Category: Glory

Have You Responded in Awe and Wonder Lately?

7/31/2014

Awe and wonder . . . two words that perfectly fit any view of God. But in a world that thinks too highly of itself, populated with fallen people who seriously think too highly of themselves, awe and wonder do not describe the average response to God, Who has revealed Himself to us in Scripture - and His creation. And if I were to be completely honest (which hurts as I admit to my own sin of pride and over-aggrandizement of myself personally - and humanity corporately) I do not respond to Him nearly enough with the kind of awe and wonder that He deserves. At times I sing songs about His greatness with little more than yawning excitement - and even more sinfully - with a sense of wanting to get on with it so I can move on to other things more exciting to me. In an age where we make much of man - and even more of ourselves - the whole concept of being lost in wonder and awe of God is dangerously waning. And please understand I speak not of the world at large - but of those of us in the church.

There are two words that should show up often in our vocabulary when seeking to give any kind of description of God. The first of these words is the word "awe." We speak of things that, when we see them or experience them leave us awe-struck. That means the shear magnitude and majsety of them render us speechless because we are not sure there are words adequate to describe what we are seeing or experiencing. God, being both infinite and eternal, should be One who leaves us utterly speechless because His majestry and limitless magnitude are beyond human words or concepts. That is where we reach back to get our second word, "wonder." When I looked up wonder at Dictionary.com, the following definition began to take shape in my mind. Wonder means to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe. This sense of wonder often illicits surprise, astonishment, and in some cases worship or adoration of what has caused our wonder. The God Who has revealed Himself in the Old and New Testaments - and Who is also revealed in what He has created, is a God Who can fill our hearts and our minds with both awe and wonder.

There is no way to adequately define or describe Who God is. One way that we can touch the fringe of His boundless, infinite magnitude is by looking at nature - most specifically - the heavens. Since the discovery of the telescope, we've enjoyed a view of the heavens that expands as quickly as we can upgrade the ability of our telescopes to see further and further into space. The information below was originally printed in John MacArthur's commentary on the book of Matthew.

"The more man delves into the universe, the more amazing and awesome the wonder of creation becomes. Telescopes can take us some four billion light years—about twenty-five sextillion miles—into space, and yet we have not come near the edge of the universe. We have discovered certain gravitational principles that keep the stars and planets in their orbits, yet we are far from fully explaining those principles, much less duplicating them. The earth spins on its axis at a thousand miles an hour at the equator, travels in a five-hundred-eighty-million-mile orbit around the sun at about a thousand miles a minute, and, with the rest of its solar system, careens through space at an even faster speed in an orbit that would take billions of years to complete. The energy of the sun has been estimated to be equivalent to five-hundred-million-million-billion horsepower. There are at least one-hundred-thousand-million other suns in our galaxy, most of them larger than ours." (John MacArthur, Commentary on Mark)

What is even more amazing to me after reading that again, is that MacArthur's statement is just a small paragraph, because there is enough to know about our universe to fill an entire library of books. That is after we've spent 100's of years looking into space. The truth is our knowledge of the universe is ridiculously limited at the present time. If we had instruments and ships that could take us far out into the universe (even into our own galaxy to be honest) our knowledge would grow exponentially!

To give you a perspective on how much we should be in awe and wonder of the God who created our universe, allow me to focus on one star within it. Granted, at the moment (due to our lack of a telescope powerful enough to see it) it is the largest star we know. Nevertheless, let's talk about the star Sirius, or Canus Majoris. This largest of all stars known was most recently measured at around 1500 solar radii. If you were like me, you had no idea what a solar radii was. It is the measurement of how big our sun is. That measurement is approximately 432,450 miles (to go from the outer edge of the sun to its center). If you want to know how far it is around our sun - that would be approximately 2.72 million miles (quite a walk - and take sunblock over 50 because you might get a sunburn!) Just our sun is so huge that it blows the mind to comprehend its size. But we speak of Sirius (Canus Majoris) which is now approximately 1500 times the size of our sun. Now I know that you are tired from that recent walk around the sun (and a little burnt probably) but you need to suck it up - because now we're going to walk around Sirius - which would be 4.1 billion miles give or take a mile or two.

Forgive me for using this comparison - but it will give you a little better grasp of how large this star is. Imagine our earth is a basketball. Compared to our sun earth is a little smaller than a popcorn seed. In order to get something as large as Canis Major you would have to have a ball that is over half the size of the Empire State Building. Let me put that into perspective for you. That height is larger than the full height of the Superdome. So we are talking about a ball bigger than the Superdome itself (try jumping high enough to dumk that sucker into a basketball rim that can fit it!). Another way of describing the size of Sirius is that if we put it into our solar system (starting at the center of our sun) its outer edge would reach beyond the orbit of Saturn (although some think it extends beyond that to about the orbit of Jupiter). That is HUGE! But . . . this is only 1 star, albeit the largest one on record to date. There are trillions times trillions more stars in our universe - all of which have been placed in orbital movements that conicide with each other with greater precision than that of a well choreographed ballet. It truly is incredulous to an infinite degree how men can think this is all a random cosmic accident!

