ATTRIBUTES OF GOD – MERCY

March 16, 2018March 16, 2018 | lindamowles

Last week we considered Justice, one of the attributes of God which is difficult to discuss because, inevitably, we know that we have sinned and that when God metes out His justice, we will be found wanting, fully deserving His punishment.

This week we are considering the attribute of Mercy. Mercy is the flip side of Justice.

Dr. R. C. Sproul contrasts God’s justice and mercy by reference to the land of Canaan when the children of Israel were going to overrun the people and claim the land as their Promised Land from God.

Of the multitudes of women and children living in Canaan, none was innocent. The conquest of Canaan was an explicit expression of God’s righteous judgment on a wicked nation. He made that point clear to Israel. He also made it clear to the people of Israel that they also were not innocent. It was not as if God destroyed a wicked people for the sake of a righteous people. To the Canaanites God poured out justice. To the Jews God poured out mercy. He was quick to remind the Jews of that in Deuteronomy 9:4.

The verses referenced by Dr. Sproul are instructive here:

“Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.”

Deuteronomy 9:4-6

To the Canaanites God poured out justice. To the children of Israel God poured out mercy.

This is consistent with God’s character as He revealed Himself throughout scripture. There is no deviation.

“And [God] said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

Exodus 33:19

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

Proverbs 28:13

Salvation cannot be earned, we cannot work to avoid the consequences of our sin.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.“

Ephesians 2:8-9

Paul puts the very granting of the faith to come to Jesus seeking salvation from our sin in the hands of the grace of God. Our works cannot obtain this salvation, so no one can boast that anything that we did accomplished it. The grace of God gave us this gift, and that my friend is mercy.

Mercy results in the withholding of that which is deserved so that the object of mercy is unharmed.

As we saw last week, sin, which is disobedience to God’s law, must result in punishment because God’s justice mandates such a result. However, when God grants mercy to an individual, that judgment is withdrawn, and His mercy eradicates the infraction which otherwise deserved judgment.

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”

Titus 3:4-5

The result of God’s mercy is that we can come to God as our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son and our Savior. The writer of Hebrews says this about the result of God’s mercy:

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

We can come to God, with confidence, because He has showered us with His mercy. Indeed, we can rejoice with Peter:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

1 Peter 1:3

God’s mercy is amazing. Each person on this planet enjoys God’s mercy when He allows us to live, when He grants rain and sunshine, even though we sin and worship other gods, such as money, family, fame, fortune! God does not destroy us instantly when we have such idols in front of our eyes, rather than focusing our attention on Him. Instead, He has chosen to bless all people with His mercy now. For those in His Son, Christ Jesus, we will receive His mercy both now and forever more.

Father, we are humbled and once again left without words to express our thankfulness and wonder at the gift of mercy that You have given to us. May we walk in Your mercy and may we express Your love to others so that, by our words and actions, we may point people to Your Son, the giver of life and the sacrifice that atoned for our sin. We are blessed beyond compare, and we praise Your holy name.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD – JUSTICE

March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 | lindamowles

Aristotle said:

“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.”

Unfortunately, in our world today, it seems that “the worst” has come to the forefront. It seems that there is injustice everywhere you turn. We hear of corrupt politicians, of immoral preachers, of lawless officials, of abuse of innocent children, of hordes of homeless and refuges leaving their homes and all that they have to save their lives. Injustice has always been with us, but now we have instant access to television and media that can vividly show us the extent of injustice that exists. No longer is it a line in the newspaper or magazine. Now it is an image on the television screen, a digital reminder on the cell phone that horror is happening, all over the world. And it never ends.

We look at the statistics and weep because there seems to be no hope; injustice reigns, and it seems that there is nothing we can do to stop it or avoid it. Where is justice? Does it exist anywhere?

Beloved – the Holy God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the Source of justice. The God who loved us so much that He gave His only Son to be our Savior, is the God of Justice.

God’s justice is never divorced from His righteousness. He never condemns the innocent. He never clears the guilty. He never punishes with undue severity. He never fails to reward righteousness. His justice is perfect justice. (Emphasis added)

Scripture says much about justice, as it is one of the immutable attributes of our Holy God. For example, when Abraham was arguing with God about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, he focused on God’s justice.

“Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

Genesis 18:25

The Psalmist writes:

“The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”

Psalm 99:4

While there is an abundance of injustice in our world, we must remember that true justice will not be rendered in this world. Those who seem to lie, cheat, steal, and kill with no seeming repercussions will be subject to justice in the true realm, the eternal heavenly realm. At that time, each man/woman will receive justice at the hands of an immutable God who cannot be persuaded or bribed.

