John1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Much is made of this very famous text theologically speaking. It is hard to imagine our Bibles without this verse. Of course, one of the great certainties we have of Divine Authorship of the Word is its Completeness. There is nothing the Bible lacks, and there is no area that says more than needs to be said. In a word, The Word is perfect.
How many books authored by the hand and mind of man can make that statement?
The text of John 1 is foundational in so many ways, especially establishing the eternality of Christ. John makes every effort to have us completely understand the true nature and character of Christ – and therefore of God.
But beyond understanding, there is something even more here for us: John1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
When I received Christ it was on this point: He dwelt among us. For me personally, it was not God’s awesome wonder that drew me to Him, it was His personality. His personable-ness. His personal appearance. His dwelling among us.
I can remember the very first time it struck me God had walked the earth, and it gave me chills and fear and awe to consider the possibility of having been in His literal presence. It still has that affect on me today. My heart goes to its knees before the personally-appearing love of Christ.
Gospel-author John himself gets at this point later on in his first epistle. 1 John1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
I focus on verse 1 of 1 John 1. John says they have “handled Christ with their hands.” This is not an impersonal God. Can you imagine?
- Pastor Bill
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Just One
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Have you ever longed to be the ONE in the crowd who could make a difference FOR God?
I don’t really think that is such an uncommon desire – especially among true Bible-believing Christians. After all, that is exactly what Jesus commanded us to do – make a difference in the world.
We have a couple men who are bent on making a difference right now in a very public way. We call them presidential candidates. The most profound part of their message is they both want to “change things.”
Again, that is not an uncommon desire. Most of us would like to “change things.” Only if we could.
We tend to think presidential candidates have a greater opportunity to do that – change the world that is - but I don’t think that’s true. In fact, there are NO political solutions which change the world…
But you can.
Ponder that for a moment. How can you change the world? How can I change the world?
It begins with a desire planted in your heart by Jesus Christ – not a political affiliation. Ezra is a great example of this to us.
Here we see a small man in a distant time carving out a huge part of enemy territory FOR God. The reason Ezra was successful where so many others failed is because he prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to teach others.
It does no good to teach others if you have not prepared your heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and it does little good to prepare your heart seek the Law of Lord if you have no desire to teach others. Both things must be in place to be useful to God to change the world. Your world.
Ezra focused on changing his world. He sought to affect a change in the hearts of the men and women he knew personally - his brothers and sisters. He had no idea in doing so what a profound affect he would have on the entire history of the world by preserving the Law of the Lord, one person at a time. Just one.
- Pastor Bill
Have you ever longed to be the ONE in the crowd who could make a difference FOR God?
I don’t really think that is such an uncommon desire – especially among true Bible-believing Christians. After all, that is exactly what Jesus commanded us to do – make a difference in the world.
We have a couple men who are bent on making a difference right now in a very public way. We call them presidential candidates. The most profound part of their message is they both want to “change things.”
Again, that is not an uncommon desire. Most of us would like to “change things.” Only if we could.
We tend to think presidential candidates have a greater opportunity to do that – change the world that is - but I don’t think that’s true. In fact, there are NO political solutions which change the world…
But you can.
Ponder that for a moment. How can you change the world? How can I change the world?
It begins with a desire planted in your heart by Jesus Christ – not a political affiliation. Ezra is a great example of this to us.
Here we see a small man in a distant time carving out a huge part of enemy territory FOR God. The reason Ezra was successful where so many others failed is because he prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to teach others.
It does no good to teach others if you have not prepared your heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and it does little good to prepare your heart seek the Law of Lord if you have no desire to teach others. Both things must be in place to be useful to God to change the world. Your world.
Ezra focused on changing his world. He sought to affect a change in the hearts of the men and women he knew personally - his brothers and sisters. He had no idea in doing so what a profound affect he would have on the entire history of the world by preserving the Law of the Lord, one person at a time. Just one.
- Pastor Bill
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Do It for Me
Ezra 5:1 Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.
The job was going undone.
The people had faded from the original assignment God had stirred their souls to perform. In chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Ezra, we read of how the Lord had called His people out of Babylon after 70 years of exile. They had left everything behind to follow after their hearts – just as God had called them to do.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, they encountered negatives which undid everything God had called for. In the first case, they found piles of destruction and rubble which made it impossible to conceive of ever cleaning up the mess left behind in the destruction of Jerusalem 70 years earlier, and in the second case they found themselves opposed by an unlikely source – those who had supposedly wanted to help them rebuild the temple.
Zerubbabel and Jeshua had wisely rebuffed the efforts of the Samaritans to lend a hand. (We can only suppose what might have happened had they allowed the Samaritans to join in the work.)
Well, it became pretty clear after they were rebuffed. The Samaritans became a thorn in the side of those called to build the House of God, discouraging the people, and even going as far as hiring professional counselors, (see lawyers,) to oppose their building efforts at every turn. We can just imagine those lawyers rearranging the zoning laws and over-turning building permits and so on and so forth. (Sounds very modern, doesn’t it?)
