Four Seven
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Cor 4:7 NIV)
Welcome
Hello, and welcome to Four Seven. We're not sure how regularly this will be updated, but basically this started with an exposition I wrote on a new Jars of Clay song called "Show You Love". We'd been pondering doing something like Four Seven for some time, but had never really gotten around to it before now. With a little prodding Four Seven was pretty much born as a place to ponder, dissect, and thoroughly massacre as many Jars of Clay songs as possible.
Enjoy.
Have you ever been haunted the way I've been by you Christ continually haunts us, coming to mind; he is omnipresent within us. He is, to quote Zechariah 2:5, our "wall of fire around", and our "glory within". Our entire theology is based around Christ. Remove that, and we are nothing.
And have you ever felt the measure of the days
That I've spent waiting, pining for you? For those of us who are waiting for Christ to return, it is an ephemeral, ethereal idea. Nearly 2000 years have passed, and while many people tell us that the end is near, we still have no idea if it truly is. Jesus himself said, "Keep watch, for you do not know the day or the hour." (Mt 25:13) Those who are seeking Christ constantly have him near, yet never in this lifetime near enough.
I can't see the sun for the daylight
I can't feel your breath for the wind Two variations on the old "I can't see the forest for the trees" metaphor. It describes someone who is too wrapped up in the details of a problem to look at the situation as a whole.
For a Christian, this would seem to indicate someone who's obsessed with Christ's return to the point of forgetting why Christ first came. Yes, we have been saved through the grace of God and the blood of Jesus, yet too many billions of people throughout the world do not know God and have not obeyed the Gospel! If Christ were to come back now, then those who have would be saved, but untold numbers would be lost. God desires that no one die, and to that end he patiently waits, trying to get all to come to repentance. (2 Pet 3:9)
The details of the problem are insignificant when we remember that God desires everyone to have a room in heaven, and right now too few do. That is the whole situation.
I don't want to step from these shadows
'till you're coming back again As a Christian, it's very tempting to hide yourself away. It keeps you from having to resist the world, especially if you live with people also seeking God. It's an easier life. Unfortunately for us, it's not the one we've been called to. Because God wants all men to come to repentance, we are called to not only step from the shadows, but shun them entirely. Sitting around waiting for Christ to return is not what we are commanded to do!
I'll dam the emotions to keep my lanterns lit If we were to truly pour out all our emotions to God, our longing to be with him in heaven, our desire to be clothed with heavenly garments rather than these mortal shackles, our dreams that come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil ... we would not be given pause. The world would think we're insane, but still ... to give full vent to those emotions would be a wailing not known before. And, when it was over we'd be exhausted ... and probably too tired of crying, too tired of waiting to wait for God to return.
The lit lanterns seem to refer to the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-12, where five virgins brought extra oil for their lamps and five did not. Since the bridegroom did not arrive until late, the five without extra oil had to go buy more, and thus missed the wedding. Only by bringing extra oil, by conserving what they had and not sharing theirs with the lazy five, could the five who brought extra oil keep their lanterns lit.
In the same way, we need to store up our faith, our energy, and our emotions so that when Christ returns, we can be joyful, our faith can be rewarded, our perseverance will pay off, and our energy will be poured into praise. Without that, we will have to go buy more when he comes, and we will miss the wedding.
I'm shaken by this longing that courses through my veins
In my mind, I can't make sense of it Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (2 Cor 5:1-4)
No Christian in his right mind wants to be here rather than in heaven! At least ... I can't think of any. =P The best justification, and one I often use myself, is in Philippians 1:21-25, where Paul notes his divided nature: he desires to be with Christ, but he knows that if he stays here it will mean years of fruitful work. But "knowing that there's work to be done here" and "not wanting to be in heaven" are two different things. For us, to die is gain. "If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." (Rom 14:8)
We are God's children. I, at least, want to be with God. I know that many people still need to come home, but I certainly will not complain when it is my time to go, or if Christ returns before then.
Sound like I can't quite make sense of whether I want to live or die? ;-) It's a difficult conundrum: do we live and continue working, or die and go home to the author and perfecter of our faith, the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls?
I can't see the sun for the daylight
I can't feel your breath for the wind See above.
I get so used to these shadows
Are you coming back again? It's very easy to become complacent. As Christians, we realize that Christ is coming back, but we also can become involved in the darkness of the world to an extent that we forget who and what we are. Then we begin to wonder if God will ever return for us, and if we can truly believe Him when we are told "the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish." (Ps 9:18) Our charge is found in Matthew 24:42-46, to be ready for Christ's return, no matter how long it takes. Verse 47 describes the reward for those who faithfully endure. Yet we also know that it's very easy to fall into the trap seen in verses 48-50, where we begin to think that our master will never return. How long will we sing this song? How long will we be left to wonder, "Are you coming back again?"
