Union with Christ

I'm currently reading The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee and while it's not what I would call an easy, light read, it certainly is thought provoking.  This morning's read was particularly good:

For by baptism we acknowledge in a figure that God has wrought an intimate union between ourselves and Christ in this matter of death and resurrection.  One day I was seeking to emphasize to a Christian brother the intimacy of this union.  We happened to be drinking tea together, so I took a lump of sugar and stirred it into my tea.  A couple of minutes later I asked, "Can you tell me where the sugar is now, and where the tea?"  "No," he said, "you have put them together and the one has become lost in the other; they cannot now be separated."  It was a simple illustration, but it helped him to see the intimacy and the finality of our union with Christ in death.  It is God that has put us there, and God's acts cannot be reversed.

I love that.  God has put us there - it is not something we have done.  He has decided before time  began who would be in the Book of Life.  And God's acts cannot be reversed.  In other words, He doesn't make mistakes.  So there is no sense in questioning our salvation.  It's been decided.  It's not something we can change, ruin or destroy.  This fact brings me so much joy and comfort.  It's like a fountain bubbling up from the ground.  And that's where our joy originates from - the fact that we are a chosen people, protected and loved.  Amen.

Satan's Lie

How important are our intentions?  Does it matter why we do good things?  If we are Christians and doing what we believe is God-pleasing, isn't that all that matters?  Or is that one of the ploys of Satan?  John Piper points out in his article "Don't Go Back From Sonship to Slavery" that Satan often uses morality in the form of self-righteousness as a tool in the war against us..................


Satan does not care if you try to keep the ten commandments, provided that you take the credit for keeping them. In fact, he will assist your moral resolve if you will do it that way. Satan does not mind if you come to church, or teach Sunday School, or preach, or work for the freeze, or lobby for a human life bill, or seek prayer in the schools—he's all in favor of whatever your moral agenda is, provided you rely on yourself instead of the Spirit of Christ and take credit for it yourself instead of humbly giving all glory to God. So do not be unprepared. Our adversary has a clever scheme by which he aims to ruin us and the church.

I know I fall into this category often.  Perhaps it's a weakness found in western culture - particularly this country.  After all, we just celebrated Independence Day, did we not?  We give high esteem to independence - as a country, as a society, as individuals.  "Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps" is a saying certainly revered in western culture.  Feminism was undoubtedly a program started by Satan.  But contrary to contemporary belief, it wasn't started back in the 1960's by Gloria Steinem.  It was started in the Garden of Eden by the 'serpent of old'(Rev 12:9).  We can make decisions on our own, live life on our own, do good deeds on our own, and as long as we are "good,"  God shall be pleased with us.  Except we forget we cannot be "good."  Not on our own.  We can do good deeds, say nice things and look good to others, but when compared to God, we will never be good.  Satan will have us believe otherwise and so we must be careful not to fall into his trap. ALL the credit goes to the One who gave His life for us.  And without His blood covering us, we are only filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  Thank you, Jesus.

Our Substitute

The Son of God died instead of us for our forgiveness: he lives instead of us for our deliverance.  So we can speak of two substitutions -  a Substitute on the Cross who secures our forgiveness and a Substitute within who secures our victory.

Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life




 

There ARE Absolutes

by James Robison

Almost every daily newspaper and newscast reveals a blatant disregard of God’s Word, eternal truth, and undeniable principles. This week alone we have witnessed assaults on our First Amendment rights which protect freedom of speech, religion, and the press from government interference, as well as evidence of deceptive cover-ups in the Benghazi attack, the IRS targeting conservative non-profits, and disregard for the sanctity of life as exhibited by Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s murders in his abortion clinic. Did you think you would ever witness such damaging practices, troubling trends, and apparent indifference?

