers womb, (Psalm 139:13).  

He is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  As children of the Most High, we can revel in the fact that we were chosen to be so before the foundation of the world through "the word" Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4-5). 

What an awesome way to begin a new year!  We do not begin it haphazardly or without purpose.  We were created and then reborn as believers WITH a purpose.  To do good works which God prepared for us before we ever created or saved (Ephesians 2:10).  

We have this incredible gift, this incredible perspective to begin 2020 with.  We can get so hung up on resolutions such as getting healthy, getting our of debt, even being a "better Christian" by trying to read or memorize more bible or pray more, etc. As a nursing student I could make it more about being a better student. None of these things are bad, but if we miss the BIG PICTURE then what's the point.  

Know the Word, Know Jesus, Know God

We don't have to do any of these things perfectly or primarily.  What we do need to focus on is Knowing God a little more each day and striving to glorify Him every day in the little things.  How we think, how we speak, how we use our time.  IF we use 2020 to consider whether we are honoring God in the day to day details of life, then these other things will naturally get wrapped up in that.  We need "THE WORD" to do that.

If you haven't given much thought to your relationship with Jesus "the Word" lately then that is absolutely first and foremost.  Have you given your heart to Jesus and placed your trust in Him? Do you know Him?  Do you want to know Him more?  If you don't get this right, your eternity is in jeopardy and the rest doesn't matter.  Relationship with Christ is the only way to fullness of life now and in the eternal life to come.  If you have questions or need to discuss this further, reach out, the answers are there.  

Once the answer to these questions is yes, then it is a matter of realizing that Jesus is "the Word made flesh".  He is not just "the reason for the season", HE is the reason for everything.  He is the reason we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  Relationship with Jesus is what makes the written word of scripture come alive and time in the written word of scripture is what makes our relationship with Jesus come alive.  One suffers without the other.  

So, what does all this mean?  I believe it means that the most effective way to see success in 2020 is to spend a little time in "the word that is written", with "the word made flesh" as often as possible and to spend everyday asking ourselves how this should impact the little things in life.  How do we think?  How do we speak?  How do we eat?  How do we spend our time?  If Jesus were here right now, how would that impact the way I live?

Two resolutions

1.) Love "the Word" in human form.

2.) Glorify God through living out "the Word" in written form.

I pray that God will help you and I to make this a greater reality in our lives this year in Jesus name.

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy,  to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen." (Jude 1:24-25).

2019: A Year of Renewed Beginnings

WOW!!!  It is hard to believe that it is 2019.  What is harder to believe is that I have not written an original blog post since September 2017.  There are many reasons for this, but one one of the primary reasons is a new adventure in pursuing nursing school that began during the summer of 2017.  I have been in class almost non-stop since then.  I am not in school for the first half of 2019 but Lord willing, I will be in a nursing program in September.  Until then, I would like to get back into communicating via blogging and sharing my passion for Jesus in hopes of inspiring others to grow in that same passion.

I have two primary goals this year: to loose weight and get healthier in general and two reestablish the spiritual disciplines of prayer and reading the scriptures.  I have struggled in these areas for some time which is ridiculous since we all know that the crazier life is, the more we should be digging in to these disciplines right?  Thankfully, the one discipline that hasn't waned is gathering together with other believers, at least not on Sunday mornings anyway.  Admittedly, small group fellowship has been a scheduling struggle.  Regardless, the teaching and fellowship that happens on Sunday mornings and the reestablishing of our men's ministry meetings has kept me plugged in and convicted regarding what it means to be a man of God and what that should look like.

Our church is really drilling down this year on these same disciplines of prayer and reading/studying the word of God.  Without these disciplines we as Christians will flail and flounder in our consistency of daily living a God honoring life.  As a church we are coordinating multiple bible reading plans as small groups.  This idea is also being divided between the women's and men's ministries.  This not to cause division.  It is for two reasons that I perceive:  1.) The women got started first and are actually being and inspiration to the men, 2.) there is something to be said biblically for women  building each other up in the faith (Titus 2:3-5) and men building each other up in the faith.  This is not to suggest that the genders always have to be separate, Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks to all Christians faithfully meeting together to stir one another up to good works and encourage each other.  This act of community is part of what helps Christians to remain strong and obedient in the faith.