Do we give up the search and turn out the light
And give up this Holy Ghost that rattles through the night? Matthew 5:14-16 tells us about the light of the world. If we are the light of the world, then giving up will cover the land in a second darkness from which there can be no escape. To give up the search is to give up our salvation and to lose that which makes us holy. It will turn out the light, and for us to do so would be to lose our deposit of salvation, the Holy Spirit which God has put into our hearts.
I can't see the sun for the daylight
I can't feel your breath for the wind
I don't want to step from these shadows
'till you come back again See above.
I can't see the sun for the daylight
I can't feel your breath for the wind
I get so used to these shadows Yeah ... see above.
Will you chase away these shadows
When you come back again? I left this as an away message one night, and one of my good friends from church very kindly responded with two verses:
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (1 Jn 1:5)
"The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." (Rev 21:23)
To me, what this shows is that in God there is no darkness. And the new Jerusalem, the church, is given light by the glory of God, and Christ is our lamp. The shadows have already been chased away, if we will just step from them and hearken to the call. We are seated with God in Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6) and thus we show the light of God to the world. Our shadows are chased away -- will we chase away the shadows of others?
I built another temple to a stranger He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my Name." In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. (2 Ki 21:3-6)
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Mt 6:24)
The idea here is not necessarily that a person is worshipping another god as in Baal, or bowing down to the starry hosts as the passage in 2 Kings tells us Manasseh did. Jesus tells us that to put anything before God is idolatry, worship of that thing rather than God. In Matthew, we see that we cannot serve both God and money, but the idea is that we cannot serve God and something else. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "throw off everything that hinders". Is something keeping you from your relationship with God? If a brother or sister calls you and asks to talk, do you respond with something like, "I have to work overtime to support my family; I don't have time to spend with you tonight." If you have a schedule conflict between sports and a church gathering, which do you go to? If you choose work, or sports, or money, or all those other things that sound good on paper but in the end are just more trappings, you have "built another temple to a stranger". It may not seem that way, but to put something before the kingdom is to do just that.
I gave away my heart to the rushing wind The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Ki 19:11-12)
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? (Deut 10:12-13)
To who or what is your heart given? Many put their trust in relationships, or in money, or in things that seem powerful and mighty. Yet Elijah's example shows us that God is not in the rushing wind Jars talks of, nor in the earthquake, nor the fire, but in the gentle whisper, barely heard. In the same way, many times we have to strain to truly hear God speaking to us. We are creatures of sight and sound, and it can be difficult to pay attention to our spiritual voice speaking, because it is just a gentle whisper. Yet paying attention to that gentle whisper can be the most transforming and powerful experience that someone can find. Give your heart not to the rushing wind, but to God. Deuteronomy tells us that it is "for [our] own good". Is it? Where do you feel spiritually fulfilled: with God or without?
I set my course to run right into danger In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. (Pr 22:5)
Much of Proverbs is concerned with God directing your path. This is called a wise choice: God will keep you from harm. Here we see the converse, that in the paths of the wicked, of those who trust to themselves and in themselves, lie thorns, snares, and danger. Setting your course to run right into danger involves leaving God behind.
I sought the company of fools instead of friends He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. (Pr 13:20)
Knowing this, why would anyone seek the company of fools instead of friends?
Possibly a few reasons:
Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. (Ecc 10:6)
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. (Pr 27:6)
Friends will hurt you. A true friend will show you what's wrong with you, in order to help you grow and mature. But it hurts. It's easier, more comfortable to seek the company of those who won't hurt you. We also see that "fools are put in many high positions" (ref GWB and his administration, if you need an example). Sounds attractive, no?
Trying to jump away from rock that keeps on spreading In several places in the New Testament Christ is described as the rock, or the capstone, or the foundation of the church. Why is this rock spreading? Because, as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20, the Gospel is being preached to all men. Those who avoid the rock do so because they are made uncomfortable by it, or they refuse to accept the basic tenets of Christianity, or for whatever reason.
Solace in the shift of the sinking sand "But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Mt 7:26-27)
To build your house on anything but Christ is to build your house on sinking sand. It will shift, your foundation will move and begin to fall; you have no solid base. It will be blown back and forth, as one unstable and divided.
