As you can see, I am finally getting a bit or work out of Ralph (he is installing a window unit in the GCF kitchen. (I guess he is trying to encourage someone to do more cooking!) So take note!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Getting A Bit of Work Out of Ralph!
As you can see, I am finally getting a bit or work out of Ralph (he is installing a window unit in the GCF kitchen. (I guess he is trying to encourage someone to do more cooking!) So take note!!
A SingleTrip to the Cross
Thursday morning, July 31, 2008
Don't faint, but I have another excerpt from Mason's book: "One cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant. Either one's sin is completely forgiven (including not just sinful behavior but the innate sinfulness of the heart) or it is not. Christ's great principle of prayer—'Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours' (Mark 11:24)—applies first of all to the unconditional forgiveness that is the basic promise of the gospel. If God accepts us at all, He accepts us wholeheartedly, and He covers us completely with the spotless robe of righteousness. The robe of divine acceptance does not come in gray, but only in dazzling white, and one either has the robe or not. One is either righteous or wicked. And anyone who is wicked can have that status quickly amended by a trip to the cross" (p. 26).
This notion of being a "little bit righteous" reminds me of the concept of "balance scales" that I heard so much about in my growing-up days. It was made obviously clear to me that God kept a pair of balance scales by which He measured my ability to measure-up to His standard. As you can see, the object of this inanity was to make the "good" side of the scales outweigh the "bad" side of the scales. The sad thing was this: During those early years, I thought I was pretty good at it! One the one hand, I didn't smoke, drink, dance, cuss, chew, or have sex; on the other hand, I studied the Bible, witnessed like zealot, prayed faithfully, never missed church, Sunday school, youth meetings, or Wednesday night prayer meeting, and I might add, I made it my business to help God "win the world" to Jesus by winning at least one lost soul to Him every day (even kept a list of the "winnings"!). As you can see, the "good" side of my balance scales far out-weighed the "bad" side—or so I thought.
Although you would have never talked me into admitting it, the problem was that I always a some "items" that belonged on the "bad" tray of the scales (I will continue to let you wonder what they were!), although never so many, as to tilt the scales in the "bad" direction. As you can see, as long as you believe that "a little bit of righteousness" is good enough, you will also believe that "a little bit of sin" ain't so bad; however, when it finally dawns upon you that "one cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant" it also dawns upon you that "a little bit of sin is more-than-enough to send you to a deserving hell. When this happens, the "balance scale theory" is in heaps of trouble, not to mention the one who is attempting to keep things "balanced."
You see, the fact is this: We need a Savior, a Redeemer, One who would do for us what we could never do for ourselves, namely, deal with our sin problem—perfectly and permanently. Mason is correct, all it takes in one trip to the cross, but I think most of us (even Mason) have mistakenly believed that it is our trip to the cross that makes the difference; however, nothing could be further from the truth. It was His trip to the cross that made the difference, not mine or yours!
Have a wonderful last day of July!!
Don't faint, but I have another excerpt from Mason's book: "One cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant. Either one's sin is completely forgiven (including not just sinful behavior but the innate sinfulness of the heart) or it is not. Christ's great principle of prayer—'Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours' (Mark 11:24)—applies first of all to the unconditional forgiveness that is the basic promise of the gospel. If God accepts us at all, He accepts us wholeheartedly, and He covers us completely with the spotless robe of righteousness. The robe of divine acceptance does not come in gray, but only in dazzling white, and one either has the robe or not. One is either righteous or wicked. And anyone who is wicked can have that status quickly amended by a trip to the cross" (p. 26).
This notion of being a "little bit righteous" reminds me of the concept of "balance scales" that I heard so much about in my growing-up days. It was made obviously clear to me that God kept a pair of balance scales by which He measured my ability to measure-up to His standard. As you can see, the object of this inanity was to make the "good" side of the scales outweigh the "bad" side of the scales. The sad thing was this: During those early years, I thought I was pretty good at it! One the one hand, I didn't smoke, drink, dance, cuss, chew, or have sex; on the other hand, I studied the Bible, witnessed like zealot, prayed faithfully, never missed church, Sunday school, youth meetings, or Wednesday night prayer meeting, and I might add, I made it my business to help God "win the world" to Jesus by winning at least one lost soul to Him every day (even kept a list of the "winnings"!). As you can see, the "good" side of my balance scales far out-weighed the "bad" side—or so I thought.
