Holy Holy Holy

 

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.  Revelation 4:2

This is a dark world.  On every hand the evil that is prevalent in our day attempts to push Jesus to the side; we trivialize the Gospel.  When John looked at the throne, one thing he noticed was that there was only room for ONE. 

This is a solitary seat.  There is only one Jesus! 

People try to include Jesus in their life.  They try to make room for Him among other things.  The reality is that Jesus IS life.  You don't make room for breathing -- it happens, or you don't! 

There is another, lesser throne.  It is the one in each of our hearts.  There is also room for only one.  The problem with sitting on that throne yourself is that the responsibility is too big.  It is so big, that the shadow it casts blocks out any view of God. 

The Old Testament story of Jacob illustrates this^[1].  Jacob was second in line to his father's estate, but he decided to push the issue.  He sat on the throne and called the shots.  Eventually, he messed up and had to leave the very place he'd called home. 

Years later he came back home, but not until he wrestled with this issue of who's in charge.  One night he wrestled with the angel of the Lord, and Jacob finally said, I'm not leaving this place, or letting go of you until the matter of who's going to sit on the throne of my heart is settled. 

In that pre-dawn struggle, Jacob got himself off the throne of his heart, and allowed God control.  And once Jacob got himself out of the way, he could see the glory of the Lord. 

There is a great hymn of the church that helps keep me from crawling back on that throne in my own heart:

  Holy, holy, holy!  tho' the darkness hide Thee,

  Tho' the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

  Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

  Perfect in pow'r, in love, and purity.

For You Today

With your heart and voice and life as one, put away the sinful eye of man; see that there is none but Jesus Who should sit on the throne of your heart!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day! 

---

[1] Genesis 32:22-28

[1] Title Image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

Today’s devotion was first published October 29, 2013

God's Holy Mountain

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.  Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!  And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.  Her people will be a source of joy.  I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people.  And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more.  “No longer will babies die when only a few days old.  No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life.  No longer will people be considered old at one hundred!  Only the cursed will die that young!  In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards.  Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards.  For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.  They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune.  For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed.  I will answer them before they even call to me.  While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!  The wolf and the lamb will feed together.  The lion will eat hay like a cow.  But the snakes will eat dust.  In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”  Isaiah 65:17-25

The theme of my ministry has always centered on The Surrendered Life.  By this I mean the entryway into living in right relationship with God is predicated on Jesus’ words to his followers to deny self, take up the cross, and follow me. [1]  Absent of that surrender there can be no Christian, no salvation, no possibility of pleasing God, for obediently bowing (surrendering) is the essence of worship.

Admittedly I spend most of my writing/preaching/counselling ministry exploring the many ways we surrender to honor God.  But there are times when I’m caught up short by one of the prophets earnestly painting the surreal picture of the eschaton, God’s hand sweeping an end to the constraints of time, space, and the veil that separates us from His holy presence. And, those are the special moments that make surrender different than some agonizing duty; it makes surrendering to Christ’s will the prelude to a wonderful dessert after a hearty meal.

Isaiah’s depiction of God’s holy mountain and prayers answered before they’re even a thought in our heads, vineyards, long life, and more, are an oasis of rest amid the surrender.  It is the graduation day of life.  It is the fulfillment of everything for which God’s heart yearns, and our hearts were created.  It is the restoration of Eden, and better!  It is no longer just being saved from sin’s penalty and power – it is the realization of the edge of eternity, where even sin’s presence has been sent packing! 

THAT is a holy mountain!

For You Today

Join me in celebrating a moment of gazing at God’s holy mountain, full of everything that makes being alive worthwhile.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day! 

Go to VIDEO

Title Image:  Pixabay.com  Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For another post on Psalm 65 (and 87) see God's Much-Loved Hills

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[1] Luke 9:23

The Disciplined Christian Life

[1] 

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you.  And now that I am away, it is even more important.  Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.  For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you.  Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.  Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.  But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.  Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.  Philippians 2:12-18

The diligent Christian life may seem rather dull by worldly standards.  TV or the big screens, novels, and current media trends show exciting stuff as what makes for a great life, going here and there, being powerful and noticed often on Facebook, or being the best looking, richest, or most influential in today’s culture.   By comparison with worldly standards a Jesus follower is tame and judged boring.

Question:  Can the world ever get things more wrong?