“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-18

Elihu, the fourth speaker in the book of Job, gave this comment about God and His justice:

“The Almighty–we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate. Therefore men fear him; he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.”

Job 37:23-24

Christ will look at each person’s heart, and if it is not covered by His righteousness, that person, not being pure, will receive justice, but it will not be heaven. Indeed, Saint Augustine said:

“Punishment is justice for the unjust.”

All mankind would receive punishment because all of us fail the test of righteousness because we are all corrupted by sin.

But, for the believer in Jesus Christ, we do not need to fear God’s justice, rather we are covered by Jesus’ righteousness and we will be received into the presence of God as His child. Then we will find comfort for all the wrongs done against us and against mankind.

“For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.”

Psalm 33:4-5

After hearing of the judgment that King Solomon rendered when two women both claimed to be the mother of a newborn baby, we read:

“And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.”

1 Kings 3:28

In speaking to the Pharisees about their misuse of the Old Testament law, Jesus said the following:

“”But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”

Luke 11:42

The most violent expression of God’s wrath and justice is seen in the Cross. If ever a person had room to complain of injustice, it was Jesus, he was the only innocent man ever to be punished by God. If we stagger at the wrath of God, let us stagger at the Cross. Here is where our astonishment should be focused. …

The Cross was at once the most horrible and the most beautiful example of God’s wrath. … With the concentrated load of sin [Jesus] carried, He became utterly repugnant to the Father. God poured out His wrath on this obscene thing. God’s holy justice perfectly manifest. Yet it was done for us. He took what justice demanded from us. This “for us” aspect of the Cross is what displays the majesty of its grace. At the same time justice and grace, wrath and mercy. It is too astonishing to fathom.

All will be judged and all will receive justice. This is a scary thought for one who truly knows his heart’s deceitfulness and is not a believer in Jesus Christ. However, “for us”, those who rest in their faith in Christ, our judgment will be sheltered in Christ, and that we will be accepted by God through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

Look to the Lord, the Almighty Holy God. He will bring justice to all mankind, in His time. But we can be confident, whether we see justice now or not, that true and correct judgment will ultimately be rendered by our God. Praise Him for this comfort and for this promise. Rest in His love, Christian, and don’t be anxious about the injustice you see in the world. It will pass away because God is victorious!

Next week we will consider the mercy of God, which is also present at the cross of Christ.

Father, I thank You that You execute justice according to Your providence and plan. Enable me, through Your spirit, to do justice, and to love kindness, and help me to walk humbly before You, I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.

WHAT IS GREATER THAN ALL OUR SIN? GRACE

January 30, 2018January 25, 2018 | lindamowles

When we understand the character of God, when we grasp something of His holiness, then we begin to understand the radical character of our sin and helplessness. Helpless sinners can survive only by grace. Our strength is futile in itself; we are spiritually impotent without the assistance of a merciful God.

God’s grace is the bestowal of blessing that is neither earned or merited. God’s grace is extended to us totally because of Christ’s death on the cross. He took the death that we sinful creatures deserved so that we could live our life in and through Him.

The Hebrew word for “grace” means favor, acceptance, kindness.

In Genesis we read God’s description of the wickedness on the earth and of His intention to destroy all creation.

“So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

Genesis 6:7-8 KJV The English Standard Version of this verse says “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” But Noah found grace, favor, before God and Noah and all his family, as well as the creatures of the earth, were saved from the all-consuming flood that arose by God’s power.

In the book of Exodus, God, Himself, includes grace as part of His nature when He was speaking to Moses.

“The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”

Exodus 34:5-6 (KJV) and (ESV)

In Psalms 145:17 we read:

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.” (KJV)

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways, kind in all His works.” (ESV)

While the word “gracious” is not used often in the New Testament with reference to God, the word “grace” is used over 100 times when speaking of God’s actions toward His children.

For example, Paul in his letter to the Romans uses the word “grace” often.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

Romans 3:23-24

“Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 5:20-21

The writer of Hebrews says:

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

The demonstration of God’s grace towards us comes in different ways. There is the grace that God shines on the elect and wicked alike; this is called “common grace”. The word “common” does not denote that the grace is cheap or ordinary. Rather, this grace provides all of mankind blessings that are non-eternal, such as health, good weather, prosperity, rain, etc. In fact, life itself is a gift of common grace. He does not have to give life to any one, no one can demand it from Him, and He can take it when He pleases. Indeed, sinful man deserves nothing but death.

