Who Humbles Himself To Behold...The Heavens And...Earth"

"I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your Name forever and ever....One generation shall praise Your works to another....On the glorious splendor of Your Majesty...I will meditate...Your Kingdom is a kingdom of all ages, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations (forever)."  (Psalm 145, NASB)

My regular time here.  What a glorious Psalm of Praise, so much so that many translations title it, "A Psalm of Praise, of David."  Mine too.

No words of anyone can come close to expressing the praise due His Name.  Someone in a movie long ago said to another character, "So you really love her, huh?"  The response was, "Love is not a big enough word."  My feelings exactly when it comes to any worship expression I may attempt.  It does not, however, reduce my communion in the Godhead.

"....Who for us men and our salvation came down..," the creed states.  This is Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Living Triune God Himself, "Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth."  Other Biblical references say, "Oh, how great is Your goodness....O Lord, how great are Your works!  Your thoughts are very deep....How great is the sum of them!...How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders!  His kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation." (This latter from Nebuchadnezzar, king of one of history's great empires.)

Join him and me today in adoration of Him Who alone is worthy, the Eternal One, "Who for us men and our salvation came down," to us lowly humans.  The old song says, "Only His great Eternal Love made my Savior go."  He was not "forced" into coming to us.  Jesus, Who is Love, became One of us willingly, eagerly, taking on Himself, "in His Cross," as Isaiah 53 declares, our sins, sicknesses, pains, griefs, sorrows, diseases, "....and how mighty His wonders!"

Father, in Jesus' Name, GLORY!  Amen.

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I will be preaching this Sunday in the congregation of a couple of our long-time friends, and next Sunday, October 28, in our local church meeting.

 

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"THIS--- Is The Covenant That I Will Make...."

"For this is the covenant..; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts...."  (Hebrews 8:10, KJV)

When Jesus' Law is, "into their mind,..and...in their hearts," His Law/Word is in our very beings, our life style.  If His Words are not in my mind and heart, they are obvious external, and, as with religion of man, I have to go outside myself to "get" them, to whatever extent that is possible.

This is the classic case of "outside vs. inside" religion.  Religions of man are outside religions.  The "Religion," or better yet, "the Faith of Jesus," is an "inside job."  Now if people want a "come-into-His-Presence" religion, or a going-to-a-book religion, or you-have-to-be-somewhere-special-to-sense-Presense religion, then have at it.  I prefer, "the faith of Jesus," which is the, "Abide ('stay, remain') in Me," faith, the faith of, "....the [New] Covenant..;  "....into their mind, and...in their hearts." 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the very fulfillment and embodiment of, "My Laws," in our text, and, by virtue of Jesus' Blood, Jesus' Death, Jesus' Resurrection, right now we can walk in the victory and certainty that we do not have to wait for some day, but right now, "into their mind...and in their hearts," is the reality of our relationship in Jesus.  Don't let pop phrases and "theology" rob you of the tremendous Truth of today's text, which just happens to be true Biblical Theology.  Jesus Christ lives IN you and me, as do His Words.  And because Jesus lives IN us, Jesus' Words are, "into their mind, and...in their hearts."  And, Glory to the Blessed Trinity, we are the, "their," there!

Father, in Jesus' Name, I so very much thank You that You will keep telling me this until I really "get it."  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"The Power of An Endless Life"

"Who is made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life....But this Man, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.  Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."  (Hebrews 7)  

My Dad was not the oratorical-type preacher, but powerful, nonetheless.  I remember him once preaching on our text.  Dad always spoke of Jesus as someone whom he knew, not an historical figure used for some religious purpose, occupational-promoting, Sunday services.  The Bible says of Jesus, "In Him was Life, and His Life was the light of men."  I saw the reality of this in my Dad.

He would often quote the phrase, "....after the power of an endless life."  This is Who we have in Jesus.  In the context, Jesus is "qualified" to be our Great High Priest because of, "....the power of an endless life."  Yes, Jesus is indeed as the Word later states, "....holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners...," but this would mean nothing for our salvation if Jesus were not, "....after the power of an endless life."  And, He Is.  The great proclamation after His Resurrection is, "He is risen, as He said."  Again, "after the power of an endless life."  Jesus promises us, "Because I live, you will live also."  Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, His, "....power of an endless life", is yours and mine.

Then that great reality:  "He always lives to make intercession for them."  That's you and I.  Right now, as I write this and you read this, Jesus is interceding for you and me, right now, "always lives to make intercession."  Dad use to say that every time we pray we enter into a constant prayer meeting.  Sort of puts a great perspective on 24/7 prayer, doesn't it?

Father, in Jesus' Name, Your Words always strengthen 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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

What Is Going On Here?

"Simon Peter said, 'I am going fishing'....They caught nothing." (John 21:3)

"They caught nothing."  Our King Jesus "arranges" it so, i.e., when you and I are fishing in our own favorite spot, nothing there, empty, futile effort.  This does not just reveal our lives before we came to Jesus; it is an ongoing principle: Do life Jesus' Way or, "caught nothing."  So many keep fishing for what Jesus already has for us.  The Eternal Call is, "Come to Me."  If we do not respond to, "Come to Me," we will keep going back out on that empty lake, "caught nothing."  The Church needs to look at herself.  How much of our, "I am going fishing," has led to, "caught nothing."

The problem was that it seems as though Peter was in a sort of "go back" mode.  He had spent three years with Jesus, but the Word of Jesus had not taken root in him, or the others.  I can't say that they were "unbelievers," just perhaps confused Believers, you know, like so many of us at times.  There were times when, "then they remembered that these things were written about Him."  But it seems at other times, "they remembered...these things...," was replaced by the, "I am going fishing."

Most of us have responded to Jesus', "Come to Me...."  But we have realized that over the years there have been temptations to go back to that "familiar" fishing spot. What a glorious moment of grace and mercy when Jesus "calls" to us from the shore, "Children, have you any food?"  If our hearts are "right," we will look at that futile "fishing spot," and come ashore to Jesus' "Banqueting Table."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I see myself in this too many times in life.  Thank You that you keep asking me, "....Have you any food."  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.'"

Hebrews 12:2