"One Thing I Have Desired"?

"One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."  (Psalm 27:4)

Every month when I read our text I ask the question, Is this the, "One thing I have desired of the Lord"?  You and I do not have, "the house of the Lord," as a building.  We do not have a temple building.  What we do have is, "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you...?"  We have Jesus, "Christ in you," in you and me, in the Church, "which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Where are you today, in an office, your house, a coffee shop with WiFi?  It really does not matter if you and I are in Jesus and He is in us.  Right here, right now with me and in me is our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is the most comforting reality of the universe.  Humanity desires many things, but for you and me there is only, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple." (KJV)

Father, in Jesus' Name, if this, "One thing," is not the reality in my life, help me make it so.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"All the Ends of the World Shall Remember and Turn to the LORD," Jesus Christ

"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD:  and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.  For the kingdom is the LORD's: and He is the governor among the nations." (Psalm 22:27, 28--KJV)

Literally, His is the, "dominion, the rule, the reign, among the nations."  Every time I read our text it is a "worship experience."  It thrills me to know that King Jesus, the Christ, the One of Whom the song says, "Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to Thee be all glory given!  Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!  Oh, come, let us adore Him...Christ the Lord," this Jesus, as the Creed says, "who for us men and our salvation, came down and was incarnate," is the One of Whom our text speaks, The none other than, "the governor among the nations."

The global scene just keeps deteriorating.  I sent a 33 second video of an interview with two members of the US Congress to my Facebook page.  It was interesting to see a high profile Democrat and Republican agree on this.  America currently has, however, a president who thinks his charisma and charm will bring global peace.  I wrote on the Facebook site, "'In God We Trust' is on our currency.  I suggest it be in our hearts," and not in some promise-everything leader or leaders.  Every person, "among the nations," should keep this in mind.  If we do not, fear, despair and cynicism will rule in the hearts of people.

But be of good cheer today, Fellow Friends, "of the Bridegroom"; our King Jesus Christ, "is the governor among the nations."  We pray for our national representatives to come to the submission in our text, the submission to Jesus Christ and, "remember and turn to the Lord."  Then, instead of fearing truck bombs, we will fear Him Who Alone Is, "the Governor among the nations."

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Arise, O God, judge the earth!  For it is You who possesses all the nations" (Psalm 82:8, NASB).  Amen. 
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Are You, "Instructed Concerning the Kingdom of Heaven"?

"Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  (Jesus)

Much of the history of Christendom is a selective history.  By that I mean we tend to obey, "the words of God," which we want to obey, and disobey those which we do not want to obey.  This of course is no religion at all except the religion of pick-and-choose, a religion of one's own creation, a religion of convenience, a religion which is drawn upon only when I need it.  This is not, "the faith of Jesus."  This is the faith of me, "the opiate of the People."

If I am, "instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven," I will not live like this.  As one example, I will read Leviticus as regularly as I read John or the Psalms.  I will read Ezekiel as regularly as Ephesians.  Thus, I will be, "like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  Yet for far too many there are seasons, or for some, all their life, in which they live in a sort of desperation for, "things new."  This is in some measure what Bonhoeffer was referring to in the quote I shared yesterday:  "Our quiet reflection on a section of Scripture may yield astonishingly fresh insights.  It more often yields the familiar.  This should not be seen as a problem....Hearing God's message again and again may not arouse our excitement, but it may sustain us in the walk of faith.  Moreover, the old needs to be frequently reappropriated, for it is easily forgotten or lost."

Of course we know that there is more to walking in Jesus Christ than reading the Bible, but I submit to you that life, "concerning the kingdom of heaven," begins in, "The Word of God," Jesus and His Words, "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God...."  Before man "prayed," He heard the Word of God.  Before man married, worked, before the People of God did missions, helped the poor, evangelized, worshipped, did anything, He heard, "The Word of God...Whom God has sent [to] speak[] the words of God."

Have you "forgotten or lost" anything which Jesus has sown into you?  Are there, "things...old," which have been sacrificed to, "things new," things which you need to, "bring out of [your] treasure"?

Father, in Jesus' Name, show me anything which I have neglected which I greatly need.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

A Prophetic Word for the "Now Church"

"Then He said to them, 'Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.'" (Matthew 13:52)

From time to time my favorite "devotional" people, Spurgeon, Chambers, and Bonhoeffer, have something I pass on to you.  Today is such a day.   

The following thought from Dietrich Bonhoeffer is so timely for especially those who consider themselves "mature Christians."  And, it is a word to the charismatic community, who has for decades propagated, whether knowingly or not, the stigma of walk-only-in-the-new-and-exciting revelation.  I have noticed now for some years that even great songs which were sung as recently as 10 to 20 years ago are no longer in much of Christendom.  Old is not good.  Everything must be "up-to-date."  The same "spirit" is at work in people who rarely read the Bible.  To them, it is repetition after repetition.  No, it is not; it is the very Breath of God Himself.  I pray if you or anyone you know is in any of the aforementioned categories, you will receive a word, based on our text, from one of the great Churchman in Church History.

"It is not necessary that we should discover new ideas in our meditation.  It is sufficient if the word, as we read and understand it, penetrates and dwells within us."  (From his work, Life Together)

"Our quiet reflection on a section of Scripture may yield astonishingly fresh insights.  It more often yields the familiar.  This should not be seen as a problem.  Our life needs maintenance as much as it should experience bursts of creativity.  Hearing God's message again and again may not arouse our excitement, but it may sustain us in the walk of faith.  Moreover, the old needs to be frequently reappropriated, for it is easily forgotten or lost.  Thought: That which we repeatedly think about and embrace as truth will become an integral part of our lives." (Bonhoeffer)

Father, in Jesus' Name, keep this thought ever in me.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

The Word of Christmas

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in thee last days spoken to us in His Son...."  (Hebrews 1:1, 2)

The carol declares that it was "on a cold winter's night."  We don't know about that, but we are eternally thankful for that night whatever the temperature.  "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night."  Our text declares that the night time "appearing" was really a "speaking"--- and what a "Word" is Jesus.

"....At various times and in various ways," the Living Triune God had spoken to humanity.  But in the Babe of Bethlehem He spoke the "final" Word.  He was, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  Now, you and I and any of the human race who so desire Him may receive Him.  The carol says, "No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in."  Meekness is the key in our relationship in the Godhead.  "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,"----------------------- and everything which comes, "from the hand of God."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for the speaking Babe of Bethlehem.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2