Christmas Exposes the Heart

Christmas exposes the heart. That is to say, Jesus’ presence exposes the heart.

Christmas does so in two ways,

  1. Christmas exposes what the heart treasures
  2. Christmas exposes the heart’s knowledge of or lack of knowledge of God

We can see this illustrated in the familiar story of the wise men coming to worship Jesus in Matthew 2:1–12.

First we’ll consider how the first Christmas (Jesus’ initial presence on earth) revealed what the hearts of the wise men treasure. Then, we’ll consider how that first Christmas revealed what Herod’s heart treasured. And finally, we’ll see how Christmas revealed the wise men’s knowledge of God and exposed Herod’s lack of knowledge of God.

 

1) Christmas Exposes What the Heart Treasures
To arrive at our conclusion about what the wise men’s hearts treasure, let’s make atwo observations about the wise men that Jesus’ first advent reveals.

 

The Wise Men
First, the wise men are looking for and waiting for King Jesus. What is the quest of the wise men? Matthew 2:2 tells us: They come to Herod in Jerusalem “saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?’”

The wise men are searching for the new born Jesus. Why now? What inspired them to search now? The reason they offer is: “For we saw his star when it rose” (Matthew 2:2).

These wise men are familiar with the prophecy that Balaam spoke concerning Israel when they were camped on the plains of Moab. While Israel made their way to the Promised Land, Balaam prophesied that a king would rise from the Jews like a star. Numbers 24:17 records the prophecy,

 

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).

 

The wise men knew this prophecy, and they sat on it in hopeful anticipation. A when a stellar phenomenon appeared in the sky, they took this as their cue: the king is coming. The wise men were not caught off guard by his coming. Rather, the wise men were looking for his coming in hopeful anticipation. The wise men were looking for and waiting for King Jesus.

 

Second, Jesus’ presence moves the wise men to joyful, sacrificial worship. The rest of Matthew 2:2 makes clear that the wise men, upon seeing the star, seek out Jesus in order to worship him,

 

“we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2)

 

How do they worship Jesus? Joyfully. Well this isn’t hum drum dutiful worship. This is white hot, joyful, incandescent worship. Matthew piles up the descriptions of their joy in 2:10 when he tells us that when they saw the star, “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Jesus’ presence is their joy.

What else marks their worship? Sacrificial giving. Matthew 2:11 tells us that they give gifts, treasures to him—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The wise men were waiting for Jesus and they came to joyfully worship him personally by giving gifts.

What do these two observations (their hopeful waiting for the king and their joyful, sacrificial worship) together tell us about what the wise men’s hearts treasure? To answer, let’s ask one more question: Does Jesus, the Son of God and King of all creation need the wise men’s presence or their gifts? The answer is a resounding no.

The Sovereign God, Creator of the Universe needs nothing. Jesus the Son of God incarnate certainly has no need of something these wise men or his worshipers could bring as a gift or provide by their presence. So why do the wise men look and wait for Jesus to come and then journey what was likely a great distance to personally bring Jesus these treasures? They waited for Jesus, they journeyed to Jesus, and they brought Jesus these treasures not because Jesus had need of them personally or what they could provide, but because they had need of Jesus.

The wise men did all this as a way of saying, “Jesus, you are worth more than these or any earthly treasures.”

Piper reflecting on this scene says this,

 

When you give a gift to Christ like this, it’s a way of saying something like this: The joy that I pursue is not the hope of getting rich with things from you. I have not come to you for your things but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things in the hope of enjoying you more, not the things. By giving to you what you do not need an what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, ‘You are my treasure, not these things.’ [1]

 

When Jesus, whom they had waited for in hopeful anticipation, showed up at that first Christmas, their response was rejoicing with exceedingly great joy. Their response was to go and worship. That first Christmas, Jesus’ presence revealed that the wise men’s hearts treasured Jesus above all else.

Compare this to Herod.

 

Herod
First, Herod was not looking for or waiting for Jesus. What was Herod’s response when the wise men informed him of their mission? First, Matthew 2:3 makes clear that Herod was surprised. Matthew tells us that upon hearing the news from the wise men of the coming promised king, Herod had to ask his chief priests and scribes where the Christ was going to be born. Here is a king in Israel, who is not even looking for the coming of the promised Messiah. Jesus is not even on his radar.

Second, Jesus’ presence troubles Herod. Matthew 2:3 makes clear that upon hearing the news of Jesus’ presence, Herod wasn’t only taken off guard in surprise, he was also troubled. Herod’s response was not to rejoice exceedingly with great joy. His response was distress. Why?

Well, what did Herod ultimately seek to do? Herod sought to kill Jesus, and he went so far as killing all the male children in Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16–18). What does this tell us? Herod saw Jesus’ presence not as a reason for joy, but as a threat to his joy, namely his throne.

So, Herod was not even looking for Jesus, and at his arrival he was greatly troubled and sought to destroy him because he saw him as a threat. What do these two observations tell us about what Herod’s heart treasures? Herod’s heart treasures his own rule and reign over Jesus.

So here in the wise men and King Herod’s response to that first Christmas, we get a picture into the human heart. When Jesus enters into our lives, his presence demands a response. Our response to his presence exposes what our heart truly treasures. Do we treasure Jesus above all things, or do we see him as a threat to something we treasure more?

If we are growing in Christ, both of these responses will be present in our lives. We should worship Jesus with white hot passion sacrificially giving our time, energy, and resources as a way of expressing our treasuring of him and for the sake of his kingdom advance. But we should not be surprised when we suddenly find ourselves feeling disturbed by Jesus’ presence either. None of us treasures Jesus as we should. We should expect that his presence in our lives will begin to reveal things we tend to treasure more than him. And when he exposes those idols and rises like a star in our hearts to remind us, “I am your King. I am your treasure. Worship me,” we should shake off our troubled thoughts, emphatically cast aside and abandon our idols, and run to him, rejoicing exceedingly with great joy in worship.

Christmas exposes what the heart treasures. And, by doing so, the bottom line is this: Christmas exposes who we know or think God is.

 

2) Christmas Exposes the Heart’s Knowledge of or Lack of Knowledge of God
Christmas reveals whether the heart rightly knows God as the all benevolent giver or wrongly thinks of God as a malevolent taker. Consider the contrast between the wise men and Herod again.