A while back, I was convicted about bible study and we were trying to get one off the ground at work.  That has not been successful yet unfortunately, but that does not take away from its importance.  As a result of this thought process,  I wrote a few blog posts about bible study that I never published and shared.  I think I would like to start the year out by thinking about this publicly and sharing it with you.  It is of utmost importance to no only read, but contemplate the scriptures.  A lot of the bible plans that our small groups are doing together provide opportunity to provide comment and share thoughts on the passage with each other.  This builds community and helps us to encourage each other along the way regarding the understanding of all that we read.

I hope that the blog posts that I share about bible study will do the same.  After that I will restart and expand the last subject of posts that I was writing when I was interrupted.  These posts focused on working through the bible and speaking to large topical concepts regarding what God has given us through scripture and through Christ.

My goal, as I pursue new beginnings, is that perhaps I will be able to encourage others to the same effect.  If you are struggling or perhaps just looking for some fresh encouragement and thoughts regarding your Christian walk, or even if you are not much of a person of faith but have curiosities, I welcome you to follow what I am doing here and reach out if you have questions or concerns.  The point of this blog is to draw hearts and minds closer to Jesus and no one is excluded from that opportunity.

It is always a blessing to me to write these posts as I always learn and am edified as I write.  I pray it will be blessing to someone else as well.

Blessings,

Josh

God gave...His Son, The Word (Part 5)

I interrupted the flow of the Trinity because I wanted to pair the written word and the incarnate Word together.  As we continue, I have included the section of the Nicene Creed that speaks to Christ.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of his Father before all worlds

God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,

begotten, not made, 

being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; 

who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, 

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary

and was made man; and was crucified under Pontius Pilot;

he suffered and was buried; 

and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures

and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father;

and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead;

whose kingdom shall have no end

It would take a significant amount of time and space to plumb the depths of this text.  I hope to hit the essentials as a means by which to affirm the Creed and the deity of Christ from the Scriptures. This way you will at least have some texts from the written word to support the creedal summation of the incarnate Word.

Christ as Begotten, Christ as the Creating Word

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.(John  3:16)

I and the Father are one. (John 10:30)

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you Father are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20-21)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him and without him was not anything made that was made.(John 1:1-3)  He was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.(John 1:10)

In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.(Genesis 1:1)  And God said, "Let there be light", and there was light.(Genesis 1:3)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.(John 1:14)

Christology

Christology is the understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ.  As heretical errors in biblical understanding throughout church history go, there is truly nothing knew under the sun.  This is true as it regards understandings of Jesus as well.  Colossians was written in large part as a response by Paul to false teachings that had risen up in Colossae regarding who Christ was and what He did.  These two passages in which Paul fleshes out a true understanding of Christ also serve as terrific biblical support for the understanding of who Christ was in the Nicene Creed.  Here they are.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  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.  

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith."                        (Colossians 1:15-23) 

"For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.  In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without human hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."(Colossians 2:9-15)

Now.  Someone might think,"Why did you have to type it all out?  Why not just give references.  I already know this stuff, why do I need to read about it here?"  To that I would answer, because Paul thought it was important to drive these truths home, at length, in two different chapters of the same letter.  So I thought I would follow his example and we can all stand to be reminded of these awesome truths. Now these passages flesh out the theological effects of what happened courtesy of the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection.

Incarnation and Crucifixion, and Resurrection

For biblical foundations for the incarnation and virgin birth specifics, go to Matthew 1:18-25 & Luke 1:26-38.  

