Through the Looking Glass

Exulting in the Lord (Pt. 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:36:00 +0000

In Psalm 21:1 David says something very interesting. "Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!" This statement has some interesting implications.

First of all what does it mean to exult in God's strength? Well to exult means to show or feel a lively or triumphant joy; rejoice exceedingly; be highly elated or jubilant. So to exult in God's strength would be to rejoice exceedingly in or be highly elated about the fact that God is strong. At first this could seem kind of strange, but in the end it makes perfect sense.

What would cause us to rejoice in the strength of God? Well, if God is strong enough (and the bible says he is all-powerful) He can do whatever he wants. If He can do whatever He wants that means He has the power to do us good or harm. Now, if God loves us (which the Bible says he does) it follows that he will most likely do us good. Therefore if we connect God's strength with His love and goodness we see that He will work all things together for those whom he has loved and called (Romans 8:28).

Therefore, when we exult in the strength of God, we are exulting in the fact that God is powerful, good, and loving. As we exult in God we magnify His greatness. We say, "God, You are great because You have power beyond all comprehension, because You are not limited by anything, because You are able to do all things according to Your will. Thank you that You are great! You are worthy of all praise and glory because You are a good God, you give undeserved gifts to Your children who you have adopted in love. Thank you that You are good! You are a God above all other gods. Thank you that You are above all other gods!" When we do this, our joy is maximized.

You see, God created us for the sole purpose of ascribing glory to Him. As we saw earlier, when we exult in the strength of God, we glorify God, and therefore fulfill our purpose. But do you remember what exult means (to rejoice exceedingly; to be highly elated)? If we are exulting in something we are receiving great joy from it. The amount of joy we receive from something, in which we exult, is relative to the object in which we are exulting. Therefore, when I exult in a cup of coffee (which I do quite often), I am receiving a large amount of joy, but when I exult in God, I am experiencing infinitely more joy, because God is infinitely more valuable than coffee. I find the greatest joy in life, when I exult in God, and more specifically, in His strength.

As the Psalmist exulted in the strength of the Lord, so should we, for in doing so we honor God, and find the joy that we were made to know.

Heaven and the Glory of the Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:19:00 +0000

"Moses said, 'Please show me your glory.' And he said, 'I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name "The Lord." ...'But,' he said, 'you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.' And the Lord said, 'Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.'" (Exodus 33:18-23).

I have found this passage interesting in the past, however, this time through I found a very significant personal application of this verse to my own life.

While reading this section I felt my heart yearn, like Moses, to see God's glory. To behold his wondrous beauty and holiness. To taste and see that He is good (Psalms 34:8). This has been a desire of my heart for a while now, but even more so now as I re-read this passage.

As I thought about this I realized that though now I cannot see God's unveiled and complete glory, one day I will. In heaven we shall God in all his blazing splendor and majesty. We will gaze upon the One who created and saved us. We will see his undefiled perfection, and we will glory in the greatness of His glory. Not only this but we will do this for eternity. Just like the old hymn says, "When we've been there, ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise, than when we first begun."

For me this puts a whole new perspective on heaven. What an awesome hope and promise: we get to see God's glory, not just the edge but the whole, forever. We will never have to stop gazing at the grandeur of our God, and we will never have to stop praising Him for His greatness. Hallelujah!

A Treasured Possession

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:31:00 +0000

While reading my Bible tonight, I found something amazing. In Exodus 19:5 it says, "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples." I have read this passage many times over but it never really jumped out at me. Tonight, however, I saw it in a completely different light.

Usually when I see verses about Old Testament covenants where God says He will love Israel if the people do such-and-such, I kind of blow it off thinking that because of the new covenant in Christ those sort of promises are not really for us today. However, I believe that there is application of this promise for us today, in fact, there are even greater implications for us than there were for the nation of Israel.

God tells the people that if they obey Him and keep His covenant, they will become His treasured possession. Every person who has ever lived has disobey God and broken His covenant. I have, multiple times just today. By His grace we can be forgiven of every sin, but according to the promise we are to obey to get the blessing.