 

The Wise Men
The wise men’s treasuring of Jesus above all else reveals that they know God to be the most benevolent giver. They recognize that the God, who has need of nothing, has given to them something they desperately need in Jesus. Their actions reveal that they recognize Jesus’ presence will cost them something, because they give up expensive treasures and time and energy just to be with him. Yet their worship reveals that they know whatever God may demand from them, he has given them something so much more in Jesus. They trust God’s goodness toward them to take away what they don’t need and give them what they truly need. The wise men know God to be the most benevolent giver.

 

Herod
Herod’s treasuring of his throne exposes that he sees God as a malevolent taker. He does not truly know God, who gives eternal joy and life, and who seeks nothing nor needs nothing in return other than one’s joyful surrender to his rule and reign. Herod sees God’s king, Jesus, as one who would take his power to his ultimate harm. But, Jesus would take only in order to give something greater: salvation. Herod wrongly believes God to be a malevolent taker.

 

Christmas Reveals Who God Is
Christmas reveals that God is the God who would give us his very own Son so that we might be with him forever. And if this is the case, how will he not give us all things?

 

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32).

 

God is the most benevolent of givers, who needs and seeks nothing in return but your joy, and who offers us the greatest treasure in his Son. So let Christmas has its full effect on your heart this year—let the presence of Jesus expose your heart. And, see Jesus as your greatest treasure. Rejoice at his presence. And, when you find yourself disturbed by his presence exposing a hidden treasure you didn’t know was there, bring it to him freely. For he promises to give you so much more in return.

[1] John Piper, The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014), 51–52.

The Fruits of the Incarnation

1 John 1:1-4
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life – 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us – 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

The miracle of Christmas is the miracle of the Incarnation. God, the eternal Son, took on flesh and dwelt among people in the person of Jesus Christ! John brings this out in his Gospel (John 1:14 among other spots), his Revelation (5:5-10), and in his first letter in our passage above. Look at how He describes it in this first epistle. The very God who was from the beginning, we’ve heard Him! We’ve seen Him with our very eyes! More than seeing Him, we’ve looked upon Almighty God and touched Him with our hands – the very word of life!

Can you sense the excitement?! Can you take in the amazement? The One who is life itself has been revealed as life Himself, and has made Himself known to John and the other apostles through the Incarnation! What is the outcome of this? Verse three tells us – shared fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and growing joy.

Many of us know this feeling of being a kid on Christmas morning – running to the room to see the gifts out on display or neatly wrapped and ready to open. As you get older though, you realize the gifts weren’t the gift. The gift was the people present who thought enough about you to sacrifice their time, treasure, and talents to provide you those loving moments and memories wrapped in gifts yes, but even more in their time with you, their provisions to you, their affection for you. Being present with them, during those times – that was the gift. The essence of this gift points to one much greater.

Now imagine you are a child again and you receive a gift you’ve been longing for, only this gift is different. It’s different because it comes directly from the One who knew you well enough to give you the perfect gift, a gift you were most longing for, but that was above and beyond anything you could have formed into words or penned on a list. On this occasion, the One who gave you the true gift for which you’d unknowingly been longing, was the author and designer of every good gift you have ever, and will ever receive. And it turns out this greatest gift – this eternal life – is to know God the Father and the One whom He has sent (John 17:3). This is to know in intimate, ever-growing communion the Triune God of whom David once wrote, “…in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore,” (Psalm 16:11). This is to see and bask in His matchless and inestimable worth described by the Asaph, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever,” (Psalm 73:25-26). This is to take and drink of the all-refreshing, living water that Jesus offered the woman at the well in John 4 – the kind that leaves you satisfied and is a spring that never runs dry.

This fellowship, this intimate, joy-filled relationship with the Almighty King, the lover of our souls, the Holy God, came at the most astounding of costs. It meant the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1:14). It meant the King of Kings and Lord of lords leaving the riches of heaven and taking on the form of a servant by being born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7). It meant this King in human form humbling Himself even further to experience death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Why did He do this? He did this so that we, enslaved in our sin, doomed and deserving of Hell, could but look to Christ lifted up and be cleansed from all our sin by His blood. Through His shed blood and resurrection, by faith springing up from the Spirit (see John 3:3-8; 1:12-13; 4:10,14), we are cleansed and enter into that eternal life in fellowship with the Father and Jesus His Son – to His eternal praise and our everlasting joy.

But this joy we find in fellowship with God, through faith in the shed blood of the Son, is a growing joy. Verses 3 and 4 tell us that John and the other believers are proclaiming the wonders of personally experiencing the Incarnation and the fellowship believers have with the Father and the Son, for a very specific reason. What they have witnessed and enjoyed in fellowship with each other and with God, they want others to experience. “We proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ,” (1 John 1:3). When you’ve found forgiveness, life eternal, and the loving embrace of the Father and Son of the universe, you want that for others. Your joy isn’t only found in your enjoyment of God eternal, but in others finding their ultimate satisfaction in Him as well.

That’s why we go out to meet and pray for our neighbors, to sing carols, to have outreach services like this Sunday, to go and support others going to the ends of the earth proclaiming the matchless name of Jesus. Others finding joy in Him is the wonderful work God has given us to do that glorifies Him and completes our joy (John 1:4).

Father, have Your way among us this Sunday! By Your Spirit at work in and through us, take the joy of our fellowship we have with You and Your Son and allow children in our midst, and those who don’t yet know you, to look to Christ and receive the gift of eternal fellowship with us and You! Be at work to complete their joy and ours for Your glory we pray. In the name of Your Son Jesus, we ask. Amen.


The Promise of Christmas: The Promised Offspring

At Christmas, many of us open presents. And, oh, what a joy it is to open a present. Even adults must admit that they love the feeling. Some of us might try to suppress our excitement to be, you know, ‘grown up’ about it; however, inside, we’re giddy. Children, on the other hand, express the joy of opening presents far better. Consider for a moment how children often judge presents. If you were to set two different presents, one big and one small, in front of a young child, which one will they typically go for first? The big one. Why? Because as a child you often associate the value of the gift with its size. The bigger, the better. However, as we grow older we discover the most value is often packed into the smaller present. A diamond ring comes in a small package, so that small package proves far more valuable than a big box that contains a giant stuffed toy. This same principle applies to some of the words we come across in Scripture. There is often a payload of theological treasure jampacked into small, seemingly straightforward words. And we should be more excited about these little words than we are presents at Christmas. Let’s consider one very relevant word for this advent season.

