My King was born King.
The Bible says He's a Seven Way King.
He's the King of the Jews - that's a racial King.
He's the King of Israel - that's a National King.
He's the King of righteousness.
He's the King of the ages.
He's the King of Heaven.
He's the King of glory.
He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that's my King.
Well I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King?
David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show His handiwork.
My King is the only one whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love.
No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies.
No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.
Well, well, He's enduringly strong.
He's entirely sincere.
He's eternally steadfast.
He's immortally graceful.
He's imperially powerful.
He's impartially merciful.
That's my King.
He's God's Son.
He's the sinner's saviour.
He's the centrepiece of civilization.
He stands alone in Himself.
He's honest.
He's unique.
He's unparalleled.
He's unprecedented.
He's supreme.
He's pre-eminent.
Well, He's the grandest idea in literature.
He's the highest personality in philosophy.
He's the supreme problem in high criticism.
He's the fundamental doctrine of proved theology.
He's the carnal necessity of spiritual religion.
That's my King.
He's the miracle of the age.
He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
Well, He's the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously.
He supplies strength for the weak.
He's available for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He saves.
He's strong God and He guides.
He heals the sick.
He cleanses the lepers.
He forgives sinners.
He discharged debtors.
He delivers the captives.
He defends the feeble.
He blesses the young.
He serves the unfortunate.
He regards the aged.
He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.
Do you know Him?
Well, my King is a King of knowledge.
He's the wellspring of wisdom.
He's the doorway of deliverance.
He's the pathway of peace.
He's the roadway of righteousness.
He's the highway of holiness.
He's the gateway of glory.
He's the master of the mighty.
He's the captain of the conquerors.
He's the head of the heroes.
He's the leader of the legislatures.
He's the overseer of the overcomers.
He's the governor of governors.
He's the prince of princes.
He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords.
That's my King. Yeah. Yeah.
That's my King. My King, yeah.
His office is manifold.
His promise is sure.
His light is matchless.
His goodness is limitless.
His mercy is everlasting.
His love never changes.
His Word is enough.
His grace is sufficient.
His reign is righteous.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable. He's indescribable.
Yes. He's incomprehensible.
He's invincible.
He's irresistible.
I'm coming to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explaining Him.
You can't get Him out of your mind.
You can't get Him off of your hands.
You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him.
Well, Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him.
Pilot couldn't find any fault in Him.
The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree.
Herod couldn't kill Him.
Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him.
That's my King. Yeah.
He always has been and He always will be.
I'm talking about He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor.
There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him.
You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign.
That's my King! That's my King!
Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.
Well, all the power belongs to my King.
We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it's God's power.
Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory.
We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His.
Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the evers, then,
Amen.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Something Else - Alfred Sergel
Have we slipped into the habit of insisting that God do what we ask or want or need him to do, treating him as an idol designed for our satisfaction? Does God serve us or do we serve God? Do we require a God that we can fully understand and control or are we willing to be obedient to what we do not understand and could never control? Is God a mystery of goodness who we embrace and trust, or is God a formula for getting the most out of life on our terms?
Have we thought all along that God is there to serve us? Do we want God in our own image or do we want God who is beyond us and over us, who we trust will do for us what only God can do in the way that only God can do it...”
-Eugene Peterson, excerpt taken from The Jesus Way
This morning my alarm went off at 6:30am. My mind began to pick up where it left off: our God gave Himself a name. That name is Jesus. Dovetailing from that idea, I began to think of the second and third commandments given to Moses.
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Deuteronomy 5: 7-8 TNIV)
Similar to the feeling of finding and inserting another piece to a difficult puzzle, the fog cleared just enough for me to muddle a few pre-coffee words to my wife.
“He knows us so well. He really, really knows us beyond our own knowledge of ourselves.”
Moments later, I wrote these words in my journal:
In the beginning, man created other gods.
Other gods didn’t just show up.
Other gods weren’t present at the inception of the world.
Other gods were created by man.
When Adam turned his back on God, he chose something else over a relationship with his Creator. He chose something else. He gave something else a name and he avoided, rather decided against, relationship.
How often do I choose something else?
How often do I avoid, decide against, relationship?
It’s much easier to choose something else…to, create other gods…
These gods serve us.
These gods meet our wants.
These gods LOVE us.
Why? Because we give them power.
We’re the creator. We’re in control.
In His transparency, God, our Father, recognized the weakness in our curiosity and He shows us mercy. He has always known, since His encounter with Adam, that our desire to be god would continue to reproduce at the same rate as our desire to physically procreate. We want to adjoin ourselves to something, even at the expense of our detriment.
Was Jesus, in any way, thinking of not only His disciples, but, Adam when He said “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”? Was God, through Jesus, not only instructing the disciples but also forgiving Adam for the rejection in the garden?