When Christ lived on earth, he did not sin. In everything He did He obeyed His Father, He kept the covenant. When we come as hopeless sinners to throne of God and place our faith in Christ for salvation, not only does God forgive us of our sin, but He credits Christ's righteousness to us. So when we are justified by God, He sees us as He sees His Son: righteous, having always obeyed and kept the covenant.

Therefore, when we come to faith in Christ, we become the treasured possession of God. He loves us like no other. We are His treasure. What a hope, and what a promise.

Seeking the Face of God

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:50:00 +0000

This Sunday at church our pastor, Allen Snapp, preached an outstanding message on seeking the face of God. I was extremely convicted and provoked by what he shared and wanted to share it with you. I strongly recommend taking the time to listen to it. It is a message that will challenge you where you are, in a good way. If you can't listen to it I would still recommend reading the manuscript which is posted along with the mp3. It will be worth your while.

Click here to access the sermon.

Renewing Your Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 00:10:00 +0000

I have recently started working at our local community college in the bookstore. I am the guy who does whatever needs doing, specifically related to stocking the bookshelves. I have definitely realized why people like the weekend so much. Being at the bookstore has provided a healthy exposure to the world, but, as I have taken stock of my heart, I have seen my susceptibility to the messages and attitudes of the world that are presented to me throughout the week. How is it that I can keep my eyes on God and biblical truth in these situations?

In Romans 12:2 Paul says "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..."It would be so easy for me to be conformed to the image of the world in my situation and yet the Romans were probably in a similar situation: constantly exposed to and tempted by the things of the world. Paul wrote this as a warning as well as an encouragement. There is always the potential for us to be conformed to the image of this world, if we are not being conformed to the image of Christ, by the renewal of our minds. How do we renew our minds?

We can renew our minds through reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture. I daily need to intake the Word of God that I might renew my mind against the influence of the world, but often just reading my Bible in the morning isn't enough. I so often forget and lose sight of the truths that I read each morning that it is helpful for me to take further steps so that I can be renewing my mind throughout the day. Studying certain passages often helps them stick in my head better, and provides a more workable topic to think about. For example, in reading the story of the flood and God's covenant with Noah I could see God's power and mercy, but as in looking closer I can see that the response of Noah to God's power and mercy is worship, and so I should respond to God in the same way.

Memorizing scripture is another great way to keep the word of God in mind day and night (Psalm 1:2). Whether they are topical scriptures targeted towards a specific area of your life, large portions of scripture, or even a few verses, it is always helpful to have part of the bible permanently in your mind. Meditating on what you have recently read or memorized is another way to renew your mind all day. Many times it is hard for me to focus enough to dig deep into the meaning of scriptures but when I do I am often amazed at what I find.

We can renew our minds by rehearsing the Gospel to ourselves throughout the day. God has given us a precious gift in the Gospel. Not only because of the great gifts of salvation and adoption, etc., that come through it, but also through the constant reminder of God's blessing and forgiveness that it is. By reminding ourselves, in depth, of the story of Christ coming to earth as a man, living a perfect life, dying and resurrecting, our minds will be renewed by the glory of Christ found in the Gospel. A great book on this is the Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent. It is definitely worth buying.

Theological books also provide renewal to our minds. There are so many excellent books out there, and many of them are extremely helpful when it comes to bringing the word of God to mind. Right now I am reading Desiring God by John Piper. It a rather hefty book that is probably going to take me a while, but there is so much that I am learning reading just a few pages a day. Even if you don't have time to read in your schedule, long commutes, workout time, or chores are great times to take advantage of. Audio books are extremely available nowadays, on the internet or even at the library, and are a great way to "read" books. Reading good, theological books is an excellent way to renew the mind.

One final thing that I find helpful in keeping my mind on God throughout the day is prayer. Many times throughout the day I just talk to God, ask Him for strength, thank Him, etc. It has been great to experience the company of God in such a constant way.

As I have written this post, I have realized how much more I could and should be doing to keep my mind fully on God everyday. It often requires self-control to do these things, but the reward we receive is great, and well worth it. A constant renewal of our minds in the word of God, the Gospel, good books, and prayer is a way that we can honor and worship God (Romans 12:2), and also guard our hearts against the influence of the world.

