Delight in the Will of God
February 15, 2007

"I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart" (Psalm 40:8).

This remarkable testimony of David is actually also a Messianic prophecy, fulfilled completely only in Christ. Only as Messiah could He truly say: "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me;" and, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me;" "The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me" (John 4:34; 6:38; 10:25). "Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith . . . Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will,
O God" (Hebrews 10:5,7).

His heart was attuned perfectly to the will of God because God's law was written thereon, "not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (II Corinthians 3:3). Even in the most trying circumstances to which any man could ever be subjected, He could pray: "Not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42).

By the indwelling Spirit of God, we also must seek to make the will of God our greatest delight. We are saved solely by grace, but this is not to deliver us from the burdensome constraints of God's holy law; as in the case of Christ Himself, He places His law in our hearts in order to enable us to love His law. "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them" (Hebrews 10:16).

Then we learn, like the psalmist, not to resist His will, but to love His will and to delight in His law. "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. . . . Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. . . . I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight" (Psalm 119:97,111,174). HMM

Dancing With God 

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Rom. 8:26-27

How does God guide us?  There are several ways God uses to assist us with decision-making.

If we seek wise godly counsel, God can speak through others. “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning”.

Most often, He will speak through His word or your personal meditations.  “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Prov. 16:9

He can speak through circumstances that lead us to knowing that He has opened the doors of opportunity. “Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me…” 2 Cor. 2:12

In the book of Acts we see how the Holy Spirit prompted folks. “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” Acts 13:1-3

The Apostle Paul reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Rom. 8:28
 
The following story helps us understand that God is with us and will help guide us.  Whatever your burden, seek to dance with God.

 When I meditated on the word GUIDANCE,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.  
 I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.  
 When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.  
 The movement doesn't flow with the music,  
 and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.  
 When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,  
 both bodies begin to flow with the music.  
 One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back  
 or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.  
 It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.  
 The dance takes surrender, willingness,  
 and attentiveness from one person  
 and gentle guidance and skill from the other.  
 My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.  
 When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".  
 "God", "u" and "i" dance."  
 God, you, and I dance.  
 As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust  
 that I would get guidance about my life.  
 Once again, I became willing to let God lead.  
 My prayer for you today is that God's blessings  
 and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.  
 May you abide in God as God abides in you.  
 Dance together with God, trusting God to lead  
 and to guide you through each season of your life.

    A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
³He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
⁵You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

|| Psalm 23:1-6 || ESV ||

    As best I can determine, the Lord only says the words "I love you," once to us in Scripture. (Isaiah 43:4) But though He might only speak the words once, He demonstrates His love for us on every page. In Psalm 23 David acknowledges many of these acts of love; He leads, restores, is with us, comforts, prepares a table, anoints our heads.
    John, the disciple who identified himself as the one "He loved," understood this quality of the Father and encouraged us to do the same. "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18 (ESV)

The Watchman Held Accountable
April 4, 2007

"Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: . . . When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning . . . the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand" (Ezekiel 3:17-18).

Our text comprises part of Ezekiel's commission as prophet to Judah. His function was compared to a watchman on the city walls whose duty was to warn the city of impending danger. Ezekiel was to warn the apostate people of Jerusalem of the coming invasion by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. God warned Ezekiel that if he refused to pass on whatever messages he received from God, he himself would be held accountable.

On the other hand, Ezekiel was not accountable for the response of the hearer. "Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness . . . he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul" (v.19). He would also be requested to give similar injunctions and warnings to righteous men who had fallen into sin, but again he was not held accountable for their response (vv.20-21).

A corresponding teaching is found in the New Testament. "Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account" (Hebrews 13:17). Church leaders, we are told, will give an account before the Lord someday as to how those in their flock have fared. They will not be accountable for the response of others, but are required to see to it that each person in their care clearly and lovingly understands the truth and the consequences of disobedience. This is a heavy responsibility!

Let each of us respond properly to the truth as presented by our church leaders, that they may minister with joy and not with grief. JDM

The Power of the Resurrection
By James MacDonald

“Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen just as He said.” Luke 24:5-6

For the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus’ resurrection is the most powerful event in history. All that we ascribe to, all that our life and worship is about is based upon this foundational piece that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Nothing short of God provides power like that.

Does your life lack power? Is there much you would like to accomplish but you don’t have the capacity and strength to do it? Maybe you can’t break the chain of a sinful habit or overcome fear or anxiety or be the man or woman that God created you to be. Whatever it is-habit, circumstance, or need for growth . . . Jesus Christ can change your life. His resurrection is evidence of the power to prove that.