In Galatians 3:16, Paul says this,

 

“Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”

 

Paul takes one word, “offspring” and makes what on the surface appears to be quite the exegetical and theological leap by saying offspring refers to Christ, that is, Jesus the long-awaited Messiah who saves God’s people. Paul does the same thing when he writes Timothy,

 

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel” (2 Timothy 2:8).

 

Jesus is the offspring of David. Now David had many sons. What makes Jesus the offspring, and why is that so important? We may be tempted to say, “Well Paul can come to these conclusions and make these assertions because he is an Apostle.” But, I think Paul actually instructs us how to read our Bibles here. Paul offers a couple of clues in these two verses that inform his word choice. Paul connects Jesus being the offspring to two people: David and Abraham. So with those two clues in hand, let’s just consider this tiny little word offspring. One of the best ways to begin to unpack this wonderful gift is to read our Bible’s backwards, beginning with a couple of very well-known Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus. So let’s start unwrapping, because treasure of immeasurable worth lies hidden in this word, offspring.

 

The Offspring of David

First, Isaiah prophesies in Isaiah 9:6–7—a verse that often comes to mind around the Christmas season. In fact, many of us may have memorized—“to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” Isaiah says that son is divine, that “his name shall be called…Mighty God” among other divine monikers. And, Isaiah declares that God will send this divine child, this son, to be the righteous ruler of his kingdom. Isaiah says that this son will sit on David’s throne—“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…on the throne of David and over his kingdom” (Isaiah 9:7). Right before declaring this, Isaiah says in Isaiah 7:13–14, that this promised divine son who will rule on David’s throne is the same son who will be called “Immanuel” (God with us), who will be born of a virgin unto the house of David. It doesn’t get much more Christmas than that!

Well, so far we have not seen the word offspring, but David shows up a lot. Isaiah certainly understands that David is connected to this promised son . Where does Isaiah get this? Again, we’re tempted to chalk it up to Isaiah being a prophet. However, Isaiah, just like Paul, shows us what Holy Spirit empowered, Christ-centered reading of Scripture looks like. Isaiah teaches us how to read our Bibles. So let’s continue reading backwards. For Isaiah takes his cue from a promise that God had already made to David.

We see in 2 Samuel 7:12–13 (cf. 1 Chronicles 17:11–14), that God declared to David, “I will raise up your offspring after you…and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Aha! Here we find our key word. The promised divine son prophesied by Isaiah is the offspring of David that God promised would reign forever. This promise to David ignited within David humble adoration and profuse praise to God (2 Samuel 7:18–29). Just consider some of David’s words in response to this promise,

 

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?…You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God! And what more can David say to you?…Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:18–22).

 

David is obviously elated. Behind this elation, though, there does seem to be more than just joy for the promise of a son who will reign as king forever—as spectacular as that is. Indeed, David says this promise of God to him is “instruction for mankind” (2 Samuel 7:19). What does David have in mind?

David understands this promise of an offspring to be the coming fulfillment of an accumulation of God’s promises to his people. David is of the tribe of Judah the son of Jacob, and God had already made clear in Scripture—Scripture that David would have been familiar with—that a promised king would come from Jacob and specifically Judah, who would crush God’s peoples’ enemies and rule over all peoples (Numbers 24:17; Genesis 49:10).

Just as Isaiah understood the promised divine son to be the promised forever king who was David’s son, David understood the offspring promised to him, to be the promised ruler who would come from Judah and Jacob to crush all enemies and rule over all peoples.

So the offspring’s connection to David is clear. But what about Abraham? Well, Isaiah, David, and the people of Judah and Jacob all would have understood the promised offspring to be the promised offspring of Abraham, just as Paul did.

 

The Offspring of Abraham

Recall, God promised Abraham that his “offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:17–18). This is the promise Paul had in mind when he wrote the words of Galatians 3:16 and 2 Timothy 2:8.

Let’s review, then. The divine son born of a virgin, the son and offspring of David who would reign forever, the enemy crushing king of Judah and Jacob is one promise. And that promise is the promised offspring of Abraham who would possess the gate of all his enemies and bless all the nations of the earth. Paul, Isaiah, and David understood that it would be through a promised offspring that God would fulfill his promise to Abraham to bless all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:1–3).

But we’re not quite done unwrapping this word yet. There is one more way Paul, Isaiah, David, and even Abraham would have understood this promise of an offspring. To discover that, we must go all the way back to the beginning.

 

The Promised Offspring of David Is the Promised Offspring of Abraham Is the Promised Offspring of the Woman

In Genesis 3:15, after that awful day in history we call the Fall, God declares to the Serpent, in earshot of Adam and Eve these words,

 

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15)

 

Paul, Isaiah, David, and Abraham all understood that the promise of an offspring was the promise to destroy Satan and save God’s people from the curse of sin and death. What Abraham, David, and Isaiah all hoped for but never saw fulfilled, Paul declares we now behold in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus Is the Promised Offspring

When Paul declares Jesus is the offspring of Abraham and David, this is what Paul has in mind:

 

Jesus is the promised offspring in Isaiah who is the divine son born of a virgin, God with us, who reigns in righteousness forever (Isaiah 7:13–14; 9:6–7).

 

Jesus is the promised offspring of David who will defeat death and reign on David’s throne forever (2 Samual 7:12–13; 1 Chronicles 17:11–14; Acts 2:22–32).

 

Jesus is the promised offspring who is the ruler from Jacob and Judah who will crush his enemies and have the obedience of all peoples (Numbers 24:17; Genesis 49:10).

 

Jesus is the promised offspring of Abraham who will bless all families of all nations (Genesis 12:1–3; 22:17–18).

 

And Jesus is the promised offspring of Eve who would crush the head of the Serpent and undo the curse of sin and death (Genesis 3:15; 1 John 3:8).

 

Great Treasure in a Small Word

Jesus is the promised offspring. It seems our principle proves true. A seemingly small package, the word offspring, contains with in it a payload of such immense worth and value, that we should be like a kid at Christmas when we happen to stumble across this word in our Bible reading. Hidden within this word “offspring” is the very promise our salvation. That is something worth getting excited for this Christmas when the promised offspring’s, Jesus’, first advent is so clearly in view.