Was He, Jesus, reconciling ALL things to Himself, including Adam?
In the garden again, His eyes do search to and fro.
Are we avoiding, purposefully ignoring, His glance?
Are we, like Adam, hiding behind something else?
Have we thought all along that God is there to serve us? Do we want God in our own image or do we want God who is beyond us and over us, who we trust will do for us what only God can do in the way that only God can do it...”
-Eugene Peterson, excerpt taken from The Jesus Way
This morning my alarm went off at 6:30am. My mind began to pick up where it left off: our God gave Himself a name. That name is Jesus. Dovetailing from that idea, I began to think of the second and third commandments given to Moses.
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Deuteronomy 5: 7-8 TNIV)
Similar to the feeling of finding and inserting another piece to a difficult puzzle, the fog cleared just enough for me to muddle a few pre-coffee words to my wife.
“He knows us so well. He really, really knows us beyond our own knowledge of ourselves.”
Moments later, I wrote these words in my journal:
In the beginning, man created other gods.
Other gods didn’t just show up.
Other gods weren’t present at the inception of the world.
Other gods were created by man.
When Adam turned his back on God, he chose something else over a relationship with his Creator. He chose something else. He gave something else a name and he avoided, rather decided against, relationship.
How often do I choose something else?
How often do I avoid, decide against, relationship?
It’s much easier to choose something else…to, create other gods…
These gods serve us.
These gods meet our wants.
These gods LOVE us.
Why? Because we give them power.
We’re the creator. We’re in control.
In His transparency, God, our Father, recognized the weakness in our curiosity and He shows us mercy. He has always known, since His encounter with Adam, that our desire to be god would continue to reproduce at the same rate as our desire to physically procreate. We want to adjoin ourselves to something, even at the expense of our detriment.
Was Jesus, in any way, thinking of not only His disciples, but, Adam when He said “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”? Was God, through Jesus, not only instructing the disciples but also forgiving Adam for the rejection in the garden?
Was He, Jesus, reconciling ALL things to Himself, including Adam?
In the garden again, His eyes do search to and fro.
Are we avoiding, purposefully ignoring, His glance?
Are we, like Adam, hiding behind something else?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Follow those who follow Christ
Francis Frangipane:
"Follow Those Who Follow Christ"
"Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us." -Philippians 3:17
Paul faced a major problem in the first century. False teachers had slipped into the Church. The apostle warned the Philippians, and us by extension, to recognize the differences between a true man of God and a deceptive teacher or prophet. Without any sense of false humility, Paul declared that both his vision and his spiritual attitude were examples for us to follow. He instructs us in our powers of discernment to look for and "observe" leaders who exemplify the centerpiece of God's purpose, which is to possess the likeness of Christ.
The context in which Paul wrote describes both his self-righteousness before he found Christ and his utter abandonment of fleshly confidence afterward. We will study these verses carefully. For in an age of increasing deception, not everyone who cries "truth, truth" is speaking in defense of conformity to Jesus.
"Beware of the Dogs"
Paul began his discourse by revealing three distinct types of false teachers. He warned, "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision" (Philippians 3:2). These three each have their modern counterparts.
The first group Paul identified as "the dogs." The phrase "beware of the dog(s)" is familiar to us today. It means there is a vicious animal here. In Paul's day, most dogs were scavengers that ran in packs. One could find dozens of canines eating off the rubbish heaps outside cities, their faces bent downward as they sniffed and rooted out garbage to feed upon.
Today's Church has similar people, fault-finders, who incessantly and self-righteously feed upon the garbage and failures of the human condition. Paul is saying, "Beware of those who always have something negative to say, who are continually judging or slandering others. If you listen to them, you will become like them. Their words will rob you of vision, leave you without joy, and drain you of energy."
Paul wasn't saying, of course, to completely ignore what is wrong in people. We need discernment. Let me state plainly: There are serious doctrinal errors and sins in the modern Church. But when you observe a pattern of angry, self-righteous fault finding in a person, when their primary view always seems negative, beware. Remember, Jesus warned of the Pharisees who "trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt" (Luke 18:9). Beware when your teacher must frequently tear down others to lift himself up.
"Evil Workers"
Paul next warned against the "evil workers." He describes this group briefly in the first chapter. These individuals do, in fact, proclaim Christ, but they do so from "envy...strife...selfish ambition" rather than from love (Philippians 1:15-17). For them, building a church is a competitive endeavor, a business. James also underscores this problem, saying, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing" (James 3:16).
