April 26, 2019

                                     A Post Easter Reflection

Easter manifested the great split between the secular ground of earth and the sacred canopy of heaven. The incarnation brought Christ to earth to die for the sins of the whole world. Easter, in conjunction with the ascension, sent Jesus through the vaults of the heavens to sit at the right hand of the Father. On the cross Jesus said; "It is finished."  The Father said; "Sit my Son" and rule in heaven till your kingdom come!
Easter reminds us of the nature of the supernatural, for with the resurrection and ascension of Jesus something marvelous transpired and something miraculous took place. A mighty miracle materialized, and the world and creation will never be the same. And we should never be the same either.

Jesus, the cosmic Christ, ascended on high in heaven. But He also lives in us here below on earth. For even now though He is transcendent we can experience His immanence with Him and experience fellowship together. We call it worship.
As for those who are "C.E.O. Christians" (Christmas and Easter only) or regular worshipers, we must always remember what the Old Testament prophet reminds us about Him; "I, I am He and there is no other god before Me!"

And as Jesus our great high priest declares; "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father apart from Me."
Oh.... the wonder of it all!

Serving Him with you
Until He comes for us,
Fred

April 19, 2019 - Good Friday


                         "It's Friday - But Sunday is Coming"

That is the punchline to an old story told by an old black preacher I heard 40 years ago.
Let me remind you of the intentional interconnectedness of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Without Friday - Heaven would be a lonely place. Angels yes, but no humans.
Without Friday - Hell forever for everyone
Without Friday - Satan wins in challenging God's love and sovereignty
Without Friday - There is no need for Sunday

But Good Friday came and went and Easter Sunday Came...and He Went up!

With Sunday - God's virtue is vindicated
With Sunday - Jesus is victorious
With Sunday - Satan is vexed and vanquished
With Sunday - I am saved
With Sunday - The creation will be redeemed and restored, and all will be right

That's because it is Friday... But Sunday is Coming! 

Serving Him with you
Until He comes for us,

Fred
April 12, 2019



Ideas Have Consequences

Some attitudes and actions are evil from a religious or moral perspective; illegal from a legal or constitutional perspective, and foolish from a political perspective. However, our social order has become so secular having driven out the sacred, that truth and that which is right or wrong in any clear and absolute form is hard to find and when you do find it, it morphs right before your eyes.


The new market economy has replaced the old moral economy and ever changing moral values have replaced honorable virtue with the result that hate has become malignant and metastasized to other parts of life. (Consider the plight of the newborn and the unborn under the progressive and liberal view of humanity.)

The reason is found in understanding the connection of a philosophical framework and the sociological result. Make no mistake, a person or a country's philosophical attitude leads to sociological pragmatic actions. In America, the philosophical belief in Atheism (no god) leads to a sociology and morality based on pragmatism (whatever works). The increase in the number of people who self-identify in surveys with the descriptor of "None" in regard to their religious affiliation over the past 5 years is revealing. It manifests a change in basic philosophical commitments that have a corresponding sociological consequence.

What shall we then do?  Sit... Soak... or Sour?

I propose we:

Pray - "Lord, help me to live godly in a godless world. Jesus, lead me by your Holy
Spirit to be in fellowship with you this day and every day until that day you
come to deliver your church." 

Plan - "I will make a plan and prepare myself through prayer and the study of the word of God, not to be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I will let my mind dwell on that which is good, acceptable and lovely. I will take every thought captive to Christ."

Perform - "I will implement my plan to engage my world and evaluate each night with
the Lord as to how I have invested the day for Him."

You can't go back and change the beginning
but you can start where you are and change the ending.
-C.S. Lewis -



Serving Him with you
Until He comes for us,
Fred




April 5, 2019

                                     Remember The Future

Some biblical truths are massively discouraging. They remind me that every word out of my mouth will be evaluated. They reveal in so many ways how I fail to please the Lord. God's word clearly describes the reality of a sin-cursed, contaminated and corrupt world in which we live. Validation of this reality is all around us. But then, there is the glorious grace of God.
 
Those who do not know Jesus endure a lost life and surely end with a scandalous death. But Jesus taught us how to avoid both.
 
The Bible provides memories of the future. Many who do not know Jesus see memory as a burden and hope as a fantasy. And so, death is welcomed. They seem to want answers that are more palatable for this life but less potent concerning the life to come. God's word from Genesis through the Book of Revelation, has provided for us a clear picture of the present world and a glimpse of the future world.
 
We need both confidence in the future and comfort for the present. The word of God provides both and even though at times it is massively discouraging, in the end it is magnificently delightful.
 
Serving Him with you
Until He comes for us,
Fred
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)