Although you would have never talked me into admitting it, the problem was that I always a some "items" that belonged on the "bad" tray of the scales (I will continue to let you wonder what they were!), although never so many, as to tilt the scales in the "bad" direction. As you can see, as long as you believe that "a little bit of righteousness" is good enough, you will also believe that "a little bit of sin" ain't so bad; however, when it finally dawns upon you that "one cannot be a little bit righteous any more than one can be a little bit pregnant" it also dawns upon you that "a little bit of sin is more-than-enough to send you to a deserving hell. When this happens, the "balance scale theory" is in heaps of trouble, not to mention the one who is attempting to keep things "balanced."
You see, the fact is this: We need a Savior, a Redeemer, One who would do for us what we could never do for ourselves, namely, deal with our sin problem—perfectly and permanently. Mason is correct, all it takes in one trip to the cross, but I think most of us (even Mason) have mistakenly believed that it is our trip to the cross that makes the difference; however, nothing could be further from the truth. It was His trip to the cross that made the difference, not mine or yours!
Have a wonderful last day of July!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Irreproachable Blamelessness
Wednesday morning, July 30, 2008
Another quote from Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job": "In Job we read the remarkable story of an Old Testament believer who somehow intuitively grasped and accepted this astounding message—so much so that even when he was tempted to the very uttermost to let go of it, still he held to it firmly against all odds. Under attack Job groaned, he wailed, he doubted and fell into deep depression, he lashed out like an infuriated animal—and yes, he even sinned. Yet when it came to this one point regarding the settled fact of his status of irreproachable blamelessness before the Lord, he refused to give an inch. Having placed his trust totally in God, he violently resisted the notion that there might still be some other step he should take, something else he must "do," to gain God's favor under adverse circumstances" (p. 22).
The thing that amazes me is that Job had this incredible insight without the benefit of the New Testament! Somehow, he knew beyond question that his standing with God was a settled fact that had nothing to do with Job or with Job's performance. He had to have known that Someone had done for him what he could never have done for himself, and he knew it without the benefit of the New Testament! Like Abraham, in hope against hope, he believed God.
Sadly, most people who call themselves Christians, who attend church every Sunday, who do have the benefit of the New Testament, never see what Job saw, they never come to know the settled fact of their irreproachable blamelessness before God; consequently, they are always seeking to find that illusive "one more step" they can take that will rid them of their sense of guiltiness. Talk about self-centeredness; this is probably the epitome of it!
You see, until one accepts the settled fact of his/her irreproachable blamelessness before God AND the reason for that "irreproachable blamelessness," that one will continue down the endless road of self-centered religion, futilely attempting to earn what is already his/hers.
Have a wonderful, grace-filled day!
Mac
Another quote from Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job": "In Job we read the remarkable story of an Old Testament believer who somehow intuitively grasped and accepted this astounding message—so much so that even when he was tempted to the very uttermost to let go of it, still he held to it firmly against all odds. Under attack Job groaned, he wailed, he doubted and fell into deep depression, he lashed out like an infuriated animal—and yes, he even sinned. Yet when it came to this one point regarding the settled fact of his status of irreproachable blamelessness before the Lord, he refused to give an inch. Having placed his trust totally in God, he violently resisted the notion that there might still be some other step he should take, something else he must "do," to gain God's favor under adverse circumstances" (p. 22).
The thing that amazes me is that Job had this incredible insight without the benefit of the New Testament! Somehow, he knew beyond question that his standing with God was a settled fact that had nothing to do with Job or with Job's performance. He had to have known that Someone had done for him what he could never have done for himself, and he knew it without the benefit of the New Testament! Like Abraham, in hope against hope, he believed God.