95 Theses

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:20:00 +0000

In honor of Martin Luther, I thought it would be appropriate to place these 95 theses on my blog. It is 492 years, to the day, since he nailed the following statements onto the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany. Praise God for strengthening this man to stand up against the Catholic Church. Who knows, if he hadn't done what he did, our whole outlook on life and the Gospel and church would probably be very different.

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.

In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.
2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.
3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh.
4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.
6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.
7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.
8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.
9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.
10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.
11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.
12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.
13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.
14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.
15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.
16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.
17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.
18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.
19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.
20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.
21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;
22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.
23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.
24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.
25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.
26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.
27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].
28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.
29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.
30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.
31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.
32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.
33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;
34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.
35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.
36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.
37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.
38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.
39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.
40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].
41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.
42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.
43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.
45. 45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.
46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.
47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.
48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.
49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.
50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.
51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.
52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.
53. They are enemies of Christ and of the pope, who bid the Word of God be altogether silent in some Churches, in order that pardons may be preached in others.
54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.
55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
56. The "treasures of the Church," out of which the pope. grants indulgences, are not sufficiently named or known among the people of Christ.
57. That they are not temporal treasures is certainly evident, for many of the vendors do not pour out such treasures so easily, but only gather them.
58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the Saints, for even without the pope, these always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outward man.
59. St. Lawrence said that the treasures of the Church were the Church's poor, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.
60. Without rashness we say that the keys of the Church, given by Christ's merit, are that treasure;
61. For it is clear that for the remission of penalties and of reserved cases, the power of the pope is of itself sufficient.
62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.
63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be last.
64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.
65. Therefore the treasures of the Gospel are nets with which they formerly were wont to fish for men of riches.
66. The treasures of the indulgences are nets with which they now fish for the riches of men.
67. The indulgences which the preachers cry as the "greatest graces" are known to be truly such, in so far as they promote gain.
68. Yet they are in truth the very smallest graces compared with the grace of God and the piety of the Cross.
69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of apostolic pardons, with all reverence.
70. But still more are they bound to strain all their eyes and attend with all their ears, lest these men preach their own dreams instead of the commission of the pope.
71. He who speaks against the truth of apostolic pardons, let him be anathema and accursed!
72. But he who guards against the lust and license of the pardon-preachers, let him be blessed!
73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.
74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.
75. To think the papal pardons so great that they could absolve a man even if he had committed an impossible sin and violated the Mother of God -- this is madness.
76. We say, on the contrary, that the papal pardons are not able to remove the very least of venial sins, so far as its guilt is concerned.
77. It is said that even St. Peter, if he were now Pope, could not bestow greater graces; this is blasphemy against St. Peter and against the pope.
78. We say, on the contrary, that even the present pope, and any pope at all, has greater graces at his disposal; to wit, the Gospel, powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written in I. Corinthians xii.
79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.
80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.
81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.
82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."
83. Again: -- "Why are mortuary and anniversary masses for the dead continued, and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded on their behalf, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?"
84. Again: -- "What is this new piety of God and the pope, that for money they allow a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God, and do not rather, because of that pious and beloved soul's own need, free it for pure love's sake?"
85. Again: -- "Why are the penitential canons long since in actual fact and through disuse abrogated and dead, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences, as though they were still alive and in force?"
86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"
87. Again: -- "What is it that the pope remits, and what participation does he grant to those who, by perfect contrition, have a right to full remission and participation?"
88. Again: -- "What greater blessing could come to the Church than if the pope were to do a hundred times a day what he now does once, and bestow on every believer these remissions and participations?"
89. "Since the pope, by his pardons, seeks the salvation of souls rather than money, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons granted heretofore, since these have equal efficacy?"
90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.
91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Cross, cross," and there is no cross!
94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.

The Goodness of God

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:54:00 +0000

"When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord, because He is good; and when we ourselves are conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless Him that He is good. We must never tolerate an instant's unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questioned, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good…" -Charles Spurgeon

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Psalms 34:8).

