How Majestic Is Our God!

He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our LORD, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. (Psalm 147:4-5)

Have you ever wondered how out of the billions of people on planet Earth God hears everyone’s thoughts and prayers at the same time and understands them individually? It would truly take a Being so Sentient He would have to be on the level of Majestic. He is that and beyond. He created the stars by command alone and calls them all by name (Genesis 1:1, 1:16). I was curious as to how many stars there are. It is estimated their number could equal 600 quadrillion! You could go to the other side of the universe and ask, “What’s that one’s name?” Out of those millions of points of light He wouldn’t need to ask which one you meant. That’s Majestic.

He knows everything about everything down to the number of cells in the bodies of everyone on earth, and down to the numbers of hairs on their heads. He’s never lost, confused or suffers a senior moment.

We all, at times, wonder if God hears us, or if He’s even listening. We might feel unimportant, or even abandoned. We can be assured of His fidelity. The stars served as a reminder to Abraham of the promise of his offspring (Genesis 26:4) and God’s faithful attention to Abraham’s every detail. Looking up into just his own Milky Way Abraham could not fully count them all.

God is not conditional in His love and interest in who you are. You mattered enough to send His only Begotten Son that if you believed on Him, you would gain salvation and eternal life (John 3:16).

Jesus said no sparrow falls without the Father’s will and knowledge and you, being made in His image, how much more of value are you than those?

He never sleeps, slumbers, or dozes. He sees all and knows all. He hears your every prayer and knows your every thought. He’s aware of these things right now, and since He is eternal, He has had all your problems, worries, hopes and dreams in mind, forever. How Majestic is our God!

God counts hairs, He doesn’t split them. A God who can remember 600 quadrillion names with ease would have no problem remembering yours. In all He has going and with all He holds together by His power, He’s still got your number. He’s still got your name. You’re that special. His understanding is infinite. He’s That Majestic!

Ken

Long Spirited

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 1^st Corinthians 13:4

The ancient Koine (common) Greek language was the perfect linguistic vehicle to communicate the Gospel. It had many words that more fully expressed the meaning of the message. It can be different in our English language. For instance, in English we can have one word to cover many emotions. One such word is love. We can love our spouse and our children, but it is also possible to say we love our car or even our favorite ice cream. There are four words in the Greek for love. Eros (er-ros)-romantic, philia (fi-lee-ah)-brotherly, agape (ah-gahp-eh)-selfless, acting in another’s best interest, and storge (store-gay), love of family.

Some will see suffering long as being a martyr, but the meaning in the Greek conveys something very different and beautiful. The words suffering long are translated long-Spirited. It goes far beyond tolerance. To tolerate simply means to have the capacity to endure pain and hardship, riding out or putting up with something or someone. The Spirit calls us to go long-to agape-in these matters.

The problem with toleration is there’s no room for forgiveness. Toleration offers only anger and bitterness as its means of action. It’s an OK, I’ll be nice but I don’t have to like it attitude, or an apology of I forgive you without spirit-led philia and agape that defines a tender and changed heart of love. With the love of Christ helping us and working through us the Spirit grows long with its own sweet fruit, love being the first one mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

Having a long-spirited heart is giving up a heart carved in stone, replacing it with a heart of flesh. It’s the same heart that brought our Lord Jesus to say, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they do,” as He prayed for the ones who had just nailed Him to a cross (Luke 23:34).

Having someone grind our gears doesn’t mean we need to grind our teeth. Love goes beyond that. It is only possible through the Holy Spirit’s strength as we humble ourselves to accept His helping hand.

One may say. “Yeah, but Ken you don’t know how much damage they did to me. It’s something that I just can’t forgive at this time.” I understand. I’ve been there and have the scars to prove it. And you are certainly right-you can’t do it on your own. But before you throw your hands up in frustration read the Lord’s words on it in Matthew 18:21-22 and Luke 17:4. It can only truly happen by the power of Christ, and whose wounded heart spoke those words from the cross? It was Emmanuel (God With Us).

He wants us to ask for His help. When we ask for it, we surrender and taste the sweetness of the Fruit of the Spirit called love. It never withers-it always grows long. It is long-Spirited.

Jesus, I need relief from this pain of hurt and resentment and I can’t do it on my own. I surrender it to You, realizing it can’t be done by might or power, but only by Your Spirit. I ask You to help me do it by Your power and grace and to say with all truth and understanding, “Father, forgive them for they didn’t know what they were doing.” Amen

Ken

With Malice Aforethought

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him [Christ Jesus], that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:6-7 (NKJV)

Today’s devotional thoughts may upset some, but in light of Scripture I offer no apologies. To God sin is so heinous in its ability to destroy us that it is the one thing we are to hate with every ounce of our being and to be ready to put it down every time it whispers rebellion in our ears. The Apostle Paul makes a valid and graphic case of how we are to deal with it. We are to crucify it with malice Aforethought.

