The Plan of Salvation
(NIV) Heb 1:1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews is an anonymous letter to a Christian community. Written in the style of Paul, it is full nuggets to enhance our Christian walk.
The letter begins by comparing the methods of communication used by God to introduce the idea of redemption to fallen man. It is almost as though He provided pieces of the same puzzle to different individuals.
When you read the prophets, a somewhat hazy picture of God’s plan emerges. That is, until you begin to fit the puzzle pieces together which then form a beautiful tapestry.
And then there is the revelation of who He is through Jesus. The letter begins with Jesus sitting down. Why would Jesus sit down when there is so much work left to be done?
Fellow Christ followers, He sat down because “it is finished.” The plan of salvation, and the execution of that plan, was completed with the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior and our Lord.
Now it us up to us to hear the message, to receive it not just as head knowledge but as heart knowledge , and then to carry it to others. May we love as He loved, serve as He served, give as He gave.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What is the Right Question?
(NIV) Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
While we are still in what some refer to as Eastertide, I was considering a couple of things.
I have often advised new Christians to “read the red before you go to bed.” The Gospels are so foundational to our faith and indeed our understanding of Who Jesus is. But here we are in the book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles, and Jesus is speaking outside of the Gospels .
The account of Jesus’ final statement to His disciples is brief, but for me it is so disturbing. After 3 1/2 years of almost constant companionship, culminating in 40 days of additional teaching, the disciples ask the wrong question!
How can they still be focused on restoration of a political kingdom when the Son of God has been preparing them for the kingdom of heaven?
But then my mind shifts to wondering what are the wrong questions we are asking? I think of the Doris Day song “Que Sera Sera”:
When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, “What will I be?”
“Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?”
Here’s what she said to me.
Will we ever reach the point in our spiritual journey where the only question left to ask is “what is it You need of me?” Or perhaps very simply saying, “Here am I, Lord.”
May we draw closer to Jesus today than we were yesterday.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dwelling in God’s House
(NIV) Ps 27:4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
The twenty-seventh Psalm has long been a favorite of mine. I love the singularity of David’s purpose, to dwell with God, within His house, not for a day, or a week, but forever.
I love that David employs action verbs to express his desire to develop a permanent relationship with God. He is not passively sitting, waiting for God to move in his life. No—he is seeking so that he might gaze (not just glance, but engage in a piercing stare) upon God’s beauty. Such language implies a fellowship that only a continual relationship can accomplish.
Today I, too, seek out that place where I may make my permanent abode with God. It is only in God’s presence that I can be complete. It is only in God’s dwelling place that I can be secure.
So, until the time comes when I can establish a permanent change of address, I will follow David’s example to seek after God with my whole heart, both early and often. May we, empowered by the Holy Spirit, know His beauty, both in this world and the world to come.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Majesty, worship His Majesty
(NIV) Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
Today we witnessed the utter majesty of God. The sun that He placed in the skies was momentarily blocked from exuding both its light and its warmth by the moon. The moon, a lesser body that has no light of its own, but reflects the light of the sun! Yet, it passed between the earth and the sun at exactly the right time, the right angle and we, in Little Rock, experienced a total eclipse.
We watched as the sun seemed to shrink from that huge ball to an ever-growing crescent until the only thing visible was a black circle surrounded by a crown of light. The skies grew dark, the temperature dropped and the glory of God shone through.
And all I can say is, Praise God from Whom all blessings flow…
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Can You Imagine
(NIV) Gen 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning —the first day.
(NIV) Rev 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Today we are experiencing a total eclipse of the sun. I have my “eclipse” glasses and I plan on seeing this phenomenon along with millions of people. But I can’t help but think of Day One when God set the sun in the sky, and the end of time, when the night will be ended and the Lord God will provide the light.
Can you imagine?
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 