The Here and Now, after reading the book of Joshua I am in absolute Awe of God. His Righteous Judgment, His Sovereignty, His Faithfulness, Holiness is too much for just one sinner to comprehend but there is hope. For all these attributes of God are accompanied by His grace and mercy, the escape clause we all desperately need.
People always say the God of the Old Testament is different to the God of the New Testament."The Bible contradicts itself." Christian people might even say "lets just preach God grace and not His Wrath," may I ask why?
God's Grace and His Wrath should never be separated at any one time.Firstly if you claim that the Bible contradicts itself you are taking the position I am my own god, its your choice and I'll respect that. Secondly the Bible never ever separates God's grace and mercy with His Judgment. Genesis 3, is illustrated throughout scripture:
After Adam and Eve sinned, after God's Judgment He made them "skin garments" to cover their own nakedness, the foreshadowing of Saviour. This act of mercy from God for even to clothe Adam and Eve, magnifies His love for humanity even though us humans decided to reject His word.
Coming to Joshua, in reading God's promise to Abraham, the conquering of the land had to do with the peoples sin and His Righteous. Rehab and her household were saved while her land was under God's judgment. The nation that conned the Israelites were saved under God's judgment, the inference from the text is clear. Israel were warned in Deuteronomy that the possession of the land was not because of her righteousness "for you are a stiff neck people." In Joshua they are warned either you serve Yahweh and stick to His Word or the "people surrounding you will be a snare to you amongst you."End of Joshua seems promising that they will serve Yahweh. Post Joshua is a different story altogether. A whole generation grew up without knowing what God had done for them (Judges). Israel is also judged, and put under captivity but God promises that he will write "His laws on their hearts and minds" (Ezekiel, Jeremiah) under a new covenant of the coming Messiah. Read the Old Testament Gospel of Hosea. Chapter 6 verse 1-7:
"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,that we may live in his presence.Let us acknowledge the LORD;let us press on to acknowledge him.As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;he will come to us like the winter rains,like the spring rains that water the earth.""What can I do with you, Ephraim?What can I do with you, Judah?
Your love is like the morning mist,like the early dew that disappears.Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,I killed you with the words of my mouth;my judgments flashed like lightning upon you.For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Like Adam, they have broken the covenant—they were unfaithful to me there."
The heart of the Gospel is the same as the Old Testament. The Cross is as important and central to the Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus bore God Wrath of our sin past, present and future. So that we may have fellowship with the Father. The curtain was torn. We can enter on the basis of Christ alone. The only contribution we bring to our relationship with God though Christ Jesus is our sin. We stand on grace alone for we too will be judged. The Gospels preaches the Crucifixion and Resurrection. The apostles in the epistles preach, "Christ Crucified" and the "hope we all share in the Resurrection."
My point we should never as believers divorce grace and judgment for God's grace and mercy magnify His enduring love for humanity.Today there is a seeker sensitive movement, "the emerging church." Expository teaching is said to be a hindrance towards evangelism according in some quarters of this new movement.They will say and do what will make people comfortably with intentions of leading them to Christ. Sounds all good and well but lets not underscore or even over score God's Grace because through His judgment there is mercy and an abundance of love.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:17, "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."
-Lloyd
Monday, December 03, 2007
Sunday, December 02, 2007
The Language of Faith
I feel so humbled but in a good way. Not to much of a rebuke but more a quiet yet firm reminder of what it means to have faith to be depended completely 100% on God. The language of faith is 'thank you', not 'please'. Please is the language of a beggar. Charles Price, in sermon of the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand was truly encouraging and firm reminder what the nature of faith is.
"They (the disciples) had forgotten a most valuable and fundamental teaching Jesus had given …. that He could do nothing by Himself[John 5:19,30]. The best His disciples were able to suggest was to send the people away so they could go to the surrounding countryside villages and buy themselves something to eat."
Phillip measures cost, "Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite." Charles Price had this to add,"Though we can be a professing ambassador of Christ, as the disciples were we may go to church on Sundays, say grace at meals, give to the needy, but inadvertently keep God at bay in our personal affairs even when times are tough. Relying on self, we can pace and ponder till the sun comes up, endure another sleepless night and still there is no resolve."