Sadly, most people who call themselves Christians, who attend church every Sunday, who do have the benefit of the New Testament, never see what Job saw, they never come to know the settled fact of their irreproachable blamelessness before God; consequently, they are always seeking to find that illusive "one more step" they can take that will rid them of their sense of guiltiness. Talk about self-centeredness; this is probably the epitome of it!
You see, until one accepts the settled fact of his/her irreproachable blamelessness before God AND the reason for that "irreproachable blamelessness," that one will continue down the endless road of self-centered religion, futilely attempting to earn what is already his/hers.
Have a wonderful, grace-filled day!
Mac
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
An Excerpt from Mike Mason
Tuesday morning, July 29, 2008
Last night I began my third reading of Mike Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job," and I must say that it is just as fresh and just as powerful as it was the first time I read it. I really wish I could get every believer to take the time to work through it, as it is jam-packed with truth.
Listen to this excerpt from the introduction: "A few years ago I went through a difficult time. Never mind what the problem was. It was nothing compared to the trials of Job. In fact, it was nothing at all compared to the sufferings of many of my neighbors right there on the quiet street where I lived, But pain is pain, and suffice it to say that my pain was enough to drive me to my knees, totally defeated, half-crazy at times, and crying out for relief. Month after month the battles raged on, think, dark, agonizing. I prayed, but somehow prayer did not "work." Usually nothing at all worked, except lying low and gritting my teeth until, for reasons entirely obscure to me, the straightjacket of oppression began to loosen a little—at least enough for me to get on with my life for another day or so before the screws tightened again. What else could I do? How was I to fight this? In retrospect I can see that a large part of my anguish was rooted in the fact that there really was nothing I could do to control what was happening to me. I was absolutely helpless, and it is this, perhaps, that is the soul of suffering, this terrifying impotence. It is a little taste of the final and most terrifying impotence of all, which is death. We Christians do not like to think about being absolutely helpless in the hands of our God" (p. x).
In this excerpt, Mason is saying very clearly what I was attempting to say in my last perspective: My problem is not that I do not trust God, but that I do trust Him to do (always!) exactly what He deems best (which usually involves far more pain that I care to endure!). To use Mason's words, I am seldom comfortable being absolutely helpless in the hands of God (neither are you, if you are honest). This is probably one of the reasons the gospel is so offensive, why Jesus was called (in Peter's first letter) a ROCK of OFFENSE! The fact is the gospel places us in what Mason describes as a place of "absolute helplessness in the hands of God!" In other words, whether or not we make it to Heaven depends upon God, not us, and THAT makes us nervous, so much so that we feel we must do SOMETHING to ensure our eternal destiny, to gain some kind of control over our perceived sense of helplessness.
To be sure, the most terrifying impotence of all is death, IF we trust God to do always what He deems best and our behavior is somewhat questionable and it is up to us to control our circumstances.
Blessings to you,
Mac
Last night I began my third reading of Mike Mason's book, "The Gospel According to Job," and I must say that it is just as fresh and just as powerful as it was the first time I read it. I really wish I could get every believer to take the time to work through it, as it is jam-packed with truth.
Listen to this excerpt from the introduction: "A few years ago I went through a difficult time. Never mind what the problem was. It was nothing compared to the trials of Job. In fact, it was nothing at all compared to the sufferings of many of my neighbors right there on the quiet street where I lived, But pain is pain, and suffice it to say that my pain was enough to drive me to my knees, totally defeated, half-crazy at times, and crying out for relief. Month after month the battles raged on, think, dark, agonizing. I prayed, but somehow prayer did not "work." Usually nothing at all worked, except lying low and gritting my teeth until, for reasons entirely obscure to me, the straightjacket of oppression began to loosen a little—at least enough for me to get on with my life for another day or so before the screws tightened again. What else could I do? How was I to fight this? In retrospect I can see that a large part of my anguish was rooted in the fact that there really was nothing I could do to control what was happening to me. I was absolutely helpless, and it is this, perhaps, that is the soul of suffering, this terrifying impotence. It is a little taste of the final and most terrifying impotence of all, which is death. We Christians do not like to think about being absolutely helpless in the hands of our God" (p. x).