Giving Thanks for DGCC

Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday prompts us to do what should be doing “always and for everything” (Ephesians 5:20). Indeed, the Apostle Paul instructs us elsewhere:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

When preaching on this verse (audio; blog post), I encouraged you to put this into practice by thanking God for:

  • One aspect of salvation,
  • One obvious gift,
  • One clear answer to prayer,
  • One good you are tempted to think you earned or produced,
  • One good you are tempted to think you deserve,
  • One gift you easily overlook, and
  • One difficulty that considered by itself is not good.

In the run-up to the holiday, here are my answers to those prompts, primarily considering the last 22 years of Desiring God Community Church:

One Aspect of Salvation:

Thank You, Father God, that You make rebels deserving of condemnation into Your intimate family, and then delight to do them good, bringing us into the “white-hot enjoyment of Your glory.” Thank You for deepening my joy in You through DGCC.

One Obvious Gift:

Thank You, Father God, for the gift of Jacob as my fellow elder and as my successor Senior Pastor. You answered our prayers so faithfully, beyond what we could ask or imagine, in superintending the search process and in uniting us as elders and as a church under his ministry. Thank You also for the gift of his family, for Amy and Evie and Gigi. Thank You for the way You have complemented Jacob and me through the leadership of Daniel, Wil, and I’John;

One Clear Answer to Prayer:

Beth and I moved to Charlotte in 2002 with little understanding of the challenges ahead and no definite financial support for a church plant. We prayed with friends and family that You would be pleased to plant this church, that You would provide for that church spiritually and financially, that You would send out Your Word through this church. And here we are 22 years later. Thank You for Your grace shown through DGCC.

One Good I am Tempted to Think I Earned or Produced:

Thank You, Father, that this church is faithful to Your Word, is united as one family, and shines with Your Glory because of Your grace and mercy.

One Good I am Tempted to Think I Deserve:

Thank You, Gracious Father, that the members of DGCC respect me, listen to me, seek my counsel, bear with me, encourage me, love me, and pray for me.

One Difficulty that Considered by Itself is Not Good (flipping the order of the last two):

Thank You, Father, for the difficult challenges we faced in DGCC in 2005 and 2007. Painful as they were, You humbled and refined me, and then supported this church so that we together grew in Christlikeness. Thank You for the refreshment and strength You gave to Beth and me through the Desiring God National Conference in 2007, when I was wondering if we could continue.

One Gift I Easily Overlook:

I thank You, Father, for the many who have been part of this church – those who faithfully served, who generously gave, who led in various ways or served behind the scenes, who counseled and wept, who celebrated and rejoiced, who preached and learned, who cleaned and kept the books, who set up and tore down. Following the Apostle Paul in Romans 16 (and, like him, undoubtedly leaving out many I should mention), I thank You:

  • For those early members who worked so hard to begin DGCC: Amanda, Dee, Stacy, Matt, Michelle, Steve, Paula, Court, Linda, Rick, Nathan, Martha, Donna, Jody, Josh, Dana, Earl, Catherine, Jason, Shawnda, Jonathan, Nicole, Tyrone, Sharon, Derek, Damion and Rebecca, the Unsells, Michael and Jessica;
  • Thank You also for the Shanks, Kellers, Johnsons, Mosses, and Teiglands.
  • Thank You for the gift of five sons who worked with effort and joy in those early years to do whatever needed to be done: Jonathan, Thomas, Andrew, Matthew, Joel;
  • For the many children born into DGCC, beginning with Isabelle in August 2003, and the blessing of the many others brought into our church;
  • For David Livingston, for the wise counsel he has given us, the friendship with which he has blessed my family, and his opening up Your Word so many times;
  • For Kenny Stokes, for his devotion to us, his several visits, his vision for the Treasuring Christ Together Network, and his efforts to bring the network into existence and then to flourish;
  • For You, Father, enabling our tag line to become a reality: “A church of the nations with ministries to the nations, both in Charlotte and around the world.” Thank You for the Chinese You brought into the church in the early years, especially Mike and Lily and then Kevin and May. Thank You for the Indians You have blessed us with over the years, especially Sunil and Jerlin, Jonathan, William, George and Trapti. Thank You for the Filipinos, Aileen, Karol, and Fred for his faithful and God-honoring ministry among us. Thank You for the Kiswahili-speaking congregation, beginning with Bruno and then Thierry and Julienne, the Bingolos, Shaba and Mwali, John Felix, and so many more.
  • Thank You for Ty and Carla, for their friendship and hospitality; thank You for the grace You gave through the challenges of Ty’s illness and death; thank You that You have conquered death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.
  • Thank You for the “Taylor girls,” Amanda, Erin, and Erica;
  • Thank You for the dozens of married couples you have brought together, including Josh and Shelley, Andy and Laura, John and Helen, Rachel and Rick, Edward and Carrie, Albert and Natalia, Taylor and Ema, Scotty and Lisa, Blake and Elizabeth, I’John and Bria, Ivan and Stacy, Thomas and Kay, Matthew and Kailie, and now Noah and Sarah;
  • Thank You for Ed and Annette, for their friendship, for their hospitality, for their unwavering support, for their perseverance in witness and in prayer;
  • Thank You for the gift of having so many stay in our home, some for a day or two, some for weeks, including Len, Rachel, Michele, James;
  • Thank You for Amy Meshnick and the gifts of both her music leadership and her loving care for our missionaries;
  • Similarly, thank You for Kristin and her loving, faithful service with internationals and in music;
  • Thank You for sending Albert to us, and his leadership in music beginning the first month he was with us;
  • Thank You for the Suttons, the Taylors, the Timms, the Longs;
  • Thank You for Ray and Tom and Sobe and Selina and Paul and Donna and Rob and Amber and Wes and Jenn and Jarod and Eric and Kari and Matt and Vasti and Dan and Karen and Jeff and Samson and Annet and Maddie and Michael and Liz;
  • Thank You for Karl and Cindy, for so many years of faithful and wise leadership;
  • Thank You for Daniel and Julia, for their partnership in the Gospel and their devotion to leading their family in loving service;
  • Thank You for Michael and Julie, for hours and hours of service behind the scenes, and for their marriage and parenting;
  • Thank You for John Finney, for his week after week service to us and to me;
  • Thank You for Mike and his quiet faithfulness and love for internationals;
  • Thank You for Wil and Katie being members during two stints! For their evident love for you, for their hospitality, for the way their home foreshadows Your future Kingdom.