I've taken all this time - and verbiage - to hopefully get you to stand in awe and wonder of a single star - in a galaxy filled with billions and billions of starts - which is in the midst of millions of other galaxies - all moving in such synchronization that we set our clocks by its movement. God created all this by His infinite power and wisdom. He did it so that they would proclaim the glory of His great name! Thus this mere creation of the genius and limitless strength of our God is itself infinitely inferior to Him - the One who spoke it into existence. It required no over-exertion on His part and its creation was no drain on either His intelligence or His might. He is beyond its existence and could as easily consume it entirely with one additional word spoken to utter remove it to little more than an afterthought flying quickly through our minds. So please . . . the next time you consider the God of your salvation - the God of creation - the God of eternal, timeless existence and infinite, measureless magnitude . . . do so with awe and wonder . . . oh, and a little reverence might be in order too (just as an infinitely understated suggestion). And one other thing . . . this coming Sunday when you meet with the saints to sing of the God of your salvation - remember Sirius, Canus Majoris - or by its common name, "The Big Dog!" When you do - and you also meditate on the fact that God created this giant ex-nihilo (meaning out of nothing) as He spoke the world into existence (By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3, NASB), we will be moved by His Spirit and the truth to sing and worship Him with both awe and wonder! Or, in a euphamism more familiar to our current age, "Let the 'big dawg' speak, and when you feel him - get crunk as you worship God off the hinges." (Yes, I know that just exposed me as a really old white guy trying to look cool - sorry, couldn't help it with the star being named, "the big dog.")

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The Glorious Move from Romans 7 to Romans 8 Living (part 1)

7/13/2012

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These next several articles are long. They come from a series of things I wrote to a frustrated brother who sought help in an email relationship with me. He does not attend Calvary Chapel, yet his struggle is mirrored in the lives of so many who know the Lord, and yet who fight with sin in their lives. This fight will last all our days - but for many of us it gets very intense when we have an area of our lives where sin just seems to dominate us. Our struggle parallels that of Paul - but for those who want to move on to victory, we need to make the trek from identifying with Romans 7 to experiencing Romans 8. That is what these articles try to do. It is my hope that they are helpful to all those who wrestle with sin in an honest effort to be conformed to our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:14-25

Now, as to the remedy for what you are facing. You might want to seek that out by reading what comes after Paul's statement about his struggle/battle with sin. He sees here that this has to come, "through Jesus Christ our Lord!" But there is more to this - but it is in chapter 8 of Romans.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, " Abba! Father!" Romans 8:1-15

There is so much here in chapter 8 . . . let me take the next couple of days and break it down into small, daily, bite-size pieces for you. Hope this helps!

Lesson #1 - It's the Spirit Who sets you free - Who grants you power to overcome.

Note that Paul says that it is the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" that sets us free from the law of sin and death. The "law of sin and death" is the old way (never did work) of making and keeping rules. You have rules about sexual sin - rules about what you look at - rules about the computer - rules about self-gratification - rules, rules, rules. The problem is that the Law never set any man free from sin. In fact, Paul tells us earlier in Romans that the Law was given to show us we could never keep the Law - due to sin in our hearts. Soooo . . . we also won't be set free by just "obeying laws and rules." What we need is a different power than ourselves. Our flesh will not submit to God's Law - EVER!

So Paul lets us know that we no longer live by the "law of sin and death." We live by a new law - the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. We live by a different "life" than the one we used to have. Thanks be to God - He gave us life in Jesus Christ. The life He gave us? Christ's own life - which can overcome sin every time! What we need to develop is a willingness to run to God and to His Spirit in our battles. You may be able to stop a thought initially - even make it go away temporarily - but you cannot put it to death. It WILL come back later and bug you, annoy you, and torture your thinking until you give way to it. Ever try to get a song out of your head - or stop thinking about something by TRYING to stop thinking about it. Yeah - doesn't work does it. Neither does fighting sin by trying to stop sinning and thinking about the temptation to sin. What we need is MORE POWER! We need a different kind of life.

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus - is that we turn to Him, to His power, to His life, to think about Him. This is so different - because our thoughts are no longer about the sin - but about Christ Himself. The Scriptures say this about this battle, "But we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being changed into that same image, from glory to glory - even as unto the image of the Lord." What you look at is truly what you will become. We are no longer looking at sin - but now, by the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus - we are looking at Him - at Jesus - and we are being changed into His glory, by His glory, for His glory!

