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I remember watching Shogun years ago, just after God saved me. I wondered why there was so much tension between the Jesuits and the Protestants who came to Japan. Then last week I read many of the posts from Christians regarding the killing of Osama bin Laden. Again that tension was there. It caused me to wonder why.
There was a period of time when I spent hours on the Christian forums, arguing back and forth about various doctrinal issues. Then one day I just stopped, tired of it all. It just felt like carnal weapons and fleshy warfare. If indeed the folks on the other side were Christians, then why were we fighting one another?
I saw godly people on both sides line up with valid Scriptures to defend their positions. How could we both be right? How could we both be wrong?
If you grew up in the sixties and seventies like I did, you remember well the frequent wars in Northern Ireland. Christians willing to go to their deaths in order to hold onto their faiths.
Or, as some have said, are we really Christians at all if we fight this way among ourselves?
Harper Lee wrote in "To Kill a Mockingbird" that the Bible in the hands of some men is more dangerous than a bottle of whiskey. I always think of that quote when I see these fights. We use the Bible as a weapon to beat one another into submission, to believe our beliefs, or else. Men will kill and be killed, certain they are righteous and right.
I no longer know what to think.
I followed the Internet Monk for a few years then recently gave up. They could not answer the question of what to do with the law even though they vehemently fight it in favor of grace. I dropped them not because of their position on grace, but because they fight to keep it, unwilling or unable to comment on the law.
I prefer to listen to "hellfire and brimstone" preachers like those found on sermonindex. I listened to a message by Ray Comfort this week called "Hell's Best Kept Secret". It made all the warfare between us Christians pale in comparison to its simple message. It was the gospel. And really, there is nothing else that matters.
At least that's what I think right now. What are your thoughts about this tough spot I'm in? Do you also wonder about what you really believe?
Showing posts with label believe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label believe. Show all posts
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Book Review - Believing God - Chapter 8: Mountains Cast Into the Sea - Mark 11:22-24
This was by far the best chapter of the book so far and left me feeling a sense of great anticipation to turn the page. Jesus says in the subject verse, Mark 11:22-24, "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."
Dr. Sproul recalls a trip to Israel when this saying was brought to a visual reality. I won't spoil the story here. But I never heard it before. Somehow I knew that God would use that picture in my mind later in the week. So I had great anticipation going to Sunday School where our lessons are focused on Jesus. What a wonderful, worthwhile "topic". I was not disappointed. But I was perplexed for about a week as I tried to put together the building blocks that God had put before me.
Just as Jesus described the moving of some pretty big blocks of turf in Mark 11, so God had to move some pretty big blocks of mental dullness in my mind. He wants to do the same in all of us so that we may do one simple thing: believe.
In case you still have any doubts about the composition of the Church, let the following verses and teaching put all aside. God will move a mountain in order to build the "stones" of His Body. But we have to first get out of the way with our belief in our beliefs, and into His Way of faith, believing exactly what He says.
First, some history lesson.
God commands that His place of worship appear thus:
Exodus 20:24-25, "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it."
Deuteronomy 27:5-6, "And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:"
This is quite plain and clear. Make the altar of earth. If stone is used, no tool shall touch it. Why? I'll explain later. It's the key. But remember this little hint: what else was formed of the earth besides this altar?
Later on, Solomon builds his temple for God. Look at the subtle change that takes place in I Kings 6:7, "And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building."
This time, tools were used on the stone, just not locally. All the finishing work was done right at the quarry. God didn't mention that back in the Law. Why did Solomon do it then? God was building on something far greater.
God foreshadowed this in Isaiah 28:16, "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." This verse is quoted a few times in the New Testament, notably in I Peter 2:6-8, "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." Stumbling over stones is the key here. Perhaps the very stones, the visual appointment we create on our own, stones we call churches, are those we stumble over.