Let’s make it personal. Luke 24 gives us a glimpse into the lives of three women who were the first to hear of the Easter miracle. Jesus died late on a Friday afternoon and we join them early Sunday morning while it was still dark. As their final act of devotion, the grief-stricken ladies made their way to Jesus’ tomb to prepare His body for burial. They were shocked to find the stone rolled away from the entrance and His body gone. All their emotions crashed around them. They didn’t know what to do. Suddenly two angels stood before them, asking, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (v. 5).

I can imagine these ladies kneeling, trembling, and then being asked such a pointed question. Can you imagine how their hope began to rise as the angels said, “He is not here but He is risen. Remember how he told you . . .?” (Luke 24:6). Overwhelmed by their circumstances they had forgotten what Jesus had promised-the three most powerful words ever spoken: I will rise.

All it took for their confusion to lift was to remember His Word (v. 8).

To you who are suffering under the weight of a difficult situation, I write today with this same message: Jesus has risen and He wants to bring the power of His resurrection to bear upon whatever you’re facing. Do what these ladies did: Believe what He said. Take Him at His Word. Remember His promises.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that God will do what He said. Rehearse God’s faithfulness in what He did on that pivotal, powerful morning and be filled with faith at how He is still at work today in your life.

Can a Christian Not Sin?
April 28, 2007

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 2:1).

If the question is asked: "Does a Christian not sin?" then the answer is, no. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us....If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (I John 1:8,10). Even the most godly Christian does sin occasionally -- in thought if not in deed, in omission if not in commission. The God-given antidote is I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

But there is a danger if we use such verses as an excuse for sinning or for taking sin too lightly. If the question is asked: "Can a Christian not sin?" then the answer is, yes! God indeed, in Christ, has made every provision necessary for a believer never to commit sin, and we are without any legitimate excuse whenever we do.

This must be so for at least two reasons. In the first place, Jesus Christ in His humanity is our example, and He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He accomplished this, not because of His deity, but solely in His humanity.

Secondly, God has commanded us not to sin, and He would never command us to do the impossible. For every temptation, there is a way of escape (I Corinthians 10:13), and we have no excuse if we fail to take it. Our only recourse is to repent and confess the sin.

Our text commands us to sin not! But then, it also reminds us that Christ is our great advocate before the Father. He is righteous and has already taken our sins away as our propitiatory sacrifice, so "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:7). HMM

Dark Sayings of Old
May 13, 2007

"I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us" (Psalm 78:2-3).

Most people do not think of parables -- especially the parables of Christ -- as dark (i.e., hidden) sayings, but rather as figurative illustrations to help people comprehend some spiritual teaching. But Christ used parables to conceal truth, not to reveal truth! "Therefore speak I to them in parables," He said in response to the disciples' question as to why He was speaking in parables, "because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand" (Matthew 13:13). The principle is this: a person must first believe and obey the light he has already received before God will give Him further light. "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath" (v.12).

Thus the parables of both Old and New Testaments are not of any obvious interpretation. They require study, meditation, and obedience to comprehend, but then they bring great blessing. "Every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old" (v.52).

The "dark sayings" of Scripture are not to be associated with occultism or darkness, of course. The word in Greek simply means something hidden from the world, but transparent to eyes of faith and love. "We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. . . . Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. . . . But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (I Corinthians 2:7,8,10). HMM

Never Like This
May 18, 2007

"And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel" (Matthew 9:33).

In His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus was fully human (except that He did no sin). He probably looked and acted very "average," yet He continually performed works of healing and other miracles which were utterly different from those magical deeds attributed to the many conjurers of the day. When the man "sick of the palsy" was instantaneously and completely cured, he "went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion" (Mark 2:12). It was no wonder that Nicodemus, Israel's greatest teacher at the time, acknowledged to Jesus that "no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with Him" (John 3:2).

It was the same with His teachings. When officers were sent to arrest Him because of these teachings, they came back empty-handed, reporting simply that "Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46).

His words and deeds were uniquely from God, and those who saw and heard Him should have known this. It was appropriate that, when the time came for Him to fulfill Zechariah's prophecy concerning the coming of Israel's King, entering Jerusalem on a donkey, He had to "find a colt tied, whereon never man sat" (Mark 11:2) to serve as His kingly chariot. Others before Him had come into the city on donkeys, but never like this, on an unbroken colt.

And when He died, He had to be buried in "a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid" (John 19:41). His birth was different, as were His life and death and burial, from those of other men, and "there is none other name . . . whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). HMM