The consequences of such actions are grave. The fact is we do not actually break God’s laws or scientific laws. We defy them and doing so ultimately breaks us. Many Americans believe the only absolute is “there are no absolutes.”
Over 10 years ago, I wrote The Absolutes: Freedom’s Only Hope. I was inspired to write it by observing a nation drowning in a sea of relativism. The brilliant contemporary philosopher Ravi Zacharias said while lecturing at Harvard, Oxford and other major venues throughout the world, “The pure relativist cuts off the branch on which he is sitting while telling you the branch cannot be severed. The landing is mind-shattering.” How true. Nevertheless, relativism has gained currency in our society, greatly weakening our foundations.
Absolutes, however, do not change over time. They are not made to fit our circumstances. Instead, we must remake our thinking to conform to these truths. We must continually remind ourselves and others of the importance of moral and biblical absolutes.
Here are some of the pressing realities we faced then and face even more urgently now. These are major problem areas, which should lead to focused, prayerful attention. We are in serious trouble for many reasons:

• For many years, national leaders have lacked the character necessary to make wise decisions.
• Radical partisanship prevails at the expense of the people and our best interests.
• Comfort and economic prosperity has become more important than principled living.
• Human compassion for the suffering is lacking—and this in no way refers to the “take and distribute” mentality with no compassionate connection or hands-on involvement.
• Our intelligence and protection agencies fail to safeguard our security because of bureaucratic tendencies to protect their “turf,” thereby short-circuiting clear communication and cooperation.
• Spiritual and eternal values are blatantly sacrificed on the altar of selfish material pursuits.
• Protecting innocence and the innocent has become an object of scorn.

The absolutes I shared in my book remain undeniably important as necessary first principles.
1. Evil is a horrible and present reality. The reality of evil exposes the bankruptcy of relativism. As G.K. Chesterton appropriately said, “Unless a man become the enemy of evil, he will not even become its slave but rather its champion.” The ability to recognize and discern worldviews is one of our most important responsibilities and requires wisdom that can only come from God.
2. Ideas have consequences. Every belief system will ultimately bear fruit—and the fruit will be consistent with the root from which it comes. It is time to take an honest look at the consequences of our ideas and practices. C. S. Lewis rightly said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
3. We are spiritual beings. To ignore our spiritual nature is to deprive ourselves of what makes us most essentially human. To deny the existence of God is to set our minds at war against our hearts. God exists, and He created us with the capacity to know Him.
4. The majority is not always right. History—both secular and biblical—demonstrates that the majority is not always right. Democracy without responsible, principled, self-governing citizens will lead to “mob-ocracy.”
5. Truth withstands debate. We can agree to disagree, but we must reaffirm our commitment to freedom of speech. Only then will truth be given a voice and the opportunity to transform society. Truth is much like a lion, turn it loose and it always defends itself. Thomas Paine said, “Such is the irresistible nature of truth that all it wishes, and all it needs, is the liberty of appearing.”
6. People matter most. Every life is worth affirming, enabling and protecting. The Apostle Paul said in reference to the second of Christ’s great commandments, “Love your neighbor as yourself – herein is all the law fulfilled in a word.” It is very important to note, the Bible has stern warnings for nations guilty of shedding innocent blood.
7. Greed destroys. Self-serving greed is the animating power behind pride, vengeance and prejudice. Unchecked, it wreaks havoc in the world. Fruitfulness, success and prosperity create productivity and opportunity and this is positive, but “the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.”
8. Character counts. More important than what we say or do in the public eye is what we are like when no one else is around. We must present ourselves to God so that we are not conformed to this world, but transformed by the power of His kingdom presence.
9. Sex is a great gift that must be protected. The breakdown in sexual morality and practices has hurt or destroyed countless people, relationships and families. This is one of the most compelling evidences of the impact ideas and beliefs have on our quality of life.
10. Strong families are the cornerstone of society. When families break down, so do people. We must be diligent to keep our families solid and strong. Homes must be established on the rock solid foundation of Biblical truth.
11. Equality is not sameness. The cause of justice is made all the more essential by our differences in aptitude, motivation and ability. God made no two people, no two fingerprints, and no two snowflakes the same. Difference and diversity are beautiful qualities. Attempts to make all people the same abolish personal responsibility, creativity and positive progress.
12. If government doesn’t serve, it will enslave. We must be vigilant to keep the blessings of government within their proper bounds lest they come to dominate the whole of our lives. When the people depend upon government for their sustenance, the population is in bondage. Government has nothing it does not first take or receive from the people. Effective government must be controlled and properly maintained by people who are inspired, informed and involved.
13. Religion can be dangerous, but repentance is redemptive. Mere religion is a poor substitute for a relationship with the living God, made possible through true repentance and the transforming power of God’s grace. Membership is too often substituted for relationship.
14. Servanthood is the key to success and significance. At no other time than when we serve others do our meaning and purpose in life become so clear. Jesus said, “The greatest among you is servant.” We experience life fully when we release it freely in order to bless and benefit others.
15. Love conquers all. Love never fails. Ultimately, it can overcome every obstacle and solve every dilemma. The love of God expressed through us is the only power that can overcome the destructive forces of hatred, anger, unforgiveness and human decadence.
16. The absolutes have a source. There are many other absolutes—and they have been forthrightly revealed to us throughout the ages. Time-tested, historical principles can be found in the Bible, which is the word of God. It has been well-said, “The Bible is not the only means to furnish a mind, but without it…a mind will remain unfurnished.”
Permit me to close with these words from our Father in heaven:
“My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him.
“Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Wisdom will save you…” (Proverbs 2:1-16, NLT)
I encourage you to read The Absolutes. It seems even more relevant today than when I wrote it. You can order it online right now. I think you’ll agree with me that the truths presented are timeless and essential