Let me ask you a kind of dumb question. How many times did Jesus lose a battle with sin - hmmmm - NEVER! So as we turn to Him and His life - we look to that life in us as the power to overcome. Suddenly it is no longer just us trying to stop sinning - it is the power of the Spirit working in us doing this. That is why later Paul says this, "but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." How are we putting to death the deeds of our body? BY THE SPIRIT!

Here is a little homework for tonight. Take some time to pray - talking to God - and honestly - apologizing to the Holy Spirit (Who by the way IS God - third person of the Trinity). Apologize and confess as sin your actions (sin) that have been for grieving Him. Apologize for putting out His fire with your sin - and trying to do His work in your strength. Once you've confessed your sin - ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His power - so that by His power (rather than yours) you can fight sin. By the way, when you think of the filling of the Holy Spirit - don't think of it as something filling you up. The Holy Spirit is a person - not a thing. Consider His filling - He fills you with His influence and a filling up your life with fellowship! We speak of spending time with someone - and say at times, "My whole day was filled with time spent with my friend, wife, kids, etc." We are filled with their presence - with what they say - with great memories - with wisdom as they talk to us - with love as they selflessly give themselves to serve and bless us. It is the same way as we are being "filled with the Holy Spirit." Be filled with His presence - with what He says - with great memories of time spent talking with Him and being taught by Him - with wisdom as He teaches you the Word - with love as He selflessly gives you the things of God and serves you and blesses you. DUDE - SPEND AN HOUR - A WHOLE DAY - A WHOLE WEEKEND TURNING TO HIM AND GETTING FILLED UP WITH ALL HE WANTS TO DO AND SAY TO YOU!

This is just step one - we will look at more over the next couple of weeks. For today - get better acquainted with the Spirit - and do some serious damage control in your relationship with Him. Oh, how He wants to grant you power to fight sin - but in order to do that - you've got to stop thinking you can fight it on your own.

Here is one other thing to do . . . next time you have a temptation to sin - turn to God the Holy Spirit - and fight it WITH HIM! Ask Him for power to fight - ask Him to teach you what to do - ask Him for the tools to PUT SIN TO DEATH - not just make it go away for a while - or until morning. This will transform your battles with sin - from something you do to something He does within you. This will make the battle more than just "not thinking or doing sin" to "turning to Him, seeing Him, knowing Him, and in the end being transformed to be just like Him by His power and might that powerfully works within you.

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The GIFT of Each New Day

9/7/2011

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May God give you the gift of knowing that every day He gives you may be your last to live for His glory. What I wrote may not seem to you like that great of a gift, but whether you realize it or not, it is a wonderful gift. Too often we think we have decades left—years and years to live—and unfortunately that often makes us take for granted something as wonderful as today. I cannot even number the times I’ve been bored during a day—and spent the majority of that precious day saying over and over again how bored I am. In the process I’ve wasted a day that God gave me for His purposes and for His glory.

     The Scriptures tell me that each day is from the Lord. Psalm 118:24 tells us that every day we see another sunrise we can say, “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” We can also learn a few other things about our lives as a result of this verse. If God made this day He has purposes for giving it to us. We also learn from Matthew 6:33-34 that in this day we are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all the other things (food and clothing specifically) will be added to us. We are not to worry about tomorrow, for each day itself has enough trouble of its own. James adds to this by reminding us in chapter 4:5 of his letter that we should say, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.” Now, seeing what the Scripture says, let’s draw a few conclusions.

     First, we need to see every day as a gift from God. If you are alive—God has a reason for you to be. If you are alive—be thankful. If you are alive—live purposefully. Rejoice and be glad in the gift of this day and let the whole world know that you receive it as a marvelous gift from God Himself! Second, we need to spend every day seeking God’s kingdom and glory. Actually Scripture says these are the two things we should seek FIRST every day. Ask yourself whether you are submitted to God as King and His Kingdom as your primary focus. Ask yourself whether this day is for “your glory” or “His.” Third, we need to view every day as God’s. God gave us this day—therefore what we do in it should be a matter of knowing what He wills. If the Lord wills, we will do what we planned this day—making certain that what we plan has been planned in His presence and in submission to His Spirit and His Word.

     Every new day we receive is a gift. An honest appraisal of this would tell us that all we can really guarantee is how we live today. Oh, dear saints—spend every day this week well—for God’s glory!

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Articles

Have You Responded in Awe and Wonder Lately?

The Glorious Move from Romans 7 to Romans 8 Living (part 1)

The GIFT of Each New Day

Biblical Articles

Categories

​Articles

Have You Responded in Awe and Wonder Lately?

The Glorious Move from Romans 7 to Romans 8 Living (part 1)

The GIFT of Each New Day

Biblical Articles

Categories

Articles