Thank You, Father, for appointing me to this ministry with these Your people – for the privilege of opening up Your Word week after week and seeing You breaking down barriers, encouraging the fainthearted, and advancing Your cause. Continue, O Father, to build up DGCC for the glory of Your Name and the joy of all peoples.

(To prompt your personal thanksgiving, here is a selection of Bible verses on the topic.)

 

 

God’s Holy Repentance

 

One of blessings of studying the Doctrines of God is that his holiness becomes very clear in comparison to the nature of man. God’s unchanging inner emotional state, his lack of passion, seems odd to us since our emotions change often, but at the same time it should lift our spirits. Through this we are reminded that God cannot love us more than he already does and his love never weakens. Similarly, the simplicity of God, or the fact that he is not composed of parts, is foundational to his eternality in stark contrast with our mortality. God does not change with time because he cannot be divided into past, present and future.

Hallelujah! We are putting our hope in an eternally loving God who cannot change. So what then are we to make of scriptures that suggest God can change his mind? If God can repent that he made man (Genesis 6:6-7) what else can he decide to repent from? Can he decide to repent from the mercy and love toward us as well? Can he repent from the saving faith that he given to you? Thankfully the inspired writers dealt with this apparent contradiction. In 1 Samuel 15, within a span of less than 20 verses, the author of the book tells us two completely opposite things about God. God regrets making Saul king while at the same time, in fact, God does not have regret at all.

1 Samuel 15:10-11: The word of the Lord came to Samuel:“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” 

1 Samuel 15:29: the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”

David was always the King God intended to establish because Christ, the greater son of David, is the King that God has established.

While Saul appears at first to be a good king he later revealed himself to be foolish, rash, and disobedient which culminated in God rejecting Saul as king of Israel. So it appears that God is changing his mind about Saul. However, the prophet Samuel points us to another possible answer. Perhaps God has not made Saul king at all! His argument for God not repenting or lying is simple and clear. God is not a man. God’s ways and man’s ways are so different that we are challenged to go back and re-read the book to examine how God’s ultimate plan differs from what is happening with man.

 

It appears that Hannah is the lesser of two wives and not part of God’s plan. She is mocked because God has closed her womb but in fact God would eventually have her give birth to the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1).

It appears that Eli and his sons are escaping the judgment they deserve from abusing their position as priests but in fact God brings about judgment against them in his perfect timing (1 Samuel 4).

It appears that the Philistines have overcome the Lord and his people by defeating them in battle and taking the ark of the covenant. In fact their military “victory” has brought affliction to their people and their false idol from God himself and would ultimately result in them making sacrifices to the God of Israel (1 Samuel 4-6).

So while Saul was made King [in man’s eyes] in fact things may not be as they appear. When it comes time to pick Saul’s replacement, God tells us how he will come to pick the eventual king, David: “the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart.” Even Saul comes to this realization eventually. When David spares his life, Saul proclaims that he is more righteous and that “he will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand” (1 Samuel 24:19-20). David was always the king God intended to establish because Christ, the greater son of David, is the King that God has established. Christ is King over all things from eternity, and he has offered himself to you. So how does God repent? Well he does one thing and then he does another but always according to his good and perfect will that never changes because God is not a man that he lies or has regrets.

The Harmful Bloom of Bitterness

Harmful blue-green algae blooms can devastate a fresh water ecosystem like a pond or lake. The bacteria that forms the scummy mats that cover the surface of a body of water are always present within the water. However, when conditions are just right, these bacteria can blossom rapidly—in a matter of days—into a harmful bloom that covers the entire body of water. Once the bloom begins to form, the disruptive effects on the ecosystem are immediate. Other living organisms in the watery environment begin to suffer from deadly toxins, lack of sunlight, insufficient oxygen, and other effects that trickle down the food web. This can lead to a large dying off event. But the harmful bloom doesn’t just affect organisms that live in the water. It can also harm organisms that drink the water, come into contact with it, or inhale the water droplets. Ultimately, the bloom itself will die off because there no longer remains enough nutrients to sustain it. In a sense, the bloom destroys itself. So, in short, the potential for a harmful blue-green algae bloom remains hidden in the water until, suddenly, it seems to explode from out of nowhere. It then begins to systematically destroy other living organism within the ecosystem until it ultimately succumbs to its own gluttonous appetite that leaves no nutrients to sustain its own life.

What’s the illustration here? Obviously, this is the nature of sin. Sin remains hidden under the surface, and, when the conditions are right, it erupts to harm others and self. One specific sin that is particularly sneaky in this way is the sin of bitterness. Bitterness can lay under the surface for a long, long time. Then, when conditions are just right, it breaks out. The outcome of a bloom of bitterness is always devastating. A small droplet of bitterness will rapidly grow until it strips away the very inheritance of eternal life that Christ offers us. How do we overcome this insidious sin?

Consider Matthew 5:44–45,

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:44–45).

Focus on verse 44 through the first half of verse 45: But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. Follow Jesus’ logic here. Loving one’s enemies and praying for those who persecute you results in becoming a son of God the Father. This truth contains two implications:

Implication 1: You are not a son of God the Father due to your sinfulness in general.

Implication 2: You will not be a son of God the Father if you harbor bitterness for your enemies.

These implications are the reasons Jesus gives the command. He gives the command to wake us up to the reality that we are separated from God the Father by our sin. He gives the command to warn us that if we remain in our sin we will remain separated from God the Father. Another reason Jesus gives the command, though, is this: Our tendency due to our sinful flesh is to not love our enemies but to become embittered toward them. That is, our fallen, sinful natures prevent us from loving our enemies and propel us to harbor bitterness toward them. And that bitterness, like a harmful algae bloom, bides its time until conditions cause it to erupt in harmful desires for and acts of vengeance. Paul warns about this in Romans 12:19,

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

The command here is simple. We must not become embittered and seek vengeance. Rather, we should trust God to act justly. Our conundrum, though (as we’ve just pointed out) is that in our fallen nature we are bent to not love our enemies but rather harbor bitterness toward them. Likewise, we do not pray for those who persecute us but pine for vengeance. What’s the solution? How do we become sons of God the Father if we cannot overcome our inherent bent toward bitterness and vengeance? We need one who is already a son of the Father to show us the way. We need the Son.