Ever Deeper

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Sinking deeper, ever deeper
Into sin was my wicked soul
Nearing death was I, without any hope
Descending down into darkness
Falling deeper, ever deeper

Then the Light shined deeper, ever deeper
Into the darkness of my soul
He took death to pay my toll
Darkness descending on God's own Son
Light in darkness going deeper, ever deeper

Now the Light shines deeper, ever deeper
Into the darkness evermore
Justified sinners serving their resurrected Lord
Taking the truth to thousands unknown
The Light of truth going deeper, ever deeper

When Light's rule goes deeper, ever deeper
Into eternity evermore
Glorified worshipers will praise their exalted Lord
Praising the love of their gracious Savior
Then into love fall deeper, ever deeper

When You Are Tempted To Doubt God...

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:05:00 +0000

Here are some scriptures that I have found helpful in convincing my heart of the complete ability of God to do all things. I hope that they encourage you.

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14).

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2).

"Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you" (Jeremiah 32:17).

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27).

But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'" (Matthew 19:26).

"For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Meditating on God #2

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:39:00 +0000

This week the phrase that I am going to try to meditate on is:

God is completely able to do anything and everything.

*See posts filed under meditations for more information*

God's Amazing Creation

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:23:00 +0000

Tell me this was an accident.

International Blasphemy Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Yes, you read it right. September 30th is International Blasphemy Day. For more information see Albert Mohler's article here under "Why Do the Heathen Rage?"

I am writing this because my heart is broken at the depravity of our world. The fact that they are setting aside a day to blaspheme is bad, but the fact that their hearts are so set against God, is heart breaking.

I would ask you to pray for those who would participate, that they would see their error and turn to Christ. And if you know someone who is planning on participating, I would entreat you to warn them of the consequences, and share the hope of Christ with them.

Praise God that He has lifted us from the mire of sin in which we lived, for if he hadn't I am sure that I could be one of those people celebrating blasphemy.

Meditating on God #1

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:59:00 +0000

I am making it a goal to meditate on one phrase describing God and His attributes a week, whether in my devotions or throughout the day, with the purpose of drilling that truth into my head. I would encourage you to join me in this imperfect attempt at better understand our God.

This weeks phrase is: God created the world.

A Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Regardless of what is going on, oh God, You are always good, and Your plan is always good. You cannot do wrong for Your holiness is the standard of perfection. You have no equal, none who can challenge you in any way. You command everything: the largest star, the smallest bacteria. In light of Your greatness why should I worry? Why should I fear? Why should any trial, or sin pattern challenge my trust in You. You are the only solid Rock upon which I can stand. Help me stand upon you. Oh Lord, keep steady in faith, God when I stumble remind me that You crushed Your Son so that my failure to obey your perfect law would be blotted out forever; that I might become welcome to You as Your child. Remind me that nothing can separate me from Your Great Love. Lord help me focus my eyes on You this day. Give me mercy anew to battle my flesh and Satan's attacks, and when I fail, come running to the Cross. Be magnified in me oh God.

Lessons from the Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:52:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago my family was on vacation in the Outer Banks, and while we were there we inevitably took a dip in the salty blue. While swimming in the ocean the idea for this blog post came to mind, and it has to do with the current of the world.

In the midst of our body surfing, boogie boarding, or jumping into the waves there was a force at work against us. The undertoe at both beaches we went to was unusually strong. We could literally be hundreds of feet away from where we left our stuff within minutes. The only way that we could keep from drifting away was by fighting the current.

This same thing is true in real life. The current of the world is extremely powerful, and we must fight it, or be swept away. One of the best ways to fight the lies that world is with the Word of God. The Bible is truth. If we are being fed lies but no truth we will end up believing lies. But if we are feeding ourselves the truth, we will be able to discern what is good from what is false.

Just to clear things up, as Christians we have an immutable standing before God, our justification is irreversible, because Jesus died on the Cross. He paid the penalty for our sins, and when we place our faith in Him, we are seen by God as Jesus: perfect and righteous. However, just as with other relationships, when we become distracted from God by the things of the world, our relationship will suffer. We will experience distance, and dryness, but God is always willing and ready to receive us in His loving arms.