Andrew, only looked at demand in lieu of the limited supply in presenting the food the boy had. "But in this crowd of 5000 or more, there was a young boy and to this boy, Jesus was all-important. In his possession were five small barley loaves and two small fish, not significant at all in his hands but what about in the hands of Jesus? What will Jesus do with this food? We can only image what this boy felt as Andrew brought him face to face with Jesus and he handed over his food." “How far will they go among so many?”
When it comes to tithing, mission work, evangelism, ministry we only look at what we own but no what we can give to God. I will be the first to admit my own sense of guilt sometimes. Rather my response should be, 'Lord these are my gifts, money, time, take the little that I have and use it for Your will'.
The language of faith in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand according to Charles Price is found in John 6:11, "Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks," showing His utter dependence on the Father.
Interestingly, Price while concluding his sermon, he mentions the Last Supper."While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body.Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus gave thanks showing his dependence on God before taking on the burden of our sins.
If I were to try and eloquently state the language of faith, I would fail. Give credit where credit is due. Charles Price left this extract on the Living Truth Website:
"With every circumstance and crisis Jesus faced, He affirmed His faith by giving thanks, not after His petitions were answered, but before. Paul writes in Philippians 4 vs. 6, “Don’t be anxious for anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 18,"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Thank you is expressing the quiet confidence of faith. It is showing dependency upon God, knowing He is sufficient. Jesus said in John 6 vs. 57, “I live by the power of the living Father who sent me and, in the same way, those who partake of me shall live because of me.”
"A crowd of 5,000, two small fish, five loaves of bread and no one left the gathering hungry that day. For our every need and every resolution to our trials, talk to Jesus and in the ‘quiet confidence of faith’, give thanks."
-Lloyd
"They (the disciples) had forgotten a most valuable and fundamental teaching Jesus had given …. that He could do nothing by Himself[John 5:19,30]. The best His disciples were able to suggest was to send the people away so they could go to the surrounding countryside villages and buy themselves something to eat."
Phillip measures cost, "Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite." Charles Price had this to add,"Though we can be a professing ambassador of Christ, as the disciples were we may go to church on Sundays, say grace at meals, give to the needy, but inadvertently keep God at bay in our personal affairs even when times are tough. Relying on self, we can pace and ponder till the sun comes up, endure another sleepless night and still there is no resolve."
Andrew, only looked at demand in lieu of the limited supply in presenting the food the boy had. "But in this crowd of 5000 or more, there was a young boy and to this boy, Jesus was all-important. In his possession were five small barley loaves and two small fish, not significant at all in his hands but what about in the hands of Jesus? What will Jesus do with this food? We can only image what this boy felt as Andrew brought him face to face with Jesus and he handed over his food." “How far will they go among so many?”
When it comes to tithing, mission work, evangelism, ministry we only look at what we own but no what we can give to God. I will be the first to admit my own sense of guilt sometimes. Rather my response should be, 'Lord these are my gifts, money, time, take the little that I have and use it for Your will'.
The language of faith in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand according to Charles Price is found in John 6:11, "Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks," showing His utter dependence on the Father.
Interestingly, Price while concluding his sermon, he mentions the Last Supper."While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body.Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus gave thanks showing his dependence on God before taking on the burden of our sins.
If I were to try and eloquently state the language of faith, I would fail. Give credit where credit is due. Charles Price left this extract on the Living Truth Website:
"With every circumstance and crisis Jesus faced, He affirmed His faith by giving thanks, not after His petitions were answered, but before. Paul writes in Philippians 4 vs. 6, “Don’t be anxious for anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 1 Thessalonians 5 vs 18,"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Thank you is expressing the quiet confidence of faith. It is showing dependency upon God, knowing He is sufficient. Jesus said in John 6 vs. 57, “I live by the power of the living Father who sent me and, in the same way, those who partake of me shall live because of me.”
"A crowd of 5,000, two small fish, five loaves of bread and no one left the gathering hungry that day. For our every need and every resolution to our trials, talk to Jesus and in the ‘quiet confidence of faith’, give thanks."
-Lloyd
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