Jesus, the Son of God, offers us the supreme example of loving one’s enemies rather than becoming embittered toward them. Consider 1 Peter 2:21–23,

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:21–23).

What was the key to Jesus’ love in the face of such injustice and persecution that, if we experienced it, would move every fiber of our being toward bitterness and vengeance? It’s found in v. 23: Jesus continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. Just as Paul made clear in Romans 12:19, God the Father is a just judge. He will right every injustice. He will repay all the wrongs to you by your enemies. Vengeance is his. Trusting the Father is the example Jesus offers us. On top of that, the injustices Jesus suffered far outweigh any we do because he is the sinless Son of God. And yet, Jesus still entrusted himself to his Father.

Only the Son of God could know this way, and he has showed it to us. We of course could not know this way because in our sin we are not sons who would be inclined to trust God the Father. Romans 12:19 reveals that as well. Our bitterness and desire for vengeance springs from our lack of trust in God to act justly. In our sin we see God as a stranger and enemy. In our sin, we are his enemies. And this is where Jesus the Son of God proves to be more than just a model and an example for us. Jesus proves to be a savior and a son-making brother. Consider what Peter follows up his illustration of Jesus our example with in 1 Peter 2:24,

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:24–25)

Peter follows up Jesus our example with Jesus our savior. We, sinful man, were straying sheep in need of a seeking-shepherd. We were wounded by our own sin and in need of a healer. We were dying from the curse in need of a savior. And, in the heat of our fully bloomed sinful bitterness toward God and our fellow-man, we killed the Son of God.

And Jesus did not become bitter toward us but prayed for us even when we persecuted him to death,

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)

And Jesus rather than seeking vengeance entrusted himself to his Father,

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last (Luke 23:47)

And by doing these things—by fulfilling the very command in Matthew 5:34 that he laid before lost, sinful, embittered men who were not sons of God but enemies of him—Jesus bore our sins in his body that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; Jesus healed us; Jesus chased us down like a shepherd seeks out his straying sheep to return us to God the Father. Jesus the Son of God saved us and made us sons of God again (Romans 8:14–17) because he did not become bitter toward us, his enemies.

So how do we overcome sneaky, insidious bitterness that would threaten to bloom to the harm of others and the eternal harm of ourselves? In Jesus the Son of God, we have been given the example to follow. We entrust ourselves to God the Father to do right. And we can do this, because in Jesus the Son of God we are no longer sin-enslaved enemies of the Father who distrust him with our lives. Rather, Jesus the Son has made us sons with him—sons who know and trust the Father, and who are able to follow in the way that Jesus has showed us.

Delighted, Not Dependent: God’s Glory and Your Good

God can make children of Abraham out of rocks. God will be glorified with or without you. And yet, God delights to use you for his glory and your good in his kingdom plans. At the same time, he is not dependent on you to accomplish them. This is a principle that John the Baptist reminds the Pharisees and Sadducees of (cf. Matthew 3:9 — “And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”) We see this principle illustrated in Acts 1:15–26. There we witness a memorable scene play out. Peter leads the disciples to fill the void in the twelve left by Judas with a qualified disciple, in keeping with the necessary fulfillment of God’s Word with regard to kingdom restoration (cf. Psalms 69:25; 109:8). Two fellas, the man with three names, Joseph-Barsabbas-Justus, and the man with one name, Matthias, meet the stipulations. That is, both Joseph and Matthias are qualified to be counted among the twelve and receive a share in their ministry. And yet, only one will be chosen. In the end, King Jesus reveals his choice of Matthias. Check out the final movements in the scene:

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:24–26)

The disciples pray for the Lord to reveal his choice, and he does. We may wonder: What did Joseph do after this? Did he leave in a huff? Did he ask for a recasting of the lots? Did he take his ball and go home? I think it is safe to say no to all of the above. Here’s why.

The very next thing we read in Acts 2:1 is this,

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

They here refers to all of the disciples of Jesus who were present in the preceding scene: the eleven and the roughly 120 including the newly added to the eleven, Matthias, and Joseph. All of these were baptized in the Holy Spirit and became instrumental witnesses of Jesus Christ in the founding of the early church. Some traditions even say that Joseph went on to become a bishop in the early church. But, we may still wonder: Why was Matthias chosen over Joseph?

The short answer, as we’ve made clear at the top, is because Jesus delighted to choose Matthias and wasn’t beholding or dependent to pick one over the other. But there might be more to say on the matter.

We find one other valuable insight in Acts 1:24. From the disciples’ human perspective, the choice is a toss-up. All the objective evidence they can observe suggests that these men are equally qualified. There are no glaring reasons why one and not the other should be chosen. Therefore, they pray. Notice the content of their prayer again. Not only do they confess that Jesus has already made his choice (he simply needs to reveal it) but they address Jesus as the knower of hearts. They recognize that not only does the Lord know the hearts of these men in a way that they as outside observers certainly can’t, but that the Lord also knows Joseph and Matthias’ hearts more intimately than even Joseph and Matthias can. We’re reminded here of the Psalmist:

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. (Psalm 19:12)

 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24)

Perhaps, there was something in the heart of Joseph that better suited him to not be one of the twelve. For that matter, perhaps there was something in Matthias’ heart that better suited him to be one of the twelve. What was it? We don’t know. We can only speculate on the specifics. But what we can know for sure is that this choice by the Lord was a grace to both men.

Everything God does for his people, he does for his glory and their good. God’s will for his people is their conformity to Jesus and their ultimate glorification with him (Romans 8:29–31). Therefore, God works all things toward this ultimate good for those who love him and are called according to this purpose and plan unto his own glory (Rom 8:28; 11:36). By taking away from Joseph the role of being one of the twelve, King Jesus was doing what was most glorifying for himself and what was best for Joseph. Likewise, by giving to Matthias the role of being one of the twelve, King Jesus was doing what was most glorifying for himself and what was best for Matthias. This is instructive for us.