Then there is that special grace which God demonstrates toward those whom He chooses to be His people, just as He did with the children of Israel. We read in the book of Deuteronomy these words of God:

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 7:6-8

This sign is outside the “Minister’s Treehouse” in Crossville, Tennessee.
Jesus shed His blood for You and me.

God chooses His children not because they are more powerful, wise, intelligent, charismatic, pious, handsome, or any of the other characteristics that we would consider important in selecting someone for some specific honor. Rather, He chooses His children simply because that is what He chose to do.

This grace is amazing for it relies not at all upon us, but solely upon God and His providential will. Our adoption as children into His family is not based on any service or good we are capable to render. The enormity of this grace is impossible to comprehend, but our reaction to it should be bowing ourselves at the feet of the Lord in praise and rejoicing for His pleasure in granting us salvation.

The hymn “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” encapsulates the response we should have to this grace of our loving Father. Listen as The CenturyMen present this hymn on their album The CenturyMen Silver Anniversary, Disc 2.

May we crown Him Lord of All as we praise Him for paying our ransom from the fall, not because of any merit that we have, but because of His abundant grace toward us.

Father, there are no words to express our gratitude for the gift of Your grace. Lord Jesus, we fall before You and praise Your name for Your paying our ransom so that we could be relieved of the debt of sin and come to You now, and forevermore.

KUDZU – A FORMIDABLE FOE

June 16, 2017June 14, 2017 | lindamowles

Kudzu is a vine that is ubiquitous in the American South. It was formally introduced to the United States at the 1876 World’s Fair Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, however its potential in the U.S. was minimal at best and it appeared not to have a place in our landscape.

Then came the dust storms of 1935. When soil erosion ravaged the prairies, millions of kudzu seedlings were grown in greenhouse nurseries as the weapon that would stop erosion in its tracks.

Today, rather than in prairies, kudzu is associated with the South. It is very aggressive when planted along roadways and railway embankments, and for that reason, it is conspicuously visible from passing automobiles! Indeed, its creation of goblins and ghouls out of trees and telephone poles can be seen even when traveling 65 miles per hour.

Kudzo - Trees engulfed in the vine — Kudzu as seen from the car traveling down the Interstate Highway.

In fact, the vine has been called “the vine that killed the South”, although that seems to be quite an exaggeration! (Read more about this at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325/#cGVCq35eEDVdpfqu.99) )

We pass kudzu every time we get in the car as it is on the roadways that we travel daily.

As we were traveling down the highway, I began thinking about Kudzu and its spread. At first, it is innocuous, just a little vine, a weed, no problem. But when it becomes aggressive, it takes control of a small area on the tree and, quickly, engulfs the entire tree. It is truly a formidable foe!

As I was thinking about this, I found a parallel to it for our spiritual lives. Consider the insidious ways that sin overtakes us. Sin is cosmic treason, it is disobedience to God’s command. Dr. R. C. Sproul says:

The slightest sin is an act of defiance against cosmic authority. It is a revolutionary act, a rebellious act in which we are setting ourselves in opposition to the One to whom we owe everything. It is an insult to His holiness.

Kudzo along highway beginning its takeover in VA — Kudzu getting a firm hold along the highway in Virginia.

Looking at trees that are consumed by kudzu, we see them weighed down, bent and misshapen. This brings to mind Jonathan Edwards’ description of sin and its effects:

Your wickedness makes you as if it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf; and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock.

The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. II (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1974) p. 9.

Like kudzu, sin is insidious – it creeps in when and where we least expect it. We must be on our guard because sin is constantly tempting us to disregard God and to act on our own, and sin is a formidable foe.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Indeed, we cannot defeat sin on our own.

Martin Luther put it this way:

Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Kudzu thrives in the light along the highways and roadways of the South. But, its enemy is the shade of the forest where it cannot survive.

Sin thrives in the darkness of rebellion against God and of self-pride. Jesus said:

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Matthew 6:22-23 ESV

But, sin has its enemy, specifically the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Light of the world illuminates sin, the Light defeats the darkness.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

John 8:12 ESV

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 ESV

Like kudzu, sin may creep in and may even cover the heart, but the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is sufficient to overcome whatever sin we have committed. Repent and accept His forgiveness, then praise our Lord and glory in His name.

Father, thank You for shining the light of Jesus Christ in my heart and for the presence of the Holy Spirit that protects me as sin tries to tempt. I pray for strength as I walk the path you have directed, I pray that I will look to You each day in Your strength, all for Your glory.