 Malice Aforethought is a legal term that Webster defines as the intention to kill or harm, which is held to distinguish unlawful killing from murder. In other words, its violence thought of beforehand and done with deliberate and malicious intent to do harm. The 1611 King James translation of the Sixth Commandment (Exodus 20:13) as kill is unfortunate and has caused much confusion. It has been misunderstood to forbid all death, whether justified or not.

The Hebrew word rȃtsach (raw-tsakh’) can be translated as kill, but in this sense and context, its meaning is better translated murder. After Noah and his family were brought through the worldwide flood (Genesis chapters 6-8) God instituted capital punishment for murder as every human is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 9:6). 

As those of us who aspire to the laws and commandments of God we cling to the love and teachings of Christ. We know and believe murder is wrong, but Paul tells us there is one part of our Christian experience where a violent attitude toward the sin that rests in our carnal (ungodly) appetites is appropriate and to be exercised as needed. That’s the side of us that consistently gets back up from the cross after we nail him or her to it. While accepting Christ unfortunately doesn’t destroy sin, a relationship with Him frees us from remaining a slave to it. We have the choice to take those old natures and nail them to the cross when they tap us on the shoulder and say “Hey, I’m back. Let’s sin.”

We want to have a willingness to crucify them. Crucifixion is vicious and is meant to be done with malice aforethought. Put him, or her, to death! When we show those appetites mercy, they always bring us degradation. We must be willing to first die to self, with a determination toward Old Man extermination.

It’s not a one-time-fix. So, when is this old geezer gonna die? We’ll be rid of him when we draw our last breath, or our bodies are regenerated when Christ comes for His church (1^st Thessalonians 4:17). Until then it’s a daily, and sometimes hourly, struggle. We have to crucify them every time he/she shows up. We can’t white-knuckle it, but by the Power of the Holy Spirit, we can nail it! When we hear the old man say, “Hi there, guess who’s back?” we have the choice to turn our minds and our wills over to God and ask Him to empower us to resist. Pray it. “Jesus, I can only do this with Your help and power. Please help me.” He is our strength. When it’s necessary we must nail that buzzard to the cross-with the greatest of malice aforethought-every time.  

Ken

The God Who Sees

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalm 139:12

We do live in troubling and turbulent times. The majority of us will concede the facts when the nightly news chooses to report them. While there are a slight percentage who say things are good, and some say never better, they fiddle as Rome burns.

Jesus said we would have dark and troubling times. In our finite bodies it’s sometimes difficult to fully grasp the abilities of the Spiritual attributes (characteristics and qualities) of God, including His ultimate power and authority. All deeds done in darkness, or secret, are to Him as fully illuminated as sunlight.

One of the greatest questions we all have wondered is if God is ultimate in power and authority why doesn’t He just wave His hand and make it all perfect? There are many answers to that, but mine is “I don’t know why He’s chosen to do it this way. We can ask Him when we see Him.” And I’m sure 99.9% of us will.

It may seem like the chaos in the world is hidden from His eyes, but He sees it all. Jesus said of turbulent times, “Don’t allow your hearts to be troubled,” and, “I have told you, that in Me you might have peace, in the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” (John 14:1, 16:33).

He exists from eternity to eternity, and He knows the end from the beginning (Psalm 90:2, Isaiah 46:9-10). He is still seated on the throne and in complete control. He will put an end to the suffering Satan has brought upon the human race.

David is here speaking metaphorically. God doesn’t need light to know what’s happening. He has existed from eternity past and has always known what would be happening, now and forever. He is El Roi, the all-seeing God and the restrainer of mankind’s evil deeds.

A.W. Tozer, one of the greatest Christian thinkers of the twentieth century said, “While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who hasn’t surrendered His authority.” He sees Rome ablaze, yet no one, or thing, has or can, push Him off His throne. He is in complete control and says He is the God who sees it all and He is making it right. See what He means?

Ken

 

 

Resting From Resentment

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. Hebrews 12:14-15 (NKJV)

I recently had a very good conversation with the leader of my Christian men’s Bible study group concerning forgiveness. I was dealing with a specific resentment toward another person. I knew what Jesus taught about forgiveness, that it wasn’t simply a righteous suggestion, but a commandment, to be given without condition (Luke 17:4). If it’s a conditional forgiveness, then it becomes retaliation (a punishment). I thought I’d forgiven this individual, but I wasn’t sure where holding them accountable crossed the line into blame, bitterness and resentment, and I was still feeling resentment whenever I would think of what they had done to me.

This brother is very wise and there was no judgment against me. He said, “That’s an excellent question, Ken. I’ve found in most cases I’ve seen and dealt with, that if there’s resentment it means there’s been no forgiveness. You can’t have resentment if you’ve forgiven.”

I realized I hadn’t surrendered my hurt to Christ in the matter and that I needed to deal with it. I re-approached this individual, confessed my resentments and asked for their forgiveness, clearing the air. They appreciated my honesty and offered grace to me in their forgiveness.