We must therefore examine more closely what God meant by "cornerstone". Look at Hebrews 9:11, 24, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;...For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:"
Ah, now we see the perfect. But do we? Jesus says in Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, and Luke 21:6, "...See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
And that is exactly what happened to Solomon's temple just 70 years later. But why "not one stone upon another"? As I was putting this post together and sharing it with some friends, one told me this story.
The Jews, knowing the imminent destruction was near, took all the gold and silver of the temple. Rather than allow it to fall into the hands of the enemy, they melted it down and poured it between the cracks in the stones. Later, the enemy, to retrieve the precious metals, removed every stone from upon another to get that gold.
Let the world have its riches. God's purpose is far higher and more glorious. Are you willing to ask Him to move the mountain in your way and allow Him to make you what He promises in I Peter 2:4-5, "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."?
There we are back at the altar. But that altar, that Church, that sacrifice, is us. From the earth we come and to the earth we go. But our immortal spirit is forever God's place of worship. And so I say again, "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 11:36-12:2)
Dr. Sproul recalls a trip to Israel when this saying was brought to a visual reality. I won't spoil the story here. But I never heard it before. Somehow I knew that God would use that picture in my mind later in the week. So I had great anticipation going to Sunday School where our lessons are focused on Jesus. What a wonderful, worthwhile "topic". I was not disappointed. But I was perplexed for about a week as I tried to put together the building blocks that God had put before me.
Just as Jesus described the moving of some pretty big blocks of turf in Mark 11, so God had to move some pretty big blocks of mental dullness in my mind. He wants to do the same in all of us so that we may do one simple thing: believe.
In case you still have any doubts about the composition of the Church, let the following verses and teaching put all aside. God will move a mountain in order to build the "stones" of His Body. But we have to first get out of the way with our belief in our beliefs, and into His Way of faith, believing exactly what He says.
First, some history lesson.
God commands that His place of worship appear thus:
Exodus 20:24-25, "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it."
Deuteronomy 27:5-6, "And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:"
This is quite plain and clear. Make the altar of earth. If stone is used, no tool shall touch it. Why? I'll explain later. It's the key. But remember this little hint: what else was formed of the earth besides this altar?
Later on, Solomon builds his temple for God. Look at the subtle change that takes place in I Kings 6:7, "And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building."
This time, tools were used on the stone, just not locally. All the finishing work was done right at the quarry. God didn't mention that back in the Law. Why did Solomon do it then? God was building on something far greater.
God foreshadowed this in Isaiah 28:16, "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." This verse is quoted a few times in the New Testament, notably in I Peter 2:6-8, "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." Stumbling over stones is the key here. Perhaps the very stones, the visual appointment we create on our own, stones we call churches, are those we stumble over.
We must therefore examine more closely what God meant by "cornerstone". Look at Hebrews 9:11, 24, "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;...For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:"
Ah, now we see the perfect. But do we? Jesus says in Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, and Luke 21:6, "...See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
And that is exactly what happened to Solomon's temple just 70 years later. But why "not one stone upon another"? As I was putting this post together and sharing it with some friends, one told me this story.
The Jews, knowing the imminent destruction was near, took all the gold and silver of the temple. Rather than allow it to fall into the hands of the enemy, they melted it down and poured it between the cracks in the stones. Later, the enemy, to retrieve the precious metals, removed every stone from upon another to get that gold.
Let the world have its riches. God's purpose is far higher and more glorious. Are you willing to ask Him to move the mountain in your way and allow Him to make you what He promises in I Peter 2:4-5, "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."?
There we are back at the altar. But that altar, that Church, that sacrifice, is us. From the earth we come and to the earth we go. But our immortal spirit is forever God's place of worship. And so I say again, "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 11:36-12:2)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Favorite
The resurrection of Lazarus in John 11:1-46 is one of my favorite passages from God's Word. It brings to front one great reality of God and that is His eternal "now". That's a term I borrow from Oswald Chambers. I'll take you right to the point to show you why the eternal "now" of our Lord Jesus Christ is so important.