In the face of all the negativity the people simply wore down and wore out. They got as far as completing the foundation of God’s House, and then they simply quit. Too much opposition…For 20 years, the foundation of the Temple rested, waiting.
But is anything too hard for God? We ALWAYS have to remember what we have been told to DO.
The place for prophets of God is with the people, helping them. In this office and in this practice we find both Haggai and Zechariah, amidst the people who had returned to Jerusalem with a job to do for God. In all this opposition, God says, “Remember Me?”
- Pastor Bill
The job was going undone.
The people had faded from the original assignment God had stirred their souls to perform. In chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Ezra, we read of how the Lord had called His people out of Babylon after 70 years of exile. They had left everything behind to follow after their hearts – just as God had called them to do.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, they encountered negatives which undid everything God had called for. In the first case, they found piles of destruction and rubble which made it impossible to conceive of ever cleaning up the mess left behind in the destruction of Jerusalem 70 years earlier, and in the second case they found themselves opposed by an unlikely source – those who had supposedly wanted to help them rebuild the temple.
Zerubbabel and Jeshua had wisely rebuffed the efforts of the Samaritans to lend a hand. (We can only suppose what might have happened had they allowed the Samaritans to join in the work.)
Well, it became pretty clear after they were rebuffed. The Samaritans became a thorn in the side of those called to build the House of God, discouraging the people, and even going as far as hiring professional counselors, (see lawyers,) to oppose their building efforts at every turn. We can just imagine those lawyers rearranging the zoning laws and over-turning building permits and so on and so forth. (Sounds very modern, doesn’t it?)
In the face of all the negativity the people simply wore down and wore out. They got as far as completing the foundation of God’s House, and then they simply quit. Too much opposition…For 20 years, the foundation of the Temple rested, waiting.
But is anything too hard for God? We ALWAYS have to remember what we have been told to DO.
The place for prophets of God is with the people, helping them. In this office and in this practice we find both Haggai and Zechariah, amidst the people who had returned to Jerusalem with a job to do for God. In all this opposition, God says, “Remember Me?”
- Pastor Bill
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Resurrection
It has been well-said that unless there is a death, there can be no resurrection.
This applies first and foremost in the life of Jesus Christ. We have recently studied the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the meaning of both of those events is of paramount importance to each one of us – as well as to all the people who have ever lived on the face of the earth.
But this also applies in ministry. One of the first things that must take place in a life in ministry is a death. (The death to the flesh of the minister.) Sometimes this may take years. But before a life of ministry can arise, the death of the flesh must take place. There must be death to pride and ambition. Death to striving and seeking. Death to emotional response which obscures truth. Death to attraction to the world. When this death to self has occurred, the Lord Himself brings about a resurrection, and in that resurrection there lives a newness in ministry in which God alone is glorified. God will not share His glory with any man.
In the Book of Ezra we are bearing witness to another resurrection of sorts. The nation of Judah has all but been destroyed for its insolence before God. Jerusalem has been completely destroyed as a city of flesh, ground under for its falling away in idolatry and fleshly practices and abominations. In order for Jerusalem to be raised again, a death had to take place.
For 70 years, the people learned a hard lesson in exile. But now, in the spring season, there is a new life stirring again in the ashes of destruction. God is working. God is arranging. God is doing everything He said He would do. He is resurrecting His people from a tattered remnant.
Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
Just as God raised His own Son, He can raise a people - and He will raise you. The Lord is in the business of resurrection. There is nothing too hard for the Lord.
- Pastor Bill
This applies first and foremost in the life of Jesus Christ. We have recently studied the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the meaning of both of those events is of paramount importance to each one of us – as well as to all the people who have ever lived on the face of the earth.
But this also applies in ministry. One of the first things that must take place in a life in ministry is a death. (The death to the flesh of the minister.) Sometimes this may take years. But before a life of ministry can arise, the death of the flesh must take place. There must be death to pride and ambition. Death to striving and seeking. Death to emotional response which obscures truth. Death to attraction to the world. When this death to self has occurred, the Lord Himself brings about a resurrection, and in that resurrection there lives a newness in ministry in which God alone is glorified. God will not share His glory with any man.
In the Book of Ezra we are bearing witness to another resurrection of sorts. The nation of Judah has all but been destroyed for its insolence before God. Jerusalem has been completely destroyed as a city of flesh, ground under for its falling away in idolatry and fleshly practices and abominations. In order for Jerusalem to be raised again, a death had to take place.
For 70 years, the people learned a hard lesson in exile. But now, in the spring season, there is a new life stirring again in the ashes of destruction. God is working. God is arranging. God is doing everything He said He would do. He is resurrecting His people from a tattered remnant.
Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 3 Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem. 4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
Just as God raised His own Son, He can raise a people - and He will raise you. The Lord is in the business of resurrection. There is nothing too hard for the Lord.
- Pastor Bill
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