I'd rather feel the pain all too familiar
Than be broken by a lover I don't understand
'cause I don't understand I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Php 3:10-11)
We are to be presented to Christ as his bride upon his return to earth. Christ asked to take all our burdens, all our pain, and all our suffering upon himself. When presented with that choice, did you choose to shoulder your own burden, or the burden of Christ? Will you choose to be broken with Christ, and so to come to know him?
One hundred other lovers, more, one hundred other altars Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. (Eph 4:19)
At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, offering your body with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. (Eze 16:25)
Sin begets sin -- to offer yourself once will result in offering yourself again and again. "One hundred other lovers, more, one hundred other altars" indeed.
If I should slow my pace and finally subject me to grace Therefore this is what the LORD says:
"If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD. "I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel." (Jer 15:19-21)
To turn to God is the greatest gift of grace that you can be given. It has already been given -- have you accepted it? God wants to restore you, to make you his spokesman. Subject yourself to grace, and God will be merciful.
And love that shames the wise Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength .... But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Cor 1:20-25, 27)
The love of God is shown and poured out through the cross of Christ. For the Jews, whoever died on a cross was cursed; for the Gentiles, it was an instrument used to punish slaves and the lowest of the low. Yet upon Calvary God used a cross to put to shame all the wise Pharisees and Sadducees, all the Gentile philosophers, and all those who thought that the Messiah would come and restore Israel to its physical splendor.
Betrays the heart's deceit and lies For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:12-13)
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed." (Lk 2:34-35a)
The word of God reveals the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. It's not just about what you do, but about why you do it. If you do the right thing for the wrong reasons, it's the wrong thing to do. God does not want your hands only.
And breaks the back of foolish pride The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, (Is 2:17)
"That day" refers to the establishment of the kingdom of God upon earth; the church which Christ built. The love Christ showed on the cross is the foundation of the church, which breaks the pride of men and humbles the mighty.
You know I've been unfaithful
With lovers in lines Ezekiel 23 tells of two sisters. They prostituted themselves, going to further and further lengths in their depravity. Nations lined up to use them, yet the two did not repent, and continued to prostitute themselves. Verse 4 tells us that one represents Samaria, and the other Jerusalem. Oholah and Oholibah were God's, yet they were unfaithful to him.
While you're turning over tables
With the rage of a jealous kind John 2:12-16 gives us the account of Jesus going up to Jerusalem and turning over the tables of the money-changers, of those who were prostituting themselves as Oholah and Oholibah were. Jesus saw the need of those who were spiritually bankrupt, and he came to earth to claim his own.
I chose the gallows to the aisle I've seen many comments on this particular verse, but I think none of them quite get it all. It's possible this one won't, either, but I think it's more complete than many.
Anyway, we know that Judas went off and hanged himself. The gallows thus becomes an image of death, representative of those who choose something -- in Judas' case, the thirty silver pieces -- other than Christ.
The aisle is an allusion to a wedding. The bride walks down the aisle, escorted by her father, and is wed to the groom. Thus, choosing the gallows to the aisle is to choose death over marriage to Christ.
Thought that love would never find
But hanging ropes will never keep you
And your love of a jealous kind And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (Eph 3:17b-18)
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Ex 34:14)
How wide and long and high and deep is the love of God? It is so wide as to encompass the entire earth. There is no length to which God will not go to rescue someone caught in sin. It calls us ever higher, and there is no point so deep, no sin so great, and no person so low that God will not stretch out His hand and pull them out. Yet God is jealous: he wants your love, and he wants you to love Him alone. But to love God includes loving all men, and to love the creation which God has put here. So to love God is to love with the love of Christ, which encompasses everything.
God's love will find you, if you are willing to be found. Nothing will stop it: not the ropes of a gallows, not Satan, and not death.
I hereby fully admit that it's my fault Four Seven hasn't been updated yet. I told Kaelis I wanted to do this song, he agreed to allow me write the piece, and I took forever about it. I'm sorry, all.
Big thanks to Kat for helping me with my scripture references, and thanks to Kaelis for more of the same and also for being so patient.
This song is intrinsically haunting. It deals with loss, death, loss of faith and loss of our sense of connection to God, yet it relies heavily on the promises of God to pull us through. I hope this encourages you.
You have led me to the sadness
As much as we know that God is a God of love, that He wants nothing but the best for us, that He wants to see us at peace, we also must know that there are times when God will lead us into sad times and hard situations that may leave us with life-changing wounds. What we have to remember is that His are not the cuts of an enemy, but the incisions of a surgeon, or rather the indents made by a master potter working with us, His clay. Job talks about how painful this can feel in Job 10:8 - 9. " Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay; And wilt thou bring me into dust again?"