Regarding Christ's crucifixion: Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-46, and John 19  

Regarding Christ's resurrection:  Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20

This is a most rugged and skeleton-style approach to dealing with the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Let it suffice to say that apart from Christ's incarnation (Fully God & Fully Man), perfectly obedient life (active obedience), and sacrificial death (passive obedience), no one would be saved.

My prayer is that as I continue on this journey, scripture will give us many more opportunities to look at the various facets of the trinitarian God of the bible and to be more specific regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Please continue with me on this journey and lets discover who God is and what He has done for us together.  It is a most fantastic voyage.  Next we will look at the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.

Sincerely,

Josh

God Gave...His Word (Part 4)

I have spoken to some degree about the importance of a proper understanding of the authority of scripture as God's divine word.  However, just as it is important to have some understanding of the nature and character of God as we establish a foundation for this journey through God's word; we must also have a proper understanding of the nature and character of God's word.

Now, let me just say from the beginning that there is so much more that can be said than I will say here.  Each of the characteristics that I will reference could have their own blog post or sermon if not multiples.  That is how deep and significant they are.  So if it seems mildly academic or heavy on terminology, please bear with me.  These are not things that many churches ever teach but they are important truths to understand about the only written source of truth that will ever matter, the word of God.

The reformers and early Christians of the Church thought that scripture was easy enough to be understood by the "common man" that many of them died in order to make sure that it was translated from Latin to English, German, and many other languages.  If they thought it was easily understood and worthy of dying for, then perhaps it is worth a little effort to think about the very characteristics of God's word.

Red Letter Truth!

In John 17:17, Jesus in praying to the Father during what is known as the high priestly prayer prays, "Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth"

It is at this moment that I would like to say to all of those "red letter" folks out there that want to contrast all other aspects of scripture with the words in red i.e. Jesus' words.  This is a false dichotomy and Jesus would have taught us so, in fact he did.

It is clear that Jesus, of all people, considered all of scripture to be God's word.  He established all that He is according to the Old Testament scriptures.  So many times he states that something is being done to fulfill what was written in the prophets thus qualifying those very words.  

For example, in Luke 24:25-27 Jesus said to the disciples with whom he was walking along the road to Emmaus, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."

You might say, "Ok. but what about all the words written after Jesus died?  How do we know that those are legit?"  To establish that, we must understand that Christ taught that He would build His church from beginning to end. 

In Matthew 16:18, while speaking to Peter about his gospel declaration that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus tells Peter, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it."

Hebrews 3:3-4 tells us, "For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, as much glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.  For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God."

Psalm 127:1 states, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."  Now that can be applied to any number of scenarios but it has often been understood as properly applied to the building of the church in general based on Matthew 16:18, Hebrews 3-4.

So much more could be said, but I pray that this very basic provision of texts and thoughts will be enough to provide a basis for the understanding that, God is in charge of His word from beginning to end because through His Son, THE WORD, He is building the Church.

Every bit of development of doctrine and application in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation is authorized and inspired by the Living God. We know this because the Spirit of God testifies to our hearts, through the very word of God that this is true.

Now, if you will allow me, I will wax academic just a bit, but not with the intent of sounding intelligent or speaking over anyone's head.  No, I believe that anyone and everyone can and should understand everything I am about to say.  Please indulge me for a moment.

God's Word Of Truth Is Authoritative, Inspired, Infallible, Inerrant, Clear, and Sufficient

"And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in  a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.  For no prophecy was every produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."(2 Peter 1:19-21)

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 

(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Authority and Inspiration

• These two passages of scripture were written by two of the great Apostles of Christ in Scripture, Peter and Paul.  These scriptures are the summation of the truths in the larger heading of this section which is underlined above.  The authority and inspiration of the scriptures are enacted, empowered, affirmed and supported by the very Spirit of God in the hearts of every believer. 

• If this does not register as truth, a professing believer should question the possession of true faith in their hearts, because that very faith is not real if it is not supported by these self-affirming Scriptures.

Infallibility and Inerrancy

• Infallibility regarding scripture simply means that the Bible cannot err.  In the whole of scripture it is incapable of doing so.