I’ve known Christians who acquiesced to the principle of forgiveness, yet not to the practice of its true nature and purpose. One person told me they’d forgiven me of a past trespass I’d committed against them yet continued to hold onto their hurt and resentment for what I’d done.

My group leader pointed out that “Our only duty is to seek and ask forgiveness. The burden then rests on the person being asked. They can forgive or choose not to, but it’s on them, not you. You’ve done your part. If resentments continue, then I would have to think their forgiveness came from the head and not the heart and for them to find rest from resentment that needs to be addressed.”

Without the strength and proper power, which can only come from God, forgiveness just becomes pretty prose. Nice words to salve our conscience and not the firm commitment to hand our hurt over to Christ and walk away fully justified in our clemency.

Forgiveness is mainly for us, to free us from hurt and suffering. When you can’t forgive someone, pray for them. It may not change them, but it will change you.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong and in Christ, when we are at our weakest, we stand at our strongest (2^nd Corinthians 12:10). It goes from forgiveness in principle to forgiveness with the fullest and most satisfying purpose, that frees us from hurt, pain and suffering. The weak may give mental ascent, but lip service is all talk. Forgiveness, and the rest it brings, is always the attribute of the strong and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).

Ken

Edges

“Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe I am He.” John 13:19 (NKJV)

Is Jesus trustworthy, even if He doesn’t give you the answer you want immediately? You may be in a dry time, experientially, praying for and wanting an answer, but while you’re doing plenty of wanting, you’re doing plenty of waiting. It mostly seems your fleeces aren’t even slightly damp with dew.

In my 65 years as a believer, I can only count one experience where God responded to my prayer as soon as I called to Him. I needed His immediate protection, and He gave it to me within seconds. But overall, His responses to my prayers have come over long periods of time.

But in those times of traipsing through the desert wastelands, as with Israel, my clothes or sandals never wore out (Deuteronomy 8:4, Nehemiah 9:21). Every desert has an edge-one that begins-and one that ends.

Nearly 1/3 of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible) and the Jewish New Testament (written by Jews) is prophetic, that is God’s foretelling of events He would do. Hundreds of those prophecies have already been fulfilled, proving their truth historically. There are at least 1000 concerning the return of Messiah Yehoshua (Jesus) yet to come to pass. Jesus tells John in Revelation 21:5 that His words are true and faithful.

If you’re feeling the heat through your sandals, there’s three things I can encourage you with. First, your sandals, or clothes, will never wear out; second, there’s an edge of exit even to your desert. He will keep you fed and watered up to the point He leads you out, and third, the words of Christ remain true and faithful.

He doesn’t lead us into desert sands for His sake, but ours. The greatest growth often comes from the hottest times. They are times that can sweat out impurities from our lives. His desire for us is to be free from the hurts, habits and hang-ups that are holding us back.

Whether Christ leads us for a time into the desert or answers us within seconds He is always faithful to feed us and lead us. Every desert has its edges. If He leads us in, He can lead us out. He has told us, so when it happens, we may believe He is God’s Anointed One. He forever remains the True and Faithful One, on every edge.

Ken

Righteous Robes for Wretched Rags

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

 

I’ll never forget the time the lights came on for a lady I knew. I had been reading from John’s gospel account of the arrest, torture, and crucifixion of Christ. No sermon or emotional appeal, only the word of God. All of a sudden, her head snapped up and she said, “Wait a minute; He was innocent. You mean they killed a man who was totally innocent? He didn’t deserve that. He’d done nothing wrong! Why did they do that?” Flesh and blood had not revealed that to her. It was the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ allowed it to be so, offering the righteous in place of the unrighteous, to complete God’s plan of redeeming the human race back into complete relationship with Him. We were in a state of wretchedness that once we believed He changed into righteousness.

It was nothing we deserved. It was His gift to us when we believed, in spite of anything we had ever done. That’s a difficult thing for the majority of us to comprehend let alone accept. I recall when my neighbor bought me a gift I said to his mom, “But I didn’t get him anything.”  I never forgot her reply. She said, “It’s a gift. You can’t repay a gift.” When we believed on Christ, His clean robe of righteousness was gifted to us. He draped it over our dirty lives, not only covering our guilt but forgiving all our sins (1^st John 1:9). Whatever shame you may be holding in your experience account, if you have put your faith and trust in Christ that account now reads 0.00.

Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame,” (Romans 10:11). We can have a wakeup call that says, “But He was innocent and I’m so dirty. How could he put such a beautiful robe around my shoulders? I don’t deserve it.” None of us do, but anyone who asks of Him receives one, for this is why that innocent one willingly died in our place. The love of God covers the earth (John 3:16). 

God was not willing that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance (2^nd Peter 3:9). Amazing Grace. A robe for rags. It’s a gift, not a debt. You can’t repay a gift. All you need do is accept it.

Ken