Muslims in America

I was sent the spam article below this morning and I want to express my anger and disdain over this type of "article."  It is hateful, racist and spawns acts of hate and violence.  I am a Christian and while I don't agree with Islam - or Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, etc. -  I do believe that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves and also love our enemies - and this piece of trash shows no love whatsoever.  Now I'm not one of those who sticks their head in the ground and believes the world is going to be all rosy and we'll join hands one day to sing kum-ba-yah, but I do believe that Jesus loved everyone and expects his disciples to do the same.  By loving and living the life Jesus taught us to live, we will be able to witness to the lost in the most effective way.  And if I get blown up in the process, then I will be with my Lord and Savior that much sooner.

Not all Christians practice Christianity.  Not all Jews practice Judaism.  And not all Muslims practice Islam.  Or radical Islam.  There are many Muslims in this country who can, yes, be good Americans.  They came here to become part of a society that is free and for the most part, unbiased.  Are there some that are violent and hateful -  we've seen that, so yes, there are.  But let's not judge an entire group based on the ones who practice evil.   As Christians, are we to be more concerned with being an American or being a follower of Jesus Christ?  Here's the article.......................... 

  CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?????

  This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to
finish. And send it on to everyone. Maybe this is why our American
Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities.

  Can a good Muslim be a good American?

  This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia
for 20 years. The following is his reply:

  Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon god
of Arabia.

  Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah
except Islam. (Quran,2:256)(Koran)

  Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of
Islam and the Quran.

  Geographically - no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he
turns in prayer five times a day.

  Socially - no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make
friends with Christians or Jews.

  Politically - no. Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual
leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America,
the great Satan.

  Domestically - no. Because he is instructed to marry four Women and
beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him. (Quran 4:34 )

  Intellectually - no. Because he cannot accept the American
Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes
the Bible to be corrupt.

  Philosophically - no. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran does
not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam
cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or
autocratic.

  Spiritually - no. Because when we declare 'one nation under God,'
The Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred
to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran's 99
excellent names.

  Therefore, after much study and deliberation... Perhaps we should be
very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. They obviously cannot
be both 'good' Muslims and 'good' Americans. Call it what you wish
it's still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who
understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future.

  The religious war is bigger than we know or understand!

  Footnote: The Muslims have said they will destroy us from within. SO
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

  THE MARINES WANT THIS TO ROLL ALL OVER THE U.S.A.

  Please don't delete this until you send it on.

Vengeful Anger

I'm currently reading A Long Obedience In The Same Direction by Eugene Peterson and want to share a passage of it with you.  The chapter is on Psalm 129 and this particular line in scripture bears discussion by Peterson:

Oh, let all those who hate Zion grovel in humiliation;

 

The psalmist is talking about  Israel's enemies in this psalm - how they try over and over to kick Israel and keep her down, plowing long furrows in her back. But God sticks by Israel and rips the harness of the evil plowmen to shreds.  Praise the Lord!  And yet here, in the midst of this psalm, is talk of angry vengeance.  And here is how Peterson sees it.............