THE PERFECTION OF GOD

May 26, 2017May 22, 2017 | lindamowles

Perfection. What a glorious word. When it is said, we know that a high standard has been met, the pinnacle of achievement was accomplished, and we have witnessed work which cannot be improved upon. Perfect.

Diver at hotel pool in Florida perfect — A perfect dive in Florida!

Perhaps you have achieved perfection in a sporting activity, like diving. Or, perhaps you have achieved perfection in a hobby, maybe a picture that people have said is “picture perfect”.

Oregon picture perfect mountains — Picture perfect scene in Oregon.

Or perhaps it is the sleeping newborn infant, while family members look at the child and marvel and say “Perfect!” as they look at the little fingers with tiny fingernails!

Newborn baby girl (C) — Newborn baby daughter, alive with all sorts of possibilities ahead of her.

While each of these examples do show what could, in human terms, be considered perfect, they come nowhere close to the perfection that is the standard of our God.

Medieval theologians used the Latin phrase ens perfectissimus to refer to God. The phrase may be translated by the words “the most perfect being.” … [They wanted to] underscore the reality of God’s perfection so clearly that they would eliminate any possibility of suggesting the slightest lack of perfection in God’s character.

Dr. Sproul continues:

God’s perfection applies to all of His attributes. His power is perfect; it has no weaknesses or any possibility of weakness. His knowledge is not only omniscient but reflects perfect omniscience. There is nothing that God does not know or that He could possibly learn. … God’s love, His wrath, His mercy – all that He is — is perfect. Not only is He perfect, but He is eternally and immutably so. There never was a time when God was less than perfect and there is no possibility that in the future He may slip into any kind of imperfection. What has been with God will be so forever. His perfection is immutable. It cannot change.

Ibid., p. 198 (Emphasis is mine)

The very consideration of the scope of God’s perfection makes it hard to comprehend. How extensive it is … how overwhelming it would be for us to see … how unlike us it makes our Creator God.

When God delivered him from the hand of King Saul, David extolled the Lord and gave praise to Him, including the following description of the monumental difference between God and man by saying, in part:

“For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Psalm 103:19 ESV.

“As for man … BUT God.” The chasm between God and man is so great that it cannot be truly fathomed. Those who think that God is unnecessary because we can handle things for ourselves, “thank you very much”, are simply – well, wrong. The very fact that we exist, the fact that we have air to breath or that rain comes for nourishing our planet so food will grow, and the fact that the earth keeps spinning is in God’s providence and in His good pleasure.

“This God–his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless.”

2 Samuel 22:31-33 ESV

Jesus, the incarnation of God, said:

“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:48 ESV. Of course this is an impossible goal, but we are called by our Savior to strive for perfection.

God’s perfection is one of the attributes of His nature. Praise His holy name that His perfection extends to all His attributes. He is the same today as He was before the creation of the world and He will be the same perfect powerful God when this creation is transformed into the new heaven and new earth.

God’s perfection – hard to comprehend in its fullness, He is the “most perfect being”. God’s perfection – difficult to fathom, but easy to hold on to as we rest in the perfect love of our Savior and God.

Father, You are perfect, You are the most perfect being and You have been such since before You spoke the world into existence. Perfect in power, in love, in wisdom. I praise Your name and bow in humble gratitude as I think of Your perfection touching my heart which is so full of imperfection and sin. Father, enable me to live my life as a testimony to Your perfect character, and I ask this through the power of the Holy Spirit.

EXCITEMENT

April 14, 2017 | lindamowles

Do you remember the last time you were excited about something … I mean, really excited?

I came across this picture of my young grandson who was clearly excited about something that he saw. The focused expectation that is plastered across his face is priceless.

There are many events that trigger excitement in our hearts. A soldier returns from a long deployment. A student leaves from home for the first year at college. From the parents’ perspective, excitement reigns when that same student returns home. A young couple experiences the birth of their first child.

One example of excitement that we have on a daily basis is Snickers’ excitement to get into the backyard. Despite her diminutive height, She jumps higher than the door knob, with her tail wagging and her sister trying to stay out of her way!

In the Bible, and even today, a time of widespread excitement is the Passover celebration. It is the feast that reminds the people of Israel when God acted mightily causing Pharaoh to release them from bondage in Egypt. The night of the last plague, the people were to kill a lamb and put its blood on the door frame of their homes. Then, the angel of death passed over the country and killed the first-born in each home; but the angel “passed over” the houses that had blood on the doorway.