Inerrancy regarding scripture means that the Bible is without error.  In the whole and in it's parts, it is altogether free of it.

• It could be said that scripture is inerrant or free from error without requiring infallibility.  We could not say however that scripture is infallible or incapable of error if it is not in fact inerrant.

• So to make it clear as mud, a proper understanding of scripture is that it is not only free from error, but that it is free from error because it is incapable of erring to begin with.  This is because it is not just any old literary work, rather it is the very word of an infallible and inerrant God.

• So you see, if we do not believe that God's word is infallible and inerrant, then we cannot believe the same about God in which case our beliefs about our salvation, being based in the perfect love and sacrifice of a perfect God, are null and void.

Perspicuity

• What is that?  It is a fancy theological word that means "clarity".  A proper understanding of scripture will include an understanding that God's word is easily understood and clear in all matters that pertain to what God intends to be clear.  In other words, the things that He has revealed in Scripture are there to be understood when studied and meditated upon faithfully and with a proper understanding of interpretation.

• A number of ideas in God's word require that they be understood in light of other parts of scripture.  In other words, scripture interprets scripture.  Often times, we need to think through the surrounding text, the intent of the author based on who they are writing to, and the genre i.e. history, poetry, letters, etc.  When all things work together, there are no contradictions, half-truths or lies.  When understood in full, God's word makes itself clear.  Is it work?  Yes, sometimes.  At no point does God call us to laziness.  He intends for us to "study to show ourselves approved, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."(2 Timothy 2:15)

• Understanding the depths of salvation and all the ways that scripture speaks to it requires study and a broad understanding of the whole of scripture.  As it pertains to the basics of salvation, very little is required.  You can read through the book of John and get a very solid understanding of who Jesus was and is and what He came to do for us.  If you read Paul's letter to the Romans, there will certainly be aspects that would be clearer with a broader understanding of the story of redemption however, a straight reading will paint a very clear picture of our sinful nature and it's origins, our guilt and condemnation because of it, and the good news of what God did through His son, Jesus.  It will paint a picture of desperate need and glorious hope as well as an understanding of God's sovereign work through it all.

• This is the most basic meaning of the statement that God's word is clear.  That is why the Reformers wanted people to be able to read the scriptures for themselves rather than having a Catholic priest give them a corrupt, manipulated version that served their purposes and kept the people enslaved. The Catholic church teaches that IT is the final authority on what the Bible teaches.  Scripture teaches and the Reformers believed that God's word alone was the final authority and that we had to work together to hold each other accountable to that word.

Simply put:  YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES!!  

It is God's gift to you, that you may know Him and glorify Him.

Sufficiency

• Finally, God's word is sufficient.  Granted, scripture will not tell you what pants to put on, what career to choose, or even who to marry.  Many pastors rightly go to the Psalms for references regarding the sufficiency of scripture.  Now I cannot flesh this out here but I do want to include the references and pray that you will look them up and that the Holy Spirit will make clear many ways in which scripture is sufficient; in short : it is perfect, reviving the soul; sure, making wise the simple; right, rejoicing the heart; pure, enlightening the eyes; clean, enduring forever; true and righteous(Psalm 19:7-9)  Another example would be Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."  Last but not least, Psalm 119:11, "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

• A couple of other good references would be again 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which is written out above regarding power and inspiration.  In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul tells Timothy that "the "Sacred Writings" are able to make him wise for salvation through Christ Jesus."  This speaks to both the sufficiency and the clarity of scripture.   Also, Jude 1:3 which refers to scriptures as "the faith once for all delivered to the saints"

Conclusion

As I said at the beginning, This barely scratches the surface of the depths of understanding and knowledge that can and should be pursued and understood regarding the scriptures.  I just pray that perhaps I have provided brief insight into some new ideas and understandings for someone.  If I peak even one person's interest enough for them to delve deeper and take God's word more seriously, it will have been more than worth it. 