Mary and Martha both lamented to Jesus, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." All around Himself Jesus saw the signs and heard the words of unbelief. He groaned within Himself and openly wept for these. Nevertheless, in His unsurpassable grace, mercy, and power, He said to Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
Did you see the "now"?
Jesus said, "I am...." I am - right NOW! Standing before your very eyes. No waiting necessary. No tomorrow. No uncertain time in the future. NOW. I am. Present tense. Do you believe?
Do you know the power and presence of "I am" right now? This term "I am" is actually a very special name God reserved for Himself. It is how He introduced Himself to mankind through Abram in Genesis 15:7 right after this excellent interchange:
"And he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the LORD...."
It is how He magnified Himself to Moses and Israel in Exodus 3:13-14, "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
It is how Jesus declared Himself God to a hard-hearted people in John 8:58, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
It is how Jesus proclaims the eternality of God in Revelation 22:13, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
Christians are often ignorant or confused about the "when" of eternal life. Does it start at birth, salvation, death? When? This is an oxymoronic question. Eternal life has no beginning or end. No starting point.
We are beings created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) When sin came along, it did not put an end to our eternality. It changed our destination. In the beginning we had perfect "one" relationship with God, a perfect "now". Sin brought the curse of death and separation from God and this condemnation:
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:18
We are conceived and born in sin. Thus we are separated from God. We are still eternal, and we still have eternal life, but it is a life apart from God condemned to hell. Upon salvation, we are raised to a new life through the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now our eternal life is brought to a new destination, back to what it once was in perfect creation before the "Fall". It is the answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-24, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
This leaves you, Christian, with one final question. It is a question that can help you to know for certain that you are saved. Perhaps you answered in the affirmative Jesus' question as He posed it to Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
Do you believe right now? If so, Jesus said that you will be with Him where He is and behold His glory right now. Here's the question....
Are you beholding His glory right now?
Enjoy the blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
Copyright 2009 Lawrence J. Caldwell
Mary and Martha both lamented to Jesus, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." All around Himself Jesus saw the signs and heard the words of unbelief. He groaned within Himself and openly wept for these. Nevertheless, in His unsurpassable grace, mercy, and power, He said to Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
Did you see the "now"?
Jesus said, "I am...." I am - right NOW! Standing before your very eyes. No waiting necessary. No tomorrow. No uncertain time in the future. NOW. I am. Present tense. Do you believe?
Do you know the power and presence of "I am" right now? This term "I am" is actually a very special name God reserved for Himself. It is how He introduced Himself to mankind through Abram in Genesis 15:7 right after this excellent interchange:
"And he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the LORD...."
It is how He magnified Himself to Moses and Israel in Exodus 3:13-14, "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
It is how Jesus declared Himself God to a hard-hearted people in John 8:58, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
It is how Jesus proclaims the eternality of God in Revelation 22:13, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
Christians are often ignorant or confused about the "when" of eternal life. Does it start at birth, salvation, death? When? This is an oxymoronic question. Eternal life has no beginning or end. No starting point.
We are beings created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) When sin came along, it did not put an end to our eternality. It changed our destination. In the beginning we had perfect "one" relationship with God, a perfect "now". Sin brought the curse of death and separation from God and this condemnation:
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3:18
We are conceived and born in sin. Thus we are separated from God. We are still eternal, and we still have eternal life, but it is a life apart from God condemned to hell. Upon salvation, we are raised to a new life through the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now our eternal life is brought to a new destination, back to what it once was in perfect creation before the "Fall". It is the answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-24, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world."
This leaves you, Christian, with one final question. It is a question that can help you to know for certain that you are saved. Perhaps you answered in the affirmative Jesus' question as He posed it to Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
Do you believe right now? If so, Jesus said that you will be with Him where He is and behold His glory right now. Here's the question....
Are you beholding His glory right now?
Enjoy the blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
Copyright 2009 Lawrence J. Caldwell
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