Part of Paul's efforts as an apostle was to build Christ-centered unity among Christians. However, the "evil workers" were self-centered rather than Christ-centered. Before we follow any leader, we truly ought to see the influence of Christ growing in that individual's character. Look to hear the pastor speak, at least occasionally, of his or her vision of attaining Christlikeness. Look for evidences of humility; listen to hear his burden for prayer, and see how he cultivates unity with other Christian churches. If your pastor or leader is growing in these values, then he is also growing in trustworthiness. As he seeks to follow Christ, the fruit of his ministry will, most likely, be healthy.
"The Judaizers"
The third warning was aimed against the "false circumcision" (Philippians 3:2). These were the Jewish Christians who, when they were saved, tried to make Christianity an extension of Judaism. This last teaching was the most dangerous because it seemed the most plausible.
The essence of this error was that Christ's atonement was not enough for salvation; you also had to keep the whole system of Mosaic Laws to be saved. Today, people continue to import religious obligations into the salvation experience. In exposing and warning against the influence of the "false circumcision," Paul set a firewall against the bondage of legalistic requirements for salvation. And while the way is indeed narrow that leads to life, the Way is a Person: Jesus Christ. We do not arrive at our goal by keeping laws but by entrusting ourselves to the keeping of Christ.
The True Pattern
It is one thing to be able to discern what is false, but it is of much greater value to know clearly the pattern of the true. Thus, Paul uses chapter three of Philippians to reveal his attitude of heart. In so doing, he gives us the pattern of what we should look for in a leader.
After presenting his remarkable pedigree in verses 5-6 - an Israelite by birth; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness defined in the Law, found blameless - Paul then renounces the very things he attained, saying: "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ" (verse 7). For the mature, no position or esteem among men can replace the "surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord." The most amazing of achievements become "rubbish in order that [we] may gain Christ" (verse 8).
Paul separates himself further from the Mosaic Law, revealing that his quest is to "be found in [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ" (verse 9). Having been saved from the consequences of the Law, and having received a new source of "righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith," Paul is liberated to pursue his true destiny: Christlikeness!
Beloved, we began this study with Paul's admonition to "observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us" (verse 17). In the following verse, God reveals the pattern we want to copy:
"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (verses 10-11).
There is a difference between knowing a collection of religious truths and actually knowing Christ. Truth is in Jesus; He Himself is the way, the truth and the life. To know Him is eternal life, and to live in fellowship with Him is to partake of the nectar of Heaven.
Yet, knowing Christ also means knowing the fellowship of His sufferings as we lay down our lives for the redemption of others. For those suffering for Jesus, remember: participation in His sufferings is part of knowing Him.
Paul did not embrace death as an entity by itself; he embraced Christ's death, which is not only the death of self, but also the triumph of love. It is this surrender to "death for Jesus' sake" that allows "the life of Jesus [to] be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:11).
Paul continued in Philippians, "Not that I have already...become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12). Again, we are looking at the pattern God seeks for each of us. A mature Christian is one who lives in pursuit of God!
Paul said, "One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (verses 13-14). What did Paul choose to "forget"? He let go of the wounds, forgave the offenses, and released to God the disappointments of yesterday. He pressed toward the prize of possessing Christ.
Many teachers will come and go throughout your life. Remember Paul's warnings as you pray about whose teachings might influence you. Look for those who are pressing toward the prize of Christlikeness. As for the others, pray for them, stand with them, and, as you are led by the Lord, even attend their churches and encourage them in love and prayer. But if they are not going where you are going, do not follow them!
Paul set the pattern for us. In these times of deception, accusation and false discernment, let us look for and observe those who walk after the pattern of Paul. Let us discern the influence of Jesus in those who lead us. As we clearly see the Lord, let us follow those who follow Christ.
"Follow Those Who Follow Christ"
"Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us." -Philippians 3:17
Paul faced a major problem in the first century. False teachers had slipped into the Church. The apostle warned the Philippians, and us by extension, to recognize the differences between a true man of God and a deceptive teacher or prophet. Without any sense of false humility, Paul declared that both his vision and his spiritual attitude were examples for us to follow. He instructs us in our powers of discernment to look for and "observe" leaders who exemplify the centerpiece of God's purpose, which is to possess the likeness of Christ.
The context in which Paul wrote describes both his self-righteousness before he found Christ and his utter abandonment of fleshly confidence afterward. We will study these verses carefully. For in an age of increasing deception, not everyone who cries "truth, truth" is speaking in defense of conformity to Jesus.
"Beware of the Dogs"
Paul began his discourse by revealing three distinct types of false teachers. He warned, "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision" (Philippians 3:2). These three each have their modern counterparts.
The first group Paul identified as "the dogs." The phrase "beware of the dog(s)" is familiar to us today. It means there is a vicious animal here. In Paul's day, most dogs were scavengers that ran in packs. One could find dozens of canines eating off the rubbish heaps outside cities, their faces bent downward as they sniffed and rooted out garbage to feed upon.
