Tuesday, May 27, 2014

My Life for His Glory

John 12:25

He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.


    It was another one of those interminable discussions which are simply veiled accusations of the "evils" inherent in christianity. Christianity seems to be a veritable scapegoat of the collective resentments of society. It is, after all, not at all difficult to malign those who are enjoined to eschew aggression in word or deed. In the absence of resistance, once truth has been exiled, humanity's core narratives will assert themselves. The actual nature of the unbeliever's devotion is revealed! While finding fault with their christian neighbor, they inadvertently expose that, not only do they understand well the morality of God, but that they do not intend applying it to themselves.

    The Lord has compassion on the disaffection and alienation of His children. It's a matter of faith. What we could not grasp, He explained to us at the cross. Those at war with God are really fighting against themselves. The God who gives us everything, in the sacrificing Himself for love of us, leaves to us the gift of our decision. There are the consequences of what we decide. If we murder God, then there is no one left to save us from ourselves.

    Those who follow Him, who have the temerity to attempt His character, are being developed by Him into His very nature and responsibility. He left an empty cross for us to take up, and the self serving nature we have must die upon it. The sin which strives to dominate us in our weakness, suffices to explain the reasons why. It is not a partial endeavor. It's an all or nothing scenario. The fearful who have not died to all but Him, and not been born anew in Him, are avoiding the painful process of healing and reconciliation. Jesus is the one who said, that any who attempt to enter any way but by Him, are but thieves and robbers.

    Only Infinity can resolve, within Himself, the price of the wrath which purchases our redemption. Only the Almighty can produce in us, the overwhelming joy which makes any sorrow fade from memory by comparison, a light of love so intensely bright that we will be grateful for anything we have had to endure to participate in the spreading of it!

    His children, both adopted and chosen seed, He has called His jewels. They are cut with facets to allow His  light to shine through and to reflect His brilliance. Only His own purity and clarity of character will be in the presence of tender, gentle, patient love. Is it any wonder we seek to spread our high aspirations? Believers cannot help but give expression to their joy!

    Romans 8:17

    and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that[a] we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

      Wednesday, May 21, 2014

      SHE CALLS HIM LORD

      God has His ways of doing things. He has made His plans, declared an order and hierarchy to represent Him and His authority. He has told us to submit to what He has ordained.

      When enters the stain and defilement of opposition to God, also coming with it is the usurpation of godly authority. Our instructions tell us to resist the originator of this evil, the father of lies. Any rule that one has is only what we permit by listening to him. Fear is the hearing of his voice.

      Since we still must submit to human authority and to each other, there is a disconnect now, in this process called obedience. Submission is the attitude of willing gentleness, but what if the other person is under the influence of the enemy? What if  he is working for the other side? Thing is, it makes no difference as to the fact that we are still to demonstrate humble respect for others.

      The headship precept that is written, is a concept of the path of progress of the blessings of God. He protects and bestows honor. His very corrections are a kindness, where He sanctifies us. Godly authority is expressed as self sacrifice. It is giving. This is the spirit that we are to submit to, the One that we are to obey. This is The Lord working through a brother or sister. It is the Signature of the Savior.

      If what we see in front of us is someone who elevates themselves or their interest above those of others, someone who attempts to override the consent of another, who is harsh or violent, then what we are witnessing is not of God. It is, instead, the signature of the serpent.

      What the adversary desires, is to replace God's authority with his own, whereby he would be the


      recipient of stolen worship! He will take advantage of anything that he can see as a vulnerability. He seeks to become god still!
      Nowhere is this ordained order of God more obvious in it's dysfunction than in the marriage relationship. Marriage is a physical representation of the relationship between the church and her Savior and Lord. Any attack on the honor of the bride disguised as authority, any angry confrontational accusations of sin, does not fit into this picture of Christ's headship example. Christ does NOT punish his bride. As a matter of fact, He took her punishment upon himself!

      Even the woman married to an unbeliever can speak the Word of Life without a word, by submitting to the blessings of God that come through her unbelieving husband. She is trusting God by having a quiet, fearless spirit towards her husband as towards The Lord. It just might inform him of his rightful inheritance of giving God's blessings as a priest of The Lord, as all who believe can do!

      Ephesians 5:25-27

      25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.

      1 Peter 3

      3 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2 as they observe your chaste and [a]respectful behavior. 3 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn
      themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right [b]without being frightened by any fear.



      7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with [c]someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

      8 [d]To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but [e]giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

      1 Timothy 2:11-12

      11 A woman should learn in silence with full submission. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent.

      1 Corinthians 14:34-35,

      34 the women[a] should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says. 35 And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting.36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

      (Can a woman preach and still be in submission? Yes. A woman's authority looks and acts differently than a man's. Contributing is not the same thing as usurpation. A woman should never exercise her authority by silencing others or subjecting them to herself. That said, do we really want to rid the world of half of it's evangelists?)

      Tuesday, May 13, 2014

      Law and Grace?

      How many times must we have this discussion? What is the relationship between grace and law? It is the exact same relationship there is between fear and love. The two are separated. John said that "there is no fear in love." Love's graciousness cannot stoop to persuade by force or fear, but is understood in contrast to it. The reason "the fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom" is because the death and destruction found apart from Him become apparent to us.

       (Roms 8) Without love, our heart is incapable of submitting to or obeying God's law. It has a will of it's own. So whether we give up to lawlessness, or attempt to obey law and fail (and are, ironically, STILL lawless), with good reason Paul compared the covenant at Mount Sinai to the slave woman Hagar and her son. It is apparent that the slave and son were rejected, thrown out of camp, and will not inherit with the child of the promise. Slave and son cannot inherit together! Following law, instead of Christ, is "our own righteousness" and produces only "filthy rags" instead of the clean clothing Christ offers us to cover our nakedness.

      God's law states unequivocally that we must not "mix" different things. It is "tutoring" us. It informs us not to eat meat and dairy together, not to make cloth of two different materials, and not to combine the rest of God's Sabbath with any "servile work". Plainly speaking, the law cannot be mixed with grace! In one's absence is the presence of the other! The two work in tandem, but not at the same time! The law was the standard applied externally, to actions, by force or fear. Love is the change on the inside, which comes from the motivation of devotion. Because of love, we are born again by the will of the Father, in His image. Only HE can make this change in us. The law gives us a "picture" of what love "looks" like and God's love, in us, tells us the reason why! Let us make the transition from being slaves, to being sons! Take the advice of our "tutor" and run to His deliverance from the bondage of the law, to being freed inheritors!


      Psalm 25:14
      New American Standard Bible (NASB)
      14 The [a]secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
      [b]And He will make them know His covenant.

      Proverbs 16:6
      By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

      (The law still has three functions today......."that all the world may become guilty before God" (Paul), to teach/tutor us about Christ (those "shadows" the book of Hebrews mentions), and as a "witness" of the righteousness that comes from faith.)