I have carried this pain
On a back bruised, nearly broken
We have gone this far carrying our pain ourselves, holding our wounds close, never wanting to show them; we're a mass of fears, betrayed trusts, and broken dreams. In our own strength, we can't carry on.
I'm crying out to You
We come to the realization that we are not sufficient in ourselves, and when that day comes, we cry out to God. Often it's an inarticulate cry of sheer desperation... felt more than thought, and wrenched from us... God, I need You! He's there to take our burdens upon Himself. In 1 Peter 5:7, we read, " Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you."
I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys of sorrow
To rivers of joy
And then His Mercy comes and He takes us in His arms. He shows us His salvation, and takes us by the hand. From that day on, we're never alone in our dark times. He's leading and guiding us, and if we cling to His hands, we will make it through the sadness into the joy. Psalm 5:11 says " But let all those that take refuge in thee rejoice, Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." When we cry out to Him, He promises to defend us. Also, Psalm 126:5 promises "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."
When death like a gypsy
Comes to steal what I love
I don't know how much explanation this needs. Death comes to each of us, and often before that day, it comes to one we love. I've lost two people close to me very recently, and it often does feel like Death has stolen our loved ones from us.
I will look to the heavens
I will seek Your face
But we know that God has ordered our steps, and that He is a wise God. In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." This is especially comforting when paired with Jeremiah 29:11, which says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an unexpected end." He has a time for each of us to leave this world, and our best recourse in times of grief is to look heavenward and cry out to God once more.
But I fear You aren't listening
Because there are no words
We as humans want God to respond with words. We understand words (indeed some of us love them, ahem), and when God doesn't respond with words, we often panic and think He's not hearing our cry. But the Bible says that he does hear us. Psalm 17:6 is one of many, many scriptures that assure us that God will always hear us: "I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thy ear unto me, and hear my speech."
Just the stillness and the hunger
For a faith that assures
But we carry a deep, abiding hunger to know God, to be unshakable in our faith. I think we usually wish ourselves to be free of doubt, even; however, if we don't doubt, we can never truly be sure we believe. It's in doubting, in questioning our beliefs, that we truly find them to be unshakable; if we search the Bible with an open, prayerful heart, we will certainly find the strength we need.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
While we wait for rescue
With our eyes tightly shut
These lines automatically calls to my mind images of Christians praying. We tend to pray with our eyes shut, do we not? If this isn't what Jars meant, I'm sorry, but I can't get past that image. We want to be rescued from this life, from the pain, from the learning experiences, from the doubt, from the fear, and from the darkness.
Face to the ground using our hands
To cover the fatal cut
More images of us praying... I've seen people facedown on the ground in prayer, and have been there myself more times than I can count. We're wounded and crying out to God.
Though the pain is an ocean
Tossing us around, around, around
We've all been there, I think. The pain feels as vast and tempestuous as the seas, and we wonder if it will ever cease.
You have calmed greater waters
But remember: Jesus actually calmed a stormy sea more than once. Matthew 14:24, Mark 6, Luke 8, and John 6 all record times when He calmed storms in nature; how much more can He calm the storms in our lives?
Higher mountains have come down
There are numerous accounts of Jesus healing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wounds. He is no less powerful today than yesterday: Hebrews 13:8 tells us "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever."
I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys of sorrow
To rivers of joy
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David
Speak, and say the words that no one else will ever say "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." (Mt 7:28-29)
"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. 'Good teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?'
'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good -- except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'
'Teacher,' he declared, 'all these I have kept since I was a boy.'
Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'" (Mk 10:17-21)
"'No one ever spoke the way this man does,' the guards declared." (Jn 7:46)
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." (Eph 4:15)
Sometimes we think that when we speak, we must tell someone only part of what's wrong, or we might consider it more beneficial to lie to them. This, we think, is friendship -- we're not hurting them, after all, so we're being a good friend. But is it truly friendship?
Jesus' example was the complete opposite of that concept. Acappella perhaps put it best when they said: A man came to my Jesus telling all that he had done to fulfill the good commandments; he knew every single one. But Jesus said there's something that indeed he did lack; yes, the Savior told the truth, he didn't hold the message back. Tell people the truth -- do it in love, letting your conversations be seasoned with grace -- but wounds from a friend can be trusted. Jesus told people what they lacked or what they needed. Do you truly say the words that no one else will ever say?