God Gave...The Creator (Part 3)

God The Creator

We will begin again by remembering what the Nicene Creed states about God the Creator.

"Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible"

I stated in the previous post that God cares very much for His creation and even more for His children.  Did you catch the distinction.  Some don't realize that God has a different love for His children than He does for the rest of creation and He will respond to them differently in the end.  We will speak more to that.

This may seem like a strange way to introduce God as Creator but this is the biblical truth of the matter.  God is the Creator of heaven, earth, animals, and humans, everything that exists comes from Him. But if you remember, God as Father has a special love for those whom have put their trust in Him. They are the ones He calls children.

I like to bring the two together because I think it is awesome to remember that I have a Heavenly Father that is all powerful and without whom nothing would exist.  Now let's briefly consider a few scriptures that speak to the creative awesomeness of our God.

Genesis 1:1 tells us that "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Psalm 33:8-9 declares, "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!  For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm."

Romans 4:17 tells us, in reference to Abraham, that "as it is written, 'I have made you the Father of many nations'--in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist."

Hebrews 11:3 reminds us that "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

We know from the whole of scripture that God the Father is Creator.  It is He who spoke creation into being.  It is He who said, "Let there be light and there was light"(Genesis 1:3).

Isaiah 40:12 declares, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?"

So much more could be said and I hope that over the course of this series, I can bring more depth and breadth to the greatness of our God.  I have spoken here to God the Father as the creator and beginning of all things.  It may be prudent to mention as well that John tells us 

"In the beginning was the word and was with God and the word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made"(John 1:1-2).

This is a direct reference to Jesus, God's Son, as part of John's introduction to his Gospel.  In this scripture, as well as in the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Colossians which states, 

"For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulers or dominions or authorities--all things were created through him and for him."(Colossians 1:16)

we learn that Jesus was at creation with the Father, not only observing the creation, but being a part of it as the very agent of creation:  the very Word of God.

In addition to this astonishing truth, I would like to take a moment to speak to God as the middle and the end as well.  I imagine we will get here again in this series but it seems pertinent to speak to it now as well.  So here goes.

Revelation

Revelation is the last book in the bible.  It comes in the form of visions given to us by Jesus, through the Apostle John, while he is exiled on the island of Patmos.  In it Jesus states three different times, I am the Alpha and Omega.  He establishes himself at the beginning of this letter in Revelation 1:8 as he states, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty".  

Then at the appearing of the new heaven and the new earth, when the New Jerusalem is revealed, it states in Revelation 21:6-8, "And he said to me, It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

Finally in Revelation 22:12-13 as Jesus speaks further to the final judgement he states, "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."




If you notice He virtually begins and ends the letter of Revelation with this declaration.  Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last.  However, I think it is clear that God is not talking about letters here.  It would seem that God thinks it important that we understand; He, in His fullness, began all things, sustains all things, and will bring the consummation of all things.  What He started He will finish.

Good News

Did you take note of the distinction made by God in Revelation 21:6-8 between the reward due those that are called His sons and those who have lived rebellious lives in impenitent sin.  This is a huge distinction that should be taken seriously and considered fearfully.

Perhaps you are wondering, "How can I become a son or daughter rather than experiencing the eternal second death?"  I am glad you asked.  You see I am making a point to speak to each of the persons of the trinitarian Godhead.  The next person of the Trinity that we will speak to is God the Son.

This Son came down as God incarnate, fully God and fully man.  He lived the perfect life we could not live, that His righteousness might be credited to us.  He then took our punishment for all who would believe.  God's wrath will be poured out on all sin and thus all sinners.  However, for those whom put their trust in Christ, Jesus has borne that wrath so that we will not have to.  After suffering the consequences of our sin, He rose on the third day, conquering death and the grave and making eternal life available to all who would put their trust in Him.

You can know Him.  Follow this series, read the bible beginning with the book of John and then Romans.  Get into a bible-teaching church that teaches Christ and the Cross as the blazing center of all that a Christian should believe.