Jesus knows that we are in the world, and he knows that we will face trials and temptations. While here on earth he prayed to His Father, "Holy Father, keep them in your name...I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one" (John 17:11, 15). Jesus knows what were up against, and has asked God for help on our behalf. Isn't it comforting to know that we serve a God who can relate to us, and who prays for us?

What Makes Our Worship Acceptable to God?

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:30:00 +0000

I have the privilege of serving on our churches worship team, and on a certain Sunday the thought of how God accepts our worship came to mind. On this specific Sunday a certain electric guitarist made some pretty overt mistakes, at least that's what he thought. As he was walking down the back hallway he was thankful that his efforts weren't what made his worship acceptable to God. But what makes our worship acceptable?

Every effort we have put forth to God is filthy in his sight, tainted with sin. Not even our worship is acceptable in his sight, for we are "to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5, emphasis added). Only in Christ is our worship acceptable to God.

Christ came to earth, became nothing, and then died on the Cross. He bore our sin, and the wrath that we deserved because of this we can be made righteous in Him. When we are justified in Christ, His righteousness is transmitted to us, and we become righteous, in Him, before God.

Our praise to God is made perfect through the justification given us by God, through the atoning work of Christ on the Cross. This in itself is a wonderful reason to worship our glorious Savior.

Can Unbelievers Know Joy?

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I have been asked a question related to my previous post, and I thought that I should post in response to it. The question is this "Why...can [non-Christians] find joy in life even if they deny that there...is a God? Why can they even find joy in their sins?" Great question. I will seek to answer it, yet remember: my words have zero authority compared to God's.

As to the first question non-Christians can experience joy, however the joy they experience is temporary. The joy of a Christian is firm and lasting, because it is based in Christ. The world and sin boast of many pleasures all of which will satisfy, and none of them do. Even famous men and women, who have gained wealth and fame aren't satisfied.

"Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, “Hey man, this is what is.” I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, “God, it’s got to be more than this.” I mean this isn’t, this can’t be, what it’s all cracked up to be." - Tom Brady, New England Patriots.

As to the second question non-Christians can find temporary happiness in sin because sin offers temporary pleasure. There is no doubt about it: sin offers pleasure, but it is mirage pleasure. It boast of great satisfaction in the distance, and yet when you get there you find nothing but desert. Sins pleasure is empty, and all it does is lead to death.

The only hope to escape a life that is "vanity and a striving after wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14), is to trust in Christ, for salvation. When Christ is the foundation of your life, you can rejoice in all situations. When you have hope that this life isn't all you'll know, that there is a better place where you can go for eternity, you can be joyful in whatever circumstances come your way.

Christ gives joy in salvation: hope that sins are forgiven, wrath is removed, and righteousness is transmitted to us. He then makes life the fullest it can possibly be for believers. All of this is only possible because he made himself nothing, and died on a Cross, taking our sins, and God's wrath. What a great Savior we have. Thank God, for His glorious Gospel.

Joy and Sorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:59:00 +0000

My Friends Joyful and Depressed

I was thinking the other day about the source of joy and sadness, and I came to this conclusion: All sorrow comes from sin, and joy comes from Christ and the Gospel.

As to my first postulation all sadness is a result of sin: whether it is sin that you've committed, sin that's been committed against you, or sin that has been committed against someone else (whether it is your friend, a family member, a random person, or God). Even the death is a result of sin. Therefore, I think that all sorrow is caused by sin.

Sin's power was broken when Jesus died on the Cross. When sinners believe in Christ, for salvation, sin loses its power over them. Therefore, if sin is dissolved by Christ, and his death on the Cross, then He must be the source of all joy.

Not only is the Gospel the means by which the source of sorrow was dissolved, but also the means through which all blessings flow to Christians from God. That is reason to rejoice.

When we remember the Cross, what Christ did for us, and what that accomplished, our sorrows, though very real, will lose their sting.