Now it’s obvious that the church, imperfect as it is, doesn’t always get things right, but the message of the Head of the Church is one of peace and life, not violence and death.  The so-called more interesting life according to worldly standards has quite the opposite message.  We live in a time of unprecedented (and escalating) violence and anger.  A news report listed a total of 11,843 homicides from 1999-2016, an average of nearly 700 deaths by shooting per year.

By comparison, the disciplined Christian life is a study in the opposite of self-interest, personal pleasure, and getting angry if you don’t get what you want.   Rather, it is a preoccupation with preserving and protecting life, and being gentle with others always, even if you must give up your “rights” to do so.  Here is how the Head of the church stated that categorically:

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:29

For You Today

The disciplined Christian life may seem tame, unassuming and less than scintillating to the worldly mind.  However, it is hardly boring to the one who gives self over to Christ, has his mind opened to the Master, who, in His beauty and majesty, is powerfully changing the future into a time where lambs can lie down with the lions, and swords will be beaten into plowshares[1]. 

That, for any violence-weary mind, is as exciting as it gets!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

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[1] Title Image:   Pixabay.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

[2] Micah 4:3 & Isaiah 2:4

The Best Man Gives the Toast

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

It’s a daily struggle to put into practice what John the Baptist knew even before the cross – that, for Jesus to be lifted up to the ends of the earth, his followers must decrease, or deny self.

And it must be our joy to do so.

When John’s disciples saw the popularity of Jesus blossoming, and their own ministry beginning to take a back seat, they questioned the Baptist about what to do.  John’s explanation was a “Jesus-like” metaphor.  He told them the one who has the bride is the true groom.  He said to his followers; think of me as the best man, the guy who stands next to the groom, ready to give the toast!

Can you raise a glass?

We live in a world that places a high importance on winning, being first.  Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, is quoted as saying winning isn’t everything…it’s the only thing! 

In a world where people will do anything for that “15 minutes of first-place fame”…

·        Try out (badly) for American Idol

·        Post outlandish photos on Facebook

·        Party like tomorrow doesn’t matter….

….suggesting someone should take a back seat to anyone doesn’t get much traction. 

But, for the Christian it is the key to everything in the Kingdom.

In marriage, which is the metaphor John the Baptist chose to define the church’s relationship with Christ, when the wife (or husband) chooses to “decrease” by lifting up her spouse, putting the husband first, elevating her love to serve and bless her life’s mate, the appropriate response of the husband is to elevate his wife even higher.  Frankly, I have never met a married woman who wasn’t thrilled with her marriage if the man she was married to was willing to die for her!

Such is the way the bride of Christ and her Lord live.  As the church lifts up Jesus, God causes the church to shine, which in turn lets the world see the beauty of Christ.

Today

The Book of Common Prayer has a very “pray-able” petition for us to lift up:

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

The prayer asks that we might shine – so that the world might see….Jesus!

Shine, church – let the world see your LORD!

Holy, Holy, Holy

This is a dark world.  On every hand the evil that is prevalent in our day attempts to push Jesus to the side; we trivialize the Gospel.  When John looked at the throne, one thing he noticed was that there was only room for ONE. 

This is a solitary seat.  There is only one Jesus! 

People try to include Jesus in their life.  They try to make room for Him among other things.  The reality is that Jesus IS life.  You don't make room for breathing -- it happens, or you don't! 

There is another, lesser throne.  It is the one in each of our hearts.  There is also room for only one.  The problem with sitting on that throne yourself is that the responsibility is too big.  It is so big, that the shadow it casts blocks out any view of God. 

The Old Testament story of Jacob illustrates this[1].  Jacob was second in line to his father's estate, but he decided to push the issue.  He sat on the throne and called the shots.  Eventually, he messed up and had to leave the very place he'd called home. 

Years later he came back home, but not until he wrestled with this issue of who's in charge.  One night he wrestled with the angel of the Lord, and Jacob finally said, I'm not leaving this place, or letting go of you until the matter of who's going to sit on the throne of my heart is settled. 

In that pre-dawn struggle, Jacob got himself off the throne of his heart, and allowed God control.  And once Jacob got himself out of the way, he could see the glory of the Lord. 

There is a great hymn of the church that helps keep me from crawling back on that throne in my own heart:

  Holy, holy, holy!  tho' the darkness hide Thee,

  Tho' the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

  Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

  Perfect in pow'r, in love, and purity.

Today

With your heart and voice and life as one, put away the sinful eye of man; see that there is none but Jesus Who should sit on the throne of your heart!

---

[1] Genesis 32:22-28