If you feel so inclined now or at any point in the sequence of events listed above that you need the saving power of Jesus to change your heart and make you new, forgiving your sins and rescuing you from the power of sin and death(Romans 8:1-2), CRY OUT!  There is no formula.  What I have presented above is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is the power of God unto salvation(Romans 1:16). Scripture teaches that in order to be saved you must repent and believe the gospel(Mark 1:15).  Begin a conversation with God regarding these matters that never ends.

He will hear you.  He can save you.  You can be made new and be called a child of the Most High.

May it be so in Jesus name.  Amen.

I will likely not be giving long invitations at the end of every post in this series but it felt appropriate here, so there you go.  Whether this your first time hearing these truths or the 100th time, I pray your heart has been moved to a fresh expression of worship by this brief picture of the Creator of all things and the Heavenly Father of all who repent and believe.

Coram Deo (Before the face of God),

Josh  

God gave...The Father (Part 2)

As previously discussed I will speak briefly to the person of God the Father within the Godhead, also known as the Trinity.  Please remember that this is a series so if something needs clarification, look to previous posts in this series or hold on and it will likely become clear as we move forward.  We will begin by remembering what the Nicene Creed states about God the Father.

We believe in one God, The Father Almighty

Please allow me briefly to point out again that we are speaking of one God.  He is one in essence and three in persons.  That is the overarching nature of the Trinity.  My goal going forward is to help make clear the persons of the Trinity; never to create a notion of three God's.

God The Father

The beautiful thing about our God and what makes him different from other Gods is this idea of Fatherhood.  No other God call us His children.  No other God promises forgiveness of and redemption from our sinful rebellion against Him through the sacrifice of His own Son.  No other God gives a new nature that no longer desires to rebel against Him.  No other God then, puts His Spirit inside of us, giving us gifts to help us in this life and empowering us to use them successfully.

Though God does have a certain love for his "children of creation" (i.e. all of mankind), He does these things for those who are His children by faith alone(John 1:12-13).

We are privileged to call Almighty God Abba! Father because, as true believers, we have received the Spirit of adoption.  The Spirit by whom we are led, bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and thus fellow heirs with Christ.  However, adoption into the family of God comes with a responsibility. That responsibility is that we suffer with Christ in order that we may also be glorified with Christ(Romans 8:14-17).

We know that we can trust our Heavenly Father because our Savior, His Son, trusts Him entirely. Jesus taught us to pray "Our Father who art in Heaven"(Matthew 6:9-13).  All that the Son, Jesus, spoke and did was by the will of the Father and because He sees Him do it first(John 5:19-20, 8:28).  He trusted His Father completely and so can we.

God's word teaches us that we are not separated from God by some great span or chasm.  No God condescended to provide knowledge of Himself to us in our languages, using figures of speech, and genres that we could relate to.

In the Old Testament He appeared to man as The Angel of the Lord to David(1 Chronicles 21:16), a burning bush to Moses(Exodus 3:1-2), a pillar of fire(Exodus 13:21) and a cloud on the mountain to the children of Israel(Exodus 16:19), as a whisper to Elijah(1 Kings 19:12), and as a whirlwind to Job(Job 38:1).  There are many other Old Testament examples of God coming down and revealing Himself to His people.

The Father's Greatest Gift of Love

In the New Testament, God the Father tops all of the Old Testament examples by sending His Son as God in the flesh.  In fact, His greatest condescension was in the incarnation when God the Father sent His Son in human form to dwell among us, live perfectly in our stead, and ultimately die as our substitute receiving the punishment of God's wrath for our sins.  Then he raised Him from the dead verify Christ's deity and the validity of all that He accomplished.

Let's just say that Jesus was the greatest gift of love that the Father ever gave us.(Romans 5:8)

After this,  Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father and sent the third person of the Trinity, Holy Spirit.  More on the Son and the Spirit soon.