In this excerpt, Mason is saying very clearly what I was attempting to say in my last perspective: My problem is not that I do not trust God, but that I do trust Him to do (always!) exactly what He deems best (which usually involves far more pain that I care to endure!). To use Mason's words, I am seldom comfortable being absolutely helpless in the hands of God (neither are you, if you are honest). This is probably one of the reasons the gospel is so offensive, why Jesus was called (in Peter's first letter) a ROCK of OFFENSE! The fact is the gospel places us in what Mason describes as a place of "absolute helplessness in the hands of God!" In other words, whether or not we make it to Heaven depends upon God, not us, and THAT makes us nervous, so much so that we feel we must do SOMETHING to ensure our eternal destiny, to gain some kind of control over our perceived sense of helplessness.
To be sure, the most terrifying impotence of all is death, IF we trust God to do always what He deems best and our behavior is somewhat questionable and it is up to us to control our circumstances.
Blessings to you,
Mac
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Syd's Farewell Party!
This is the group that gathered at GCF today to wish Syd "Farewell" as she begins this new leg of her journey Home. We will all miss her, as she has profoundly influenced each of our lives. We wish her God's very best and look forward to what He has in store for all of us. We had a great day today, one that none of us will ever forget!
Friday, July 25, 2008
The End of All Things is At Hand!
Friday morning, July 25, 2008
Listen to these words of Peter—the Impetuous One: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:7-11).
You know, I am convinced that Peter sincerely believed that the end of all things was, indeed, at hand. He woke up every morning expecting Jesus to return, just as He had promised. Every day brought greater disappointment to Peter, as he waited, expectantly, for Jesus' return. For some reason, the "end of all things" did not occur during Peter's lifetime but this does not change the fact that the "end of all things" continues to be at hand. In the big scheme of things, it is only "moments" away. Sadly, we have grown cold and complacent, almost cynical, towards Peter's expectations. We live, as if the "end of all things" is far, far away—out of mind, out of sight! Even so, you can take this to the "bank": THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND!
Whether or not you believe it does not change the fact that Peter did and because he did, his priorities are especially interesting: be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer; keep fervent in your love for one another; be hospitable to one another without complaint; serve one another using your special gifting, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; whoever serves, let him do so by the strength which God supplies; speak the utterances of God; and, finally, in all things may God be glorified through Jesus Christ!
I find it quite interesting that, as Peter faces what he sincerely believes to be truth (the end of all things is at hand!), his focus is on relationships. But, then, what would one expect from one, who learned the hard way that the "heart and essence" of Christianity is just that—our relationship with God through Jesus and our relationships with one another.
Somehow, this gives fresh meaning to Peter's words—"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God"—and it, certainly, gives fresh meaning to Jesus' response—"Upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it"!
You can count on this: the kind of relationships Peter had in mind are the stuff against which the gates of hell cannot prevail! The rest? Well, isn't it obvious?
Listen to these words of Peter—the Impetuous One: "The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:7-11).
You know, I am convinced that Peter sincerely believed that the end of all things was, indeed, at hand. He woke up every morning expecting Jesus to return, just as He had promised. Every day brought greater disappointment to Peter, as he waited, expectantly, for Jesus' return. For some reason, the "end of all things" did not occur during Peter's lifetime but this does not change the fact that the "end of all things" continues to be at hand. In the big scheme of things, it is only "moments" away. Sadly, we have grown cold and complacent, almost cynical, towards Peter's expectations. We live, as if the "end of all things" is far, far away—out of mind, out of sight! Even so, you can take this to the "bank": THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND!
Whether or not you believe it does not change the fact that Peter did and because he did, his priorities are especially interesting: be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer; keep fervent in your love for one another; be hospitable to one another without complaint; serve one another using your special gifting, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; whoever serves, let him do so by the strength which God supplies; speak the utterances of God; and, finally, in all things may God be glorified through Jesus Christ!
I find it quite interesting that, as Peter faces what he sincerely believes to be truth (the end of all things is at hand!), his focus is on relationships. But, then, what would one expect from one, who learned the hard way that the "heart and essence" of Christianity is just that—our relationship with God through Jesus and our relationships with one another.