Name Change

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:13:00 +0000

I have decided to change the name of my blog because, although the previous name of my blog (Contrast) was good, I don't think that it captured what I want my blog to be at this point.

I want to help others (and myself) to see Christ, his Gospel and preeminence, with greater clarity, and as more valuable. My hope is to aid Christians with truth from God's Word, to better follow Christ and live a life that is pleasing to him and centered on the Cross; a life that is fulfilling, and filled with hope because of the Gospel.

I can't do this alone, it is only God's grace that I can do this it all, and by no means am I ahead of anyone, but rather, most things I write about are things that I am seeking to grow in myself. We are all in it together.

As to the name I believe it captures what I want to say, in that I hope this blog to be a Looking Glass (magnifying glass) to bring Christ into greater clarity for us all.

By His grace alone, for His glory alone

Stand Firm

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Imagine with me for a moment that we have entered into a fantasy story in which a battle is raging between two countries at war:

The field rang out with the sounds of battle. Swords clanged off of shields as the forces of Derinatan pressed forward into the army of King Turnak, ruler of Taedia. The battle was fierce, and every man knew each step he took might be his last.

Among the forces of King Turnak there was a young man named Eldan. He had grown up under the rule of the King who had fought in many battles, but he had never fought in a battle himself, for he had always been to young. He loved to hear stories of the returning conquerors and always dreamed of fighting in a battle himself. When the opportunity came, though, the foolish youth only took a sword with him into the battle, and he was now realizing his mistake.

He saw the ravenous wolves of Derinatan hewing their way through the men that stood in front of him. When the enemy was within swinging distance he lifted up his sword and hacked at one of his opponents. The blow smote the man on his shoulder and crumpled him to the ground, but before he knew it, he felt the sword of his fallen opponent stab through his unprotected belly. He fell to the ground, mortally wounded, and never saw another sun rise.

Among the forces of Derinatan there was another young man named Thurn. He was very similar to Eldan, in that he had always loved to hear the stories of battle from his father who was an experienced warrior, and hoped that one day he could fight like his father. However, Thurn learned from his father, that you never enter battle unarmed.

When preparing for the battle Thurn went to the armory, and not only brought with him a sword, but also a helmet, breastplate, and shield. He charged through the forces of his enemy slaying them as he went. When he saw an axe flying towards his shoulder, he blocked it with his shield; when his chest was unguarded by his shield and a spear flew at him, the breastplate reflected it, and when a sword came crushing down on his head the helmet saved his life.

What can we learn from Eldan and Thurn. Both had heard stories of battle growing up, and both had hoped to be in one, one day, and yet one was prepared and lived, the other wasn't and died.

In Ephesians 6 it says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:10-11 ). Everyday is a battle and if we do not arm ourselves with the strength of God we will fall.

But what is the armor of the Lord. Paul continues to the Ephesians "take up the whole armor of God...the belt of truth...the breastplate of righteousness...the readiness given by the gospel of peace...the shield of faith...the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:13-17). "The pieces of armor it tells me to put on are all merely synonyms for the gospel," says Milton Vincent. "Translated literally from the Greek, they are: '...the salvation...the justification...truth...the gospel of peace...the faith...[and the]...word of God.' What are all these expressions but various ways of describing the gospel? Therefore if I wish to stand victorious in Jesus, I must do as the songwriter suggests and 'put on the gospel armor...'" (The Gospel Primer).

Our hope for salvation is in the Gospel, not only for forgiveness for our sins, but also for our daily protection from the bombardments of our Enemy.

What is Eternal Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:19:00 +0000

This question has an obvious answer: eternal life is life for eternity. But as I was memorizing John 17 I realized that there is another answer. In verse 3 Jesus says, "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

As I thought about it, this became quite profound. Obviously eternal life means that we don't die, but the source of our life is that we are in fellowship with God and His Son, Jesus. Just knowing God provides us with life forever.

How much more amazing is the Gospel, therefore, because by it we can now know the Father, through the death of Christ on the Cross.

The Importance of the Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:56:00 +0000

In my quiet time this morning I began to realize the importance of the Cross. Here are some of the things that the Cross makes possible.