We can't excuse the psalmist for getting angry on the grounds that he was not yet a Christian, for he had Leviticus to read:  "You shall not hate your brother in your heart . . .  You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev 10:17-18).  And he had Exodus:  "If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass going astray, you shall bring it back to him.  If you see the ass of one who hates you lying undet its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall help him to lift it up" (Ex 23:4-5).  And he had Proverbs:  "Don't laugh when your enemy falls; don't crow over his collapse" (Prov 24:17).  When Jesus said "Love your enemies," he add nothing to what this psalmist already had before him.

So we will not make excuses for the psalmist's vindictiveness.  What we will do is admire its energy. For it is apathetic, sluggish neutrality that is death to perseverance, acts like a virus in the bloodstream and enervates the muscles of discipleship.  The person who makes excuses for hypocrites and rationalizes the excesses of the wicked, who loses a sense of opposition to sin, who obscures the difference between faith and denial, grace and selfishness - THAT is the person to be wary of.  For if there is not all that much difference between the way of faith and the ways of the world, there isn't much use in making any effort to stick to it. 

We drift on the tides of convenience.  We float on fashions.  It is regarding the things we care about that we are capable of expressing anger.  A parent sees a child dart out into a roadway and narrowly miss being hit by a car, and angrily yells at the child, at the driver - at both.  The anger may not be the most appropriate expression of concern, but it is evidence of concern.  Indifference would be inhuman.

And so here.  The psalms are not sung by perfect pilgrims.  The pilgrims of old made their mistakes, just as we make ours.  Perseverance does not mean "perfection."  It means that we keep going.  We do not quit when we find that we are not yet mature and there is a long journey still before us.  We get caught yelling at our wives, at our husbands, at our friends, at our employers, at our employees, at our children.  Our yelling (though not all of it!) means we care about something:  we care about God; we care about the ways of the kingdom; we care about morality, about justice, about righteousness.  The way of faith centers and absorbs our lives, and when someone makes the way difficult, throws stumbling blocks in the path of the innocent, creates difficulties for those young in faith and unpracticed in obedience, there is anger:  "Oh, let all those who hate Zion grovel in humiliation!"

For perseverance is not resignation, putting up with things the way they are, staying in the same old rut year after year after year, or being a doormat for people to wipe their feet on.  Endurance is not a desperate hanging on but a traveling from strength to strength.  There is nothing fatigued or humdrum in Isaiah, nothing flatfooted in Jesus, nothing jejune in Paul.  Perseverance is triumphant and alive. 

The psalmist lived among prophets and priests who dealt with his vindictive spirit and nurtured him toward a better way of treating the wicked than calling down curses on them, learning what Charles Williams once described as the "passion of patience."  We are in a similar apprenticship.  But we will not learn it by swallowing our sense of outrage on the one hand or, on the other, excusing all wickedness as a neurosis. We will do it by offering up our anger to God, who trains us in creative love.

Not an Idle Word

 

April 26, 2013   James RobisonColumns

 