While Passover is a time of solemn remembrance, it is also a time of excitement. This was true even in Jesus’ day. The people were excited … on the day we know as Palm Sunday, they were going to Jerusalem to celebrate their deliverance from bondage.

Not only that, they had just found the One who they believed would be the Messiah, the One who would crush the dominance of Rome, and the One who would again lead the people, militarily, to a kingdom such as David had ruled over centuries before.

They were so excited that they put their garments on the ground and waved palm branches shouting “”Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” It was a parade with the only “float” being Jesus, riding on a donkey’s colt. Read John chapter 12 for the whole story.

In my mind’s eye, I envision the people jumping and screaming, rather like Snickers. Going full-out, no holding back, excited to the core.

When they were praising Jesus as King, they did not know that at the end of the week they would be screaming again, but this time it would be “CRUCIFY HIM” as Pilot stood wondering what he should do with this innocent man, Jesus.

Rather than taking the high road and releasing Jesus, Pilot succumbed to the demands of the people on that Thursday night. He let the mob determine justice and he, quite literally, washed his hands of the whole thing. He sent Jesus off to be crucified. Read Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the sinless Son of God, was put to death to pay for the sin that each of us has committed. Dr. R. C. Sproul says this about sin:

Sin is cosmic treason. Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. Have you ever considered the deeper implications of the slightest sin, of the most minute peccadillo? What are we saying to our Creator when we disobey Him at the slightest point? We are saying no to the righteousness of God. We are saying “God, Your law is not good. My judgment is better than Yours. Your authority does not apply to me. I am above and beyond Your jurisdiction. I have the right to do what I want to do, not what You command me to do.”

The week started with the people joyfully screaming in honor, blessing and allegiance to the King, the One riding into Jerusalem on a colt.

The week ended with the people again screaming but this time their malevolent demand was for the murder of this Man; He was not simply to be killed, they demanded that He be killed by crucifixion.

Sin and evil, Satan, appeared to have won the battle. Satan knew people disobeyed God – he caused Adam and Eve to sin in the very beginning. The pure Son of God was going to die this ignominious, excruciating and humiliating death, and Satan thought he would then have full sway in this world.

Instead, the pure Son of God voluntarily went to the cross, not in payment of any sin that He committed. Rather, He endured Calvary in payment for my sin, and for yours. By His death, He spanned and closed the chasm that had existed between man and the Holy God..

Because He lived a perfect life as required by God’s law, because He committed no sin, His death paid the price that the broken law incurred and that a just and holy God demanded. Sin could not be forgiven and forgotten unless God’s justice was satisfied.

This is what the cross accomplished. Justice was meted out and now forgiveness could be granted. Jesus Christ died … but Satan did not win the victory. On the first day of the week, the tomb was empty because Jesus rose from the dead. And, he lives today, even as He is in heaven interceding for each of us before His Father, the Almighty God.

Now that is something to be excited about!

Father, I pray that these words would be used to prick the hearts and minds of those who read it. I pray that Your Spirit would work in each of our hearts so that we would reflect our Lord to others. I thank You for the great give of grace and salvation that has been given to us through faith in Your Son.

THE FEAR OF GOD

February 7, 2017 | lindamowles

When we were in England, we visited a number of cathedrals and were amazed at the exquisite details in the construction and decoration of each of them.

bath-cathedral-c — Bath Cathedral, Bath, England

The exteriors of the cathedrals had a focal point, upward to the sky as if the very building was praising God in prayer and thanksgiving.

canterbury-side-view — Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England

Even the walls of the cathedrals evidenced exquisite workmanship and beautiful detail.

canterbury-wood-carvings-adorning-the-walls — Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England. Carved woodwork adorning the walls of the Cathedral.

The church in Canterbury was established when Saint Augustine was sent as a missionary in 597 A.D. In the town of Canterbury, there has been daily worship of God for over 1,400 years. Just think about that for a moment!

The original cathedral was rebuilt completely by the Normans in 1070 following a major fire. Although there have been many additions to the building over the last nine hundred years, parts of the Quire or Choir, which is the area between the nave and sanctuary in a cathedral, and some of the windows and their stained glass date from the 12th century.

canterbury-stained-glass-windows — Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England. Stained glass windows. They were removed and sequestered for safety during World War II and reinstalled when the war ended.