Today's Church has similar people, fault-finders, who incessantly and self-righteously feed upon the garbage and failures of the human condition. Paul is saying, "Beware of those who always have something negative to say, who are continually judging or slandering others. If you listen to them, you will become like them. Their words will rob you of vision, leave you without joy, and drain you of energy."
Paul wasn't saying, of course, to completely ignore what is wrong in people. We need discernment. Let me state plainly: There are serious doctrinal errors and sins in the modern Church. But when you observe a pattern of angry, self-righteous fault finding in a person, when their primary view always seems negative, beware. Remember, Jesus warned of the Pharisees who "trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt" (Luke 18:9). Beware when your teacher must frequently tear down others to lift himself up.
"Evil Workers"
Paul next warned against the "evil workers." He describes this group briefly in the first chapter. These individuals do, in fact, proclaim Christ, but they do so from "envy...strife...selfish ambition" rather than from love (Philippians 1:15-17). For them, building a church is a competitive endeavor, a business. James also underscores this problem, saying, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing" (James 3:16).
Part of Paul's efforts as an apostle was to build Christ-centered unity among Christians. However, the "evil workers" were self-centered rather than Christ-centered. Before we follow any leader, we truly ought to see the influence of Christ growing in that individual's character. Look to hear the pastor speak, at least occasionally, of his or her vision of attaining Christlikeness. Look for evidences of humility; listen to hear his burden for prayer, and see how he cultivates unity with other Christian churches. If your pastor or leader is growing in these values, then he is also growing in trustworthiness. As he seeks to follow Christ, the fruit of his ministry will, most likely, be healthy.
"The Judaizers"
The third warning was aimed against the "false circumcision" (Philippians 3:2). These were the Jewish Christians who, when they were saved, tried to make Christianity an extension of Judaism. This last teaching was the most dangerous because it seemed the most plausible.
The essence of this error was that Christ's atonement was not enough for salvation; you also had to keep the whole system of Mosaic Laws to be saved. Today, people continue to import religious obligations into the salvation experience. In exposing and warning against the influence of the "false circumcision," Paul set a firewall against the bondage of legalistic requirements for salvation. And while the way is indeed narrow that leads to life, the Way is a Person: Jesus Christ. We do not arrive at our goal by keeping laws but by entrusting ourselves to the keeping of Christ.
The True Pattern
It is one thing to be able to discern what is false, but it is of much greater value to know clearly the pattern of the true. Thus, Paul uses chapter three of Philippians to reveal his attitude of heart. In so doing, he gives us the pattern of what we should look for in a leader.
After presenting his remarkable pedigree in verses 5-6 - an Israelite by birth; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness defined in the Law, found blameless - Paul then renounces the very things he attained, saying: "But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ" (verse 7). For the mature, no position or esteem among men can replace the "surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord." The most amazing of achievements become "rubbish in order that [we] may gain Christ" (verse 8).
Paul separates himself further from the Mosaic Law, revealing that his quest is to "be found in [Christ], not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ" (verse 9). Having been saved from the consequences of the Law, and having received a new source of "righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith," Paul is liberated to pursue his true destiny: Christlikeness!
Beloved, we began this study with Paul's admonition to "observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us" (verse 17). In the following verse, God reveals the pattern we want to copy:
"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (verses 10-11).
There is a difference between knowing a collection of religious truths and actually knowing Christ. Truth is in Jesus; He Himself is the way, the truth and the life. To know Him is eternal life, and to live in fellowship with Him is to partake of the nectar of Heaven.
Yet, knowing Christ also means knowing the fellowship of His sufferings as we lay down our lives for the redemption of others. For those suffering for Jesus, remember: participation in His sufferings is part of knowing Him.
Paul did not embrace death as an entity by itself; he embraced Christ's death, which is not only the death of self, but also the triumph of love. It is this surrender to "death for Jesus' sake" that allows "the life of Jesus [to] be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:11).
Paul continued in Philippians, "Not that I have already...become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12). Again, we are looking at the pattern God seeks for each of us. A mature Christian is one who lives in pursuit of God!
Paul said, "One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (verses 13-14). What did Paul choose to "forget"? He let go of the wounds, forgave the offenses, and released to God the disappointments of yesterday. He pressed toward the prize of possessing Christ.
Many teachers will come and go throughout your life. Remember Paul's warnings as you pray about whose teachings might influence you. Look for those who are pressing toward the prize of Christlikeness. As for the others, pray for them, stand with them, and, as you are led by the Lord, even attend their churches and encourage them in love and prayer. But if they are not going where you are going, do not follow them!
Paul set the pattern for us. In these times of deception, accusation and false discernment, let us look for and observe those who walk after the pattern of Paul. Let us discern the influence of Jesus in those who lead us. As we clearly see the Lord, let us follow those who follow Christ.
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