Stop a moment and consider the words of God after writing His commandments with a finger of fire on tablets of stone, the first of which and the one all others ultimately depend upon is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Please take very seriously the words found in Deuteronomy 32:46-47: “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”
Just as Old Testament Israelites did, Americans have experienced Promised Land blessings. Our national anthem declares we are to be known as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Prolonging our days with the blessings only freedom makes possible depends upon the response of God’s church to the demands being made in this hour by those who reject the truth. Truth revealed by nature’s God and nature’s law. And this is just the beginning, hopefully, not the beginning of the end.
The church of Jesus Christ will either take a stand on God’s irrefutable truth, or witness the fall of our once great nation. The enemy of truth and father of lies has drawn his line in the sand and demands America choose whom they will serve. Will we refuse the promises of another Pharaoh to care for us as his dependent servant slaves, or take an even more foolish step by accepting another controlling force like Nebuchadnezzar? Remember, he not only required servanthood, but demanded that people worship his idols or face the fiery furnace.
Such are the threats against the church – ministers, pastors, priests, and any who refuse to compromise God’s call to put a trumpet to their lips, proclaiming truth and true liberty throughout the land. The church and her leaders now face the choice of bowing before the demands and gods of this world, or as the three Hebrew children did, refuse to bend, bow, or break regardless of any threats. They experienced firsthand the supernatural power of the fourth man in the midst of the fire and did not even smell of smoke. They were in fact a sweet smelling aroma in the nostrils of a holy and loving God. Count me in with them.
We must not stand by and accept the demands of Bible-denying, truth-denying, unprincipled people, however great their numbers who try to force us to participate or approve voting idols into high places throughout the land, the churches, or into law. The same-sex marriage issue is far bigger than giving people special rights and protection which the law already guarantees and which God’s people would certainly support. No one should be mistreated, even if we believe they make poor choices and participate in what scripture deems unwholesome. The fact is we are being asked to “change the truth into a lie” rather than flee idolatry and are being manipulated to embrace and exalt idolatry into national law. The American people are being asked to vote for idolatry, accept it, embrace it, and approve it. They are expected to call what is clearly unnatural “natural” and encourage people to live as prisoners to their own appetites whatever they may be: smoking pot, abusing drugs, engaging in extreme sexual practices – ultimately anything goes. This is where the nation is headed unless people who love God, His Word, and their neighbors take a stand against this tsunami of immorality.
I just left the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) in Miami with over of 41,000 member churches. My close friend Samuel Rodriguez is the president of that vitally important Christian faith group. He preached “The Lamb’s Agenda” at last year’s “Under God, INDIVISIBLE” conference which I was privileged to host. It is now a published book being read and shared rapidly. For two days I listened to these concerned leaders and I spoke to this important church group. Immigration reform was one of the hot topics discussed, which included securing and protecting our borders. Corrective actions must be clearly defined and a wise, appropriate, compassionate approach must be put in place to deal with undocumented workers. I challenged the pastors to exhort and encourage the undocumented who profess faith to lead the way. Those who came over for right reasons but without legal documents should volunteer to be the first in line to come clean and admit what they have done even if someone helped them get dishonest papers. They should openly and willingly volunteer to pay the necessary fines and accept the penalties required to make it right. I told the NHCLC leaders that I would join them challenging all who have employed the undocumented workers to rightly acknowledge their role and not only pay their own fines, but offer to assist those workers. Fines and penalties must be within reason as there is wrongdoing on both sides of the border. I emphasized that the employer is the one best qualified to help identify skilled workers who are committed to their families and to the freedom found in this great nation. The employer recognizes the character necessary to accomplish worthwhile goals and assignments. Both parties must be involved in the process to gain permits in line with the demands of effective immigration reform guidelines.
Positive progress toward these ends is in sight, but people who are totally united together in lockstep and committed to their own idolatrous goals are discussing attaching same-sex marriage approval to immigration reform legislation. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), who is the Judiciary Committee Chairman, has sponsored the deceptively-titled Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), which guarantees citizenship for the “permanent partners” of homosexual citizens. He has indicated that he will push to amend the immigration bill with this piece of gay activist legislation as early as next week. This crafty move will most likely lead to court challenges to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and force every state to legalize gay marriage.
We can expect attachments by the same-sex activists to begin polluting all legislation, especially if it is legitimately important and meaningful to the American people. Whatever they have to do to accomplish their goals, they will never waiver. For example, if Senator Leahy amends the immigration bill to satisfy gay activists, they will be saying, “If you want reform for immigrants, you must also accept same-sex marriage in this bill.” They will be insisting for the sake of 11 million people, citizens, including those who profess faith in God and His Word, must compromise biblical truth and undeniable principles in order for the immigration bill to pass.
Believers are faced with a choice. Pastors, church members, and those they influence must choose whom they will bow before and serve. The choice is clear however muddled some may try to make it. The issue is much bigger than the enemy of truth wants you to believe, far bigger. Idolatry will always challenge our citizens on their personal journey, each one of us. But are we as a nation going to vote idolatry on the throne? Whatever people, parties, and practices in our day demand, will we approve it either by our consent or by our silence? Or will those who profess faith in Christ stand with as much commitment and unity as those who oppose irrefutable, undeniable, biblical truth? Never has the call of Christ and His prayer for unity among believers been more urgently important. We must be one with the Father and perfected in unity with one another.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.