See the Canterbury Cathedral’s website for more detailed information on this glorious church. https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/heritage/history/cathedral-history-in-a-nutshell/

We came to the entrance of the cathedral property and walked through this gate. At first I thought this was the church … then I realized it was “just” the gate to the property. Even this aspect of the cathedral was designed and constructed with an emphasis on the heavens.

canterbury-the-archway-into-the-church-property — Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England. Arched gate into the Cathedral property.

Why go to all this trouble in creating such glorious buildings in which to worship God? Why do all this incredible craftsmanship during a period of time when people were living in far less sturdy structures? Why do this at all?

I suggest that these folks had a right understanding of the “fear of the Lord”.

Scripture has much to say about learning and fearing God. See for example the following passages in the Old Testament:

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require 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,…”

Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

Psalm 111:10 ESV

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV

So, what does it mean to fear God? One definition of “fear” is, of course, to be afraid, to be in terror when we face God.

The struggle we have with a holy God is rooted in the conflict between God’s righteousness and our unrighteousness. He is just and we are unjust. This tension creates fear, hostility, and anger within us toward God. The unjust person does not desire the company of a just judge. We become fugitives, fleeing from the presence of One whose glory can blind us and whose justice can condemn us. We are at war with Him unless and until we are justified. Only the justified person can be comfortable in the presence of a holy God.

The justified person, the believer in Jesus Christ, is not afraid of God, rather God is his Father and fear is washed away. Paul wrote this to his spiritual son, Timothy:

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

But we are still admonished to “fear the Lord”, so if we are justified by Christ, what does it mean?

“Fear” when used in this context references our actions of “reverence” and “worship”. We are to “be in awe of” Him and we are to “honor” Him.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

The note on Proverbs 1:7 in the Reformation Study Bible says, in part:

The fear of the Lord is the only basis of true knowledge. This fear is not distrustful terror of God but rather the reverent awe and worshipful response of faith to the God who reveals Himself as the Creator, the Savior and the Judge.

Have you ever been in awe of our God when looking at His expression through the majesty of His creation?

yosemite-2011-wrm-126-waterfalls-and-river-c — Yosemite National Park, waterfall and river.

Have you ever been in awe of our God when looking at His expression through the detail of the small baby, a child created in the image of God?

baby-girl-1-month-old — One month old baby girl.

Has your spirit ever soared when entering a place of worship as you anticipate spending time with your Savior and God in worship?

canterbury-cathedral-view-of-the-altar-area — Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England. Interior of Cathedral looking at the altar area of the church.

Have you considered our Savior God who sent His only Son to die for your sins? Have you thanked Him today, even this moment, for such love, grace and mercy?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Unfortunately, our culture has forgotten this precept. We have instead turned to human philosophy and social engineers. We have created a generation of children who have turned to Hollywood or the Internet for their heroes and role models. The fantasy world of television and movies, with computer generated special effects, has become the reality that our youth crave. Young and old alike seek thrills and/or escape by turning to drugs and alcohol. We kill children without batting an eye, while we worry about the spotted owl or the snail darter fish.

Scripture does not change – its teachings are true and they are timeless. Thousands of years ago, God stated that the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom. It was true then, and it is true today.

I believe that those building the cathedrals were honoring God and creating a place of worship that was a physical representation of the glory and magnificence due Him in worship.

Note that I am not saying that all churches need to be this elaborate. Nor am I ignoring the role that the Popes or other “leaders” likely played in desiring a place of magnificence for his own benefit.

What I am saying is that we, even in our “modern” age, need to have a holy fear of our God. It is a heart issue, not an architectural one. We should give God the reverence, awe and honor to which He is due. In short, He is not the “Big Guy in the Sky”. He is our Creator, Sustainer and Savior … He is our Father and our God.

Father, forgive me when I have not given You the reverence that You deserve. Let my heart sing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” throughout the day and let my praise to You be last on my lips as sleep overcomes me. May I love You and glorify You in all things.

GOOD AND BAD TOGETHER?

January 27, 2017January 26, 2017 | lindamowles

We found this interesting vehicle on display when we visited the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. See the post PUSHMI-PULLYU – INDECISION IS HARMFUL! that was posted April 26, 2016 for more information about our visit to the Museum and this interesting vehicle.

Lane Motor Museum double car — Firemen’s vehicle, Cogolin, France.

At first glance, I thought it was interesting that it seemed to have front headlights on the back end as well as at the front. Upon a more focused look at the vehicle, I realized that it was two front halves put together.

Lane Motor Museum double car inside — Close up view of the two front ends of the Firemen’s vehicle, Cogolin, France.