The Cross makes salvation possible.
The Cross makes salvation possible because if Jesus had not absorbed our sin, and the wrath for those sins, it would be wrong of God to forgive us. God is just and must punish sin, but "so that he might be just and the justifier" (Romans 3:26), God gave his Son to be the sacrifice for our sin. If Christ had not come and died we wouldn't have any way to seek that salvation--from sin and God's wrath--that we now have.

The Cross makes the Word of God possible.
The Cross makes the Word of God possible because if Jesus had not come and died on the Cross there would be no New Testament, and the Old Testament would be bogus. This is because the whole Old Testament is pointing to Christ in one way or another. C. J. Mahney writes, "It has been noted that every passage of Scripture--in both the Old and New Testaments--either predicts, prepare for, reflects, or results from the work of Christ." So if Jesus didn't die on the cross we wouldn't have the Bible.

The Cross makes prayer possible.
The Cross makes prayer possible because in prayer we are speaking to God, in His presence. If Jesus had not died our sin would bar us from God's presence thereby disallowing our constant access to God.

The Cross makes changed lives possible.
The Cross makes changed lives possible because if Jesus had not died in our place, and destroyed sins grip over our lives then we would still be dead in our transgressions (Ephesians 2:1-3). If we had not been raised to life in Christ we would still be wallowing in our wickedness with no hope of escape probably following some pagan idol, but Praise the Lord, Jesus has died on the Cross, and those who trust in him for salvation will experience forgiveness and their lives will be changed.

Thank God for the Cross and everything it makes possible.

Why Humility?

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:18:00 +0000

Humility has got to be one of the greatest paradoxes in the Bible. It shows us how much our ways are different from God's. Our flesh, the world, and Satan, tell us that we are worthy of praise. Our pride wants to put us in a place of high standing, ultimately in the place of God, and when we are there we will get the glory we deserve.

That is not what the Word of God says. The Bible says in two places that "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). That "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11; 18:14). This is completely contrary to our human instinct, and the indoctrination of the world. Jesus says that "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35). So to be great, we are to nothing. Jesus, our great Example, himself, being the greatest who ever walked the earth, "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7).Looking at the spectrum of all of these scriptures, we see the same recurring theme, true greatness is the result of us becoming less.

When we pursue this humility we are inviting the grace of God into our lives, in contrast to our previous state of opposition from God. Looking at the benefits, humility becomes much more attractive, but our flesh doesn't agree. In fact it hates it. My flesh hates it.

Humility means giving glory to God, not drawing attention to ourselves, and opening up our lives--sin, temptations, etc.,--to others. This is painful; and it is a life long process. The truth is the more humble you become, the more you see how proud you really are; I see how proud I really am.

As seeking humility is a life-long, and completely impossible on our own, the best thing for us to do, is to be humble, and say, "I'm not humble; I'm proud. I need help." We need to go to God, and ask him, daily, for his strength, and sanctification to help us in this area.

All by his strength...

Spurgeon on Anxiety

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:58:00 +0000

"Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength"

-Charles Spurgeon

A Heart For The Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Jordan) — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Do you desire to have a greater heart for the lost? A greater desire to see the people in this "crooked and twisted generation" saved? You know that you should and yet there is something in you that isn't quite feeling the urge to see them saved. Many people (probably everyone at one point) experiences that.

In a sermon on the topic of evangelism Jim Donohue said that to gain a heart for the lost we need to spend time with them; to see how lost they really are. When we see people living in darkness, and ignorance to God and His Word, our hearts will be moved in great ways to see them saved from the mess that they are in.

There's a catch though: it's going to be uncomfortable. There will be stretches. Unless you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, reaching out to the lost will be nearly impossible. So I would encourage you (and me) to step outside your comfort zone, and reach out to someone near you in need of the Gospel. It will most likely be somewhat painful, but as Alex and Brett Harris say in their book, the only when to stretch the bounds of your comfort zone is by stepping out of it.

Let's pursue a heart for the lost by pursuing the lost themselves.

Soli Deo Gloria