Somehow, this gives fresh meaning to Peter's words—"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God"—and it, certainly, gives fresh meaning to Jesus' response—"Upon this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it"!
You can count on this: the kind of relationships Peter had in mind are the stuff against which the gates of hell cannot prevail! The rest? Well, isn't it obvious?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Glad or Bad Tidings?
A friend sent this to me and I think you will appreciate it. Go ahead and see what you think. To say the lease, if you allow it to, it will lighten the load you possibly carry.
GLAD TIDINGS VS. BAD TIDINGS
Those persons who are convinced that they may in some way be instrumental in the eternal salvation of other men's souls would, if they thought about it correctly, ever live with the terrible burden of wondering if perhaps by their failure to do as much as they could have done toward that work they might possible be responsible for the eternal damnation of others. Such failure would carry such horrendous consequences that a person who was truly sincere about it could not bear the thought. Not only that, but they would constantly question whether their own soul should be spared the fires of hell if, as a consequence of their neglect, others were eternally damned. Such a burden would be an impossible weight for anyone to try to carry. If they were to view the matter as seriously as its repercussions called far, it would literally drive them insane.
O! How good it is to know that such an awesome responsibility does not rest on the frail shoulders of puny man, but that the matter of eternal salvation is wholly in the hands of God. As hard as it is for most people to believe, it is nonetheless a fact that no one but God has ever saved a single soul in that sense. Christ died on the cross to save, not try to save—"His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21 & 1st Tim. 1:15) and the Scriptures make it very clear that He is the only Savior. There is salvation in no other and there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we "must,"—not might be, saved (Acts 4:12). The apostle Paul made this point in such plain language that we are without excuse if we fail to grasp it. He tells us that God "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9). If this were the only scripture we had to prove this truth, it would be sufficient, but there are too many others to mention in this format.
There are ways in which we may be instrumental in saving a soul from a kind of living death (See James 5:20) and from a multitude of other temporal calamities, but we cannot save a single soul from eternal damnation. That required the blood of Christ and His imputed righteousness. And by His "one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). Nothing can separate them from the love of God (Rom. 8:39) and none of them can be eternally lost (See John 6:37-39). This fits the definition of the word "gospel." It is good news or glad tidings. But any contrary view is a religion of bondage and should not be embraced.
GLAD TIDINGS VS. BAD TIDINGS
Those persons who are convinced that they may in some way be instrumental in the eternal salvation of other men's souls would, if they thought about it correctly, ever live with the terrible burden of wondering if perhaps by their failure to do as much as they could have done toward that work they might possible be responsible for the eternal damnation of others. Such failure would carry such horrendous consequences that a person who was truly sincere about it could not bear the thought. Not only that, but they would constantly question whether their own soul should be spared the fires of hell if, as a consequence of their neglect, others were eternally damned. Such a burden would be an impossible weight for anyone to try to carry. If they were to view the matter as seriously as its repercussions called far, it would literally drive them insane.
O! How good it is to know that such an awesome responsibility does not rest on the frail shoulders of puny man, but that the matter of eternal salvation is wholly in the hands of God. As hard as it is for most people to believe, it is nonetheless a fact that no one but God has ever saved a single soul in that sense. Christ died on the cross to save, not try to save—"His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21 & 1st Tim. 1:15) and the Scriptures make it very clear that He is the only Savior. There is salvation in no other and there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we "must,"—not might be, saved (Acts 4:12). The apostle Paul made this point in such plain language that we are without excuse if we fail to grasp it. He tells us that God "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9). If this were the only scripture we had to prove this truth, it would be sufficient, but there are too many others to mention in this format.
There are ways in which we may be instrumental in saving a soul from a kind of living death (See James 5:20) and from a multitude of other temporal calamities, but we cannot save a single soul from eternal damnation. That required the blood of Christ and His imputed righteousness. And by His "one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). Nothing can separate them from the love of God (Rom. 8:39) and none of them can be eternally lost (See John 6:37-39). This fits the definition of the word "gospel." It is good news or glad tidings. But any contrary view is a religion of bondage and should not be embraced.
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