Fairly odd looking, I have to say. Obviously, this would be impossible to drive if both “front ends” were engaged at the same time. Yet, on a spiritual basis, this is what we do all the time in connection with the irreconcilable contrast between “good and evil”.

We affirmatively state that God is good. Indeed, we know that goodness is one of God’s attributes.

“And [God] said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

Exodus 33:19 ESV

“For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!.”

Zechariah 9:17 ESV

The Apostle Paul even notes that goodness is part of the fruit of the Spirit which we are to grow in our own hearts and minds as we allow Him to transform us into the likeness of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

Galatians 5:22 ESV

The reality for us, however, is that goodness is not what we see on a daily basis in either ourselves or our world. Rather than goodness, we see evil, selfishness, pride, injustice, violence, hatred, and hurt. In short, we see sin, disobedience to God’s Word, in both our own life and in the life of our community and the world.

It is the height of arrogance to think that mankind is good. A review of the daily headlines shows that this is not the case. That same arrogance produces the thought that we are good at any time … even our best “good deeds” are described in Scripture as “filthy rags”. Isaiah 64:6 [KJV].

Dr. R. C. Sproul says:

…

So, we know that we are not good and that sin and evil abounds in and around us. But we then argue that if God is good, it would appear that God is not watching, He doesn’t care, or He is incapable of helping us in a world that is so full of evil. While some feel this way, I suggest that the opposite is true. Turning to Dr. Sproul’s comments again, he says:

… He [God] is so slow to anger that when His anger does erupt, we are shocked and offended by it. We forget rather quickly that God’s patience is designed to lead us to repentance, to give us time to be redeemed. Instead of taking advantage of this patience by coming humbly to Him for forgiveness, we use this grace as an opportunity to become more bold in our sin. We delude ourselves into thinking that either God doesn’t care about it, or that He is powerless to punish us. … The supreme folly is that we think we will get away with our revolt.

When it appears that God is not working in our world, the reality is that He is waiting. He is exercising His patience. He is allowing evil to continue because there are those who have not yet recognized the Spirit’s conviction of sin and who have not yet received the gift of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Can evil/sin exist with good/holiness? The answer to this inquiry is an emphatic “no!” Sinful mankind cannot appear before the Holy God who is the essence of goodness. But through Jesus Christ, God has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and washed in the righteousness of His Son.

christ-of-the-ozarks-missouri-1968-3 — Christ of the Ozarks, Missouri, USA (circa 1965)

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 ESV

If God were to wipe out all evil, those who have not yet received Jesus Christ as their Savior would be lost forever. Thus, God waits patiently until all His children have come to Him. . Paul says in Romans:

“Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

Romans 2:4 ESV

For a time, it may appear that people are successful in their revolt against God and His Anointed One. For a time, it may appear that evil has won the battle and that God is helpless to give aid or comfort to His people.

Beloved, this is a delusion, a fiction of the highest magnitude.

When God slams down His gavel in judgment of all mankind, there will be no time then for people to confess their sin and to receive the gift of salvation. The time of God’s mercy will be over. His patient waiting will be completed. At that point it will be the time of judgment.

“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

1 John 3:7-8 ESV

Don’t be double minded. Goodness and evil/righteousness and sin/light and dark cannot coexist. Look to Jesus Christ, confess your sin, receive His righteousness and live then in goodness and light, through His power alone.

Father, cleanse my heart from its sin and double-mindedness. Enable me, through Your Spirit, to live my life in dedication to You and to Your will. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, my God and my Redeemer.

HOW CAN I BE HOLY?

November 4, 2016November 3, 2016 | lindamowles

We often watch DVD classes from The Great Courses to learn and experience lands and peoples that we would likely not see in person. In the class “Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul”, Professor John R. Hale talked about, and had pictures of, Byzantine architecture found at Meteroa. (By the way, I would highly recommend these courses for anyone who wants an armchair education. They are excellent and well researched and presented and the topics are myriad. thegreatcourses.com. But I digress!)

Meteora was a cluster of monasteries built in Greece in the 14^th century. The name “Meteroa” means “suspended in the air” or “in the heavens above”. One look and you realize that these were aptly named.

meteora-monastery-15 — Monastery in Meteora, Greece

Originally there were 24 monasteries in this group, but now there are only four that house religious communities and they are important sites for the Eastern Orthodox church. The monasteries were built on natural sandstone rock pillars that were virtually inaccessible so that they functioned as a place of sanctuary from the violent controversies on the land below.