Let it suffice to say that God the Father cares very much for His creation and even more for His children.  He is not out of reach.  And no matter how far you think you have run or fallen, you are never out of His reach.

Coming up, we will speak to the subject of God the Creator and discuss further the details of His love for His creation and the magnificence of his creative power and how He is not only the beginning, but also the middle and the end of all things.

Please continue with me on this journey as we learn Coram Deo (before the very face of God).

Much love,

Josh

God Gave.....Himself (Part 1)

IN THE BEGINNING...

Before time began......God was!


Ok. So maybe this would be considered a bit obnoxious by some, what with the huge lettering and all.  But the fact is, He is a...

BIG GOD!

Alright. I think I have made my point.  Maybe someone might think, "If we are speaking to what God gave us, why not start with Creation?"  That is a reasonable question.  But what we often forget is that before creation God gave us himself, by simply being.  In all of His glory, might, and trinitarian splendor.  It is to the trinitarian nature of God that I want to speak here because, who He is makes all the difference in how we understand what He gives us.

Jesus tells us in John 5:26 that "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself."

Self-Sufficiency

A.W. Tozer expounds on this in Ch. 6 of his book, "Knowledge of the Holy" when he states,

"Whatever God is, and all that God is, He is in Himself.  All life is in and from God, whether it be the lowest form of unconscious life or the highly self-conscious, intelligent life of a seraph. No creature has life in itself; all life is a gift from God.  

The life of God, conversely, is not a gift from another.  Were there another from whom God could receive the gift of life, or indeed any gift whatsoever, that other would be God in fact.  An elementary but correct way to think of God is as the One who contains all, who gives all that is given, but who Himself can receive nothing that He has not first given.

To admit the existence of a need in God is to admit incompleteness in the divine being. Need is a creature-word and cannot be spoken of the Creator.  God has a voluntary relation to everything He has made, but He has no necessary relation to anything outside of Himself.  His interest in His creatures arises from  His sovereign good pleasure, not from any need those creatures can supply nor from any completeness they can bring to Him who is complete in Himself." 

The Apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17:24-25 that 

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." 

Hopefully these references give a clear understanding of the undeniable self-sufficiency of God. He came from nothing.  He exists in and of Himself.  He needs nothing.  He is completely fulfilled in Himself.  And through this trinitarian nature, He is the only God capable of understanding and giving love to another because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have lived in a perfectly loving relationship with each other for all of eternity.  No other religion in the world believes in a trinitarian God because no other religion in the world believes in the God of the Bible.

So What Is This Trinity?

I actually want to take part of this series and speak to the nature of the Trinity, the best I know how.  I believe it is important to give time to this because the rest of the series is about the who, what, where, when, and how of this trinitarian God.  He is seen throughout scripture and will be referenced in three distinct persons throughout this series.

The Nicene Creed was written at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.  It is not just some document or set of phrases designed to express some nice thoughts about Christian beliefs.  It was created to answer heresies that denied this very biblical doctrine of the Trinity and the person and deity of Christ.  It fleshes out nicely the basics of each person of the Trinity.

So my intent is to include it hear and then include each section as I briefly speak to who each person of the Trinity is.  I do intend them to be three separate and brief posts that will hopefully peak and hold your interest in this discussion.  If you are at all interested in delving deeper into your understanding of who God is, what He has done for you,  and what your purpose in this life is, please stick with me.

So, without further adieu, here is the Nicene Creed proclaiming the glorious nature of the Trinity:

We believe in one God, The Father Almighty

Maker of heaven and earth

And of all things visible and invisible

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of his Father before all worlds

God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,

begotten, not made, 

being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; 

who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, 

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary

and was made man; and was crucified under Pontius Pilot;

he suffered and was buried; 

and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures

and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father;

and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead;

whose kingdom shall have no end

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, 

who proceeds from the Father and the Son;

who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; 

who spoke by the prophets;

and we  believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church;

we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;

and we look for the resurrection of the dead, 

and the life of the world to come

AMEN!