Our identity should never be wrapped up in anything other than Jesus—not even our particularly calling or ministry. If Joseph bound his identity to being named one of the twelve because he thought it was what was best for him and the kingdom, the loss of this possibility might have driven him to despair. By taking this role from Joseph, then, we can trust that God was working a particular grace in his life that otherwise wouldn’t have come about. Perhaps he was exposing things in Joseph for his good. Perhaps he was protecting Joseph from hidden things in his heart that wouldn’t have been revealed and dealt with otherwise. So, for you, when God takes something away, even when it is what you believe he has called you to, you can rest assured of this: God gives and God takes away always for your ultimate good and his glory.

God is not dependent on you for his kingdom plans to succeed. He is not beholden to use you in any specific ministry or way. Rather, God delights to use you in the way that will most glorify him and conform you into the image of Jesus (Rom 8:28–31). The picture of Matthias being chosen rather than Joseph illustrates this reality for us in a memorable way.

God can make children of Abraham out of rocks. God will be glorified with or without you. But, in his kindness, he has delighted to call you to wrap yourself up completely in his Son, Jesus. He has delighted to call you to glorify him in the way he chooses. Submit to his call knowing that he will work all things for your good. For, his glory is your good.

What Would You Do in an Overwhelming Flood?

Four weeks ago, Hurricane Helene dumped massive amounts of rain in western North Carolina, destroying communities like Chimney Rock and Swannanoa, carrying away houses and vehicles, making impassable hundreds of roads, disrupting water and electric service, and trapping many thousands on rooftops or high ground. Weather forecasters accurately predicted the hurricane’s track and were not far off in rainfall estimates – but residents had lived through numerous times of heavy rainfall. Few anticipated accurately the danger, the destruction.

What would you do if caught in an overwhelming flood?

The prophet Nahum employs this imagery. Writing during the early decades of Jeremiah’s ministry or slightly before, God shows the prophet His coming judgment on the Assyrian empire, which had dominated the region for well over a hundred years. Here is the ESV of Nahum 1:7-8:

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. 8 But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Consider the opening phrase of verse 8 – with (or “in”) an overwhelming/overflowing flood. The Hebrew is ambiguous: Does the phrase modify how God will make a complete end of His adversaries (as reflected in the ESV), or does it continue the thought of verse 7 (“He knows those who take refuge in Him in an overwhelming flood”)?

It is not uncommon in Hebrew for a phrase to look forward and backward (this is called a Janus phrase, after the Roman god whose name gives us “January;” Janus has two faces, one looking forward, the other back.) Thus some scholars suggest that the author intends the phrase to modify both verses: “He knows those who take refuge in him in an overwhelming flood, but with an overwhelming flood he will make a complete end of His adversaries.”

With that rendering, what lesson do these verses hold for us?

We all will face an overwhelming flood. For some – such as our neighbors in western North Carolina – the flood will be literal. For the rest, the flood may concern our health, or our relationships, or our finances, or our country falling apart. Then all of us will face an overwhelming flood at the time of death.

What will you do when, inevitably, you are caught in such an overwhelming flood?

Nahum assures us: Our God is good. He always displays compassion and mercy to His people, especially in times of trouble. He is our stronghold, our fortress, our Deliverer and Savior. So when the flood comes, we must run to that fortress; we must seek refuge in Him through Jesus. Nahum tells us God “knows” those who do this – He knows our trials and troubles, He knows our weaknesses and sorrows, He cares for us and watches over us.

Verse 8 then shows us what happens to the others, to those who do not take refuge in Him. That overwhelming flood makes a complete end of them. The flood plunges them into darkness: without light, without hope, without relief.

Imagine a man in western NC whose house overlooks a lovely, bubbling brook. As Helene intensifies, the waters rise – but still do not look overly threatening. But little does he know that fallen trees are collecting against a bridge a quarter mile upstream. In a moment, the bridge collapses and the waters rise to the second floor of his house. He climbs to the roof as the current beats against the house. He knows that soon the force will rip the house off its foundation and sweep it downstream.

Just then, he hears a rumbling above him. He looks – a helicopter! And the pilot is lowering a harness to save him from the flood!

Will he put on the harness? Will he trust the rescuer?

Or will he turn away – and have the flood carry him away into darkness?

That is our situation. We will face a flood. We cannot predict exactly when it will come or what it will look like, but it is inevitable. We cannot protect ourselves. Will we depend on our one and only possible rescuer – Jesus – or will the flood carry us away into darkness?

Furthermore, our Rescuer is not only our fortress, our protector. He is also good. He is also gracious. He is also merciful. He is worth more than all the world has to offer.

So take refuge in Him! Today!

Then you will know what to do when the overwhelming flood comes upon you.

(A footnote to Nahum 1:8 in the NET was especially helpful in prompting these thoughts.)

The Promise of the Father: Overloaded Fuses of Love

The Father made a promise to his people. Acts 1:4–5 tells us that Jesus assured his disciples that they would receive that promise from the Father—the gift of the Holy Spirit. We see the heavenly delivery of this gift in Acts 2. What came with that promise? Well, there are different aspects we could highlight—purity and power just to name a couple. But another astounding reality that comes with the Father’s promise is the promise of his permanent, unmediated, abiding presence.

God’s salvation program has always aimed at him dwelling with his people. This is what makes God’s people his people. Moses understood this and longed for the presence of God.

 

And he [Moses] said to him [YHWH], “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15–16).

 

And so God promised to dwell and did dwell with his people. Consider Leviticus 26:11,

 

I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people (Leviticus 26:11–12).

 

And he remained with them in this special way until, because of their ongoing rebellion, God’s glory departed the temple, and he handed them over to exile (Ezekiel 10:18; 2 Chronicles 36:20–21). But God’s story of salvation did not end there. God has already written the end of his story of salvation, and he will dwell with his people in a way never known or experienced before. Revelation 21:1–4 gives us as close a glimpse as we can get on this side of the new heavens and new earth of the wonders of the ineffable future reality to come,

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1–4)

 

This is the endgame, eternity in God’s joyous presence for those who have surrendered to King Jesus (Psalm 16:11). And, in God’s grand wisdom, how is it that we get there? By God’s presence with us now.

Ezekiel and Jeremiah, having experienced both the fall of the seat of God’s earthly kingdom, Jerusalem, and the exile of God’s people, foresaw and longed for the day when God’s presence would return in a new way to his people under a new covenant. He would not only dwell with them. He would dwell in them.

 

And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:27–28).

 

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jeremiah 31:33).