The pinnacles rise over 400 meters above the Peneas valley. They are incredible examples of architecture that transformed rugged rock spires into places of calm serenity and retreat. Access was deliberately difficult, requiring either long ladders lashed together or large nets on ropes that would be used to haul up both goods and people. This required quite a leap of faith, both in the people doing the hauling and in the ropes transporting visitors and goods up the sides of these pinnacles.

[Some of the information and the picture above was obtained from http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/09/5-most-inaccessible-monasteries-in-world.html a website that includes more information than that which is presented here.]

Do you have to be ensconced in a monastery on top of a pinnacle in order to be holy? And, what is holiness anyway?

According to Strong’s Thesaurus/Lexicon, the Hebrew word translated as “holy” or “holiness” means “apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness … set-apartness.”

We are told that we are to be holy. He wants us to be set apart for Him, rather than being one with the world and its culture.

For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”

Leviticus 11:45

Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Exodus 3:5. Moses had stepped aside to see the burning bush and God instructed him to take off his sandals because God’s presence rendered the very ground “holy”.

God is not our “Buddy in the Sky”. Notice that even though God and Moses had a very close relationship, there was a great difference between them. He is holy and this holiness is one of the attributes of God, it is intrinsic in His being and it cannot be violated. Because He is holy, we cannot come before Him — our sin has dirtied us up from the inside out and God cannot countenance any disobedience to His law, i.e., sin.

The difference between us and God is monumental. God omniscient and omnipotent. In contrast, we are temporal and totally dependent on God for life itself. God is holy, and we are not.

Isaiah’s vision of God is descriptive of this difference:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Up to this point, the vision of Isaiah is very similar to the vision that the Apostle John had as recounted in Revelation 4:2-8. Isaiah, however, gives us his response to what he saw:

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah 6:1-7.

Isaiah’s response to seeing God on His throne in heaven was an immediate recognition that he was lost, sinful, and unworthy to stand before the King, the LORD of Hosts. In fact, God did not speak to him or acknowledge his presence until after the angel had touched his lips with the coal from the altar saying that he had received atonement for his sin. After this, God spoke.

He is a holy God and we must not forget that fact. We have absolutely no standing before God in and of ourselves because of our sinful disobedience to His commands.

The struggle we have with a holy God is rooted in the conflict between God’s righteousness and our unrighteousness. He is just and we are unjust. This tension creates fear, hostility, and anger within us toward God. The unjust person does not desire the company of a just judge. We become fugitives, fleeing from the presence of One whose glory can blind us and whose justice can condemn us. We are at war with Him unless and until we are justified. Only the justified person can be comfortable in the presence of a holy God.

Becoming holy has nothing to do with your physical location. Rather, it has everything to do with your relationship with Jesus Christ, the One who died so that you could be justified, and then be “comfortable in the presence of a holy God”.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

The faith that saves is faith in Jesus Christ, the One who died as an atoning sacrifice, taking your sin on Himself, so that if you believe in Him, you will be clothed in His righteousness. In that way, God sees Christ in you and adopts us as His children.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6.

The answer to “How can I be holy?” is “You can’t!”, at least not on your own. None of us has anything that we can give to the holy God … we are sinful creatures with no redeeming merit no matter how good we seem to other people. Yet we are called to be holy, and we can be so in and through Jesus Christ.

“Be holy as I am holy.” We don’t need to be on top of a pillar to be holy. Our holiness is not dependent on anything that we can do or anywhere that we must go. Praise be to God the Father and to His Son for giving us a way to stand before God and call Him Father. We can be holy – if we are washed in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus.

Listen to the choir sing “Clothed in Righteousness” from the album Glory to the Holy One, lyrics written by R. C. Sproul:

Here are the lyrics for your review while you listen:

Fallen race in Eden fair Exposed and full of shame Fled we naked from Thy sight Far from Thy holy Name

Refrain

Clothe us in Your righteousness Hide filthy rags of sin Dress us in Your perfect garb Both outside and within

Sent from the garden in the east Outside of Eden’s gate Banished there from Thy pure light Were Adam and his mate

Scarlet souls are now like snow By Thy atoning grace Crimson hearts become like wool For Adam’s fallen race

Refrain

No work of ours is good enough For evil to atone Your merit, Lord, is all we have It saves, and it alone

Refrain

Father, I pray that these words would be encouragement to believers and that they would be used by the Holy Spirit to convict the nonbeliever of the need for repentance and faith in the Savior. Thank you Father for making a way for us to come before you in faith.