Love, love like the world we know is over in a day "Dear children, let us love not with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 Jn 3:18)
"'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.'" (Mt 25:13)
"'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.'" (Jn 13:34-35)
As disciples, we are called to go out into the world and affect it, to love the world and to show the world the love we have known as children of God. This is not something we can "put off until later", as Matthew tells us and Jars reiterate. The world may end at any time -- are we truly loving the world?
I'm gonna show you love in every language "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations ..." (Mt 28:19a)
"'So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.'" (Acts 11:18b)
After his resurrection, Jesus reappeared to the twelve and told them to go to the entire world. Previously, he had sent them (and been sent, himself) to only the lost sheep of Israel. Now the commission is to go to the entire world -- to love in every language.
People have described love as the universal language. It is -- but love is an action. Are we showing the world our love?
I'm gonna speak the words that need no form "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Pet 2:12)
Are your actions glorifying God? Love is an action -- but so is worship. Or did Isaiah prophesy about you, too, when he said "these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Is 29:13)? Is your glorification of God in words that need no form?
I'm going to give you what you've never had before "Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:38)
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Pet 1:3)
When we were called out of the world into God's kingdom, we were given two incredible gifts -- salvation and the Holy Spirit. Since then we've been blessed to be children of light, given everything we need for life and godliness. These gifts cannot be found in the world -- they are only available through Christ. These are not gifts you had before you were baptized into Christ Jesus -- nor are they gifts given because of our merits. Perhaps this is the most humbling lesson a Christian must learn.
You're beautiful, and I'm weakened by the force of your eyes "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." (Ps 27:4)
"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love," (Ps 33:18)
Do you consider God beautiful? Why or why not? Would you be happy to stand in front of God, weakened by the blinding spiritual light?
So shine bright; separate the truth from the lies "He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth." (Ps 96:13b)
"'All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.'" (Mt 25:32-33)
"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" (Jn 8:31-32)
"'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.'" (Rev 22:16)
Jesus, the bright morning star, shines in glory; he will return and judge the world, separating truth from lie. A hard teaching, but an important one -- without that separation, we would still be in sin, and thus would have no hope of being with God when we die.
Another interesting parallel is that while we are in the world, we are not of the world -- Jesus separates those who are his from the world, so that while we are still in the world, in Jesus, who describes himself as the truth (Jn 14:6) we are separate from the world.
Tie me to a tree, let the smoke and ash collect Luke 23:26-49. I don't want to repost it here, it's long.
The cross of Christ is equated to the Old Testament punishment of being hung on a tree (Deut 21:22-23, Gal 3:13). The line itself possibly refers to such verses as Isaiah 30:27
"See, the Name of the Lord comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire."
and Joel 2:30-31
"I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."
Such apocalyptic language is used in the Old Testament to indicate when God is going to punish people. The punishment for crucifying God's only begotten son ... ouch. Joel 2:28-32 is also one of the Messianic prophesies of the Old Testament, referring to the coming of the Christ.
No, I won't regret to let go now if you and love will let "From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" -- which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, 'He's calling Elijah.'
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, 'Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him.'
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit." (Mt 27:45-50)
When his job was done and the sin of the world was atoned for, Jesus' purpose here was over -- God and the love He bore for the world could now let him let go, to go into the grave -- but as we know, not to stay there! No regret in letting go, because Jesus knew his Father would raise him from the dead to the right hand of God, that all authority in heaven and on earth would be given to him, and that because of that sacrifice countless children of God would come home.
Drown in mixed emotions, walk across an angry sea "They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.' He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,' he said to them. 'Stay here and keep watch.'
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" (Mk 14:32-36)
Three times Jesus prayed to God to take the cup of wrath from his hands. Mixed emotions? You'd better believe it. Jesus didn't want to be given into the hands of sinners. He was beaten, mocked, brutally flogged; a crown of thorns was beaten into his head. Before he even made it to the cross, his back was laid open and bleeding with the muscles visible; his face was unrecognizable from the thorns being hammered into his head and face; his blood was being poured out for many.
"When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, 'It is I; don't be afraid.'" (Jn 6:16-20)
Do I really need to explain this one? Jesus walked across an angry sea. I mean, that pretty much covers it right there.
'cause it's the cost of being free "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us ..." (Gal 3:13a)
"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all .... But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God." (Heb 10:10,12)
Sin requires punishment; to be freed from sin requires someone else to take that punishment on themselves. What was the cost of our freedom? Jesus' death -- but also his life. Thirty-three years of walking the earth sinlessly, of performing miracles -- walking across a stormy lake being one -- and finally, drowning in mixed emotions, being tied to a tree, watching the smoke and ash collect, and last -- letting go, because his job on earth was done.