 

And, what again is the payoff of God dwelling with his people? It’s Moses’ insight we noted above. God’s presence with his people identifies them as God’s people. God’s presence with his people assures them, they are his. Jeremiah foresaw this new covenant promise of God’s abiding presence resulting in knowing God in a new, intimate, expansive way never before seen,

 

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:34).

 

This is the promise of the Father—the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of God’s permanent, abiding presence with and within his people—that Jesus poured out on his people in Acts 2. This is the gift he has given us who are in him. Put simply, the promise of the Father, the gift of God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit, is the gift of assurance. It is the sure knowledge that God’s is ours and we are his. God’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit assures us that we are his children,

 

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:14–16).

 

And at times God delights to overwhelm us with the presence of his Holy Spirit in order to fill us with fresh knowledge of his abiding presence with us and love for us. Martyn Lloyd-Jones captures such experiences well, saying,

 

“The fuses of love are so overloaded they almost blow out.”[1]

 

And, when the fuses of love are overloaded with the knowledge of God’s love for us, that’s when we sing his praises and declare his mighty works through the gospel of Jesus with such joy and boldness that the world takes notice and the kingdom of God advances. Again, Lloyd Jones,

 

The subconscious doubts…are gone! And in their place is utter and indestructible assurance, so that you know that you know that you know that God is real and that Jesus lives and that you are loved, and that to be saved is the greatest thing in the world. And as you walk on down the street you can scarcely contain yourself, and you want to cry out, “My father loves me! My father loves me! O, what a great father I have! What a father! What a father!”[2]

 

The Father made a promise. And what the prophets of the old covenant foresaw, we get to experience in the new covenant. We live with the permanent, abiding presence of God dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit. And because of this, we know him, we know his love for us, and we know we are his children. And he delights to remind us of this at the most unexpected times in fresh, wonderful ways. If you haven’t experienced that in some time, just ask your Father for it. For your Father delights to give you the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). In this way—you being filled with the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of God and his love for you, which leads you to declare his mighty works of salvation through Jesus because of your joy in him—in this way, God will take his kingdom to the ends of the earth. Through your overloaded fuses of love, the Father will make his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

[1] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit (Random House Publishing Group, 2000).

[2] Lloyd-Jones, Joy Unspeakable.

From the Deep Well of Past Blog Posts: What Has Straw in Common With Wheat?

[Every now and then, we like to dip back into the well of past blog posts. This week, Coty is beginning a new series in Jeremiah titled, The Word of Life, the Word of Judgment. The theme for this Sunday is “Father, You Have Put Your Words in Our Mouths .” If you can’t tell, the common theme here is God’s Word. In light of this, consider this past blog post that observes how Jeremiah 23 reveals the immeasurable worth of God’s Word that he has graciously given to us. Read and be edified.]

Are you hungry? Why don’t you go collect grass clippings from your lawn, pile them up on your plate, and sit down to a sumptuous feast?

Doesn’t that sound appealing?

Which would you choose: That plate of grass clippings, or a loaf of piping hot bread, right from the oven?

Jeremiah tells us that the Word of God is like wheat, and any other words of advice, of counsel, of experience, are like grass, like straw. The Word of God is that much more valuable than all other words.

Does that image reflect the relative value you give the Word of God compared to other voices?

The image comes from the prophet Jeremiah. God gave him a difficult message to deliver to the nation: The Babylonians would come and destroy Jerusalem. The Lord God would bring about this punishment because of centuries of rebellion against Him.

Jeremiah faithfully delivered the message.

But many other false prophets were telling the people that all would be fine: They said the attacking Babylonian army would depart, the exiles who had been taken away to Babylon a few years earlier would return, and the kingdom would be secure. They claimed to have received dreams from God revealing these truths.

In response to these false dreams of the false prophets, God says through Jeremiah:

Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:28-29)

The prophets’ dreams were like straw, like grass – like that plateful of grass clippings. Those dreams provided no nourishment. As God says a few verses later, “They do not profit this people at all” (Jeremiah 23:32).

In contrast, God’s Word is like wheat: Nourishing; satisfying; filling; sustaining.

And no one would mistake straw for wheat! No one would pick up grass clippings and think, “Oh, let me grind this up to make fresh flour!”

Just so – if we have eyes to see – there is a stark difference in value between the Word of God and other writings that claim authority.

Daily, hourly, minute by minute, words pound against our ears and messages present themselves to our eyes, saying: Buy this! Vote for that! Advocate this! Write a letter about that! Heal your relationships via this technique! Get your life together through that miracle cure! Make a million through this investment! Become attractive through these clothes! Become healthy via this exercise regime!

Among all those messages, some are totally false. Some are harmful. Some, on the other hand, are useful in one way or another.

But in comparison to the truths God graciously provides us in His Word, all of those are straw. All are a pile of grass clippings, compared to the satisfying, fragrant, filling bread of His Word.

And the bread is not just for our personal consumption! His Word, says the Lord, is like “a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces” (Jeremiah 23:29). Picture a sledgehammer, shattering the concrete barriers we have erected between us and God. God’s Word breaks through those barriers, leaving us “exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Exposed, we can only fall on our faces before Him, humbly seeking the forgiveness He offers through Jesus Christ.

So we must proclaim that Word, so that it might have its intended, shattering effect.

Now, the effect of that proclamation is often not pleasant. Indeed, when the sledgehammer is at work, hearers may oppose the Word harshly. This was the case with Jeremiah. He was thrown in prison more than once for speaking God’s Word. He was even tempted to quit speaking. But God would not let him. Jeremiah writes,

If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot (Jeremiah 20:9).

God’s Word is like a fire (Jeremiah 20:9; 23:29). It burns within us. Like the Yosemite wildfire, it spreads and spreads. We can’t hold it in. We can’t contain it. We must speak it.

Many pastors have applied these verses to the preaching ministry. Indeed, my prayers prior to preaching almost always echo Jeremiah 23:29.

But the Word should be a fire in every one of God’s people. The Word is a hammer, breaking the rock into pieces, whenever any Christian faithfully speaks that Word to others.

So, first: value God’s Word above all the other voices you hear – consider it like a hot loaf of fresh bread compared to grass clippings. Second, remember that it is like a sledgehammer, which will break down the barriers we erect between ourselves and God. Finally: that Word is a fire within us – it must come out!

May we speak that Word faithfully and fully – so that all might know the difference between straw and wheat.